Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
John 15 would be a suited passage.
I was thinking of the same passage.
Maybe, maybe just reimburse the.
700.
John, Chapter 15.
I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, and ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in Him the same bringeth forth much fruit.
For without Me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. And men gathered them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that she may, that she bear much fruit. And so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love.
If he keep my commandments, he shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that she loved one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.
John was one of the last books written, as we well know, and John's writings of course were some of the last written written probably in the 90s. All the other scriptures had been written, and the importance of the Gospel of John particularly is that it's the Gospel seen through the lens of Christianity.
After those years, the apostle John understood that the Lord Jesus during his lifetime was preparing them for the Christian dispensation. And so we have many examples in the Gospel of John. We could just mention a few of them, but many examples of Old Testament types fulfilled in Christianity. Just a few examples. In chapter 2 we have the earthly temple gives way to the temple of his body.
In chapter 3, we have earthly things give way to heavenly things. Chapter four, we have the failing waters of the woman there giving way to living waters. Chapter 5. If we look at chapter 5, we have the legal system giving way to the voice of grace in the Son of God and so on. We could mention chapter 6, we have natural bread, which was manna of course, in the Old Testament, giving way to heavenly bread.
And so on it goes. Tabernacles, the Feast of Tabernacles. In Chapter 7 its true meaning is given.
And so on and so forth. And so, beginning with chapter 12, we have of John's gospel, we have a remarkable.
Explanation, we might say, of the Tabernacle.
And that's been brought out by many over the years, but in Chapter 12, just to skip ahead a little bit.
We have really.
The brazen altar, because we have the Greeks coming to the Lord, and that's as the Lord says there, except the corn of wheat fall under the ground and died abideth alone. But if a diet bringeth forth much fruit, and in chapter 13 we have the labor where the Lord Jesus washed the disciples feet, that's the practical sanctification.
That's so necessary. And then in chapter 14 we have the golden altar where the three persons of the Godhead are presented, and that was a new revelation. There was only a shadow of the three persons of the Godhead in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament were brought into intimacy with the three persons of the Godhead. And so in a sense, perhaps that corresponds to the golden altar where prayer and worship are offered up intelligently.
00:05:13
To the three persons of the Godhead, and then in chapter 15 where we are, I suggest that we have the table of showbread because the chapter can easily be divided into three parts. The 1St 8 verses of the chapter have to do with fruit bearing and that that's through communion and it especially deals the emphasis on these first eight verses is the Father's government.
And that's extremely important principle that much of Christendom has forgotten about today. They talk about unconditional love and we'll get into it, but God's love is unconditional to the lost Sinner, but man is responsible once we're saved. And so we have God's government and especially the emphasis is on the Father's government. And we'll see that in the 1St 8 verses. Verse six is an exception.
Doesn't speak of believers, only of empty professors, but the others speak of believers and the Father's government with believers to bring forth more fruit and much fruit. And then from verses 9 through 17 we have the collective testimony.
If the 1St 8 verses are the emphasis is on communion, the next verse is 9 through 17. Is the collective testimony the emphasis?
Is on fellowship.
And then the next section would be verses 18 through 25.
And the emphasis there is on what's sometimes been called the circle of hate or the reproach because we do not belong to the world, but we're reproached by the world. So those are the main 3 sections of the chapter. I might say the 1St, 26 and 27 in a sense go on with the next chapter because we have the pre authentification of the New Testament. Interestingly enough. Just a brief note on that versus 26 and 27 are the Acts.
They correspond to the Acts of the Apostles.
Whereas we have the gospel over in verse 13 of chapter 16, we have the revelation. I'm sorry, the rather we have revelation in verse 13, things to come. We have the.
The Gospels Explanation of the Gospels in verse 14.
Chapter 16 And we have the Epistles pre authenticated in verse 15. All things that the Father hath their mind. Therefore said I, that he shall take up mine, and shall show it unto you. So just a brief outline there.
I think we have, we have a transition.
A character to the Gospel of John. It's different in its outline to the Synoptic Gospels. It's not the same.
The Lord Jesus is presented.
As the eternal Son of God, we don't have a genealogy. We don't have a transfiguration. In John's Gospel, the Lord was transfigured throughout it.
We don't have the forsaking of of the Lord Jesus on the cross. So to understand the gospel is to see the transition the Spirit of God is bringing before us. It's the.
Introduction of Christianity with all its privileges. Nearness to God.
The discipline of the Father comes in here, but let us remember that John's Gospel is the full revelation.
Of the Person of the Godhead. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. Bodily He is revealed to us. The heart of God is unfolded as never before in the Gospel of John that blessed 1 The eternal One, the delight of the heart of God.
00:10:04
We're coming now to the so-called upper Room ministry. That's very important. We don't have that in other gospels. The upper Room ministry of I stand to be corrected, but I think we're we're beginning it here.
Leading up to the crucifixion.
And unfolded are those precious truths.
But now, although the Lord was going to be.
Ascended and glorified.
At the Father's right hand rejected by man the rejection of Christ. You have from the very beginning of the gospel of John. He came unto his own, His own received Him not.
But he's unfolding now the the privileges that we have in Christianity.
Anticipated because the Spirit of God was not abiding at this point in time. He didn't come until Pentecost, but he breezed upon them, received the Holy Spirit, so there was a new life given.
We're connected with the new creation race. We don't get the one body of Christ per SE in the Gospel of in the writings of John. It's the family we know. But how wonderful to contemplate.
The discipline of the Lord that we might.
Be able to maintain communion with that Blessed One.
We were able to have fellowship.
With Christ and the parameters here.
The rejection of the world, but the enjoyment of the company of the Son of God is is prominent in these chapters. Is that right Robert?
Yes, there's a transition here in this first statement that the Lord makes in this chapter is very significant. I am the true vine. And so the vine really was in the Old Testament was Israel itself, and we could just turn to Isaiah chapter 5. We would see there.
What he was referring to, they were a vine. Israel was the vine that he had planted and a very fruitful hill, it says in chapter 5 of Isaiah.
I will now sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My beloved, half a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. He fenced it, gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with a choicest vine.
And built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein. And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
And verse 4 Now what could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore when I looked at it, should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes. Let's read verse 7. The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel.
And the men of Judah, his pleasant plant and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression for righteousness, but behold a cry while he looked for fruit in the Old Testament. And you might say I think it was Harry Hayle used to say that Isaiah chapter 5 was really the secret to understanding the key to understanding all of the Old Testament and what God was doing in the Old Testament. He shows that there was in the natural man in the best possible.
Situation that he might possibly be given the best of the knowledge of the true God. Unto them were delivered the oracles of God. They had the word of God. They had every possible advantage of perfect religion. God-given religion, but the whole nation, it didn't bring forth fruit for God. So isn't it wonderful? Here it says the Lord Jesus presents himself as the true vine. Now there was going to be fruit for God.
In this world and by the sovereign grace of God, if there's any fruit for the Lord in your life and mine, it's this. Because we're brought into relationship with the Lord Jesus, we're blessed in him, in Christ and everything that we can do in fellowship with our God and Father. Because we know the Lord Jesus our Savior, we're engwed with the Spirit of God. We have the capacity now to be able to bring forth fruit.
00:15:18
Isn't that wonderful? But it's in connection with Christ.
Very nice to see to that the Trinity is at work. We talk about the transition. Let's we we find that here we he said that I am the true Vine and my father is the husbandman. So we see that the father is involved with his work in the previous chapter. We find that he told them that he's going to leave this world, but he's going to send the third person of the Godhead.
If it's as if it were.
Down South, a brother earlier on indicated that so on the day of Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus ascended up to heaven, the Holy Ghost descended onto this into this world to change what was different before that he indwells in the believer. So our brother Robert mentioned that how now we have the light as if it were to understand the word of God.
So we now have the Word of God before us through the Spirit of God helping us to understand the mind of God. So here He's the true vine, as it was mentioned already. It's in contrast with how Israel was viewed as divine but didn't bear any fruit. But now the true vine, the Lord Himself. But then one more thought connected to that is to bear fruit. We must abide with that fine.
So if we think that we are of something or somebody, then it would know true fruit bearing because it has to be from him.
Also important to see that we have.
The possibility?
Of a person having a profession without reality.
A person might have.
The outward place of being baptized.
They're part of Christendom if they're baptized.
Any person who's baptized is in the Kingdom of heaven. I don't want to confuse the young people, but.
There's the danger of.
A profession without a real work of the Spirit of God in the individual and the Lord. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away.
I would judge that that is referring to that group of people who outwardly are associated with, shall we say, the.
The.
The name of Christ. They may even. Of course, in baptism you bear the name of Christ if you're baptized, whether you are real or not. So some branches are taken away. There's not reality there. There is no divine life in John. It's important to see. It's the family of God.
You're possessing the very life of Christ the the nature of God you have. You're not going to have a different nature when you're in the glory than you have right now. You have a nature and a life that is capable of enjoying all the things that God enjoys.
But communion is necessary, and this is brought before us, communion with the Lord.
That fellowship that is so easily broken.
I.
Regardful I was going to say, but anyway, every branch in me he that varys through he purchased it that it might bring forth more fruit. Well, this is the disciplinary action of the Lord. We all have it, brethren, and God has a individual tuition for every one of the of his children. Your personality is different to mine.
00:20:14
Thank God for that, and we all have.
Different weaknesses. We have different infirmities. Infirmity the Lord never had. Infirmities is a result of sin, but we need discipline. Infirmity is not a sin, but alas, it can lead to sin. Like in my life, when I complain or murmur about my infirmity, I I dishonor the Lord.
But the point is.
The Lord is watching over us his disciplinary.
Actions in our life are important, brethren, if you if you're well, let's we won't dwell on it. But if you are not.
Partakers then you are ******** not sons. So because we're in the family of God.
Truly become under the government of God. We don't get off with anything, brethren, absolutely nothing. We come under the government of God in our lives and if we become careless and get into worldly company or commit sin, communion without doubt is broken.
And the Christian can be the happiest person in the world, and he should be, but he also can be the most miserable person. Because if I'm not enjoying the Lord, which happens sometimes in my life, I can't enjoy the scriptures. And because I'm not in communion, I can't enjoy the world as I did before.
It's really spoiled for me now. I may go into it, but communion with the Lord.
Self judgment is the.
Necessary accompaniment of communion in our lives.
Brother John, I would suggest in verse 2 just that for clarification it says every branch in me.
That beareth not fruit, he taketh away. So it's really a real believer. He's in Christ. And then you have in verse six, it's important just to notice the two differences, OK? There's two groups of people. If a man abides not in me, so there are those that are in me and those that are not in me. And so the Lord knows those that are real. And So what are you Speaking of in verse 2?
Is that there are those who know the Lord Jesus as Savior. They are real believers, and yet they're not bearing fruit. He taketh away. Well, you know, we have different examples in Scripture. Let's look in John's ministry in I think it's first John he speaks of right at the end of first John, he speaks of one being taken away in death.
In governmental way.
Are you referring me referring to verse 6?
Verse 2 is a real believer.
Verse six is an unbeliever. I see a real believer is in me.
But he might not be bearing fruit, and the Lord may recall the ambassador. He may recall the ambassador who is not bearing fruit for him, walking in a bad way.
And so his desire is that we would bear fruit, and He will. The Father, the statement here, my father is the husbandman, is significant as well. It's the Father who seeks to work with you and I that we might bear fruit for God.
And a husbandman is just an old English word that means a farmer, someone who has the care for a plot of earth, and someone who has the responsibility to plow that field and to fertilize it to make sure that it bears fruit.
For the profit of those who own that field. And so the father is working with the Son and he is we could look at Hebrews chapter 12 and the Father is working with you and I that we our lives might bear fruit for him. And yeah, every one of our lives is a place of fruitfulness for God. A potential we might say, you know, every one of us here is born into this world is given.
00:25:29
More or less were given 70 years, 3 score and 10 years.
25,550 days. Well, there are some days that are wasted and perhaps in our youth, but we're responsible to use every day for Himself and to bear fruit. And So what he's Speaking of in verse 2 is that the Father is working, but those that do not bear fruit.
He taketh away. He may have to take it away if I dishonor the Lord.
You're Speaking of this sin unto death, then?
I'd like to try to explain it like this.
Israel was a vine. You see vines that grow and they creep along the the wall and they climb up the the wall and they sometimes they produce fruit like Poison Ivy and it produces fruit, but it's a vine that creeps and and it grows. Well, Israel was looked at as a vine, as was mentioned if you look in Psalm chapter 80.
In verse 8.
It says, Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt that has cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou preparest room before it, and it's caused it to take deep root and fill It filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it. In the boughs thereof were like goodly Cedars. She sent out her bows into the sea, and her branches unto the river. Why hast thou then broken her hedges so that they all which pass by the way to pluck her?
In any case, the Israel was the vine, and it came into out of Egypt, came into into Canaan, it could not produce anything good.
For God because it was based on the law and when when you try to keep the law, we we can't we can't do that it doesn't produce anything for God and so in our chapter here Jesus says I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman and so Jesus is the one who now.
If you look throughout the whole world, there's Christians everywhere. The vine is producing and you are a branch. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are a branch on the vine. The vine is Jesus. And so you're connected to the vine and you're getting your sustenance, your food from Jesus and your you. You can grow, You're growing grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. You're, you're doing things that honor him. You're telling others about the Lord Jesus. You're living for Jesus.
You're obeying the your parents and and you're growing, you're producing fruit for Jesus. And and that that's what we're talking about here is the vine. You are a branch on that vine. And are you producing or are you not producing?
Vineyard needs cultivation. I've walked through many, many vineyards in my professional career over the last 30 years, and they need cultivation. If they're not cultivated, they just turn wild and don't bear good fruit. But they need cultivation. We use that word discipline. Maybe we don't like that word so much. Maybe cultivation is a little better word because that's what the Father's doing. He's cultivating us, isn't he? And He's leading us on so that we would be fruitful for Him.
And I, I do agree with Robert. Now, in all fairness, verse 2, the commentators are quite varied on that. I think even Mr. Darby holds what you hold, John. So we don't want to be, we don't want to throw too many rocks. But I believe FB hole is the one who brought out the the principle that Robert mentioned that every branch in me that seems to be the determining difference. And again in verse six, it is an it's a mere professor.
And because it says if a man not you, but if a man. But in verse two, again, we don't want to be too dogmatic on it because like I say, who who wants to disagree with J&D? But on the other hand, it does say every branch in me that beareth not fruit. We might look at an example of that. Robert briefly mentioned one, but we know the one in First Corinthians 11. And I think this is important because as you mentioned, brother John.
00:30:17
The Christian can be the happiest person in the world or the most miserable person in the world. Maybe that seems strange, but it's true, isn't it? A pig can wallow in the mud and he's, he's, he's extremely happy because he's working consistently with his nature. But you take a little sheet and they'll stay far away from the mud. You throw them in the mud, they'll be miserable. And so a Christian has a new nature. He has the Spirit of God and dwelling him, he has a new object in Christ.
He has a new standing based on the finished work of Christ. And so to act like a world link is like a sheep. We are sheep and we'll be absolutely miserable. I've lost two nieces to suicide in the last several years.
Young ladies and they were believers, I believe.
But they were not walking as believers, and they ultimately ended their own lives. The Christian can be the most miserable person in the world. And so let's look at that. In First Corinthians 11, we often read the first verses from 23 verse 23 about the order and the meaning of the Lord's table. But we often don't read the last part, verse 27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord.
Unworthily, and we know a little clearer translation is in an unworthy manner. It's Speaking of real believers, isn't it? If I'm walking poorly, I'm eating the bread and drinking the wine in an unworthy manner. I'm not acting as a Christian. I don't belong. I I don't don't I shouldn't be taking my place at the Lord's table if I'm acting in an unworthy manner. Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself doesn't say you should stay away. Some people just solve the problem that way. But that that means that in a sense, I'm excommunicating myself. Here's what scripture says. Let a man examine himself. Let's get it right.
And so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup, for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily and an unworthy manner eateth and drinketh. Damnation's a little strong word, but condemnation to himself. Not discerning the body it should read. That's the one body. We're defiling the one body for this cause. Many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. That's what we have in verse two, don't we?
For if we would judge ourselves, as you were mentioning, brother John, the necessity of self judgment, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. Well, there is this. It's a serious thing for a Christian to.
To tamper with these things and the Lord may take us away, as we've seen. And it causes great grief, doesn't it?
But it's a very, very real thing. We're here for a purpose, and that's to bear fruit as we have here too. We have fruit has often been mentioned in verse two. We have more fruit. That's why the Father is cultivating us, discipling us so that we would bear more fruit. And then ultimately we have much fruit in verse eight, don't we, Karen? Is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit? So shall he be my disciples.
And there is a go ahead, Rob. We might just refer to that example in John's ministry in First John chapter 5 as well. It's really does speak of an ambassador being recalled. You might say first John chapter 5, verse 16. If a man, if any man, see his brother sin, a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, he shall give him life for them. That sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death. I do not say that he should pray for it.
And so there is such a thing as going on in such a wicked way that the Lord has to take one who is a real believer, and he removes him from the sphere where he should have borne fruit. And we need to remember, brethren, all of us need to remember that the fruit belongs to the Lord. It's not my fruit, it's his fruit. And he's working with me. He's working with you with love and grace, that there might be fruit for himself.
00:35:11
For all eternity.
Remember that the believer is not standing still.
We are either progressing in our Christian life or we're retrograding. We're not standing still.
And the purpose of the discipline of the Father, which we have in Hebrews chapter 12, is to remove those things in my life, your life, that are a hindrance.
To the enjoyment of the person of Christ, we know what it is in our lives.
But we're lives to give it up, lay aside every weight.
We often argue for those things. What is the harm of it? And morally there may not be a harm in it, but it's separating our souls from the Word of God and from.
From the enjoyment of Christ, then there's positive sin in the life. But we do have the provision of the advocacy of Christ. It doesn't say when any man sins. There's an advocate with the Father. It says if any man sin, it's not inevitable that the Christian must sin.
It's always my fault when I fall into sin or what?
A path that is dishonouring to the Lord. I have the provision of Christ as my great High Priest, not to restore me when I've sinned, but to keep me from falling, to sustain me in my weakness and in my infirmities, to give me the strength to walk the path of faith in this Dark World.
The advocacy of Christ comes in, of course, when there is definite failure. We need the advocacy of Christ, brethren, every day of our lives and that comes into play not when I confess the sin as soon as I have failed, the Lord exercises his advocacy that.
Office comes into activity.
To restore my soul. We all have that experience. But now coming down to the maybe I.
Could just mention now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you, and perhaps some other brother can elaborate. We have two cleansing in the Christian pathway. We have the moral cleansing of the water.
When a person hears the gospel, the Spirit of God begins to work in that soul.
There is a moral cleansing in the lights.
Then later on in that person's experience when they come to trust in the finished work of Christ.
The blood that he shed, that is for the expiation, the guilt of my sin. But there is a moral cleansing and I think stand to be corrected that that is what is referred to here, verse 3. Is that right Eric?
But I think it certainly includes that. And what you say is very important, isn't it? When we speak about positional sanctification, it has two aspects, doesn't it?
First aspect is when we're born again. That's what you're speaking about, isn't it? That's the the beginning of that's when we have a new life that loves the things of God. And then the second aspect of positional sanctification is justification. It's based on justification.
I'm cleared of every charge against me and brought into a new relationship with God himself, his sons. But then they're also I, I think, Brother John, don't you think this goes on too?
To what we call practical sanctification, because practical sanctification is the daily cleansing, isn't it? And the moment what we had, the Lord Jesus in the 13th chapter watched his disciples feet. That was an ongoing thing. And I suppose we have both here because again, it's speaking about discipline and cultivation. This is why it's so important to read the Word of God. It's not merely a matter of collecting knowledge.
00:40:28
But it's our lifeblood, isn't it? And it cleans our minds and cleans our lives. We need to read the Word of God daily. Daily.
How important that is one thing I want to mention too. The fruit here is the fruit of the Spirit. It's the moral graces of Christ. We might just read those in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22. The fruit is not something that we invent, but it's it's becoming more Christ like. That's God's purpose. Its purpose is to bring many sons to glory, to make us more Christlike. And so in Galatians 5 and verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit.
And how would any of us want to argue with this Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law, wonderful fruit to become more Christ like. That's what God's cultivation and discipline is for, is to make us more Christ like. And I do want to mention too, very briefly something that.
Was pointed out to me. I misunderstood it for many years, but maybe it would be a help to others. And second Peter chapter one along the lines we're speaking about.
In verse four of second Peter chapter one, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. Now note what it says here, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Sometimes we say, well, when I'm saved, I've got eternal life. That's true. But that's not what it's saying here. It's speaking about practical sanctification. Notice what it says. It's present that she might be partakers. And so it takes cultivation of the Father and communion with the Father, doesn't it? So that we might, we might be partakers of the divine nature. Isn't it in First Timothy that Paul says to Timothy?
Lay hold of eternal life.
What is really life? That's in the Darby translation.
Partakers of the divine nature.
Is is not exactly the positional side. We all have a divine nature. What Peter is exercised in those verses is the partaking of the divine nature is it manifests in my walk and ways.
Yes, we have the divine nature, but there may be a hindrance in my life that it is not being.
Manifest.
In my walk and ways. So we need the cultivation of the Spirit of God we and as I mentioned before, we need self judgment.
Not to belabor the point, but to you go back to the time when the children of Israel came through the Jordan River, which is a picture of the death and resurrection of Christ. They came into Gilgal, you remember?
And there are several things performed at Gilgal. It's a very important position in the history of Israel. They were on the borders of the land. They had come through the Georgian picture of the death and resurrection. They were raised with Christ in in type, but they were.
They were, they had a stop there at at Gilgal and they were circumcised. That was a rather painful process.
Joshua commanded them to be circumcised before they set out to apply swords to the enemies of the land.
00:45:06
They were first. They had to first of all apply swords to themselves.
And that is a picture of self judgment, brethren. Later on we see the captain of their salvation presented to them.
To Joshua, as he saw that man with a sword drawn in his hand. Who art thou? I am the captain of the Lorde host. And Joshua took his feet from off his shoes from off his feet, and worshipped.
That is the picture of the Lord Jesus.
As the captain of our salvation, leading us through this wilderness.
Providing for us it's an enemies land.
And.
Every power of hell is arrayed against the believer who seeks to be loyal to Christ. We have an old nature too. We have three enemies. We've often been reminded, which I'm not going to expatiate on the world, the flesh, but we have the devil. He would hinder us from the enjoyment of our portion in Christ. And so the captain of our salvation. That's an important.
Picture that it's a it's the Lord leading us in resurrection into the land, into the enjoyment of all that we have in Christ as we as we've been speaking.
I like to go back just a little bit and digress, perhaps.
We spoke about how when once pathway is so bad that the chicken pole. I'd like to digress because death seems to be.
A very scary thing for many of us, and I thought I'll mention that really, as a believer, there are only a certain way for us to die because the Lord ordered the death of his servants. We have to remember that we don't die just by chance.
And this world, so we sometimes we get so taken up with people in this world, we're afraid of accidents, disease, illness and other things I believe the Lord ordered. So when the first one I believe is when one's work on earth is done, the Lord took us home. Well, when is that? We don't know. Could it be two year old? Could it be a 80 year old?
When the work on earth for the person is done, the Lord take them home. The second reason I believe is sometimes he used someone as a martyr for his glory and we see many examples of that that. The third example we spend some time on is when one's walk is so bad that the Lord has to take them home. Now let me stress this, I do not believe it's right for us to speculate and say well that brother was taken home.
Because of whatever we have to leave that with the Lord. So we have to be reminded death is not final like this world. Look at it, we are not of this world that faded away. And one breath will say we look forward to be with the Lord and the other breath we're afraid to be taken out of the sea. So what is our true desire? Do we truly believe that we would rather be absent in the body and be present with the Lord?
Now this is easier said than done because when circumstances come on us, come upon us, then the the testing truly come. So it's good to learn what the word of God have for us while we still well then when the day of trouble comes, then the word of God can come and encourage our hearts.
Let us remember that the children of Israel.
Always have to return to Gilgal.
If not, there is going to be defeat in their lives. If there's been any fruit in our lives of the grace of God. Let us get back to Gilgal and acknowledge humbly that it's all the grace of God that has worked in our hearts.
That is, it's not our intelligence, it's not our faithfulness, it's the grace of God that is enabled us to be a channel of blessing. The glory. All must be his. But Gilgal was very important in the history of Israel. If they did not get back to Gilgal, there was failure. AI in the example, Gideon, the Gibeonites, another example.
00:50:29
So it's a place that we we need to return to.
No doubt we are in the position raised with Christ in heavenly places are standing before God will not be affected by my conduct.
Standing will not be eliminated. It will not be.
Reduced my standing before God, A result of the work of Christ. Justified from all things. Reconciled. Even goes beyond justification.
We're now associated with that man in the glory. We are part of the new creation race.
Of which the Lord has the preeminence, but we are associated with Him and.
Therefore, we are in a position of responsibility.
Responsibility.
Devolves upon us and that's when we come to the the other parts of the chapter Speaking of communion with the Lord. So we can say, can't we, that there's a important distinction between salvation and discipleship. And that's what we're speaking about here, isn't it? Is discipleship we really want to lay hold of eternal life. We're speaking about discipleship.
Now everybody who's saved will get to heaven. But discipleship is what you were talking about, isn't it, Brother John? And that's what we have here.
What is the disciple? Well, the disciple is one who has taken his place with Christ to follow him at all costs. And so we might say, well, the children of Israel, when they were delivered from Egypt, they were typically saved. They were looked at as being saved.
But then we see all these troubles. There's actually four different stages in the wilderness. There was grace, then there was government under law, and then there was the wandering years, the 38 years of wandering. But remember when they first came to close to the land of Israel, they came to a place called Kadesh Barniya.
Arcades. That's often referred to What does Kadesh mean?
It means consecration. That's the secret of discipleship. Many Christians are not consecrated. Scripture assumes that every Christian will be consecrated. That's why the the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows the feast of of the Passover. Passover is a picture of our salvation. Feast of Unleavened Bread is the assumption that will be disciples and Walker Christian life. But this is where much trouble comes into Christian lives.
We haven't really taken that step of consecration. We know the Lord is Savior, but not really as Lord. And so it's often been said the Red Sea is a picture of Christ death for us, that salvation. But the Jordan River, where we have Gilgal that John's been speaking about, is a picture of my recognizing that I take, recognizing that I'm dead with Christ. I'm not on my own. I belong to Christ.
And He's the one who's to direct my life now, and he wants us to to bring us into those that fruit we are reading about. Lovejoy, peace, all the rest. But it only comes through consecration, and that's discipleship.
That's what we have here. And so in verses four and five, can't we say it's much of what we've been speaking about? How can we walk as disciples? It's by communion with the Lord, ongoing, day by day, moment by moment. Abide in me. I and you as a branch cannot bear fruit. It's an absolute statement of itself. Accepted. Abide in the vine. No more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine. Ye are the branches, He that abideth in me.
00:55:04
I and him the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me he can do nothing. That's what we've been speaking about too, as in its absolute dependence, communion on the Lord. But that's what brings not only an appreciation of our privileges, but that's what brings the the the fruit, the growth of a Christ like character. We have a little example of it in.
First Samuel chapter 22 in connection with David and we know that Abayathar.
Is it says in that little story in connection with a Biathar with not getting too long with it. But first Samuel 22 of 21 Abayathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lords priests. David said unto Obiathar, and knew it that day when dog the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul, I have occasioned the death of all thy, all the persons of thy father's house. Now here's.
What I wanted to read. Abide thou with me.
Fear not, for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life, but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. And so the Lord desires that we might walk in communion with Himself and value his companionship as we walk through the sea. Now the French translation is slightly different. It gives the sense, abide with me, live with me, dwell with me.
And so we need to dwell in the presence of the Lord, don't we and justice enjoy his companionship. And this is really keeping close to the Lord. And as we have said in the first couple of verses here, keeping short accounts with the Lord. We need to do both. We need to exercise self judgment. That's responsibility. But then we are also he appeals to our hearts to abide with him. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.
I'll just make one other comment. Those verses that I read this morning in the Song of Solomon bring in responsibility as well. And Song of Solomon chapter 2. I know you have Fox out here, but we have Fox in Hammer Bay and we have a, a vine that Grandpa Fred Hammer planted on on a rock.
I don't know, maybe 100 years ago, but it's still there and it's cared for and pruned and taken care of. But it says in second in the second chapter of.
Song of Solomon, take us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines.
For our vines have tender grapes. It's not that the fox choose the grapes. He doesn't go after the fruit and try to chew the grapes. No, he sucks on the vine and the vine has moisture in it and he sucks and he sucks on the vine, and then the fruit at the end of the vine turns into what looks like a Raisin. So what could have been fruit that would have come to maturity?
And could have been very tasteful to the owner of the vineyard.
Is worthless.
And so you and I are responsible to take the little foxes, the little habits, the little things in our lives that could grow into big foxes.
We're responsible to judge those things and to get them out of our lives so that there would be fruit for the Lord.
You'll have it beautifully presented in Romans chapter 12, just along the line that we are Speaking of.
You therefore, brethren, he doesn't command, He says, I beseech you therefore, brethren. Why? Because the thought is not obligation. The thought here is you. You have a divine nature. Go back to the earlier part of Romans and see the mercies of God so richly exhibited in your salvation, your reconciliation.
Deliverance from.
The condom of the guilt of sin. The power of sin.
Not yet the presence of sin. And then he exhorts the brethren by the mercies of God. While we have the mercies of God throughout the earlier part of the Epistle of Romans. All we need to do is read it, that you present your bodies.
01:00:07
This is a vehicle that we have at one time was used for self and maybe for sin.
And foolishness and the world. Now these bodies of ours are to be presented as a living sacrifice to the Lord. The body in itself is not sinful. Some people think it is. It can be used in a sinful way, and perhaps we have, we have all done that. But the body itself is not sinful. The translation.
Vile body is is not really a correct translation in Philippians 3. It's a body of humiliation. But we can use our bodies to the dishonor of the Lord, but here we are to sacrifice them. There is our brother Eric mentioned dedication. Well here we have dedication. Present your bodies a living sacrifice.
Time, energy.
The plans that we have, are we proving the perfect will of God in our lives? Yes. Dedication is very closely connected with the Lordship of Christ. And this is a voluntary thing. The Lord's not going to command you to follow him. He's not going to oblige you if you want to choose the world.
You can have it. It's all out there. You have a nature that loves it. Present your bodies, a living sacrifice. I think there's three sacrifices that we are reminded of.
1.
Just a minute now.
Yeah, the sacrilege slice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. There's the sacrifice of our temporal.
I I.
Jump roll materials to be used for the Lord to do good and to communicate. Forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The third sacrifice is one we have here, sacrifice of our bodies.
That's our.
Our priorities, the sacrifice of our bodies.
First of all, they must be holy. There's not going to be.
It it won't be possible to sacrifice our bodies to the Lord if there's any unholiness in my life, that's essential that we walk in a holy pass in separation from all the evil that is around us and in our own hearts.
And then to prove to have the evidence of the perfect, the good and perfect and acceptable will of God, you have a converse person coming in. Dedication is.
Ourselves giving something to the Lord from our hands. Consecration is the Lord putting something into our hands. There's a difference there.
So just our time is gone. But just to kind of summarize here in verse 8, here it is. My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit. That's what it glorifies our Father. And then what we've been speaking about. So shall ye be my disciples. So the point here is discipleship. It's not salvation that's assumed. That's of course the foundation, but it's discipleship. So perhaps I know we only have one other reading meeting.
Scheduled. Perhaps start with verse 9.
That's.
Side.
188.
88.