we are looking at the benefits of the cross for people

  1. We are in Christ
  2. We can trust the blood that is over our lives
  3. We have the Holy Spirit

We can bear fruit.

  1. IMPORTANCE OF FRUIT.

Luke 13: 1 – 8 people spend time trying to figure out why things happen in the lives of others. Jesus brought it down to one principle. If you bear fruit then you will survive but if you do not bear fruit, then you will be cut down. Whether a tower falls on you and you die at an early age or you live to be 115 you will be lost for eternity.

John 15: 1 I am the true grape vine and my Father is the gardener.

This is a natural conversation because they probably just had the last supper with communion

Judean coins had the image of grapes put on it so Jesus is saying I am the true vine not Israel. Not just in name and because I am Jewish, but I am the nature of God.

  1. PRUNING

Vs 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

  1. They are in Christ something happened to them to make them dry and brittle
  2. they have been snapped off
  3. Bear fruit, or continue the process of bearing fruit
  4. Pruning is taking off the shoots that grow on their own

Pruning = cleanse from filth and impurity.

Word is only used one other place in the bible.

Hebrews 10: 2 once purified no more conscience of sin

Purification took place on the cross. The pruning is already done in our lives. Any change that has to happen is up in our minds.

Vs 3 you have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

  1. GRAFTED IN

Grafting shown in Romans 11

Spiritual applications to gardening.

  1. Grafting is taking a branch that is fruitful and putting it on a tree that is not producing so it will produce good fruit.
  2. Romans 11: 24 You, by nature were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree…

YOU DON’T GRAFT WILD INTO GOOD YOU GRAFT GOOD INTO WILD. God is doing something contrary to nature

This is talking about God cutting off Israel and grafting in the Gentiles.

  1. Cut off the branches but leave a mother branch to keep the tree alive. Romans 11: 2 God has not totally rejected Israel and He never will. Romans 11: 5 True even today for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace–his undeserved kindness in choosing them
  2. Vs 16, 17 You have been grafted into a holy root system
  • Grafting starts with a wound in the original tree. Isaiah 53: 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed
  • Branch put in when it is dormant. No life in the branch or it will not graft to the tree. Romans 5: 6 While we were still powerless Christ died for us
  • Cambium layer must match this is the life of the tree. This is abiding. God takes the care to line us up with his work in our lives.

Key for us we cannot line ourselves up with God. He does the work in our lives

  • We are lined up with God because our nature has changed and even though we were a dead dormant stick, we have been brought into the kingdom of the son of God
  • Wound bound up and sealed
  1. Isaiah 42: 3 A bruised reed He will not break
  2. Sealed with the Holy Spirit 2 Corinthians 1: 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come

YOU ARE GOD’S BRANCHES

John 15: 5 Abide in me. Rest and trust the blood that is on your door posts.

Vs 5b and 6 apart from me you can do nothing anyone who doesn’t remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.

Presumption of a daily abiding. We cannot just a jolt of sap from God on Sunday and trust it to carry us through the week. We need it everyday for us to make it.

Vs 7, 8 I am so one with the Father I can ask for anything and God will give it. Because of complete union with Christ, I have his mind and I am able to do His work here on earth.

Key Point: When you produce much fruit, you bring great glory to our Father