Returning to the Vine, Part Three: Bearing Fruit (John 15)
Following is my manuscript from Sunday’s final part of my three-part post-COVID series entitled “Returning to the Vine.” You can check out the audio or video here. In addition, click on these links for part one and part two.
Now I know our subject matter the past few weeks has been hard. My wife and I were talking the other day about our first trip to Haiti together - actually when we first started dating. She was serving in the medical clinic. I was over painting somewhere. And she was giving injections. And before each one, she caught herself loudly saying something she’d say back in the states. “Big stick!” Now I kinda wonder what those fluent in English were thinking. Were they about to get clubbed with a tree branch? I’m not sure. But I don’t want these messages coming through that way. I’d rather you see them as a dose of medicine we all need. Not a hard hit to the head. I feel like I need to speak somewhat prophetically into what we’ve all experienced. But I want you to hear it coming from my heart in love.
There’s been so much talk over the past couple of years about getting back to normal. But for millions in America, normal just wasn’t that good. If you follow my wife at all on social media, you’ve learned of her passion for Taco Bell. I don’t understand it much at all. My kids can barely stand another meal. But she loves it.
A couple of years ago, we were on a trip, and we stopped at one in Illinois on the way. They were understaffed. It took forever to get our food. And what we found in our bags was not good. Something was wrong with the oil. Maybe they’d re-used it all year. I don’t know. But it was like normal Taco Bell - just worse.
That’s the way so many in America experienced the pandemic. I quoted our first week together from an article by science writer Ed Wong. He writes these challenging words:
“The coronavirus found, exploited, and widened every inequity that the U.S. had to offer. Elderly people, already pushed to the fringes of society, were treated as acceptable losses. Women were more likely to lose jobs than men, and also shouldered extra burdens of child care and domestic work, while facing rising rates of domestic violence. In half of the states, people with dementia and intellectual disabilities faced policies that threaten to deny them access to lifesaving ventilators. Thousands of people endured months of COVID‑19 symptoms that resembled those of chronic postviral illnesses, only to be told that their devastating symptoms were in their head. Latinos were three times as likely to be infected as white people. Asian Americans faced racist abuse. Far from being a ‘great equalizer,’ the pandemic fell unevenly upon the U.S., taking advantage of injustices that had been brewing throughout the nation’s history.” (Ed Yong)
2020 and 21. Like normal. Just tasting worse - for so many in our country. What’s more is that this season really exposed what was behind the counter in our country. Wong goes on:
“The COVID-19 debacle has also touched - and implicated - nearly every other facet of America society: its shortsighted leadership, its disregard for expertise, its racial inequities, its social-media culture, and its fealty to a dangerous strain of individualism.” (Ed Wong)
Weakness slammed our proud country, exposing all our issues, hurting the weak even more. But here’s maybe the most tragic thing. The American evangelical church, surrounded by millions of hungry people, served up the equivalent of soggy, nasty burritos. The normal. Just even worse. We’ve not largely met the struggles around us with love. The pandemic exposed the church’s issues - every bit as much.
Soon we’ll return to walking slowly through the book of Galatians. But today’s the third and final part of a special mini-series I’ve entitled “Returning to the Vine.” We’ve used John 15 as a lens of sorts as we’ve processed what we’ve all been through over the last year and a half. In our first week, we looked at what we’ve learned about abiding in Jesus. Our second message, two weeks ago, we were reminded of what Jesus teaches about loving one another. Today, we’ll hear His words on bearing fruit for Him.
Here’s the flow we’ll follow this morning. First, we’ll talk about what we’ve all seen. Second, we’ll look at what Jesus calls us to. Third, we’ll look at what our world needs. Fourth, we’ll think about what God might intend.
What We’ve All Seen
First, what we’ve all seen. What symptoms came to the surface during this season from this sickness spreading through American spirituality? Let’s think about this through three lenses. Let’s take first our approach to the pandemic. Christians kicked off things by comparing COVID to the common flu. Everyone seemed to share the “Plandemic” video - if you can remember that - overnight. Things just went downhill from there.
Professing Christians resisted and mocked health orders and officials. They made life miserable for school administrators and teachers. We saw people with Christian T-shirts refuse masks and ridicule distancing, flaunting their liberty, fighting for their rights, while ignoring the concerns of the vulnerable around them. When it became more and more clear that people of color, our elderly population, and essential workers were all suffering and dying at higher numbers, folks just turned their backs or called them necessary losses.
Churches fought to meet, regardless of the risks. They ignored guidelines and kept on going. Christians didn’t think first about the people of their community. We for sure weren’t too concerned about suffering around the world.
Let’s take second our attitude toward injustice. When one police shooting turned into several, those in the evangelical world just dug their heels in more. Refusing to listen. Dismissing concerns. Protesting the protests. High-fiving those in power rather than extending a hand to the powerless.
Not only that, with “itching ears,” we gathered around ourselves teachers who would tell us exactly what we wanted to hear. Those that would preach: “If you say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ you’re supporting that bad organization,” all the while knowing that most black Americans had no affiliation with or affinity for that group. These teachers would proclaim, “Resist the evil teachings of Critical Race Theory,” while they well knew that black Christians and leaders couldn’t care less about CRT. They were just expressing their pain and calling for change.
They mocked social justice, calling it another, false gospel. They labeled anyone who called out oppression “woke” or liberal or Marxist. And these kinds of teachings - that just assure people in the majority that they’re right and good, and encourage them to even more fully stop up their ears - they’re still being spread all over the internet today.
But in doing that, we’re just repeating the mistakes of the past - from the Civil War days, or the Civil Rights era, or the years of Jim Crow. White Christians are saying the same things today: “Stop being a liberal. Just stick to the gospel.” And instead of speaking truth to power and lifting up the weak, we perpetuate the oppression.
Let’s third talk about our pursuit of power. How can we ever forget the “Jesus 2020” signs that were marched through the Capitol on January 6th? Now those posters said less about our love for Jesus then they did about our true desires. That we’d be in power and somehow usher in a Christian nation.
Maybe you’ve heard the term Christian Nationalism. Matthew McCullough defines it as “an understanding of American identity and significance held by Christians wherein the nation is a central actor in the world-historical purposes of the Christian God.” America is a new kind of Israel. Whoever leads us to prosperity is a new kind of Messiah. Jesus just ends up as a means to political power.
From the months leading up to the election to the storming of the capitol and beyond, we haven’t just seen people loving their country, but really worshipping it. We’ve been more committed to a political party and pursuing power for that party than following the King of Kings. As Pastor J.D. Greear recently stated: “Anytime the church gets in bed with politics, the church gets pregnant, and the offspring does not look like our Father in heaven.” Christian Nationalism doesn’t look like our Dad. And it’s far more dangerous than CRT will ever be.
What have we seen over the past couple of years? Throughout America, and even within the church, an almost complete lack of love for neighbor.
What Jesus Calls Us To
Second, let’s look at what Jesus calls us to. First to fruit-bearing mission. Not just love for God. Not even just love for brothers and sisters. But love for our neighbors. Where we call our friends and co-workers into the love of our Triune God.
We glorify God by bearing this fruit. Verse 8 tells us. And we display that we’re truly His as we do. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” He’s chosen us for that reason, says verse 16. “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.” He’s picked us - to go into the world, making disciples, having ministry impact that will last forever.
He calls us to fruit-bearing mission that’s empowered by Him. We see this throughout this passage. In the rest of verse 16: “…so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” Bearing fruit - seeing people around us come to Jesus - comes through His power as we call out to Him in prayer.
Look at verses 4 and 5 again. Jesus calls us to abide. He tells us, if we don’t, we’ll bear no fruit. And then He follows that up with the powerful words of verse 5. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Again, it’s not that we can’t do anything. We can’t do anything of eternal value - apart from Him.
There’s again this invitation to ask in verse 7. And then in the final words of chapter 15, there’s this mention of a Helper. In verses 26 and 27, Jesus tells us He’s giving us His Spirit. So that He can bear witness - to what Jesus has done - through us.
This fruit-bearing mission - that’s empowered by Him - comes with the expectation of suffering. Beginning in verse 18, Jesus reminds us. The world hated Him. It’ll hate us, too. A servant isn’t greater than His Master. If He suffered through it, so shall we. But if they hurt us, it’s not really about us. It’s about Him. Really His Father. And it will show them for who they truly are.
Jesus calls us to fruit-bearing mission, empowered by Him, with the expectation of suffering.
But here’s what’s so tragic. I think what we’re seeing in our American expression of Christianity is very much the opposite of what we see here. Instead of suffering through persecution, we’re often perpetrators of it. Instead of godly works produced by the Spirit, we often erupt from the flesh. And instead of bearing fruit that will last and last, it’s so often of the wrong kind. And it has to grieve the Vine. And the Vinedresser.
Why This Series
But before I go on. You might be wondering why I’m even preaching this series. You might wonder, “Kevin, are you just wanting to dog on Christians in America? Are you just trying to complain? What’s your point?”
Here’s an objective that’s been close to my heart. I want to encourage you and embolden you as we move ahead together. Now it’s not difficult to get discouraged today. What we’ve been through has been hard. Our church coming out of COVID looks different. But let me tell you what I’m seeing. Health and growth, Karis. I think we were pretty well prepared for this crisis - against this deeper disease, that’s spread through our land. I think you’ve largely been immune to it. You’ve had gospel antibodies flowing through your system for some time.
I’ve seen the life of the Vine in you. You’ve taken gift cards to nurses. You’ve learned how to sew just to give masks to kids. You’ve prepared meals for neighbors. You’ve shared Jesus with strangers. You’ve spoken up for the voiceless. You’ve marched against injustice. There’s nothing normal about you. And I know He’s making you even more beautiful. Be encouraged, Karis.
One question we’ve all had about the available vaccines is this. Will we need to get the shots again? Is this like the measles shot where you get it once? Or like the flu shot you go get every year? I want you to think of this series as more like the latter. Like a booster shot. That remind you of what Jesus wants. And of what God’s word says. That continue to inoculate you against this deeper, more dangerous disease. And that leaves you healthy and energetic as we face our world going forward, carrying the gospel from here to the ends of the earth. Be emboldened, Karis.
What Our World Needs
Third, let’s talk about what our world needs. What’s the treatment for this disease? A better, bigger gospel. A greater King and kingdom. Let’s take each of those in turn. We need first a better, bigger gospel.
We often talk here about seeing the gospel from two vantage points. From the ground and from the air. The view from the ground can be summarized this way: God, sin, Christ, response. Our Lord made us and owns us. We’ve turned from Him in rebellion. We’ve sinned. Christ died to bring us back in fellowship with His Father. Our response is to repent of our sins and trust in what He’s done. God, sin, Christ, response. We could call this the gospel of the cross.
But there’s another perspective we can’t forget. The view from the air: creation, fall, redemption, restoration. God made everything, including us. We fell into sin, and the entire creation fell under a curse. Jesus came to earth to redeem it all - you and me, along with everything. One day, He’ll come back and make everything right again. He’ll raise our bodies. He’ll renew this world. Creation, fall, redemption, restoration. This could be called the gospel of the kingdom.
Tim Keller tries to preserve both angles with this helpful definition:
“Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us, rescuing us from judgment for sin into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy our new life together with him forever.” (Tim Keller)
Now both perspectives are so important. If we just emphasize the view from the ground, it just becomes all about us. And our souls. About our faith, our salvation. But if we also understand the view from the air, we’ll look forward to a day when peace and justice reigns. When all ethnic groups will live in harmony. And our bodies will be made whole. We see what the Lord is doing in history, and we sure won’t work against it. We’ll long for it. And labor for it.
But back to the view from the ground. If we’ve truly been forgiven, if the cross of Jesus has changed our lives, what will the fruit of that be? Love, right? We’ll be overwhelmed by His kindness toward us, and it’ll spill out of us to those around us.
We need a gospel that goes wide enough to include the scope of all history and deep enough to transform the darkest parts of our hearts.
Here’s a second thing our world needs: a greater King and Kingdom. I want you to do something with me now. Envision the end. Close your eyes if it will help. Tell me what we’ll see when Jesus returns, what we’ll experience for all eternity.
Who’s on the throne? What’s His name? What’s He like? Jesus! The King of Kings. “The one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.” The lion and the lamb. The Shepherd of our souls. The bridegroom of the church.
Who will be there? Around His throne? What will the crowd look like? Chinese Christians. Iraqi disciples. People from America. Folks from Cuba. Every tribe, tongue and nation. From every era of history. Singing to this King.
Keep going with me. What will His reign look like? His Kingdom? Won’t it be a kingdom of peace? No more wars. No more oppression. No more sickness, pain, or tears. Perfect justice. Right?
What will we be doing in that Kingdom - for ever and ever? Loving Him. Serving Him. Loving others. Serving them, too.
As it’s put in Revelation 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and forever.” That’s the King, the kingdom, the hope and the future, that we should dream of and long for.
Now come back to the present with me. If Jesus is our King - and that’s our kingdom - shouldn’t that change the way we live in America today? If we longed for this King, and this Kingdom, we’d worry less about being in power here and now. We’d be far more willing to serve those around us.
And it would go a long way in making Christianity beautiful again. America is not our home. It’s not our hope. Some may say “America first,” but Jesus tells us to seek His kingdom above everything. Neither Trump nor Biden nor Obama nor Reagan - none of them - are our King. And they never will be. We’re not about the elephant or the donkey. We’re children of the Lamb.
Brothers and sisters, let’s no longer sell our souls. Let’s no longer trade down. We have Jesus and a kingdom that will last forever. That’s what the world needs. It’s what we need.
What God Might Intend
Fourth, let’s consider what God might intend. We believe God is sovereign - even over suffering. Even over big suffering like COVID. And He has a purpose for it all. Even if we can’t see it. Or understand it. But we do know He works for His glory in the earth. And He works for the good of His people.
Don’t forget: there’s another important character in this story. Right? The Vinedresser. And what is He doing? He’s caring for the vine. Hear verse 2 again: “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.” He’s doing two things. Taking some branches away. Judging them. Verse 6 says he throws them into the fire. And He’s pruning others. Cutting them back so they grow back healthier. And what’s the main factor here - in why He’s cutting some away and cutting some back? It has to do with fruit.
Verse 8 says that shows whether or not we’re a disciple. Jesus is removing from His church people who aren’t really His, those who are bearing bad fruit.
And for those who are bearing fruit, but not as much as they could be, He cuts them back. Why? So more fruit can be produced. That’s what the Vinedresser is doing.
As we look around in America, churches are getting taken away. And others are getting cut back. That’s what’s happening in people in those churches, also. Some are leaving, never to return. Some are coming out of this suffering wounded, but different. And it all has to do with transforming a people to produce kingdom fruit. He’s cleaning up - and cleaning out - His church.
What also could God be doing - here in America - through this crisis? Perhaps bringing clarity to our purpose. Who’s really our King? Whose Kingdom are we about? What gospel do we proclaim? Do we really grasp His love? Enough that others experience it through us? Or is it just a sham? He’s also reviving - refocusing - I believe, our mission.
How We Might Respond
Like the other weeks, here are four questions for you to consider as we close.
First, as you look at your life over the past couple of years, what are ways you need to repent? How have you been caught up in the spirit of our age?
Second, how might God be calling you back into fruit-bearing mission? What are ways you’ve served in your own strength? How have you shied away from mission out of fear?
Third, how does your understanding of the gospel need to change? Have you placed too much hope in the kings and kingdoms of this world?
Fourth, what are ways you might sense God pruning you? How might He be growing you? Or how might He be revealing to you that you’re not a Christian at all?
Bearing Fruit Through the Vine
There was another big purpose I had in mind for this series. If you missed that first week, I talked about the power of a crisis to disrupt and awaken. I reminded us of the growth that can emerge from struggle. How might God want to use these last couple of years to wake us up? How could the Lord have something much better for us than just normal?
Earlier I said I hoped this series would encourage us and embolden us. I’ve also hoped that God might revive us and grow us.
A few weeks back, I quoted Ray Ortlund. His wife interviewed him on her podcast, and he talked about how God used the trials of the sixties to bring revival in America. Jani then asked him how we should respond to today. And what Ray said was simple and profound. He said to ask for big things. Call out to God and ask Him to revive us. And transform our land. And then get down to doing the little things. Being faithful. Abiding in Him. Loving our church. And yes, loving our neighbors well.
Maybe our Lord would want to bring us back to those basic things. Clinging to the vine and producing fruit that lasts.
Here’s the truth, church. And our hope. Jesus is still the Vine, the source of our life. He invites us to abide. He’s made us His branches. He’s brought us into this family of love. And He’s called us to bear fruit. He’s sent us out, empowered by His Spirit, to point others to His life. And His Father is still the Vinedresser. He’s tending to His vine. He’s pruning it back. He’s making us new. He’s not concerned much with normal.
This has been a rough season. But summer is here. This isn’t the first crisis in world history. God’s still sitting on His throne. May this wake us up. May it bring gospel growth. May it encourage us and embolden us as we move ahead. In love for our neighbors. Let’s pray.