Bearing Fruit, Honoring God, John 15:1-8

Sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church on May 10, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.

John 15:1-8
Here are some things that their mothers might have said:
“David! I told you not to play in the house with that sling! Go practice your harp. We pay good money for those lessons.”
“Cain! Get off your brother! You’re going to kill him
some day!”
“Noah! No, you can’t keep them! How many times do I have to tell you, don’t bring home any more strays.”
“Gideon! Have you been hiding in that winepress again? Look at your clothes.”
“James and John! No more burping contests at the dinner table, please. People are going to call you the sons of thunder.”
“Judas! Have you been in my purse again?”
“Jesus! Be careful with that hammer; you don’t want to put a nail through your finger.”

Here are some things that God says about mothers: Read Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-31.

And here are some things that God says about our relationship with Him: Read John 15:1-8.
John 15:1-8 deals with the intimate relationship that believers share with Christ. We as God’s branches are vitally connected to Christ. As a result, we draw our life from Christ – without Him we can do nothing. But in an abiding relationship with Jesus, we bear much fruit. This life-connection that allows us to bear much fruit brings glory to God our Father.

All of us are not mothers, but all of us share a deep connection with our mothers who birthed us into this world and who nurtured us as only a mother can do. That nurturing process began in our mother’s womb. The wonder of God’s doing is expressed by the Psalmist “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place . . .” (Ps. 139:13-15a).

This intimate and deep connection with our mothers is the kind of intimate and deep connection that we have with Christ, who is our creator, redeemer, and sustainer. Through the Holy Spirit we are birthed into the kingdom of God and we are nurtured continually by Christ who is the vine. We draw our life from Him as Paul said, “‘For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:28).

As we consider this passage, of first importance is verse 8. Here we discover what brings honor to Him. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (v.8). If bearing fruit pleases God, I need to know (1) what this fruit is and (2) how it is produced in my life. First, what kind of fruit is Jesus referring to? Spiritual fruit is what is produced in the life of the Christian who is abiding or remaining in Christ. This spiritual fruit is most clearly described in Galatians 5:22-23. Here you have the character of spiritual fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

This list of nine qualities is merely representative of the kind of fruit that is produced through the believer’s life. The question then is “how is this spiritual fruit produced in my life?” In this discipleship text, Jesus reveals how spiritual fruit is produced in our lives, fruit that will honor God our Father.

Spiritual fruit is produced through . . .
1. Connection to Christ the True Vine (v.1)
Common sense tells us that oranges do not grow on apple trees and strawberries are not produced from pear trees. It’s terribly frustrating trying to live the Christian life if you’re not one. We do need to make sure that this relationship with God that he initiates has begun in our lives. It is imperative that I am connected to Christ, “the true vine” (v.1).

The fact that Jesus calls Himself the “the true vine” implies that there are other ways that a person might try but that they are false rather than true. Proverbs 14:12 tells us that there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is death. If you were to ask the average person on the street, “What is required to get to heaven?” you probably will here a variety of “ways.” For example, be a good person, keep the 10 commandments, be baptized, join a church, etc. All these are good things, but they are not the life-producing vine – Jesus. Any other way but God’s way in Christ will not lead to spiritual fruit and growth. So be sure that you are in Christ, who is the true vine and source of life.

Spiritual fruit is produced through . . .
2. Commitment to the Fruit-Bearing Process
This process of discipleship, bearing fruit might be described in both negative and positive terms. Negative only because bearing fruit can sometimes be a painful process. Just as a mother giving birth and nurturing her child can be a painful process, so discipleship, the process of becoming like Christ is sometimes a painful process. Bearing much spiritual fruit means that certain things will need to happen in my life.

According to Jesus, what does the fruit-bearing process look like?
(1) Bearing Fruit Requires Spiritual Pruning (v.2)
Spiritual fruit is produced and maximized in your life over time through the process of spiritual pruning (v.2). Here is something that from a logical standpoint does not make sense. “Every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful” (v.2). You would think if a branch is bearing any fruit, leave it alone, that’s great. And how often do we become satisfied with our low-yielding fruit trees? We bear a small amount of fruit and we become satisfied with less than God’s best. But God is not content for us to bear a little fruit, he wants you to reach your full potential.

If a branch bears no fruit there is nothing else you can do except remove the branch. There’s no hope for a dead branch. The only branches that can be improved are the branches that are producing fruit. So if you are being spiritually pruned, that’s good news. That means God is at work in your life removing all that does not look like Jesus. In pruning, God removes the diseased and dead wood from our lives. We often think (wrongly so) that the primary goal in life is for us to be happy and for everything to be going great in our lives. No pain, no stress, no burdens. Yet, this is a false picture of the Christian life.

If you’re not going through some occasional spiritual pruning, your spiritual growth and the resulting joy will be stunted. Happiness is temporary, joy is eternal. No pruning means no life – it means that there is no fruit being produced in your life. So rejoice in the spiritual pruning that God is working in your life. It will lead to more fruitfulness.

Spiritual pruning is for your benefit. It will bring more fruitfulness in your life. The word here translated “clean” or “prune” (v.2) is related to the verb “katharizo,” – to cleanse as in the cleansing of a disease or making one pure. This word is used in the following ways: Matthew 8:3; Luke 17:14, 17 – lepers who are declared cleansed (Aorist, passive, indicative). Hebrews 9:14, 22 – of the blood of Christ that cleanses us (Future & Present act. ind.). 2 Corinthians 7:1 – Out of reverence for God, we are to purify ourselves from all contamination (Aorist, active, subjunctive).

Consider this: If cleaning (spiritual pruning) means removing that which is diseased and harmful to your spiritual growth, is that not a good thing? When the surgeon cuts out the cancerous tissue from your body, is that not a good thing? Of course it’s good! So it is with spiritual pruning. In pruning, God is removing the diseased and dead wood from your life. It’s all for His glory so that you will be able to produce more fruit.

Being committed to the fruit-bearing process means we understand what God is doing in our lives. It’s for our benefit and for His glory! Bearing fruit requires spiritual pruning.
(2) Bearing Fruit Requires Remaining in Christ (v.4)
The pruning is God’s part. He’s the gardener and He alone knows what branches need pruning in our lives (vv.1-2). Our part is to “Remain” in Christ (v.4). Here’s the key: Discipleship is not a passive process. God does the pruning but your part in the process is to remain or abide in Christ.

An important distinction: The language used in this word “Remain in me , and I will remain in you” means to continue in a relationship that has already been established. Jesus is talking to people who are in Christ. In fact He reminds them in verse 3, “You are already clean” signifying that they are already in a vital relationship to God the Father through Christ. Jesus is not saying, I want you to keep on establishing a relationship with Me as if our relationship with Christ was “on again” and “off again.”

God is saying continue in the relationship that has already begun (It’s an aorist, active, imperative). For example, if you are married and I say remain in that marriage, I’m not saying get married, you’re already married. I’m saying continue in that state, develop that relationship. That’s what Jesus is saying to us. Remain in me, continue, develop this relationship that has begun. Jesus says to us. If we will do that, we will bear “much fruit”.

There’s another aspect to this remaining in Christ. To remain in Christ involve practical action on our part. To remain in Christ is to participate in the body of Christ – His Church. To be connected and remain in Christ is to be connected to other believers. You cannot remain in Christ and be disconnected with other believers any more than you can be married and not ever speak or relate to one another. You probably wouldn’t be married long.

This is why the whole argument of “I’m a Christian, but I don’t need the church” argument is really bad theology. The truth is, as a believer you are connected to Christ which means His followers and it is impossible to live a fruitful life in isolation. Show me a Christian who is living a fruitful life, and I will show you a Christian who is connected in meaningful ways with other believers. How else are we able to learn how to love others, how to have patience, how to serve, etc. unless we do so in the context of living in connection with others? This is why John will say in his first letter, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 Jn. 4:21).

If this is true, why are we failing in large part to follow God’s plan for bearing fruit? I think there are a couple of reasons. First, relationships are hard work. They take time to develop, they require give and take, you have to get our of your comfort zone and it’s just not easy to develop relationships with people, especially if you have no particular desire to do so. The church is made up of imperfect people, but relationship building in the body of Christ is our training ground for heaven. After all, we’re going to spend eternity together! Second, Christianity today unfortunately is largely portrayed in the media and from the pulpit as a self-driven, self-help psychobabble cult. Christianity has become “what can God do for me. How can God help me. How can I do what I want and still be blessed by God.” That kind of inward focus thinking destroys fellowship instead of creating fellowship. Everything in our society points toward contraction rather than connection.

For you to mature, to grow spiritually, you need a commitment to the fruit-bearing process and bearing fruit requires remaining in Christ. We need a commitment because bearing fruit is conditional. “If you remain in me” (v.7). Here the word for “remain” is an aorist, active, subjunctive which opens the door to the idea that even though we are in Christ, we have a choice as to whether we are going to remain in Him by allowing Him do His pruning work and remaining connected in the body of Christ.

Will you recognize God’s spiritual pruning work in your life? Will you chose to remain in Christ by connecting with others in meaningful relationships? How will you connect with other believers this week. You can begin to do that by becoming involved in one of the small group studies that we host each Sunday morning. As you interact with other believers, you are going to see fruit produced in your life. You can remain in Christ by participating in ministry with other believers.

Finally, let me ask you, “are you connected to the vine – Jesus?” He is the source of life and with Him you can experience life as God meant for it to be, but without him you can do nothing. You become connected to Christ, the true vine when you believe (trust) in Him and repent (turn away) from your sins.

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe