Jesus In The Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ – Part 6
Pastor Paul Gottlieb
I.
Introduction
John 15:1-5 – (NIV84)
"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 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, and I will
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 a man remains in me
and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
II.
The Power of the Vine
1. Jesus is the True Vine
"I am the true vine… John 15:1
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we
can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in
fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
1 John 5:20 (NLT)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6 (NIV84)
2. Jesus is the source of life for the branches
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. John 15:6-7 (NIV84)
6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for
him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through
whom we have been given life. 1 Cor 8:6 (NLT)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they
may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)
Abundantly:
Superior in quantity and quality, advantage, beyond measure, unnecessary abundance
2 He (Jesus) existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word (Jesus) gave life to everything that
was created, John 1:2-4 (NLT)
3. Jesus enables the branch to be fruitful
4 Remain in me, and I will 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 a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5 (NIV84)
26 …"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26 (NIV84)
III.
The Provision of the Gardner
"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 so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:1-2 (NIV84)
1. The Gardener will protect and provide for the garden
2. The Gardener will purge and prune the branches
IV.
The Purpose of the Branches
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV84)
1. We will remain in Jesus
Vs. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be
full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:28 (NLT)
John 15:5-10
5 If a man remains in me and I in him
6 If anyone does not remain in me,
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
10 If you obey my commands,
19 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.
Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life,
so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord
your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if
you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Deut 30:19-20 (NLT)
2. We will produce fruit
Vs. 5 …If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control
Gal 5:22-23 (TLB)
3. We will bring glory to God
Vs. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit…
4. We will continue growing and producing
Vs. 2 …every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
…We will grow in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
Eph 4:15-16 (NLT)
V.
The Promise of the Word
John 15:10-11 – (NLT)
10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's
commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be
filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!