Help!  God Has His Pruning Knife!
John 15:1-17

            We all have problems, but sometimes they gang up on us and we begin to wonder what on earth we did to deserve this!  However, when we look around we begin to notice that everyone has problems, and it is just part of life.

            But why is it part of life?

I. The problem of sin

            When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, mankind fell from innocence and from then on, everyone is born with a sinful nature.  It’s not our fault, but it is our responsibility to line up with God’s will for our lives.

II. The problem of Satan

            Satan hates God, and you and I belong to God.  Therefore, we are an object of Satan’s wrath.

III. The problem of our will

            Each of us is born with a free will.  Because we also have a fallen – or sinful – nature, the battle is on.  Will we line up with God, who calls us to holiness and self-sacrifice, or will we join up with Satan, who pushes us to follow our sinful nature?  It’s a serious battle!

            As a rule, our problems are not caused by other people.  They are caused by our “normal” desires that are contrary to God’s will, or they are caused by satanic forces seeking our destruction.

Problems are a part of life – we all know that, and usually do not take them too seriously… unless they “gang up on us” by too many coming too soon! Then we start to take it personally. The usual question is, “What did I do to deserve this!”

Let’s admit it. Most of us know to do better than we do. Jerry Lambert tells about a school teacher that lost her life savings in a business scheme that had been elaborately proposed by a swindler.

When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. 

"Why on earth didn't you come to us first?" the official asked. "Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?"

"Oh, yes," said the lady sadly. "I've always known about you.  But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it."

The folly of human nature is that even though we know where the answers lie--God's Word--we don't turn there for fear of what it will say.

So, with our human nature being what it is, like a vine growing in a garden, God has to prune us now and then so we can be increasingly effective for Him.

            In our scripture from John 15, Jesus explains the relation of a disciple to Himself. Remember, if you are saved, you are a disciple. The 12 were called apostles.

Jesus is the vine; God’s work is the vineyard.

The Amplified Bible states, “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.  You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].

            Although it may seem like it, the pruning process is not punishment. God loves us and cares for us. But as any good gardener knows, plants have to be pruned… gardens have to be weeded in order to be more productive.

Three things are required to make a good garden.

1. The right kind of vine or tree must be planted. No fruit can be better than the vine that produces it.  Jesus is the true vine – it does not get any better than that!

Our “good fruit” will be the result of our being connected to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can make a long list of things that represent the fruit of a Christian… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22, 23)

            Also included would be the gifts listed in Romans 12 – prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, leadership and showing mercy.

            Simply put, bearing fruit is living for others like Jesus did!

Why Prune?

Pruning improves the health and strength of a vine. Pruning involves removing diseased or insect-infested wood. It also involves thinning the crown to increase airflow and reduce pest problems, and removing crossing or rubbing branches. Pruning encourages trees to develop a strong structure and reduces the likelihood of damage during severe weather. All of these actions encourage growth of the main trunk.

As we are pruned in our spiritual lives, we must "seek those things which are above" (Colossians 3:1).  Paul instructs us, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). These attitudes and actions are things that "rub" against God's ways, much like the branches in trees.

Our pruning must be extensive for us to grow in God's character. "You yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:8-10).

God's pruning process uses the circumstances in our lives to help us grow in His character and appearance. Even Jesus Christ was pruned.  Hebrews 5:8-10 tells us, "He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." Vincent Word Studies says that "Jesus did not have to learn to obey... but He required the special discipline of a severe human experience as a training for His office as a high priest who could be touched with the feeling of human infirmities... The fundamental idea in verse nine perfected is the bringing of a person or thing to the goal fixed by God."

2. A good gardener is required.  God the Father is the gardener.  Good gardens require good soil and good seed, but without a skilled gardener or farmer, you will still have a poor crop. The relation of the believer to God is that of the vine to the owner of the vineyard. He tends it, waters it, and endeavors to protect it and cultivate it so that it will produce its maximum yield.

 In verse 3 Jesus notes that they were “already clean” through “the word I have spoken to you.” "Clean" recalls Jesus' statement to the disciples at the foot washing (John 13:10), where He singled out Judas as one who was not clean. "Clean" does not mean "perfect" but illustrates a sincere devotion and commitment to Christ that puts God’s will for our lives ahead of our will.

Judas was an example of a branch that was cut off.

            The primary method that God uses to prune or clean us is the Word of God. God uses the scriptures to condemn sin, inspire holiness, and promote growth. As the Holy Spirit applies God’s word to our lives and we submit to the Word, we undergo a pruning process that removes evil and conditions us for further service.

            Failure to submit to this cleaning process may set us up for disciplining at a later time.

3.  Fruit bearing is automatic as we remain in union with the vine.

            However, uniformity of quantity and quality is not promised. We all have different gifts and strengths. And the scriptures teach, “To whom much is given, much is required."  But if the life of Christ permeates a disciple, fruit will be inevitable.

An absolutely fruitless life is proof positive that one is not a believer. Jesus leaves no place among His followers for fruitless disciples. The only option for such people is to be thrown away and burned.

            Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”

How do we maintain this vital connection with Christ?

Through obedience and prayer!

        As Christians we have responsibilities; however, this should not be unduly stressful, for God is working through us. If your ministry wears you out, you are carrying too much responsibility!  God expects us to use the talents and gifts He gave us for His glory.  However, it should be God working in and through us, not us providing a super-human effort.

Just as Jesus glorified God by His life, so His disciples will glorify God by theirs.  Incidentally, our relationship with Christ should be marked by love and joy.

If we do not love God and each other, we are not Christ’s.  Jesus said that they (the unsaved) would know that we are His disciples “because we love one another.”

How Do We Put this in Action?

Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful." Beyond Hunger, Beals

It was a stormy night in Birmingham, England, and Hudson Taylor was to speak at a meeting at the Severn Street schoolroom. His hostess assured him that nobody would attend on such a stormy night, but Taylor insisted on going. "I must go even if there is no one but the doorkeeper." Less than a dozen people showed up, but the meeting was marked with unusual spiritual power. Half of those present either became missionaries or gave their children as missionaries; and the rest were faithful supporters of the China Inland Mission for years to come.  W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, p. 242.

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory."  We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table-- 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.'  But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.'  Go to a committee meeting.  Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home.  Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious.  It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at time.  It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul." Darryl Bell

As we approach the Communion Table let us examine our lives… and our motives.  Is God asking us to change the focus in our lives?  Does He desire more of our attention?  Most of us are very good at doing several things at once. Recently I read about a man that could write Greek with his left hand while writing Latin with his right hand - at the same time.

Certainly not one of my gifts… but I do get to doing so many things that nothing gets done right.  And that is what God has been dealing with me about.

What about you?  What is God asking of you?