[God, the Father, the Vinedresser]
removes every branch … that bears no fruit.
Every branch that bears [some] fruit he prunes
to make it bear more fruit.
John 15:2
Yesterday we asked … where are on this progression from “no fruit” … to “[some] fruit” … to more fruit … to, as it says in verse 5, “much fruit.”
Now, even if you think you’re pretty far along (and some are), it’s important to pay close attention to every stage.
Why? Because even healthy branches can suddenly be confronted by problems (think a sudden infestation of bugs) and suddenly be right back at “no fruit.” (In fact, it’s usually when I think I’m coasting along and doing my best that pridefulness swells, inattentiveness rises, and problems come. In fact the enemy, the nastiest bug in the garden of life, likes to invade precisely when we’re inattentive because we seem to be doing our best.)
Today, we want to examine that first stage … growing from “no fruit” to “some fruit.”
In Secrets of the Vine, Pastor Bruce Wilkinson has a chart in which he shows the difference between pruning and disciplining. (It’s at the bottom of this email.) Disciplining is what he does to us in those seasons when our fruit has been utterly compromised.
· Why is there “no fruit”? Because of sin.
· What is God’s response to “no fruit”? Read the verse. Ouch!
· But let’s not don’t rush to God’s final response to “no fruit”! (Indeed, the removal of the waste is surely not God’s goal!)
· Remember, instead, the story from two days ago. As in the story of prodigal son, God’s greatest desires it to lift up the fallen branch, clean it up, and train it to grow along the trellis.
Train it! Focus on those words.
Another word for training is disciplining. Just as a vinedresser has the goal of producing life by discipline the branch to crawl productively along the trellis, God’s goal is to produce life in you by disciplining you to follow his life-giving ways.
Generally, we don’t like the word discipline, but look at the logic of heaven’s encouragement – Hebrews 12:5-6 – Have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said, "My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children."
Whenever you fall into a season without much fruit …
· The first place to start is with faith. Do you believe that God loves you enough to life you up, clean you off, and discipline, shape, direct, and train you until your fruitfulness is a testimony to his grace.
· The second step is confession. If you’re bearing no fruit – read the chart – it’s because of sin. You are indeed doing something wrong. Confess!
· And a better word than confess is “Repent.” Do you know the difference? Confession is acknowledging that you have a problem. Repentance is turning from that sin (and turning instead to God).
Think of one of our culture’s most pervasive sins – pornography. It’s one thing to confess that you dabble with it. But it’s a healing thing to quit doing it! And that’s where the “turning to God” comes in.
Most of our sins are a little addictive. Mostly, we want to get away from them – indeed, that’s why “guilt” is on Pastor Wilkinson’s chart. So why do we keep doing them? It’s because – even for a moment – there’s something about this sin and the way it feels that we like. We can’t escape these guilty (and crushing) “pleasures” on our own. And that’s why we turn to God.
That’s our step for today. What are the sins that keep drawing you back in? I know for me, that when I’m tired or lonely or frustrated that I’m the most vulnerable. How about you?
God loves you. He’s aching to forgive you – to lift you up, clean you off, and train and discipline you to bear much fruit. Do you trust him enough to give you’re greatest barrier(s) to him?
In Christ’s Love,
A guy who’s glad he had
people who loved him enough
to discipline him
(and a guy who’s thankful
he’s had enough painful situations in life
that he experienced God’s correction
as incredibly life-giving)
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