JESUS IS THE POINT OF THE BIBLE

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I've been thinking lately about how easy it is to become side-tracked with the vastness of the Scriptures and miss the point of it all. That point which the Scriptures present is simply Jesus. Luke, the author of two of the five Gospels, notes how central Jesus is to the Scriptures.

Luke references Jesus, Himself, using the Scriptures to explain His central role. After the resurrection, Jesus joins a couple of disciples walking along the road and He begins with Moses and all the Prophets to explain what the Scriptures have to say about Him.

When Paul was in the synagogue in Thessalonica, note what he said. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah," he said.

In the next chapter of Acts (18) we find Apollos was in the practice of proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. Also when Philip met up with the Ethiopian eunuch, he began with the prophet Isaiah and explained to him the good news about Jesus.

The primary role of the Gospels was to take a teaching strand out of the ancient teachings of the prophets about the Messiah and pull that thread through to a fuller explanation. For instance, Matthew picked up on the teaching that the Messiah will take on the role of the King. Mark pulled through the thread that the Messiah would be the Servant. Luke picked up the teaching as the Son of Man and John presented Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God.

The Scriptures were not written to build a great religious or a theological system. The Scriptures were written to teach us and lead us to Jesus. And, this is the most frequent mistake made. Too many actually worship the Bible. This is what the Jewish leadership was doing in the 1st century and Jesus called them on it. Listen to this: You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Salvation and eternal life is not a religious thing nor even a theological understanding; it's a personal thing. The person? His name is Jesus.

THE PURPOSE OF BEARING FRUIT

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Jesus finishes up His teaching on fruitfulness in verses 8-11 where He sets forth a few results:
 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." Two things of note here: First-God, the Father is uniquely reflected as we abide in Jesus and bear much fruit. I'm sure you have noted the progression in this chapter. We've gone from no fruit, fruit, more fruit and now much fruit. This progression of growth takes time, so enjoy the time.

Second-By doing this abiding in Jesus and bearing much fruit, we uniquely prove to be His disciples. Again, note that He is not saying that you are My disciples by knowing anything or following a list of do's and don'ts, but by abiding-hanging out with, connecting with, staying with-in Jesus as a branch abides and stays connected to a vine. Here is the formula, if you like, for being a disciple! There's no course or class! It's simply abiding in Jesus so that you are receiving your very life flow from Him. You in Him and He in you!
 
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." 
 
Jesus delineates two more benefits to those who abide in Him and He in them: First-You will be loved by Jesus in the same way His Father loved Him, so that you can abide in His love. Second-You will be given the joy of Jesus-His joy may be in you-so that your joy may be made full! How incredible is that! Someone says joy is the inner quality of life that enables you to enjoy the scenery on a detour.

So, what is being fruitful all about? What's the ultimate purpose bearing fruit? In a small gathering a few weeks ago we were discussing the parables of the Kingdom and focusing in on the sower and the soils. When I pointed out that the only action in the invisible form of the Kingdom is the sowing of the seed. One of the women in the group had a terrific insight. She said, "You know you have to be fruitful in order to have seeds to sow. Fruitfulness produces more seeds of the Good News of the Kingdom and then you sow these seeds from your life." Whoa! This blew me away! She's right!

This is why it is so important for us to be fruitful-bearing the fruit that Jesus, the Vine, produces in and through us. If we aren't fruitful, then we end up planting things other than the message of the Kingdom. We tend to plant seeds of traditions, denominationalism, doctrinal distinctives and man-made rules and add-ons. And, these seeds are unfruitful and useless with respect to Jesus and the Kingdom. What we want are the seeds produced in the fruit Jesus is producing.

Being fruitful is why we must seek to reach ourselves first. We get so bent on reaching the world that we frequently miss our own hearts. If I am abiding as a branch in Jesus, the Vine, then what I am experiencing can be given away or planted in the hearts of men and women around me. By the way, this is why Jesus was not concerned about "how many", but that the few really "get it"!

So, we are to be in the flow of planting seeds-the Good News message of the Kingdom seeds. And those seeds will naturally come out of our fruitfulness in relationship with Jesus. Note, in the Kingdom there is nothing said about "planting churches", only "seeds". This planting of seeds is most biblical as you read through the Acts of Jesus. The Good News message of Jesus and the Kingdom is planted in a new city or region. Sometimes those who were in the flow of planting these seeds remained there for a period of time and many times they kept moving on, after the message was received. Paul, Silas and Timothy spent 3 ½ weeks in Thessalonica and a major explosion echoed forth out of there.

Several years ago my wife's cousin committed suicide. I had met her and the family about a year before this tragic event. They were a prominent Catholic family in Lodi, California. Since they had a visiting priest from Asia who was difficult to understand, they asked if I would speak at the service on behalf of the family. We counted it a great privilege to participate.

The Catholic Church in Lodi is a large facility and with standing room only there were well over 1000 in attendance. My responsibility was easy and I was the only one anyone was going to understand, too. I spoke on behalf of the family and offered comfort only in the person of Jesus plus nothing. After the service, I met several people who were pleased with what I had said. One lady in particular still stands out to me. She came up to me outside and asked, "How long can you stay here in Lodi?" I quickly responded with, "Our flight is this afternoon, so only a few hours." She made it even clearer when she reiterated her question by saying, "I mean how long can you stay to continue teaching what you shared today in our homes here in Lodi?" Again, I put her off with our afternoon flight time.

On the way home it hit me like a ton of bricks! This woman was expressing to me a very large, open door to stay in Lodi for a day or two and continue the ministry with the people who were in such shock over this untimely death. I really blew it! I continually grieve over how I handled that encounter. That door was so open that anyone could have driven a Mac Truck right through it, but I had to catch a flight.

A NEW STRATEGY FOR THE TIMMONS-We are moving into a phase of our walk with Jesus and with others that is taking a little different twist. We call it THE LODI STRATEGY. We have friends in many cities around this country and beyond. We are seeking to visit these friends for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner, taking friends with us from our local fellowship, to share and interact with our friends about this message of Jesus and the Kingdom or JESUS PLUS NOTHING. We are looking for initial small gatherings in these cities and then see what doors Jesus opens up. We may stay one day or we may hang out in that particular city for a few days.

In other words, we are looking for Jesus to open up the doors for us to continue in the flow of planting the Good News seed of the Kingdom. We're not looking to launch anything or set up any groups or organizations in these cities. We only want to introduce "Jesus plus nothing" to those who are interested. We believe the Jesus movement will explode in the hearts of men and women as we follow through with these old and new friends.

Pray for God to raise up interested people for us to visit! Pray about what this might look like in your city! Pray about helping to make this happen!

This is ACTS 29 in action! The purpose of bearing fruit is to continue the planting of seeds in the hearts of men and women everywhere.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF ABIDING OR NOT

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As we continue following the image of being fruitful as you make like a branch hang on to Jesus, the vine, we come to John 15:6-11. Jesus explains what happens to those who think they can do something without Him--those who believe they can live their lives successfully without hanging out with Jesus. 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.

Jesus moves from speaking about people to plants. He warns that if anyone does not abide in Him, there are severe consequences. In the case of plants when the branches don't remain connected to the vine, they will end up in the fire. NOTE 3 things here: FIRST, branches that don't abide in the vine dry out, because there is no life-giving nutrition allowed to flow through the vine into the branch. Disciples who don't abide in Jesus, the Vine, also dry out, because they are not receiving the life of Jesus.

SECOND, branches that don't abide in the vine become completely useless, because there is no fruit being produced. Fruit is the purpose of the life of a plant. Disciples who don't abide in Jesus, the Vine, are also completely useless and unfruitful.

THIRD, branches that don't abide in the vine are thrown away, gathered up, and are cast into the fire to be burned in the trash. Disciples who don't abide in Jesus, the Vine, are thrown aside and trashed, instead of fulfilling the purpose and mission for them. I don't see this as referring to a disciple's salvation, but usefulness and purpose. Dallas Willard adds to this potentiality of not abiding in Jesus: "For the one who makes sure to walk as close to Jesus as possible there comes the reliable exercise of a power that is beyond them in dealing with the problems and evils that afflict earthly existence. Jesus is actually looking for people he can trust with his power. He knows that otherwise we remain largely helpless (and useless) and unable to promote his will for good in this world with adequate power."

So, here you have it, IF YOU DON'T ACT LIKE A BRANCH AND ABIDE IN JESUS, THE VINE, you not only can do nothing significant, but you are attempting to live a life that is absolutely useless and unfruitful. All you are left with is "What might have been."

In verse 7 Jesus returns to those who abide in Him when He says: 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is such a powerful statement to hear! Again He says "If you abide in Me" and now He adds and My words abide in you". What I'm learning is that this abide in Jesus as a branch abides in the vine must be purposeful. It means arranging your life, arranging your prayer-asking and listening, and arranging your silences in such a way that there is never a day when we give ourselves a chance to forget Him.

Now, if you are abiding in Jesus in this way, the more you become like the vine itself-you walk, talk, think and love just like Him. Your thoughts are so permeated with His thoughts that your inner character is being transformed. Then, it is easy to understand that your wishes are the same as His wishes, so you are walking in sync with Him and whatever wish you ask will be done for you. Now that's mind-boggling! But not out of the realm of possibility and reality. Otherwise, Jesus would not instruct us to be like this.

An amazing simplicity will take over our lives-a simplicity that is really just transparency." Abide in Me and I in you. Jesus wants to inhabit your life and all He is looking for is your willingness to cooperate!

LET'S MAKE LIKE A BRANCH

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In John 15:1-11 Jesus gives the three primary relationships of life-your relationship with Jesus, your relationship with other disciples of Jesus and your relationship with the world. Each relationship builds on the other. The first is the most important of all and it pictures the disciples as a branch attached to Jesus, the vine. So, Jesus is the vine and His disciples are the branches who have the natural purpose of being fruitful. I want to work our way through the first 5 verses today and then the rest of this section tomorrow. 1 "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 prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Jesus begins speaking of two kinds of branches-one that is not bearing fruit and one that is bearing fruit. Note what is done to each one. First-the branch that is not bearing fruit. It says in most translations, "He takes away". At first glance, it sounds as if the unfruitful branch is somehow removed from being a branch. I don't believe this is what is meant here. The word used here might just as easily be translated "to lift up." TO LIFT UP THE BRANCH. Now that makes more sense to me! We're dealing with branches and a common problem with branches is when they droop down and touch the ground. Touching the ground will surely destroy the branch and its fruitfulness. So, God, the vine-dresser, when He sees a branch drooping and touching the ground, lifts up that branch and places it where it can be fruitful again. I love this! The Lord is so committed that we become fruitful that He is in the vineyard looking for those who have drooped to the ground.

Second-the branch that is bearing fruit. On the other hand, the branch that is bearing fruit must be pruned in order to increase its fruitfulness. That pruning is painful, because the pruning process requires that not only the dead parts are cut off but also part of the living parts as well.

So, have you ever been one of these branches? Have you ever been drooped down so low that you have become unfruitful? Or, have you found yourself questioning some of the painful experiences in your life? Either way, be assured that the Lord is more devoted to your fruitfulness than you are! He will do anything to bring you to Him and then to make your life meaningful and fruitful-anything!

It seems that there are two bottom-line requirements from Jesus here. FIRST-He requires that you be interested-interested enough to lean in with your heart and seek more from Him. SECOND-He requires that you cooperate with being a branch. He'll do the rest. You can't produce fruit; only the Lord can do that!

Jesus continues to describe this unique relationship between the vine and its branches and explains how it all works: 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you." This is the most dynamic principle you'll ever encounter! It's a reciprocal relationship! You abide-remain, stay with, wait on, hang out with, continue with-Jesus and Jesus remains, hangs out and continues with you. Are you getting this? Jesus, the Son of God, created you to be completely inhabited by Him!

Jesus goes on to say: "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." Jesus goes on to say something that blows my mind! I have read this over and over and talked about it more than most passages of Scriptures, but Jesus is speaking of a daily, moment-by-moment reality. Just as a branch is unable to be fruitful on its own, so we cannot do anything without hanging on to our relationship with Jesus. But wait a minute. Does He really mean I can't do anything!!!??? What Jesus is saying is that we cannot do anything without recognizing, depending and drawing our strength from Him. Can this be true? Is it true in your life?

Dr. Dallas Willard, a friend and marvelous professor (USC) says on this subject: "However we may understand the details there can be no doubt, on the biblical picture of human life, that we were meant to be inhabited by God and live by a power beyond ourselves. Human problems cannot be solved by human means. Human life can never flourish unless it pulses with "the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe." (Eph. 1:19) But only constant students of Jesus will be given adequate power to fulfill their calling to be God's person for their time and their place in this world.

There is no better visual for all who want to walk with Jesus. Note that He doesn't say "If you abide in Me, you can be a more faithful believer." He doesn't give any alternatives to being a branch. He doesn't give any other option than being a branch. He gives absolutely no wiggle room at all. We are expected to be positioned as a fruitful branch, intimately connected with Jesus, the vine.

These words resonate with me: "Abide in Me and I in you. Without Me you can do nothing." Do you believe this? Do you see the power of this image of a branch and a vine? There is no way you can bear fruit on your own and there is no way you can do anything that really matters for the Kingdom, UNLESS you hang on to the vine for your strength, nurture and power. Do you want it? I want this with all my heart. Let's go for it together! Let's make like branches and abide in Him!

THE TELLTALE SIGN OF FRUITFULNESS

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The image of fruit, bearing fruit and fruitfulness is most vivid and illustrative of what it means to follow Jesus and His Kingdom. Jesus seems to return to this as one of His favorite ways of explaining how this relationship with Him is to work. He warns His disciples to beware of false teachers and gives them a telltale sign to discern the difference between true and false teachers-their fruit. He says, "You will know them by their fruit."

When speaking to the religious leadership who had continually rejected Jesus and His presentation of the Kingdom, Jesus says: "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." (Matthew 21) NOTE the Kingdom will taken away from those who are not fruitful and will be given to those who are fruitful!

There are two more key times when Jesus uses the image of fruitfulness. I will deal with one of them today and finish out the week with the other. After Jesus has been soundly rejected by the religious leadership who have attributed the source of Jesus' works as from the Devil, himself, Jesus delineates what form the Kingdom will now take.

He extensively describes the Kingdom in Matthew 13 with 8 parables. Using the teaching method of parables was meant to sort out those who have ears to hear and eyes to see and those who do not. I believe the invisible form of the Kingdom Jesus described is present right here right now. The only action within these parables is the sowing of the seed and the seed will be scattered upon four kinds of soil.

Jesus illustrates receptivity (ears to hear) by the use of four soils-by the side of the road, the rocky places, among the thorns and the good soil. These represent what kind of receptivity you might expect as you participate in the sowing of the seed of the Gospel and, these soils also illustrate the various degrees of receptivity we each experience in our own lives.

Now note the interpretation of these soils: (1) The soil beside the road. 18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When people hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along the path. NOTE what the message that is being sown here is-the Kingdom. This blows my mind. I have heard this, read it, and taught this passage for many years, but I never saw that the message that is being planted is the message of the Kingdom. And, it is this message that those who are the soil along the path hear, but do not understand. Since there is no understanding of what they are hearing, the seed is snatched away.

(2) The soil in rocky places. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. NOTE the Kingdom message is referred to in the next three soils as the word. This soil on the rocky ground is quite shallow, therefore the seed cannot take root and lasts for a short time. Jesus points out that the problem here is trouble and persecution. These overcome those who are the soil on the rocky ground. And, it's because of the word or the Kingdom message that they are finding trouble and being persecuted. This persecution is most likely verbal as Jesus has mentioned before.

(3) The soil among the thorns. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. NOTE the seed here falls among the thorns. This is where people hear the word or the Kingdom message and the word is choked. The choking or smothering of the word is due to the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Worries of this life is when you allow the stresses that surround you and threaten your security to overwhelm you, instead of placing your trust in Him. The deceitfulness of wealth is thinking that there is some sort of security in money, places and things. This is perhaps the greatest "over-promise and under-deliver" proposition in this world, believing this stuff can make you happy or might be fulfilling. The end result is that this soil is unfruitful.

(4) The good soil. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to people who hear the word and understand it. They produce a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." NOTE that the entire goal has to do with fruitfulness. Only one out of four of the soils is productive or fruitful. And, the fruitfulness listed as the "good soil" here is monumental-phenomenal fruitfulness.

Check out four observations about these soils and fruitfulness: 1-Jesus is the sower of the seed. In Matthew's version of this teaching (Matt. 13:37) Jesus says that the Son of Man is the sower. When Jesus was physically on the earth, His words were pitched out to those who listened to Him. Today, Jesus is still sowing the seed as we introduce the person of Jesus to others through our lives and through our own stories.

2-The seed is the word of God. What the word of God meant to Jesus was the "Good News of the kingdom of God." This is what His primary message was as He taught throughout the villages and synagogues. Therefore, the word of God is the active presence of God in us in the form of a seed.

3-This word of the kingdom of God has tremendous spiritual power within us to be productive-to be fruitful. It was able to produce amazing levels of fruit.

4-Its effect on you is determined by your response to it. It's all a matter of responsiveness. NOTE that you are not responsible to bring forth the fruit, but the power of the seed will produce the fruit if planted in the good soil.

Fruitfulness will be present in those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Non-fruit or bad fruit will follow those whose ears are closed and whose eyes are shut off from the Good News message of the Kingdom. I see each of these 4 soils as fluid. In other words, we have all been each one of these soils at one time or another. Can you remember the times you were one or more of these soils? One more question: So, where are you when you measure your receptivity to the seed Jesus is sowing in your life right now? Remember, it's all about fruitfulness!