Hey everyone and welcome to Refinery Life Church.
Our new sermon series is titled “The Adequacy of Jesus Christ.”
As God promised to be adequate to meet the needs of Moses and the children of Israel, so to Jesus also claimed divine adequacy.
The great “I Am’s” of the Gospel of John are the texts we will be working through for these messages.
Today we are talking about I Am The True Vine.
Farming is still big business in Australia, but less people are now involved in it.
Australia used to be a rural country, and only semi industrial.
But today things look different.
Most people live in cities, and many who live in rural areas are no longer farming.
In Palestine, where Jesus lived, vine dressing was a prominent occupation.
Although most people were not vineyard keepers, they were familiar with the line of work.
In this environment Jesus made His last great “I am” statement.
“I am the true vine.” He said, “and My Father is the gardener.”
Vines grow on terraces and require a lot of attention.
A young vine was not allowed to bear fruit within the first three years.
It was pruned drastically to develop a strong root system.
Even after the vine began to bear grapes, it was still pruned, because some branches would produce fruit while others only sapped the vine and its strength and productivity.
In this setting Jesus gave a dramatic lesson about those who claimed to be followers of God.
Jesus is the only true vine, His Father is the gardener, and we are the branches.
Let us look at each of these statements and see what truth they have for us.
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Gary Hoban
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Refinery Life Church Australia
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