[Karl preached this sermon on John 15:1-11 March 22, 2020]<\/p>\n
At Desiring God Community Church, one of our stated core values is being \u201cJoy-Pursuing\u201d.\u00a0 Specifically, we pursue joy in God.\u00a0 Our Mission Statement reads: \u201cWe exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples\u201d.\u00a0 So, the pursuit of joy is a big part of who we are as God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n
But we are broken people who live in a broken world.\u00a0 As a result, life is often filled with disappointment and a sense of emptiness.\u00a0 And very often, what we feel is a strong desire to just feel better.\u00a0 And this impulse can drive us to worldly things that appear to offer satisfaction.\u00a0 OK, maybe not really satisfaction.\u00a0 Maybe just a way to escape for a while and get away from that sense of disappointment and emptiness.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve seen a bad dynamic that can happen in my life:<\/p>\n
Does this sound familiar to you?\u00a0 It\u2019s like Adam and Eve in the garden.\u00a0 They sin, feel guilt, and hide from God.<\/p>\n
I have found that if the Accuser\u2019s lies underlying this dynamic are not defeated, it is impossible for me to pursue joy in God.\u00a0 If I am not convinced \u2013 not just intellectually, but at an emotional level \u2013 that God feels joy and delight when he looks at me, I will run away from him, rather than towards him.\u00a0 Pursuing joy in God is impossible, unless I first know that he finds joy in me.<\/p>\n
Wouldn\u2019t it be great if we could say, like Jesus said in John chapter 8, that we always<\/u> do what is pleasing to God, and therefore know that God is always with us?<\/p>\n
Wouldn\u2019t it be great if we could always<\/u> hear God saying to us, as he said to Jesus: \u201cyou are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased<\/u>\u201d?<\/p>\n
But how can this be possible, when we sin so much?\u00a0 We certainly cannot claim, as Jesus did, that we always do what is pleasing to God.<\/p>\n
The answer of course is the good news of the gospel.\u00a0 Jesus became as one of us, a human being, and lived the perfect life that we should live.\u00a0 And he died in our place on the cross, paying the debt we could not pay, receiving in himself the judgement we deserve.\u00a0 Jesus took our sin and punishment and gave us his righteousness.<\/p>\n
Therefore, we can<\/u> say that we are always<\/u> pleasing to God.\u00a0 God\u2019s joy in us is never<\/u> interrupted or diminished by our frequent falling into sin.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that our sin does not grieve God \u2013 it does.\u00a0 But that is a very different thing than saying it affects God\u2019s joy in us.\u00a0 God can delight in us and be grieved by our sin at the same time.\u00a0 We must make this distinction and hold onto both truths.\u00a0 Otherwise, we will fall into one of two errors:<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2019s words to his disciples in John 15 addresses this issue, and it helps us to see the importance of why our fight against sin is supremely important, and how we can fight sin, and how we can have joy.\u00a0 The setting is the evening of the Last Supper.\u00a0 Later that night Jesus would be arrested and next day crucified.\u00a0 This is Jesus\u2019 last opportunity to spend extended time with the 12 disciples.\u00a0 Looking at this passage, we see:<\/p>\n
Four truths<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n First, He removes.<\/p>\n What does he remove?\u00a0 The unfruitful branches. The unfruitful branches are unfruitful because they do not believe and therefore do not abide.\u00a0 In verse 4, Jesus describes such a branch as being \u201cby itself\u201d.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 During winter, you can\u2019t tell which branches are alive and which are dead.\u00a0 But when Spring comes and it\u2019s time for the leaves to come out, then you can see.\u00a0 There are branches that produce no leaves, no flowers, no fruit.\u00a0 They are connected to the tree physically<\/u>, and are supported by the tree, but they no longer have any connection to the life of the tree.\u00a0 This is a picture of those who were created by God, and continue to exist only by God\u2019s gracious provision, and yet do not acknowledge their dependence on him.\u00a0 In rejecting their Creator, they reject the very purpose of their existence \u2013 which is to enjoy and magnify the glory of God.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a branch of an apple tree that stubbornly insists that it does not want to bear apples!\u00a0 Such a branch no longer has any purpose.<\/p>\n What is the destiny of these unfruitful branches?\u00a0 They are like the branches that fall to the ground in a strong wind because they are dead and have no strength.\u00a0 Psalm 1 says that \u201cthe wicked will not stand in the judgment\u201d.\u00a0 In verse 6 of this text, Jesus says the dead branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. \u00a0In the Bible, fire is always a picture of judgement.<\/p>\n Secondly, our Father in Heaven prunes.<\/p>\n What does he prune?\u00a0 The fruitful branches.\u00a0 Now, if you are someone not familiar with agricultural life, and most of us are not, this seems a bit unexpected.\u00a0 If a branch is bearing fruit, why would you mess with it?\u00a0 Leave it alone.\u00a0 Don\u2019t fix what isn\u2019t broken.<\/p>\n And pruning sounds painful, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 It involves cutting and removing.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t sound pleasant. In Hebrews chapter 12 the author says, \u201cFor the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.\u201d<\/p>\n Verse 2 explains the purpose of the pruning:\u00a0 the pruning produces \u201cmore\u201d fruit.\u00a0 What does this tell us about fruitfulness?\u00a0 It tells us that fruitfulness is a progressive process.\u00a0 The farmer sees a branch with some fruit on it, maybe just a little bit, and he thinks \u201cAha!\u00a0 This branch is alive and well.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth keeping.\u00a0 Therefore, I will prune it so that it reaches its full potential.\u201d\u00a0 This should be encouraging to us.<\/p>\n On his 20th<\/sup> anniversary sermon, John Piper said that upon looking back and reflecting on the spiritual growth he saw in himself and in the congregation, he was not impressed.\u00a0 Our faith is not impressive.\u00a0 But he also once asked: \u201cIf you are not running the race of faith, are you walking?\u00a0 If not walking, are you crawling?\u00a0 If not, are you at least facing the right direction?\u201d<\/p>\n John Freeman of Harvest USA once visited our church.\u00a0 And I remember he compared Christians to a glass of beer, in which there is just a little bit of beer in the bottom of the glass and rest is just foam.\u00a0 But at least there is some beer in the glass.<\/p>\n If it seems like there isn\u2019t much fruit in your life, don\u2019t fret about that \u2013 the Father is working in you.\u00a0 Instead, be thankful. Praise God that there is any fruit in you at all.\u00a0 In this passage Jesus said that apart from him there would be no fruit.\u00a0 So, the presence of even just a little shows that you are indeed in the vine, and the life of Christ is in you.<\/p>\n One command<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n There is only one command in this passage, and that command is not \u201cbear fruit\u201d.\u00a0 The command is \u201cabide\u201d.\u00a0 Specifically, abide in Christ.\u00a0 Jesus uses the word abide 10 times in 11 verses.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to be a Biblical scholar to see Jesus\u2019s main point here.\u00a0 There is only one command, but it is apparently really<\/u><\/em> important.\u00a0 Jesus wants us to abide in him.\u00a0 Therefore, that should be our focus, not fruitfulness.\u00a0 We should be looking at Jesus, not looking at ourselves.<\/p>\n But what does it mean to abide?\u00a0 Consider verse 10:<\/p>\n If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father\u2019s commandments and abide in His love.<\/em><\/p>\n For a long time, this statement by Jesus troubled me.\u00a0 On the surface this verse seems to imply that we earn Christ\u2019s love by obeying his commands.\u00a0 But our obedience is not<\/u> constant.\u00a0 Is Jesus\u2019 love for us therefore not constant?\u00a0 Is our<\/u> righteousness the foundation of our relationship with Christ?\u00a0 But this is clearly contrary to the gospel.\u00a0 In fact, this is no gospel at all.<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 love for us is<\/u> constant.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Precisely because it is not<\/u> contingent on our obedience.\u00a0 In verse 16 Jesus reminds his disciples that Jesus chose them, not the other way around.\u00a0 In Ephesians 2:1-6, the Apostle Paul writes that we were chosen when we were still sinners in rebellion against God.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019<\/u> righteousness, not ours, is the foundation of the love that He and the Father have for us.<\/p>\n Consider also Colossians 3:1-4 that speaks about us being united with Christ.\u00a0 According to that passage, two things happened to us:<\/p>\n In God\u2019s eyes, we have the righteousness of Christ, and therefore he can continually<\/u> delight in us as he delights in Christ, even though our obedience is not continual, as Jesus\u2019 obedience is.<\/p>\n With that understanding then, let\u2019s look more closely at verse 10.\u00a0 Jesus is clearly expressing some kind of contingency that is dependent on our obedience. That\u2019s clear from the word \u201cif\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cIf you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love\u201d.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 What is Jesus telling us?<\/p>\n In thinking about the word \u201cabide\u201d, the word \u201cabode\u201d, or residence\u201d comes to mind, and what it means for Christ and the Father to be our abode.\u00a0 Psalm 61 David said, \u201cfor you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy\u201d. This is a very helpful word picture.\u00a0 Think of disobedience as leaving<\/u> the strong tower of God\u2019s love.\u00a0 In vs 10 I think Jesus is saying: \u201cwhen you continue in obedience, you are in effect staying within the strong tower of my love, where you will experience the full joy of that love.\u00a0 When you fail to keep my commandments, you are in effect leaving the tower (no longer abiding in it) and therefore you forfeit the enjoyment of that love.\u201d\u00a0 Christ\u2019s love for us is constant, but our enjoyment of that love is not constant because we do not constantly abide in it. You can\u2019t enjoy a relationship which you walk away from!<\/p>\n Do you see what Jesus is saying?\u00a0 He is urging us to remain in his love because that\u2019s where life and joy are found.<\/p>\n So, what does it mean to abide in his love?\u00a0 It means making a conscious decision about where you are going to seek life and joy.\u00a0 Obeying Jesus\u2019 commands is the outer result of an inner decision.\u00a0 It is the outworking of a heart-felt conviction that I\u2019m not going to find joy in this thing, or that thing, over there, or over there – but here, and only here, in Christ.<\/p>\n But this is not a one-time decision, is it?\u00a0 It\u2019s a decision we need to make continually, step by step, day after day, hour by hour.\u00a0 How can we cultivate this together?<\/p>\n In 1 John 4:19, the Apostle John says \u201cWe love because He first loved us\u201d.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>God\u2019 love for us comes first and our love for him is a response to that love.\u00a0 By intentionally and prayerfully reflecting on the magnitude of God\u2019s mercy and love for us, we cultivate a response of love for God.\u00a0 In Colossians 3, Paul writes at length about putting to death earthly desires and instead living holy lives.\u00a0 But he doesn\u2019t start with that, does he?\u00a0 First, he tells us to set our minds on things that are above.\u00a0 Our joy in God is the power to overcome the competing allure of the things of the world.<\/p>\n So, ask yourselves: what do you desire?\u00a0 And I mean, really think about it<\/u>.\u00a0 The question is not what the objects of your desire are<\/u>, but why<\/u> you want them.\u00a0 You have to look deep down to find the desire beneath the desire.\u00a0 What are you really looking for?<\/p>\n Do you want to be accepted and loved by someone who knows everything about you?<\/p>\n Behold Jesus, who knew everything about you before you were born, and chose you for himself before the foundation of the world.<\/p>\n Do you want affirmation that you matter?\u00a0 That you have value?<\/p>\n Behold Jesus, who died on the cross and endured the punishment of Hell.\u00a0 Why? \u00a0So that he could have you<\/u> to be with him for eternity.<\/p>\n Do you crave security in a world where nothing seems certain?<\/p>\n Behold, he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?<\/p>\n Behold, your life is hidden with Christ in God.\u00a0 Jesus said he has given us eternal life, that we will never perish, and that no one can snatch us out of his hand.<\/p>\n Do you want rest and peace?<\/p>\n Behold Jesus, who frees us from all that would enslave us, and calls us to himself that we might have rest for our souls.<\/p>\n Do you hunger to see justice and righteousness in the world?<\/p>\n Behold, Jesus the King is coming, and he is going remove all causes of evil from the world.\u00a0 He is going to destroy Satan with a word from his mouth, and he will rule in righteousness forever<\/u>.<\/p>\n Do you hunger to finally be finished with your struggle against sin, and to be perfect in holiness, just like Jesus?<\/p>\n Behold, Jesus is coming, and the scriptures say that when he does we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is, and he is going to present us faultless and without blemish before the Father.<\/p>\n Do you long to be thrilled and amazed?\u00a0 To see great wonder and beauty that brings tears to your eyes and makes you shout?<\/p>\n Behold, Jesus is coming and when he does he will come in clouds with great power and glory, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.<\/p>\n We need to set our minds<\/u> on these things.\u00a0 We need to see the big picture.\u00a0 In this way, we will increasingly treasure what is invisible and eternal, rather than what is visible and passing away.\u00a0 This is how we abide in Christ.<\/p>\n Five results of abiding<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Who needs this proof?\u00a0 Not God \u2013 he knows those whom he chose (vs 16).\u00a0 So why is proof is needed?<\/p>\n By his rebellion, Satan declares that God\u2019s glory is worthless, and he is constantly trying to use us to support his case.\u00a0 Remember how he trued to use Job this way? \u00a0Satan claimed that Job feared God only because he gets worldly benefits.\u00a0 Satan claimed that Job did not worship God for who God is.<\/p>\n We tend to think that our daily choices are a small thing. It\u2019s just about us.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t.\u00a0 Our choices have cosmic implications.\u00a0 When we choose the world instead of the one who created it, we take Satan\u2019s side of the argument, showing that we consider God\u2019s glory worthless, and we join in the rebellion.\u00a0 But when we reject the promises of the world and instead choose to find joy by abiding in Christ, we uphold the superior worth of God\u2019s glory and our fruit bears witness that we have made that choice<\/u> \u2013 and that magnifies God\u2019s glory.\u00a0 Nothing we do gives God greater glory than the day-to-day decisions we make to choose to abide with Christ rather than running off to find joy elsewhere.<\/p>\n How can we apply this?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n First of all, based on this passage, what should you do when you sin?\u00a0 The Father\u2019s delight in you does not change<\/u><\/em>.\u00a0 What changed was that you walked away from his love.\u00a0 So, go back \u2013 immediately.\u00a0 There\u2019s no reason to wait. No reason to hide.\u00a0 Go back to Jesus\u2019 love.\u00a0 Go back to joy.<\/p>\n Secondly, think deeply and prayerfully with the help of the Holy Spirit on the following questions:<\/p>\n And then, share this with a close brother or sister in Christ.\u00a0 This is a fight, and we do not fight alone.<\/p>\n From the song \u201cStay\u201d by Big Daddy Weave<\/u><\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen the flash of lightning I\u2019ve felt Your hand of mercy through my darkest failures Break my heart with what breaks Yours I don\u2019t want to hurt You anymore You know what it means to sacrifice [Karl preached this sermon on John 15:1-11 March 22, 2020] At Desiring God Community Church, one of our stated core values is being \u201cJoy-Pursuing\u201d.\u00a0 Specifically, we pursue joy in God.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[80,81,1889,2074,2076,2065,571,2075,572,728,767,2068,2067,2064,2066,856,2063,2073,2070,2071,2072,2069],"class_list":["post-2849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-abide-in-christ","tag-abide-in-me","tag-apart-from-me-you-can-do-nothing","tag-behold-jesus","tag-distractions","tag-fruit","tag-fruit-of-the-spirit","tag-fruit-that-will-last","tag-fruitfulness","tag-hidden-with-christ-in-god","tag-i-am-the-vine","tag-is-god-happy-with-me","tag-is-god-pleased-with-me","tag-john-15","tag-john-1510","tag-joy","tag-karl-dauber","tag-keep-your-eyes-fixed-on-jesus","tag-psalm-61","tag-strong-tower","tag-true-joy","tag-true-vine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2849"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2850,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2849\/revisions\/2850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nI\u2019ve heard the rolling thunder
\nI\u2019ve felt the crashing of the waves
\nAnd though I\u2019ve known Your presence
\nAnd been filled with wonder
\nStill there are many things that pull me away<\/p>\n
\nAnd on the other side You\u2019ve covered me with grace
\nAnd like a child lost and afraid, You come and find this runaway
\nAnd in Your loving arms You bring me home again
\nWhat\u2019s it going to take to make me stay?<\/p>\n
\nUntil You\u2019re all I\u2019m living for
\nShow me what it means
\nNot just to believe but to remain<\/p>\n
\nI don\u2019t want to waste another day
\n\u2018Cause it breaks Your heart, it breaks Your heart
\nWhen I keep walking away<\/p>\n
\nBut You tell me that it\u2019s better to obey
\nYou\u2019ve giving me a thousand brand new starts
\nJesus, give me what it takes to stay|
\nGive me what it takes to stay
\nLet me stay, I want to stay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"