FRUIT OR FIREWOOD

📖FRUIT OR FIREWOOD
Pastor Jeff Smith
7/13/25/25
John 15:1-6

Text: John 15:1-6
Theme: The Correlation and Connection Between the True Vine and the Branches

Opening Thought:

Jesus is the true vine, God the Father is the husbandman, and the Jewish disciples were the branches. In the church age, both the spiritual and doctrinal applications are that Jesus is the husbandman, and the church, or the body of Christ, is the true vine, while individuals and local churches are the branches through which the gospel of the grace of God is preached. This is in contrast to a corrupt and counterfeit church, like the Roman Catholic Church, whose branches spread heresy, producing bitter and rotten fruit, whose husbandman is the man of sin.  Furthermore, the Father and the Son are distinct persons. They have different occupations or ministries. They are both God, but they are not the same person within the Trinity of God. There are devotional or practical applications of the vine tree and its branches, and how they apply to Christ and the Christian today.

  • Jesus is the Husbandman.

  • The Church is the Vine

  • Individuals & churches are the branches through which the gospel of the grace of God is preached.

I. The Conditions of the Branches 🌱

A     Some bear fruit 🍇

B     Some have no fruit 🚫

C     To bear fruit:

  •   Salvation (🩸)

  •   Spirit-filled (🔥)

  •   Sanctified by the Word (📖)

  •   Sharing the Gospel (📢)

B.   Fruit Comes from the Holy Spirit 🍇

Galatians 5:22-23 – The Holy Spirit produces the fruit; we only bear it.

🔍 Application: Are you fruitful or fruitless? Let the Word prune and feed you.
💬 Quote: "A Christian is either a missionary or an impostor." – Charles Spurgeon (19th century)
📜 Illustration: A branch in a vineyard that doesn’t produce grapes is pruned away to allow space for those that will.

II. The Care of the Branches 🛠️

·      Jesus cares for His branches (1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.) 🤲

·      Performative care through pruning and purging (Hebrews 4:12) ✂️

·      Preventative care through cleaning and cleansing (Psalm 119:9) 💧🌿

🔍 Application: Let God’s Word cleanse and protect you from spiritual pests and decay.

💬 Quote: "The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible." – D.L. Moody (19th century)

📜 Illustration: Gardeners use essential oils and water to protect plants. The Bible and the Holy Spirit are our spiritual protection, repelling sin like water & oil repel insects.

III. The Casting Away of the Branches 🔥

A. Withered – Faded, dried, and shrunk.

B. Burned – Works consumed like chaff (1 Cor. 3) 🔥

🔍 Application: Abiding in Christ and His words keeps you from becoming dry and burned up.

💬 Quote: "Take heed to thyself, lest thou fall away and become a castaway." – John Owen (17th century)

📜 Illustration: A dry, dead branch looks useful but snaps under pressure. A life removed from Christ may look religious, but it lacks power.

Closing Challenge:
Many Christians are castaways because they have faded into obscurity, dried up spiritually, or shrunk in the face of adversity (Prov. 24:10 – If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.). The Lord does not want castaways within the Christian faith. He wants healthy trees, with healthy branches, and healthy fruit, but this requires some effort on your part. 1Cor. 9:24-27 

1.    Self-Control (Temperate)

2.    “Subjection” (The word “abide” shows up seven times  in John 15:4-7)

Soul Winning (“Preach to others”)

Jeffrey smith