Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Which form of hopelessness are you more prone to: presumption (overconfidence) or despair? How does Christian hope respond to both of these?
2. What does this passage teach us about what a Christian life should look like? How would you respond to the person who would claim they believe the gospel, but don't feel they have to obey God?
3. Jesus emphasizes that apart from him we can do nothing. Practically flesh this out: where is that easy for you to believe, and where does it feel hard?
4. Consider the image of the branch and the vine. How does the mechanism of a branch growing fruit map onto our own life? How does this answer both those tempted to despair and presumption?
4. Read John 15:7--what does abiding in Jesus practically look like? Where do you want to grow in meditating on God's word and in prayer?
5. If John 15:7 is true, how should you pray? What ought you to pray for? How can we labor in pray for one another, as a church?

There are two forms of hopelessness:

• Despair
• Presumption

Despair: the depressive individual who believes that nothing will change, that all hope is pointless because what is desired will never be achieved.

Presumption: the overconfident individual who believes everything will go his way, thus hope is pointless because there is no uncertainty of the outcome.

Despair: Eyeore like characters.

Presumption: Athletes or UFC fighters talking ahead of a game with invincible confidence that they will win.

In normal life, we know that both of these are fundamentally wrong. Young ladies, which of you are attracted to the young man who asks you out on a date, but immediately says, “But if you say, no, that’s totally fine, I would probably say no anyways…” Or talks to you with a swagger like you are the lucky one to be asked, who doesn’t even wait for you to say yes, but just assumes you will because what girl wouldn’t say yes to him?

Young men, take note: despair and overconfidence are not the winning moves.

But that isn’t only true in the realm of romance, these non-identical twins of hopelessness manifest themselves everywhere. From the person who confidently starts a new business or seeks a promotion (despite what consultants are telling him, despite his lack of qualifications), to the person who has been so chewed up by professional failure that they don’t even want to try anymore. From the person who condescendingly judges other people whose marriage is going through a tough season, to the person who has resigned themselves to a joyless, loveless marriage.

Hope is tricky because it involves two things: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” (Rom 8:24)

1. A lack (we don’t have what we are hoping for)—this is the virtue of humility
2. A confidence (we believe we will)—this is the virtue of magnanimity

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. - John 15:1-17

This is a passage of extremes, and we won’t be able to cover everything, but the main point I want to emphasize is this: If we don’t abide in Christ, we can do nothing; If we do, we can do anything.

Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” but then He also says, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Outside of Jesus we can do nothing—and that should humble us.

With Jesus we can do anything—and that should excite us.

The True Vine

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. - John 15:1

• A “vine” is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe Israel—(Ps. 80:8-16; Is. 5:1-7; 27:2ff.; Je. 2:21; 12:10ff.; Ezk. 15:1-8; Eze 17:1-21; Eze 19:10-14; Ho. 10:1-2). God is described like a farmer who carefully plants a choice vine, cares for it, but repeatedly finds that the vine does not produce good fruit.
  • All of those references are negative: emphasize the absence of fruit (or rotten fruit).
• Jesus is the True Vine. Israel is called the Son of God. Jesus is the True Son of God, just like He is the True Vine.
  • Jesus is what Israel was supposed to be.
• Jesus’ healings and wonders are incredible. But nothing is more incredible than this: “Which one of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46)
  • Jesus had no sins of commission (doing what you should not do) **as well as no sins of omission (failing to do what you should have done). Jesus did not only avoid temptation, but pursued perfect love to His Father and His neighbor.
  • Just one example: Jesus never complained. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” (Phil 2:14-15).
    • He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isa 53:7)
• Jesus is what we are supposed to be.
• But He is offering us an opportunity to be in communion with Him in such a way that His life, His obedience, His fruitfulness is passed on to us. If we are wondering what the “fruit” is that Jesus speaks of in this chapter, we only need to think about what Jesus did, what His life was like. Towards the end of this teaching He says:
  • This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. - John 15:12
• So, He calls us to abide (remain) in Him, and when we do, He will likewise abide in us.
• And rather then give us a systematic, theological explanation of what that means, Jesus instead gives us an image of what it looks when we do abide in Him (we bear fruit), and what happens when we don’t.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit…If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. (John 15:2, 6)

• We must bear fruit.
  • If we do not, we will prove ourselves to be just like Old Testament Israel—who had the Law, the Temple, the Priests…and had no fruit.
  • We will be like Judas: the appearance of being a disciple, but not real.
  • We will be like the character Talkative in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, who is happy to talk about religion, the gospel, and even decry sin publicly…but who has no intention of actually doing what God’s Word says, of bearing fruit.
  • By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. - John 15:8
  •  
  • Meditate on Galatians 5:16-26. The works of the flesh: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
  • If other people were to observe your life, would the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit be more evident?
• We must bear fruit.
  • Fruit grows gradually, over time. It cannot be manufactured or instantly fabricated.
  • We walk by the Spirit—it is a daily process.

Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:4-5

• The first step in having a more fruitful, joyful, Spirit-filled Christian life is to become less confident in ourselves. Jesus tells us: “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
• We hamstring ourselves by overestimating our own strength, our own cleverness. If we could write our own version of John 15, we would have Jesus say:
  • “I am the advisor, you are the executive. If you consider my advice, you there is a good chance you’ll prosper.”
  • “I am the coach, you are the player. If you listen to my instructions and play hard, we might win.”
• We are grateful for God’s help, grateful for His guidance, grateful for His grace…but easily slip into a functional kind of atheism. Why? Because we are so smart, so capable, so strong, so rich—problems exist just to be solved. This is the hazards of any kind of station of relative wealth or comfort:
  • Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, (Deut 8:17-18).
  • When your star is rising at work, when the acceptance letter arrives, when your mortgage is paid off (when you can afford a mortgage), when your health holds out, when your retirement account balloons, when your children all smile for the picture of the vacation and you post it to Instagram and bathe in the affirmation and approval of an audience who affirm how wonderful and blessed and beautiful your life is….beware, lest you forget the Lord your God, and forget who you are.
• You have never seen a branch, broken off on the ground growing fruit. Outside of Christ, we are the withered, broken branch. Branches only can produce fruit if they are connected to the life-giving vine. The trunk, the roots, the sap and marrow—the branch has none of these on its own—and thought the fruit grows on the branch, the branch cannot be said to produce the fruit; it is only a conduit. So too, the Christian’s entire life is dependent on their daily connection with Christ.
• The starting point for us all: “apart from me you can do nothing.”
  • Think of Ephesians 2:1-10
  • You and I are described as a corpse, floating down the stream of the passions of our flesh, the world, and the devil. But God in abundant mercy, while we were dead, pulled our dead bodies out of that stream, pumped the water out of our lungs, and breathed life into us—none of this was our own doing, it was all grace, a gift, given to us which we receive with simple faith. And even the life of good works—of bearing fruit—is something that God has done for us: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” (Eph 2:10).
• You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. - John 15:16
• Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? - Gal 3:2-3
• It is all of grace!
• This should deeply, deeply, deeply humble us. Presumption has no place in God’s people. Our very life, our very breath, is dependent on God’s mercy—how could we boast about tomorrow?
• The purpose of pain: pruning to produce more fruit
• • every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. - John 15:2

With Me You Can Do Anything

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

The clearest explanation of what abiding in Christ practically looks like: For those who believe in Jesus, prayer+Word = fruit

Why “my words abide in you”? Earlier, He said “If you abide in me, and I abide in you”—why switch out His person with His words here? Because His person is revealed through His words.

God’s Word reveals God’s person. God’s Word is the corrective lenses placed over our intuitive but imprecise vision of God in our hearts. We have a sense of what God is like, a hunch, a general idea—but sin has clouded our hearts. God’s Word snaps His character into bright clarity. Left to ourselves, which of us would hear about a person being poor in spirit, hungry and thirsty, mourning, and persecuted and think “Man, that guy sounds blessed!” Or which of us would hear of one who is praised by everyone, rich, laughing, and well-fed and think, “Yikes, that person is in trouble.” None of us!

And when God’s Word abides in us, we are shaped by it. We do not read the Bible with indifference, we do not approach our church’s worship and teaching with a scrutinizing heart. We let God’s Word, rather, sift us, shape us, correct us.

And then we pray—Prayer is the way in which we the fruit arrives.

Church, the true mark of the work of God in our life

For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. - 2 Cor 1:8-11

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. - Acts 12:5

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. - Rom 15:30-32

Humility + Magnanimity = Hope