WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.080 Scripture reading today comes from also God's love and Jesus is enough. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.939 Let's read John chapter 15, verse 1 to 17. 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:20.019 I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 00:00:20.740 --> 00:00:24.699 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 00:00:24.699 --> 00:00:31.460 And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it might bear more fruit. 00:00:33.019 --> 00:00:36.600 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.359 Abide in me, and I in you. 00:00:41.179 --> 00:00:46.579 As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:50.000 Neither can you unless you abide in me. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.460 I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:00:55.380 --> 00:01:01.200 Whatever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. 00:01:01.780 --> 00:01:04.000 For apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:11.140 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers. 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:16.379 And the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 00:01:16.379 --> 00:01:24.679 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:31.739 By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. 00:01:32.939 --> 00:01:37.519 As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. 00:01:38.579 --> 00:01:42.979 Abide in my love if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:48.180 Just as I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:55.540 These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:02.159 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:08.860 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 00:02:08.860 --> 00:02:12.200 And you are my friends, if you do what I command you. 00:02:12.740 --> 00:02:17.900 No longer do I call you serpents, for the serpents does not know what his master is doing. 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.060 But I have called you friends. 00:02:20.980 --> 00:02:24.520 For all that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. 00:02:25.600 --> 00:02:31.680 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:37.300 that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:42.580 so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:47.659 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:49.980 This is the word of God. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.400 And I'll just pass over to Eric. 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:57.879 Good morning, everyone. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:02:58.879 How are you today? 00:03:00.200 --> 00:03:01.580 My name is Eric. 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:05.040 I actually used to work at Watermark for about seven years, 00:03:05.040 --> 00:03:08.080 and it's great to see so many old friends on here today. 00:03:08.420 --> 00:03:09.319 Good morning, everyone. 00:03:09.939 --> 00:03:12.980 It's also great to see some new people who I don't recognize. 00:03:14.040 --> 00:03:16.140 And I love Watermark Church. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:19.659 It played a huge role in my spiritual growth over the years. 00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:22.180 I'm still friends with lots of people in Watermark, 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:25.740 and I'm so thankful for your church, and I pray for you guys. 00:03:27.359 --> 00:03:30.819 If you knew me back in my Watermark days, 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:34.579 my family has grown a little bit since we left. 00:03:35.259 --> 00:03:39.079 And so I have a slide that we can pop up on the screen to show you. 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:43.879 We've added Judah and Isaiah to our family in the years since we were at Watermark. 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:49.099 And I'm now pastoring at a church in Tengcheng called the Bridge Church. 00:03:49.699 --> 00:03:54.759 But as Kevin mentioned, we're doing a pulpit swap today to show that the church in Hong Kong 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:57.219 is bigger than any of our individual churches. 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:00.019 And so I'm here. 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:03.659 Kevin's at another church, and that church's pastor is at the bridge. 00:04:03.959 --> 00:04:08.120 And it's great to be with you here today to share God's word with you. 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:13.719 And as we start thinking about today's passage, I have a question for you. 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:18.879 Do you want your life to make a difference in the world? 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.579 Do you want your life to make a difference in the world? 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:26.639 Do you want to have the knowledge that after you're gone, 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:30.040 this world is a better place because you were in it? 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:37.920 And I think if I had to guess, I think you do, because I think that's actually one of the most common desires of the human heart. 00:04:38.060 --> 00:04:40.020 I think you want it because everyone wants it. 00:04:40.420 --> 00:04:44.760 And that's why people donate millions of dollars to get their names on buildings, 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:52.180 because they want future generations to remember this person made the world a better place. 00:04:52.659 --> 00:04:55.860 And you may not have the money to put your name on a building, 00:04:56.139 --> 00:05:02.439 but I believe that most of us still have this desire to know we made a difference on the earth. 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:07.899 But have you ever thought about what it takes to make that kind of a difference in the world? 00:05:07.899 --> 00:05:15.379 Well, in today's passage, Jesus shares one of his I am statements with us from the book of John. 00:05:15.479 --> 00:05:20.199 That's what this series is looking at, the I am statements of Jesus in the book of John. 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:27.579 And he teaches us with this I am statement how to live in a way that makes a lasting difference in the world. 00:05:27.659 --> 00:05:30.099 He says, I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:37.120 And what we'll see as we look at today's passage is that for our lives to make a positive, lasting difference, 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.240 we must abide in Jesus. 00:05:40.280 --> 00:05:42.240 And we'll be looking at three questions today. 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:43.699 What is abiding? 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:45.699 Why don't we abide? 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:47.480 And how do we abide? 00:05:47.939 --> 00:05:51.639 But before we dig in and look at the passage, let's pray together. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:55.800 Father, we thank you for this time together today. 00:05:55.800 --> 00:06:02.259 We thank you for your word that speaks to us and that tells us who you are and what it means to live for you. 00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:08.480 We thank you for the unity that we have as churches who are connected in Jesus. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:18.920 Even though we meet in different places most Sundays, we thank you that you bring us together and that you connect us and unite us with yourself and with one another. 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:23.519 And we pray that you would give us just focus and clarity as we look at your word today. 00:06:23.779 --> 00:06:25.680 And in Jesus name, amen. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:25.840 Amen. 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:32.699 So our first question today that we need to look at is what is abiding? 00:06:33.259 --> 00:06:41.620 And I realized the first issue with our main idea today is that actually abide isn't a super common word in our world today. 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:46.259 I did some research this week about how often words appear in books. 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:57.519 And it said that the word abide is rare enough in today's world that on average for every three novels you read, not articles online, but like novels, books, full books. 00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:02.259 For every three novels you read, the word abide will show up about once. 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:14.399 So it's quite understandable if many of us have absolutely no idea what this word means, which is why our first question today is what is abiding? 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:20.360 And abiding simply means remaining or staying. 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:25.620 Using Jesus' vine illustration here where he says he is the vine, we are the branches. 00:07:26.020 --> 00:07:33.060 Abiding means being connected with us in such a way that life flows into us and gives us life. 00:07:33.780 --> 00:07:36.360 Obviously, that's a spiritual connection, not a physical one. 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:38.600 Maybe a real world illustration would help. 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:40.540 You can think of it like marriage. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:44.360 Marriage is supposed to be this mutually life-giving relationship. 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:49.860 By being married to one another, a husband and wife, they're meant to encourage one another. 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:56.420 And support one another and help one another through hard time of life through being in this relationship. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:05.360 But if someone just packs up and goes to live in another country from their spouse, and they never call, they never write, 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:12.080 that marriage isn't going to be a life-giving relationship because they're not abiding with one another. 00:08:13.620 --> 00:08:17.879 There will be some legal paperwork to say that a relationship exists, 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:21.360 but there won't be any daily evidence of a relationship. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:24.360 There won't be any encouragement or support. 00:08:24.719 --> 00:08:26.439 They won't be strengthening one another. 00:08:26.540 --> 00:08:31.339 They won't be helping one another get through the day because they're not abiding in that relationship. 00:08:31.939 --> 00:08:33.500 And it's the same with Jesus. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.899 Jesus calls us to live in a daily life-giving relationship with him. 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:46.360 He says that staying connected to him, that remaining with him on a day-to-day basis, 00:08:46.360 --> 00:08:52.459 is how we receive that spiritual life and vitality that we need in order to operate in the world. 00:08:53.299 --> 00:08:54.799 And so you know what that means? 00:08:55.459 --> 00:09:00.199 It means being a Christian isn't just about life after death. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:03.299 It's not about having some get-out-of-hell-free card for when you die. 00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:09.139 Being a Christian is actually meant to give us real-world strength and comfort today 00:09:09.139 --> 00:09:12.139 to help us with whatever circumstances we're facing, 00:09:12.539 --> 00:09:16.579 whether that's COVID lockdowns or wars and rumor of war, 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:18.799 whether that's sick family members, 00:09:19.339 --> 00:09:22.719 whether we have instability in our jobs or whatever else we may be facing. 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:28.359 Abiding with Jesus is meant to give us strength today to face those things. 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:35.740 This also means that if we're not taking time each day to be with Jesus and grow closer to him, 00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:39.800 and your spiritual life just consists of the fact that I prayed a prayer once 00:09:39.800 --> 00:09:43.500 to become a Christian a while back, and then that's about it, 00:09:44.060 --> 00:09:47.100 you're not actually abiding with Jesus. 00:09:48.180 --> 00:09:52.379 Saying I prayed a prayer once five years ago, and that's it, 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:55.539 is sort of like saying I had a marriage ceremony five years ago, 00:09:55.740 --> 00:09:57.580 but I haven't spoken to my spouse since. 00:09:57.580 --> 00:09:59.180 You're kind of missing the point. 00:10:00.040 --> 00:10:03.600 By not abiding, you're missing out on the real-world resources for living 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:09.160 that Jesus wants to give you today to equip you to live properly for him in the world. 00:10:09.920 --> 00:10:13.900 So abiding is not some super spiritual accomplishment for ultra-Christians. 00:10:14.400 --> 00:10:17.300 It's actually what Jesus is calling all of us to do. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:21.340 It's simply living in a life-giving relationship with Jesus, 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:24.620 where we have daily dependence and reliance on him. 00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:28.820 It's living in a life-giving relationship with Jesus, 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:32.340 where we have a daily dependence and reliance on him. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:37.580 So there are real-world resources available today for those who abide in Jesus, 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:42.299 who remain in this life-giving relationship with him on a day-to-day basis, 00:10:42.299 --> 00:10:47.679 and yet, so often, so many of us struggle to actually abide with Jesus. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:53.399 So before we look at how to abide, let's first look at some of these roadblocks that we face, 00:10:53.459 --> 00:10:56.819 some of the trouble areas that keep us from abiding properly. 00:10:57.239 --> 00:10:59.139 And that brings us to our second question. 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:00.539 Why don't we abide? 00:11:01.419 --> 00:11:02.959 And there are several reasons we don't abide. 00:11:03.459 --> 00:11:05.399 We don't have time to go into all of them. 00:11:05.479 --> 00:11:09.079 I want to highlight a couple of them that stick out from Jesus' teaching here. 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:14.460 The first is that we're often looking to the wrong vines or false vines. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:18.220 Did you notice that in verse 1 of today's passage, 00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:21.320 Jesus doesn't simply say he's the vine. 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:23.360 He says he's the true vine. 00:11:24.040 --> 00:11:27.120 Now, why add that extra word, that extra clarification? 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:33.220 Well, you only need to clarify you're the true vine if there are false vines as well. 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:38.720 In the context of the Bible, Israel was actually supposed to be God's vineyard in the Old Testament. 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:45.440 Israel as a nation, as God's chosen people, was supposed to live in such a way that they bore fruit. 00:11:46.019 --> 00:11:52.019 And them living in this way was meant to encourage all the nations around them to come and worship God. 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.220 But the problem that we see again and again in the Old Testament 00:11:56.220 --> 00:12:02.259 is that Israel consistently, repeatedly failed to bear fruit like they were supposed to. 00:12:02.680 --> 00:12:06.440 They failed to live up to that job of being God's vine. 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:11.020 And that's why we need this new, better, true vine. 00:12:11.020 --> 00:12:16.600 Because so many people in Jesus' day were counting on the fact that I am Jewish. 00:12:16.760 --> 00:12:18.600 I am part of God's chosen people. 00:12:18.800 --> 00:12:23.040 They were counting on their ethnic background to give them a relationship with God. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:30.579 And by saying that he is the true vine, not Israel, Jesus is telling the disciples and us, 00:12:31.299 --> 00:12:38.419 you don't get to God by being born into a certain family or by being born into a certain religious group or a certain ethnic group. 00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:49.259 The only way to get to God and have a life-giving relationship with him is through knowing and living in a relationship with Jesus. 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:57.799 Placing our hope in our ethnic background like the Jewish people of Jesus' day did isn't the only false vine out there. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:02.439 Like every day, you and I have voices coming at us from all sides, 00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:09.399 promising us that if we'll just attach ourselves to this vine or that one, we'll get true, abundant life. 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.179 Maybe it's the vine of success. 00:13:13.199 --> 00:13:14.980 Students, how often do you hear this? 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:21.379 You just get the best grades in school and you'll be on the path to full, abundant, true, fruitful life. 00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:31.139 Or maybe if you're in the workplace, it sounds more like, well, once you get promoted to managing director in your company, true life is yours. 00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:35.860 Maybe for you, the healing one isn't success. 00:13:36.019 --> 00:13:44.539 Maybe it's forever and you will have the full, abundant, fruitful life that you've always wanted and dreamed of. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:47.259 Maybe it's the vine of control. 00:13:47.699 --> 00:13:53.299 If you can just keep your family safe and secure, avoid your family being exposed to COVID, 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:56.879 keep your kids from making bad choices as they grow up, 00:13:57.179 --> 00:14:00.539 and you will have full, abundant, fruitful life. 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:02.960 Maybe your vine is a different one. 00:14:03.220 --> 00:14:06.799 But regardless of which false vine we choose to attach ourselves to, 00:14:07.059 --> 00:14:15.100 the reality is no false vine can ever give us that lasting satisfaction and fruitfulness that our souls crave. 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:22.779 And by definition, being attached to any false vine gets in the way of us being attached to Jesus, the true vine. 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:28.460 You know, just to unpack one of the examples I listed and show how it fails to give us what it promises. 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:30.179 Look at that vine of control. 00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:35.139 Is it good to have a safe and healthy family full of people who make good choices? 00:14:36.419 --> 00:14:37.699 Absolutely, yes. 00:14:37.739 --> 00:14:38.659 That's a good thing, right? 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:45.039 But what happens when that's the primary place we look in order to find the abundant life? 00:14:47.620 --> 00:14:49.620 We become neurotic control freaks. 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.000 Everything has to go our way or else. 00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:54.699 We become miserable to be around. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:58.279 I mean, have you ever been around a neurotic control freak and thought to yourself, 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:01.039 wow, that person really has the good life. 00:15:01.579 --> 00:15:03.360 I wish my life could be more like theirs. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:06.379 No, of course not. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:10.659 When we see someone like that, we think they're miserable and we thank God we're not like that, 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:17.360 even if we are and we just can't see it in ourselves because we know that's a miserable, miserable way to live life. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:19.960 And yet still, what do we do? 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:26.919 We grasp for control just like that because we think that having control will give us fruitful, abundant life. 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:29.939 But it never can because it's a false vine. 00:15:30.459 --> 00:15:35.779 And as long as we're trying to tap true life from false vines, we won't be abiding in Jesus. 00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:40.500 We won't be experiencing any of the blessings that come from being connected with him. 00:15:40.579 --> 00:15:44.559 So false vines keep us from abiding in that true vine of Jesus. 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:48.879 The second reason we don't abide in Jesus is fear. 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:54.719 Do you notice what Jesus said about his father's role in this process in verses one and two? 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.080 He says, my father is the vine dresser. 00:15:58.700 --> 00:16:01.759 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:06.879 And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:10.019 Do you know what pruning is? 00:16:10.560 --> 00:16:11.680 Do you know what pruning is? 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:22.080 Pruning is when you have a grapevine and you cut back parts of the plant so that the plant can give maximum level of energy 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:26.000 to the branches that will grow the healthiest and best grapes. 00:16:27.139 --> 00:16:33.720 Pruning is cutting back or getting rid of living, growing parts of the plant so that the plant can be more fruitful in the future. 00:16:33.980 --> 00:16:35.660 It's a painful process. 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:43.759 And I did a little bit of research this week on pruning and it helped me understand on a deeper level just how painful pruning can be. 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:46.779 Obviously, it's painful, but check out this. 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:48.459 Here's one thing I learned from my research. 00:16:48.459 --> 00:16:51.079 It comes from a website called Modern Farmer. 00:16:51.199 --> 00:16:52.639 So, you know, it has to be good, right? 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:58.240 It said this, grapevines produce fruit on one-year-old wood. 00:16:59.179 --> 00:17:07.299 Some of the buds on one-year-old wood grow flowers which develop into fruit, while the buds on older wood produce only leaves or shoots. 00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:12.039 Now, you know a huge implication of pruning from this fact? 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:24.420 If you have a physical grapevine, the parts of the vine that bore fruit last year are the ones that need to get cut off this year because the same branch can't bear fruit twice. 00:17:25.899 --> 00:17:34.680 And I don't know about you, like, if I think about my life, if I think about the things that I've done for God, I find a certain level of comfort in my past success. 00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:40.399 Knowing I was successful at doing something a certain way in the past makes me comfortable. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:53.640 But actually, as a good gardener, the things from my past that I want to rest on and rely on and take confidence in are often going to be the exact things that God has to prune from my life to make space for new growth. 00:17:55.360 --> 00:17:56.360 And that's uncomfortable. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:57.960 I'm afraid of that. 00:17:58.600 --> 00:18:04.880 There's this part of me that kind of feels like, well, if that's how it's going to be, I prefer a different path that doesn't involve pruning, right? 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:10.820 If staying with Jesus means that much pain, maybe there's an easier, more comfortable way. 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:18.600 But what we see in the passage is the only way to avoid pruning is by avoiding abiding, and that's a way that leads to death. 00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:25.120 If we want a comfortable and convenient life, we're going to be hesitant and afraid to abide in Jesus. 00:18:25.280 --> 00:18:28.080 But pruning is necessary if we're going to bear fruit. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:31.480 So we fail to abide because we look to false vines. 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:34.220 We fail to abide because we're afraid of the pain of pruning. 00:18:34.460 --> 00:18:39.399 And the third reason that we often don't abide is we have an overinflated sense of our own ability. 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:44.960 I mean, on a day-to-day basis, how many of us actually believe what Jesus says in verse 5? 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:46.619 Apart from me. 00:18:46.619 --> 00:18:56.919 He says, apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:18:57.179 --> 00:19:00.379 How many of us actually believe that on a day-to-day basis? 00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:08.579 And because we don't believe it, we try to rely on ourselves to do what only Jesus working in us can accomplish. 00:19:08.579 --> 00:19:20.199 But the problem is, as long as we're relying on our own effort, as long as we believe we are somehow capable of doing things without Jesus, we're not abiding in the true vine. 00:19:20.939 --> 00:19:24.379 And I know on one level, there are a lot of things we can do without abiding in Jesus. 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:25.139 Right? 00:19:25.159 --> 00:19:29.119 I mean, if you look at the world around you, you can see non-Christians every day who aren't abiding in Jesus. 00:19:29.899 --> 00:19:35.159 Working, earning a paycheck, raising families, maybe even doing some really good things in their community. 00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:40.740 So what does Jesus mean when he says, apart from me, you can do nothing? 00:19:42.040 --> 00:19:48.600 Well, he means that ultimately, if you're operating apart from him, then the things we do won't last. 00:19:49.019 --> 00:19:53.140 They won't make that lasting positive difference in the world that he wants us to make. 00:19:54.060 --> 00:19:58.600 The buildings that we donate lots of money to get our names on are going to be torn down for new ones. 00:19:59.100 --> 00:20:03.500 Our pride and selfishness are going to corrupt our interactions with others where we're trying to help them. 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:05.940 And we're not going to be as helpful as we thought we were. 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:11.779 Apart from Jesus, we can't make the difference for eternity that he wants us to make. 00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:18.279 He tells us in verse 16 of today's passage, it's only when we abide in him that our fruit abides. 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:22.700 That the things we do make a lasting difference and remain. 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:26.840 And you know, our ultimate struggle when it comes to abiding in Jesus. 00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:33.580 As Jesus says here, we're completely incapable of abiding in him through our own power. 00:20:34.620 --> 00:20:39.380 And we already saw Jesus explicitly tells us apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:20:39.380 --> 00:20:44.120 But also look at how his argument is structured in this passage. 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:47.880 In verse 4, he gives us this command, abide in me. 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:53.380 Then in verse 10, he tells us, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. 00:20:53.780 --> 00:21:00.460 And then in verse 12, he tells us the commandment we are to keep in order to abide in his love is that we love one another as I have loved you. 00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:07.420 And then in verse 17, he says, these things I command you so that, or with the intended result that you will love one another. 00:21:08.299 --> 00:21:12.799 Now, I know that's a bunch of verses all at once, but if you put that all together, what do you get? 00:21:13.700 --> 00:21:16.100 He says, we're called to abide in Jesus. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.019 To abide in Jesus, we must love one another. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:24.079 But then the result of abiding in Jesus is that we love one another. 00:21:24.779 --> 00:21:27.299 So we need to love one another in order to abide. 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:28.900 We need to abide in order to love. 00:21:28.900 --> 00:21:33.700 There's a circle going on here, and there's no on-ramp to the circle through our effort from the outside. 00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:39.280 There's nothing we can do to jump our way into that cycle. 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:50.440 There's nothing we can do through our own power to begin doing this life-giving abiding that lets us live in a way where we can make a lasting positive difference in the world. 00:21:51.100 --> 00:21:54.220 To get into this cycle, we need a miracle. 00:21:55.180 --> 00:21:58.680 And realizing that that's the case brings us to our final question today. 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:00.200 How do we abide? 00:22:01.540 --> 00:22:05.420 And the answer is, in order to abide, we need grace. 00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:11.200 Grace, God's unmerited favor and blessing on us, is what jumps us into that loop. 00:22:11.860 --> 00:22:17.280 At the end of the day, us getting in on this abiding, it's not about us trying harder and doing better, 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:22.560 about us pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps to prove how really useful we are to God. 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:27.679 It's about Jesus getting us in through his work. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:32.039 Look at verse 13 of today's passage with me. 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:33.599 Jesus says, 00:22:33.700 --> 00:22:38.659 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:49.440 Now, as Jesus spoke these words, he was walking with his disciples from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was about to be arrested. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:53.740 And over the course of the next day, Jesus was going to be put on trial. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:23:00.480 He was going to be beaten and mocked, eventually executed as a criminal, even though he had done absolutely nothing wrong. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:04.019 And why did he go through all of this? 00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:09.480 Well, it's because he was acting as the living embodiment of his own teaching right here. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:17.640 Jesus was laying down his life for his friends, including those of us who trust in him today. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.079 And what does it mean that his death was for us? 00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:25.700 Well, it means there's something we need, but we can't get through our own effort. 00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:32.240 And him dying provides us what we need in such a way that we could never have provided for ourselves. 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:41.460 Through his death for us, the way is open for you and me to have access to this new life-giving relationship of abiding in Jesus. 00:23:41.840 --> 00:23:44.620 This relationship we could never earn through our own efforts. 00:23:45.340 --> 00:23:49.559 And as we see in this passage, once he's saved us, he calls us to obey. 00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:50.900 Our obedience is important. 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:59.660 But our obedience is important because we who used to be disconnected branches have now been connected to Jesus so we can bear fruit. 00:24:00.280 --> 00:24:03.080 Our obedience isn't the thing that connects us to Jesus. 00:24:06.500 --> 00:24:07.600 Already connected. 00:24:09.080 --> 00:24:11.560 We have a new identity. 00:24:12.320 --> 00:24:15.540 We have new life through the grace that he has given us. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:18.340 And so as a result of that, we live differently. 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:25.619 And once we have that life, once we've been brought into this cycle, how do we grow in our abiding each day? 00:24:26.619 --> 00:24:32.039 Well, God has given us certain tools called spiritual disciplines to help us intentionally abide. 00:24:32.939 --> 00:24:37.699 And the things that are covered in spiritual disciplines probably won't be shocking or new to you. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:42.000 Even if this is your first time at church and you've never been around a church before, 00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:47.599 a lot of these things that I'm about to mention are things that you've seen as part of this service today. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:55.740 Things like Bible reading, prayer, going to church, meeting up with other Christians to live life alongside of them. 00:24:56.359 --> 00:25:02.659 Doing these things, not just once a week when we meet on Sunday, but on a day by day, even a moment by moment basis, 00:25:02.659 --> 00:25:05.959 is how we stay connected to the true vine. 00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:16.840 Did you notice that not once, but twice in this passage, Jesus makes some really big, huge, open-ended promises about whatever we ask in prayer he's going to give us? 00:25:17.720 --> 00:25:18.980 Do you ever wonder about that? 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:19.880 What's going on there? 00:25:20.860 --> 00:25:24.579 It's not some sort of blank check saying like, hey, here's the deal. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:31.779 If you want to be a billionaire, all you have to do is become a Christian, pray a prayer, and it's yours. 00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:31.819 Yes. 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:33.879 That's not what's going on here. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:40.460 No, that's these promises are Jesus way of reminding us that this abiding thing is really hard. 00:25:40.619 --> 00:25:43.000 We don't have the resources in ourselves to do it. 00:25:43.079 --> 00:25:46.720 And in order to keep on abiding, we need a miracle. 00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:49.759 We need some great, big, huge, open-ended help. 00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:53.839 But he's promising to give us all the help we need. 00:25:53.899 --> 00:25:56.160 He's promising to do that miracle for us. 00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:04.420 And as I mentioned spiritual disciplines, remember the goal of these disciplines is a relationship. 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:06.680 It's abiding with Jesus. 00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:08.060 It's not about checking a box. 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:09.240 Hey, I read my Bible today. 00:26:09.340 --> 00:26:09.560 Done. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.400 Hey, I prayed today. 00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:10.720 Done. 00:26:10.900 --> 00:26:12.380 No, it's about a relationship. 00:26:13.600 --> 00:26:15.960 Relationships can't survive without good communication. 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:25.500 So obviously some level of interaction with God through his word and his prayer and his people is essential if we want to abide like Jesus is telling us to here. 00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:29.759 If we want that vibrant living relationship with God that he's calling us to. 00:26:30.600 --> 00:26:34.400 But the goal of doing these things isn't to just check a box and say, I've made it. 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:36.700 I'm now a good Christian because I've done these things. 00:26:37.740 --> 00:26:40.799 No, the goal is to know God. 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:44.440 But maybe it would think of it help if we think of it this way. 00:26:44.879 --> 00:26:48.079 Imagine I read a book on how to be a great husband. 00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:51.139 And it tells me a great husband. 00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:54.059 There's three things that all great husbands do. 00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:58.579 All great husbands help their wives with the dishes after dinner. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:04.680 They read their kids a bedtime story before bed and they take their wife on a weekly date night. 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:08.960 And I say, all right, I am going to be a great husband. 00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:12.000 And I start doing these three things consistently. 00:27:12.600 --> 00:27:15.060 Every night after dinner, I help with the dishes. 00:27:15.460 --> 00:27:20.120 Every night when the kids are going to bed, I come in and I read them a bedtime story. 00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:24.500 And once per week, at least I take Justine out for a date night. 00:27:25.299 --> 00:27:28.840 Now, are those three things generally good things for husbands to do? 00:27:30.980 --> 00:27:32.360 Probably good ideas, right? 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:37.939 But will I automatically be a great husband with a great marriage because I'm doing these things? 00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:42.719 Maybe, but not necessarily, right? 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.479 Because having a great marriage isn't about the boxes you check of the things you do each week. 00:27:47.679 --> 00:27:51.199 It's about having a loving relationship with your spouse. 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:56.539 You know, in my marriage, there are many days where it's far more helpful for my wife. 00:27:56.539 --> 00:28:05.379 If I take an hour away from my work in the afternoon to help with the kids and then go back and do more work after dinner once the kids are in bed while she does the dishes. 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:17.060 If I was so fixated on this idea that good husbands always help with the dishes, that I said no to helping with her greater need because I need to check this box. 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:23.980 I'm going to miss out on my relationship with her because I'm so focused on what I'm supposed to be doing to have that relationship. 00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:31.460 The relationship is the primary thing, not the box that you check to try and earn the relationship for yourself. 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:36.319 And in the same way, spiritual disciplines, they're essential for growing closer to Jesus. 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:43.960 But when you do spiritual disciplines, you need to find what works for you and helps you connect with Jesus. 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.039 Again, if you're not communicating, you won't have a strong relationship. 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:51.440 You need time in God's word, but what works for you? 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:56.259 Maybe reading your Bible is something you do best from a hard copy of the Bible. 00:28:56.259 --> 00:29:00.960 First thing in the morning, when you wake up, not on your phones, you don't get distractions from different notifications. 00:29:01.460 --> 00:29:05.799 Maybe you can't focus when you're staring at words on a page. 00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:12.279 And maybe for you, it's way more effective if you listen to an audio Bible rather than reading it from a screen. 00:29:13.160 --> 00:29:15.579 Maybe for you, it doesn't matter how it comes in. 00:29:15.620 --> 00:29:20.559 It's not going to stick with you unless you journal some reflections on it or discuss it with your friends. 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:24.700 If that's the case, start journaling, start discussing with friends. 00:29:25.600 --> 00:29:30.799 You need to be hearing from God, but the key isn't here's exactly when and how you must do this. 00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:39.519 The key is what actually helps, what actually helps your relationship with Jesus grow deeper? 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:43.340 What helps you abide with Jesus? 00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:48.180 We see in verse 11, Jesus' goal to abide in him. 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:49.240 It's not to burden us. 00:29:49.299 --> 00:29:50.380 It's not to make us miserable. 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:52.100 It's to give us joy. 00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:55.440 Joy that can only be found through knowing him. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:01.799 And practicing spiritual discipline so we can abide in Jesus is a path to lasting joy. 00:30:02.759 --> 00:30:16.640 And when we do this, when we abide in Jesus, when we know him and trust in him through his grace to rescue us, when we spend time growing closer to him each day, Jesus will begin to transform us from the inside out to be people who bear abiding fruit. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:20.259 It won't happen overnight because fruit doesn't grow overnight. 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:26.600 But Jesus defining success as bearing fruit, man, that is liberating. 00:30:27.300 --> 00:30:29.720 It redefines success for us, right? 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:33.000 Like society tells us success is moving up into the right. 00:30:33.100 --> 00:30:36.300 As time goes by, things only get better and better and better. 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:40.379 But that's so tied to your circumstances. 00:30:41.279 --> 00:30:51.099 Like how do you move up into the right, make sure things are constantly getting better when you're locked up in a tiny Hong Kong flat with screaming young kids during COVID? 00:30:53.299 --> 00:30:55.879 Drive yourself crazy if you're trying to do that. 00:30:57.180 --> 00:30:59.279 You'll constantly feel like a failure. 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:17.500 But if success is bearing fruit, if success means by the grace of God, growing in things like love, joy, peace, patience, that's something that can happen in any circumstances. 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:19.720 It's not dependent on your circumstances. 00:31:19.720 --> 00:31:34.299 And actually, if bearing fruit is our definition of success, if success is growing in things like peace and patience, there are ways that you will be growing in peace and patience during COVID lockdown that you would not be able to learn otherwise. 00:31:35.539 --> 00:31:48.940 If fruitfulness is the best, then this is the best season where Jesus invited us to great success and great growth in a way that the world could never allow us to have success during this time. 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:55.680 And if you're frustrated because this process of bearing fruit is slower than you'd like, that's okay. 00:31:56.620 --> 00:32:05.920 You know, in my research this week on grape plants, I learned grape plants don't actually start growing a crop of grapes until their third year of growing. 00:32:06.100 --> 00:32:07.539 And even then, it's a small crop. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:17.740 But as the branches keep staying attached to the life-giving power of the vine, and they keep being tended by a skillful and caring vine dresser, 00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:24.700 their production grows year by year until they grow into a full, big crop. 00:32:24.700 --> 00:32:28.460 And so the key isn't to be super productive today. 00:32:29.120 --> 00:32:39.360 The key is to keep staying connected to Jesus, the true vine, and staying patient as he slowly transforms us into the people that he wants us to be. 00:32:40.279 --> 00:32:41.400 Let me pray for us. 00:32:41.500 --> 00:32:53.460 Father, what a joy that you call us to abide in you, that you offer us the opportunity to live connected to the true vine, the true source of life, God. 00:32:53.460 --> 00:32:57.640 I pray that you forgive us for the times that we don't do that. 00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:04.120 Whether it's because we're connected to the wrong vines, or we're afraid, or we're just relying on ourselves too much, God. 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:15.299 I pray that you would free us from the things that keep us from you, and that you would bring us to yourself and help us to trust in you and abide in the fruit that abides. 00:33:17.600 --> 00:33:21.640 Father, we need you more than we know. 00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:26.120 God, I pray that you would be giving us a love for you today. 00:33:26.900 --> 00:33:28.340 In Jesus' name, amen.