Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday,
June 19, 2019
Joh 15:1 -- our Lord was teaching His disciples the doctrine of the Vine and the Branches as they were all walking together toward the Garden of Gethsemane where our Lord was prepared to face the Cross.
MAT 26:18 “Our Lord said, “My time is at hand”; or “My hour is at hand.”
In PSA 31:15, King David said to the Lord, “My times are in Thy hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
The phrase, “My times” is “all used up” but it is to be controlled by our Lord.
With this principle of Doctrine there is also the phrase; “My hour” has not yet come.”
JOH 2:4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman , what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come."
He was about to go through more suffering than any other member of the human race -- whether it was “before the Cross”, or “on the cross” or “after the cross, = “The timing of God.”
He was prepared to go through the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal and arrest; Mar 14:32-50).
Let’s look at some of the main principles in this passage that our Lord revealed to “those who would listen to Him” or even to “those who observed His love and truth.”
We need to define the place named Gethsemane.
According to the record in the Gospel of Luke, our Lord’s despair in the garden of Gethsemane was so deep that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:43-46).
According to the record in Luke, Jesus’ despair in Gethsemane was so deep that He sweat drops of blood; Luke 22:43-44.
Let’s note some of the important principles concerning our Lord and His students or our Lord and His disciples.
Desire is used many times to reveal the grace of God to fallen humanity.
GEN 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
In Gen 3:6, the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise.
We were all born physically alive but spiritually dead.
These principles were taught to us and if we truly desire to know Him and His plan for all of us, then those who were born physically alive must also become spiritually alive.
We know that because our Lord taught us how to solve the problems of spiritual death; JOH 3:16-19.
All of these teachings reflect upon what our Lord said would happen and what would take our attention away from occupation with Christ to condemnation from the Kingdom of Darkness.
Throughout the Word of God, our Lord graciously shared His life with all of us who desire “to be like Him;” which means to “think like Him;” “speak like Him” or “to choose like Him.”
Now, one of my favorite statements concerning this principle of Bible Doctrine = “The life of God is found in the souls of man” so that man can live a peaceful and prosperous spiritual life.
There are many times we must conclude with a verse or a passage that honors and respects our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of kings and the Lord of lords so that we can understand what our Lord desires for us.
Joshua in the Hebrew language means Jesus, and he reveals to us the value and the power of the Word of God, especially when our Lord’s army is prepared.
One of our Lord’s title is a title that describes the Lord as a general in the Israeli military and is also a popular name called the “Lord of Hosts” which literally means “the Lord of the armies.”
We need to identify with our Lord and His people who experience what I am about to say concerning what to expect from those who follow the Lord.
All of our sins and all of our failures are dealt with by the grace of God or He is also known as “Jehovah Elohim” which is translated literally = The Lord Thy God.
Get ready to teach those who ask you about the cross, physically, naturally, or even spiritually, if you desire to be like our Lord, you must be on a crash diet of doctrinal principles.
We should be concentrating upon the grace of God and be occupied with our Lord and not our sins and failures, but rather, our victories because of our Lord’s listeners.
By facing His cross head on He was prepared to face the liars and their lies because as the Apostle John wrote in JOH 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Our Lord knew this and therefore He prepared Himself to handle the lies of religion from the Sadducees, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and the criticism of the Scribes.
Notice what our Lord had to deal with:
The hypocrisy of the Pharisees;
The criticism of the Scribes;
The religious limitations of Sadducees;
The limitations of the Sadducees were sadly revealed by the fact that they did not even believe that Jesus was raised from the dead let alone His followers who rejected the Doctrine of the Resurrection.
The resurrection is a subject that the apostle Paul had to defend and teach in the early Church, especially in the Churches in Corinth.
Now, as we get ready to glorify the Lord, it is extremely important that we should know the Doctrine of the Resurrection and the motivation we should have because of it.
Most of us realize that there are rewards given to the believer for being faithful in time and rewarded in eternity; 1Co 3:11-15.
We know this because one day our Lord taught Peter and the others a very valuable lesson that many believers are totally shocked at when they are faced with their own cross.
First of all, it means that the Resurrection of Christ was a part of the First Resurrection which is for believers only.
There are two resurrections, the resurrection of life and the resurrection of judgment; Joh 5:28-29.
JOH 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,
JOH 5:29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
In fact, notice the Pattern for the First Resurrection.
The first resurrection is pictured as a battalion pass-in-review, and therefore, is divided into four different levels or rank; 1Co 15:20-24.
- Alpha Company = the resurrection of Christ at the end of the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union, our Lord is called "the first fruits of them that slept." (Mat 28; Mar 16; Luk 24; Joh 20-21.
- Bravo Company: the resurrection of the royal family of God at the end of the Church Age, Joh 14:1‑3; Phi 3:20‑21; 1Co 15:51‑57; 1Th 4:13‑18.
- Charlie Company -- the resurrection of the Old Testament believers and Tribulational martyrs at the end of the Tribulation and the Second Advent; Joh 14:1-3.
Are we better than them?
Did we do more for God then they did.
Did we give more, pray more, serve more?
The answer is that God in His sovereignty decided to do just that!
Because of Who and what He is, for God is Love; 1Jo 4;8.
If you are wondering, what part do we play in this?
Absolutely no part if we are talking about works, but, what He truly desires is to see His children have the faith in Him and trust Him in no matter what you are going through; Heb 11:6; Rom 14:23.
ROM 8:31b says If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? --- No verbs are used in the original language to express the power behind the principle that God is for us.]
- Delta Company = The Fourth part of the First resurrection of the millennial saints takes place at the end of the Millennium.
The first resurrection in all of human history is that of our Lord at the end of the dispensation of the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union.
- For believers only: resurrection to eternal life. The resurrection body is eternal and permanent, superior to that of angelic creatures, Joh 5:24‑29; 1Co 15:20‑22; = The "first resurrection."
- For unbelievers only: resurrection and cast into the lake of fire forever, Mat 25:41; 1Co 15:24; Rev 20:5‑15. This is also called the "Second Resurrection" or the Last Judgment.
His own disciples were bickering and fighting as to which one of them was going to be the greatest one among them; Luk 9:42-48.
To the scribes and the Pharisees and scribes our Lord said in MAT 23:11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”
While the men were wimping out, the Doctrinal ladies stayed with our Lord; LUK 8:2-3.
We refers to Mary Magdalene;
Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward;
Susanna; etc.
The “True Vine” metaphor or comparison refers to the humanity of Jesus Christ during the Dispensation of the Hypostatic Union.
The vinedresser metaphor refers to God the Father as the author of the predesigned plan of God [PPOG] as well as the provision of logistical grace to execute your very own “Personal Sense of Destiny.”
”Fruit through the branch” = the adult spiritual life which is a metaphor for the production of the Church-age believer bearing the fruit of the Spirit in the midst of the devil’s world.
Main Attractions = of the Church-age is not your “ability to worship the Lord,” but “your availability to the Lord.”
Let me illustrate this principle according to the ‘Word of God’ and according to God’s desires for the human race, 1Ti 2:1-6; 2PE 3:9.
Beginning in 1TI 2:1, we have some commands and desires concerning what our Lord desires for all mankind.
2PE 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Notice that it is said to be a responsibility for all believers to enjoy living the spiritual life with the Divine Commands with reference to the promises of God while they are still living.
GAL 6:14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Gal 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
- He is known as; "The First Man or the First Adam,” who was born or who became a living soul; whereas, "The Last Adam, The Lord Jesus Christ, became a life‑giving spirit.
It is said to be a responsibility for all believers to enjoy living the spiritual life with the Divine Commands with reference to the promises of God while they are still living.
- Our lord was known by being "The First Man or the First Adam,” who was born or who became a living soul; whereas, "The Last Adam, The Lord Jesus Christ, became a life‑giving spirit; 1Co 15:45.
This principle was also known as the First Adam and the Last Adam which is also known and called the New Creation; 2Co 5:17; Gal 6:15.
Notice that it is said to be a responsibility for all believers to enjoy living the spiritual life with the Divine Commands with reference to the promises of God while they are still living.
- He is known as; "The First Man or the First Adam,” who was born or who became a living soul; whereas, "The Last Adam, The Lord Jesus Christ, became a life‑giving spirit; 1CO 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
- The principle of the Head and the Body brings out the intimacy that is to exist between those involved within the church.
- The third intimate relationship is identified as the Shepherd and the Sheep. Here the intimacy is revealed by the Shepherd protecting, guiding and feeding the sheep (RFOG) as the Lord is our Shepherd
- The Vine and the Branches; reveals the quality of life between the Lord and believers.
- The Cornerstone and the building; speaks of the strength that believers need to focus in on concerning the strength of those involved.
- The High Priest and the Royal Priesthood; this reveals the privacy we all have to worship and honor our Lord.
- The Groom and the Bride analogy; this is a reference to the intimacy that exists between the husband and the wife.
- The King of kings and the Royal Family of God; 1Pe 2:5; 2:9; Rev 1:6. This speaks about the royalty we all possess because of our union with Christ.