SESSION 6 OUR NEED FOR PURPOSE The Point Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God. The Bible Meets Life Ultimate purpose is never found in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing Christ and allowing Him to shape our lives. Meaningful, satisfying life comes from connecting to Jesus and allowing His life to flow through our own. Jesus explained this practically by talking about a vineyard. The Passage John 15:1-8 64 SESSION 6
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? John 15:1-8 1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 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. 2 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. 4 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. 5 The Setting 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. The setting for this study is If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. relaying necessary truths to His 6 7 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. similar to that for the previous study Jesus final night on earth 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 (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 65
ENGAGE (15 MINUTES) GET INTO THE STUDY ENGAGE: Begin the session with one or more of the Engage Options on the next page. (This is optional. If you d rather skip the Engage Options, just begin with the first discussion question.) rk Homewo ash tr t Tak e ou actice r p Soccer roup You th g tes t or St udy f ITEM 6 Leader Pack: Consider showing students the John 15:1-8 poster at this time. DISCUSS: Ask students, When was a time that you realized you were too busy? How did you realize it? SAY: We never find ultimate purpose in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing Jesus 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. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point. Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God. Explain that this is the key to keep in mind throughout the session. READ: Read and summarize the The Bible Meets Life for your group (p.56). I m just too busy. We hear that a lot, don t we? Some people say it with sighs, but they also have hints of pride in their voices. Being busy is like a badge of honor in our world. It can be a way to convince ourselves we are significant and important. We pack our schedules with AP courses, extracurricular activities, and events with our friends. Life is often overwhelming and busy, and this can present a problem. Busyness does not equal productivity. We cram our calendars full of activities and projects, but do we ever slow down long enough to ask ourselves what we re really accomplishing? Too often we race through our busy lives, never living with purpose. We try to prepare for the next step, while rarely impacting the step we are currently on. Ultimate purpose is never found in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing Christ and allowing Him to shape our lives. Meaningful, satisfying life comes from connecting to Jesus and allowing His life to flow through our own. Jesus explained this practically, and He did it by talking about a vineyard. PRAY: Transition into the session by praying that students would understand that Christ empowers us to live productive lives for God. 66 SESSION 6
Engage Options YY Lead with Action Create an obstacle course in your meeting space. Use as many objects as you can to make it a challenge (tables and chairs are the best for this challenge). Ask a few volunteers to attempt the course. Inform them that one will be blindfolded, while the other will lead. Let volunteers know that this is a timed challenge. Once the team has successfully completed the course, say, It is tough when you face obstacles in life. But, it s much easier to navigate the obstacles when someone is leading us. Christ is there for us as we face the trials of this world. His voice has purpose and we can trust His leading. YY Lead with Atmosphere Before this session begins, grab a clear water pitcher and a few clear glasses (plastic or glass). Explain to students that the water pitcher represents God and one of the glasses represents a person (if you want, you can pick a name of a student in your class). Say, Unless the person is united with God and being filled by him (pour some water from the pitcher into the glass), he/she will have nothing to give to the other glasses. FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS: Create teams within your group for a competition. Give each team a similar task (e.g. putting together an easy puzzle). However, leave a crucial piece or two out. Say, One of the worst feelings in life is to not have the tools to complete a task. Thankfully, Jesus not only calls us to do great things, but He has empowered us to complete His calling. YY Lead with Media Search the Internet for the life and journey of Martin Luther s Prayer life. Print out a copy for each student. After sharing his prayer say, When we get busy, it s tempting to skip our time with God and spend time with other things or people. Instead, we should take our example from Martin Luther who used to spend one hour a day with God in prayer. But, on busy days when he had a long list of things to do, he spent three hours a day with God in prayer. He knew nothing else could bring him the strength he needed to get through the day. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 67
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God. I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. JOHN 15:1-3 JOHN 15:1-3 READ: Guide a volunteer to read John 15:1-3. DISCUSS: Ask students, What does pruning look like in our lives and how does it make us more productive? READ: Ask a few volunteers to read the following (p.58): Just hours before Jesus arrest and crucifixion, He taught that He is the source of life and purpose for all believers. He did this by telling a story with a very important meaning. YY The Vine (Jesus): source of life and growth for every branch YY The Branches (Believers): live and grow because they re connected to the Vine YY The Vineyard Keeper (God the Father): prunes and cares for every branch in the Vine YY Fruit: clear evidence of a living and growing connection to Christ What does spiritual fruit look like? Some people equate fruit with the number of people you lead to faith in Jesus. Some people identify fruit with acts of service you do in the name of Jesus. Some people insist fruit is about developing the character of Christ. DO: Read and summarize the following: Bearing fruit includes all three of those things: leading people to Jesus (John 4:36); serving them in Jesus name (Matt. 7:16-20); and developing the character of Christ (Gal. 5:22-23). As people see that our faith is genuine, consistent, and influential, spiritual fruit becomes visible. God also prunes branches. Pruning applies to those with true evidence of their faith. God continually works to produce spiritual fruit in believers lives and develop Christ s character in them. Pruning can be painful at times, but it always shapes us to be more like Christ. Change that brings us closer to Christ is always for our good. We must always ask ourselves, Am I becoming more like Christ? 68 SESSION 6
Commentary 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 (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. TIP: Help students evaluate the branches in their lives that are dead and inhibit growth. [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 69
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God. 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. 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. 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. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. JOHN 15:4-7 JOHN 15:4-7 DISCUSS: Ask students, What does remaining in Christ mean in your daily life? READ: Lead a student to read John 15:4-7. SAY: Jesus uses the word remain in different forms 10 times in John 15:4-10. This word is important because we are dependent on Him to find life and purpose. Remain means to live or dwell within something. It carries the idea of personal, intimate residence, like a home. Jesus emphasized that His followers must remain in Him, and He in them. This relationship between Jesus and His followers can be difficult to express, but it is impossible to overstate! Jesus wants His followers to live in Him as closely as He lives in them. Jesus said that when a branch does not remain in Him, it withers and will be tossed into the fire. When we do not abide in Christ, we are not living the life or purpose He created for us. If we want to live the life God designed us for, we must remain in Him. READ: Guide students to read the following (p.59): As believers, we have incredible privileges, including unlimited access to God in prayer. Remaining in Jesus and His Word will transform our minds, hearts, and lives along with our desires. Believers who remain in Jesus begin to pray about the things that are on God s heart, because their hearts have been changed. Humble yourself. Reflect on God s Word. Consider what Jesus would pray in your situation. Pray with boldness. You ll always receive God s best answer for your good and His glory. DO: Guide students to answer the following question, How can you apply these steps in your own life? 70 SESSION 6
Commentary JOHN 15:4-7 [Verses 4 5] Jesus said to remain in Him. 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 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. Genuine believers acknowledge they cannot produce fruit by themselves. A vital relationship to Jesus is imperative for producing fruit. In verse five, 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 Him, 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 throw them out. 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. TIP: If any students have been absent, take time to bring them up to speed on the group s activities. Ensure they understand the context of the lessons the class has been going through. Remaining in Jesus is evidenced by effective prayer. 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 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 71
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God. JOHN 15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. JOHN 15:8 DISCUSS: Ask students, How does remaining in Christ impact a believer s prayer life? READ: Enlist a student to read John 15:8. SAY: Bringing glory to God is the goal for every believer. To make His name famous, we must put Him on display in our lives. We can glorify God in two ways: 1. We glorify God when we produce much fruit. When we lead people to Christ, serve Christ in each area of our lives, and experience heart change, people will notice. God gets the glory when we humbly acknowledge our inability to generate any of these things on our own. 2. We glorify God when we prove to be His disciples. No one can generate genuine life change on their own, and when others see that change in you, it points to God. DO: Direct students to complete the Action Point. READ: Direct a student to read the following aloud (p.60): Busyness does not equal fruit. This is not to say that all activity is bad. The issue is not filling your schedule, but the reason behind your schedule. YY A bad reason. It s a mistake to fill our lives with religious activities because we think by doing so, we earn favor with God. YY A good reason. Be secure in your relationship with God and serve Him simply out of gratefulness. Paul wrote, that no matter what we do or where we go, we are called to live for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). Purpose is found when you step off the treadmill of duty-bound religious busyness and get on the slow-but-sure track to bearing fruit for Christ. Commit yourself to Jesus, and ask for the grace and strength to glorify Him as you tackle your everyday life. SAY: A life in Christ is a life with purpose. DO: Direct students to complete the question, When have you seen fruit in someone s life bring glory to God? 72 SESSION 6
Commentary 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. 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. 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 goal is to glorify God. That goal is attained when His disciples produce much fruit. Producing much fruit includes growing many followers of Jesus (15:2b). Tellingly, Jesus answered the question of how anyone would be able to recognize a follower of Jesus. 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. TIP: When teaching through a difficult passage of Scripture, take time to help students, but don t spend more time than necessary on one area of the session. 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. Discipleship is not a private matter between God and me. Following Jesus creates community, or Jesus is not being followed. Simply put, any branch not joined with 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 73
IMPACT (10 MINUTES) APPLY IT TIP: If possible, provide snacks for students. Whether you do it every once in a while or every week, this will make the group more inviting. SAY: Jesus is your source for purpose in life. Remain in Him and consider the following ways to bring glory to God: YY Reflect: Think of a prayer you often pray that is motivated by a self- centered desire. Change your prayer to reflect how Jesus would pray in that situation. YY Remember: How has God changed you or used you in a way beyond your capability? Write your answer down in a journal to remind yourself of God s goodness so you will attempt great things for Him in the future. YY Think: Look at your weekly schedule. Make sure you do every activity in Christ s power and to glorify Him. GUIDE: Lead students to consider how they need to respond to what they have learned in this study. SAY: Which response do you need to focus on this week? WRAP UP PRAY: Pray that God would help students see the difference between busyness and productivity. Pray that He will give them the wisdom and maturity to choose a productive life for the gospel rather than a busy life for themselves. ASK: Ask each student how they plan on living for Christ this week. GUIDE: Encourage students to use the Daily Bible Reading plan this week. Help develop an accountability plan for each student. For free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 74 SESSION 6
To find the One Conversation for all ages, visit www.biblestudiesforlife.com. LEADER LIVE IT OUT Before the session, challenge yourself to grow with your students through this Live It Out. Who vs What Colossians 3:17-25 Notes: When electronics, clothes, cars, or computer programs fail us, we become frustrated at the product and the company who made it. On the other hand, we applaud companies that produce really great and effective products. When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he wanted every believer to realize that their lives reflected what they believed about Christ. No person or job is too small to reflect God s glory. Every life and life stage is incredibly valuable to God. Paul instructed the people to work for Christ and not for men. Christ doesn t call us to be perfect; He calls us to give Him our best and let Him use us. Whether it is in school, at a job, with our chores, or in our sports, everything we do is a chance to reflect Christ. Remember, it s not about what we do, it s about who we serve! Below, write your three biggest responsibilities. How can you give your best to God in each area? YY My Responsibilities: YY My Reflection: ONE CONVERSATION Scripture: John 15:1-8 Topic: Our Need for Purpose Use these discussion starters to help foster a spiritual conversation with your family. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Ultimate purpose is never found in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing Christ and allowing Him to shape our lives. Meaningful, satisfying life comes from connecting to Jesus and allowing His life to flow through our own. Jesus explained this practically by talking about a vineyard. STUDENTS THE POINT: Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God: When was a time that you realized you were too busy? How did you realize it? What steps will you take this week to remain in Jesus? Discuss the following quote: The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship. 1 Martin Luther LIVE IT OUT If you choose to do Who vs What: Read Colossians 3:17 and talk about how you can reflect Christ. Pray that God would be clearly seen as the motivation and strength for each task you undertake this week. If you choose to do Daily Reading: Take time to discuss your daily Scripture readings from this week. 1. Martin Luther > Quotes > Quotable Quote, Goodreads [online], [accessed 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.goodreads.com/quotes/ BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 75