WITHOUT ME YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING

SCRIPTURE: JOHN 15:1-8 CONCEPT: WHEN WE ARE DISCONNECTED FROM THE LORD WE ARE UNFRUITFUL. WE ARE DEAD SPIRITUALLY, UNLESS WE ARE ABIDE IN CHRIST. John 15 New International Version (NIV) The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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.

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. 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. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

INTRO. WHAT ABOUT THAT DEBATE THE OTHER DAY. I DON’T

KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M STILL WAITING FOR IT. THAT WASN’T

THE DEBATE I WAS WAITING TO SEE, THAT TOOK PLACE THE

OTHER DAY. IT WAS MITT ROMNEY STANDING THERE TALKING TO

HIMSELF AND SOMEBODY I DON’T KNOW. THAT WAS NOT MY

PRESIDENT. MY PRESIDENT TOOK A NIGHT OFF AND HE WAS

RESTING HIMSELF FOR THE REAL DEBATE. I DON’T UNDERSTAND

WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I DO KNOW THIS. WHEN MY PRESIDENT

SHOWS UP, THERE’S GOING TO BE A DEBATE.

WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE IS UNDER ATTACK.

HE IS NOT JUST FIGHTING AGAINST A POLITICAL PARTY OR A

POLITICAL CANDIDATE. SOME PEOPLE OR A PERSON. FLESH AND

BLOOD, NO, AS EPHESIANS 6:11-12 SAYS, PUT ON THE WHOLE

ARMOR OF GOD, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE

WILES OF THE DEVIL, FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND

BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS. AGAINST THE

RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. AGAINST SPIRITUAL

WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. THERE IS A GREAT DANGER IN

BEING GIFTED, TALENTED AND ACCOMPLISHED. THE DANGER IS,

IF WE AREN’T CAREFUL, WE CAN BEGIN TO THINK THAT OUR

TALENT, OUR GIFT AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE ENOUGH AND WE

CAN DEPEND ON THEM AND THEM, SOMETIMES, ALONE. I AM NOT

SAYING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THIS,

WITHOUT GOD, WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING.

OUR PRESIDENT NEEDS OUR PRAYERS. EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS

SUBJECT TO ATTACK. EVERYTHING HE DOES IS SCRUTINIZED AND

PICKED APART. NOT TOO LONG AGO, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT

HOW WE AS A NATION ARE DEPENDENT UPON EACH OTHER AND

THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP US TO BUILD OUR BUSINESSES AND

COMMUNITIES. HE SAID, THAT EVERY CITIZEN AND EVERY

BUSINESS DEPENDS UPON THE ROADS, BRIDGES AND HIGHWAYS.

THE MAIL SYSTEM AND THE INTERNET. THE TELEPHONE AND

POWER LINES AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OTHERS TO BE

ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO. WE DON’T MAKE IT ON OUR OWN. HE

SAID, YOU DIDN’T BUILD THAT BUSINESS. WE BUILT IT TOGETHER.

WHEN THE REPUBLICANS HEARD THAT, THEY TOOK IT OUT OF

CONTEXT AND SAID, YOU DIDN’T HELP US BUILD NOTHING, WE

BUILD IT OURSELVES. WE BUILT IT! ALLEGING THAT THEY DIDN’T

NEED ANYONE ELSE, THEY DID IT ON THEIR OWN. CALLED HIM THE

WELFARE PRESIDENT, THE FOOD STAMP PRESIDENT.

REPRESENTING FOLK WHO ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE

GOVERNMENT. THE 47% WHO DON’T CARE ABOUT TAKING

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN LIVES. NO THEY

SAID, EVERY BUSINESS IS ON THERE OWN AND DOES NOT NEED

THE GOVERNMENT OR OTHERS TO HELP THEM SUCCEED. THAT

EVERY PERSON DOES IT ON THERE OWN.

BUT IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, NO MAN IS AN ISLAND...NO MATTER

HOW MUCH WE MIGHT ACT LIKE WE ARE SELF MADE AND SELF

RELIANT AND CAN LIVE AND DWELL WITHOUT OTHERS, WE

DELUDE OURSELVES. WE NEED EACH OTHER. I’M NOT SAYING

THAT SOME OF US DON’T PREFER TO BE INDEPENDENT, OR THAT

MANY OF US ARE NOT CAPABLE OF HANDLING OUR OWN

BUSINESS. BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS, WE NEED EACH OTHER. I

DON’T CARE HOW MUCH YOU MIGHT THINK YOU CAN DO ON YOUR

OWN, IF SOMEBODY ELSE DIDN’T DO THEIR PART, YOU WOULDN’T

BE NOTHING. TELL SOMEBODY, YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING

WITHOUT ME.

YOU MIGHT SAY THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANYBODY ELSE, BUT

CHECK OUT YOUR LIFE AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF

OTHERS WEREN’T INVOLVED. REGARDLESS HOW YOU FEEL

ABOUT YOUR PARENTS. IF THEY DIDN’T DO THEIR PART, YOU

WOULDN’T BE HERE. IF SOMEBODY DIDN’T PUT THAT BOTTLE TO

YOUR LIPS AND SPOON TO YOUR MOUTH, YOU NEVER WOULD

HAVE MADE IT.

THOSE CLOTHES YOU WEAR, I BET YOU DIDN’T MAKE THEM. AND

IF YOU DID, I BET YOU DIDN’T MAKE THAT CLOTH. SOMEBODY

ELSE DID. YOU KNOW YOU DIDN’T MAKE THOSE SHOES.

WHATEVER MONEY YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET. SOMEBODY ELSE

GAVE IT TO YOU AND IS HOLDING THE REST FOR YOU. WE CAN’T

MAKE IT ON OUR OWN. EVEN BEING AT THIS CHURCH. YOU MIGHT

LIKE TO PRETEND THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS

CHURCH. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. WE CAN’T HAVE

CHURCH, UNLESS OTHERS PARTICIPATE. JUST COME IN HERE BY

YOURSELF AND YOU’LL SEE WHAT I MEAN. YOU CAN WORSHIP ON

YOUR OWN AND HAVE DEVOTIONS ON YOUR OWN. EVEN PRAISE

GOD, ON YOUR OWN. BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE CHURCH BY

YOURSELF.

NOW DON’T MISUNDERSTAND ME. WE DON’T NEED A WHOLE LOT

OF FOLK. AND SOMETIMES, SOME FOLK MAKE IT HARDER TO

HAVE CHURCH. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS WHEN TWO OR THREE ARE

GATHERED TOGETHER... IN ORDER FOR US TO SHOW NUFF HAVE

CHURCH, OTHERS NEED TO BE INVOLVED. THE MUSIC HAS TO BE

THERE AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO BE HERE AND THE WORD HAS

TO BE HERE. HOW SHALL WE KNOW WITHOUT A PREACHER AND

HOW SHALL WE HEAR UNLESS HE BE SENT. WE NEED EACH

OTHER. TELL SOMEBODY, YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME.

IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING, JESUS TELLS US SOMEBODY ABOUT

HIMSELF THAT PROVIDES US WITH A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING

ABOUT HIMSELF, GOD THE FATHER AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH

THEM. TO MAKE THE POINT, HE DESCRIBES OUR RELATIONSHIP IN

A METAPHOR. OR IN AN ILLUSTRATION. HE SAYS THAT HE, JESUS,

IS THE TRUE VINE AND HIS FATHER IS THE HUSBANDMAN OR IF

YOU WILL THE GARDENER. HE COULD OF ALSO SAID IT LIKE THIS,

HE IS THE TREE AND HIS FATHER OWNS THE FIELD WHERE THE

TREE IS PLANTED AND HE TENDS IT. AS THE GARDENER OR

HUSBANDMAN.

WE ARE DESCRIBED AS BRANCHES ON THAT TREE. HE MAKES

THIS ASSESSMENT, EVERY BRANCH ON THIS TREE THAT DOES

NOT BEAR FRUIT, HE CUTS IT OFF. AND EVERY BRANCH IN HIM

THAT BEARS FRUIT, HE CUTS IT BACK.

JESUS DESCRIBES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND THE FATHER

IN THIS WAY, THRU THIS METAPHOR AND THEN SAYS, “3 Now ye

are clean through the word which I have spoken unto

you. CLEAN, SANCTIFIED, MADE WHOLE BY WHAT HE JUST SAID

TO US. WHAT DID HE JUST SAY. HE JUST TOLD US THAT WE WILL

BE CUT IN THIS LIFE. HE SAYS, IF YOU DON’T BEAR FRUIT, IF YOU

DON’T HAVE A LIFE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND SHOWS

GOD’S PRESENCE, YOU WILL BE SEPARATED OR CUT OFF FROM

GOD. AND IF YOU DO, MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND REFLECT GOD’S

PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BE CUT BACK OR PRUNED.

KNOWING THAT CLEANSES US. KNOWING THAT HELPS US TO

REALIZE THAT THE CHRISTIAN WALK, IS NOT ONE OF FLOWERY

BEDS OF EASE AND VOID OF STRUGGLE AND AFFLICTIONS. NO, TO

THE CONTRARY. GOD DEALS WITH US REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE

DECIDE TO DO AS HIS CREATION. IT IS HE THAT HAS MADE US AND

NOT WE OURSELVES. HIS DESIRE IS FOR US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES.

HE TELLS US THAT IN V.8, HEREIN IS MY FATHER GLORIFIED, THAT

WE BEAR MUCH FRUIT. SO SHALL YE BE MY DISCIPLES. TO BE HIS

DISCIPLES, HE EXPECTS US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HE DIDN’T

SAVE US SIMPLY TO BE SAVED. IF WE CHOOSE TO BE ALL ABOUT

THE BRANCH AND NOT ABOUT THE TREE. IF WE CHOOSE TO ONLY

BE ABOUT OURSELVES. IF WE CHOOSE TO NOT MAKE A

DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD OR IN HIS TREE, OR IF YOU WILL IN

HIS CHURCH, THEN THE BIBLE SAYS HE CUTS US OFF. BUT LOOK

AT THIS, BUT IF WE DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND BEAR FRUIT, HE

CUTS US BACK. WHY REV? IT’S RIGHT HERE, SO THAT WE CAN

BEAR MORE FRUIT. SOMETIMES IN THIS LIFE, WE BECOME SELF

CENTERED AND FOCUSED ON ONLY OURSELVES AND OUR NEEDS

AND OUR CONCERNS AND OUR FOLK AND OUR THINGS. AND

WHEN WE DO, WE MAKE IT ABOUT THE BRANCH AND NOT THE

TREE. SOMETIMES WE CAN GET SO FOCUSED ON OTHER

BRANCHES AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND MISS THE POINT.

AND THAT IS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS A RESPONSIBILITY

TO THE GARDEN. TO GOD. HE EXPECTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF

US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO BEAR FRUIT. FRUIT THAT SHOWS

THAT HE IS GOD. FRUIT THAT SHOWS THAT HE IS OUR FATHER.

FRUIT THAT SHOWS WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE CAN DO IN US. AND

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BEAR FRUIT FOR THE GARDEN, IS THRU

JESUS. AND JESUS SAYS, WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.

THREE QUICK POINTS. DON’T BE NAIVE AND THINK THAT YOU CAN

EXIST ON YOUR OWN. YOU DECIDE TO NOT CARE ABOUT GOD’S

HOUSE OR GOD’S PEOPLE AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT ON YOUR

OWN WITHOUT HIM, THEN YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THINGS IN YOUR LIFE WILL BE EMPTY

AND UNFRUITFUL. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, LIFE WILL

NOT HAVE PURPOSE AND MEANING. YOU WILL BE EMPTY AND

UNFRUITFUL. AND IF YOU DO CAUSE THINGS TO HAPPEN, THEY’LL

NEVER COME TO A GOOD END. BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM WE CAN’T

DO ANYTHING. SOME OF US RIGHT NOW ARE LIVING

UNFULFILLING LIVES, LIVES THAT ARE WITHOUT FULFILLMENT. WE

ARE SIMPLY ALIVE, BUT NOT LIVING. THAT IS BECAUSE, WITHOUT

HIM WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING. OTHERS OF US MAY HAVE BEEN

FOOLED BY THE DEVIL. YOU ARE DISAPPOINTED AND EVEN

POSSIBLY DISCOURAGED BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING

HARD AND SEEMINGLY ALWAYS FIND YOURSELF GETTING CUT.

CUT BACK. BUT THAT’S GOD. NOT THE DEVIL. IT’S THE LORD,

SHOWING YOU THAT HE LOVES YOU AND INTENDS TO USE YOU

MORE. TO DO MORE IN AND THROUGH YOU. IT’S ONLY HIM

MAKING YOU MORE FRUITFUL. DON’T DRAW BACK. DON’T GIVE

UP. DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL. GOD ISN’T THRU WITH YOU

YET. HE’S GOT GREAT PLANS FOR YOU. LET HIM USE YOU. DON’T

LET THE DEVIL FOOL YOU AND MAKE YOU DRAW BACK. IT’S

CALLED ABIDING IN HIM OR STAYING CONNECTED TO HIM. LIKE A

BRANCH TO A TREE. HE SAYS, 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the

branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more

can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 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 nothing.

IF YOUR LIFE IS UNPRODUCTIVE AND UNFRUITFUL, GOD HAS SPOKEN

A WORD THAT HAS CLEANSES US ALREADY. IF WE ARE LIVING

MEANINGLESS LIVES, LIVES WITHOUT PURPOSE, WITHOUT FRUIT, IT

IS BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING. BECAUSE HE THAT

ABIDETH IN ME BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT. FRUITLESSNESS IS

CONDITION THAT SHOWS US THAT WE HAVE LOST OUR CONNECTION

TO GOD. LOOK WHAT HE SAYS IN V7-8, 7 If ye abide in me, and my

words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto

you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

GOD SENT ME BY HERE THIS MORNING TO SAY, IF YOUR LIFE IS

EMPTY AND YOU FIND YOURSELF AT A POINT IN YOUR LIFE

WHERE YOU NEED TO KNOW YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

WHERE YOU ARE LOSING YOUR MOTIVATION TO SERVE AND

YOUR INSPIRATION TO LIVE. IT’S YOUR SPIRIT’S WAY OF

TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED. JESUS IS THE

WAY.

LOOK AT JESUS. GOD USED HIM TO.... AND THEN HE CUT HIM

BACK. BUT EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING