Let's Abide in the Love of Jesus

Services

SunDAY: 9 AM Sunday School, 10:30AM Worship /TuesDAY 6 pm prayer/ WedNESDAY 6PM Bible study

Mar. 17, 2024

 Reverend Howard Miller
 John 15:1-8
 abide, love, fruitful branches, unfruitful branches

Sermon Key Notes:

  1. Jesus is the True Vine
    1. Jesus is the True and Genuine One (v. 1); all others are false
    2. Jesus is the only way to the Father
    3. God is the Vinedresser
    4. God sent Jesus to us and Jesus came willingly
    5. We are the branches and are judged based upon how we relate to the True Vine
    6. There are hypocrites and genuine worshipers
    7. We can either be attached and fruitful or attached and unfruitful or not attached at all
    8. Everyone needs to be connected to the True Vine
  2. The unfruitful and fruitful branches
    1. To bare fruit means to bare Christian characters or the fruit of the Spirit
    2. Unfruitful branches are attached to the Vine, but have become complacent
    3. We have to be careful that we don't have the pride attitude
    4. We need to serve to the best of our abilities
    5. Unfruitful branches become connected to other things that take them away from God
    6. God knows the heart (Matthew 13:20-22)
    7. Fruitful branches strive to bare fruit
    8. God prunes the fruitful branches and fruitful branches continue to be cleansed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit
    9. Sometimes God has to prune us to get us to grow
    10. Abide means to continue to grow and rest in the Lord, to continue to study, grow in faith and trust in God
  3. Fate of the unattached branches
    1. The unattached branch is the unbeliever
    2. They never gave their life to Christ so there is no fruit in them
    3. They depend on or are attached to their job, their money, status, etc., but they need to know that if they are not attached to Jesus, they can become attached to Jesus
    4. If they don't accept Jesus before they depart, then Hell will be their home (Matthew 13:49-50)
  4. Fate of the attached branches
    1. An attached branch that is fruitful will continue to be God's disciples
    2. If we abide in him and His Words in us, then we can ask
    3. We try to glorify God and study the Word
    4. We bare fruit of the Spirit
    5. Heaven will be our final destination
    6. Self-control is an important fruit