A PASSION TO SHARE THE GOSPEL

Are you aware of your unique qualities? One of the beauties of life is the uniqueness each of us brings to it. We are created by God with particular interests, abilities, and personalities. Our individuality is compounded by our history- including sins, failures and best of all our victories. We are all unique, but God calls us to the same task: to share His gospel. Our individual histories and experiences provide opportunities for us to bring the gospel into the lives of others. Like Paul taught that our sufferings for Christ gives us the experiences and opportunities to assist others who may be experiencing the same situations. So, will our past situations help us to share the gospel? Clearly, we need to ask for God’s wisdom in understanding His word and for the boldness to be ambassadors for Christ. God calls us out of our brokenness to share the gospel.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:11

Paul was indicating that the driving force behind his ministry- “the fear of the Lord”. Fear is a reverential awe for God, in light of His perfect holiness, righteousness, omniscience, and omnipotence, that leads a person to live in obedience to Him. Paul may have been speaking of his evangelistic ministry when he said, “We persuade men”, but it was more likely that he meant his effort to persuade the Corinthians of his sincerity. He had been criticized as being insincere. In response to this he had just revealed his constant awareness of God’s purpose and judgment. It was characteristic of Paul that he always us thought of God as seeing and knowing his every act.

The “fear of the Lord” is a prominent theme in the Old Testament. In Proverbs 1:7 it is said to be “the beginning of knowledge”. It is the basic attitude of awe and reverence that puts life in proper perspective. It is a kind of energy that purifies and empowers life. It was the fear or holy respect that Paul produced as exhibit A to prove his sincerity. His true character was known to God, and he felt that the Corinthians were spiritually sensitive enough to know it too.

Having a “fearful responsibility to the Lord” does not mean that believers become paralyzed. On the contrary, knowing God’s perfection and that He will judge everyone’s actions (5:10) should spur Christians to good deeds, to what pleases our God. The fear of the Lord also frees believers from all of life’s anxieties and worries. Knowing that God is “for us” (Romans 8:31), can keep believers unafraid of earthly powers- people, governments, or the forces of nature (Proverbs 3:25-26). God takes care of His own. The fear of God gives us uncommon courage in the face of life’s troubles.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Verses 14-21 constitute one of the most important statements of the message of the gospel in all the New Testament. The controlling factor of his ministry, Paul emphasized, was the love of Christ as seem in His death. This was where he learned such dedication. By “the love of Christ controls us” Paul did not have in mind the impulse that sent him on his mission, but the restraint that kept him from seeking his own advantage and held him to the cross. The word for “control” has the sense pressure which confines and restricts. Such a total commitment to the good of others kept him from doing anything that would falsify the gospel or hinder Christian growth.

In verse 15, the motive of Paul’s ministry and his message are seen to be the same, for both flow from the cross. The death of Christ was the most important fact in Paul’s thinking. It affected all people by making possible the most radical change in their lives. Paul saw Christ as the second Adam (Romans 5:14-17), God’s new beginning in the creation of humanity. As such, He was the representative of the human race. What happened to Christ happens to all in some sense. Those who accept their unity with Him by faith take part in the death He died for them. Death to sin and resurrection to new life became the pattern of their lives. They no longer live to serve themselves. To live for self is sin. They live for Christ, and thus for others. This more than mere acceptance of an idea. It is participation in a new reality. So, Paul saw his task as notifying all persons of this new possibility and enlisting them to join in experiencing it. The word “all” is prominent in verses 14-15, and it indicates the breadth of Paul’s missionary goal.

Paul’s critics judged him – and themselves- “from a human point of view”, literally “by what he is in the flesh”. They valued persons on the basis of outward appearances and superficial signs. He now told the Corinthians that such evaluations were sub-Christians. The merely human point of view missed what God was doing. Since Paul’s conversion he did not see or evaluate people merely in terms of their human characteristics. He was concerned with their hearts and the work of the Spirit in their lives. Before conversion he saw Christ as the world saw Him, a troublesome teacher who died a shameful death. But now the emphasis was on the present. As a believer in Christ Paul now knew Him as the loving Savior who brings grace by His death and life by His resurrection. This statement does not mean that Paul had no interest in the earthly life of Jesus, simply that he now saw it from a new point of view. As a new person, he saw with new eyes. This led to his overwhelming concern for others.

Verse 17, with its great “therefore”, points back to what Paul said about Christ’s dying for all and all dying with Him (vv. 14-15). When Christ rose from the dead, the human race made a new start. All who are united with Him by faith are part of this new creation. They are “in Christ”, a term Paul used constantly throughout his letters to describe his relationship with Christ. It implied that those who exercise faith in Christ enter into a real, personal union with Him. Because they participate in His death to sin, the old things have passed away. This is true even though the old order hangs on for a while. The new creation will not be fully revealed until the new heaven and the new earth appear; but for those who are in Christ, the new order has already begun.

Everything that Paul and his companions did was to honor God. Not only did fear of God motivate them (5:11), but Christ’s love controlled their actions. The word for “controls” means “to hold fast”. In other words, the love of Christ was constraining them to certain courses of action. They knew that Jesus, out of His great love, had given up His life for their sakes. He had not acted out of His own self-interest, selfishly holding on to the glory of heaven that He already possessed (Philippians 2:6). Instead, Jesus had willingly “died for everyone”. Because Christ died for us, we also are dead to our old life. Like Paul, we should no longer live to please ourselves, we should spend our life pleasing Christ. Christians are brand-new people on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives them new life, and they are not the same anymore. While this newness is true individuality, Paul is saying much more. Not only are believers changed from within, but a whole new order of creative energy began with Christ. This is a new covenant, a new perspective, a new body, a new church. There is a new creation is being renewed. So, take notice, this is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ’s authority. It requires a new way of looking at all people and all of creation.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

God brings us back to Himself (reconciles us) by blotting out our sins (Ephesians 2:13-18) and making us right with Him. When we trust in Christ we are no longer God’s enemies, or strangers or foreigners to Him. Because we have been reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to do the same, and thus we are those who have the “task of reconciling people to Him”. As believers, we are Christ’s ambassadors sent with His message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility. We dare not take this responsibility lightly.

When we trust in Christ, we make an exchange. He takes our sin and makes us right with God. Our sin was laid on Christ at His crucifixion. His righteousness is given to us at our conversion. This is what Christians mean by Christ’s atonement for sin. In the world, bartering works only when two people exchange goods of relatively equal value. But God offers to trade His righteousness for our sin- something of immeasurable worth for something completely worthless. How grateful we should be for this kindness to us!!!

The word “reconcile” occurs three times in various forms in verses 18-19. It also is found in Roman 5:10-11. A similar word, also translated “reconcile”, is used in Ephesians 2:16 and Colossians 1:20. In all these cases the reference is to persons being reconciled to God. The emphasis is on something God does for humanity to overcome their hostility toward Him. Verse 19 restates the truth of verse 18 and adds the explanation, “not counting their trespasses against them”. Reconciliation implies that a state of enmity had existed due to sin. “Trespasses” means violations of God’s law or failures to do what is right. Such offenses God could have counted against mankind. Rather than do this, He overcame the enmity. Reconciliation requires effective treatment of the root cause of the hostility. This means that it is more than something that changes people’s attitudes. It is something that God accomplishes that draws God to man and man to God. Certainly, God loved us even before Christ died for us.

He did not have to have His mind changed in order to become our friend. But God demanded holiness of us and rejected our sin. Something had to be done to remove that sin so that God could receive us and we could receive the love God has for us. To accomplish this, Christ took upon Himself the judgment for our sin.

To reinforce His appeal, Paul restated the means and results of reconciliation in verse 21. It is made possible by Christ’s remedy for sin. “Made Him to be sin” means at least that God made Christ to bear the consequences of sin. But it is a daring phase that may mean much more. In some mysterious sense, the sinless Christ became identified with our sin so that we could become identified with His righteousness. As a result of this, those who are in Christ by faith “become the righteousness of God- that is, they receive the benefits of God’s righteousness. They (we) become righteous as they are transformed into the image of Christ. With that stated and believed, we should have the passion to share the gospel whenever and wherever we can.

LEARN TO BE A MORE POSITIVE PERSON AND HAVE MORE JOY

REVELATION: What are Christians Affirmations? They are a method to reprogram your mind to gain spiritual confidence in agreement with God's word. It is a marvelous way to gain an amazing insight into God's loving character. Affirmations that lift your life.

CHRISTIANS AFFIRMATIONS WILL GIVE A BETTER OUTLOOK ON LIFE

DISTINCT IN MY LOVE

We sometimes over use the word “love”. We apply love to everything, but the intensity and genuineness of our love can vary. It can be based on the cause and motivation of our love. We often say we love this thing more than another thing. We may not state it bluntly, but we act as if there is a limit to our love. None of this meets the standard of love to which Jesus calls us. He calls us to a whole new standard of love, a love that is unconditional and knows no limits. Think of the topics we have studied in this series where each begins “Distinct”. But the greatest of these is “Love”! (1 Cor. 13:13).

Read Matthew 5:43-45

In chapter 5, verses 21, 27, 33, and now 43 were verses that began our studies for this week and the previous three weeks. They all started “You have heard that it was said”. Jesus followed this with “But I tell you” – verses 22, 28, 34, and now 44. As we study Scriptures we find that Jesus used this pattern several times (a total of six times in Matthew chapter 5) to demonstrate what He meant. This time, verse 44, forms a clear climax to the entire section of previous use of this pattern to demonstrate that love is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry and mission.

In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people in general, and the religious leadership in particular, were quite clear on who were their neighbors,  who were their enemies, and how they should treat each other. Jews usually interpreted “neighbor” as meaning only a fellow Jew.

We are aware that “love your neighbor” appears in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:18) and repeated many times in the New Testament (Matt. 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8). However, the second part of Matthew 5:42 “hate your enemy” is not found in the Old Testament. Although there are several inferences of this form the rigid separation the Mosaic law demanded between Jews and Gentiles in everyday matters like eating (Lev. 11; Deut. 14:21) and marriage (Deut. 7:1-4) as well as God’s command to invade cities like Jericho and kill every living thing. To be clear, God never commanded to hate your enemy and certainly would never have condoned it. It is the kind of conclusion that many Jews apparently had drawn.

Jesus was setting the record straight that His followers are to love both neighbor and enemy. He called for love for one’s enemies and prayer for one’s persecutors (v.44). To act in such a loving way, even toward enemies, would mark a person as a child of God, having in his or her nature some of the characteristics of God Himself (v. 45). After all, God (Jesus said) sends His good gifts of sunshine and rain on the good and the bad, on the unjust and the just (v.45). He shows an impartial attitude of goodwill toward all people, whether they love Him or not. Christians are also to do good to all people, even to their enemies.

By telling us not to retaliate, Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. The Pharisees interpreted Leviticus 19:18 as teaching that they should love only those who love in return, and Psalms 139:19-22 and 140:9-11 as meaning that they should hate their enemies. But Jesus says we are to love our enemies. If we love our enemies and treat them well, we will truly show that Jesus is Lord of our life. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love.

How would we define an enemy in our life? (There are many enemies in our life that are non-human. We could name them but to keep in what Jesus was teaching, He is talking about how we see human enemies. Like: persecution by many, those different from us in many ways, those out to kill us, those who want to take our freedoms –religion and other types, and those who do more picky things to upset us.)

Read Matthew 5:46-47

We should not love someone only for the reward, whether they loved us or not. There is nothing unusual about loving someone who loves us. Even those who don’t know God love those who love them (vv.46-47). But it takes a special act of the will to love those who hate us or who have persecuted us. Only in showing such love can a Christian prove he knows God’s love.

In addition, love is a way that is a testimony to others. Think about that each believer’s life serves as a striking testimony that God did not practice the restricted love of those who love you. Jesus pointed out that because loving only those who loves us reveals nothing of the unconditional and unlimited love of God, anyone who practices such limited love is not worthy of reward from God. The next question, “don’t even the tax collectors do the same?” displays the moral bankruptcy of God’s people loving in the same manner as those on the last rung of the moral ladder.

Jesus presented the second set of rhetorical questions revolving around the issue of whom a person was willing to greet. Jesus employed the same word later in Matthew 10:12 as He sent His disciples out to preach. He commanded them to “greet a household when you enter it”. Such a greeting indicated a level of significance and worth in the eyes of the one offering the greeting. To see value only in those who share our ethnicity, values doctrinal conviction, and so forth is perfectly ordinary. That’s what the unbelievers do. Thus, once again, congratulations, we who greet only those who are like ourselves; we have achieved the spiritual maturity of an unbelieving Gentile.

Read Matthew 5:48

Jesus told His disciples, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). The word perfect here has caused a great deal of misunderstanding. Going by the context, it seems Jesus meant that His followers are, like God, to show love to all people, being all-inclusive in their goodwill. In his version of this same passage, Luke used a word which has been translated “merciful” (Luke 6:36) in place of “perfect”. The same thought seems to be present here- that we should think of what Matthew is saying as “merciful” also.

We cannot be perfect. In character: In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. In holiness: Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own and carry His love and mercy into the world. In maturity: We can’t achieve Christ-like character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult -so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. In love: We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.

We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level- perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3:2-3). As we begin to live and love like this, we become complete in life and love, and portray a fuller and more accurate reflection of God the Father and His Son.

LIFE IN THE CHURCH

What is life in the church supposed to be? Certainly it is about gathering of believers. It is about getting together socially with people. It is also about bringing in non-believers to get to know them. But life in the church is not about the individual. This is different from the culture today, which focuses on the individual. Businesses seek to cater to our individuality and give us what we want. However, the Christian life is about sharing the Good News of Christ with others. This means when a person comes to Christ, that person also comes to Christ’s body: the church. Therefore, life in the church is all about groups of people who make up the body. The church body is to serve Christ and thereby we serve His body. Serving the church and the needs of fellow believers is servicing Christ.

Read 1 Peter 4:7

Peter wrote the letter we call 1 Peter to a group of churches in Asa Minor (modern Turkey). In the verses immediately preceding this verse 7, Peter had encouraged his readers to align themselves with Christ’s mission and purpose (1 Peter 4:1). They should live their lives doing God’s will rather pursuing the evil deeds they used to count important before they became Jesus’ followers (vv. 2-3). They were to identify with their new life in Christ rather than with their lives, former lives, for all would one day give account (vv. 4-5). When we review the context of Scripture, we can better understand the real meaning of any single or groups of verses. In verses 7-11, Peter provided practical application to his words in verses 1-6.

Peter’s declaration “the end of all things is near” may sound strange to modern reader, since Peter wrote this letter almost 2,000 years ago. Two ideas require mention. First, in his next letter, Peter would remind his readers the Lord’s time table differed from theirs. As he said, “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8). When we understand that God reigns from eternity to eternity (Ps. 90:2), we better understand Peter’s mindset.

Second, the New Testament writers saw the resurrection and ascension of Christ as the beginning of the last days- or as in the song the choir did last Sunday “it is the End of the Beginning” of our new life in Christ. On the day of Pentecost, Peter so informed his listeners (Acts 2:17). The coming of the Holy Spirit comprised the last major step in God’s plan before He would send His Son to return and fulfill His kingdom. Other New Testament writers used similar words to express this concept (1 Cor. 10:11); 1 John 2:18). The Lord Jesus was coming soon, and every day was one day closer! In the light of the coming end of age, Peter encouraged his readers to be alert.

Read 1 Peter 4:8-9

We should live expectantly because Christ is coming soon. Getting ready to meet Christ involves continually growing in love for God and for others (Matthew 22:37-40). Should the Rapture come while I am still on this earth, I would choose to be in church with all the believers. It is important to pray regularly and to reach out to needy people. Our possessions, status, and power will mean nothing in God’s Kingdom, but we will spend eternity with other people, so invest our time and talents where they will make an eternal difference.

Peter writes “constant love” which requires the Christian to put another’s spiritual good ahead of his own desires in spite of being treated unkindly, ungraciously, or even with hostility (1 Cor. 13:47; Phil. 2:1-4). Enduring love for others testifies that a person is living in the light of the future. True “love covers a multitude of” other people’s sins (Prov. 10:12). Where loves abound, offenses are frequently overlooked and quickly forgotten. “Hospitality” is much admired in both Greco-Roman and Jewish sources (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8), was needed in this era when there was no Hospitality Inn and what was used as inns were dangerous and unpleasant.

Read 1 Peter 4:10-11

Paul says “each one has received a gift” – God-given empowerment for ministry. Many different gifts exists (1 Cor. 4-11). All believers are so gifted and should use their gifts to bless others and to give God the glory. Our abilities should be faithfully used in serving others. None are for our won exclusive enjoyment. Some people well aware of their abilities believe that they have the right to use their abilities as they please. Others feel that they have no special talents at all. Peter addresses both groups in these verses. Everyone has some gifts, we are to find ours and use them. Peter mentions speaking and serving. Paul lists these and other abilities in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; and Ephesians 4:1. Even as we seek to discover our gifts, if we see a need in the church, seek to meet it. We may find gifts in areas we might not have guessed. If you think about it, you probably can identify one of these times. For me, it was in Klamath Falls Oregon in a small church while I was stationed there in the Air Force. God led me to be a choir director for two years and gave me the abilities to glorify Him.

How is God glorified when we use our abilities? When we use them as He directs, to help others, they will see Jesus in us and glorify Him for the help they have received. Peter may have been thinking of Jesus’ words: “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).

Verse 11 is a brief ascription of praise to God. Peter’s words “to Him be the glory and the power forever and ever” reminds us that everything begins and ends with God. It is         His glorious power that brought the world into existence, and it is His glorious power that will bring human history as we know it to an end. God’s word is certain. As we yield our lives to Him, He will take them and bless them for His purpose and glory. In fulfilling His will, believers will find their own highest fulfillment.

So what is life in the church really about?

OUR NEED FOR PURPOSE

This is a study about how Jesus meets our deepest needs. So this is one more of Jesus’ “I am” statements and how our lives can be filled with purpose. Many fill their lives with activity: work schedules, religious activities, sports (like the volleyball night that we all attended), family events, and community meetings. Many times we let ourselves get so busy that our true purpose gets lost at least temporarily. But the question underlying all the busyness is “What is the purpose?” Some people fill their lives with activity either to find a since of purpose or to mask the lack of purpose they feel. Many of these people never give Jesus a chance to give them a purpose in life. When we depend on Jesus and stay close to Him, He fills our lives with purpose. Jesus is the vine who empowers us to live productive lives for God.

Read John 15:1-3

These verses continue with Jesus relaying necessary truth to His as-yet-unsuspecting disciples- with two particular distinctions. It was later in the evening after the Last Supper. The location had shifted out of the upper room (14:3). Perhaps Jesus and the disciples were walking to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, maybe they had already arrived or stopped along the way. However, they passed the Temple. On the front of the Temple was an elaborately embossed golden vine. Here Jesus mad an analogy that almost functions in John’s Gospel as the equivalent of a parable found in the other Gospels. This analogy connects beautifully with the last supper scene in chapter 13. The group had partaken of the fruit of the vine. So Jesus used the supper experience and said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper”.

Then Jesus began to teach His disciples with a metaphor instantly recognizable at two levels. One level was common, well-known rural life of the countryside (the Jewish world of Judea was rural). So the disciples had an understanding of vines, vineyards and those who tended to them. More importantly, the second level was religious. This analogy of Israel as a vineyard and God as the vineyard keeper was a common figure of Jewish prophets and poets (Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:7; Hos. 10:1). To the disciples would be familiar with hearing about vines and vineyards in a religious or spiritual context.

With the symbol of the vine in the background of their thinking and the vine on the Temple before their eyes, Jesus stated that He was the true vine, the real and authentic vine. The nation Israel, symbolized by the vine, had grown wild, but Jesus had been obedient to the will of the Father. The Father was their gardener who tended and cared for the vine. The gardener of the vine was so careful that he pruned the branches to encourage them to bear more fruit and cut off the unproductive branches (v.2). He was not the kind of vinedresser who simply let his vines grow their own wild and undisciplined way. Instead, he exerted constant and concerned care over the vine so that it would be the most productive vine possible.

Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning: 1) cutting off and 2) cutting back branches. In other words, God must sometimes discipline us to strengthen our character and faith. But branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off at the trunk not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the tree. People who don’t bear fruit for God or who try to block the efforts of God’s followers will be cut off from His life-giving power.

Read John 15:4-7

Lack of follow through is one of the key issues of following Jesus. That is why Jesus said, “Remain in Me”. Basically, this translates into maintain our relationship with Him. As the branches of a vine strengthen and sustenance from the vine, so were they strengthened and sustained by abiding in Him (v.4).  By abiding in Him they would be productive and fruitful. But the only way they could be fruitful was through abiding in Him. The relationship of unity between the believer and Christ is as close as that of the branches and the vine. In fact, Jesus made it more explicit when He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (v.5). A branch could not live unless it had a life-sustaining relationship to the vine. In this application Jesus made it clear that the believer lived in that kind of life-sustaining union with Himself. Without that union they could do nothing. In that union they could be productive.

The fruit for the Christian is a Christ-like life. It is the production of those characteristics of life expressed in Jesus Christ Himself. As He lived in love and followed the Father’s will in obedience the believer is to be marked by those same traits. Verse 6 states that a pruning process goes on. With cultivation of any vine the dead wood is cut off and the branches are cut back so they can produce more. Judas Iscariot had already left the group. At one point, many turned back from following Him (6:66-what a likely verse number to state that).  Others whose commitment was only lip service would also leave. True disciples would remain faithful to the end. The discipline of the disciples would go on. They would face hard times and tough decisions during the arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Yet through the discipline of pruning a hardier, more productive vine results. The abiding relationship with the vine is essential for life.

One of the promises of the abiding relationship is answered prayer (v.7). Notice that the relationship with Christ is not simply emotional and subjective. As the believer abides in Christ and the words of Christ abide in Him, the believer can ask in prayer and receive the answer. It is not a matter of any whim being granted but of maintaining such relationship to Christ in faith and in conformity with His teachings that what one asks would be in line with God’s will.

What does “remaining in Christ” look like in our daily life? (I like the thought that our daily life should be such that the non-believer will not understand our life.)

Remaining in Christ means 1) believing that He is God’s Son (1 John 4:15, 2) receiving Him as Savior and Lord (John 1:12), 3) doing what God says (1 John 3:24), 4) continuing to believe the Good News (1 John 2:24), and 5) relating in love to the community of believers, Christ (John 15:12).

Read John 15:8

Many people try to be good, honest people who do what is right. But Jesus says that the only way to live a truly good life is to stay close to Him, like a branch attached to the vine. Apart from Christ our efforts are unfruitful. If we are not receiving the nourishment and life offered by Christ, the vine, we’re missing a special gift He has for us. When a vine produces “much fruit”, God is glorified. For daily He sends the sunshine and rain to make the crops grow, and constantly He nurtured each tiny plant and prepared it to blossom. What a moment of glory for the Lord of the harvest when the harvest is brought into the “barns”, mature and ready for use. How clear is that for bringing others to the saving of Jesus and having them also share their faith.

The Father is glorified through the answered prayer (v.8). The things they ask and what they want -would be in such conformity with the character of Christ and the will of God that the result would bring glory and praise to God. The proof of the disciple is a character in conformity with the character of Christ.

To summarize John 15:1-8, there are three things that are clear: 1) the vine analogy is a call to growth; 2) the vine analogy is a call to Christian community; and 3) the vine analogy is an invitation to salvation. What is a better purpose than this?

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