Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
This evening though, I I'm basically, rounding the the home base, tonight on the series we started, actually more than 6 weeks ago just because we've had a few, different kind of weekends in between. Last week, actually actually being one of those where we had a report from our Myanmar team, and I thought pastor Mitch and Kim, and Tim did such an outstanding so proud of them, but, you know, that's not the the entirety of our mission team. To be honest, you guys are the the mission team as well. Right? That if you if you pray, if you give, if you help in some kind of a way, it's just that there's an away team, and then sometimes you you still need the the home team, and so, nobody can do it by themselves, and so it's always a a dream team, we call it, but it's always a team effort. And so, but they did a great job sharing on that last week, but this evening, you know, we started out we we we started out with, talking about the the fact that Jesus, revealed himself, not simply through his miracles, not simply, through his, you know, the the things that attested at his birth or his baptism seven statements we in these seven statements we find in the gospel of John. And he just says this, that I am, and then he filled in the blank with some, with some description about he is what. Then he said, first we looked at was that I am the bread of life, that that it wasn't the manna that Moses, and the people of Israel ate in the desert, but Jesus was saying, I'm the true bread. I'm the true sustenance that comes down from heaven, that gives life eternal.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:54]:
And we talked about that He is the light of the world. Jesus said, I am the light of the world, that if we're walking with Him, we don't have to walk in darkness. And for many of us, we understand that walking in darkness, and today being able to walk in the light, and the contrast that is there. We talked about that He is the door, and I am the door, Jesus said. That I'm the entryway, that no one comes through comes into the family of God except through Christ, and and that he is the good shepherd as well. Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. Not just one who who, runs when the time gets hard, but he says, I'm not the hired hand, but I'm a true shepherd. I'm the good shepherd.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:33]:
Then we talked about that I am the resurrection and the life a few weeks ago, and and talking about the fact that that that that all of us one day to be born means to to die, and yet at the same time, that God's promise is that he overcomes death, and the promise for us to all who put our hope in Christ Jesus is that eternal life. Right? And so, we looked at that, and the other week, we talked about where Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And how he revealed himself is is not just one of many ways, but he's the way. Right? Not that just someone who can explain a little bit of the truth, but he is the embodiment of truth, and that, that with that comes a quality of life. And so tonight, we're gonna conclude, by looking at, John 15, where Jesus says, I am the true vine. Now, in this, message tonight, what we're going to be looking at in John 15, in many ways is it's describing that what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, to be in a right relationship with God, attended with all the the benefits of God and his kingdom. And so, but it it also highlights our responsibility. And because when God calls us to Himself, it's it's not that we are a passive person.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:55]:
Right? It's we're actively involved in this pursuit. And so, how do you, as a live as a follower of Jesus with all the changes that, come with that? And so, we talked about this series really when Jesus talks about the I am is he's explaining revelationally who he is and with that, what redemption can look like. Now, we're gonna read together, though, just the first verse, that's printed in your notes. And would you be kind enough, we're gonna be reading John 15, verses 1 and 2, and would you be kind enough, let's stand in reverence for God,

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:35]:
reverence for His word. And this is

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:35]:
what Jesus said. Ready? Let's read. I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. Well, every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. And when we see these things that it says that I am the true vine, then it maybe draw to your attention that well, what is a false vine or what is a that what is a the the, a mistaken vine? But and and that's part of what we'll take a look at. But what prompts God to use this image is if you were to ask someone, who is Jewish that who is the vine, then for many of them, they would say that that Israel is the vine in the Old Testament. And and yet Jesus says, and the scriptures do paint that out in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament here, Jesus says, yes, Israel is the vine, but I am the true vine.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:42]:
In other words, I'm the right example. And that sometimes, how many of you have ever been in a place where you haven't been the best example, or the best example hasn't been presented to you? Right? That it's in those moments that we understand there's a contrast at times. And our own life may change at different seasons, right, and all of those things. But Jesus is gonna contrast not just the people of God and what their attempt to do was, but that what He fulfills as the true vine. So do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor, and and would you tell them, aren't you glad that you can experience the truth? Yeah. And so that God wants to give us the truth this evening about this aspect. Now, we begin actually we read in, 15:1, right, where he says, I am the true vine, and this is all happening, by the way, on the Thursday night, before Jesus' crucifixion, before His judgment, His crucifixion, and His burial on on Friday.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:48]:
And so it begins in the upper room, and, this whole things from chapter 13 of the gospel of John, it's talking about it begins in the upper room where Jesus washes the disciples' feet. They eat a meal together. Jesus makes some explanations, some pronouncements, and he's been doing some teaching, but then in that very last verse before the one that we read, Jesus says to him, if you just looked at it out in your own Bible, you'll find that Jesus says, okay. Hey. Let's leave this place and go now. So in 14:30, they leave the upper room, and we know from the rest of the chapters is that Jesus will make his way to the Mount of Olives, which is right outside the city on the hill that overlooks the temple and overlooks Jerusalem. And so, in order for them to do that, he will just, Jerusalem. And so in order for them to do that, he will just because many of us, we probably haven't if you haven't been to Israel, it's hard to envision.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:50]:
But on the way from the upper room, you would have to walk past for them to exit the east gate, you would have to actually walk past the temple. And when you would walk past the temple, it you would see that in the front of the temple, there was a curtain, and on that curtain that was this linen curtain that was covered with purple and scarlet and blue flowers, that there were, solid gold chains that hung alongside the curtain from the door beam over over the curtain or over the the the at the top of the curtain, and that what would happen is that they had carved a a vine, this vine that would go from the bottom all the way to the top, and it was, the tendrils of the the, vine would go across the top. And it was covered in gold. And so you would see this giant golden statue or carving of a of a grapevine. And what they would do is they would add to them that wealthy citizens and worshipers would contribute gold, and and they would keep adding to that like grapes and different leaves and and and things. And some of them, they said, were as tall as a man. And so that as they pass that, I believe that Jesus sees this on the way to the Mount of Olives, and they look at this, and to be honest, most people would be like, wow. That's so magnificent.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:26]:
Right? This is it's so impressive. And I believe Jesus looks at that and he says, I You wonder at this, but I'm the true vine. I'm the true vine, and my father is the gardener. And although, do we see the continual adding that happens on this, that he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. And while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes even more. Now, there's some troubling verses that we'll read this evening that for for some of us, that it stirs questions, and it stirs doubt possibly, but I hope that at the same time, we'll answer some of those questions. Previous to this, I mentioned that Israel was considered divine in the book of Isaiah, that God describes Isaiah, in Isaiah, chapter 5, that Israel is a vine. We see this laid out in Psalm 80.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:26]:
Psalm 80, he says this, that you brought us from Egypt like a grapevine. You drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. And you cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land, and our shade covered the mountains, and our branches covered the mighty cedars. And and Isaiah talks about how he built walls around it and and and pampered it and and and made it good soil, yet at the same time that that it didn't produce good fruit. And you know, when we eat grapes, that's today, the grapes that we eat are highly cultivated. Right? So when you guys ever eat, anybody ever eat, what is that called? Sugar grapes or candy? Cotton candy, right? It's like, it's so sweet that it like literally tastes like cotton candy, right? That's highly cultivated grapes. But you know, when I grew up in Wahiawa, my grandfather lived like a block and a half from me, and they had a big lot. You know, they had like a 3 quarter acre lot, and my grandfather farmed and grew stuff and just kind of like, I guess it was just ingrained.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:40]:
Right? He would always that was his hobby. And, but in the back that when we were cleaning it out once, we saw we we saw these vines growing and and there were little, fruit on it, and, like, you never eat, like, when you go hiking, right, you guys just never pick and eat, berries or whatever. Right? Like, please don't do that. Right? It's dangerous. But when we're looking at that, I asked my grandmother, she says I asked her, what is that? She says, oh, that's grapes. I said, grapes? Wow, that's awesome. So I picked the grape and I bit into it, and it was like the sourest thing I ever experienced. I just spit it out.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:20]:
Right? Because it was inedible. Right? And especially when you were raised like this, that grapes are like candy, right? It's like organic candy, you feel like, and that's the same thing that God said about Israel. Is that although I cultivated and I prepared the ground and it should have been sweet, it's it's like you were bitter in my mouth. And so that God reached out continually, right, from generation to generation, right? And he gave them kings, and then he gave them prophets to help the kings when the kings got off track. And and finally, he he sent warnings to them, and sometimes it came in a series of droughts and famines, and and then later captivity. And all of these things, they would come back to the land, but they they never they never really got right with God as a nation. And so, God then says, I wanted you to be divine, but I needed to send you an example about what the real vine would be like. And it says it that Jesus in many ways is the fulfillment of that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:37]:
In the book of Luke in chapter 4, Jesus, when He comes on the scene after His baptism and and now He empowered for His ministry, It says that Jesus returned to Galilee filled with the Holy Spirit's power, and reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. Synagogue on the it says, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the scriptures. And they would just basically take turns and and read the scriptures. It wasn't just one guy who would preach, and where they would read is they just would read in order often. And so Jesus didn't tell them, This is the place. They basically, This is the place where you would read. You would start off where the last guy read. But it says, The scroll of Isaiah, the prophet was handed to him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:35]:
He unrolled the scroll and found a place with it where this was written, the Spirit of Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, and that the oppressed will be set free. And from that time of the Lord and that that time of the Lord's favor has come. And then he rolled up the scroll, handed back to the attendant, and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently, and they began to speak to them, the scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day.' Because Jesus is saying in many ways that what should have been hasn't been happening, but I'm the fulfillment of that, right? And so that in John 15, he very clearly states, now I'm the true vine because Israel hasn't fulfilled it. So is Israel completely cut off? No, it doesn't say that Israel is completely cut off, but in the New Testament, in in the book of Romans that the apostle Paul says, but it has been, like, partially, partially hardened. There will be a time that God will fulfill that, and Israel will become what God created it to be. But because of their rejection of Jesus, because of their rejection of the prophets, because of their rejection of all of those things, God passed the torch to to Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:10]:
And Jesus had to come and set the record straight. So as a result that God has a plan for us, and that His has a plan for you. Right? Do me a favor. Just turn to your neighbor and say, God has a plan for you. God has a plan. Right? Now sometimes when people have plans for you, it's a dangerous thing. Right? Like, like, you guys ever go home, it's like, you want to relax and, and your, your spouse has plans for you. It's like, oh, we have a party, by the way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:36]:
Did I tell you people coming over? They're like, oh my gosh. Right? But, you know, that there's different things. But but God's plan for you is to be faithful and fruitful in life. God's plan for you is to be faithful and fruitful in life. And we're gonna see that as we continue to read, and I'm not sure why I don't see in my notes that did I have that? Oh, okay. Well, I would just say that when he says though, he says, I'm the true vine and my father is the vine dresser, He's saying because he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, and while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes it, it will bear even more. It's talking about the fact that that fruit is not what you do to avoid destruction. This is not what he's saying.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:31]:
He's saying, if you don't want to get, like, burned up by the fire, you better bear fruit. That's not what he's saying. That later, what it will see is that it's a byproduct of living with Jesus, that when we're in right relationship with Jesus, we're abiding in Him, that we're living with Him, and we're connected with Him, that that life begins to happen, life changes in us, and that that you'll begin to bear fruit. Now, that it says this though. If you bear fruit, sometimes it doesn't say sometimes, it says everyone who bears fruit will be pruned. Right? Now, sometimes being pruned and being cut off might feel very similar. Right? Because what they would do is when the branch would grow up out of the vine, that sometimes that in order to bear more fruit, they say they would pinch, you know, certain leaves and take them off just to so that its nutrients would be focused in fruit production. And you guys are probably familiar with this, the pruning process, but but this aspect, that's what they would do in this kind of, they call it viticulture.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:44]:
Right? Like in the the growth of grapes. But yet, he says, others are cut off and then burned. Now, if you're the if you're a branch, you don't always feel the difference. Right? Because you just know that certain parts of your life get cut, but pruning may feel painful at times, but what's the difference? It's the strategy, and it's the motive that's behind it. Because one is an evaluation of of judgment, to be honest. It says that it's it's removed and burned, and Right? It's to make you more bountiful in your life, a fuller life. But how do you tell the difference? How do you tell the difference? Because sometimes sometimes you get hit in life. Right? You guys ever felt that hit in life where all of a sudden, relationships that were fine, all of a sudden they're strained.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:52]:
Right? All of a sudden, those things that that were fruitful in your life, all of a sudden, it's like they tend to shrivel. And opportunities, whether it's professionally or it's opportunities for recreational things start to dry or maybe that in your life direction or or something happens in your health, and you wonder, Is this God's judgment? And I would say say this, if you're connected to Jesus, you're part of His family, judgment has already passed. The moment that you put your faith in Christ, the moment that you that he says, the judgment is placed on Christ. But God does God use those things that happen in our life at times to prune? Yes, he does. And and everyone who who puts his faith in Jesus will be pruned. Is it because he doesn't love us? No. It's because he does love us. Sometimes, it results in situations that are painful not because God wants to bring pain, but because in order to get the result that is necessary, pain is part of it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:15]:
You know, when for many of us who have kids, that you guys remember when you took your kids to get vaccinations, right? Then in the beginning, you know, like when you take kids, like baby babies, they don't even know when they're getting stuck in the beginning. The very beginning, they get stuck and they don't even know, and then they get the injection, and then afterwards just kinda like then they start to cry, right, like afterwards, and they don't even associate it. Right? But the thing is that I remember taking my son, Jacob, and he had gotten past that little bit, seemed like he was a little older, and he was like a toddler at this point, not not like a baby baby, not the infant, and the nurse said, you know, oh, this is a big one today. There's going to be 5 injections, and I'm gonna ask you, can you help me? I said, oh sure. Like what do you want me to do? She said, can you just kind of hold him so that he doesn't squirm it because it's going to hurt him more, right, in that. I said, sure. Like what do you want me to do? And she she said, if you could just kind of lean over him and just kind of hold him like that, and I'll put the injection in his leg. And so I said, okay, you know, and and I so he's on the table, and I say, hey, buddy, auntie's got to do some stuff today, but I'm going to help her, okay? So she said to do this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:44]:
And he goes, okay. And he's looking at me, and then I basically kind of hold him and chest, and then she starts doing the injection. And then all of a sudden, his face, our eyes lock. And there's this thing that I looked at him, and it was like the greatest disappointment in his life. Like, I don't know what happened, but I thought we were on the same side, right? And all of a sudden, it was horror. And all of a sudden, and over time, as the injections kept coming, it burst into tears. And he was disappointed. I could see he was disappointed in me, like, I don't know what's going on.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:30]:
Why are you torturing me? And as tears are coming down his eyes, tears coming down my eyes, right, Because the thing is I wish I could explain it. That season of his life, he couldn't understand. No. There's things that are worse than the pain that you're experiencing now, but having this pain now will prevent you from getting diphtheria. It will prevent you from getting whooping cough. It will prevent you from getting tetanus. The things that could kill you, you're being strengthened against. Sometimes pruning, at the moment we don't understand it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:08]:
But God is saying, This is to make you stronger. This is to make you better. This is to prevent the things that can derail you in life. Because if you never got it, if as a parent I said, I always just want him to be happy, I never want him to have pain, what would happen? We'd probably he had the greatest pains in life. Right? And so god says the same. He says, every son, every child whom he loves, he disciplines. Is it because they're rotten kids? No. Because we're all prone.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:44]:
Right? We're all prone to kind of go our own way. We're all prone to do our own thing. And so God says this, that, No. I want you to be fruitful, and I want you to be faithful, but sometimes I'm going to have to I'm going to have to prune. In this case, who's the pruner? Who's the gardener? He says, God the Father. Your heavenly Father will at times, discipline, at times prune, and it might look at times like God is judging you. But don't listen to what the enemy says. God's not judging you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:20]:
We've been judged already, right? We judged ourselves guilty, and we said, in you, Lord, I place my faith. And then he says this. When he looks at us, he sees Jesus in us. Right? So do a favor. Just turn to your neighbor and says, you're not being judged. Because we jenched already. Right? We we we said that we were we were guilty. Right? And so this is the thing that Jesus says, I am the true vine, right? And then, you know, this aspect of the true vine and replacing Israel and all of those things, he goes on and he says this in verse 4.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:06]:
He says, Remain in me as I remain in you. I want you to do me a favor. As we read through this, count how many times the word remain occurs. Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:29]:
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit because apart from me, you can do what? Nothing. If you do not what? Remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you what? Remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. I don't think it takes a lot of background to understand that somehow the word remain, this concept of remain and staying connected is a big deal Jesus is drawing to us. He says the word remain. I think it's 8 times in this in these several passages. And so God wants you to stay connected to him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:22]:
Right? God wants you to stay connected. He wants you to be close. He wants you to be plugged into him. He doesn't want you separated from him. Why is that? Because he says it is possible to be associated and close to God, and yet at the same time become disconnected, and and I don't know if you've ever, like, bought flowers in a, for a holiday. Right? Or like Mother's Day. How anybody here you guys bought flowers on Mother's Day? Okay. Yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:56]:
Good good husband. Good husband. You bought or you just received? Oh, okay. Good. Good. Right. Now they're beautiful when you get them. Right? They're beautiful when you get them, but when you get cut flowers, the reality is it's as good as it's gonna get the time that you get it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:16]:
Right? Because aside from that, what happens? It's not an issue, it's not an option, but it will decline, won't it? Cut flowers. Right? Because they're not no longer connected to the plant. They're no longer connected to the source. And Jesus, when He says, I am the vine, you are the branches, he's saying this, I am the source of life. I'm the source of power. I'm the source, and the origin of what will course through you. And if you become separated from me, then all of a sudden, the things that keep you fresh, the things that give you life might not be right away, right? Right. Might not happen in an instant, but you'll notice it, and then if it stays in this condition for a while, it doesn't get connected, then what does he say? It eventually dries, and it eventually dies.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:16]:
Now I think this is is God saying this, that if I miss church for a week, that, oh, I'm ready to be thrown in the fire, just tell your tell your neighbor said, that's not what it means. That's not what it means. It's 2 weeks. No, I was kidding. I'm just joking. But no. But, we we have to look at the context of what is happening. Right? Because before this, what happens is that when they're having the Last Supper, Jesus makes an announcement, and what does he say? He says, Even though I handpicked all of you, one of you will betray me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:54]:
Me. Right? You guys remember that? And who is that? Judas. Right? And then he says to him that it's the person I dipped the bread at the same time, and he says, this is the person who betrayed. And it says at that point, Judas dips the bread. The same same thing. And he says, then go. Go do what you ought to do. And very clearly, I believe that what Jesus is referring to in the immediate sense, in the immediate sense in which we read, is it's a reference to Judas that he's been with us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:30]:
He's been part of us, and no one could tell the difference. Right? He he he ate what we ate, he went where we went, he prayed when we prayed. Right? And and the thing is that, you know what, But inside he got disconnected. Right? Inside he rebelled. Inside he betrayed. And so it's an immediate reference, I think, to Judas. But the part of the problem becomes then is that is this something that a believer can experience? Right? There becomes the question, and it probably raises that question. Is this is this something that a believer can can experience? And I think that some people will say this, it's like, once saved, always saved.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:24]:
And I know the slogan, and I understand this what they're trying to explain, but I think this is the thing that we need to look at is that what Jesus is giving warning to is the sin of apostasy. Right? And and that what he's saying is that word, apostasy, comes from the Greek word, which means to be defiant of an established system or authority. It would be used when there was a rebellion. It would be used when there was a renouncing and a breaching of the faith. It's not that I didn't come to church this week. It's not that I didn't read my Bible today. It's something that's a revolt. It's a defection, right? And so, the thing is that why would Jesus warn of something that could never happen to anybody if it was just something that you should never be ever concerned about.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:40]:
At the same time, I say this, if you are ever concerned about it, then I think it's the sure sign that you haven't done it. Because the thing is that if you're because the people who are rebels and the people who betray the Lord, that they don't they don't care about it. Now, why do I say that? Because someone else that night also abandons the Lord. Who's who's that guy? He's a pretty famous guy. Peter. Right? He denies him how many times? 3 times. Right? And it says that at at after the third time, when the rooster crows, Jesus is in the courtyard, and Jesus and Peter lock eyes, and he is so ashamed. And it says, he weeps bitterly and he runs off into the morning.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:39]:
Right? If this is if Peter had been the person that was gonna be cut off and dried because he defected, because he rebelled, because then I think that he would not really care that much. That he wouldn't be restored. But what do we see in the calls him by name, calls him by name, orchestrates a miracle, gets him alone on the beach, and he has this interaction. Peter, do you love Me? And Peter says, I love you as a friend. And Jesus says, Peter, do you love Me? He says, I I I Yeah. We're we're buddies kind of a thing. And he says, Peter, do you love me? And at that point, he says that Peter, exasperated, says this, Lord, you know all things. You know that I failed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:45]:
And but you know what Jesus was saying after every time when He says, Peter, do you love me? And Peter said, I love you as a friend. He kept saying this, so take care of the sheep. Feed My lambs. Care for your brothers and sisters. And what he was saying was he needed to address what had happened. He needed to address what had happened, but he wasn't being judged. He was being restored. And so, the difference is Peter didn't renounce his faith.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:28]:
What happened is his courage failed. Sometimes his commitment wavered in the midst of the test. And I believe all of us have had our commitments shaken, sometimes in a test. All of us have had this time when our courage has failed. All of us have had times we weren't as bold as we should be. And does Jesus come and then or the Father come then and cut us off and throw us into fire? No. What does He do? He wants to restore us. But is it possible to just say, I don't need God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:09]:
I don't need none of this. I don't ever want to, like, I don't even, I don't believe in, I don't need Jesus. I don't need, I'm good enough on my own. It is possible, I believe. It is a warning to that but it is not to say you have to be perfect. It's not to say if you sin. Jesus has made a way for that. It's to repent, right? And that's why repentance is a beautiful word.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:36]:
It's not a bad word because what it talks about is restoration. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor who says, God wants to restore people. But He gives us warning so that we will want to be restored. Because what happens to Peter, I mean, Judas is it says later in Judas that when he sees Jesus, that He has been sentenced in the court by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. That he was overwhelmed with guilt because he got to see what he really chose. That he, for money, for what he could get out of it because Jesus wasn't doing what he wanted him to do. He sold him out, and he rebelled against him, and he denied him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:34]:
But rather than being restored, what does he do? He runs off and hangs himself. I'm not sure what would have happened if he came back, if he said, Lord, right? How could I don't know if it's even possible. I believe that the Lord says this. He says, No one who comes to me will I turn away. The point we have to watch is cultivate our heart so we want to come. So we want to come. You know, one of the things that, I think all of us, I don't know if you relate to this, but in Psalm 119, he says this, I used to wander off until you disciplined me, but now I closely follow Your word because You are good and do only good. Teach me Your decrees.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:37]:
You know, I've seen people time and time again struggle with different situations and and myself included, and and there are times when we we we we might wonder, how far can I get from the Lord and still be in the kingdom? You guys know what I'm talking about? That you go, hey, how is what's what is where how far can I go? Right? And so and I think God wants us to understand that. He wants us to be as close as possible, but sometimes we wander off. But you know what God is saying is that He uses consequences at times to drive us back to him because the Holy Spirit will never affirm our rebellion. That if you're in that situation that that you're praying and then, like and and I'm not saying because you've been when you've been faithful. I'm not saying that when you've been operating in faith. I'm not saying when you're staying connected to God, but when you're totally in rebellion and you pray and something doesn't the prayers don't get answered. Why is that? Sometimes because the Holy Spirit doesn't want you to think, I can just do whatever and it's all good with God. Because the reality is it's it's not.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:57]:
Right? It doesn't earn our salvation but he's just trying to say it's like, this is a relationship. God wants you close. And so if we refuse to follow Him, if we refuse to walk in it, He will allow it, but He reminds us there'll be consequences. He doesn't want it to be the ultimate consequence. Instead he says instead he says, you know what? Just would you remain in me? Would you stay close to me? And when you find there's a distance, let's close the distance. Let's close the distance. That's all he's saying. Do me a favor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:35]:
Turn to your neighbor and say, We can close the distance. Okay? And sometimes it just starts with turning toward Him. Just turn toward Him. That's what He calls for. When we say the word repent, it's not saying you traveled a 100 miles. It's saying you changed direction. And sometimes that direction is just the attitude of our heart. And so it says that then because He's the way, because He's the truth and the life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:04]:
He's the vine. We're the branches. Stay connected because He's the source of life and because when you feel weakness and decline and whether it's a moral or physical or spiritual, then He's just saying this. Get connected again. Turn toward Him because then you'll find grace, you'll find mercy, you'll find truth, you'll find love, you'll find power, you'll find direction. Right? You'll find compassion because that's the Lord's heart. That's the Lord's heart. You know, in fact, Jesus said this and I we we didn't I didn't put this earlier just because it, I wanted to read it here.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:51]:
Jesus says to them in verse 3, he says, you are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. In other words, you know we've been in relationship. I've been in speaking into your life. You've responded to me. You're already clean. You're already clean. I just need you to remain. Right? And what keeps us connected is it's so important that when we find ourselves distant, when we find ourselves drifting, when we find it's like we need the word of god in our lives.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:24]:
It informs our faith. It fuels our faith. It renews our mind. It leads us back to Him. The old preachers used

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:37]:
to say,

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:37]:
This book will keep you from sin and what? Sin will keep you from this book. And and it's not to say that when you, you know, if you mess up, you know, that's like you're cut off from the bread. No. That's not what he's trying to say. It's a reminder. Get connected. 2nd Timothy says it like this. Can we read this together? Ready? Begin.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:02]:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. We don't always realize. Right? It corrects us when we are wrong and it teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. We need the word of God in our lives and that's one of the reasons why we try to say, it's read the scriptures daily. Be get in the habit. Learn how to do your devotions. If you don't know how to do it, we we we want to teach you how to do it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:39]:
It's like it's we teach it in small groups. We teach it in with individuals. Sometimes it's at a coffee shop. Like, there's a bunch of people. If you want to learn how to do, let me know. We'll I'll start a small group that that will teach how to do devotions. But but this is an important part because it's there you'll find answers to your prayers. It's then he'll direct your path.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:01]:
It's then that you sense that that it's it's it's not just following the yellow brick road, but it's a relationship with god. And then when you even get in a place where you're in that where you're getting in the wrong track, he says, you'll hear a voice whether you turn to the right or to the left, you'll hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way. Walk in it.' God wants you to be close. He wants you to be close. This is the last point is this, but we also glorify God by choosing to remain in Him, right, that those 8 times, remain in him and him in us and then bear fruit. Right? Because when we're connected and his life flows in us, something amazing happens. Right? And he says this in verse 8. He says, this is to my father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:01]:
And so this is what he's saying. The evidence the evidence is that there is fruit in our life. Right? The thing is though, we all change little by little and bit by bit. Right? It's not all at one time. We nobody as soon as they say yes to Jesus all of a sudden never has a struggle, never never has a temptation, never that doesn't work that doesn't happen, that you're gonna have human flesh, right, all the days in this life. Right? So do me a favor. You're gonna have your body for the rest of your life. Turn to your neighbor and say, you're gonna have your body for the rest of your life.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:43]:
It might not look like how it looks now for the rest of your life but you can have a body for the rest of your life. Right? There's positives with that and then there's challenges with that. Right? And so here's the thing is that he's saying is that when you stay connected and life flows through you, he says that you'll produce fruit. Right? You'll produce fruit. And and the hard part becomes for us is that when we want to stay disconnected, but we still want the fruit. Right? That's one of the challenge is because everybody nobody says that I don't want to have joy in my life. Nobody says I don't want to have love in my life. Ever experience kindness.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:30]:
It's when we want all those things, but we want it apart from God. Right? That's when that's when we get challenged. CS Lewis said it like this. He says, a car is made to run on gasoline, Right? And it won't run properly on anything else because God or because, because that's the design. Right? That's the design of a car. He says this, now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There's no other way, he said.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:07]:
That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion or God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself because it's not there. There's no such thing. That's what that's what CS Lewis wrote. The Apostle Paul penned this. He says this in Galatians 52223. Let's read what it says. Ready? Begin. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:42]:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. There's no law against these kinds of things. Now this is what he's saying, that that when you're connected in Him, this is you don't have to stir, you don't have to make yourself do that. He says, it's a byproduct of what happens. You know, I'm not the biggest gardener in the world but my wife has a green thumb. How many of you guys have a green thumb? Okay. How many of you guys get a black thumb and everything that you have dies? Okay. You guys relate to that then.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:25]:
I've killed many plants. I'm trying to keep whatever plants my wife has alive till she comes home. There's been one casualty, but that happened before I got home and, but you know, my wife has always wanted a lemon tree, for a well, she wanted a lemon tree for a long time. I'm not exactly sure why. I love lemons. She doesn't. I don't know why you want a lemon tree, but maybe it's to save money so that because I always wanna buy lemons. But I bought one for her about 3 years ago and it was about this big when I first bought it and it was in a little plastic wrap that had this kinda soil, you know, and it was like this tall.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:07]:
And she took it and she she planted it in a pot. First, it's like a bigger pot and it outgrew that pot and then she put it in another pot and then it outgrew that thing and then I we we bought this big, like, a barrel and we put all the soil in it. I asked her, you wanna put it in the yard? She says, well, we don't I don't know exactly where well, we can put it in here then for now. And then it started to grow and after about a year, there were all these little tiny fruits on it. Right? And and then we went on vacation, and then we had, you know, friends come and water and all that. But when we came home, all the fruits were dry and fell off the tree. And then, you know, the thing is that nothing happened for the next like in the next year and a half, like no difference. Just getting getting a little bigger, getting a little bigger.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:08]:
But then about 6 months ago, we started to see little fruits start to bud, and then got bigger and bigger. And they've been about the same size probably for the last 3 months. And my wife's coming home in a in a couple weeks. But this is what that little tree looks like right now. So I took this today in this picture. So So it's not it's not giant. It's not a giant tree. You don't need a giant tree.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:37]:
But you notice that the lemons are there. They're turning color, they're getting ripe, it's all because they stay connected to the tree. You and I, we're not called to manufacture all of my feelings. You're not called to manufacture like I just gotta be loving. I'm loving you now. How come you don't feel like that? You're not called to do that. He just says this, stay connected to me, and you know what? Let me give you my love for them. Right? And you know what? Part of that, you know when that happens? Is when you receive his love, right, When we don't deserve it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:30]:
That's when you learn that you're gonna like, oh, I didn't deserve it, He loved me. Oh, even though they don't deserve it, I can still love them. I can still be kind to them. I can still be patient. God's been so patient with me. I wanna be patient as well. And sometimes it takes longer, right, than you think. Like we've been waiting for these lemons, like, to be ripened for 6 months.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:03]:
It just takes sometimes it takes a little longer. And sometimes maybe you've had some episodes where you had those little fruits in your life and then they just dried up and fell off. Don't give up. Just stay connected. It comes around. When His life flows through you, it'll show itself. When true friendship and relationship with God is taking place, there'll be a byproduct, and that byproduct is life. That byproduct is joy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:38]:
That byproduct is kindness. That byproduct is self control. That byproduct is faithfulness or gentleness. You know, sometimes we we need a miracle that happens in our life. Let me just close with this story. In 2008, there was a 15 year old girl, Demi Lee Brennan, and she was dying basically and needed a a liver transplant. And so she was an old negative blood type, but the transplant was somehow an o positive. Now I don't know how they did that, but they put her on the immunosuppressants.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:28]:
They did all these things, and she got the new transplant. And the thing is that over time, they began to notice something different because they would do blood tests. And, in the first recorded case is that all of a sudden, this person who was o negative became o positive. And at first, they thought it was just a mistake in the blood test. This must not be her blood because, you know, it's very common to have o positive. But what they discovered was that as a result of the transplant, that it somehow changed what was happening in her bone marrow, that she began to produce o positive. And so the first recorded case that we know, that this person who was once negative became positive. She no longer needs immunosuppressants.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:36]:
That if you know anybody who has a transplant, and we have friends who have transplants, they're on immunosuppressants for the rest of their life. Why? To prevent rejection. But you see, when we stay connected, God wants to do the miracle like he did for this girl that takes us from being negative and makes us bothered, that takes us from just our old self and bring out the new self. That little by little looks a lot more like Jesus than it used to look. Why? Because you gotta work hard to do it? No. You just gotta stay connected. Stay connected to Him and let His life flow through you and you'll become more and more like Him. Amen? And we want to just close this part in a word of prayer.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:31]:
You know, the thing about staying connected, is it a way of life, right? Is it a way of love? Is it we just need an experience with God? Sometimes it's all of those, right? And all of those things are part of it. If if you need this connection, the experience with God, then you know what? Seek him. He wants you to find him. Right? If if you need to create a pathway so that we stay connected, that's where we begin sometimes these spiritual habits. Church is one of those. Sometimes it's, it's prayer is is another one of those. It's getting together with other believers to to fellowship and pray or study the word together. It's it's serving someone.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:19]:
Right? It's like these things, they're they're pathways to stay connected with God and and that His life would flow in us, but then His life would flow through us. And so today, if there's a if there's a pathway that you just need to renew, there's maybe there's a pathway that you just need to renew. And with your heads bowed, eyes closed, if there's something that the Lord just wants you to be close. And if you can see that there's a there's something you can do to stay connected, would you just tell him, Lord, I just I wanna choose to stay closer. I wanna choose to stay connected. You know what I for some of us, it's the word of God. For some of us, it's it's you're gonna worship. For some of us, you're gonna you're gonna try to pray more.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:09]:
You're gonna but these are just ways that God uses to help you stay connected. You know? And if you've never chosen to stay you've never chosen to stay connected to God, that maybe you've been around but you just haven't chosen, Maybe today is your day. And if that's you today, would you just tell them, Lord, I I know I've been around and I've sensed the kindness and I've sensed the goodness and I've sensed your presence. But to be honest, I've never really opened my heart. If that's you today, would you just open your heart to Him today? It says that, but if you wanna forgive me, I wanna be forgiven. If you want me to be close, I wanna be close to you. If you want to help me to become a the person you created me, I wanna become that person. Would you just open your heart? This is what He says, and trust Him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:11]:
You don't have to change your life. Trusting him helps you to change your life. Just tell them, Lord, I want you. Lord, I need you. I'm sorry for my sin. Would you forgive me? Come, live inside me today because I want to live in you. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen? Hey, we're gonna close our time by, there's an old song.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:46]:
It's it's come thou fun. Now it's kind of a old English and it's not really modern English. The word fountain just means source. Right? Like fountain. And and we're gonna sing this because I think it's important to realize throughout our life, we're gonna have times where I love what this the word says is that, Lord, my heart is so prone to wonder. But today I just wanna choose to stay connected. We're gonna sing that together. Jason and oh, and, and Cindy are gonna lead us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:24]:
But let's just sing this together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:29]:
If you know it, you can sing along. I just learned it last week. Come the font of every blessing to my heart to sing Thy grace The mercy never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest praise. Jesus saw me when a stranger wandering from the face of God. He to save my soul from danger, interposed his precious blood. Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be the grace, Lord, like a by my wandering heart to Thee. Teach me, Lord, measure.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:52]:
Meet me for thy grace to prove while I sing the countless treasure of my god's unchanging love, Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Seal it with thy spirit from above. Rescue us from sin and danger, purchased by the savior's blood. May I walk on earth as stranger as a sun in Ereducah. May I walk on earth as stranger as a son and heir of god.