SESSION 6 OUR NEED FOR PURPOSE The Point Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. The Passage John 15:1-8 The Bible Meets Life I m sooo busy. We hear that a lot, don t we? Some people say it with a sigh, but they may also betray a hint of pride. Being busy is a badge of honor in our society. It can be a way to convince ourselves we are significant and important. It also can present a problem. Why? Because busyness does not equal productivity. The truth is that we never find ultimate purpose in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing a Person and allowing Him to shape our lives. Real life deep, meaningful, satisfying life comes from connecting to Jesus and allowing His life to flow through ours. On the surface, that may sound syrupy and spiritual completely out of touch with the rough-andtumble daily life of the real world. But Jesus made the concept very practical, and He did it by talking about a vineyard. The Setting The setting for this study is similar to that for the previous study Jesus final night on earth relaying necessary truths to His as-yet-unsuspecting disciples with two particular distinctions. It was now somewhat later in the evening, and the location had shifted out of the upper room (see 14:31). Perhaps Jesus and the disciples were making their way to the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane, perhaps they had already arrived, or perhaps they had stopped along the way. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 67
What does the Bible say? John 15:1-8 Remain (v. 4) This term refers to existing in a specific state or condition for an extended period of time; in this case, remaining in the presence of Jesus. Glorified (v. 8) Enhanced reputation, praise, or honor of someone or something; to achieve splendid greatness in one s person, possessions, or circumstances in the opinion of others. 1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. 68 Session 6
THE POINT Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 53 of the PSG: When have you felt like a hamster on a wheel? Notes GUIDE: Direct group members to The Bible Meets Life on page 54 of the PSG. Introduce the themes of business and productivity by reading or summarizing the text or by encouraging group members to read on their own. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point at the top of page 54 of the PSG: Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): As an object lesson, bring several clusters of grapes to the group gathering. After reading The Point, above, pass the grapes around and encourage group members to enjoy a snack taken off the vine. Note: If you re in a meeting space where eating wouldn t be appropriate, you could also bring in a cluster of tomatoes still on the vine. Simply display them as an object lesson. ENHANCEMENT: Use Pack Item 5, Produce Much Fruit, to supplement your group s engagement with John 15:1-8. PRAY: Transition into the discussion by expressing your desire to be productive, both as individuals and as a group. Ask that God would grant you a fruitful experience as you study His Word together. TIP: Grow with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog. Visit lifeway.com/ groupministry. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 69
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes John 15:1-3 1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. READ: John 15:1-3 on page 55 of the PSG. Read the text out loud or ask a volunteer to do so. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How does pruning make us more productive? DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 56 of the PSG: What does this I am statement teach us about Jesus nature and character? GUIDE: Use the first paragraph on page 71 of this Leader Guide to explain why the imagery of a vine and vine keeper would have been significant to the Jewish people of Jesus day. DO: Direct group members to complete the activity Abide in Christ on page 57 of the PSG. If time permits, encourage volunteers to share their responses. What steps will you take to remain in Christ this week? Use the following acrostic to help identify specific ways you can focus on your relationship with Him. (An example is provided to get you started.) A Read the Bible each day. I D E TRANSITION: Highlight the final two paragraphs on page 56 of the PSG: God also prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit (v. 2). Such pruning can be painful, but it s good. Change that brings us closer to Christ is always good. So ask yourself: Am I changing to be more like Jesus? Progress, not perfection, is the goal. 70 Session 6
THE POINT Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. John 15:1-3 [Verse 1] During the last supper scene in chapter 13, the group likely had partaken of the fruit of the vine. Jesus built on the supper experience by saying, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. The metaphor was instantly recognizable at two levels. One was the common, well-known rural life of the countryside. These men had at least a general understanding of vines, vineyards, and those who tended them. More importantly, though, the second level was religious. The analogy of Israel as a vineyard and God as the vineyard keeper was a common figure of Jewish prophets and poets (see Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:7; 27:6; Hos. 10:1). Jesus called Himself the true vine. This infers a vineyard and vine keepers that are not genuine. We already have met some of these people in John s Gospel. Jesus as the true vine and God as the vine keeper means Jesus is the genuine Israel of God, only in seedling form. Whatever grows from Him in its maturity will be the genuine Israel of God. [Verse 2] The following warning of branch removal is standard agricultural practice for keeping healthy vineyards. Jesus warned: Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes. Two matters need to be noted here. First, in Me means Jesus is the source of all life that flows throughout the plant. After calling Himself the vine, He spoke of His disciples as the branches. The only way a branch exists is because the vine gives the branch life. Second, He removes means branches not producing fruit show they are already on their way to decay. Such branches eventually die, because they do not have life in them. Dead branches inhibit growth of vital branches and invite disease for the whole vine. For the sake of the health of the vine, unproductive branches must be eliminated completely. Then, Jesus called upon the idea of pruning. Pruning is good for the plant; it doesn t hurt the plant. Pruning nurtures the vine, actually inducing increased production: He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. Thus, the normal actions of proper vine care also reveals how God deals with Jesus disciples. [Verse 3] You are already clean seems out of place with the analogy of the vine and vine keeper. That sense of incongruity is why the second level, the religious nature, of the metaphor must be kept in mind. Not bearing fruit was not recognizing that God was at work in Jesus, not listening to Jesus, not following His teaching. The corrupt lives of Israel s leaders, opposing Jesus and seeking His death had corrupted Israel. Spiritually, they were not clean. That is, they were not acceptable to God. The disciples were following Jesus, so they were positioned to reap the cleansing effect of Jesus death. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 71
15 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes John 15:4-7 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. READ: John 15:4-7 on page 55 of the PSG. RECAP: Highlight the first paragraph on page 58 of the PSG: Jesus used one word repeatedly in this passage: remain. In fact, He used it 10 times throughout John 15:4-10. Jesus wanted to emphasize the mutual interweaving of His life with the lives of His followers. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What impact does remaining in Christ have on a believer s prayer life? DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 58 of the PSG: What does remaining in Christ look like in our daily lives? Note: The first paragraph on page 73 of this Leader Guide offers some practical guidance regarding what it means to remain or abide in Christ. DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 58 of the PSG: How would you summarize the commands and promises in these verses? GUIDE: Direct group members to read the fifth paragraph and the numbered list on page 58 of the PSG in order to better understand how remaining in Christ influences our prayer lives. TRANSITION: As we conclude with John 15:8, we ll find a simple statement from Jesus that has powerful implications for His followers. 72 Session 6
THE POINT Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. John 15:4-7 [Verses 4 5] Jesus said, Remain in Me. Basically, this translates into maintaining our relationship with Him. Human relationships need contact and conversation to thrive; so do spiritual relationships. In spiritual life, contact is equivalent to reading God s Word. Conversation is equivalent to prayer. To remain in Jesus requires developing a lifestyle of immersion in God s Word and prayer. Following Jesus would not be easy for Jesus own disciples. Jesus was going to the cross. During those dark days, this exhortation to Remain in Me would make follow through quite difficult! The need for follow through is why Jesus added, and I in you. The relationship is secured, not because of the ability of disciples to remain, but because Jesus nurtures the relationship. To make clear the source of productivity, Jesus added: Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. Genuine believers acknowledge they cannot produce fruit by themselves. A vital relationship to Jesus is imperative for producing fruit. In verse 5, Jesus repeated His vine/branches analogy. This time, however, He added a consequent truth even more blunt and forceful: because you can do nothing without Me. As we think of the passion, we realize how true are these words. [Verses 6 7] One problem with analogies is knowing how far to extend their application. Sometimes we may go beyond the author s original intent. When Jesus spoke of one who does not remain in Me, one thrown aside like a branch and he withers, to whom did He refer? Is this statement about disciples who simply are unproductive, but still disciples? Or is it about the corrupt leaders who were never disciples in the first place? Perhaps we cannot answer these questions with absolute confidence. We can note, however, that the process described happened daily in every vine field. Any branch thrown aside naturally withers, and the vineyard workers gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. Perhaps the emphasis is simply that a nonproductive branch is useless. In no case, however, should we interpret Jesus words to be suggesting that a true follower of His would be in danger of being cut off from salvation. Remaining in Jesus is evidenced by effective prayer. Jesus said: If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. Personal intimacy increases knowledge of the other person. Similarly, one knows God s will by knowing God. Along the way to intimacy with God, one s desires ( whatever you want ) conform to the God s revealed character. Thus, to abide in Jesus is not action in prayer alone, but prayer accompanied by exposure to the Word. One will never get beyond prayer and Bible study as crucial to a believer s daily discipline. We can bear spiritual fruit only when we remain in Jesus. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 73
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes John 15:8 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. READ: John 15:8 on page 55 of the PSG. RECAP: Call attention to the second paragraph and numbered list on page 59 of the PSG in order to highlight what it means for us to bring glory to God: To glorify God means to make His name famous, give Him the accolades, and put Him on prominent display. We can glorify God in two ways. 1. You glorify God when you produce much fruit. When you lead people to faith, accomplish difficult ministry and service, or overcome ingrained personal weaknesses, people will notice. And when you humbly acknowledge your inability to generate any of these accomplishments on your own and point to God, He gets the glory. 2. You glorify God when you prove to be My disciples. No one can generate genuine life change on their own. Therefore, changes in you will point to Someone beyond you to God. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How does the fruit we produce bring glory to God? DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 59 of the PSG: How can we work together to produce fruit? Note: This is a question that should be engaged and answered by your group as a whole. We often talk about producing fruit as individual disciples of Jesus, but what practical steps can your group take to produce fruit together to the glory of God? GUIDE: If time permits, consider summarizing the three implications of John 15:1-8 found in the final three paragraphs on page 75 of this Leader Guide. GUIDE: Refer back to The Point of this session: Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. 74 Session 6
THE POINT Jesus is the Vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God. John 15:8 [Verse 8] Jesus addressed the need for intimate relationship in 15:4-7 with the expression, My Father. No Jew ever referred to God in this manner. Father, yes, but not My Father. Buried in this brief phrase is an eternity of relationship. Just imagine! Several times in John s Gospel the reader encounters a connection between Jesus special relationship with God and His special commission to accomplish on earth (see 12:23,28,31-32; 13:31-32; 17:1). Jesus then attempted to help the disciples understand that their daily lives their decisions, how they lived were connected to bringing about the fruitfulness of Israel and, therefore, God s own glory. Jesus said His Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit. Jesus goal is to glorify God. That goal is attained when His disciples produce much fruit. Producing much fruit includes growing many followers of Jesus (see 15:2b). Tellingly, Jesus answered the question of how anyone would be able to recognize a follower of Jesus. He concluded, and prove to be My disciples. A person cannot prove to be Jesus disciple without producing fruit, no matter how much they practice Bible study and prayer. God is glorified through the fruit we bear for Him. Three implications are clear in John 15:1-8. First, the vine analogy is a call to growth. One cannot read these verses and derive any impression that a genuine relationship with Jesus is stagnant or stationary. If a plant does not grow, we immediately deduce something is wrong. Why do we not immediately deduce the same about our relationship to Jesus? If we do not grow spiritually and naturally produce other disciples beyond ourselves, something is wrong with our remaining in Jesus. Second, the vine analogy is a call to Christian community. One cannot read these verses and conclude that discipleship is a private matter between God and me. Following Jesus creates community, or Jesus is not being followed. Simply put, any branch not joined in to the vine dies. Church is not an option. When a branch (you) is connected to the vine, it is in reality connected to the other branches as well. Believers would do well to understand the importance of shared faith creating a shared life. Following Jesus is not a private spiritual journey divorced from all other social connections. Third, the vine analogy is an invitation to salvation. The cataclysmic event of the cross would have destroyed the community of Jesus followers were Jesus not the true vine. But Jesus is the true vine, the real life. He rose from the dead. The resurrection is the one reality confronting the conscience of every human being asking the provocative question, Why would you look anywhere else for life than to the only One who rose from the grave? And why would you look anywhere else for the empowerment to live a productive life for God other than to the One who is the vine and conduit of that power? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 75
5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes GUIDE: Direct group members to page 60 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the following options for actively remaining in Jesus, the Vine, this week: > > Double down. Each day this week, spend twice as much time praying and reading God s Word as you usually do. Take an active step to remain in Christ. > > Say thanks. Consider one way God has changed you or used you in recent months. Write a thank you letter to God giving Him the glory the fruit in your life. Consider sharing your letter with those close to you. > > Plan ahead. Review your monthly calendar and eliminate any activities that won t bring glory to God. Modify or replace other activities so they can be done in Christ s power and bring glory to Him. Wrap It Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the Conclusion from page 60 of the PSG: Even on your busiest day, remember that Jesus alone is your Source for purpose in this life. Choose to remain in Him and allow His power to produce fruit for His glory. PRAY: Conclude by thanking God for the privilege of studying His Word throughout this resource. Pray that He would grant you the discipline necessary to remain in Christ this week and that He would reward your efforts with a greater sense of His presence. 76 Session 6