We see what our responsibility is to Lord Jesus.  This chapter is commonly known as the Vine and Branches chapter,  All Jesus Word, personal

Relationship with Jesus          vs:1-11

Relationship with each other   vs:12-17

Relationship with world           vs:18-27

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

“Vine”: The national symbol of Israel; golden vine on Temple Gate

True:  distinguishing what is real and false, implying there is a false vine

A vine that is cared for and carefully pruned by the gardener will consistently bear fruit. Protecting care, watchfulness, and faithfulness over His family.  We all have worked in gardening.

John 15:2 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.

Fruit bearing is what we are to do, which is work.  Not a salvation issue, but one of rewards given.  Salvation is a different matter. You pick what to do.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,  (13)  each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  (14)  If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  (15)  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Pruning or cleaning is done is by the Word of God, the Scriptures. It condemns sin; it inspires holiness; it promotes growth.

The relationship between the branch and the vine.

John 15:4 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.Remain in me is talking about the will, about the choices, the decisions we make. We must decide to do things which expose ourselves to him and keep ourselves in contact with him.  We have to be with other Saints.

The secret of building fruit is found in remaining in the True Vine, Jesus;

John 15:5 “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.

It is not a question of our sufficiency: It’s Jesus.  We cannot do nothing without Jesus.

• Fruit bearing is inevitable with remaining or abiding with Jesus.
• The quality and quantity of the fruit may differ, but the presence of fruit will be inevitable.
• Virtually every piece of fruit has seeds within it, seeds that are meant to reproduce more fruit.

The price of not remaining and the promise to those who do remain.

John 15:6 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.

• Unless a person stay with Jesus, their reward will not be cast out as a branch, into fire and burned.
• The work of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, would be to keep them connected to Jesus.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

What a promise and command, ask whatever you wish, in faith.

John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Bearing fruit brings glory to the father.  A life to bear fruit. Before we go on, what do we mean by bearing fruit

Psalms 1:3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither. He will prosper in everything he does.   {season, time of life, age, what we are doing}

Character: Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  (23)  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit that the light produces consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Conduct: Fruit of holiness

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves {servants} of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Contentment:  Fruit of righteousness

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Concrete Service for God: Fruit of our hands

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

1 Corinthians 3:14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

Conversation: Fruit of the lips

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Converts:  Fruit of the righteous

Romans 1:13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. 

Discipleship:  Love of Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; (15)  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Can we, Spirit born Saints,  become Semi-retirement in the service of God,  no, not really, we are to endure until the end.

We cease glorifying the Father; stop bearing fruit.  To the end of life.

We fall short of the ultimate discipleship level, “bring forth…old age”

Psalms 92:14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,

Between love and obedience.

John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

There is no single way to describe the nature and character of Jesus. He is filled with power, wisdom, truth, holiness, devotion, submission, sacrifice, and dozens of other qualities. Of all these to emphasize, Jesus said remain in My love.

John 15:10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

Obedience is always a love response

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The joy of Jesus is not the pleasure of a life of ease; it is being right with God, and consciously walking in His love and care. We can have that joy.

Relating to each other of His love that they are to imitate.

John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Love is to characterize all our relationships.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

The Cross was the ultimate display of sacrificial love.  We are to serve others in love.  Lifetime of service.  Caretaker.  Etc,

1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  {includes family members to love}

John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 

John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Jesus love for the disciples as a love that treats servants as friends. In the relationship between a disciple and his rabbi of that time, it wasn’t expected to be a friendship. Yet Jesus the rabbi called His disciples, His servants friends.  

They were friends because Jesus didn’t keep secrets from them or us, but openly revealed what He had received from God the Father.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  (3)  While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  (4)  But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

Notice: Jesus will come back un-announce to those who are in darkness, this is why we cover about our future – and look at Jesus Words.

Chosen to bear fruit and to love one another.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

You understand, in the world, disciples attached themselves to a particular Rabbi. Students seek out the teacher of their choice and attach themselves to them. On the contrary it was Jesus who chose them.”

Jesus chooses you and me, we did not choose Him.  Many are called, few are chosen  {Matthew 22:14} 

No different in life we seek out those we want be with, work with, etc.

John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.

This is a command, Not simply a Suggestion.  Friendship with Jesus can’t be separated from active obedience to His commands.

The world will reject Jesus followers because of who we are.

This section:  the Hatred of the Saints by the World

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

We are to anticipate opposition from the world; we see it now, in the news. Hours before Jesus arrest and crucifixion, a solemn warning.  “The world will hate you.”  FBI are now arresting Christians, for against abortion and other reasons. 

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Remember, when Jesus asked Saul, the Lord Jesus was continued to be persecuted on earth through His followers, you and me.

Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.   {chosen you – we were chosen}

2 Timothy 3:12-13 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,  (13)  while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

This is the results of working on fruit.

John 8:23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 15:20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

The world will reject disciples because of who Jesus is.

John 15:21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

Pure Ignorance and rebellion.

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

John 15:23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.    {strong words}

John 15:24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

John 15:25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

Psalms 35:19 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

The witness of the Holy Spirit and the disciples.

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

Jesus already told them about the Holy Spirit

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 15:27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

As a side, Pick new Apostle from this group. 

Acts 1:21-22 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,  (22)  beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”  {vs. 20 let someone else take over his office}

Does this mean, they were with Jesus for 3 years or more.