Heart Cry: Keep Me Dependent (Jn. 15:5) (Part 5)

As we begin to wrap up this message, we must engage today's heart cry.  Our heart cry is, or at least it should be, “Lord, keep me dependent.”

Is your relationship with Jesus personal, vibrant, thrilling and productive or is it impersonal, dead, boring and unproductive?  If it is the latter, why do you settle for that?

You know the good work that Jesus did for you; what good work have you been doing for Him?

Remember, you are not saved by works, but you are saved for works.  Gently I prompt you, “Get to work.”

Remember . . . abiding leads to action, staying leads to serving, remaining in leads to reaching out, dwelling leads to doing, and mutuality (You abide in Jesus and He abides in you) leads to ministry.

Heart Cry: Keep Me Dependent (Jn. 15:5) (Part 4)

Second, what happens when you don't abide in Jesus?  “ . . . for apart from Me you can do nothing.” In context, this means you can't and won't bear fruit.  In other words, you won't be profitable in the Lord's service; instead, you will be helplessly frustrated and fearful in your purpose and pursuits. You will be like the servant who had zero increase to present when it was time for accounting.

Heart Cry: Keep Me Dependent (Jn. 15:5) (Part 3)

Do you see that the idea of abiding includes satisfaction, enjoyment and intimacy?  In the “Westminster Shorter Catechism¹,” question number one reads “What is the chief end of man?”  The answer is, “To glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

The opposite of “abiding” is self-dependence or independence.  In football terms, a player doesn't want to stay with his current team, thinking he can get a better deal, so he files for free agency.  In John 15:5, Jesus warns against the free agency mentality that tempts His disciples.

What is the result of abiding in Jesus?  “ . . . he bears much fruit.”  What is meant by “fruit”?

• The inward fruit is Christian character (Gal. 5:22-23).
• The outward fruit is good works (Psa. 1:3; Mt. 5:16 cf. Jn. 15:8; Tit. 3:14).  
• You were created for good works (Eph. 2:10).
• Jesus expects you to do good works (Jn. 15:16).

1 http://www.reformed.org/documents/wsc/index.html?_top=http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC.html (accessed 02.18.16)

Heart Cry: Keep Me Dependent (Jn. 15:5) (Part 2)

Today's verse highlights two things.  First, what happens when you abide (remain) in Jesus?  “ . . . he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit . . .”

What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus?

• To abide means “to remain in”, “to continue in”, “to stay in.”
• To abide means “to draw life and support from.”  (This applies only to your abiding in Jesus, not His abiding in you.)
• To abide means “to maintain a living communion with.”¹
• To abide means “to stay united with.”²
• To abide means “to share the life.”³
• To abide means “to hold an unbroken fellowship and personal communion with Him.”⁴
• To abide means “to remain vitally connected . . . , sustaining a spiritual union through the Holy Spirit.”⁵

1 Wuest, Kenneth S. The New Testament: An Expanded Translation. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1961 (reprinted 2002). p. 251.

2 Stern, David H. Jewish New Testament: A Translation of The New Testament That Expresses Its Jewishness. Jerusalem, Israel: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1989. p. 142.

3 Phillips, J. B. New Testament In Modern English. London, England: Harper Collins Publishers, 2000. p. 179.

4 Tourville, Robert E. The Gospel of John: A Verse-By-Verse Commentary From The Classical Pentecostal Point of View. New Wilmington, PA: House of Bon Giovanni, 1986. p. 315.

5 Kostenberger, Andreas J. A Theology of John's Gospel And Letters: Biblical Theology of The New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. p. 241.

Heart Cry: Keep Me Dependent (Jn. 15:5) (Part 1)

February 14, we started a new series called “Heart Cry.”  I asked the question, “What is on God's heart?”  Do you remember the candy hearts?  On each was written a saying, expressing the giver's desire.  In part one, this is what was on God's heart: “Be true.”  We looked into 3 John 3-4, considering the meaning of “walking in the truth.”  In response to this, our heart cry was, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus.”

We're going to move from the letters of John to the Gospel of John.  Yesterday's Bible verse was John 15:5.  “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing”

God's heart is that you would want what He wants for you.  What does God want for you?  God wants for you to remain in His Son, Jesus, and depend on Him for everything.

Destruction and Dispossession (Deut 31:3)

Destruction and dispossession appear together in Deuteronomy 31:3. God went before and destroyed Israel's enemies. Read Joshua 1:3-5. That sounds like a position of victory to me!

Israel's given position of victory did not eliminate the need for their active coooperation. God's work of destruction was not the only component. The Israelites were to dispossess the nations. Dispossession -- that's battle, that's risk, that's offense, that's the process of pain.

Why wasn't Israel's God-given position of victory enough? Why did God include the process of dispossession? The position of victory minus the process of dispossession equals the potential for self-destruction. God would not leave His people in a place where they didn't have to rely upon Him. Why doesn't God just give you victory period? Why do you have to struggle and fight? It forces you to rely upon Him! When you're relying upon Him you're not walking away from Him. Instead you're clinging to Him. That's the safest posture to adopt.