The truth of is essential to cultivating a life of abiding in Christ. If we do not “the vinedresser” see the Father as the vinedresser who prunes us to remove that which hinders love in us, then we will not trust His leadership. We will often be too discouraged, or in a frenzy to fix the smallness in our ministry, that we cannot maintain the dialogue with the Lord that is essential to abiding in Christ (v. 4). When we see the redemptive goodness of the commitment to prune us (v. Father’s 2), we feel clean instead of rejected (v. 3), and then we can abide in Him (v. 4). Confidence in the process and in the leadership leading to fruitfulness is essential in this. Father’s Catch the logic of the passage. He starts off in verse 1. He says, am the vine. My Father is the “I vinedresser.” The two big doctrines, the two big truths. He says, Father is going to prune you if you do well in the spirit, “My but you are clean, so do not get all discouraged, and do not get in a When He prunes you, and things get funk.” smaller, do not get in a frenzy to get big again. Stay steady. Trust His leadership. In verse 4 He says, in Me. Now talk to We will never, ever get to verse 4, to if we do “Abide Me.” “Talk Me,” not respond rightly to the vinedresser, understanding the revelation of the Father as the vinedresser. If we do not respond to His pruning rightly, we will stop talking to Him. He introduces abiding with this revelation because this is what shuts down abiding in lives. They get offended, they get discouraged, and they get people’s so introspective. They are fixated on growth, fixated on fixing it, trying to get an audience, trying to get influence. The Lord says, have so much influence with Me. Why we talk and amen. “You don’t more?” Amen
The truth of “the vinedresser” is essential to cultivating a life of abiding in Christ. If we do not see the Father as the vinedresser who prunes us to remove that which hinders love in us, then we will not trust His leadership. We will often be too discouraged, or in a frenzy to fix the smallness in our ministry, that we cannot maintain the dialogue with the Lord that is essential to abiding in Christ (v. 4). When we see the redemptive goodness of the Father’s commitment to prune us (v. 2), we feel clean instead of rejected (v. 3), and then we can abide in Him (v. 4). Confidence in the process and in the Father’s leadership leading to fruitfulness is essential in this. Catch the logic of the passage. He starts off in verse 1. He says, “I am the vine. My Father is the vinedresser.” The two big doctrines, the two big truths. He says, “My Father is going to prune you if you do well in the spirit, but you are clean, so do not get all discouraged, and do not get in a funk.” When He prunes you, and things get smaller, do not get in a frenzy to get big again. Stay steady. Trust His leadership. In verse 4 He says, “Abide in Me. Now talk to Me.” We will never, ever get to verse 4, “Talk to Me,” if we do not respond rightly to the vinedresser, understanding the revelation of the Father as the vinedresser. If we do not respond to His pruning rightly, we will stop talking to Him. He introduces abiding with this revelation because this is what shuts down abiding in people’s lives. They get offended, they get discouraged, and they get so introspective. They are fixated on growth, fixated on fixing it, trying to get an audience, trying to get influence. The Lord says, “You have so much influence with Me. Why don’t we talk more?” Amen and amen.
20130813_Abiding_in_Christ_Committed_to_Fruitfulness_AIL10.study_notes.docx