Pastor Roecker
Sermon for May 6, 2012

John 15:1-8

Many people in this world, including many Christians, have an unfortunate misunderstanding about the Bible. They believe that the Bible is simply a book of rules. “Do this.” “Don’t do that.” Then they view this set of rules in one of two ways. Some imagine that they are like the list of rules posted in the front the classroom in school. “If you don’t keep quiet you will not be allowed to go out for recess!” Simply threats to keep you in line. Others imagine that the Bible’s rules are like a self-help book. “Follow steps 1-10 and you will be successful.”

Neither of these views is accurate. The Bible is not simply a set of rules. It does, of course, tell us how God wants us to live. But, the reason God tells us how He wants us to live is because He knows what is best for us. And He knows what is best for us because He knows how this world works.
Think of it this way: when parents encourage their teenagers to study for school, when they tell their teenagers not to put provocative pictures of themselves on their Facebook account, when they tell their teenagers not to take illegal drugs, they are telling their teenagers these things because they know what is best for them. And they know what is best for them because they know how this world works. They are not simply setting up a list of rules. They are saying, “If you don’t get good grades you will have a harder time getting a good job. That’s just the way it is. If you put provocative pictures of yourself on your Facebook account, it could come back to haunt you years from now. That’s just the way it is. If you get involved in drugs you are going to hurt yourself and your future. That’s just the way it is.”
This is what God is doing in the Bible. He is telling us the way it is. He is telling us the way the world works. This morning Jesus is going to lovingly tell us the way it is as He pleads with us to “Stay Connected to the True Vine.”

I. So You May Bear Good Fruit

“The simple fact of the matter,” says Jesus, “Is that, in order for you to be what you were made to be, in order for you to have a full and fulfilling life – you must be connected to me. You were made to have an intimate, loving relationship with your Maker and I am the only One who can connect you to Him. The closer you are to Me the more your life will be the way it is supposed to be. That’s just the way it is.”
The devil, of course, insists that the exact opposite is true. Way back in the Garden of Eden the devil convinced Adam and Eve that what God wanted for them was keeping them from living life to its fullest. He does the same to us. He promotes this idea that the Bible is a list of rules that will keep us from the fun and fulfillment we deserve. “God doesn’t really care about you,” the devil assures us. “He’s just a mean, cranky old man with nothing better to do than boss you around.”
Jesus knows all too well how powerful this lie of the devil is. That is why He is pleading with us this morning, “Don’t listen to it! 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.” (vv. 5). Jesus is the only source of true, spiritual, eternal life. No one can be connected to God unless they are connected to Jesus.
Some people will say this is arrogant and exclusive. “How dare you say there is only one way to God!” I’m not saying it. Jesus is. And it is not arrogant. It is accurate. Jesus is just telling it like it is. When you buy an iPad the salesperson tells you how often it needs to be plugged in for the battery to stay charged. You wouldn’t say, “How dare you tell me what to do with my iPad!” The salesman isn’t
ordering you around. He is just telling you the way it is. If you don’t recharge your iPad the battery will die. That’s just the way it is.

And if you don’t recharge your soul it will die. Jesus says, “ 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” (v. 6). You can hear the loving plea in Jesus’ words, can’t you? He says, “I want to spend eternity with you. But if you separate yourself from me your soul is going to whither and die. The further you are from Me the less you will want to be with Me. Eventually, you won’t want to be with Me at all. And you will spend your time here on earth and your eternity without Me.”
“Yes! Yes, that’s what you want!” Shouts the devil. “Get AWAY from Him and all His rules and restrictions and old-fashioned, backwards thinking. You will be much better off without Him!”
Don’t listen to that liar! Stay connected to the True Vine! Stay connected to Jesus. The devil knows all too well that Jesus is the only One who can connect you to God because only the blood of Jesus washes away the sin that separates you from God. And the devil knows all too well that when you stay connected to Jesus you will bear much fruit. That is His promise. That’s just the way it is. If a branch is connected to a strong, healthy grapevine it will bear good, abundant grapes. If a person is connected to Christ he or she will bear good, abundant spiritual fruit.
What kind of fruit is Jesus talking about? Well, St. Paul helps us understand in the book of Galatians, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Of course it does. Because that is how we were made to be. Our souls yearn for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But our sins ruin it all. We make a mess of things. And we make ourselves miserable because of it.
When we imagine heaven I think we often believe it will be wonderful because none of the bad things around us will be there. And it’s true. There will be no war or crime or catastrophe. Things around us will be very different. But, don’t forget, WE will be very different. Much of our misery in this life is our own doing. We make ourselves miserable with our impatience and anger and bitterness and worry and lack of self-control. Jesus is saying that the closer we are to Him the less we will be like that. And the less we are like that the greater foretaste of heaven we will have, even here in this life.

II. By Staying Connected to His Word

There is still one question that needs answering. How do we stay connected to Jesus? Do we climb a mountain to find Him or wear a cross around our neck? No, Jesus told His disciples, “You are already clean because of THE WORD I have spoken to you” (v. 3). And in verse 7, “If you remain in me and MY WORDS remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” We stay connected to Jesus by being connected to His Word.
Why do you suppose pastors are always telling their people to attend church and bible class and read their Bibles at home? If you are cynical you might say that pastors do this because they get and ego boost when attendance is high at worship and bible class. And I won’t deny that it is exciting and makes a pastor feel good when there is a packed church or classroom. But, pastors who are sincere encourage their people to be in worship and bible class because pastors know what Jesus promised in John 15. When people are connected to the Word of God they have more love and joy and peace and patience and kindness. Their home lives are better. Their work lives are better. Their church lives are better. Pastors want their people in the pew and in the classroom and in their Bibles at home because pastors love their people. But even more importantly, of course, Jesus loves His people. That is why He is here with us this morning and encouraging us with His Word to stay connected to Him.

They say that in this world it all depends upon who you know. I suppose that is often true. If you know the right person you could get invited to the White House for dinner. If you know the right person you could sit in a skybox at the Redskins’ game. If you know the right person you could get backstage at the concert. It depends upon who you know. You need the right connections.
Never is this more true than when it comes to our relationship with the Almighty. You have to know the right person. Thank God that you do. I mean it. In your prayers this week, in your private moments with God, thank Him that you are connected to Jesus Christ. And never, ever give that up. Stay connected. May God grant it to all of us. Amen.