One of our Lord's last messages to His disciples as He taught them the principle of the Vinedresser, the Vine, and the branches.

Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Tree of Life
Weekly Review
033119
One of our Lord's last messages to His disciples as He taught them the principle of the Vinedresser, the Vine, and the branches.

We are now ready for our main passage on the dispensation of the Hypostatic-union with one of our Lord's last messages to His disciples as He taught them the principle of the Vinedresser, the Vine, and the branches.

First of all, The Vinedresser [God the Father] and the Vine [our Lord Jesus Christ] and the branches [believers] all have a very interesting analogy. Three of our Lord's parables are connected with vineyards (as MAT 20:1 ff; 21:28-33 ff both teach.

Now, it is the challenge to produce divine good and not human good or Christian service which is acceptable to God as it is found in the vine and the branch metaphor of JOH 15:1-8.

JOH 15:1-13, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

A few things are mentioned concerning “The Word of God” which is being made ready for a spiritual intervention as well as being ready for anything or anyone that comes our way. Most of you realize by now the importance of doctrine in the life of any believer so that we can know how valuable and exciting God’s Word is to His people.

For example, let me remind you of some of those passages that PSA 138:2 says is a reference to the strength and the power of God’s Word to solve man’s problems. Most of you have heard some of these passages I am about to give you and to bless you with even though you may have wandered away spiritually speaking as doctrine is being magnified in our personal lives.

You may want to freak out or fall apart under pressure at certain times but, with our Lord: Nothing can stop us if we do not want to be stopped.

This is why, outside of the plan of God, that you and I ought to do our best to magnify and support and provide for those believers who have PVTD.

Listen to the king, that is King David, who describes the goal or the purpose that all of us should supply for each other. Notice what King David says in the first line of PSA 138:1 (A Psalm of David) I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods [the demonic so-called deities]. This is one of the greatest manifestations of  “God’s Word” when the author has a great illustration to use as a part of the plan of God.

Therefore, in PSA 138:2  David writes: I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness [that is 2PE 3:18 of the Old Testament] and [then the verb that should be repeated as far as the modified explanation is in view, David  says I give thanks also for] Thy truth [or Your doctrine]; For Thou hast magnified Thy word or Your doctrine according to all Thy name to be above “ALL.”

PSA 56:3-8, When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

PSA 56:5 All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life. Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God!

Then look at PSA 56:8, where we have something that the Holy Spirit has been saying to the churches today. Thou hast taken account of my wanderings [every time we choose decisions to believe in the Doctrine of Divine Providence;] Put my tears in Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?

This is going to be quite a story when we get to these passages. For example, take a look at the Divine Decisions that we are taught in PSA 56.

What do we literally understand about the Divine Provisions that our Lord has given to all of His followers.

Mentioned in this Psalm or song we have the following items to help us and specially to apply these principles whenever we need to.

Here are some of them:

In PSA 56:3, we are given power over the problems of fear; PSA 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.

Psa 56:8, David taught his followers about the problems of reversionism or backsliding called David’s wanderings.

Psa 56:8, David writes: Thou hast taken account of my wanderings [my fallen away;

In Psa 56:8, our Lord is said to put our tears in His bottle (that is His bottle of our hurts and sorrows; Remember what the author of the book of Hebrews said concerning a principle that the High Priest was described as being identified with the believer who has compassion toward those who failed.

Let’s begin with a passages that all of us know and understand beginning in HEB 4:12-16, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two‑edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

What our Lord is concerned about is not our personal sins from the past but our Lord is concerned about the fact that many believers do not know how to handle their past and because of that they are plagued by guilt, by condemnation, by the sins of omission.

The sins of omission are very subtle because of a few principles of doctrine such as knowing the right thing to do in the right way as well as when to do the right thing.

The sins of omission are revealed by, who else but James, who is called on to represent the plan and the purpose of God.

Let me illustrate the principle to you as it is found in the Word of God.

JAM 4:13-17, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

This also is required for any believer who thinks that they are right but for whatever the reason they also are guilty as MAT 6:19-24, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

PSA 56:8, they are my tears and Your tears that are also in our Lord’s book; PSA 56:8-13, Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?

We also note that there is also said to be a bottle for our tears inside us that talks about the pain and suffering friends whose names are written down in our Lord’s book.

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, In the Lord, whose word I praise, Here is the divine intervention of Choosing the next pastor. In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Notice next – our subject of commitments, promises and vows are mentioned next.

PSA 56:12-13, Thy vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to Thee. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.

We also have an increase in the Word of God” and the power behind God’s Word. Here’s a few more passages that teach what I am teaching.

JOB 23:12, “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Think about it!!

Over and over and over again, we have looked at some of the newest  passages that we need as believers to shine in the midst of the darkness that is found when there is residence of MAS-SOT-OS (Overt Sins) as well as the production of human good or creature Credit that is found in the “Divine Design” of the Word of God.

Therefore, we are now ready for the “Word of God” to be magnified in our lives as we are told throughout the Bible what the “Word of God” WAS  and IS and “WILL BE”  precious and few in the site of our Lord and our God.