Self-Help Jesus (Part 1)

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  Abba, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Abba, we belong to you.  Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.  John 15:1–4 (NIV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also 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." CONSIDER THIS Have you noticed where the Christianity section is in the bookstores these days? It's right between the philosophy section and the self-help section. And it's usually a segment within the religion section. It's a big miss if you ask me. The problem is that it is a section at all. Why? Because Jesus can't be reduced to a category. He is Lord of the whole bookstore. I suppose that's why they created Christian bookstores, but it feels like retreat to me. We should see Christian thought, vision, philosophy, theology, wisdom, and knowledge in every single section of the whole store. Jesus is Lord of the whole library. Jesus can't be reduced to religion and he is for sure not interested in self-help. Jesus is life. The goal is not to make the Christian section somehow larger or more marquee. The goal is for Jesus to infuse every section and to infuse every sector of life with his life.  It's just one of the things I love about our text today. Many people have landed on John 15 or some verse therein as their new word for this new year. It ranks as my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. Let's go “I am . . .  Seven times he speaks these words in John's Gospel. I am . . . the bread of life, the light of the world, the door of the sheep, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and the life, and . . . the true vine, This last one—the true vine—is the delivery system for all that has come before. In that light, may I offer a rough translation of these seven comprehensive statements?  JESUS IS LIFE!  There are other vines to be sure. They also promise life and source. The problem is they are not true and they cannot deliver on their promise. They wind up sucking the life out of us because they are, in essence, idols. Aren't you ready to detach from false vines? You are. This is what so appeals to you about Jesus. He is the true vine.  JESUS IS LIFE.  . . . and my Father is the gardener." So, for starters, Jesus identifies the most important relationship in life here and it is not his relationship with me or you (or even us). It is his relationship with the Father in the bond of the Holy Spirit. This is the relationship of all relationships—the eternal bond of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus wants to bring us inside of his relationship with his Father through the abiding bond of the Holy Spirit. That's what this text is about. How does he do it?  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. Did you catch how many branches are cut here? He cuts every branch that bears no fruit and every branch that does bear fruit. At last count, that was all of them: every single branch. The work of the Word of God by the Spirit of God to transform the image-bearers of God is not the exception, but the rule. It is not occasional, but comprehensive. Finally, notice who does the pruning. Self? No! Self can't help. Self gets in the way of true life. Self is the problem. When self tries to help it produces a parody of life. It's why Jesus says if you want to follow him, self is the first thing that has to go. Jesus is not self-help. He is life source. He could not have been more clear: . . . and my Father is the gardener." Some translations say "vine dresser." He is the one who does the pruning and cutting. We entrust ourselves to him. And why all this? Because he wants us to have life and have it to the full.  JESUS IS LIFE!  We will pick up with verse 3 tomorrow.  THE PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Lord Jesus—Word of God from before the beginning—our Great Teacher, Thank you that it is not up to me to prune myself. Thank you that I need not strive to become all you desire for me; that, in fact, I will be transformed by exposure to and engagement with you by your Word and Spirit. Give me grace to simply show up and surrender my deepest and inmost self to God.  It will be for your glory, for others' gain, and for my good.   Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!