Life in the Vineyard John 15:1–8

 

Grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ, in whom Blake and Madden will soon confess their undying faith.

 

We’re going to talk about life in our Lord’s vineyard.

 

On the farm where I grew up, the Lac Qui Parle River cut through the northwest corner, creating some woods and pasture, and some wildlife, and fishing.

 

It was a lot of fun to go exploring there when I was a kid. There was always something new to notice.

 

There was a place where wild plums grew, which were so sweet and delicious in the fall. More than once I stopped the tractor to pick one or two for a snack. 

 

In the nearby trees, there were some wild grape vines, and I remember my mom making jelly from them.

 

Those are some of my childhood memories of life in the closest thing we had to a vineyard. 

 

But I grew up in a vineyard of another kind, one far more impacting, far more of a joy and blessing, far more productive in what really matters, far more filled with love and goodness and grace… the vineyard that we’re a part of when we follow Christ.

 

Life with Him, is life in His Vineyard. 

 

In our Gospel, Jesus uses the analogy of a vine and its branches to describe our ongoing relationship and connection to Him. 

 

As there can be no life for a branch that’s not connected to the vine… or with a tree, a branch not connected to the trunk… or with corn, a leaf not connected to the stalk, so there is no spiritual life for us unless we’re connected to Christ.

 

Apart from Christ, without Him in our life, we’re dead to God, and unable to do the things that honor and glorify Him.

 

Only through His Son, can we be connected to God and alive in Him, our Father and Creator.

 

Jesus made this clear to His disciples the night before He died and rose again. 

 

He told them, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” 

 

Through no one else, through nothing else, do we have access to God, our Father, and to His Heavenly home… only through Christ. 

 

And so Jesus is everything to us… as the metaphor in our Gospel, with Him as the Vine we draw life from, so clearly illustrates.

 

Jesus says, 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…

 

Vineyards were common in the area where Jesus’ life and ministry took place.

 

We don’t have too many vineyards in this area, a few, but there’s an estimated 18 million plus acres of cultivated vineyards around the world. 

 

So there’s something universally relevant and relatable in this analogy of Jesus as the vine, and His people as the branches.

We branch out from Him into the world, and show His love to those around us… 

 

… and that’s how we bear fruit, how we do what we were made and redeemed to do.

 

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches… apart from me you can do nothing, Jesus teaches us.

 

All we do that’s good in the eyes of God, can only be done through faith in His Son.

 

Only the Holy Spirit empowers us to do good and serve in God’s name… 

 

… and only by His grace, does He sanctify our good deeds…

 

… which is important, because even the best and most loving of our good deeds are tainted with sin and selfishness… that’s just our fallen, sinful condition.

 

But God sees and measures our good deeds through the perfect love and righteousness of His Son, and so connected to Jesus, our good deeds are holy and pleasing to God.

 

And so, Blake, 16 … let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

 

That’s your confirmation verse to always remember and live by, taken from Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Matthew 5:16.

 

Blake, don’t be afraid to be like Jesus and shine in this world with the holy love He gives you, because that’s what our world needs. 

 

And so, Madden, let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 

That’s your verse to live by, from Galatians 6:9.

 

Madden, the devil wants you to give up, be a quitter, to quit trusting and following Christ, and quit doing what’s right. 

 

Madden, Blake, no matter how much the world would pressure you to abandon faith, and it will, stand strong and never give in.    

 

And never give up, because the One we believe in, and love, and have our life in, is no quitter.

 

Jesus kept going, He kept believing, kept resisting every temptation, kept serving faithfully, kept healing the sick, kept feeding the poor…

 

… kept teaching in parables, kept fulfilling Scripture and every prophesy about Himself as the promised Messiah…

 

… until He completed the task He was sent by His Father to do, to die for our forgiveness, and rise to give us abundant life and eternal blessings.

 

Jesus didn’t give up on saving us… He didn’t conclude that it was too difficult or not worth it, and return back to where He had come from, back to Heaven, without having won our salvation. 

 

He endured and persevered, and won the victory for us. 

 

So let us, by the grace of God, with His holy love and mighty power, stay strong and connected to Him, and to His Family, His Church. 

 

With the Holy Spirit’s help, remain always connected and faithful to Christ, the Vine, and your life, in spite of your sins and shortcomings, which we all have, your life in Christ will produce a harvest of goodness and love in this world, and will be a blessing to others.

 

And in the darkness, your good deeds will shine, and give glory to God above, from whom all that’s truly good comes.

 

Never giving up, shining the light, that’s life in the Vineyard, with Christ as the Vine.

 

Here in southern Minnesota, when we think of farming, we think of cornfields more than vineyards.

 

Usually, the earlier planted corn tends to yield the best. We’ll see how this year’s crop turns out. 

 

In the Vineyard, or cornfield, of the Church, our early planting is… Baptism. 

 

We bring our babies to become the dear, faithful children of God, to be washed and forgiven, promised a heavenly inheritance, and given an abundance of grace to live by, and a multitude of blessings… all this given to you, Blake and Madden…

 

… the very best of blessings… the fruit of the Spirit, as Galatians 6 tells us: love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, self-control, and many more wonderful gifts for us to have and share.

 

As we learn, and grow, and continue in God’s Word, connected to Christ and His Church, we bear more and better fruit.

 

Corn yields have increased so dramatically over the years. It’s amazing how these new hybrids can yield, even in dry and adverse weather.

 

Even more amazing is how God can take a sinner like me, like us, and have us bear godly fruit in this world, even with all the trials and temptations we face.

 

Have it as your goal in life, to grow more and more in faith, and in doing and what’s good and right, bearing an abundant harvest of godly love… 

… and shining a light, even when this fallen world would tempt and trouble you relentlessly.

 

Connected to Christ, you have amazing love and wonderful blessings to share in this world, and the bright light of the Gospel to shine and show the way.

 

Blake, Madden, may Christ be the Vine, the center and source of your life always. 

 

And connected to Him, tied to Him by faith, we have His peace, which passes understanding, and guards our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, the Vine, our life and joy forever. Amen.