No maturity without the word

No maturity without the word

John 15:1-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit [c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [d]prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends ifyou do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.

Two Challenges:

Open Theism

The 3rd generation Christian

Open theism: Who knows what is happening, he can only forecast what can happen.

Depends on your interaction with God. 

1G Christian very faithful

2G Bibles are on their phone

3G Christians that are not as faithful

You cannot be mature without the word. 

Why is it impossible to mature without the world. 

Because the word...

1. Influences the quality of our relationship with the Word. 

Cleansing by the Word. 

2. Improves the quality of our fruitfulness

3. Influences the quality of our prayer life. 

God will only give something that is part of his will. 

Intratextual looking for the meaning in the text itself

Contextual looking for the context of the passage

Intrabiblical looks for answers in other parts of the bible