“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.”
“Apart from Him we can do nothing.”
Most of us spend a life time journeying before we even come close to getting our head round any real concept of this!
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”
Another scripture that it takes much wisdom to be in agreement with.
Can I find joy?
I’ve only got to relate that question to today and our year with COVID.
The joy lies in the hope and faith that God uses all things for good.
There is eternal work being done.
Make way. Make way.!
It is paving a different way forward for many individuals, society.
Also our corporate body as church.
What we have moulded to our fit in as a cosy, comfortable place seems to be under scrutiny.
God seems to be lifting His hand and removing the protection that has cushioned us into a place of compromise in the world.
The louder call seems to be to look at me and come back to sit at my feet.
To lay aside what we have built and to pick up what He has built.
“To come home with seeds of joy.”
We and the church may find ourselves under greater pressure as the early church did when it returns to a lesser comfortable seat in the world because it sits on the floor at the feet of Jesus.
We have to bear some of the cross as well as wear the unearned crown.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Our righteousness, love and compassion will be what sets us apart as a light on the hill in the city.
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church….”
Heirs share glory also suffering.Our level of glory is equal to our level of hardship for our Lords sake.
We abide in Him and He in us.
The illustration shows the branches bearing the fruits.
We branching from Jesus bear fruits of the Spirit.
A light in the world pushing back the darkness.
Seven scriptures that come to mind:
“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.”John 15:4 ESV
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”James 1:2 ESV
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”Psalm 126:5-6 ESV
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,”Colossians 1:24-25 ESV
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”Matthew 16:24 ESV
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”1 Peter 4:1-2 ESV
“and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”Romans 8:17 ESV
The Song Is He Worthy. Chris Tomlin
https://youtu.be/FkRiYsTN7KY
Lessisgreater 