The Characteristics Of Not Abiding

Temple Baptist Church - 8-4-2019

John 15:6

Introduction: 

A.  For weeks, I have been preaching on the subject “Abiding.”  I want to finish it this morning on the results or characteristics of not abiding in Christ. 

1.  Salvation in Christ as that is apart from works.

2.  Abiding in Christ is living for Christ!

B.  Our Lord said, “I am the true vine.”  The implication is this:  If there is a True Vine, there must also be “False Vines!”  There Are Worldly Vines that you can get your life from:

C.  Your Abiding In The Vine Gives You Your Characteristics!  Being Attached To The Right Vine:

1.  Gives us purpose – vs. 1

2.  Gives us productivity – vs. 2, 4, 8

3.  Gives us purity – vs. 3

4.  Gives us power – vs. 7

D.  In our text, we see the branch that does not abide broken off, cast forth, withered, gathered of men and burned.  I have often said that the end-time church of today reflects:

1.  The Pleasure of Noah’s Day – eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.

2.  The Perversion of Lot’s Day – Pride, fulness of bread, idleness of time, sexual perversion and condonement.

3.  The Path of the Falling Away Day – acceptance of false teachers and rejection of sound doctrine.

4.  The Plenty of Laodicea – rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

THIS IS WHAT THE WORLD SEES!  HERE ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE IN THE TRUE VINE

1.  A Life That Harms The Cause Of Christ - vs 2 “taketh away” (I know that the proper interpretation of this is the Husbandman pruning the vine but I want to give an application) - Luke 11:23  He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.  (We are either “gathering” or we are “scattering.”)

2.  A Life That Is Unclean - vs 2-3 “purgeth ... clean” - 2 Corinthians 12:21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

2 Timothy 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

3.  A Life That Fails To Produce Fruit - vs 4 “no more can ye” - Galatians 5:22-24  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  (Without producing spiritual fruit, we cannot produce physical fruit and one is dependent upon the other.)

4.  A Life Void Of God’s Power - vs 5 – “ye can do nothing” - John 9:33  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.  (Speaking of Christ.)

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Do all things verses do nothing and the key is abiding.)

5.  A Life Of Spiritual Defeat - vs 6 “withered…burned” - 2 Timothy 2:24-26  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

6.  A Life Without The Blessings Of God - vs 7 “ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” - Psalms 37:4  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  (I am not preaching a “Prosperity Gospel,” but I am saying that God will bless you for your faithfulness to Him.)

7.  A Life That Does Not Bring Glory To God - vs 8 “Herein is my Father glorified” - 1 Corinthians 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

8.  A Life Void Of Spiritual Joy - vs 11 “my joy…remain…your joy…full” - 1 Peter 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1 John 1:4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

9.  A Life Of Unfriendliness Towards God - vs 14 “Ye are my friends, if” - James 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

John 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  (The Lord is always our Friend!  We need to be His friend!)