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Maundy Thursday 2024 : “Abide in My love”

Text: John 15
28 March 2024

INTRODUCTION

1. The Love of God

a) Profound
b) Powerful
c) Precious

2. Our Difficulties

a) We do not fully comprehend God’s Love
b) We struggle with practising the Love of God in our daily life

THE LORD JESUS AS THE TRUE VINE

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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

1. The Concept

a) The Lord Jesus describes Himself as the True Vine
b) God is the Vinedresser
c) We are the Branches

2. The Challenge

a) We are to bear fruit as branches
b) The unfruitful branch is taken away
c) God as the Vinedresser will prune the branches that it may bear more fruit

VITAL INSIGHTS CONCERNING THE CONCEPT OF “ABIDING”

1. Abiding in the Lord Jesus

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:5-6
a) The branch must abide in the True Vine
b) If there is true abiding, much fruit would result
c) Without the Lord we can do nothing
d) If we do not abide, we will wither
e) We will end up as withered branches that would be burned

2. Abiding in the Word

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:7-8
a) We must abide in the Lord Jesus
b) We must also abide in His words (teachings)
c) Our prayers would be answered
d) We will become fruitful disciples
e) The Father will be glorified

3. Abiding in the Love of the Lord Jesus

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have 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 remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:9-11
a) We are to abide in the Love of the Lord Jesus
b) We abide in His love when we keep His commandments
c) We will find fulness of joy

REITERATION OF THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

John 15:12-14

1. A commandment

a) To love one another
b) As He has loved us

2. No greater love

a) To lay down one’s life for a friend
b) The Lord Jesus calls us “friends”

CONCLUSION

1. Proof of the Lord’s love

a) This has been demonstrated
b) His Love is unparallelled

2. Power of His love

a) It can touch us deeply
b) It can change us
c) It can empower us

3. Personal response

a) To appreciate the Lord’s love afresh
b) To abide in His love
c) To abound in His love