Monday, August 01, 2011

Sunday's Sermon Notes

I'm just going to list the main points here:
John 15:1-11
The message of the Gospel is free grace.  We are saved by grace through faith alone, apart from works, however our faith is a working faith.
We are to produce fruit if we are connected to the Vine.  If we do not produce fruit, then we are not connected to the Vine.
"If you love me you will keep my commands."  IF
 
1. Obedience is necessary for effective prayer. (v. 7)
This verse is much abused. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and telling them that whatever they need to do the work of spreading the Gospel He will give them.  Read this verse in the context of the last chapter and present chapter.  It isn't a blank check for us to get whatever we want from God. The desires of this verse are of one connected with the Vine in accordance  to God's will.  Prayer is not lining up God's will with our will.
 
2. Loving Christ is loving and abiding in His Word. (-10)
You can not love Jesus if you do not abide in His Words.  You must abide in His Words...not the words of a saviour you have constructed in your own mind.  If you do not love Him as He is revealed in the Bible then you do not love Him.
 
3.Much fruit proves our conversion. (v. 8)
We work, we bear the fruit but only in accord to haow He is working in us. We don't work to gain salvation, but our salvation works. Those given salvation by grace alone through faith will work as a result. If you are too busy to read and absorb the Bible into your life, then you are too busy.
 
4. God's love toward us does not exempt us from duty. (9)
Keep yourself in the love of God. God is love but that is not all He is. Our responsibility is obedience to God. If you love God you will be a bearer of good fruit. We are not to invent our own ways of loving God. Obeying His commands is how to love Him.
 
5. Christ is our righteousness. (10)
He has kept God's commands. We are to do so as well in absolute perfectness. That is our duty. We can't attain that. Christ has and He is our righteousness before God. Only thos in Christ can stand before God on judgement day and be declared righteous.
 
6. The Word of God and obedience to that Word is the only way to experience full joy. (11)
Jesus calls it "My joy".  There is no account of Jesus laughing or being giddy.  It's a joy that is solid and sober and it's found only in Him through His Word. His joy is full and our joy must be in Him if it is to be full. We see joy in all kinds of things and they are all temporary.  The only true lasting joy is in Christ.

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