John 15:1-8 – We Need to Rely on Jesus – Bible study

John 15:1-8 We Need to Rely on Jesus Click here for the first part of the message. I want to finish the thought that I began this morning. Looking at Luke 6:20-26, we saw Jesus told His disciples that they were blessed if they were poor, hungry, weeping, and rejected by the world. He also reversed the thought to pronounce woe unto those who were rich, full, happy, and accepted by this world. I asked and gave my answer to why this would be the case. I believe it is because those who lack this worlds gifts and gold, might look for something better in Christ. I pointed out that Jesus said in \#Luke 6:24\, that Jesus said the rich had received their consolation already. From whom? The only source they could have gotten consolation from was the world. My conclusion from that passage is that there are blessings to be had for Christians who do not have this worlds gifts and gold. We want on to look at some things we (Christians) need to do if we want the blessing that Jesus spoke of. 1. We need to reject the world. 2. We need to restrain the flesh. 3. We need to realize heaven. But I want to give you another truth alone these lines tonight, indeed, the greatest truth in this series. It is the title of tonights message, "We Need to Rely on Jesus." It is not enough to remove ourselves from this world. In fact, it means nothing to remove ourselves from this world, if we do not move ourselves toward Jesus. The greatest and most important step to getting the new man right is to both move away from this world and to move toward Jesus. John 5:4 He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Ga 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. All of these verses point us to a central fact. I. We need to rely on Jesus. A. What is relying on Jesus? 1. Relying on Jesus is the same thing as walking in the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit. a. I know some have charismatic backgrounds and you may have been taught that being filled with the Spirit was speaking in tongues. b. The debate of what speaking in tongues aside, certainly we can all agree that the Holy Ghost was sent to more than stir us in the worship service. c. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is being lead by God to the extent that our thinking processes, our behaviors, our testimony, and our witnesses are altered by God. d. The power of having God fill us up, would have to make such an influence that both His presence and absence would be easily noted. 2. Certainly, the church as a whole and the individual believers are missing the impact of God. 3. We rely on programs, methods, intellect, music, attractions, charm, and wit. While none of these things with the presence of God are wrong, all of them without the presence of God leaves only a carnal, powerless church in its wake. B. We need to rely on Jesus, both as a collective body and as individuals. II. How do we rely on Jesus? I see two methods God can use to bring us to the place of relying on Jesus. A. Conviction 1. Conviction is when God puts a burden on your heart. a. Every Christian knows what conviction is. b. You cannot come to Christ for salvation without conviction. c. I have sometimes spoke incorrectly saying that if you do not remember the "day" when you were saved, you might not be saved. d. What I should have said and attempt to indicate now is that if you do not remember when God convicted you of your sinfulness, you might not be saved. e. Conviction is THE work of the Holy Spirit that draws ALL who believe on Jesus to Him. 2. However, conviction seems to be rarer today than ever before. a. People come to church, make professions of faith, then promptly walk out the door to sin again. Where is the conviction? b. Lost people sit in church services for years and never felt drawn to God. Where is the conviction? c. Perhaps the lack of conviction is part of Gods end time plan to let the world sink into sin and evil, but I miss the conviction of God! 3. Yet, conviction is one wayeven the best waythat God might take us down the road of relying more on Jesus. B. Our choice 1. While conviction is the best way to be drawn to God and relying on Jesus, it is not the only way. 2. We can simply choose to rely on Jesus. a. God has created us with a freewill and if we choose to, with Gods help, we can change the source of how satisfaction and hope. b. Looking at \#Luke 6:20-26\, Jesus spoke of His disciples being without funds, without food, without laughter, and without acceptance in this world. c. All of that does not literally have to happen to us for us to turn 100% to God. We could have those things and choose Christ over them. (1) Abraham had things and relied on God. (2) Isaac appears to be a godly man who relied on God. (3) Joseph, King David, and others. 3. However, it is far more difficult to choose Christ when you have so much of this world. a. That is why Jesus pronounced the blessings upon those who lacked worldly gifts. b. Along with that choice, you will have to make many others such as those I spoke of this morning. c. Never the less, any Christian can choose to rely on Jesus. C. God can remove the worldly gifts for you. 1. We typically call that suffering. 2. Suffering is Gods way of removing the things that are temporal out of our lives. 3. Suffering cannot touch anything that is eternal. (It can touch your body, your mind, your wealth, your friends, your family, your talents, your trophies, and your titles, but suffering cannot get to your real valuables. 4. As I said this morning, the real valuables are put in your safety deposit box – heaven. 5. You might not can get to them right now but they are still safe, waiting for your arrival. 6. It is always amazing to me how those who have suffered the most have some of the best understandings of what God does in suffering. a. Joni Eareckson Tada and Dr. Michael Easley, both with terrible pain and suffering. b. They shared their testimonies of how they would never have chosen their paths, but they had learned more about the presence of God by going through their suffering than they ever would have without it. 7. Sooner or later, everything that is temporal will be removed out of lives. 8. There are problems with suffering just as their are with making choices: a. Suffering is difficult too. And we have not choice in it. b. We often refuse to let suffering accomplish Gods work. (1) The children of Israel a great example. (2) In our own lives, we can become bitter at God and the world. III. Five choices that Christians need to make. A. We need to choose faith over fretting. 1. Faith is a powerful took. 2. It serves both the unsaved and the saved. a. For the unsaved, it triggers the great salvation that God gives. b. For the saved, it allows us to believe in Gods power and His presence. 3. Christians, start choosing faith today. a. Believe that God will honor His word. b. Believe that God has a plan. c. Believe that God will reward the righteous. d. Believe that God will make all the sacrifices and sufferings worth it. B. We need to choose prayer over play and pleasure. 1. I am not saying there is anything wrong with some pleasure in life, but there is something wrong with living for pleasure. 2. Choose prayer. a. Prayer is the most effective tool in the Christians arsenal. b. Prayer accomplishes all the points that I mentioned this morning. (1) You must reject the world to pray. (2) You must restrain the flesh to pray. (3) You must realize heaven to pray. c. And it also demonstrates a dependency on God. (1) People who need God pray. (2) People who think they do not need God, do not pray. d. Plus you get needs met when you pray. C. We need to choose fasting over self-indulgences. 1. Fasting is discipling the fleshpure and simple. 2. Fasting is doing without something that you either want or need or both for the sake of getting Gods attention. 3. There is more flexibility in fasting that some think. a. You can fast food or something else. b. You can fast for a few hours or for days. 4. And there are other things you can do like fasting or even with fasting. a. Rent your clothes. b. Put on sackcloth. c. Dump dust on your head. d. Sit in ashes. 5. But all of these and fasting all mean the same thing. They all say, "I am not satisfied by this world any more! I want God." D. We need to choose obedience over obstinance. 1. If Christians are going to make a good new life, we have to change the things that ruined our old one disobedience. 2. Let God pick an area of your life and change you. E. Medidations 1. Medidation is where you read the Scriptures, maybe memorize them, study them, and ponder them. 2. Medidation on Scriptures is a key for the sucessful Christian life. Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 3. Medidation is where good sermons and Sunday school lessons come from!