## Our Three-Fold Relationship

## John 15:1-27

Who am I? That depends upon our relationship. For most of you, I am your pastor. To my family who I am depends on the family member; to some I am brother, uncle, father, husband, or grandfather. However, I am also a friend, co-worker, and brother in Christ. This isn't just true of me…it is true of all of here tonight. Who we are depends upon our relationships. In our passage this evening the Lord is explaining some things to His disciples. If you are a child of God, then this also applies to you. He is talking about relationships. It is important for us to understand our relationship to others. Failure to do so will result in our being ineffective in this world. Note our three-fold relationship.

I. Our Relationship to Christ: v1-11

A. Is one of Life.

1. "I am the vine…ye are the branches"

a. The connection is vital to have life.

b. Each branch is made a partaker of the life that is in the vine.

c. Without that connection, there can never be life.

2. So, by His grace we are made partakers of His Divine nature.

1Jo 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

3. Note that the life we speak of is eternal life. 4. Note also that this life is in His Son…Jesus

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

B. Is one of total dependence.

1. "Without me ye can do nothing"

a. The primary purpose of the vine is not to simply to supply life to the branch so to maintain its existence…

b. But the vine supplies the necessary nourishment so that the branch can bear fruit.

c. For that to take place…the vine and the branch must remain intact.

2. To be fruitful unto God, we must moment by moment abide in Christ.

3. As His Word and His Spirit abides in us, we can then bear fruit unto His glory and according to His purpose.

1Jo 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

4. Paul declares that with this Divine spiritual empowerment…and indwelling…we can do all things.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

C. Is one of great possibilities

1. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." v7

a. What a promise!

b. Ask what ye will and it shall be done!

c. Talk about power in prayer!

d. But this isn't some catch phrase to pounce upon so we can be rich beyond our imagination…

e. This is God's perfect will for us.

2. None of us have ever realized all of our spiritual potential.

3. Our union with Christ brings the things which are impossible with men…within our reach.

4. The purpose of this promise is seen in v8

Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

II. Our Relationship to One Another. v12-17

A. Is one in Christ.

1. Every branch is filled with the same life-giving and life-sustaining fluid, and is dependent upon the source.

2. As believers, if we have nothing else in common…we have the same Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

3. Therefore we are one in Christ.

B. Is one in Love

1. Jesus said, 'Love one another, as I have loved you.'

a. His love was unmerited, unselfish, and unending.

b. His love was self-sacrificing…not me-first

2. We love Him because He first loved us.

a. If His love is in us…we will not wait to be loved before we love others.

b. We will love first…

3. Our love for one another is to be our identification to the rest of the world.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

4. Our greatest example of love is given in v13

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

C. Is one in Purpose

1. 'I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit.' v16

2. We have but one Master and one purpose in this life: to glorify God.

3. How…by bearing fruit…what does that mean?

a. What does it mean for an apple tree to bear fruit?

b. What about a tomato plant?

c. We know what it means…we must be multiplying ourselves.

d. Seeing others come to Christ.

4. Remember the source is not the branch…it is the Vine!

III. Our Relationship to the World. v18-27

A. Is one of separation.

1. We have been chosen out of the world.

a. It isn't that we are better than the world, because we aren't.

b. But we should be different!

c. We are new creatures in Christ.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2. We have been called out.

a. Called and chosen for a purpose.

b. That purpose we have already seen.

c. We have been called by His grace, cleansed by His blood, and filled with His Spirit.

1Jo 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

B. Is one of opposition.

1. Note v19, "… I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

2. The moment we believed, and transformation took place.

1Jo 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

3. As a result, the world is now in opposition to us.

Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

4. As long as we are in this world, there will be opposition…but we have the promise of God to encourage us.

Mt 5:11-12, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

C. Is one of expectation.

1. We are expected to be witnesses.

Joh 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

2. Jesus commissioned us to be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

3. The more we know Him, the better witness we will be.

Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

How is our relationship? Our relationship with Christ…with other believers…with this world? Perhaps we need to come tonight and get some things accomplished at this altar. Whatever the need will you come?