Faith in action vs. Good works? No fruit off with your head?
Disciples are fruity opps fruit laden? Can we always see the fruit
of our ministry? just a "bunch" of fruity thoughts about bearing the
fruit! nancy-Wi
We bear fruit, not by trying to bear fruit, but by abiding in the
vine, taking our nourishment from it, letting the "sap" flow through
us to the outside. Perhaps this is about focus. Do we focus on what
we do, or do we focus on the one who can do wondrous things through
us? And how do we abide in the vine (Jesus)? Is it by being
connected to the congregation? I don't believe all who congregate
are fruit bearers, but it is in the Congregation that we commune,
and we hear the Word there (But not only there). I think the overall
emphasis here is our connection to Jesus. If we are connected, the
fruit comes naturally and wonderfully. -MattMN
Like vines that grow from a single strong root, we are grafted into
Christ at baptism and nourished on his life with the eucharist.
Christ feeds our hunger and satisfies our thirst with his word and
sacraments and encourages us so that we might become fruitful in
service to others. Today Christ calls the church to remember the
source of our faith, hope, and love.
On the night of his arrest, Jesus taught his disciples about the
relationship they would have with him. Those who abide in his word
and love would bear fruit, for apart from him, they could do
nothing.
As the pastoral candidate entered the room, he smiled and speedily
scanned each call committee member from crown to heel. They, in
turn, scanned right back. As he took his seat, pleasantries were
exchanged, including some superficial chatter about the upcoming
Super Bowl. Pastor Devereaux crossed his legs just as Mrs. Mendoza
fired off the first question, "Pastor, how would you describe hell?"
The answer to that question is embedded in today's gospel reading.
Many people have burning fire as their image of hell, but that is at
best an incomplete picture. Jesus says he is the vine and we are the
branches. We know that a branch cannot survive on its own after it
has been cut off; its only fate is death. (According to the text the
vinegrower does not transplant it, or re-root it in water; whether
there are any such options, we must leave to God's gracious wisdom.)
If we stay true to the words of Jesus, the dead do not, cannot, will
not do anything, which is why Jesus says, "apart from me you can do
nothing." The spiritually dead do nothing that counts for anything.
And so, after the branches die, they are not good for anything
except to be disposed of, thrown into the fire. Hell is not the
fire, hell is being cut off from God.
"Abide in me," says Jesus. Now that you are here, stay. It is an
imperative that implies we do have a choice. It is a word to those
who call themselves followers of God. Hell is not where we are sent,
it is where we choose to go, if we do not abide in Christ, but
rather cut ourselves off from the true vine.
Take a planted tree and show the congregation how it is one. It
gains its strength from the soil, from the water that nourishes it,
the sun above. And deep beneath the soil are the roots. Although
they are invisible they feed even the branches. But what would
happen if you were to cut off one of the branches? Eventually it
would die. So too will we die when we cut ourselves off from God. If
we are not rooted in the Lord its only a matter of time before we
perish, just as the branch away from the roots dies. (just a quick
thought that could be developed)
A New Pastor on the Jersey Shore...
Don't you think that pruning process is rather painful for the
church? Folks who are the fruit bearing branches nonetheless are
grieved when others get "removed" because they "bear no fruit".
Blessings, Eric in KS (for another couple of weeks)
Hey, Eric,
Where will you be going?
Michelle
MattMN,
I like your imagery. Thank you.
Michelle
For months I have been reading and enjoying all the thoughts. I
thank you all for giving me much insite into the scriptures. When I
moved into this home 6 years ago, there was a small tree in the back
yard. I had no idea what it was. I am not much of a gardener and am
quite lazy at taking care of gardens, pruning trees, etc. Last
spring I finally pruned the small shoots at the bottom of the tree
and trimmed the bad branches. Low and behold, it blossomed and bore
fruit; it turned out to be a crab-apple tree. Beautiful blossoms and
finally pretty bright red apples. Was it a coincidence that it bore
fruit after it had been pruned? He removes every branch in me that
bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it
bear more fruit. Amazing!! Constantly being pruned by God.
Yooper-MI
For months I have been reading and enjoying all the thoughts. I
thank you all for giving me much insite into the scriptures. When I
moved into this home 6 years ago, there was a small tree in the back
yard. I had no idea what it was. I am not much of a gardener and am
quite lazy at taking care of gardens, pruning trees, etc. Last
spring I finally pruned the small shoots at the bottom of the tree
and trimmed the bad branches. Low and behold, it blossomed and bore
fruit; it turned out to be a crab-apple tree. Beautiful blossoms and
finally pretty bright red apples. Was it a coincidence that it bore
fruit after it had been pruned? He removes every branch in me that
bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it
bear more fruit. Amazing!! Constantly being pruned by God.
Yooper-MI
I once had a member who said: "I go to church, what more does God
want?" After biting my tongue, I said: "A whole lot more.
I think most people feel that going to church, reading their Bible
and praying are fruit, for which God should be proud of them. I
beleive that going to church, Bible reading and praying are sap, not
fruit. These keep us connected to the vine so that we are able to
produce real fruit.
JRW in OH
Whoever wrote about the Pastoral search committee and the definition
of hell being separation from God, I like it! And now that we are
abiding, Stay. Through the word, the sacraments, and I would add to
that, not being so concerned about what we do FOR God, but WHO we
are WITH God. It isn't all about works, it is about nurturing a
loving, growing in love relationship with God.
Susan in Wa.
A couple of initial thoughts:
in response to someone's "grafting" image - I learned at my first
appointment that in order for a pecan tree to produce pecans, you
have to graft a branch from an already-producing pecan tree to it.
How this happens in nature, I can't be sure, but in that area, there
were more pecans than anyone could deal with. The pecan tree by
itself is quite pretty. And I'd just as soon not have so many
slippery, rolling, bee-attracting pecans underfoot. I wonder how
many of our congregants feel the same way about their fruit - that
their church life is much simpler without having to wonder what to
do with all the fruit.
Next: This sermon might be a good place for me to insert an analogy
I thought of last week. It's about folks who "pay" for their fruit
production. That is, "outreach" is giving money to a local charity.
While money is necessary, to be sure, it keeps true ministry at
arm's length. So, I wondered how it would come acros if I suggested
I just give them all money and not hold worship or visitation? No
Bible study, no committees, no leadership ... But, I'd be giving out
of Christian love.
Truth is: we have many substitutes for ministry. But, God sent
Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch and he went. He didn't send him
money, he (through no obvious choice of his own, admittedly) allowed
the "fruit" that God produced (the born-again eunuch) to do his own
thing! He didn't HAVE to worry about what to do with the produce.
Eric -glad to hear you may have a new appointment (to borrow a UM
term).
Sally in GA
Dear Friends,
Is this a scripture that tells us we can fall from faith or not?
This picture is graphic in that branches are cut off and thrown into
the fire. That is much the same language Jesus used when refering to
the final destination of hell.
Also just what is the produce? New Christians? Fruit of the Spirit?
Fellowship with Jesus which is difficult to difine?
I am struggling with all these questions. The aries and academic
traditions are conflicting.
Mike in NC
Mike - thank you for bringing up an important aspect of this text.
It's been awhile since I've thought of it as being along the lines
of the matthean Jesus saying, "If your eye causes you to sin, pluck
it out; it's better for you to go to heaven blinded than to burn
with both eyes." (rough paraphrase)
Sally in GA
In order to understand the meaning of this passage we need to look
at the translation of "prune" and "cleanse." They both come from the
Greek work "carthesis" which does not imply people leaving rather it
has to do with voiding that which is unhealthy from within us. Also
known as emotional vomiting, carthesis facilitates the healing
process. I prefer to view this from an individual perspective rather
than from a congregational one, however, there are situations when
the disease is found in unhealthy relationships and systems.
A W-G rocky coast Me.
I was out in the yard this evening picking up dozens of little
branches that had blown out of the trees from several overnight
storms. These branches were all budless and leafless. They were dry
and brittle. They had been connected to the tree before the storms
but they were already dead. The stiff winds and rain snapped them
off but they had no life in them even before the storm.
I thought of how we can be like those branches, externally looking
connected but actually dead because something has come between us
and the vine. Nothing of the Vine's life flows through us. James
wrote: "Faith without works is thoroughly lifeless." I wonder if we
are like those dead branches when all we do is go through the
motions without truly loving the needy whom Christ calls us to love.
TiminOH
Michelle (and other enquiring minds) ...
On June 1, I start as Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Medina,
Ohio. I'll be in residence starting May 27. (Then on August 1 I will
be going to Saudi Arabia for five weeks, returning to Medina on
Sept. 11.)
There will be a "Celebration of New Ministry" (installation service)
sometime in late September or early October. I hope many of you DPS
buddies can attend! I'll publish the date here.
Now -- about this pruning of dead branches.... do you suppose that
this can be applied to whole congregations? My former parish seems
to be doing just about everything it can to self-destruct
(leadership fights, chasing people away, overspending its budget,
cancelling advertising, you name it....) and my spiritual director
yesterday (after reminding me that I had to "let go" of the place)
suggested that perhaps this is what God intends, that it is a
fruitless branch that needs to be pruned away so something more
productive can take its place.
Blessings, Eric in KS (soon to be in OH)
This passage causes me great grief and questioning. The image of a
God who will remove or discard people is very troubling and does not
fit with a God of love, a God who gathers all in, the shepherd who
seeks for the lost sheep. God does not discard people. There are so
many lost people who do not abide in Christ - through no fault of
their own and possibly even through the actions of many who would
consider themselves good fruit bearing branches. LGB
LGB: It does shake us when we read about unfruitful vines being cast
into the fire, just as when we read about goats beging cast into
darkness.
Nonetheless, the "vine" has the choice of whether to abide or not
abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ produces the healthy minerals,
water and sunlight that will produce fruit of its own accord. It
will have no choice, for it is a natural consequence. In a sense, it
is the vine's choice -- not God's decision -- whether it will be
thrown into the fire.
Once you have heard the Good News, once you know The Way, who is
unable to abide "through no fault of their own"?
Just wondering ...
PastorBuzz in Tennessee
Dear Friends,
Have we reached a continental divide on the subject of the
possibility of loosing our salvation? In my few short years (about
15) in the ministry it has been my observation that emotion often
influences logic on such subjects. There are those that cannot
imagine God would do away with someone. Yet there stands examples in
the OT and NT people of the faith that seem to have lost it. But we
cannot imagine it, therefore we do not explore it.
But I have to push the limits on this if I am going to address the
issue Sunday. Fact is we are Wesleyans and the possibility exists
for us to so grieve the Holy Spirit as to loose our salvation.
Is our problem (or one of many problems) as Christians that we have
chosen to see God in the modern era as a giant marshmallow or warm
fuzzy? Could we have bought into the idea that God is our butler or
a Dr. Feel Good?
I think there is room to make the point that we must produce
something (other Christians, good works, fruit of the Spirit, etc.)
OR ELSE. I am to the point that pleading, enticing, cajoling and
other forms of spiritual prodding are not working.
Can we deliver such an unappealing, scary message with grace?
Mike in NC
PS. I wish God would just send me the manuscript He wants me to read
each Friday. It would make matters much simpler.
Pastor Buzz, In regards to people who do not abide in Christ because
of the actions of others, I am thinking of people like those who
were children in the church-run Native Residential Schools in
Canada. These were people who were exposed to the Good News by
people who represented this "God of love" and then proceeded to
abuse them physcially, emotionally and sexually. The message could
easily be confused with the messenger and be rejected. Were they
really given a choice? I just believe there are a lot of people out
there - the outcasts Jesus chose to associate with and I am not sure
where they fit into this passage. I am a minister and I abide in
Christ and I believe produce fruit, but I don't believe I am more
deserving of undeserved grace or of not being lopped off the vine
than these other folks. I am really struggling with this passage.
(In case you hadn't noticed!:)) It could be because I encountered a
lot of street people in a recent visit to a city. Because of my back
ground, I have been able to embrace the message, not everyone has
had a background that nurtured a faith. I realize there are
exceptions but I can't beleive God will dicard people who have been
therough hell on earth. I am not arguing, I am struggling, so please
keep the s coming. I appreciate them. Blessings LGB
I am coming from the point of view that many if not most churches
are concerned about growing. How can they grow if they are being
pruned? We should not seek wild unfocused growth, but by being
pruned and produceing good fruit, we can begin to grow in a more
planed and speicific way. Bd in IL
JRW in Ohio, Thanks for that thought! Perhaps a sermon title could
be "Saps for Jesus" lp in CO
Eric, I am most certain that I can't be in Ohio for your
installation as rector, but know that many of us will be with you in
spirit. Be careful in Saudi Arabia and know that you are in the
prayers of many of us--as if you can't tell! lp in CO
I was made to think of this: a well known quote but one which rather
sugests that the cutting of a branch is the cutting off of oneself.
. .
...No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of
the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the
sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as
if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death
diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never
send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee...
SJM UK
I like the distinction between abiding with Christ and bearing
fruit, and the point that many of us think of doing "religious
stuff" as bearing fruit. We mistake the means for the end, as usual.
So when we talk about fruit, it's important to remember that the
vine can't do a whole lot with its own fruit, except maybe use it
for compost. The fruit is meant to feed somebody else. And if you
look at it that way, the line drawn around what branches get cut and
what don't becomes gentler, I think. Or at least it becomes harder
for US to judge where the line falls--who gets fed from your life?
Is the life of the church for its own enjoyment, or do we invite
others to taste and see? God will sort out the branches; our job is
to hang on the best we can.
LM in South TX
Some poetry or song for your thoughts -
I am the vine, you are the branches. Abide in me you’ll bear much
fruit Apart from me you can do nothing. Abide in me, love will take
root.
Don’t grow away you’ll only wither You’ll become dry, easily burned.
Abide in me and in my wisdom, Dwell in my truth, grace that’s
unearned.
Ask for what you will, it will given Seek and you’ll find I have not
died. Bearing this fruit be my disciples The living God is
glorified.
by Petereo. Blessings for fruitful worship to you all.
I'm still a bit all over the board on this one.
In one way, bearing fruit may start out very small. Some trees do
not bear fruit until they are many years old. For some Christians
newly-born or newly-revived, the first fruits may be understood to
be the growth of faith in themselves, the joy they receive from the
realization of what Christ has done for them, the awesome gift of
free salvation.
Yet, we cannot stay there. It can't remain just "me and Jesus"! How
can we not share the good news, in speech and deed?
Also, some of those good works we never see, and some of my friends
would not admit. After all, there were years in which there was a
backlash in which people avoided doing visible good works, for fear
that others would think they were trying to earn their salvation by
their works.
I do shy away from "Works--OR ELSE!" That would be a little scary
for some of the severely disabled.
I would rather move toward "Works--Why not?" Then I can look at some
of the excuses we use, and hopefully let those non-producing excuses
be pruned away, to encourage the production of fruit by what is
left...
More to do...
Michelle
Whoops!!! What happened to the date/time stamp on our s. Makes it
hard to leave and come back to where you left off.
Several have questioned whether this text can be used to refer to
"pruning away" those who are in our congregations that are not
bearing fruit. I believe the answer is "yes." The Johannine (sp?)
community was under a lot of dissension at the writing of 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd John. Assuming that the Book of John and the Author of the
letters are one and the same it stands to reason that quoting these
words of Jesus might stand to admonish some and excuse the actions
of the community in seperating themselves from the dead branches.
That said, I am still going to go with a more personalized approach.
I've only been here 11 months and I don't want to be too hasty in my
pruning efforts (though some of the branches are becoming more
evident in their fruitlessness.) Rev. Israel
Thanks for all the good discussion this week. Sally you made me
laugh at the thought of paying people in the context that money is
not all we are called to give. I have a couple of confirmands that
would take you up on your offer. When you prune a tree, or a program
or your personal life, you make decisions. When I was called into
serving as a minister, I had to prune my life. I had to give up some
of what I thought were quite precious. I admit parts of it were
painful, some parts were not, but in all the pruning I had to keep
God's will for me in mind. Now I prune my life in a different way,
what is God's will for me in the context of the church I serve in
his name. I would liken the vine to Christ and the sap to the Holy
Spirit that moves and flows within us. Nancy-Wi
Four thoughts:
1. Unfruitful branches are removed and fruitful branches are pruned
to bear more fruit. Obviously it is desirable to be fruitful, but
then pruning is inevitable. Pruning is painful, but it is necessary
and it improves the branch that is being pruned. I guess this is
like discipline for a child. An adult that has not been disciplined
as a child must learn self discipline and my experience is this is
not easy and is probably more painful than earlier pruning would
have been.
2. "Abide in me" emphasizes the believers' dependence on the Lord.
The branch is nothing without the vine and the believer is nothing
without the Lord.
3. Concerning "Abide in me," v. 7 could easily be misunderstood.
Misunderstanding "Ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for
you." can turn the Christian faith into a formula for prosperity:
the equivalent of "Get right with God and you've got the world by
the tail and can have anything you want." However, those who abide
in Christ have the same mindset as Christ. Those who abide in Christ
come to will the same things that Christ wills and Christ wills the
same as God wills. Therefore, one who abides in Christ would never
think of asking for fame and riches. Those who abide in Christ would
ask for Godly things, not worldly things. Believers who are confused
about this either lead others astray or they become disillusioned
themselves and fall away. This is not a formula for worldly
prosperity.
4. The end result of all this is found in v. 8: God is glorified.
Creature Wayne
Some raw material garnered from illustrations at www.bible.org. and
another source...can't remember where which may be helpful in the
fruit department and in the concern about cutting off discussion
related to the meaning of the word often translated cut off or
removes re: fruitless branches.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Living and a Dead Faith The Lord receives His highest praise From
humble minds and hearts sincere; While all the loud professor says
Offends the righteous Judge’s ear.
To walk as children of the day, To mark the precept’s holy light, To
wage the warfare, watch, and pray, Shew who are pleasing in His
sight.
Not words alone it cost the Lord, To purchase pardon for His own;
Nor will a soul by grace restored Return the Saviour words alone.
With golden bells, the priestly vest, And rich pomegranates border’d
round, The need of holiness express’d, And call’d for fruit as well
as sound.
Easy indeed it were to reach A mansion in the courts above, If
swelling words and fluent speech Might serve instead of faith and
love.
But none shall gain the blissful place, Or God’s unclouded glory
see, Who talks of free and sovereign grace, Unless that grace has
made him free!
Olney Hymns, William Cowper, from Cowper’s Poems, Sheldon & Company,
New York
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bearing Fruit Every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Somewhere,
sometime, somehow. Otherwise that person is not a believer. Every
born-again individual will be fruitful. Not to be fruitful is to be
faithless, without faith, and therefore without salvation.
Having said that, some caveats are in order.
1. This does not mean that a believer will always be fruitful.
Certainly we can admit that if there can be hours and days when a
believer can be unfruitful, then why may there not also be months
and even years when he can be in that same condition? Paul exhorted
believers to engage in good works so they would not be unfruitful
(Titus 3:14). Peter also exhorted believers to add the qualities of
Christian character to their faith lest they be unfruitful (2 Peter
1:8). Obviously, both of those passages indicate that a true
believer might be unfruitful. And the simple fact that both Paul and
Peter exhort believers to be fruitful shows that believers are not
always fruitful.
2. This does not mean that a certain person’s fruit will necessarily
be outwardly evident. Even if I know the person and have some
regular contact with him, I still may not see his fruit. Indeed, I
might even have legitimate grounds for wondering if he is a believer
because I have not seen fruit. His fruit may be very private or
erratic, but the fact that I do not see it does not mean it is not
there.
3. My understanding of what fruit is and therefore what I expect
others to bear may be faulty and/or incomplete. It is all too easy
to have a mental list of spiritual fruits and to conclude if someone
does not produce what is on my list that he or she is not a
believer. But the reality is that most lists that we humans devise
are too short, too selective, too prejudiced, and often
extrabiblical. God likely has a much more accurate and longer list
than most of us do. Nevertheless, every Christian will bear fruit;
otherwise he or she is not a true believer. In speaking about the
Judgment Seat of Christ, Paul says unequivocally that every believer
will have praise come to him from God (1 Corinthians 4:5).
So Great Salvation, Charles Ryrie, Victor Books, 1989, pp. 45-46
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is Fruit? What is fruit? Actually the question ought to be
phrased in the plural: What are fruits which a Christian can bear?
The N. T. gives several answers to the question.
1. A developing Christian character is fruit. If the goal of the
Christian life may be stated as Christlikeness, then surely every
trait developed in us that reflects His character must be fruit that
is very pleasing to Him. Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in
nine terms in Galatians 5:22-23, and Peter urges the development of
seven accompaniments to faith in order that we might be fruitful (2
Peter 1:5-8). Two of these terms are common to both lists: love and
self-control. The others are joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, meekness, virtue, knowledge, endurance,
piety, and brotherly love. To show these character traits is to bear
fruit in one’s life.
2. Right character will result in right conduct, and as we live a
life of good works we produce fruit (Colossians 1:10). This goes
hand in hand with increasing in the knowledge of God, for as we
learn what pleases Him, our fruitful works become more and more
conformed to that knowledge. When Paul expressed how torn he was
between the two possibilities of either dying and being with Christ
or living on in this life, he said that living on would mean
fruitful labor or work (Philippians 1:22). This phrase could mean
that (a) his work itself was fruit, or (b) fruit would result from
his work. In either case, his life and work were fruit. So may ours
be.
3. Those who come to Christ through our witness are fruit. Paul
longed to go to Rome to have some fruit from his ministry there
(Romans 1:13), and he characterized the conversion of the household
of Stephanas as the firstfruits of Achaia (I Corinthians 16:15).
4. We may also bear fruit with our lips by giving praise to God and
thankfully confessing His name (Hebrews 13:15). In other words, our
lips bear fruit when we offer thankful acknowledgement to the name
of God. And this is something we should do continually.
5. We bear fruit when we give money. Paul designated the collection
of money for the poorer saints in Jerusalem as fruit (Romans 15:28).
Too, when he thanked the Philippians for their financial support of
his ministry, he said that their act of giving brought fruit to
their account (Philippians 4:17, KJV).
So Great Salvation, Charles Ryrie, Victor Books, 1989, pp. 49-50.
Through the years, John 15:2 has been the cause of a lot of
confusion for many Christians. We read that “He cuts off every
branch in Me that does not bear fruit,” and we find ourselves
“wondering what type of “fruit” is He talking about? And what if I
fail to bear that fruit? Will I be “cut off”?
This line of thinking leads to worry, and has even caused more than
a few to wonder if they can somehow lose their salvation. Today I
want to challenge the traditional line of thinking that Jesus will
cut us off from Him and the rewards of eternity with Him, if we
somehow don’t measure up.
But there are other ways to translate this. I don’t want to turn
this into a Greek lesson, but it is important enough for us to look
at it. The word that is translated “cut” here in John 15:2 can be
translated into English much better by the word “lift,” or “take,”
as in “take away.” Here are some examples of ways that exact same
word is used: (Note: words in CAPS represent the same Greek word
translated various ways.)
Look with me first in the book of Matthew: Then the devil took him
to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the
temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.
For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and
they will LIFT you up in their hands, so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.’ ” Matthew 4:5-6 (NIV)
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples PICKED UP twelve
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Matt. 14:20 (NIV)
Let no one on the roof of his house go down to TAKE anything out of
the house. Matt. 24:17 (NIV)
Next, let’s turn to the book of John: The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who TAKES away
the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! PICK UP your mat and walk.” At once
the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which
this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who
had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to CARRY
your mat.” John 5:8-10 (NIV)
“TAKE AWAY the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister
of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been
there four days.” John 11:39 (NIV)
So they TOOK AWAY the stone. Then Jesus LOOKED UP and said, “Father,
I thank you that you have heard me. John 11:41 (NIV)
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone HAD BEEN REMOVED
from the entrance. John 20:1 (NIV)
And there are some pretty remarkable examples from the book of Acts:
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and
reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
When they heard this, they RAISED their voices together in prayer to
God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth
and the sea, and everything in them. Acts 4:23 through Acts 4:24 (NIV)
Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking
into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound
asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was PICKED UP
dead. Acts 20:9 (NIV)
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had
obtained what they wanted; so they WEIGHED ANCHOR and sailed along
the shore of Crete. Acts 27:13 (NIV)
As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were
hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men HAD HOISTED IT
ABOARD,they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.
Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they
lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. Acts
27:16-17 (NIV)
Then at least one final example from the book of Revelation: 5Then
the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land RAISED his
right hand to heaven. Rev. 10:5 (NIV)
So what is the point of all this? The point, in case you haven’t
caught it by now, is that I believe that in the final hours before
His death Jesus was trying to give the disciples some encouragement.
They all, with the sole exception of John, would desert Him while He
hung on a cross. Peter would deny three times that he even knew him,
but the rest of them would be cowering somewhere in a dark corner.
They have been sharing their last meal together before the
crucifixion, and Jesus has given them some final words. John 14 ends
with the words, “Come now; let us leave.” So we imagine them leaving
the room where they were eating together, and on their way to the
Garden of Gethsemane, they passed through a vineyard. Jesus stopped
at one of them and said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the
gardener.” Then I can see Him kneeling down, lifting up a branch
that had fallen on the ground, and saying to them, “He lifts up
every branch that cannot hold its fruit up, or every branch that
gets knocked off the trellis, he LIFTS UP.”
So what does that mean for us today? For all the times when we need
to be lifted up, we need to remember that our God is a compassionate
God, who does not delight in cutting off His people. Do you need
lifting up today? The good news is that Jesus told us that He will
lift us up! What are some important truths for us to remember when
we need to be lifted up?
1. The first truth is that we often find ourselves “on the ground.”
In the natural course of things, a branch will grow rapidly. As new
growth, it will not necessarily grow where it is supposed to grow.
Left to itself, it will tend to grow downward, aiming for the
ground. That is much the way we are, is it not? Left to ourselves,
we find ourselves running along the ground, so to speak. The Bible
calls that our sin nature, and it is a natural part of who we are.
But there are other reasons why a branch might be on the ground. A
strong wind or a heavy rain could also knock the branch from its
trellis. The vinedresser must come through on a regular basis and
check to see if any branches have fallen. When times of adversity
come our way, our Heavenly Father picks us up and puts us back where
we can do the most good and bear the most fruit.
2. The second truth: Jesus lifts us up when we are least likely to
do Him any good. Lying on the ground, whether there because of its
vigorous growth or because of wind and rain, the branch is
completely unable to fulfill its sole purpose. The wood of a
grapevine is good for nothing. In our day, we might fashion it into
wreaths of some sort, but beyond that, it can be used for very
little. You can’t build anything with it, and it is too soft for
much of anything else. It doesn’t grow tall enough to provide very
good shade. The sole purpose of a branch on a grapevine is to bear
grapes! So the vinedresser must help it. On the ground it is covered
with dust and mud, and is subject to mildew and disease. But on the
trellis, it is able to bear fruit!
Chaplain Tim
LGB:
I don't want to sound as if I am unaware or unfeeling of those who
have been abused, or defrauded, or otherwise mistreated by someone
proclaiming to be a person of faith. History is filled with such
tragedies.
I believe God will hold the abusers accountable, while dispensing
immeasurable prevenient grace toward those who have mistaken the
messenger for the message.
But just as there are those who are wolves in sheeps' clothing,
there are many proclaiming to be sheep who are, as our brother Keith
Green once said, are "Asleep In The Light":
"Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down, Don't you
care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown, How can you be
so numb, not to care if they come, You close your eyes and pretend
the job's done.
Oh Bless me Lord, bless me Lord, you know it's all I ever hear, No
one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear, But He cries,
He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs, And you just lay
back and keep soaking it in, oh, can't you see it's such sin?
Cause He brings people to your door, And you turn them away, as you
smile and say, God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just
weeps, Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the
streets.
Open up, open up, and give yourself away, You've seen the need, you
hear the cry, so how can you delay, God's calling and you're the
one, but like Jonah you run, He's told you to speak, but you keep
holding it in, Oh, can't you see it's such sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark, That the church can't fight,
cause it's asleep in the light, How can you be so dead, when you've
been so well fed, Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even
get out of bed, Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of
your bed.
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come, You close your
eyes and pretend the job's done, You close your eyes and pretend the
job's done, Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done.
Come away, come away, come away with Me, My love, Come away, from
this mess, come away with Me, My love."
PastorBuzz In TN
So, whatever happened to that gardener who found an unproductive
tree and, instead of chopping, pruning, burning opted to work with
the roots, apply some fertilizer, invest more time?
I'm inclined to let this text speak more toward the stuff of
discipline and transformation within the life of a Christian
(pruning back the things in my life which hinder me rather than
cutting off the entire person, or congregation, or religious
denomination for that matter). My Theology leaves enough room for
God's patient Grace in the life of every individual over/against
some form of fear-tactics based on measurements of performance
(fruit)
Perry in Lethbridge
