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Weimar University

Don Mackintosh

Abiding and its Results

I'm entitled to our message today, Abiding and its Fruits.

Our scripture reading, the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life, and he that wins souls is wise.

Last week we spent time looking at the most quoted text or most downloaded text of 2021.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

So I want to talk about that today and we're going to use Matthew chapter 15 verse 1 through 6 as our text of study.

So I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 15, verse 1-6 and this is where we'll spend our day or our time today in God's Word.

Matthew 15, 1-6, I am the true vine and my father is the vinedresser.

He's just not the guy we're quoting today.

John 15, 1-6, I am the true vine, my father is a vine dresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered.

And they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned.

In our text today Jesus is talking to who?

Just before his betrayal, just before his crucifixion.

And he's talking about the necessity of 2 things.

What are the 2 things that he is saying are needful?

He who abides in me, verse 5, and the word abide in Greek is from, well is the word mino, m-e-n-o, to remain, to reside, to continue.

So to abide means to constantly be in God's Word, to be abiding in Christ.

If you abide in my word, you are my true disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

It means to know the truth and when you know the truth, the truth sets you what?

You don't have to abide or you can abide.

No, you're actually predestined to abide.

Because you were created by His Word, you still live by his word, right?

Now you can choose not to do that, or you can choose to do that.

And you can choose to be used by God to help others who are not abiding start to abide.

It's an expectation, however, that cannot be ignored, because what happens if there's no abiding?

There's no fruitfulness, verse 4, and the branch is withered, cast out, thrown into the fire and burned.

So while it is not something you have to do if you don't do it, That's not good.

So if there is abiding, there is fruit bearing, there is also of necessity pruning with the purpose that the vine will bear even more fruit, indeed much fruit.

The disciples, do they know anything about vines and vineyards?

Do they know that they were expected to bear fruit?

Now let me sing to my well beloved a song, my beloved, regarding his vineyard.

My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill, verse 2 of Isaiah 5.

He dug it up, cleared out its stones, and planted it on the Choices Vine, planted it with the Choices Vine.

He built a tower in its midst, and also made a wine press in it.

And so he expected it to bring forth good grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard.

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have not done for it?

Or in it, why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?

And now please let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard.

I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned.

I'll break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.

It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briars and thorns, and I also will command the clouds, and they rain no more on it.

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, the cry for help.

So Jesus was in this passage of John chapter 15 applying Isaiah 5 to the Israel of God that is the church.

They were predestined to be fruitful and to lead others to the kingdom.

Anyone who bears fruit has found favor, has found grace, and anyone can find favor and grace and mercy.

And the goodness of God will be their portion.

Their relationship with God will continue, indeed, even forever.

But if they do not bear fruit, they will be taken away for their degenerate and their strange vine." Jeremiah 2, 21, degenerate and a strange vine.

The disciples were to be known for their, by their positive fruits or worse, they could be known by their barrenness and wild fruits.

Look at Hosea chapter 1, 10 verse 1 rather.

Israel empties his vine, or his vine is barren.

According to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars.

According to the bounty of his land they have embellished his sacred pillars.

So Israel had been fruitful for themselves, bringing forth fruit for themselves.

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Abiding and its Results

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