[1] Abide in Me
There is a 1000 year old vine in Hampton Court Palace. Because it has been skilfully pruned it gives several tons of grapes each year. Some branches are 70 metres away from the stem but they produce bunch of grapes because they are joined to the vine and the life of the vine flows through the branch. Branches cant grow by themselves, the life begins at the vine and spiritual life begins at Jesus. That’s why he gives us this picture ‘I am the vine you are the branches.’
Abide in me means to always be connected – [eg not like cut flowers] but rooted in him.
[Illustration]: Alan Sugar, he has a new Apprentice: He will be to her a counsellor, encourager, advisor, teacher.
If she stays ‘rooted’ in him she will flourish and if she looses touch she will drift away from Alan Sugar. [That’s a bit like Jesus saying to his friends and to us this morning abide in me, pray to me, sing praises to me, have quiet times, read my word, speak out for me in witness and bear fruit – these are the things which will keep us abiding/remaining in him.]
[2]: You are the Branches
Football managers try to assemble a team to beat the others. e.g. Chelsea need to beat Man Utd to win the FA Cup. If you’re too old, injured, disabled, too weak, too young, you are not wanted to be a branch in the Chelsea team. Today, Jesus is the vine and he Jesus wants you to be one of his branches in the Christian family. In other words he sees great potential in you. That potential will be fulfilled if you remain/Abide in Jesus. Just think Jesus wants you to be one of his Branches, to carry his love/good news to others (that’s called bearing fruit - just like the vine gives bunches of grapes). What a privilege to be a branch for Jesus.
We have all been subject to being rejected in various ways, in relationships, in marriage, even rejected within family at work, at school (not picked till then end). We all know what it feels like to not be picked.
The good news is this - the manager of Chelsea is not God. Our God has a name, a person, Jesus the good news: God wants you in his team. You are one of the branches. No one is to old, to disabled, to sick, to bad or the wrong gender to be a branch in the Jesus vine.
God saying to you today ‘I want to be one of my branches to bear fruit for me.’ Jesus will not reject you; I hope and pray you will not reject him.
[3] Chosen Then Jesus tells them they are friends not because they were special but because he chose them ‘you did not choose me I choose you, and appointed you to bear fruit.’ Chosen to be partners. Chosen to be not apprentices but friends & ambassadors (sent out) chosen for a purpose – to bear fruit. It’s not just that we just happened to choose to be a Christian – Christian morals & eternal life etc… NO we have been chosen by Jesus for a ministry: to bear fruit. (Abiding in Christ & chosen to bear fruit) (it’s not fruit like grapes) – it’s the fruit of witness, mission, service. The disciples in that upper room called to love one another, then union of love that joins us to Jesus can never be an exclusive huddle. Jesus wants us to be outward looking people - bearing fruit, that’s how our FRANC come to know Jesus. If you are abiding in Jesus, he will hear your prayers for your friends, he will use your stumbling efforts to reach others: {Have you ever heard of Albert McMachin? There was a tent mission in North Carolina in 1934 and he took his pick up truck full of friends to the mission every night of the mission. Except for his friend William who thought all this Jesus stuff was rubbish? But Albert kept inviting him & finally Albert said ‘William will you come if I let you drive my truck’. William came and heard about Jesus and Jesus touched his heart and William turned to his life over to Christ. And you may not have heard of Albert McMachin but you have heard of William who is Billy Graham who has spoken to over 200 million people about the truth he learned Jesus. You might not want to lend your BMW to a 17 year old but maybe you can invite a friend round for coffee, some can go for a drink, make a phone call, speak to the person on the ward with you. How can we be active in bearing fruit by abiding in Jesus.
