The Dynamic Duo of Abiding

Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone.

And now here's a message from Pastor Chris Roseberg.

John 15:1-8 and the Dynamic Duo of Abiding

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, chapter 15, verses 1 -8. Jesus said, I am the true vine, my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers.

And the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

This is the gospel of the Lord. Think with me for a second about a few of the great dynamic duos of our time. Two things that go together always. I would point out first and foremost the thing I discovered as far as an amazing dynamic duo all the way when I was a little tyke, peanut butter and jelly.

Of course I'm going to date myself here. Another fantastic dynamic duo the captain and Tennille. And then of course always the two that are thought to go together are Batman and Robin. Now the reason I'm saying this I want you to think about this.

Doctrine and Life Must Stay Together

What our Lord said in our gospel text and specifically what John writes in our epistle text point out an amazing dynamic duo that must go together in order for us to continue to abide in Christ. And abiding is the big deal because as Christ says the one who doesn't abide in him is like a branch that is not fruitful and dies and the Father comes and clips that thing off.

And so we don't want that happening with us. Now in order to help us better frame this I would consider a text outside of our epistle text in 1st Timothy chapter 4 verses 15 and 16 the apostle Paul writing to young pastor Timothy says this be diligent in these matters give yourself holy to them so that everyone may see your progress.

Watch your life and your doctrine closely life and doctrine closely persevere in them plural because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers and I have to say this that there are parts of the visible church today that do not heed these words regarding this amazing and important dynamic duo they will choose one or the other or neither they end up breaking the tension.

Have you ever spoken with a Christian who says these words doctrine doesn't matter. Doctrine only divides. That's head knowledge and we love from the heart. It really doesn't matter what somebody believes what matters is what they do.

You see that's like taking peanut butter and separating it from jelly. That's not a sandwich. I don't care who you are. You can't have either doctrine or life. The two must stay together. And so with that let's return to our epistle reading in 1st John chapter 4 and for the first 11 verses I'm going to be reading from my translation so that you don't figure out what you think what's he reading from.

And the reason for it again is because I think by putting it in a less polished format it will help us a little bit. Here's what John writes. And remember the context. The church there in Ephesus had been torn apart by the Corinthianites.

The Corinthianites believed Platonic philosophy and therefore denied that Jesus is the Christ in human flesh because that doesn't fit with Plato's philosophy. And they had literally torn the church apart.

There were a whole group of them that literally left the church following after this fellow's false doctrine. And so building then on what we've been talking about for the past few weeks. John writes then to us Christians beloved.

What a great word. Beloved. Isn't that a fascinating word. We sang about it. And I was a little disappointed with Roger that he didn't put in the hand claps. But it's a little bit of an inside joke. If you know that song there's a part where you... never mind.

But the idea is that beloved is who we are in Christ. That is an amazing thing. Consider that word. Don't let it just roll past you. You are in Christ as we will hear later in this text that we don't love God.

We didn't love Him first. We love because He first loved us. And so we are beloved in Christ. And here's an imperative then in the Greek DO NOT BELIEVE in an imperative it's really strong. It's like a red flashing light big bold letters.

All caps underlines DON'T BELIEVE EVERY SPIRIT. But test. Test the spirits if they are from God. Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Now on a first reading this might seem a little confusing.

Test the spirits. How am I supposed to do that. Well let's get out the ghost hunters. We'll get our EMF reader and we'll start working the crowd here and we'll see if anyone has a bad spirit. Yeah it's not gonna work.

That's not how we do this. And so test every spirit is a way of saying test every teacher. Test everybody who's coming to you bringing teaching or doctrine. If you think of it this way when the Titanic sank they said how many souls were lost.

In the same way we think about it this way test every spirit. Test somebody's soul. How do you test someone's soul is the important question. And we'll get to that in a minute. And so in noting this there's this expectation this expectation we are going to test these things.

And note the Syrinthian Knights important note here they were following a philosophical teacher. They were not known for being a charismatic sect. They were not a group that believe that they were receiving direct revelation from God.

Instead they were following a man who claimed that philosophy was the reason for rejecting that Jesus was the Christ. And so yet the warning here it's fascinating classifies the Syrinthian Knights as Syrinthians itself as a false prophet as false prophets.

Consider this for a second. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. When we think of a prophet we think of somebody who gets direct revelation. That's a very narrow sense. And you're going to know in this text that it's using a definition for profit.

That is a lot wider because Syrinthus wasn't claiming direct revelation from God. Instead he was claiming he was teaching something contrary to the written word of God contrary to the apostolic doctrine.

So when you see the word prophet in scripture you have to ask yourself is it discussing prophecy in a wide sense or a narrow sense. In the narrow sense it's a person claiming direct revelation. In the wide sense it would apply to all teachers in the church.

So in the wide sense you can say all pastors are prophets. And you kind of have to put it in air quotes. And the reason why is this is because I actually am coming to you today to bring you words from God.

Where did I get these words. Is the next question. Well God doesn't talk to me in here. Nor does he speak in my ears or talk to me in my head. God speaks to me through the written word. Same with you.

So if I am teaching something contrary to the written word of God in the wide sense then I would be a false prophet. And so now you're starting to understand how to test the spirits how to test the prophets all of the prophets whether in the narrow or the wide sense.

And so that's important for us to keep this in mind verse 2. So in this then you know the spirit of God. Every spirit who knows the word confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. That's the key to unlocking.

So we're supposed to imperative test all the spirits. Not all the spirits are from God. We're talking about everybody who's teaching. How then are you to test. Because I can't see your soul. I can't see your spirit.

But the thing I can do is test your words. The Greek word for confess is hama legeo. Hama same legeo to say so the person who says the same thing as scripture is from God. The person who says words that are different they have a different confession.

They're not from God. Now you'll note in our order of service Sunday after Sunday after Sunday what's the first thing we do. Once the sermon is finished we rise and we confess our faith in one of the the major three creeds apostles creed Nicene creed.

Once a year we pull out the Athanasian creed and that comes after the sermon. Why do we do this. The reason why we do this is in fulfillment of this command here in 1st John 4 to test all the spirits.

Which means you constantly need to be testing what I am saying. If what I said from the pulpit is different than what you confess in the creed you know that what I have said is not from God. Does that make sense.

So if I were to stand here in the pulpit and say listen we live in the 21st century. Why on earth should we believe that silly myth that God created the world in six days you'd sit there and go. Hmm you see.

And then as soon as I said that and I was done with that sermon we would stand up and we would say I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth. One of these things is not like the other.

One is saying the same thing as scripture. The other is saying something contrary. And so this is what's going on. Then in this text we are again to test the spirits. How do we test the one the spirit who confesses who says the same thing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

This is from God. Every spirit that does not confess homily ghetto say the same thing. And here's the fun part in the Greek every spirit that does not confess the Jesus that's what the Greek says. It doesn't say just Jesus.

The spirit every spirit that does not confess the Jesus is not from God. But this is the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now in the world. Consider these words in verse 3 then very carefully by putting the emphasis by saying the one that does not confess the Jesus that opens it up to a little bit of a broader interpretation.

So the one who says to you Jesus really didn't rise from the grave that's not the Jesus. The one who says the Jesus really isn't God in human flesh that's not the Jesus. This person who says Jesus really wasn't born of the Virgin Mary that's not the Jesus.

That's a different Jesus altogether. And note then what the words say. Every spirit that does not confess say the same thing regarding the Jesus is not only not from God. This is the Antichrist which you have heard is now coming and is already in the world.

Now when we think about the Antichrist we think about that the last guy the man of lawlessness who exalts himself above everything that is called God and it puts himself in the very temple of God at the top of it the heap the whole world bows down and worships him.

John is saying that everybody who presents themselves in the church as a teacher prophet in the wide sense who does not confess the Christ is already doing. The man of lawlessness work here in the church and we are to be on our guard.

So you though verse 4 you are from God little children. Comforting words. Beloved little children. And you have overcome them. The little Antichrist because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

They are from the world. Which is the reason why by the way they don't say the same thing as scripture. They don't confess the Jesus. They are from the world. Therefore what they speak is from the world.

And unfortunately for this the world listens to them. And so you'll know that the emphasis in the opening part of chapter 4 then is on the doctrine. But John doesn't leave off with only the doctrine. We talked about the dynamic dual so important to note notice the emphasis on the words the doctrine the confession.

They are from the world. They speak from the world. The world listens to them. We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us. Whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

So beloved let us love one another. And there's our song. But note he's changed the topic. But not really because doctrine and life go together. If you confess the Jesus you truly believe in him. That will result in you doing something different than what the world does.

The world is all about me. The world is all about what I can get from it. Or as the bumper sticker says the one who dies with the most toys wins. Right. Have you seen that. It's a horrible bumper sticker.

But you know that's kind of the way the world works. But scripture says because you are in Christ because you confess the Jesus that this results in a radical change in you. And that change is wrought by the Holy Spirit.

You are regenerated brought back to life from the dead spiritually. And now you begin to bear fruit because you are abiding in Christ. The one who abides in him think of that abiding as doctrine will bear much fruit.

Jesus says. And that fruit is our good works. So the two must stay together. So beloved. Here's that word again let us love one another because the love is from God. And all who love have been born of God and know God.

The one who does not love does not know God because God is love. So note that within this chapter two totally different tests two totally different streams. It's Batman and Robin peanut butter and jelly the captain into Neal doctrine and life.

You have sound doctrine but you don't love your neighbor. You're not a Christian. I'm sorry you say you're a Christian but you believe in a different Jesus. You're not a Christian. You're something different.

And we are admonished by this text to constantly test. Test the doctrine. Test the life. You don't love. You hate. You will not pray for your enemies. You will not love them. You don't even love the people in church.

We've got a problem. Scripture here clearly says you're not from God and you don't even know him. How can you say that you're a Christian without love for each other. And that's the whole point. Something's gone wrong with the doctrine.

Then if you believe in a Jesus that does not require you to love one another you're not believing in the Jesus. So in this the love of God was revealed to us that God sent his only begotten son into the world so that we might live through him.

In this the love not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And John here is picking up on some of the same themes that the apostle Paul writes about in the book of Romans that God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were yet sinners while we were enemies of God Christ died for our sins.

And if while we were enemies Christ died for our sins then you'll note that everything begins with Christ. Everything with begins with God. It's not that we loved. It's that God loved us. And because he loved us we now love him.

And now we love each other. If that's not what you think Christianity is about then I have to ask the question what Jesus are you believing in. Who is this Jesus that you believe in that would not admonish you to love because you are loved.

The two must go together. You think of Jesus's parable of that fellow who owed the bazillion dollars to a king who upon being forgiven that debt a debt there was no way he could repay went out and grabbed a servant of his and practically choked him to death over about a month's wages that he owed him and put him in prison.

You see we love because we are loved and that's John's point. So in this the love of God is revealed. God sent his only begotten son into the world in order that we might live through him. This is the love not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins beloved.

If God loved us in this way and he has then we ought to love one another. And it's important kind of word here in the Greek we ought to love. The Greek word has a fascinating sense to it. It's it's the Greek word that is used for when somebody owes another person a debt to be indebted to someone in a financial sense or to be under obligation to meet certain or social moral expectations.

And so John literally saying if God loved us in this way and he has then we ought we actually owe a debt to each other to love one another the therefore of the gospel. And so then think about our gospel text.

Abiding in Christ Means Bearing Fruit

Think about our gospel text in John chapter 15 in light of this idea of the dynamic dual doctrine and life and see how it works then with what Jesus says. John chapter 15 verse 1. Jesus said I am the true vine.

My father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit he prunes. The person who says I believe in Jesus and does not love is that very branch.

They say they confess Christ but they persist in hatred towards their neighbor and persist in making a practice of sin and persist in thinking about things the way the world does and making it all about themselves.

That is a fellow that does not bear any good fruit despite confessing Jesus be very careful. And Jesus says this already you are clean. The father prunes those by the way who do bear fruit. I'll just make a little bit of a note here the pruning part painful.

That's all I need to say. It's really painful. And if you feel like God's pruning you just been there done that and he continues to do so we thank God for his pruning so that we would bear even more fruit.

And Jesus says already then you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. So abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me.

And so this talks then about both doctrine and life. You cannot abide in Christ while denying what scripture says about who Jesus is. You cannot abide in Christ and believe in a different Jesus than the one revealed in scripture.

It's impossible. The book the doctrine is what gets you in to the vine. If you would in the first place. And if you truly believing in the true Jesus you're going to bear good fruit because Jesus is bearing that fruit through you.

Notice who's in the driver's seat when it comes to bearing fruit he is not you. So abide in me. I'm the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit from.

Apart from me you can do important word nothing nothing apart from Jesus. You can do nothing. It doesn't say apart from Jesus. You can do a few things apart from Jesus. You can do a handful of things apart from him.

You can do nothing. And this makes perfect sense. He is our God. Did you create yourself. Does he create the air that you breathe the wood that makes the pews that you're sitting on. Is there anything in your life that you can taste see touch or smell that does not have its origin in Christ.

There isn't a single thing that is apart from me. You could do nothing if it weren't for me you wouldn't even exist. You exist because of me. You continue to exist because of me. Apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus says if anyone does not abide in me he's thrown away like a branch and it withers and the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire and they are burned. That is a thinly veiled reference to hell.

If you abide in me and here are the words and my words abide in you. If you abide in me and my words abide in you. Which words. All of the words of scripture all of them they all point to Jesus. By the way do you remember a few weeks ago we read the text regarding the transfiguration of our Lord.

I want you to consider this for a second. A lot of pastors and I've even made this point myself. Put the emphasis on the fact that Moses was there representing the Torah. Elijah was there representing the prophets.

But remember the third group. Three of the apostles were there representing the apostles. All of the representative groups of the entire scripture were there. Moses Elijah and the apostles Torah prophets apostles.

And they all heard the voice and the voice said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. All representative groups from the whole scriptures it's all about Christ abide in him.

You do not abide in Jesus. If you don't believe who he claims to be you don't. You don't abide in Jesus at all. If you've made a Jesus of your own making you don't abide in him at all. If you think that somehow the forgiveness of sins means that you can go about and mistreat each other and tear them down and live for yourself.

That's not the same Jesus. And Jesus gives a very stern warning. The sternest you can get you who want to abide in me who do not bear good fruit. The father's going to clip you off and throw you into hell.

This is not a feel-good text but this is exactly what Jesus is saying which causes us all to get on our knees and ask the important question Lord Jesus where are the ways in which I have not believed who you are and have acted contrary to what your word expressly teaches as far as how I am to love those around me brothers sisters in Christ even my pagan neighbors and Lord have mercy on me and forgive me.

Oftentimes think the pruning part is coming to recognize just how far short we fall daily in loving God believing him and loving our neighbors. So if you abide in me and my words abide in you ask whatever you wish Jesus says and it will be done for you.

And the reason why it will be because when Christ's words abide in you you will not ask things of God according to the way the world thinks. You will ask for things from God according to the way Christ thinks and according to his will.

So this is by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Listen to that in verse 8 how is God the father glorified by our good works. That's how he's glorified.

Read the writings of the ancient church fathers. Read the writings of the ancient Romans when Christianity was just getting started. And what over and over again do you see. Regarding the Roman world's reaction to the Christians.

We don't know what to make of them. One Roman author said each and every one of them acts as if they do not have a homeland here on this earth as if they're just sojourning through. When cursed they bless when beaten and mistreated they pray for their enemies.

They will not. They will not forsake Jesus. And despite the fact that their confession will lead to them being killed for their faith they gladly lay down their lives rather than to deny Jesus. And they love each other.

They do not engage in sexual promiscuity. They don't do all the things that our world does. There's something different about that group. You think of the world that we live in today. The world that we live in today teaches us to hate our enemies.

To defeat them. To crush them to mock them to tear them down. People who disagree with us report them to Facebook so they'll be blocked. Ban them from Twitter. Get them fired from their jobs. This is what the world teaches us to do.

And it's happening in spades. Christ says this love one another. Pray for those who persecute you. By this the Father is glorified. Which begs the question how much glory has my life brought to Christ.

And to the Father. How about yours. I understand this is law. But that's what this text is preaching. That's what Jesus is saying. So let us again repent of our short sightedness. Repent of believing like the world believes and thinking the way the world thinks and behaving in a selfish and satanic manner.

And let us again be forgiven. Let us again hear those words from John that says that we love because he first loved us. And Christ has laid down his life so that we may be forgiven because of his great love for us.

And therefore through the cross not only securing for us a right standing with God but leaving us an example that we are to follow taking up our cross and following him doctrine and life. It's even better than peanut butter and jelly.

Even more beautiful than Captain and even more powerful than Batman and Robin in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Kungsvinger Lutheran Church 15950 470th Avenue Northwest Oslo Minnesota 56744 and again that address is Kungsvinger Lutheran Church 15950 470th Avenue Northwest Oslo Minnesota 56744. We thank you for your support.

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