Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): What kind of relationship would you have with your spouse if you only made time for them whenever you were ready? Fortunately, God does take the initiative. And this time on Telling the Truth, Stuart Briscoe explores how your relationships, both with God and others, offer comfort in difficult circumstances. Stuart tells us more coming up.

When life's storms suddenly come your way, how do you respond? Do you doubt God's presence, questioning His concern for you? Or do you see storms as part of God's plan for your life and rest assured He cares for you and is in control of all things? We want to help you trust in God's care and control in all the storms you face by sending you Jill Briscoe's message, "Weathering the Storms of Life," as well as a set of 12 beautifully designed scripture cards to encourage you in troubled times.

"Weathering the Storms of Life" and the set of 12 scripture cards are our thanks for your gift to help more people experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth. So request your copy when you give today. 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388. Or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's Stuart and his message, "Comfort Through Relationship."

Stuart Briscoe: We're looking into the last chapters of John's Gospel with a view to studying what Jesus had to say immediately prior to the cross. And you remember that the dominant theme of what He said was, "Let not your hearts be troubled." And He was concerned about bringing comfort for troubled hearts. And in this passage, we're going to see that there is real comfort for troubled hearts when relationships are as they ought to be.

John chapter 15: "I am the true vine and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me and I will 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, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.

"This is to My Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to My disciples. Verse 16: You did not choose Me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love each other."

In this passage, we have a lot of information concerning relationships. Relationship first of all, that are the most sublime relationships, and that is the divine-human relationship. But then on the basis of the correct divine-human relationship, interpersonal relationships are talked about here as well. Let me share with you then first of all just a few thoughts on recognizing the relationship that can exist between God and human beings.

Notice specifically that Jesus in verse 16 said to His disciples, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last." The first thing we notice about the divine-human relationship is that it is based on divine choice. It comes from a divine initiative. The point I want to make here is a very simple one but a very significant one.

Very often human beings seem to have the impression that they will come to God whenever they're ready, that they will respond to God as they wish, that they will fit God into their lives when they have time to fit Him into their busy schedules. That is to get hold of entirely the wrong end of the stick. The point is not so much that we take an initiative towards God, but the only reason that human beings can ever have a relationship with God is that God Himself takes the initiative.

Notice that His initiative is purposeful. The Lord Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, I chose you to go and bear fruit." In other words, in the same way that football players are drafted to play a position and in the business world you're hired to produce a product, so you are called by God into relationship with Christ in order that you might bear fruit.

The human-divine relationship is based on divine choice. Now, notice that there are three things about this particular choice that Jesus articulated. Number one, He said, "I am the true vine." Number two, He said, "My Father is the vinedresser." And number three, He said to His disciples, "And you are the branches." The Father has anointed Jesus as the vine, the true one through whom His eternal purposes will be worked out.

Notice secondly that the Lord Jesus said, "I am the vine, the true one, and My Father is the vinedresser." Now, speaking of the vinedresser, of course, immediately puts the relationship between Jesus and the Father in perspective. The vinedresser deeply cares for the vine, watches over it. And so, Jesus once again is establishing the intimacy of relationship between Himself and the Father, a unique relationship.

So, when the Lord Jesus says My Father is the vinedresser, what He's saying is the Father cares for Me, and I the vine incorporate the branches, which means He cares deeply for you as well. Now, how does He demonstrate that care? Well, Jesus goes on using His analogy to say that the vinedresser will prune the branches in order that they might bear more fruit.

How does the vinedresser prove He cares for the vine? By pruning it. Why? Because vines have a natural propensity simply to grow more and more straggly branches and more and more beautiful leaves. But they are not designed to produce branches and leaves; the branches and leaves are a means to an end to produce fruit. Now, if a vine simply concentrates on producing branches and leaves instead of fruit, it needs pruning.

In the same way, those who are believers in Christ, branches in the vine, know that the Father cares for them because He will allow things to happen in their lives that prune them. Pruning can be rather unpleasant. Pruning at times can be hurtful. But it is always under the divine direction and always with a view to a deeper relationship with the vine and a more productive life.

The other function is a very, very serious one indeed. For Jesus not only says that the vinedresser prunes the branches that are bringing forth fruit, but He goes on to say, and He cuts off those that are fruitless. Now, various interpreters down through the years have looked at this in different ways, as you can well imagine.

Let me suggest to you, however, that one very important way of looking at it is to see it in its general context. Do you remember that Judas had just been shown up to be a fake? He had just been exposed as a traitor. He had left them, and he had abandoned Christ, and he had gone out and was called the son of perdition. He came under judgment because externally he had professed, but internally there was no reality.

I would submit to you that it is still possible for people externally to give the impression of belonging to Christ, to go through the motions, to say the words, to do all the actions, to present and project the right projection, and yet when it really comes down to it, they have no heart for, they have no love for, they have no commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord.

And when the Father finally evaluates our lives, those kind of people, despite all the externals, will be shown to be utterly fruitless branches who will find themselves not in Christ where there is no condemnation, but not in Christ at all, coming under the righteous judgment of God.

Guest (Male): Don't go anywhere; there's more life-giving truth from the Briscoes headed your way. tellingthetruth.org and the Telling the Truth app are great resources to help you grow in your spiritual life. Packed with videos like Ask the Briscoes, articles from Stuart and Jill, and encouraging audio teaching content, you'll find a treasure trove of resources to encourage you and others in your faith.

And while you're there, you can also request this month's featured resource when you give a gift to help more people around the world experience life in Christ. So visit us online or download the app today. We look forward to connecting with you. Let's go back now to Stuart and his message, "Comfort Through Relationship."

Stuart Briscoe: So now we're seeing the relationship develop. "I am the vine, the true one. In Me, you will find all things that pertain unto life and godliness," says the Lord Jesus. "And My Father cares for the vine, and you are the branches." Now, the whole point of the branches, we've already seen, is that they were chosen that they might bear fruit. That is the point of the branch of the vine; that is its only objective. It is no good for anything else.

Ezekiel says you can't burn vine wood; it won't burn. You can't build anything with vine wood; it is not strong enough. It's just absolutely useful for anything except producing fruit. The Lord Jesus said that is the whole point of you being related to Me. The Apostle Paul talked about the fruit of the Spirit, the external manifestation of the inward working of the Spirit.

One can realistically expect to see in the life of a believer more and more love, and joy, and peace, and patience, etc. Not because that is their natural bent, but because this is the work of the Spirit of God. If there is no evidence of a changing of my heart, a changing of my attitude in terms of my relationships, why should I assume that anybody would believe that I'm now a branch in the vine?

If the vine is not reproducing its life in terms of my character, where is the fruit? The evidence that I'm a branch in the vine is fruit. Notice also that to bear fruit means also to be involved in the cause and mission of Christ. "You did not choose Me, I have chosen you that you should go into the world." The idea of going into the world is sort of shorthand for a sense of mission, being sent into the world.

If it is true that fruit is the quality of the character of Christ in my life, it is equally true that I will be caught up in the cause and mission of Christ too. I will begin to demonstrate a heart for His heart, a concern for His concerns, an identification with His mission. I will become a person who is caught up in the eternal purposes of Christ because Christ is the vine, the true one in whom the purposes of God are been worked out. And believe it or believe it not, I become an agent of that working. Now we begin to see the depth of relationship that it is possible for human beings to have with God. It is all based on divine choice.

Let's move on quickly to the second part here. That is, if we have recognized the relationship that we have with Christ, now we should be responding to that relationship. And you will notice that there are three ways in which we respond to the relationship we have with Christ. Verse four: "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine."

The old-fashioned expression here is abide in Christ. "Remain in Christ" doesn't do it for me. What it means basically is to nurture and nourish the relationship. It means to go on depending, to go on relating, to go on deepening my experience of Christ. You say, well, what do I need to do? Well, you'll notice that the Lord Jesus immediately talks about not only remaining in Him, but also allowing His word to remain in us.

Verse seven: "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." One of the ways in which we nourish and maintain the relationship with Christ is that we make sure that the word of Christ is remaining in us. Or the Apostle Paul says to the Colossians, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."

What does that mean? Well, it means that I believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It means that I believe it is the final authority in matters of faith and practice. Accordingly, it means I read it. I mark it. I learn it. I inwardly digest it. I believe it. I obey it. I claim its promises. And it becomes very, very precious to me. That is one way in which we remain in Christ; we nourish and nurture the relationship.

Another way, of course, is related to prayer. And you will notice what it says here: "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." Right at the end of our reading, verse 16, it says that if you bear fruit that will last, then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. Jesus said if you pray in My name, if you're concerned about My glory, if you're committed to My cause, and if the Word is dwelling in you richly, then you will be in a fit condition to pray, and your praying is going to work.

It all has to do with intimacy of relationship. You see, you can't simply say, well, I'm going to go my way and when I want to, I will come to God with my shopping list and I will claim His promise and expect Him to deliver. God said, "Are you kidding me?" No, if you are nurturing and nourishing the relationship and the life of the vine is flowing through you the branch, you'll begin to discover yourself more and more in tune with His purposes, and then you'll know how to pray. Then not only will the Word be rich in you, but your prayer experience will be rich too.

But notice the third thing that He says we should show in our response to the relationship. And that is verse nine: "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love." Remain in Me, let My words remain in you, remain in My love. As the branch remains in the vine, these are all the pictures: remaining, abiding, depending, nurturing the relationship.

Now, what does it mean to go on demonstrating the fact that we are nurturing the love relationship? Well, one of the ways that we do it is that we talk about it and we demonstrate it. If we are living in outright, downright disobedience, we should never confuse that with abiding in Christ.

If we are finding our lives singularly unfruitful, then look in two areas. Number one, am I being disobedient? Number two, am I not depending on Him? You can usually find if your Christian life is not being fruitful that it is directly related either to independence or disobedience. But the evidence of love for Christ is dependence upon Him and obedience to Him.

Which leads me to the final point, and that is reflecting this relationship. There are three things that we can glean from this passage in terms of reflecting a healthy relationship with Christ, the vine and the branch. Verse 11: "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." He is talking about His disciples enjoying genuine joy.

Notice that He talks about My joy. We saw that He talks about My peace. He was very careful to distinguish between the peace He gives and the peace the world gives. And I think we can make the inference here that there is a difference between the kind of joy He gives and the kind of joy we'll get out there in the world.

"You can always count on Me," Jesus says, "as your friend. If you ever doubt it, look at the cross." And then He says to all these little branches wiggling away there doing their own thing, "Now then, if all you branches are in the same vine, and I have shown you the principle of genuine joy and genuine friendship, do it yourself.

"And begin to love one another. Lay down your lives for each other. Make yourself available to each other. Be expendable for each other. Open your hearts to each other." And guess what you will discover? You will discover in the midst of your troubled life the comfort of relationship. Relationship with the Lord, and relationship through Him with each other.

Guest (Female): Stuart, how does a person truly become committed to Christ and not just go through the motions?

Stuart Briscoe: To be truly committed to Christ is a growing thing. I think it is a process rather than a great monumental, cataclysmic decision. Now, I'm sure it varies for different people. But in my experience and the experience of most of the people that I deal with, I would say that as we learn more about Christ and what He calls us to, and then we learn more about ourselves, then we realize that there are more and more things to which we need to commit and there are more and more things about ourselves that we need to commit to Him in order that He might do a work of grace within us.

And so, I would say that rather than just going through the motions, sort of singing the songs and reading all the right scriptures, what we should be doing is looking realistically at what is it that God has called me to? And I need to think of one thing that I need to commit to, to work on at this time. And then secondly, and what is it that God is showing me about myself that I need to commit to Him? Pick one thing and work on that.

Guest (Female): What's a good starting point to take up the cause and mission of Christ?

Stuart Briscoe: A good starting point? That reminds me of the story of the minister who went to speak to a group of students on one occasion and he said, "I have so many things to say to you this evening, I don't know where to start." And one of the students very helpfully shouted out, "Well, start near the end."

And I feel rather like that as far as this question is concerned because I have a very short time. But what's a good starting point to take up the cause and mission of Christ? I think the obvious place is to start off by deciding whether I honestly believe that Christ is on a mission. Why is He here? Mission, incidentally, comes from a Latin word "missio," which means to send. Do I believe that Jesus was sent into the world?

Okay, that's where I start. All right, then the next step is: what was He sent to do? What was He sent to do? All right, number three, I need to ask myself, all right, and what possible role do I have in what it is that Jesus is busy doing? And then fourthly, I look around me and say, "Where can I begin to put into practice what I'm discovering about the mission of Jesus?"

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today here on Telling the Truth. We pray today's message has helped you to experience life in all its fullness through Jesus Christ. When life's storms suddenly come your way, how do you respond? Do you doubt God's presence, questioning His concern for you? Or do you see storms as part of God's plan for your life and rest assured He cares for you and is in control of all things?

We want to help you trust in God's care and control in all the storms you face by sending you Jill Briscoe's message, Weathering the Storms of Life, as well as a set of 12 beautifully designed scripture cards to encourage you in troubled times. In Weathering the Storms of Life, Jill teaches from the Gospel of Mark, examining the disciples' experience in a sudden storm to address the issues of suffering and faith, challenging you to examine your belief in God in the midst of trouble.

Her teaching and the scripture cards will encourage you as you discover how you can be sure of God's love for you and His control over every circumstance, no matter how sudden, severe, or unexpected. Weathering the Storms of Life and the set of 12 scripture cards are our thanks for your gift to help more people experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth.

So request your copy when you give today. 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388. Or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Thanks for being here today. Come back again for more biblical truth to help you experience life. Join us next time on Telling the Truth.