“Grow: How do YOU abide?”

John 15:1-8

Today, we are going to complete our look at discipleship, as part of the process for integrating people into a body of believers

Worship -> Grow -> Go ->

Today, I want a lot of the takeaway to be practical, but we’ll start with some context

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

The Vine The Branches and The Vinedresser

• This is a great depiction of discipleship.
• Because discipleship is to Jesus, personally.
• When He says “You are already clean” He is speaking of the very personal work He did for the disciples and the very personal work He does for us at the Cross
• Discipleship is not to a person/church/or denomination…….But God chooses to work through these things
• Ultimately, if He is the vine, you HAVE to be connected to Him

Three things from last week

• Time in the Word
• Time with Him – personal quiet time
• Time with Each other – How He uses Us : to test and refine one another
  • Iron Sharpens Iron,
  • We have to learn to practice Biblical values as imperfect people in fellowship with other imperfect people

1. Bear Fruit

• The essential need to be connected
• It must come first

A quote from a Christian leader

“I was engaged in more activity for God than my being with God could sustain.”

He summarizes by saying:

Fruit comes more from who you are before God than what you try to do for Him

1. Pruning

Pruning is the loving act of a gardener

So a branch will grow strong

So it will bear even more 

1. How do YOU abide?

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:1–8

2. Remain and Abide
   1. NIV “Remain” – Stay, or [imperative]do not allow yourself to be separated
   2. ESV “Abide” – Where you dwell
   3. Greek “μείνατε”

μένω (Hom.+) impf. ἔμενον; fut. μενῶ; 1 aor. ἔμεινα, impv. μεῖνον (Hv 3, 1, 9); pf. ptc. pl. μεμενηκότας 2 Macc 8:1; plpf. μεμενήκειν 1J 2:19 (on the lack of augment s. B-D-F §66, 1; W-S. §12, 4; Mlt-H. 190).

① remain, stay, intr.

ⓐ a pers. or thing remains where he, she, or it is.

α. of a location stay, oft. in the special sense live, dwell, lodge^[1]

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Why Abide? Summarized in Scripture

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only [those] who [do] the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” MATTHEW 7:21–23

“In an exhaustive biblical study, theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758) wrote about how often Scripture describes people who do things for God without having a life with God. Characters such as Balaam the Old Testament prophet, Judas Iscariot, and Saul were all engaged in what most certainly would have been considered effective work for God by their communities, but without having an authentic connection to him. The only mark of genuine spiritual maturity and ministry effectiveness, Edwards concluded, is the outworking of agape — a self-giving love for God and others.2 That is the one quality of our lives and leadership the devil can never counterfeit. And the source of that agape love can be found only in a life of loving union with God.”

Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader (p. 119).

How Do You Do It?

Practices: Many Practices over many years used by many people

Time In the Word:

• Scripture Daily Reading
• Sometimes Just a Random Reading [I’m in Isaiah just because I felt I needed a review in the Major Prophets].

Sometimes according to the practical need in your life

• Annual Read Through
• Daily Bible with Dates/not “Day 1” etc. I can see where I have missed and if there are patterns. [When I start doing Spring workouts. You know… to get that beach body]
• Reading Out loud
• Powerful and real. A New Dimension

Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate. First a passage of scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon. This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.

Time With Him:

• Retreat
• The “Daily Office”
• Morning Prayer
• Silence – [make fun of self] real easy to make silence about other things
• Scripture Meditation
• Sabbath Keeping

Time With Each other

• Bible Study, Sunday School, #3
• Sunday Service
• Service to Others

Choose According to

• Your Design
• Your Situation in Life
  

3. The Trellis à “Regula”

“Regula” The term rule of life has its roots in the word that means “trellis”

• “A trellis is a support structure that enables plants such as a grapevine to get off the ground, grow upward and become fruitful”

A Regula is the same

• “it’s a support structure that helps us grow up and abide in Christ”

Establish Disciplines: Putting Yourself in a place to be pruned, be nurtured, grow

• Pruning sounds tough, but when you see it as part of the Nurturing process, it can become a source of joy….Because you know the effect will be good
• Putting yourself in A place where the Holy Spirit works.
• A place where you can Meet God

Goes back, deep into Christian history. Some traditions had as many as 9 separate items or types of practice. I think you need to be a monk for that to work

Evaluation tool for: Finding balance and abiding

A Benedictine 4 items: Update Periodically to match you, and your situation in life

            Because we are integrated beings it touches on

May discover things about yourself that lead you to change your “regula”

• Prayer

Fasting, Being Still, Contemplative Prayer [based on reading], Pray with spouse

• Rest

Retreat and Shared Processing, Exercise (walk), Personal Reading, Weekly Day off, Sabbath (8 hours)

• Relationships

Day out with spouse, weekly calls to children and family, Mentoring, Vacations, mini-vacations

• Work/ Other (maybe church or service if retired)

DHF (professional conference), pro-reading, group with pastors, writing

Setting limits: what to say yes to and what to say no to

“Each category is not just a way of thinking about things I need to do, but a means of receiving and giving the love of God. The love of God itself is located at the center because, unless I am receiving and relying on God’s love all through the day, I have nothing of lasting value to give.”

Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader (p. 136). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

• I’m not there, but this is a way of making sure I am making progress

Excuses:

“I could never do this! It’s too limiting and overwhelming.”

Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader

• Add and Delete according to need
• Make it fit you
• Try Something That isn’t Entirely Comfortable: Put yourself in a place to be pruned
• What do you currently do that nurtures your spirit and fills you with delight? Consider people and places as well as activities. Write down everything you can think of. Your list may include gardening, walking the dog, being in nature, talking with close friends, cooking, painting, jumping out of airplanes, or any number of other possibilities. List them all. If you don’t currently do much that nurtures your spirit, spend some time identifying some things you’d like to try.
• What people, places, and activities do you need to avoid because they deplete you or make it difficult for you to remain anchored in Christ? This includes anything that negatively impacts your spirit — violent movies, hurrying, going beyond your limits, etc. Again, write down everything that comes to mind.
• What “have to’s” impact your rhythms in this season of life? For example, this might include caring for aging parents, raising a young child or a child with special needs, dealing with health concerns, or navigating a demanding season at work, etc.

Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader (p. 138). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

4. A Life of Discipline
   1. “That Your Joy Be Made Full”

1. Design (discovering Yours)
2. Gifting (discovering Yours
3. Purpose (discovering Yours)
4. Passion (discovering Yours)

^[1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 630.