Embedded & Entrenched

We are not dealing here with something marginal or optional. If we are not united to the vine so that Christ’s life is flowing into us, then his words, his love, his joy will be utterly and totally barren. Nothing of any lasting value will come from us

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At a time when all of Jesus' disciples were feeling as if they are about to be uprooted, Jesus sketches a picture of this new life they have as a flourishing vineyard, a maze of vines, and strong branches steeped in rich soil, abundant grapes hanging from their vines, ripened in the sun. Now Jesus sculpts a new garden of Eden, you could say, in their imaginations. One that is bustling with fruit, sustenance, and satisfying aromas. You see, this is the kingdom life. It is all about connection, sustenance, and beauty. But within this promise of life is the warning that people must be in Christ or they will not experience these blessings. Well, hello everyone, and welcome to Fill the Lamp. I'm Neil Parks, and last time out we were in John fourteen, and today we're in this wonderful chapter of John fifteen. And it, I must say, is loaded with amazing understandings. Now Jesus is revealing some very intimate information here. As we start off in verse one, Jesus says, I am the true vine, and my father is the keeper of the vineyard. My father examines every branch in me and cuts away those who do not get this, who do not bear fruit. He leaves those bearing fruit and carefully prunes them, so that they will bear more fruit. Then verse three, already you are clean because you have heard my voice, he says, Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Now a branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, can it? And neither will you, if you are not connected with me. That's what he's telling the disciples. I think the essential meaning of our active abiding is the act of receiving and trusting all that God is for us in Christ. If a branch remains or abides attached to the vine in such a way that it is receiving all that the branch has to give, then that is a picture of what John means by believing or trusting Jesus. John is saying in John 1, verse twelve, to all who did receive him who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Now believing is a receiving of Christ into the soul, welcoming him, trusting him, as it were, drinking and eating and savoring him, you can say. This is what he says back in John six thirty five. He said, Jesus speaking, I am the bread of life. Whoever overcomes or whoever comes, excuse me, comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Now believing is an attachment to a coming to Jesus, and a receiving from Jesus. Now it is trusting in Jesus, remaining in fellowship with Jesus, connecting to Jesus, so that all that God is for us in him is flowing like a life-giving sap, you could say, into our lives. Now that's number one. Abiding is believing, trusting, savoring, resting, and receiving. So here Jesus gets very specific about what is flowing between the vine and the branch. He mentions words, his words, his love and his joy. In John fifteen seven it says, If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. And then in John fifteen nine, Jesus is saying, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. Also in John fifteen eleven, Scripture says, These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. So abiding in the vine means receiving and believing and trusting in the words of Jesus. It means receiving the love of Jesus for the Father and for his people and the joy that Jesus has in the Father and in us. It means sharing the joy, the love, the words with Jesus. You see, this is very similar to Paul in Galatians three and five, where he says the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy as we hear and trust the promises of Christ. My friends, you see nothing of any spiritual, eternal significance is possible apart from this abiding in the vine. John says whoever abides in me and I am them, he's talking about Jesus, he is that bears much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. In other words, we are not dealing here with something marginal or optional. If we are not united to the vine so that Christ's life is flowing in to us, then his words, his love, his joy will be utterly and totally barren. Nothing of any lasting value will come from us if we're not abiding in Christ. So now abiding proves whether the attachment to the vine is in the future with life or is merely artificial and external. Here's John fifteen and eight, where Jesus says By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. Folks, fruitfully abiding with life, love and joy in the future into us through this connection between us and the vine Jesus proves we are disciples. That is abiding and fruit bearing confirmation from us. The negative is also true in John fifteen six, where it says If anyone does not abide in me, get this very negative If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches then are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. Now back earlier in John 15, one and two, John says if anyone doesn't bear fruit, he's taken away. So now here's a question. Can we be born of God? Can we be authentically in a living way united to Christ and truly a Christian and possibly lose our salvation? Now in John's understanding of abiding, the answer is no. No, we can't. I say this, my friends, for two reasons. First, John ten, twenty-eight and twenty-nine. John is quoting Jesus, where Jesus says, I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. He is bending over backwards to say this When I chose someone for myself, Jesus Jesus speaking, and they hear my voice, and I take them to be my sheep and my children, that my friends never changes. Now here's the second reason I think John means this, and it's the answer to what in the world is going on with these broken off branches that claim they're Christians. Well, I think in first John two nineteen gives us the description that in the church of what it means that certain branches are broken off, it says, but they were not of us, period. For if they had been of us they would have continued with us. Now that is remained or abided with us, but they went out, that it might become plain that they were all not of us. Not everyone is what he's saying, claims to be a Christian, is abiding in Christ. Now I think John provides us here with a category for understanding a kind of superficial external attachment to Jesus that is not a saving attachment. And this can result in a fruitless get this, in a fruitless, empty life where there's no sap coming out. And they are broken off these branches. That is, they fall away. They fall away from the church. It's an apostasy, but they never were of us. Now, the branches are being cared for both internally by the life of Christ, flowing into us, my friends, flowing, flowing, and more flowing into us, and externally by the vine dresser who prunes us as well. But to me this is amazing. In John fifteen, one and two, Jesus says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear fruit, and may bear more fruit as well. So now this pruning means to cut. No one wants to be cut, do they? The branches are being cared for to make them maximally fruitful. In other words, you have to prune a branch to keep it being fruitful, both by internal life flowing to us from the vine and by a vine dresser who with his very painful scissors or saw cuts us and it hurts us, so that by these painful providences in life we experience the fullest possible impact of the inner life of Christ. We're gonna go through this, folks. Scripture says there will be tribulation for the followers of Christ. Jesus says, take up your cross and follow me. Now we are being cared for both internally by Christ's life, being in to us by the Spirit and externally by the providences of a loving Father, who knows how to discipline his children, to make them very, very holy. Finally, the goal of abiding is the glory of God. John fifteen eight says, By this my Father, Jesus speaking, is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. The whole design of our not being the vine, but being utterly dependent branches grafted into the vine is to give glory to God. You see, my fellow listeners, the whole design of depending on a vine dresser to manage the outward shape of our vine structure and our branch structure is so that God gets the glory for bringing it all about. Bottom line is hour by hour, let us receive and rest in and trust in the Savior and enjoy Christ's word and love and joy while we submit externally to the merciful providences of God. I say, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come humbly before you right this very moment in 2026, Lord. We come humbly and I lift up every one of my listeners right now, wherever they're at in this world, I lift them up to you. And I pray that they are seeking to abide in you, Lord. Abide in you. They are seeking that so that they may bear fruit. The fruit that gives you the glory. Father God, we must understand that to be a Christian is a fruit-bearing vessel. A vessel, Lord, that all we want is for you to get the glory. And we do this in your precious name, Jesus. Amen and amen. Well, my listeners, thank you for being with me today. And I can't wait until next time. But until then, Memranatha. I'm Neil Parks. God bless you.