Another Look at Vines
Scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Roman‘s 12:7-31, John 15:1-12
Ever since Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door at Wittenberg and the reformation began the list of denominations has grown. The Pilgrims and then the Puritans split from the Church of England to become our forefathers in America. Today you can not name the number of different churches, at least I can't. Yet we are witnessing a great unification of the Christian body in the past few years. New dialogs have began between the Protestant churches and the Vatican. On the local level ministers meet for prayer meeting. Churches get together for World Day of Prayer. Our youths go to conventions with other youths from other churches and our men go to become Promise Keepers.
We find in Ephesians one of the main reasons why this should be: "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also we were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." Ephesians 4:4-6. Even though there are many churches, there remains only one body with only one Lord, Jesus, as the head. It is He that will hold the whole body together till he comes again. World wide it looks like the body of Christ is coming together for the spreading of the gospel. But, what we need to do is to bring these scripture lessons down to the home church level.
The apostle Paul say Jesus gave some of us to be apostles, some of us to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. In other sections of scriptures he mentions other vocations in the body of Christ. Many parts but the same BODY. With this comes his call to unity. A call to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called." Paul goes on to exhort to do this with humility, gentleness, patience, showing "forbearance to one another in love." Otherwise we need to treat one another with kid gloves. To look beyond our own individual faults.
As many different preachers come and fill the pulpit we will need to look beyond such things as age, experience, style and other qualities. Everyone who preaches is different. The most important qualities are the ability to read God's word and to listen to the Holy Spirit. We as listeners need to pay special attention to the preachers. We will find some that we will enjoy to have speak to us. Some we will find it difficult to follow or the obvious difference will hinder us as we listen. God has a very special person to come fill the pulpits and it will be in His time not ours.
Paul in his letter says it is Jesus who gave us preachers. He calls them and gives them the talents to preach. As with all of us he guides them through the help of the Holy Spirit. More important than the talent to put words together is the talent to listen to the inner voice that is the Holy Spirit. We can be great orators and deliver well thought out and organized message without one iota of spirituality. While the preacher down the block doesn't have a clue of what grammar is, who can't spell let only pronounce yet win souls to Christ because he listens to the Holy Sprit.
Jesus says in the gospel of John that He is the vine and we are the branches. It is only when we abide in Him that we will bear fruit. This is important for preachers as well as for all of us. We have an opportunity to build a stronger body of Christ in our church. We need to take another look at vines. First point, God has given all of us talents. We need to use these talents according to the Father's will. To know our talents and God's will we need to make every effort to abide and remain in Jesus through the ever-present help of the Holy Spirit. Continual prayer, study of the Bible, reading the inspired writings of the saints and the sermons we hear all play a part in abiding.
Vines, like any plant, have roots, a trunk and branches. We are the branches on the vine. The branches are connected to each other by the vine. It is through the vine that the branches are nourished. Like any true plant the nourishment comes from the leaves as well as from the roots. We are the leaves on the branches. We are God's instruments in the church. Even though Jesus is the source of spiritual nourishment, we take that nourishment and in turn nourish those around us. It is our witness that Jesus uses to build the church up. Each one of us has a part. Each part is no less important then another part.
In Romans chap 7 Paul talks about the body being made up of several members. Each member is important. The hand can’t say because it is not a foot it doesn’t belong to the body. The ear can’t say because it is not an eye that it doesn’t belong. Each one of us is different. We have different gifts of the Holy Spirit to serve the whole body. The human body is a marvelous work of His mighty hand. Each part works together in perfect harmony. The athlete works each muscle to work together so when he runs the race he can go faster and longer than his opponent. The motions of each group of muscles are fine tuned for best performance. The same is with the church body. The holy spirit works with each member to fine tune them so the whole body brings glory to God.
Pastors, preachers, evangelist, teachers, singers, nursery workers, librarians, cooks, dishwashers, cleaners, etc. are all important. It is our joint effort that bears fruit. (Note what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12: 23,24.) What is most important of all is our motivation. In John 15:12 Jesus says, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." Paul in Ephesians reinforces this point that it is though the work of each part that the body builds itself up in love. What ever we do must done with love. A preacher gives a sermon because he loves Jesus and the people he is speaking to. The same love is the reason we do our jobs in the church.
The Love Chapter follows the reading in Corinthians. These verses give a guideline of what love, called agape love or charity, is like. This is the love that we have for one another. The body of Christ, locally and world wide, is held together by this love. This is only possible as all of us remain in Christ because he is the vine and we are the branches and can do nothing apart from him.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity , I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity , it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 KJV
(Charity or agape means brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence)
