Abiding In Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 6-1-2008

John 15:1-10

Introduction:

A. Jesus Christ is the True Vine and God the Father is the husbandman—the one who tends to the vineyard. When a person comes to Christ through faith, he or she is then born out of that vine and draws life and productivity through it.

B. These verses have been interpreted to say that a man can be saved and then lost but this is not what Christ is saying. These verses speak of fellowship not relationship.

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

C. As saved, we have our life in Him and our productivity comes through Him.

Colossians 3:4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.

D. If Christ is the True Vine and He is; if it is only through Christ that we have live and it is; if it is only by Christ that we produce and it is; then our goal and desire should be to abide in Him.

E. In Matthew 11:28-30, our Lord gave us the invitation, “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” We have come unto Him and found Him faithful. We have never been sorry that we came at His invitation.

F. Now that we are saved, we are once again given an invitation. It is to “Abide in me!” Christ is simply saying, “Stay with me!” Shall we not find Him as faithful in sanctification as we found Him in salvation?

1. In salvation (“Come unto me”), we had the help of the drawing of the Holy Spirit.

2. In sanctification (“Abide with me”), we have the help of the power of the Holy Spirit!

G. Abiding in Christ is to:

1. Set at His feet as Mary sat - Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

2. Meditate upon His Word - Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

3. Listen to His voice - 1 Kings 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; [but] the LORD [was] not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

4. Walk in His steps - Job 23:11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

1. Abiding in Christ implies the we are one with Christ - John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (Some never abide because they are not attached! You must “get in” before you “get out!”)

2. Abiding in Christ means that we are in constant communion with Christ at all times - 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, [be] with you all. Amen. (The connection between the branch must never be broken for to do so cuts off the flow of sap that gives both life and fruitfulness.)

3. Abiding in Christ involves our total dependence upon Him - John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (As the branch is nothing in itself, the child of God is nothing without Christ. It is the flow that sustains our spiritual lives.)

4. Abiding in Christ involves total obedience to Him - John 15:9-10, 14-15 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love…Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (The branch does as the vine dictates. It bears after the will of the vine. As a branch must bear the right fruit, so the child of God must bear the right spiritual fruit.)

5. Abiding with Christ is a continual fellowship - John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; (As long as the branch is attached to the vine, it is one with the vine. As the vine prospers, so the branch prospers. As long as we abide in Christ’s fellowship, we prosper.)