WEBVTT 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.900 Hi everyone, this is Emma from Encounter Church, 00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:15.900 Henley and thanks so much for tuning in to our 00:00:15.900 --> 00:00:19.059 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:21.760 you can have an encounter with Jesus that will 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.379 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:25.379 --> 00:00:29.879 message from our preaching team. Should I stay 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:34.820 or should I go? Mick Jones of the Clash asked 00:00:34.820 --> 00:00:37.399 one of life's age -old questions in his 1982 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:41.299 punk rock classic of the same name Should I stay 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:46.079 or should I go? Do I remain or do I leave? It's 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:49.640 a decision that we face constantly Remain with 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:53.380 the job that I've got or leave for a new one 00:00:53.380 --> 00:00:57.259 Remain in the house that I'm in Or leave for 00:00:57.259 --> 00:00:59.880 a new one. See if you can follow along remain 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:04.019 in the friendships that I'm in I didn't know 00:01:04.019 --> 00:01:06.099 if you were going to call back. Remain in the 00:01:06.099 --> 00:01:10.840 church that I'm in. Remain in the relationship 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:15.019 that I'm in. We are constantly faced with a barrage 00:01:15.019 --> 00:01:19.579 of the question, do I stay? Do I remain? Or do 00:01:19.579 --> 00:01:24.319 I leave? Now in the years following Brexit in 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:27.519 2016, in which England eventually opted to leave 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:30.579 the EU, a series of studies have been undertaken 00:01:30.579 --> 00:01:33.980 to dissect that decision. Quick footnote. I am 00:01:33.980 --> 00:01:36.400 not about to offer an opinion on this matter. 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.180 Rob, I see you at the back. I am not about to 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:41.900 offer an opinion on this. I'm just dissecting 00:01:41.900 --> 00:01:44.319 some data so everybody slide back in your seat 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:47.480 again. There were two conflicting campaigns during 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:50.760 the Brexit kind of campaigns, if you will. One 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:56.519 was Leave and the other was Remain. The Remain 00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:01.599 camp had the tagline of... Britain, stronger 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:05.420 in Europe, which is about the most British kind 00:02:05.420 --> 00:02:08.280 of like expression and slogan I think they could 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:13.039 have come up with. Leave chose to use the tagline 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:19.020 of take back control. Take back control feels 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:21.919 strong and empowering. It feels like we have 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:25.460 a plan and we have an action. And in comparison, 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:30.009 remain feels a little bit weak. It feels a little 00:02:30.009 --> 00:02:33.009 bit passive, almost like you're not really making 00:02:33.009 --> 00:02:34.889 a decision at all. You're just accepting what 00:02:34.889 --> 00:02:38.770 is. And these studies have shown that should 00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:41.550 the Remain camp have even changed their slogan 00:02:41.550 --> 00:02:46.750 ever so slightly to fight to remain, the results 00:02:46.750 --> 00:02:48.789 actually could have been different of that vote. 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:54.750 It takes something that is seemingly passive 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:59.030 and makes it proactive. It becomes a choice and 00:02:59.030 --> 00:03:01.550 in doing so it changes the perspective of that 00:03:01.550 --> 00:03:04.949 choice entirely. Now that different perspective, 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:07.490 that changing something that feels passive and 00:03:07.490 --> 00:03:09.870 turning it into an action is exactly what Jesus 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:11.669 is talking about and showing us in today's reading 00:03:11.669 --> 00:03:14.569 that's been shared by Sarah. The power that can 00:03:14.569 --> 00:03:21.530 come from choosing to remain. Now if you knew 00:03:21.530 --> 00:03:25.840 with absolute certainty That you were going to 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:32.039 die in the next 24 hours What would you do? I? 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:35.080 I'd like to think that I would gather those closest 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:39.180 to me for one final meal that I would take that 00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:42.000 time as an opportunity to sit and to talk to 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.060 them and to ensure that they knew just how much 00:03:44.060 --> 00:03:46.939 I love them and just how much that hopefully 00:03:46.939 --> 00:03:51.419 I meant to them and Honestly to think and talk 00:03:51.419 --> 00:03:56.439 about what are we going to do from here? And 00:03:56.439 --> 00:03:59.080 truthfully, that's what Jesus did. There's a 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:01.919 reason the setting for today's teaching is taken 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:04.139 from an event in history, probably the most famous 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:07.759 dinner of all time, called the Last Supper. Jesus 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:10.919 knows what is to come. Within 24 hours of this 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:12.479 meeting, within 24 hours of this dinner, within 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:14.659 24 hours of the text that we've heard today, 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:21.050 Jesus will be arrested and crucified. So Jesus 00:04:21.050 --> 00:04:23.290 wants to ensure that His disciples, these people 00:04:23.290 --> 00:04:25.069 who have become so close to Him, these people 00:04:25.069 --> 00:04:27.290 that know Him best and He knows them best, He 00:04:27.290 --> 00:04:29.110 wants to ensure that they know that they are 00:04:29.110 --> 00:04:32.029 loved. But He also wants to ensure that they 00:04:32.029 --> 00:04:36.129 know how to remain and exist in the truth of 00:04:36.129 --> 00:04:39.430 that love in the days and years to come, to ensure 00:04:39.430 --> 00:04:42.670 they feel and know that they are still close 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:45.029 to Jesus and He in turn is still close to them. 00:04:46.670 --> 00:04:49.889 And Jesus begins that by telling them, I am the 00:04:49.889 --> 00:04:52.449 true grapevine and my father is the gardener. 00:04:52.769 --> 00:04:54.790 He cuts off every branch of mine that does already 00:04:54.790 --> 00:04:57.129 be pruned and purified by the message I have 00:04:57.129 --> 00:04:59.689 given you. Those who remain in me and I and them 00:04:59.689 --> 00:05:03.069 will produce much fruit for apart from me, you 00:05:03.069 --> 00:05:06.689 can do nothing. He is clarifying the relationship 00:05:06.689 --> 00:05:10.529 between him and his disciples into three key 00:05:10.529 --> 00:05:14.600 components. And they are the branches, the vine, 00:05:14.819 --> 00:05:16.899 and the gardener, because as direct as Jesus 00:05:16.899 --> 00:05:19.500 can be sometimes, oh, this man loved a metaphor, 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:21.819 right? Like he just couldn't get enough of them. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.000 So we will break it down as Jesus did into those 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.480 three sections. The first is the branches. Okay. 00:05:28.899 --> 00:05:30.420 And in the branches, we're gonna see a picture 00:05:30.420 --> 00:05:33.180 in a second of an incredibly that, my friends, 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:37.629 is a healthy looking grapevine. That vision, 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:39.810 that picture, I love a visual metaphor apparently, 00:05:39.889 --> 00:05:42.029 so just keep on running with me. That picture 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:44.589 illustrates exactly what it is that Jesus is 00:05:44.589 --> 00:05:46.649 speaking about, and exactly what it is that He 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:50.769 wants for all of us. To form part of a healthy, 00:05:51.089 --> 00:05:54.069 growing, and expanding grapevine, by becoming 00:05:54.069 --> 00:05:56.670 His disciples, that we sit under His teaching, 00:05:56.769 --> 00:06:01.550 His autonomy, and His love. Without us, here's 00:06:01.550 --> 00:06:03.269 an important thing to note though, without us, 00:06:03.269 --> 00:06:07.860 we are the branches. Without us, that grapevine 00:06:07.860 --> 00:06:15.060 grows no grapes. Aren't we important? Go team. 00:06:16.339 --> 00:06:21.060 So long as we remain right there on the vine, 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.879 it is very likely at some point we are going 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:29.100 to produce fruit. Can anyone tell me what happens 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:32.279 to those luscious grapes if you remove the branch 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:37.129 that they're attached to from the vine? We're 00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:39.009 not heaps chatty today. We die. That's great. 00:06:39.329 --> 00:06:42.610 The grapes will rot away. And in turn, the branch 00:06:42.610 --> 00:06:45.750 becomes useless, which is wild, because moments 00:06:45.750 --> 00:06:48.050 before that, we were doing great, team. Remember, 00:06:48.149 --> 00:06:50.610 we're the branches on the vine. We were producing 00:06:50.610 --> 00:06:52.829 grapes, and those grapes were potentially going 00:06:52.829 --> 00:06:55.089 to make wine. This is a wonderful thing that 00:06:55.089 --> 00:06:57.829 we were doing. And now there is green mush in 00:06:57.829 --> 00:07:02.790 the grass, and we're a stick. What changed? Same 00:07:02.790 --> 00:07:07.649 branch, same fruit. But it's not the same branch 00:07:07.649 --> 00:07:10.050 and it's not the same fruit because once we remove 00:07:10.050 --> 00:07:13.889 that branch from the vine, everything changes. 00:07:14.870 --> 00:07:17.769 No longer a branch, we're a stick because we 00:07:17.769 --> 00:07:20.370 have no source of life and no ability to continue 00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:27.430 to produce anything. The vine. I love this. Jesus 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:29.389 paints this beautiful metaphor and then at some 00:07:29.389 --> 00:07:31.889 points he's like, but also this. Jesus is the 00:07:31.889 --> 00:07:36.100 vine. Those who remain in me and I in them he 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:40.139 says will produce much fruit Now if you listen 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:42.480 to this what I really want to make clear is that 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:46.579 this isn't a command to remain He says those 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:50.019 that choose to those that do those that remain 00:07:50.019 --> 00:07:54.579 in me It's a choice Now it's a choice in which 00:07:54.579 --> 00:07:58.379 the results are clear if you choose to remain 00:07:58.379 --> 00:08:01.100 in me You'll bear some fruit. Do you want to 00:08:01.100 --> 00:08:03.519 bear fruit? Remain in me. That's how you're gonna 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:08.860 do it. Wanna be a stick? Feel free. Off you go, 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.079 man. Not a choice I would make, but hey, those 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:13.300 are the choices. And then we'll come back to 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:16.240 this little part of that passage there where 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:20.319 he says, remain in me. Why? As I remain in you. 00:08:20.379 --> 00:08:22.620 That's kind of the important part of this phrase 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:24.339 here. That's the important part of that line 00:08:24.339 --> 00:08:27.660 of text. Because it's a confirmation of a choice 00:08:27.660 --> 00:08:30.579 that Jesus has already made to remain within 00:08:30.579 --> 00:08:36.419 us. Right? This isn't, if you, then I. Remain 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:38.759 in me because I have already chosen to remain 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:40.919 in you. I'm already there. This is already happening. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.600 It's a recognition of the ecosystem and the infrastructure 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:47.740 required to produce that fruit that we were talking 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:54.659 about before. Because the vine alone cannot produce 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:59.610 fruit. It needs the branches. for the fruit. 00:08:59.909 --> 00:09:02.389 There's a beautiful symbiosis in which both parts 00:09:02.389 --> 00:09:05.289 benefit, but only when they remain together. 00:09:07.110 --> 00:09:09.990 In fact, they must remain together for it to 00:09:09.990 --> 00:09:15.269 work at all. And I hear what some of you are 00:09:15.269 --> 00:09:17.309 asking. Tex, this is a lot of talk about grapes. 00:09:18.950 --> 00:09:20.750 Maybe you weren't asking it. I'll feed you that 00:09:20.750 --> 00:09:23.250 one for free, right? What kind of fruit are we 00:09:23.250 --> 00:09:26.720 talking about? What kind of fruit? We can't just 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:28.299 keep on talking about fruit and not name it. 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:33.220 So Galatians 5 22 defines spiritual fruits as 00:09:33.220 --> 00:09:36.919 character traits like love, joy, peace, patience, 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.840 kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:42.840 and self -control. Why are these fruits of the 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.200 spirit? Because these are the fruits which reflect 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:47.360 God's true nature. These are the fruits that 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.259 reflect God's true character. That's why we want 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:53.590 that kind of spiritual fruit. Now these fruits 00:09:53.590 --> 00:09:56.210 of the Spirit are then used, if you will, if 00:09:56.210 --> 00:09:57.750 you're the kind of person who's like, those are 00:09:57.750 --> 00:10:00.070 great, but I need a few more doing words, right? 00:10:00.090 --> 00:10:02.350 Like I need to see some action from these fruits 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:04.610 of the Spirit. Those fruits of the Spirit are 00:10:04.610 --> 00:10:08.230 then used to fuel us to produce kind of like 00:10:08.230 --> 00:10:10.090 physical fruit, if you will. Everything that 00:10:10.090 --> 00:10:12.570 we do, every action that we undertake as disciples 00:10:12.570 --> 00:10:14.789 under Jesus is fueled by those fruits of the 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:17.059 Spirit. All right, so let's head back to England. 00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:19.179 We started with Brexit. Let's go back to England 00:10:19.179 --> 00:10:20.960 for a bit of an example of what happens when 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:22.700 we have the fruits of the Spirit within us and 00:10:22.700 --> 00:10:26.940 we do something with them. We are slightly early 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:28.899 on that slide but we'll come back to him in a 00:10:28.899 --> 00:10:30.919 minute. I should have gone with the, where did 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:34.519 that come from? Thank that one because we're 00:10:34.519 --> 00:10:36.740 coming back to my guy in a minute. During COVID 00:10:37.450 --> 00:10:40.230 Wow, we're knocking off Brexit and COVID. Let's 00:10:40.230 --> 00:10:43.090 go. People love talking about these two things. 00:10:43.210 --> 00:10:46.190 Come on. During COVID, reports suggest that the 00:10:46.190 --> 00:10:48.230 Christian churches in England provided more than 00:10:48.230 --> 00:10:54.409 five million meals per month during COVID. 12 00:10:54.409 --> 00:10:59.309 .5 million different people are reported to have 00:10:59.309 --> 00:11:02.509 received some form of support during the five 00:11:02.509 --> 00:11:06.169 -year period of COVID in England from a local 00:11:06.169 --> 00:11:11.129 church. That is awesome. I know sometimes we 00:11:11.129 --> 00:11:12.590 hear someone like a Jen kind of yelling those 00:11:12.590 --> 00:11:16.110 kind of things out. Do you hear me? 12 .5 million 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:19.289 people, not Christians by the way, this wasn't 00:11:19.289 --> 00:11:21.570 people that were necessarily connected to a local 00:11:21.570 --> 00:11:24.029 church already. This is 12 and a half million 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:27.129 people who received some kind of support from 00:11:27.129 --> 00:11:32.159 a local church. Why? Because... That is an extension 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:34.340 of God's true character and God's true nature 00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:36.519 that this church is wanting to put out into a 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:38.220 world that is hurting and needs some healing. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.080 Which brings us to our gardener. The gardener 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:44.320 is God. Again, I love this because Jesus with 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.919 his metaphor, but he's like, I'm the vine, God's 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:49.659 the gardener. You're like, got it. We can have 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:51.120 this chat while we're having dinner as long as 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:52.679 we don't have to talk about Brexit and COVID. 00:11:53.340 --> 00:11:59.029 So, you can have a healthy vine. that produces 00:11:59.029 --> 00:12:02.470 many, many healthy branches. And if those branches 00:12:02.470 --> 00:12:05.190 remain on the vine, they'll produce fruit. Like 00:12:05.190 --> 00:12:07.129 we've established this. I know I'm doing it within 00:12:07.129 --> 00:12:09.549 a church context right now. That's also just 00:12:09.549 --> 00:12:16.710 kind of like how plants work. I was gonna be 00:12:16.710 --> 00:12:20.149 a teacher, you know, at a school. Now I'm here. 00:12:20.649 --> 00:12:22.350 Teaching you guys. Let's go. Let's have some 00:12:22.350 --> 00:12:25.029 fun, right? So those branches, if they remain 00:12:25.029 --> 00:12:27.009 on that vine, they'll produce fruit. And a vine 00:12:27.009 --> 00:12:30.669 that produces amazing fruit brings glory to the 00:12:30.669 --> 00:12:33.250 person that tends to that vine. The fruit doesn't 00:12:33.250 --> 00:12:35.710 produce fruit for its own sake, right? But what 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:37.789 it will do when you produce good fruit, or excellent 00:12:37.789 --> 00:12:40.629 fruit, or Cara hit me with my man from before, 00:12:41.009 --> 00:12:45.629 or potentially a whopping great onion, it brings 00:12:45.629 --> 00:12:47.889 glory to the person that grew it, right? This 00:12:47.889 --> 00:12:51.840 is meme famous Peter Gazebrook. and his gigantic 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:56.919 onion. Right? That onion grew to that size and 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:00.440 in that way, due to Peter and his abilities, 00:13:00.539 --> 00:13:03.759 he knew this is a competition gigantic vegetable 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:06.000 grower. He didn't even know that was a thing. 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:08.620 This is what he does. Why? Because he knows how. 00:13:09.389 --> 00:13:11.330 That onion does not grow to that size. That onion 00:13:11.330 --> 00:13:13.909 does not do what it's doing there just because 00:13:13.909 --> 00:13:16.009 you put an onion bulb in the ground. Go on, everybody 00:13:16.009 --> 00:13:17.789 go home and chuck one in the ground. Let me know 00:13:17.789 --> 00:13:19.590 how you're going six months. This guy knows what 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:22.570 he's doing. But what I love most of all, look 00:13:22.570 --> 00:13:25.730 at that smile. Oh, that guy's so proud of that 00:13:25.730 --> 00:13:28.590 onion. That's how God looks at you guys, like 00:13:28.590 --> 00:13:32.789 you're a beautiful onion. Yeah, is it? Oh, you 00:13:32.789 --> 00:13:34.389 guys are like that? Anyway, it's fine, right? 00:13:36.699 --> 00:13:40.100 We remain close to the gardener because a branch 00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:42.779 doesn't produce good fruit just because it wants 00:13:42.779 --> 00:13:49.100 to. Exceptional fruit requires good soil, it 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:51.200 requires good nutrients, healthy branches, a 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.559 healthy vine, and a gardener who knows what they're 00:13:53.559 --> 00:13:56.220 doing with it. Good gardeners don't leave branches 00:13:56.220 --> 00:13:59.090 dragging on the ground. Good gardeners pick up 00:13:59.090 --> 00:14:01.669 the branches that are failing. They tie them 00:14:01.669 --> 00:14:04.450 to other healthy branches. They provide structural 00:14:04.450 --> 00:14:07.909 support. They provide tactical pruning. They 00:14:07.909 --> 00:14:10.210 do everything they can to encourage those parts 00:14:10.210 --> 00:14:12.269 of the branch that are struggling to regraft 00:14:12.269 --> 00:14:17.570 and to repopulate within the vine. Jesus wants 00:14:17.570 --> 00:14:20.850 us to mirror the choice that He has already made, 00:14:20.990 --> 00:14:24.230 a choice from which we will bear fruit with the 00:14:24.230 --> 00:14:26.409 hope that this fruit can and will bless others. 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:31.419 proof of concept of what the combo of gardener, 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:36.919 vine and branch can achieve together. But that 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:41.460 attaching and that remaining is still a choice. 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:49.240 You can choose not to if you want to. Pastor 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:53.039 Zach Meerkriebs puts it like this, to choose 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.899 to remain is to choose to submit to a life of 00:14:55.899 --> 00:15:00.720 reliance on God. Now for some people I think 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:05.720 sometimes that that feels almost like oppressive. 00:15:06.340 --> 00:15:09.159 Having to rely on somebody or something else 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:11.759 can feel a bit heavy. We don't like it when we 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:16.379 don't have control. I need you to hear this. 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.720 That kind of reliance isn't a restriction, it's 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.700 a release. It's one in which we accept the good 00:15:24.700 --> 00:15:27.840 news is we accept that we have the ability you 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:32.159 and me all of us to produce absolutely unbelievable 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:37.240 fruit But we have the freedom to accept that 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:41.480 we cannot produce sunshine We cannot produce 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.779 the nutrients in the soil required to produce 00:15:43.779 --> 00:15:47.710 that fruit The freedom we have is a release from 00:15:47.710 --> 00:15:49.950 needing to do any of that. It's a freedom that 00:15:49.950 --> 00:15:52.049 comes in knowing that all we have to do is remain 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:59.730 attached to the vine. Verse 10 tells us, when 00:15:59.730 --> 00:16:01.929 you obey my commandments you remain in my love 00:16:01.929 --> 00:16:04.750 just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain 00:16:04.750 --> 00:16:10.470 in His love. Just so we're clear, Jesus uses 00:16:10.470 --> 00:16:14.960 the word remain. times in this passage before 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:21.519 he uses the word obey. Eight times. Because Jesus 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:25.539 wants us to obey in response to a relationship, 00:16:25.820 --> 00:16:29.120 not as the formation of that relationship. Now 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.679 I'm going to repeat that because I think it bears 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:33.200 repeating, repeating. Jesus wants us to obey 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:36.500 in response to a relationship, not as the formation. 00:16:36.730 --> 00:16:39.669 of a relationship and it's through our relationship 00:16:39.669 --> 00:16:42.750 as branches on that healthy vine that the beauty 00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:45.029 of that really starts to reveal itself that it 00:16:45.029 --> 00:16:47.090 really starts to come through because a healthy 00:16:47.090 --> 00:16:49.269 vine doesn't stay in one place a healthy vine 00:16:49.269 --> 00:16:51.950 doesn't remain as it is a healthy vine grows 00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:59.110 it sprouts more branches and it gets bigger do 00:16:59.110 --> 00:17:02.429 the branches get pruned sometimes yeah you betcha 00:17:04.300 --> 00:17:07.039 But only so that they can grow back stronger 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:14.079 and with better fruit So I want to say If you're 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:22.319 in a season of abundance bless you Amazing But 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:28.200 remain close to the vine But if you're feeling 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:33.059 tired or if you're feeling empty or if you're 00:17:33.059 --> 00:17:35.339 feeling like it's been a little while since you've 00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:40.839 produced fruit that you can be proud of or any 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:46.940 fruit at all I want you to receive today as a 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:51.279 reminder and an invitation to attach yourself 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:56.500 to the vine because the freedom that we talked 00:17:56.500 --> 00:17:58.299 about before of not having that pressure of having 00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:01.269 to do everything ourselves is that freedom of 00:18:01.269 --> 00:18:03.289 saying, hey, I will attach myself to the vine 00:18:03.289 --> 00:18:05.150 and I'm going to let the gardener worry about 00:18:05.150 --> 00:18:09.829 producing the fruit. Bange, you can come back 00:18:09.829 --> 00:18:14.190 up, please. Because with that in mind, we return 00:18:14.190 --> 00:18:19.829 to that question, remain or leave. Because it's 00:18:19.829 --> 00:18:22.369 actually pretty simple. It's really simple. It's 00:18:22.369 --> 00:18:25.190 the simplicity of that truth in which Jesus is 00:18:25.190 --> 00:18:29.569 imploring us. This whole passage breaks down 00:18:29.569 --> 00:18:33.269 to, hey, I love you, so I want you to remain 00:18:33.269 --> 00:18:37.349 with me. I love you, I want you to stay close 00:18:37.349 --> 00:18:42.549 to me, because I'm going to stay close to you. 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:49.809 Because the closer you are to Jesus, the closer 00:18:49.809 --> 00:18:51.829 you are to the source of what it is that's giving 00:18:51.829 --> 00:18:55.240 you your life to begin with. The closer you are 00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:57.319 to the source of all those nutrients that you 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:02.039 need that allows you to produce good fruit. The 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:04.099 closer you are to Jesus, the closer you are to 00:19:04.099 --> 00:19:07.299 the vine, the closer you are to the gardener 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:12.160 of your soul, your very soul. And all that gardener 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.839 needs in order to be able to tend to you and 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:16.440 take care of you and see you flourish and grow 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:25.690 and thrive is to remain close. in His garden 00:19:25.690 --> 00:19:37.230 under His watch. Friends, Jesus came to earth 00:19:37.230 --> 00:19:41.210 to get messy in the soil with us. He did not 00:19:41.210 --> 00:19:47.890 come and keep His hands clean. When we talk about 00:19:48.140 --> 00:19:51.819 those kind of choices to remain and then that 00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:54.559 fact that we obey, not out of a formation but 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.920 in response to a relationship, Jesus' final command 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:01.500 from God that He obeyed was also the ultimate 00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:05.200 act of love that He's asked to take on. Because 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:08.519 Jesus' final act that He obeys, His final commandment 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:10.599 is when He took on the weight of all of our sin 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:13.160 and allowed Himself to be sacrificed on a cross 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:19.180 for our forgiveness. His desire to remain in 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:24.579 us and have us remain in Him is guaranteed through 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:28.519 this act in which He guaranteed that there will 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:31.440 never be a barrier that exists between us and 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:36.799 God ever again. And the best part is that freedom 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:40.380 we talked about is that we're not asked at that 00:20:40.380 --> 00:20:43.220 stage, at this very first stage. That's literally 00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:47.059 all that's asked of us. Our nourishment, our 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:49.720 joy, and our very salvation are all given to 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:53.019 us, they are not earned. Our spiritual and eternal 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:55.319 health and everlasting life is shored by the 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:57.940 vine that is Jesus, that provides us living water 00:20:57.940 --> 00:21:00.900 from here into eternity and connection to a loving 00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:03.680 God that is still active today, that is still 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:06.259 tending to us today, so long as we remain in 00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:10.680 His garden attached to His vine. But the first 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:12.980 step in that is as simple as it has ever been, 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:16.940 is as true as it has ever been. Again, church, 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:19.319 I know I'm sounding repetitive. I don't care. 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:23.180 Attach yourself to the vine. That's it. That's 00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:26.000 the step. That's the choice. So we're about to 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.480 step into a time of worship now with this team. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:33.660 And we're going to follow that up by baptising 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:36.619 a couple of people in the ocean. That's right. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.369 But as we stand and as we sing together, I want 00:21:42.369 --> 00:21:44.450 to ask you to really think about it, really pray. 00:21:44.650 --> 00:21:46.750 And Tim and Hannah and I will be at the front 00:21:46.750 --> 00:21:49.130 here in Jen. And there's just abundance of people 00:21:49.130 --> 00:21:51.170 that would love to pray with you or for you. 00:21:51.390 --> 00:21:52.910 But I really want you to think about this as 00:21:52.910 --> 00:21:56.170 we enter into a time of worship. Is it time to 00:21:56.170 --> 00:21:59.430 attach yourself to the vine for the first time? 00:21:59.769 --> 00:22:02.470 Or potentially to reattach yourself to the vine 00:22:02.470 --> 00:22:05.730 for the thousandth time? You have a choice in 00:22:05.730 --> 00:22:10.069 this. You have a say in this. It's very, very 00:22:10.069 --> 00:22:16.230 simple. Will you choose to leave or will you 00:22:16.230 --> 00:22:21.410 choose to remain? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 00:22:21.430 --> 00:22:25.710 we thank You that You are the great gardener, 00:22:26.690 --> 00:22:30.269 that You call us to bear fruit, Father, that 00:22:30.269 --> 00:22:34.470 You love us, that You want what is best for us, 00:22:35.349 --> 00:22:37.750 that the fruits that You want for us, that the 00:22:37.750 --> 00:22:40.390 life that You exude within us and that You'd 00:22:40.190 --> 00:22:42.369 bring into us and that You provide us, Father, 00:22:42.390 --> 00:22:46.269 You don't want us to keep to ourselves. You want 00:22:46.269 --> 00:22:48.869 us to produce fruit for the goodness of others, 00:22:49.630 --> 00:22:54.230 Father. To see an example, to see a glimpse of 00:22:54.230 --> 00:22:57.569 Your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. 00:22:58.390 --> 00:23:00.349 So I pray as we step into this time of worship, 00:23:00.549 --> 00:23:02.450 Father, that You will talk to people's hearts. 00:23:03.470 --> 00:23:06.990 That You will talk directly to the people in 00:23:06.990 --> 00:23:09.480 this room. Allow them to hear your voice again 00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:13.099 for the first or the thousandth time. I am merely 00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:17.859 a vessel. I am merely a man doing his best. We're 00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:19.859 all just people, sons and daughters of yours, 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:25.400 Father, doing our best. So I pray, Father, speak 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:29.839 to us. Holy Spirit, come. Let us know and feel 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:35.279 a touch of you and a sense of your love. Thanks 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:37.579 so much for tuning in to this week's message. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.059 If you felt challenged or need prayer, we'd love 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:43.920 to hear from you on Instagram at encounterhenley. 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:47.119 Or if you're interested in how you can support 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:50.900 this ministry, please go to our website encounteradelaide 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:54.359 .com .au. Thanks again for listening. God bless 00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:54.839 you.