Saturday, May 11, 2013

Sketch note : Abiding... 3 Branches...

Sketch note Sermon: Dr Foo Fung Fong: 
12 May 2013, Wesley Methodist Church Singapore
Staying Spiritually Aligned by Constantly Abiding in Christ

The text was John 15:1-6

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Context:
this was Jesus last teaching to his disciples
He had just shared with them 4 shocking blows.
1) He had washed their feet: something no master would ordinarily do: task for the lowliest of slaves.
2) He had told them "one of you will betray me"
3) He had prophesied "one of you will deny me three times"
4) He had told them, "I am going to leave you: Where I am going you cannot follow  now"

Jesus uses a common agricultural metaphor that the disciples could well understand: that of the grape vine.

I am the vine; remain in me
You are the branches.
my Father is the gardener

 Of this portion of his teaching we can identify three branches
I) Positioned to Grow
II) Positioned to Bloom
III) Placed in his Presence


I) Positioned to Grow
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.
The key phrase is  "every branch in me"
Implicit is the fact that we need to be "In Christ"
Placed within him we are positioned to grow.

A viginette of the life of John Newton:
worldly slave trader prayed to God during a storm at sea and was saved, converted:
 Later wrote "Amazing grace"
Became a church pastor:
Helped William Wilberforce end slavery in Engand.

Beset by fading health in the last two years of his life, even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends:

My memory is nearly gone;
but I remember two things;
That I am a great sinner, and
that Christ is a great Saviour.

John Newton was embedded in Christ
He was positioned to grow.

Take home message 1
When you are "In Christ" you are positioned to grow.




II) Positioned to Bloom
Every branch attached to the vine will be pruned;
Dead, dying and diseased parts will be cut off.
Less is more:
Eg Joseph the dreamer and his multi-coloured coat
Pruned: Stripped, cast into prison.
             Works his way up to Potiphar's household
             Cast into prison V2.0 on account of Mrs Potiphar's false accusation.
             Interprets dreams for baker and cupbearer
             But cupbearer "forgot" about Joseph for a very long time
Pruning process removed pride: allowed Joseph to mature.






David, appointed and annointed to be king.
But Saul was murderously jealous.
David had to run for his life
This was pruning time for David

The timing of the pruning usually is in winter, during the barren season

Take home message 2
Are you in crisis?
Facing closed doors?
Is there pain in your life?
Are you experiencing a season of "winter"?
Going through a desert experience?

Take heart: this could be your pruning time
God has a special interst in you
He will bring you to a point where you can bear much fruit
 You are positioned to Bloom

III) Placed in his Presence
"ABIDE" in me.
The root word is μενω
3306 meno men'-o a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.

It is given both as a command and as a relationship.

Mama Maggie Gobran of Cairo said,
"The hardest task of a leader is to get to know the Almighty and to keep your heart pure." One way to do that, she said, is through silence. There "you discover a taste of eternity." Her means:
"Silence your body to listen to words.
"Silence your tongue to listen to thoughts.
"Silence your thoughts to listen to your heart beating.
"Silence your heart to listen to your spirit.
"Silence your spirit to listen to His Spirit."

We need to continually be in God's presence.
Only when we abide in him can we bear fruit

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