Cling To The Vine

“The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”
                                                                                                           Proverbs 10:21 NKJV

      In vineyards and fruit orchards, it’s not unusual to see branches pruned from the vine or tree.  It’s done by the farmer for the purpose of healthy fruit production.  The consequence is, without the vine, the branch is just a dead stick.  Endeavor then, to be a productive, living, part of the vine. We are not producing fruit to please ourselves, but to serve others !

Read:  John 15:1-11

I.  v1,2  The Pruning Process

*  sometimes a painful process- done with careful consideration

            Matthew 15:10-14  let Christ permeate your being

            1 Corinthians 3:11-13  the basis of our spiritual life’s

                  foundation must be anchored in Jesus Christ’s life

            Hebrews 6:7,8  the soil of our life must be productive

II.  v3-5  Life Comes From The Vine

*  v.3  what word?

            1Peter 1:22,23  real, lasting life, comes from being in Christ

            Ephesians 3:26  spiritual cleansing from Jesus is necessary-

*  without the Vine, the branch is just a dead unproductive stick

*  the Vine will nourish results, not the branches themselves

*  it’s not in the ability of the branch alone to produce fruit

III.  v7-11  Abiding Yields Fruit 

*  abide means “to join together without the thought of separating”

            John 14:16  the Holy Spirit abides forever

            Psalms 15:1  the upright will abide with the Lord forever

            2 Timothy 2:11-13  Jesus Christ faithfully promises to abide

*  abiding “in” Christ demands cultivation- worship, prayer, meditation, service

*  because God loves us, He prunes us as necessary for growth

*  He encourages us to produce more and better fruit

 “ ‘real’ spiritual fruit has in it the seeds for more fruit “         Warren Wiersbe

The Vine and the branch need each other- Stay connected !