MISSION WOODS CHURCH
Sunday, October 4, 2026
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  • This Is The Day
  • I Love You, Lord
  • They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
  • How Deep The Father's Love For Us
  • If you’ve been counting, we’re at number 7 of the “I am” statements:
    “I am the bread of life” - Jn 6:35,41,48, 51 “I am the light of the world” - Jn 8:12, 9:5 “I am the door of the sheep.” Jn 10:7, 9, “I am the good shepherd.” - Jn 10:11, 14 “I am the resurrection.” - Jn 11:25 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” - Jn 14:6 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” Jn 15:1
    And if you’re following along in the Gospel, as we begin this chapter we are still in the same conversation that began in chapter 13 with Jesus’ washing the disciples feet. This conversation will continue through two more chapters, through chapter 17. Something to keep in mind as you’re reading John‘s Gospel.
    So we start with this image of a vine, and the Father as the vinedresser, which is a way of saying the master gardener. The gardener tends to the vine taking away those branches that don’t produce fruit.
    I’m not a gardener, so I asked some of my friends who enjoy gardening and this is exactly right, if you have a branch that is not producing fruit you take it away so that it’s not drawing the energy or nutrients away from the branches that are bearing fruit.
    Then there is this idea of pruning. He prunes the branches that are bearing fruit. Why? So they may bear more fruit. Pruning is different than cutting out the non-fruit bearing branches. By pruning properly the branch that is bearing fruit creates more branches that then bear fruit.
    If you take the branch away from the vine, it can’t bear fruit on its own. It needs to be connected to the source of its nutrients, to the vine. Jesus says, John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
    Then he reminds us of our identity and where our strength comes from, John 15:5
    John 15:5 ESV
    I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
    “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
    There are a lot of people out there who are trying to do good things, and many of them enjoy the accolades from others about the good they do. But in the end, the Bible says they’ve gotten their full reward. That’s it. There’s nothing there that bears any sort of fruit that lasts.
    There are not a few examples of prominent ministries that as quick as they rose to fame disappeared because it was about the accolades and the fame, not about the message. It wasn’t about Christ.
    There are a lot of promises within our Scripture here in John 15. This vine imagery is a powerful image, so let’s get to the root of it. (can I get a rim shot?)

    1. Rooting in Christ

    We all know good things we can do, despite our living in what’s been called a post-Christian time we still know that helping those in need is a good thing.
    Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, comforting those who mourn, befriending the outcast, …
    …perhaps you can think of more.
    But as Jesus is reminding us here, none of this bears any kind of eternal results if it is not a part of the vine. We can do all kinds of what the world calls “good” and miss the point entirely. This world is temporary. That’s where Jesus drives his point home.
    John 15:5 ESV
    I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
    We must…

    2. Remain to Reap

    If it is true that apart from Christ we can do nothing that has any eternal lasting value, then we must remain connected to the roots, the true vine.
    What is it that you think sustains you? Is it your proving your worth by what you do? Is it your stature in the community? Is it your job? Your family? Your friends? All of these will pass away, they do not last.
    John 15:6 ESV
    If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
    Eventually you tire out, your energy fades, and it was all for naught. Yet there’s a promise here in this passage as well.
    John 15:7 ESV
    If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
    Immediately we light up, “That’s what I want!” We especially like to focus on the phrase, “ask whatever you wish…” Wow! Santa is real!
    Of course we know that’s not what it means. It takes us back to our rootedness. “If”, there’s a conditional clause here.
    IF you abide in me - if we live in Jesus.
    If we are a part of Jesus.
    If we are in Jesus.
    John 15:8 ESV
    By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
    Wait, we’ve heard something similar before about how to prove we’re disciples, back in chapter 13. John 13:35
    John 13:35 ESV
    By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
    We’re called to love one another - despite all of our differences.

    3. Radiate Christ’s Love

    I can imagine that all of us here might say we want to radiate Christ’s love. I don’t know about you, but I know I still have a ways to go in this, I’m a work in progress. And whether you know it or not, I know you are too!
    How do we radiate love? Again there’s a word we’ve seen a lot in this passage:
    John 15:9 ESV
    As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
    Abide - some translation will read “remain”. Abide is more than just staying in, it’s living in - we live in Christ’s love.
    How do we do that? vss 10-11, keeping His commandments as Jesus kept God’s commandments. And our abiding in Christ’s and God’s love is not just about doing, it’s about experiencing God’s love as well. In verse 11 we read, John 15:11
    John 15:11 ESV
    These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
    Your joy may be full, is reminiscent of John 10:10 “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The NIV uses the word “full”
    New International Version (2011) Chapter 10

    I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

    Throughout John 14 we read a lot about Jesus being in the Father and the Father being in Him. Now in chapter 15 we read a lot about Jesus being in us and we are in Him.
    As we live in Christ’s love - we live out Christ’s love.

    4. Rely on Friendship

    Throughout this dialogues Jesus has been reinforcing the need for us to love one another. It’s interesting that he first says at the meal where he also announces that one of the disciples will betray him.
    Love is a choice. We are commanded to love one another and then given this definition: John 15:13
    John 15:13 ESV
    Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
    At the time the disciples still did not understand that Jesus was about to quite literally lay down His life for them, HIs friends. Here he calls them His friends, John 15:14
    John 15:14 ESV
    You are my friends if you do what I command you.
    He tells them it was His choice to love them, and to choose them as friends, John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”
    Good fruit does not grow alone. We are friends, abiding in Jesus and loving one another. The author of Hebrews gets to this in writing: Heb 10:24-25
    Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV
    And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
    The power to truly selflessly love comes from living IN Christ. Yet we need community, we need not just the vine for it is where we have our roots, we need the vineyard.

    Be Part of the Action

    There once stood a tree tall and grand standing in the center of town, mighty tree that had been there as long as anyone could remember. People took shelter in its shade from the heat of summer. It looked healthy and strong from the outside. But inside was something that no one could see until a great storm came. The winds blew hard snapping the trunk as the tree buckled. Only then could you see the inside of the trunk and see that it was hollow due to a lack of deep roots.
    Our lives can be like that tree; if we don’t root ourselves in Christ we can appear loving and active but lack true, sustaining love for others.
    I want to challenge you to go deeper, to seek a deeper relationship with Christ, ensuring that you not only survive, but thrive in love.
    Get rooted in Christ. Then look to see where you can bear fruit. All for the glory of God. AMEN!

      • John 15:1-3ESV

      • John 15:4-5ESV

      • John 15:6-8ESV

      • John 15:9-11ESV

      • John 15:12-14ESV

      • John 15:15ESV

      • John 15:16-17ESV

      • John 15:5ESV

      • John 15:5ESV

      • John 15:6ESV

      • John 15:7ESV

      • John 15:8ESV

      • John 13:35ESV

      • John 15:9ESV

      • John 15:11ESV

      • John 15:13ESV

      • John 15:14ESV

      • Hebrews 10:24–25ESV

  • In Remembrance
  • Be Still And Know
  • Praise Him Praise Him All You Little Children (Praise Him)
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MISSION WOODS CHURCH
info@missionwoodschurch.org
(253) 922-5555
http://www.missionwoodschurch.org
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