Welcome to the Defender Bible Study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children's Services where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Welcome to the Defender Bible Study Podcast. Today is Monday, 06/09/2025. My name is Chris Johnson. I serve as the senior director of church partnerships and external advocacy for Lifeline Children Services. Today, we are continuing our study through the book of John and be looking at John chapter 15 verses one through 17.

Last week, I had the opportunity to take my children, my two youngest children. I have a almost 15 year old and a 17 year old that are going be serving at a at a youth camp this summer for a couple months and and taking them down to drop them off in preparation for them serving this summer, we decided to take a few days of family vacation beforehand and so that we could just spend some time together as a family, my wife and I and our two youngest kids. And so during that time, knowing that they were going to be away from us for a couple months, I really found myself wanting to over and over again kind of kind of give them words of advice. Don't forget about this, and remember what you've been taught, and remember who you represent. And it seems like every meal I would I would kind of something else I wanna share and wanna say.

We've spent time in the pool and we'd be talking and hanging out and just wanna again just, hey, don't forget about this this summer and I'm really praying for this in your life this summer. And and really that's exactly what Jesus is doing with his disciples here. And they're certainly on a much grander scale and much of higher importance. But Jesus is really taking John chapter fourteen and fifteen really give us insight into those last few days that Jesus had with his disciples and he's really kind of taking the opportunity to just kind of pour into them knowing that he is about to go to the cross, about to be raised from the dead, and then he's going to ascend back into heaven and so he knows that his time with his disciples whom he loves whom he who he loved dearly, who he loved dearly. His time with his disciples on Earth in a physical sense is coming to an end and so he's wanting to to kind of pour into them, remind them of things that they've been taught, and then prepare them for a life without him being there in the physical sense.

Prepare them to live out the things that he had taught them. And so in John 14, we saw that he promised that he was going away, but that he was gonna come back again, that he would return. He promised that he wouldn't leave them on their own, but that he would give the Holy Spirit to come alongside, to teach them, provide courage for them. He promised that that that they could have confidence in the truth of his words and and that he would his presence would continually grow with through the holy spirit, be with them as as they seek to obey him and walk with him. And then we get to John chapter 15.

And so John chapter 15, we're going to get some more teaching from Jesus in these first few verses and and and so let's just read it together. Let's read the passage together and then we'll come back and and discuss it a little bit. Jesus says, I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already, you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.

For apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whenever you wish and it will be done for you. By this, my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I've spoken to you that my that your that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do not if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants for the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you so that you will love one another.

So Jesus again is spending time with his disciples and really kind of pouring into them. He wants to see them, walk in maturity. He wants to see them live out what he has been teaching. He, of course, has spent the greater part of three and a half years or so with them just pouring into them, teaching them. But now that the opportunity is gonna be put to the test.

Can they really live out? Will they really live out the things that that he has taught them or the things that that he has done for them? And so now is the time for these new believers, these young converts to step in step up and step into the role that God has prepared for them and and put away fear, walk in confidence, and of who God's called them to be and live out the life that he's called them to live. And so, basically, Jesus is saying to them, hey, I've given you all these commandments and and and I want you to to live out these things and walk out these things. But you're going to to wanna do everything I've instructed you and and you're gonna wanna do it well and you wanna do it right.

But the temptation is going to be that you're just going to try harder. That you're going to just do the best you can. That you're going to think that it's all dependent upon you. And imagine being these disciples and having walked through this. And of course Jesus they don't fully know understand exactly what's going to happen next.

They fully grasp what the magnitude of of what's gonna take place, but Jesus, of course, does know that. But soon after the resurrection and the ascension, the reality is gonna hit them square in the in the face. They're gonna see, man, there there's a great weight here. We we've been given this message. We've been taught these things and now, we've been called to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

That's a pretty daunting task and I think Jesus is kind of saying to them, hey, I know what you're going to be feeling. I know where you're to go and your temptation is going to be that if you just gonna have to do the best you can, you're gonna have to try harder, and you're gonna think that this whole Christian movement and this whole getting the gospel of the world that it's completely dependent upon you. And so I think Jesus is saying to them, hey. I wanna I wanna I want you to remember some things that are gonna help you live out this life to which I've called you and I think he's doing the same to us because we do the same thing, right? We think god's called us to to live out these certain things.

We've been given these commandments in god's word and so, if we're failing, if we're messing up, it's just because we're not trying hard enough or it's just because we're not good enough or we're not talented enough. We've just gotta try harder. We've gotta buckle down. We've gotta do more. And if and if I don't do what I'm called to do, then the the whole weight of Christianity hangs on my shoulders.

In our ministry, once we are seeking to connect Christian families to vulnerable children, women, and families, we wanna see the gospel go forth to these vulnerable populations. And sometimes in our ministry, we take this burden on us to think that that it is upon us to to to see orphan children saved and to see women in crisis come to faith in Christ. But the reality is that's not on us. We can't do that. We don't have the power or the strength to do that.

We don't have the ability to do that. And so, we need to figure out what is god calling us to do, what is our role to play, and how we see god do these things just as the disciples were going to have to figure out these same things. Now, as we look at this passage, it's important to to kind of note a few things. First of all, we see that Jesus is talking to believers. He's talking to his followers.

He says here that that you're already clean because of the word that that I have spoken to you. So, he's he's talking to those that that have been walking with him that are following him and that he will will use for his honor and glory. He's using a metaphor of a vineyard. Now now, when Jesus was writing this, those that were hearing this, his disciples that were hearing him speak these things. When John was writing it, Jesus was speaking it.

The the the picture of the vineyard would have been very easy for them to understand because this was a part of their life. And they had heard this this language and this kind of this example throughout their lives. And so this would have would have resonated very well with them. Doesn't really click so much with us sometimes. We don't fully understand how a vineyard works unless you're in that work.

Probably for us, it'd be more akin to understanding an orange orange orchard or or apple orchard or or an orange grove or something like that where we we know that the the the orange tree, the the the trunk and the roots provide the food, and that food then goes out into the branches and then the fruit comes off those branches. So whatever the context here, but just understanding kind of the the some of the nuances of the specific work of caring for the vine might be a little bit different from what we're what we're used to seeing and reading about. But the big picture here is that Jesus is is helping them understand how fruit is produced and and what their role is in that production of fruit. And so as we look at this example and kinda walk through these verses, it's important for us to see that. So let's let's look at some of the different components of this story.

First of all, we see we see the introduction of the vine and Jesus says here, this is the seventh I am statement of Jesus but he says here at the very beginning, I am the true vine. Now again, there are other references to Israel being a vine, other things being a vine throughout scripture. But Jesus was saying, hey, the one true vine that matters, the one true vine that brings life, the one true vine, I am that true vine. He had said, I am the good shepherd. I am the way, the truth, and the life.

All these are things, but he's saying now, I am the vine, the one that that produces the life and gives the life to to the that ends up producing the fruit. So I am the true vine. Jesus says it's not you're not gonna find your life in anything else. You're not gonna find it in yourself. You're not gonna find it in the attractions of this world.

You're not gonna find it in anybody around you, but I am the true vine. I am the one that brings life. I am the one that sustains the life. I am the one that you must be connected to. He then mentions the the vine dresser.

He says, the father is the vine dresser. Now the role of the vine dresser is to protect the vine, but also to care for the branches that extend from the vine. And sometimes he has to prune those branches. He references that here. Sometimes he has to take away from those branches.

Sometimes he has to to prune them so that they can bear more fruit. Now he says here that the the the the ones that he prunes are those that are bearing fruit. This is just a reminder to us to trust in the sovereignty of our god, the sovereignty of our father, the power of our heavenly father, and the reality that that just because pruning is happening or things are happening in our life does not mean that that that we've done something wrong or that we're that we're being punished in some way. He's saying here, you're gonna produce fruit, but I want you to produce more fruit. And so the father desires that you be healthy.

The father desires that you be strong. The father desires for you to be able to withstand the winds that will come, the storms that will come, and that you will continue to produce fruit, but much more fruit. And so in order for that to happen, the father must prune the branch. The father must do some cutting back and do some trimming and that pruning is not easy. It's hard.

It's not fun. It's not enjoyable but the father knows what is best for us. The father is sovereign. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows what is required in us to help us produce more fruit, to help us live out the life that he's called us to.

So, recognize the role of the of the true vine is to be the source, to be the the life, to be the source that that provides life. The role of the vine dresser is to shape and mold that life and even bring sometimes difficulties to help mature. James tells us that the perseverance of our faith is what brings maturity in our lives and so going through trials, going through the pruning is what helps us be stronger, helps us be more mature. So, the father, as the vine dresser, allows that and even sends that into our lives sometimes to conform us and shape us but then we see the branch. We see the branch represented in the story.

And and the interesting thing about the branch is the branch probably thinks that it's doing all the work and thinks that it's in complete control because the fruit comes off the branch. But the reality is what we're seeing is that the branch is absolutely nothing on its own. The branch can't do anything for itself. It's completely useless without the vine. And and so the branch, in order to produce fruit, must be attached to the vine.

We see that when the when the when the branch is not fully connected and when the branch is not receiving the life from the vine, then that branch withers. That branch fades away. That branch is useless. There's no fruit coming when that branch is is not fully connected and receiving life from the vine. And so the branch is us.

It's you and me as believers. We're the ones that that are the branch and so we're called to produce fruit but we have to recognize very clearly that we can't produce fruit on our own. That we cannot produce fruit if we are disconnected from the source of life. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit if it's disconnected or not receiving healthy life from the vine. So we in our lives, when we own our you know, think that everything weighs it falls on us, when we think that that we just have to buck up and try harder, and we we do the best, and it's all dependent upon us.

When we get in that place, we've gotta recognize and realize that we are absolutely nothing apart from the vine. He says that several times here in this passage. Verse number verse number five, he that bears much fruit for apart from me, you can do nothing. He doesn't mince words there. It's very clear.

Jesus is saying, if you don't stay connected to me and receive your power and life for me, then you will never produce fruit. And anything that you do produce is not gonna be have any value or any worth because it's not going to be coming flowing from life. So what is it that we're supposed to be producing? Well, the branch produces the fruit. So we see the vine is Jesus.

The vine dresser is the father. The branch is believers, and then the fruit. What is the fruit? Well, we we oftentimes think that, well, the fruit is people coming to Christ and that's the fruit or people being disciple and that's the fruit but the reality is god's word tells us that the fruit that we're supposed to be producing is the fruit of the spirit. Galatians chapter five verses twenty two and twenty three says, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

Against such, there is no law. The reality is the fruit is produced in our life, and that fruit is what leads to seeing souls saved and seeing people discipled and seeing lives transformed and changed. But in us, we are supposed to be we are supposed to be fruit bearers. We're supposed to be bearing much fruit. Now, again, this fruit isn't produced by working harder.

This fruit isn't produced by us achieving more and accomplishing more in and of ourselves. I I mentioned going and and dropping our kids off at a camp. That camp was down in Florida, and it was not far from where I used to pastor and planted a church back in in 2000 late two thousand six, early '2 thousand '7. And this church that we planted, we went by and visited it when we were down there in Florida just to kind of see the sites and see around where we used to live and those kind of things. But this church, was unique one thing that was unique about the facility where we met as a church was there was a church that had was about to close that ended up donating their property and their building to us when we launched our new church.

But it was five acres that was carved out in the middle of a 30 acre orange grove. Central Florida used to be covered in orange groves. The area where we lived was was definitely known for orange groves. There's even a big old citrus tower in the middle of the town where you used to be able to go up really high and see all the orchards and see all the orange groves and all the areas but now you go up and you see subdivisions, right? I mean, that's that's pretty much what is there But this orange grove that surrounded our church, I would oftentimes just when I needed to get away and think and pray, would go and kinda walk up and down the aisles of that orange grove and and see the trees.

And and, of course, you saw some trees that were that were heavy bearing fruit. They had much fruit. You had some that were a little more shriveled and didn't have as much fruit. And a lot of that was you'd see this disparaging the differences between the different trees and the amount of fruit being produced. But as I would walk up and down the aisles of that grove, never once did I hear one of those trees, one of those, some of those branches, never once did I hear them grunting.

I never heard them going, oh, let's they weren't they were never pushing. There was never any force. They weren't ever pushing and producing fruit in and of themselves. The reality is, as that branch was connected to the root and the to the to the trunk and the root of that tree and that tree was getting nourishment and getting water and getting the supply, that supply was coming up through those that that that trunk and then going into the branches. Then as that process happened, the natural result was that fruit was produced.

The natural result of the tree being the tree was that the fruit was produced. The same is true in our life. We're not we're not called to produce the fruit, but the fruit is the reality of us being connected to the source, being connected to the life of the vine. And and so how do we do that? What do we how do we get that life?

How do we produce see that fruit producing off? All of us wanna be fruitful as Christ followers, as believers. Well, the key Jesus gives very clearly here, it's not in trying harder. It's not in carrying the weight you weren't intended to carry, but it is found in abiding. It is abiding.

He says here, abide in me and I in you. The word abide, it's the Greek word meno. It it's it it just simply means what you think it means. It means to remain or to stay, to continue to exist and persist. And so Jesus is saying is, hey, you you want to be fruitful.

You want to you want to live this life that I've called you to live. The key to that life is not you trying hard. The key to that life is you abiding. True disciples are connected to Jesus. True true disciples are abiding in Jesus and remain connected to the power source.

They remain connected to him. They rest in him. They they they allow him to nourish them. They allow him to to do the work in their lives and when and allowing him to do the work in their lives, then, they are able to produce fruit. Paul says something in the of in the book of Ephesians.

He speaks of a couple different prayers that he prays for the people that are reading and the people ultimately for us as well and one of those prayers, he prays that that god would be at home in our hearts. That Jesus would be at home in our hearts and literally what he is saying is is is that we would provide a place that our hearts would be in such a a situation, a place where Jesus is a is comfortable abiding in us. Jesus is comfortable living with us. Well, here Jesus is saying the reverse of that. He's saying the way that that that happens is by you abiding in me.

I, you abide in me and I abide in you and so what Jesus is saying is, I want you to rest in me. I want you to be at home in me. I want you to find your comfort in me, your strength in me, not in your own power, not in your own flesh, but find your your your comfort, your sustenance, your life. Find it in me and as we rest in Christ, as we abide in him, then fruit is produced. Fruit will be produced in our life.

And here he gives us the natural results of that abiding. He first of all says in verse number seven that we'll see answered prayer. We'll see answered prayer. He says here, if you ask if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Literally, the idea is that the more connected you are to me, the more in sync and the more in line your desires will be with my desires.

And as the the the nutrients flow back and forth through prayer, then then the results will be that your prayers will be answered because you'll be praying things that are in it in alignment with the will of the father. So a natural result of abiding is answered prayer. Another natural result of abiding is that the father is glorified. The father is glorified. Verse eight, by this, my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

He said, when you when you abide in me and the fruit comes from that and you produce the fruit of the spirit in your life, that fruit is being produced in your life, then, then, the father is glorified. That's when god is honored. That's when god is pleased because again, we see clearly that that it doesn't reflect our power and strength but it reflects the power and strength of god. God delights to see us reflecting his character and he looks for opportunities for us to experience his grace and his goodness in our lives as we abide in Christ. So when we abide, we see answered prayer.

We see the father is glorified, and then the natural outflow will be obedience. It'll be obedience. Verse number 10. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. If if you love me, Jesus is saying, then you're gonna demonstrate obedience.

Obedience, it it it doesn't earn my love, but it's gonna be the natural outflow and the evidence of my love. You see, when we're abiding in the love of Christ, then then we wanna please him. We wanna obey him. We wanna follow him. And so obedience flows as the natural result of us abiding.

We're struggling to do right, struggling to make the right decisions. When we're trying hard, then we're at risk of making the wrong decisions. We're at risk of failing. But when we're abiding in Christ and we're allowing his spirit to work in us, we're allowing him to to give us life, then the natural outflow of that is that we'll walk in obedience, and he will give us the power to obey. Another result of abiding that we see is joy.

Good old joy. Verse number 11. These things I've spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. Jesus wants us to experience joy, not just happiness but joy, an inner joy that that bubbles out of our lives, that bubbles out and that will will be again be evidence that people will be able to see god at work in us, that people will be able to see and experience this joy that flows because again, we're not trying and we're not exerting all of our effort. We're not we're not carrying the weight of the world but instead, we are trusting and we are resting in the work of Jesus and the life of Jesus to do the work in us and through us and so that brings great joy because it's not dependent upon me, but it's dependent upon one who's at work in me, who loves me, and wants to see his best at work in my life.

So the results of abiding, we see answered prayer. The father is glorified. Obedience will be on display. We'll experience the joy of Jesus and be evident to others. And then finally, we'll see that love runs rampant in our life.

Love becomes a key component of our life. Verse number 12. Verse 12, he says, this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. He says, hey, the the this this is the one time that he does give a command and not just a reality but he says, hey, as you abide in me, then then then then I want you to love others. But then he he gives pretty much an impossible task.

He says to love, that you love one another as I have loved you. Man, that's a that's a tall order. He's not just saying love with the world's love or just really like people, but he's saying, want you to love one another with the same love that I have loved you. You can't do that in your own power and strength. I can't do that in my own power and strength.

I am completely dependent upon the life that Jesus gives in order for this kind of love to be a reality in my life. He goes on to explain what this love looks like. He says in verse 13 that it is a sacrificial love, a sacrificial love. Greater love is no man than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. I can't experience that sacrificial love for others in my own power and strength.

But as I abide in Christ, he is able to love others sacrificially through me. Then not only is it sacrificial, the kind of love that Jesus is speaking of here, it's relational. It's relational. Verse number fourteen and fifteen, you are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants for the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends for all that I all that all that I have heard from my father, have made known to you.

Jesus is saying my love for you causes us to move from a a a a lord servant relationship to a friend relationship. Now we know, again, Paul talks about the importance of being a servant, a doulas of Christ, a slave of Christ, and that that is our joy to be able to serve him, to be able to be a slave to him. But Jesus doesn't view us as servants and slaves any longer. He views us as friend. He he called Abraham.

He said, you are a friend. You are my friend. He says here that that I treat you as a friend and I lay my life down for you. And so and so Jesus has the kind of love and wants us to display the kind of love that that is relational, that is more so than than just lording over or pushing back or or or hindering access but is a relational friendship kind of love that we experience with him and that he wants us to experience with one another. The love that Jesus is talking about is sacrificial.

It's relational and then it's also purposeful. It's purposeful. Verse number 16, you do not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask in my in the father, ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you so that you will love one another. He says, hey.

He he says, I chose you. I've I've entered in I have chosen to enter into this friendship and relationship with you because I have a purpose for you. And true love, the kind of love that Jesus wants us display, the kind of love that will be on display when we abide is a love that seeks the betterment of the one being loved. Jesus said, my desire is that you will walk in these things, that you will live these things out. And and so I chose you to do this work.

I chose you to put you in this place of ministry. I chose you to propagate my gospel to the world. I chose you to do these things that you feel impossible to do, that you feel ill equipped to do. I have chosen you, and I am going to give you the life to be able to do what I have called you to do. And you will walk out this calling.

You will walk out this purpose that I have chosen you for, and you will do so as you abide in me. So as we think about this life to which we've been called, as we think about this ministry that God has given to us, may we be faithful not to do it in our own power, our own strength, but may we take this this teaching and take what's Jesus was calling his disciples. May we take the same calling in our lives and may we recognize the importance of abiding in Christ. Being close to the power source or abiding in his word, abiding in prayer, abiding in love, abiding in who he is, and allowing him to work in us so that the natural outflow of that is that his life will run through us. And in so doing, fruit will be produced, and the gospel will go forward, and many will call on the name of the lord.

Many will be discipled, and the world will be changed for the sake and the glory of god, not because of our efforts and our strength, but because of our resting and abiding in the only one, the true vine, the only one that can produce fruit, the only one that can produce life. Let's go to him in prayer today. Dearly father god, we love you, and thank you so much for your goodness. Thank you for your word that instructs us and guides us and helps us walk in all truth. Lord, I pray that we will take these principles and apply them to our life and apply them to our heart and that we will rest in you, abide in you, and allow you to produce fruit in our life, fruit that will remain, fruit that makes a difference, fruit that impacts the kingdom for the glory of God.

Lord, as we pray, we pray today for those that are affected by adoption and the adoption triad. We lift up birth parents, Lord. We lift up those children who need families. We lift up the adoptive families. And, God, we pray that adoption would just be a continue to be a beautiful picture of your redemption story and that that you would work in all different aspects of it.

I pray that you would help us as a ministry to be able to to see more of this take place and to see orphans find their hope and glory in the in in Christ and find their forgiveness of their sin and find new life in Christ. The birth parents would also come to know you as they see this lived out in the families that connect with their children. We pray that for adoptive parents that they, Lord, will will be disciplers of their children and and will live these things out as well. Lord, again, we can't do this in our own power. We can't do it in our own strength, but we abide in you and allow you to do the work in us so that you can also do the work through us.

And we'll give you all the praise and glory. For it's in name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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