Abiding in the Vine I - Living Grace Fellowship

Wednesday 05/06/15

Series: Abiding in the Vine I

Message – Abiding in the Vine I.mp3

This series on Abiding in the Vine (Jesus)is supplemental to our Sunday services on The Power to Bear Fruit unto Godliness.

What does it mean to Abide?

Abide – To remain, abide, dwell, live.

Jn. 15:1-2 (in me = abide)

The relation in which one person or thing stands with another, chiefly in John’s writings; thus to remain in or with someone, to be and remain united with Him, one with Him in heart, mind, and will.

These are the scriptures we talked through. The audio and the video of course have more, but these passages are those which were taught on…

EXAMPLES OF ABIDE

“I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not abide in darkness.” ~ John 12:46

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to ABIDE with you forever.”

“He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He dwells with you and will be in you.” ~ John 14:15-17

“Each person should ABIDE remain in the life situation in which he was called.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.” ~ 1Cor. 7:20-21

Three points two of them show up as recurring themes in the verses we are going to read about abiding…

Obey His commands
Love the brethren
Sensitivity and submission to the Holy Spirit

John 15:1-17,

(1) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

(2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: Boice believes that this ancient Greek verb is more accurately translated “lifts up.” The idea is that the Father lifts up unproductive vines off of the ground (as is common in vinedressing), that they may get more sun and bear fruit better.

(3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

(4) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

***

John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

***

(5) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

(6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

(7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

(8) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

(9) “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

(10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

(11) “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

(12) This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

(13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

(14) You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

(15) No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

(16) You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

(17) These things I command you, that you love one another.

1Jn 3:13-24,

(13) Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

(14) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

(15) Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

(16) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

(17) But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

(18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

(19) And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

(20) For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

(21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

(22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

(23) And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

(24) Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1Jn 2:1-29,

(1) My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

(2) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

(3) Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

(4) He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

(5) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

(6) He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

(7) Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

(8) Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

(9) He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

(10) He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

(11) But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

This is where we ended this week…

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give to its ministry, you may do so here.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!