Apr. 28, 2024

“Are You Connected?”

John 15:1-8

Who are you? Why are you here this morning? Those are simple questions and yet the answers may be a little more complicated? In baptism you became a part of the family of God, a member of the “invisible Christian Church” and a member of Zion Lutheran Church. The church of God here on earth and at Zion in Bismarck is believers connected together in Christ.  What does the Lord want His church to look like? He wants us as believers to be connected to each other. Today we are be called to stay connected. Jesus says, "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener." The vine and the vineyard were old and sacred images in Judaism. The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted, and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit. In faith we are the new Israel called to produce fruits of faith. In a vineyard fruitfulness is not simply desirable; it is absolutely necessary; that is the whole point of the vineyard. Jesus makes it clear the necessity of staying connected to him. In v. 4 he says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me." In life it is often easy to lose sight of the importance of our connectedness to Jesus the true vine. In v. 5 Jesus reminds us, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." 

Questions:

1.    How are we connected to the invisible Christian church?

2.    How do we stay to connected to His church?

3.    What are called to produce?