As we gather this session we will continue in the “Jesus’ Farewell Message” by Francis Chan we come upon a common section, but we are challenged to fully understand the request; abide.

This week we will come to understand that

• spending time with God leads us to know and experience his love and joy in our everyday lives.
• To know that God wants us to have a deep relationship with him and cares about our joy.
• To feel God’s love for us and his joy in our lives.
• To abide in Jesus by spending time alone with him and obeying his commands.

What is your favorite thing to do with your best friend? What makes spending time with him or her so enjoyable?

There is something about presence, simply being near to a person we love. Sharing a hobby or interest with them can be an excuse to be with them for an extended period of time. We may learn something new about them or make a new memory, but it is most important to be around them—to abide with them.

In this session, Francis will teach us about the importance and blessing of abiding with Christ. God wants to spend time with you, to be known by you, and for you to experience his joy.

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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I 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, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. <sup15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

The Hatred of the World
¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. ²⁷ And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. – John 15:1-27 ESV

Some things to consider before we watch the session…

• What is the connection between our obedience and God’s love and joy?
• Why is it important to abide in Christ?

Watch RightNow Media “Jesus’ Farewell Message” session 4

Throughout this series, Francis has encouraged us to spend time alone with God, praying about and meditating on the deep truths Jesus shared with his disciples. Jesus asks us to do the same in the passage we’re studying today.
What are the benefits of remaining with, or abiding in, Jesus? (v.1-9)

A branch cannot survive by itself, disconnected from a vine and a system of roots. The essential nourishment it needs requires dependence on something greater than itself. In what ways do we, as Christians, try to live apart from God’s nourishment, guidance, and love? What areas of our lives do we try to separate from our faith?

Branches need nourishment, but they also have a greater purpose: to mature and bear fruit. People should notice the changes in your life as you spend time with Jesus. In what ways has your life changed since dying to self and being fully surrendered to Christ?

Francis defined “abiding in Christ” as living connected to Jesus and remaining with him. We often think that the only time we spend with God is in quiet alone time, prayer, or Bible studies. But Jesus wants us to always be connected to him. In what ways can we abide in Christ while we are with our friends, at work, or running errands? How could you remind yourself of his love and presence throughout your day?

We are meant to be connected to Jesus throughout the day, but there are some behaviors and habits that divert our energy and attention from spending time with Jesus. Verse 2 says that we should expect the Father to “prune” us, or to remove all of our unhelpful or distracting behaviors so that we can be more fruitful. What habits—sinful or not—can distract us from abiding in Christ? What difficult changes might you need to make to focus more of your time and energy on bearing fruit?

One of the ways God “prunes” us is through his Word. Francis said, “Be careful that you don’t just take God’s Word and dissect it . . . the Word will actually dissect you.” What is the difference between dissecting the Bible and letting it dissect you? In your Bible study, what steps could you take to let the Holy Spirit use his Word to push you away from sin and toward Christ?

Anytime we are pruned, it may feel painful, but God changes us so that we can know his love and experience his joy.

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, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

What is the key to abiding in God’s love and the way to knowing his joy? What comes to mind when you think of “obedience”?

Many of us think of obedience as a chore, a boring practice of discipline. But God’s commands don’t lead us to solemn glumness; his commands point us to love and joy. What do you feel when you think of being an “obedient Christian”? Is joy a part of that mental picture? Why, or why not?

But God cares about our joy; he wants us to be with him and know his love. He is a loving Father who knows where life is found and is intent on leading us to it. In what ways could chasing God’s joy change the way you approach his commands?

Life with God is more fulfilling than anything the world has to offer. But knowing God will not automatically give us a life of ease. When we pursue God and seek to abide in Christ, we will meet resistance. (v.18–27)

Following Jesus will cause us to live differently than your coworkers, neighbors, classmates, and society at large. Our new habits will stand out and cause people to question us. But think of Jesus who, even as he loved others, was hated. We must be prepared for the same treatment. What kind of opposition have you encountered because of your faith? What was your response to that slander, mocking, or abuse?

Jesus says that we will be hated because people do not know the Father. People who oppose us are ignorant of the gospel, don’t know the love of God, and reject us in the same way they rejected Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we can turn against them and “fight fire with fire.” In verse 27, Jesus says that our response to being hated is to “testify” about him. With his words in mind, how can we use opposition as an opportunity to tell people about Jesus? To show them his love?

At the end of the video, Francis asked us what characteristics define Christians. What do you think defines Christians in our society? (v.12-17)

Christians should be known by our love first and foremost. But Jesus says that we should love others in the same way that he loved us. How has Jesus loved us? In what ways is his love different than our cultural idea of love?

If God’s love is in us, people should also see his joy on full display in our lives. What could you do to abide more in Jesus so that you might know more of his joy? What do you think it looks like to live joyfully, even when things aren’t going your way?

LAST WORD

It might sound crazy, but God wants us to be joyful. He wants us to experience his love. These qualities shouldn’t be something we just experience on Sunday morning or while we read our Bibles. Rather, they define the way we live, whether at church, running errands, at work, or in persecution.

If you do not know God’s love, think of some ways you can abide in him throughout your day. Pray, asking him to make his love known in your life. Learn his commands and obey them. As Francis and Psalm 34:8 encourage us, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

For another good series on the vine, Vinedresser and us… see the series on Crushing by TD Jakes –