Disciples Bear Fruit

1
Disciples Bear Fruit

• Jn. 151-11

2
Israel Was Gods Vine

• For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the
  house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His
  pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but
  behold, oppression For righteousness, but behold
  weeping (Is. 57).
• Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of
  highest quality. How then have you turned before
  Me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
  (Jer. 221).

3
God Blessed Israel

• What more could have been done to My vineyard
  that I have not done in it? Why then, when I
  expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it
  bring forth wild grapes? (Is. 54).
• Instead of justice oppression instead of
  righteousness unrighteousness.
• Rejected the Owners Son, Mt. 2133-45.

4
The Present Vine Christ, Jn. 15

• He is the True Vine (v. 1) the original, not a
  substitute, or imitation.
• Compare other figures
• Head and body Eph. 122,23
• Bride and bridegroom Eph. 525-33
• Shepherd and sheep Jn. 1011,12
• (Responsibilities of union in each)

5
The Branches

• Are not denominations, nor churches of Christ
  but individual believers (vs. 5,6).
• A branch alone is weak draws its life and
  strength from the vine.
• Key word abide (ten times) keep in fellowship
  with Him to produce fruit!

6
The Fruit

• Not becoming a Christian (Jn. 1223,24 the dying
  process, Rom. 63-8) just attending and studying
  (thats feed time, nor fruit-bearing), nor just
  living a good life.
• It takes a living organism to produce fruit (a
  machine can produce results not fruit)
• Branches do not eat the fruit others do.
• The lips of the righteous feed many (Prov.
  1021)

7
How We Bear Fruit

• Holiness in life, Rom. 622
• Benevolent help, Rom. 1526-28
• Christian character, Gal. 522-25
• Worship to God, Heb. 1315
• Leading others to Christ, Rom. 113-15
• Not every branch produces a bumper crop but
  where there is life, there is fruit!

8
Branches Are Pruned

• Owners invest time in training pruners where to
  cut, how much to cut and even what angle to cut.
• If branches could talk they would say the
  process hurts! We may not enjoy it, but we need
  it.
• Heb. 125-11 2 Cor. 128-10

9
Conclusion

• As branches in the vine we have the privilege
  of fellowship with Christ and the responsibility
  of bearing fruit.
• If we do not we will be cut off and thrown into
  the fire (Jn. 156).
• 1 Jn. 224 Therefore let that abide in you
  which you heard from the beginning. If what you
  heard from the beginning abides in you, you also
  will abide in the Son and in the Father.