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What a danger it is in our world to be deceived into religion. Praying a prayer doesn’t save you, getting baptized doesn’t save you, paying a tithe doesn’t save you.
As Jesus addresses the 11 disciples after Judas Iscariot had left them, he shares the core truth of identifying true disciples: do they bear fruit? We will see that he also offers the key to fruit bearing as found in the command “remain in me.”
Observations:
1 – Jesus is the True Vine
2 – Bearing fruit is the issue
3 – Jesus’ intention is to work His will through you
4 – A disciple’s purpose is to bring God glory
Conclusion:
The key to true discipleship is bearing fruit, and key to bearing fruit is remaining in Jesus
Application:
How to remain in Jesus:
Step #1 – You stop calling the shots – truth is no longer what you say it is, its what God says
Step #2 – Obey the Spirit
Step #3 – Practice community-guided and truth-focused course correction
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Mark 8:38
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
John 8:24
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
John 8:31
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”