Who is the vine and who is the branches? – See verse 5.
Jesus is speaking to his disciples – the church –
the conversation starts after Judas leaves – before the Lord’s Supper
is given – and continues to the end of chapter 17 when Christ goes into
the garden of Gethsemane and will be betrayed.
What can I do to straighten up my life – get rid of all my
troubles – and live the victorious life?
Verse 3 – The only way we can be clean is through
applying the Word of God to our everyday lives.
Why can’t I live my life the way I want to live it and
find peace? – Because of sin.
If I give my life totally to God and his way I won’t
be able to enjoy my life – This isn’t true – The only way you can
truly enjoy your life is to totally give yourself to God. There is no joy
like serving God, learning his ways, and making our wills conform to his
will.
What two conditions must be met in order to bear fruit?
Verse 4,5, & 7
Fruit is defined in Gal. 5:22 as love, joy, so forth –
it is not doing a lot of things, or having a lot of physical
results, the way men look at it.
If you don’t have the fruit as described in Gal. 5:22
– you won’t have see the results of seeing people saved and life
faithful, fruitful lives.
True fruit of the spirit will produce that which is good
for others – their salvation, faithfulness, and their bringing others to
Christ.
What can one do without the vine? Verse 5
What happens to those who do not meet the first requirement
of abiding in Christ? Verse 6
They are still a branch – even though they are cast
off. The casting off is done when the person is more involved in the
things of this world than in the things of God – as described in Matthew
13:22 – The result of the third sowing seeds.
I Cor. 3:15 – He shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
They have left their first love, and Christ will remove
his candlestick and thy will not longer be a church.
How is the Father glorified? Verse 8
Again, check out what fruit is.
Why is obedience to Jesus’ commands a fruit?
Verse 10 – What does keeping the commandments of God have
to do with abiding in the love of God?
Why would you not want to keep the commandments of God?
– SIN
People today don’t like the term
"legalists." When I am driving down the road, I like to be
legal. I do have a fear of getting a ticket, but I also know that if
everybody is legal, society moves along much more smoothly. I stay out of
trouble when I am a "legalists."
What does verse 16 mean to you?
What does it take to produce fruit?
Rev. 2:4 - Nevertheless I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I Cor. 3:5-7 - Who then is Paul,
and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave
to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth;
but God that giveth the increase.
Gal. 5:22-23 - But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I John 5:3 - For this is the love
of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not
grievous.
Abide means to dwell continually, never to leave.
Luke 19:5 - Jesus told Zacchaeus, "…today I must
abide at thy house."
The prisoner of the Lord. - Refers to Paul being physically
bound because of his testimony of Christ. Also refers to him abiding with
Christ and cannot get away, and he doesn’t want to get away.
Eph. 3:1 - Paul is the prisoner of the Lord of the
Gentiles. "For
this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,"
Eph. 4:1 - "I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of
the vocation wherewith ye are called,"
II Tim. 1:8 - "Be
not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his
prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of th7e gospel according
to the power of God;"
Philemon 1:1 & 9 - Paul calls himself a prisoner of
the Lord.
Verse 1 - "Paul,
a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our
dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,"
Verse 9 - "Yet for love's
sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now
also a prisoner of Jesus Christ."