Sermon Review: Abide in Me
September 11th, 2007 by Sean
This sermon was preached by Keith Daniel an evangelist from Cape Town, South Africa. I’m not really sure what his denominational affiliation is but he associates with various holiness movements. This particular sermon is all about spending time with God. How well do you guard the quiet time you have with God? Keith asserts that this one Christian practice is the determining factor to living a holy life. The text for the sermon is taken from the parable of the vine given in John 15.
John 15.4-6
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit 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.
I found this sermon to be incredibly convicting. Keith specifically calls out those who are ministry and confronts them on focusing on the work of God to the exclusion of spending quality, daily time with God himself.
Interesting that you brought this up. In the class, Personal Spiritual Development here at ABC, we are looking into the various spiritual disciplines that help to get you in the place where God can change you. The first one is meditation, which is what I would call the”quiet time with God” that you refer to. As I began practising this last weekend, the Scripture I felt led to reflect on was the first several verses of John 15, including the above mentioned verses.
By the way, I highly recommend the book, “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster. It especially emphasizes that no amount of “self discipline” or “will power” can enable us to live a holy life, but only becomes “will worship” (Col. 2:20-23). These spiritual disciplines are just tools that help you get to where God changes you. He does the hard work.
Hi Mark,
I’ve heard this type of reasoning quite often in various religious circles and groups …however, I suppose that IF that view were correct, then God at the time of Judgment will not judge the person for what the person has done but will judge Himself for what He Himself did (or did not do)?
It seems to me that folks mix up a few things and perhaps do not want to take responsibility for doing the CHANGING? It seems to me that the Scriptures are rather clear about each person being held responsible for every word they speak (not words that God speaks) and the works they do (not works God does) … yes? The above mentioned view seems to shift the responsibility for doing the work to change on God rather than on oneself.
Cheers,
Wolfgang
hi, i find these scriptures a great help. philippians 2 12-13. co-workers. us and God, God and us. as children of God
Wolfgang,
Yes we have to do something; it’s not saying we do nothing, but we are to allow God to work in us by dwelling in Christ. Jesus said, “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.” It’s what we do with his words that we are judged on, not what we do from our own ability.
Hi Sean,
I got very blessed listening to the serman, especially on 9.11, when the eyes of the world remembers the tragic events of 2001.
I was once taught that Jesus was born on that date. Whether or not that is 100% true, it gives me an opportunity to speak about my lord. the vine. his birth, etc., This helps me to abide in him.
It was for me a wonderful experience to be apart of the Gathering Together Advance at Silver Bay. The teachings on the Spirit of
truth, the fellowship, spending time with Vince and your family in Albany equipped me even greater to “abide in him”
Reflecting on all of this, I would like to share a poem by Freda Hanbury:-
ONLY A BRANCH
I am the vine, ye are the branches.”–John 15:5
“Tis only a little Branch,
A thing so fragile and weak,
But that little Branch hath a message true
To give, could it only speak.
“I’m only a little Branch,
I live by a life not mine,
For the sap that flows through my tendrils small
Is the life-blood of the Vine.
“No power indeed have I
The fruit of myself to bear,
But since I’m part of the living Vine,
Its fruitfulness I share.
“Dost thou ask how I abide?
How this life I can maintain?-
I am bound to the Vine by life’s strong band,
And I only need remain.
“Where first my life was given,
In the spot where I am set,
Upborne and upheld as the days go by,
By the stem which bears me yet.
“I fear not the days to come,
I dwell not upon the past,
As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last.
“I bask in the sun’s bright beams,
Which with sweetness fills my fruit,
Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,
For they all come from the root.”
A life which is not my own,
But another’s life in me:
This, this is the message the Branch would speak,
A message to thee and me.
Oh, struggle not to “abide,”
Nor labor to “bring forth fruit,”
But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,
As the Vine Branch to the root.
So simple, so deep, so strong
That union with Him shall be:
His life shall forever replace thine own,
And His love shall flow through thee.
For His Spirit’s fruit is love,
And love shall thy life become,
And for evermore on His heart of love
Thy spirit shall have her home.
Freda Hanbury