Living under the secateurs!

Stories from the vineyard pt 3
John 15 v 1-17
Introduction Tickin sandwich Remember what is the first rule of the vine? If you bear no fruit then God will intervene to discipline. Chatting to person with vine in the greenhouse, the more you pruned the branches, the more fruit you get. More you cut, the more you get!
Love or shear madness?
God intervenes when the branch is bare, bare because of sin, but what does he do when our lives are doing ok, even pretty good?
Jesus in the vineyard, the big branch with little fruit
“every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit” John 15 v 2
This is God’s strategy- to get you to bear more fruit, he will thin, reduce, cut away, not like it! But it is good for us!
Gardener’s plan is less is more!
It is a troubling truth, but if we can get it, it will help us face the trials the world throws at us, and will help us in our growth for God.
Second rule of the vine IF YOUR LIFE BEARS SOME FRUIT, GOD WILL INTERVENE AND PRUNE YOU!
Cut away commitments and priorities that get in the way, and make more room for God, this all leads to maturity, something a lot of us do not have!
My job is to point you to the bible; it is all there.
Pictures of plenty
Disciples knew what Jesus was saying, to get more you have to go against the branch’s natural tendencies, they grow so quick the choke out the sunlight. Result? From a distance the branch looks great, but in reality stunted in growth.
Sound familiar? Are you looked great but stunted in your Christian walk?
The gardener knows, that is why he cuts back so much
We grow in the natural ways of humanity, which doesn’t lead to much. Good things, which become God things which is a bad thing (Idolatry)
Without pruning, our natural tendency to worship is diverted away from God, and we worship elsewhere, kids, job, possession, church, even our own ministries!
Are your prayers all about keeping your comfort and convenience? Or are you asking for God to bless you abundantly by making you more like Jesus?
If it is the latter you are asking for the secateurs!
4 reasons for pruning
Remove dead or dying material, 2. Get the sunlight into the fruit bearing branches, 3. Increase the size and quality of the fruit, 4. encourage more fruit to grow
Has to prune away the wasteful, relationships, prune away the things in life that suck the sunlight, which is usually yourself! Golf, tv, football, phone! He prunes to help you work our what is important, what needs less time so bible gets more time. New fruit? What could you do that would drag you out of your comfort zone? Short term mission, fostering? Helping at the toddler group or Richmond’s hope with a smile on your face?
No matter our age, we can still bear fruit! No matter how busy we are we can still bear fruit, no matter how selfish we are we can still bear fruit, if we let him prune!
Disciplining is all about getting rid of sin
Pruning is all about letting the good that is growing get more space to grow!
Misunderstanding God’s methods.
We may think we have done wrong, but actually we are doing good and we are being treated so we grow more!
Discipline stops when you get out of sin
Pruning stops when God stops, in this you need to let Go and let God, let God do his work in you!
Father and child relationship, grieve, apologise?
Flourishing under the shears?
The more mature the branch, the more pruning it needs!
As you begin to grow, the pruning is about priorities and commitments, the more mature you are, the pruning is about identity and values
Too often we never get this far, the cost is too high, Jesus said many would turn away, but the ones who remained, they changed the world.
The testing of your faith
Every trial is a time to trust, pruning is not taking away, but making room, James 1 v 3-4, testing of faith results in a perfect work
Pruning is to make you like Jesus.
Not a salvation issue, but a growth issue, too many of us stunted, or apathetic, we need to surrender to God’s work and purpose
Refining of us, like gold or silver
Often a push past the last test
C.S. Lewis, God whispers through pleasure and shouts through pain
No season of pruning lasts forever
Consider trials of Paul, he stills bears fruit today!
Tell me where it hurts!
Mum, concentrate there! David, pride, nabal, Abigail, trust in God= greatest king of Israel, submit, lead, endure, trust.
Prime points of pruning
People you love the most 2. Your right to know why 3. Your love of money and possessions 4. The sources of your significance
Grace expectations
Paul veteran of pruning Phil 3 v 7-8, our prayer should be “ Lord let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am”
Your response is everything
My goal is to show you what is already happening, your job is to co-operate with God, when he prunes you, let him work, don’t rebel, don’t let it go to waste. If you let God prune, you can experience joy, comfort and rest knowing he is in control and you will bear much more fruit.
Read ! peter 1 v 6-8, bearing much fruit leads to abiding in him, the best thing there can be!