Abiding and Fruit / The Gospel of John

Abiding and Fruit

John 15 July 16, 2023

I. Introduction:

A. How many of you have ever snorkeled or scuba dived by a coral

reef?

1. Picture of coral reef

2. They are loaded with many different beautiful views and unique

beautiful fish swimming there.

3. That is the way I feel about the metaphor in John 15 of the vine

and the branches, which helps us understand our relationship

with Jesus.

a. I have thought about, studied, and read about this passage for

decades and I am still overwhelmed by the beauty of the

truths and the new things I keep finding!

b. That is my way of saying it is worth your time, to jump into

this passage and swim around in it over and over again!

B. Since Don did such a great job of preaching through this passage

about two months ago, I am going focus on two key aspects of it

this morning. What abiding means and what is the fruit in this

passage!

C. Let me remind you quickly of the big picture of this passage as Don

presented it to us that morning:

1. God’s pruning goes before God’s produce

2. God will work in you to produce fruit through you

3. God promises to answer our prayers

D. The heart of the truth of this passage can be summarized in verses 4

and 5.

1. V 4 presents it negatively, while v5 presents it positively!

2. Read v4-5

3. Simply stated: apart from Jesus we cannot bear fruit, abide in

Jesus to bear fruit!

4. Another way to say it is: it is impossible to bear fruit for God

unless you abide in Jesus.

a. Note “cannot” speaks to our inability

b. “Bear” speaks of the bringing something forth, producing

something, giving birth to something!

c. “Of itself” speaks to the fact that we are not the source of

fruit, we are not the ones who bring about or produce

fruit! All by ourselves, we cannot do it!

5. Fruit bearing is something that can only happens when the life

of the vine (Jesus) flows into and through the branches (the

believer) to produce the fruit!

• Let me start by looking at John 15 to see

II. What is the fruit?

A. Fruit is simply an internal invisible power or life working within a

plant, tree, a vine, a person to produce an external visible

expression.

B. Fruit is the main driver and theme of this passage as bearing fruit is

talked about six times in this passage as we see a movement from –

no fruit, to fruit, to more fruit, too much fruit!

1. Fruit is the means by which the Father is glorified. Read v8

C. So the question I want to answer today is what is that fruit that is

borne by us when Jesus life is operating in us?

1. Many with the gift of evangelism or a strong bent for the

mission Jesus gave us interpret fruit here as people who are

saved!

a. While people being saved is one expression of the fruit, I do

not think the context nor the rest of the New Testament

supports it as the only kind of fruit in this passage.

2. Listen to these other expressions of fruit in the New Testament

a. Winning others to Christ – Romans 1:13, John 4:35-38

b. Holiness – Romans 6:22

c. Giving of your finances – Romans 15:28; Philippians 4:17

d. Fruit of the Spirit (character of Jesus within and through us)–

Galatians 5:22-23

e. Righteousness Philippians 1:11; Hebrews 12:11; James 3:18

f. Giving thanks Hebrews 13:15

g. Goodness, righteousness, truth - Ephesians 5:9

h. Various forms of ministry - Romans 1:11-13

D. So whenever you are displaying the internal character of Jesus you

are displaying the fruit of the indwelling Jesus within you. When

you are ministering to saved or lost people, especially in the areas

of your giftedness the outcomes of that upon other people are

evidences of fruit of Jesus working through you.

1. So when someone encourages someone who is discouraged the

fruit is when God actually encourages that person through you

2. So when someone helps someone else in need the fruit of that is

that God meets a need in that person’s life

3. So when someone with the gift of mercy feels with and gently

cares for the person who is hurting the fruit is that they feel

comforted, understood and seen.

E. My best definition of fruit is John 15. Fruit is any expression of

Jesus’ character in that person, or any expression of Jesus through

their unique make up and giftedness that impacts others.

F. As you answer the following question I think you will see why I

believe that

1. What kind of fruit does an apple tree produce? apples

2. What kind of fruit does a peach tree produce? peach

3. What kind of fruit does an orange tree produce? orange

4. What kind of fruit does a grape vine produce? grape

5. What kind of fruit does a Jesus vine produce? Jesus

G. It is the unique expression of Jesus’ life through you in light of the

way he uniquely designed, gifted and called you!

H. I remember being in seminary and working for a man who grew up

as a farmer and had a large garden in his back yard!

1. He had a peach tree in his garden which I loved eating tree

ripened peaches off.

2. One day he told me that in the past, he had grafted a branch

from a pear tree into a peach tree, and then he asked me “what

kind of fruit do you think that branch bore?”

a. I guessed pear – he said no! I said peach – he said no

b. He told me it was a completely different kind of fruit that

had characteristics and taste of both a pear and peach mixed

together as one!

I. I believe that is what fruit looks like through each individual

uniquely made and gifted believer/branch that is plugged into the

vine Jesus.

1. Jesus expressing himself in and through branch Pat is going to

look very different from Jesus expressing himself in and

through branch Kim.

2. Jesus expressing himself in and through branch Pat Peglow is

going to look very different from Jesus expressing himself in

and through branch Don Kauffman.

3. Etc etc. etc.

• All of this fruit is dependent upon

III. Abiding in Jesus!

A. So what does it mean to abide in Jesus?

1. I think to understand this passage we need to understand that the

word abiding has two aspects to its meaning and two aspects to

its application!

2. The two aspects of its meaning – one aspect has to do with time

and the other with place

a. Time – to remain, stay or continue in some state or place

b. Place – the word is also used to indicate a dwelling place, an

abode, someone’s residence or home.

1. Read John 14:2 – dwelling places

2. Read John 14:23 – abode – our residence, our home

c. So the PBP definition is simply continue to be at home with

Jesus! It is that ongoing close and intimate relationship with

Jesus.

3. The two aspects of its application have to do with our union and

our communion with Jesus

a. Union – has to do with our position in Christ as being in

Christ or our one with or our mutual indwelling with Christ

where Jesus is in us and us in Jesus –

1. Read John 14:20 – you in me and I in you

2. Read John 14:10 – when Jesus speaks of this mutually

indwelling relationship between him and his Father, he

talks about the Father abiding in him

3. In Paul’s language he calls it being “in Christ”

b. Communion – has to do with our practice or walk with

Christ.

B. While we see in John 14 that we are in union with Jesus. In John

15:4 and following, he is talking about our communion with

Jesus.

1. But verse 4 is a command, an imperative! A decisive decision

and action Jesus is calling them and us to (those who are already

in union with Jesus) where we continually remain at home with

Jesus!

2. That is where Jesus would be comfortable with my life and I am

comfortable with Jesus’ life. We are at home with one another

day in day out, moment by moment.

C. Thus, who I am in the deepest part of my being is consistent with

the way I live my life. My position in Christ is one with my walk

with Christ.

1. When I am walking in intimate fellowship with Jesus – praying,

meeting him through his Word, obeying him, living for him,

trusting him, a life filled by and controlled by the Spirit then his

life is expressing the fruit of Jesus life in and through me

2. When we do not fellowship with Jesus – not praying, not

meeting with him and feeding on his Word, disobeying him,

living for yourself, not trusting him but living by your own

strength no fruit is expressed in or through us.

D. I believe the greatest expression of abiding is a continued reliance,

dependence, trust and faith in the indwelling Jesus to live his life

through us.

1. Paul says it like this – Galatians 2:20

III. Closing application

E. Do you see the fruit of the character of Jesus growing and

developing within you?

• Do you see Jesus working through you to bless others in a

way that has no explanation except for God himself?

1. If you do, it is evidence that you are abiding in Jesus and

bearing fruit for him

2. If you do not, then there needs to be some things addressed in

your relationship with Jesus

B. Is your lifestyle one where Jesus would be comfortable going along

with you every place you go, would he be at home in your mind,

your desires, with your tongue, with your relationships, your habits,

your entertainment, etc.?

• Are you comfortable with and delight in going along with

Jesus’ thoughts and desires as expressed in his Word and

shaping your whole life around his Word?

1. If you do, it is evidence that you are abiding in Jesus and

bearing fruit for him

2. If you do not, then there needs to be some things addressed in

your relationship with Jesus

V. Response