| OCR Text |
Show A CHURCH POISED FOR GROWTH Rvjer' "I AM THE VINE, YE ARE THE BRANCHES; HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME, AND I- IN HIM, THE SAME BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO ~J r~-h~ ft} ,,.(tP~+,-/ "°' 'l NOTHING." (John 15: 5) /i~r~'t{1b, f ;it~ir~~:f)f,~A) tfo 01 .f>o ,-,,J a1/;f,#I f Jesus was getting ready to leave. His earthly mission was finished. He was about ready to die, to tear down this old temple and raise it up again in three days. His disciples were nervous and anxious and worried and wanting to find a good hiding place. So in Chapter 14, He assured them that He was building a house of many mansions with enough room for all of them. He guaranteed them that He was l'l'the way, the truth, 1 and the life. n He promised them that when He left His Father would send another Comforter. Once empowered, they would be poised for growth. The Psalmist David sums up this text and the theme for this sermon. "'He is like a tree~ planted by the rivers of water~ that bringth forth His fruit in his season~ his leaf also shall not wither. (Psalm 1: N 3) Jesus and my brother Clarence are much better gardeners than I am. He grafts and plants the Word of God in us. His desire is that we grow and become productive. We start with the water of Baptist, then we grow with the meal of God's supper. He prunes us of thorns and thistles and weeds by our confession 2 and His forgiveness. As long are we are not cut off but connected to Him, we are fed and nurtured so that when the season is ripe there is a crop of fruit like never before. By abiding in Him, we grow in Him and become productive. For then, we are poised for growth. Listen to the text one more time if you will: u/ am the vine~ ye are the branches; He that abideth in me~ and I in himJ the same bringeth forth much fruit: -Pu.,,1-,,~,,,ir For without me ye can do nothing. n He wanted us to know four things for sure. First, the Divine One is the planted vine. Second those who are believers are the branches of the Master's garden. Third, it is not enough to stay where you 3 ~;:f}; started. You ought to be growing, become something you could never have imagined by abiding in the way. Fourth, those abiding at the Master's beck and call will become fruit bearing and will bear much fruit. Every believer ought to bear fruit, the going amount, average performance and production, do something with the gift you have received feim God, when God provides the gift. Then, we ought to bear more fruit, that is to say, something in addition to what was expected---one piece plus another plus another. Here we are told to bear "much fruit". Can I tell you, that means an abundance, more than sufficient, plenteous. It is a cup 4 overflowing and running down upon the beard. We have enough for ourselves and for others to share. Jesus was born in a stable, just one, God's only begotten Son, poised for growth. When He started His earthly ministry He picked 12 and that made 13, poised for growth. Later on there were 120, then at one of His resurrection appearances, there were 500, poised for growth. When the Holy Spirit descended in Acts 2, Peter preached one sermon and God added 3000 souls to the Church. They searched for a kinsman/redeemer and revealed a 144000 poised for growth. Finally, they saw a great cloud witness who had come 5 out of great tribulations, dress i~ white garments, poised for growth, and there a number that no man could number. There were people of all nations, all kindred, all people, all tongues leaning on the ~verlasting arms, poised for growth. "For without God's Son, you can do nothing." Jesus said unto them, "If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9: 23) When He was praying in the Garden of Gathsemane, he said, "All things are possible unto thee." Jesus promised, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Every church ought to be 6 I poised for growth, connected and abiding in the Builder. We ought to sing, "l 1 m just a nobody trying to tell everybody about somebody who can save anybody. 11 That why Jesus came. We were lost in sin but He took us in. He died and was buried but early Sunday morning He got up with all power in His hands. 7 |
