164-If You Don't Bear Fruit, Will You Be Cut Off?#
164-If You Don't Bear Fruit, Will You Be Cut Off?
(JP Text Group - Sister Ren Wei's Compilation)
The topic we are sharing today is: If you don't bear fruit, will you be cut off?
The scripture is John 15:1-8: “
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to praise and worship you together. Today, once again, renew us through your word, help us to know Jesus more, and let us always focus our eyes on you, Lord Jesus Christ. Teach us to look up to you in our lives, for you are the vine, and we are the branches. Today, through you, the vine, supply us with nutrients and strength. Thank you and praise you. May the Holy Spirit personally guide each of our hearts, renewing our minds continuously. Thank you and praise you. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Now, let’s greet each other and say to the person next to you: “Don’t worry about being cut off!”
Why shouldn’t we worry? Many people are very concerned when reading this passage of scripture. First, let me introduce the vine. Jesus starts by saying, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”
“The true vine” is one that can provide for people. The Father is the one who cultivates the vine; Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit. How many of us today pray like this: “Jesus, I entrust my child to you, please take care of him!” Think about it, this sounds correct, as if we don’t have to worry about anything, just throw it to Jesus and let Him do as He pleases!
I don’t need to educate him or say anything to him. This approach is like letting the vine branches grow freely, which will not bear fruit. God has given us this responsibility; it is through us that He accomplishes His mission, Amen! The branches bear fruit, not the trunk. The trunk supplies nutrients and gives you strength, Amen! Today, God wants to give you wisdom, power, and supply so that you can bear fruit. Hallelujah!
The vine is a type of woody climbing plant that must cling to something else to grow. This means that if you throw the vine branch on the ground, it will not grow quickly. However, if you hang it on a pole, it will grow very fast. Its greatest characteristic is that it must cling to a trellis to grow and bear fruit.
So, brothers and sisters, the vine needs to climb on the trellis to keep bearing fruit. The vine must have a trellis; without it, it will not bear fruit. This is the characteristic of the vine.
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”
So, who is responsible for you? — The Heavenly Father. The vine branches are cared for by the Father. Therefore, whatever problems we have, the Father knows, and He is willing to cultivate us. Jesus is the true vine, and the Father is the caretaker.
The following verse, “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,” is very interesting. I ask everyone a question: Do you think you are bearing fruit now? How many people believe they are bearing fruit and a lot of it? Please raise your hand! Oh dear, it seems you are going to be cut off, just like branches thrown outside to wither, picked up, and burned in the fire.
What does the fire refer to? The fire refers to the lake of fire. Because your previous answer indicated that you have not borne fruit, God “snip” cuts you off, leaves you on the ground to wither, and then burns you. Is that so? If that is the case, do you think you can still enter the Kingdom of Heaven? What to do? So some people say, hurry up and bear fruit! But how can you bear more fruit? By spreading the gospel. How many can enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Some say if you spread to a hundred people, you can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible does not say such things.
Brothers and sisters, this is why I initially asked everyone to greet each other and say: “Don’t worry about being cut off.” The vine bearing fruit is an action; if you do not have good deeds, you will not bear fruit. If you do not spread the gospel, you do not have good deeds. Will not having good deeds send you to hell? Our salvation is not related to our deeds.
So how should we interpret this verse — being cut off for not bearing fruit, where does it go? It goes to hell. If you say just believing is not enough, you must have good deeds; if you do not have good deeds, you will go to hell, then that would be troublesome.
A few days ago, I discussed this verse with a pastor. He said it does not mean going to hell; if you do not bear fruit, God will “snip” you, and you will just not enter the Holy City of Jerusalem, but remain outside the Holy City. Revelation records that there are dogs outside the Holy City. If you believe in Jesus and do not bear good fruit, I’m sorry, in the future, you will be turned into a dog in heaven, standing outside the Holy City as a gatekeeper.
Brothers and sisters, if that is the case, how many people do you think can enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Even if you believe, you may not necessarily enter inside the gate; you will be outside and turned into a dog. This kind of statement is the same as Buddhist teachings. Can you enter the Kingdom of Heaven relying on your good deeds, your efforts, and your achievements? This is completely contrary to our Bible.
Because they did not read the second verse, “Every branch that belongs to Jesus,” Amen! Brothers and sisters, we are all those who belong to Jesus. We do not belong to Jesus because of good deeds; we belong to Jesus by faith.
So our first point of sharing is: If you don’t bear fruit, will you be cut off?
Romans 8:9: If the Spirit of God lives in you, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
Today, we belong to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts. We believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.
Ephesians 2:8 clearly states — For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;
Let us emphasize once again: Our salvation is very simple and has nothing to do with your deeds. If you are willing to accept Jesus, believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that He shed His precious blood to cleanse us from all our sins, and that He rose from the dead three days later. You must believe that Jesus died for you, that His blood cleansed you from all your sins, and you will be justified, Amen. Then the Holy Spirit will dwell in your heart, Hallelujah!
When the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart, the Bible says you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Today you belong to Jesus because the Holy Spirit lives in your heart. So do not let anyone take away this assurance from you. You belong to the Lord Jesus; no one can change this identity. Because you believe in Jesus, you are one of those who belong to Jesus Christ, Amen!
Let’s look at another verse: Ephesians 1:13: In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
This does not mention your deeds, nor does it say you must bear fruit. When you have done a lot of good deeds, the Holy Spirit says, “That’s enough,” and the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; it is not like that.
It is that you first heard the word of truth, and Jesus is the truth. So when you come to church and hear the truth about Jesus Christ, this word can save you, Amen! Today, if you have not believed in Jesus, when you hear this word about Jesus, He can save you. As long as you believe in Jesus, the Bible says you will receive the promised Holy Spirit. This does not look at your deeds, your achievements, or your good works, it only looks at whether you believe in Him. When you believe, He seals you, proving that you belong to Jesus.
In the past, when there were slave markets, slave owners had a special mark to identify their cattle, livestock, and slaves. For example, if I were a slave owner and bought many cattle, livestock, and slaves, I would have a triangular symbol with my name on it. After I bought this batch of cattle, I would brand them with a hot iron, and later, anyone who saw this mark would know it belonged to me; no one could take it away. This is a specific seal.
Today, when the Holy Spirit “snaps” a seal on you, you belong to Jesus, distinguishing you from others. So when each of us accepts Jesus and believes in Jesus, we each have a seal of the Holy Spirit. This seal is an important standard for you to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When you have this seal, you will not lose it. Brothers and sisters, each of us has the seal of the Holy Spirit, marking us as children of God, and we will definitely not be children of the devil. We belong to Jesus Christ, and those who belong to Jesus Christ will not go to hell.
But how should we interpret this passage? You belong to Jesus, but you have not borne fruit; the Bible says you will be cut off! It sounds frightening because earlier it was said that it would be cut off and go to hell. Many people start to ask: Do you have good deeds? Have your deeds met God's standards?
If not, God will cut you off. Some even casually use other verses to explain, saying, “Don’t think that just because you call ‘Lord, Lord’ you can enter the Kingdom of Heaven; only those who do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” “How can one enter?” “Bear more fruit!” Quoting verses like this can be frightening, right?
In fact, many people are scared by such verses. I know someone who asked me, “Do you think I am saved or not?” If you ask others, do you have a problem?
Salvation is a matter between you and God; do not ask others, and do not judge whether others are saved. Because you cannot see whether this person truly believes or falsely believes. This has nothing to do with deeds. “Because they casually quoted the Bible, misquoting it.
“Everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’” — what is the answer to that verse? That is not directed at believers; it is directed at false prophets, Amen! In verse 15, it has already been clearly stated — “Beware of false prophets.” Are they false? They are not true prophets, so Jesus said, “I am the true vine.”
This proves that there are fakes and imitations, right? Jesus Christ is the only true one. That is why it says, “Only those who do the will of my Father will enter.” So what is the Father’s will? Many people say you must have good deeds. This is incorrect. The Father’s will is for you to believe in Jesus.
Let’s look at John 6:40: For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
It is very clear here what my Father’s will is: it is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life. Amen. This is the Father’s will. You see Jesus and then believe in Jesus. You will receive eternal life. Let’s look at the original text. All original texts have a number, and this number is unique; the entire Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament has a unique original number. This number cannot be repeated, and in the original text, the meaning of “cut off” mentioned here is: the verb, to lift up, to raise, to elevate. The second meaning is to take from one place to another.
So what does this mean? Actually, we cannot say that this passage is translated incorrectly. According to the translators at that time, this passage was not translated accurately enough. The true meaning should be that every branch that belongs to me and does not bear fruit, He lifts it up, He raises it up. He takes it from one place to another. Where does it go?
Imagine, can a vine that lies on the ground bear fruit? At this time, the farmer or the caretaker sees it and will not burn it, right? If that were the case, how many people could profit from that vineyard? A vine branch lying on the ground is because it has fallen; at this time, it will not bear fruit.
So the farmer, the caretaker, will take this branch lying on the ground, lift it up, and place it back on the trellis. Taking it from the ground and placing it on the pole means lifting it from the ground and putting it on the pole.
To lift up is because in the past we were all lying on the ground, and Jesus came to lift us up, Hallelujah! Remember the characteristics of the vine. You can ask anyone who has grown grapes; they all know this. It is not just one vine that needs to be lifted; all vine branches need to be lifted; all vine branches must be lifted to bear fruit, Hallelujah!
When you cannot bear fruit, God does not want to cut you off; God wants to lift you up, Hallelujah! Only the devil wants you to be cut off, you know? Because you have no good deeds, the devil wants you to be cut off, wants you to be thrown into hell. But Jesus will not do that. Because the Bible clearly states that He will never abandon us. Hallelujah.
Whenever you fall, whenever you cannot bear fruit, Jesus will lift you up. The Bible has many such examples. There was a man who was paralyzed for 38 years and could not bear fruit. Then Jesus said, “Get up, pick up your mat and go home!” Jesus has always been doing this, lifting up those who are weak and cannot bear fruit. This is our Lord Jesus Christ; He wants to lift you up so that you can bear fruit.
Think about what the trellis the vine clings to resembles? It is actually the cross. When can it bear fruit? When you see that you are lifted up by Jesus’ cross, you can bear fruit. It is when Jesus places you on the work He has already completed that you learn to rely on Jesus and bear fruit.
For example, if today this vine is placed on the trellis, but it insists on slipping down, can it bear fruit? It cannot, unless it is willing to stay on the cross, willing to stay on the work that Jesus has already completed, then it can continuously bear fruit, Hallelujah. And it can bear abundant fruit. This means that when you constantly focus your eyes on Jesus and what He has accomplished for you on the cross, you will bear fruit.
Next, let’s look at a verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:14 — And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Each of us is a branch, and the Heavenly Father is the caretaker. As a caretaker, we must take care of those around us, warn those who are idle. Today, what the Father does, we must also do. For example, if this vine branch has a strong personality, and you place it up, it slips down again. What to do? Directly use a rope or wire to tie it up. In this way, it will be fixed on the cross, and it will continuously bear fruit.
So do not think about being weak; come to me, and I will tell you about Jesus until I lift you up, Hallelujah! This means to “warn those who are idle,” to find a way to tie them to Jesus, to bind them completely together with Jesus, so that they cannot help but bear fruit.
“Encourage the disheartened” means that if this vine is lying on the ground, do you think it can be clean? There is water, mud, and all sorts of mess. What to do? You cannot say, “Look how dirty you are,” and directly take scissors to cut it off. This is not the work of Jesus; this is precisely a characteristic under the law. Seeing you disheartened, it continues to strike you.
Think about it! Are you far from God?
Have you offended God?
Think about it, why hasn’t this happened to others?”
At this time, the vine branch may see itself and feel very filthy, saying, “I am like this; I cannot bear fruit! I am like this; I have no way out!” Please remember, this is not Jesus’ method. Jesus encourages the disheartened. If you truly have disheartening things in your life, Jesus will help you stand up again. He will help you clean up and then place you back on His trellis, Amen!
Brothers and sisters, when do we become disheartened? It is very simple. Only when you do not see Jesus’ cross will you become disheartened. Only when you do not look at Jesus, do not know that you are tied to the trellis, and are lying on the ground, will you become disheartened. At this time, as children of God, we need to find a way. As caretakers, we need to find a way to tie this branch back to the cross.
Another point is “help the weak.” Brothers and sisters, weak people generally cannot see Jesus. So for weak people, do not expect them to bear fruit. What kind of fruit do they have in their mouths? It is “Oh, I am so troubled! What is the difference between believing in Jesus and not believing? I have believed for so long, and there is no effect.” All that comes out of their mouths is negative.
Do you know why? Because they are weak, so they cannot bear the fruit of Jesus. What to do? Lift them back onto the cross, and let them recognize what Jesus has done for them on the cross. Let them refocus their eyes on Jesus, and then they will be able to bear fruit. Hallelujah!
This is the first point. Not bearing fruit does not mean being cut off; it means being lifted up. Jesus wants to lift you up, so do not be a person who cuts off others; that would be cruel. When someone has just believed for a short time, you say, “Why don’t you have good deeds? With you like this, don’t think about entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” You are just cutting that person off. Do not be a person who cuts off others; be a person who lifts up.
Jesus clearly stated in John 3 that “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” If today you can lift someone up and let them see Jesus, they will be able to bear fruit. Hallelujah! Be sure to let people see the work of Jesus; if they cannot see Jesus, they will be like this — disheartened and weak. But when they see Jesus, everything will be restored. This is the first point — those who do not bear fruit will be cut off.
The next point is: Those who do not bear much fruit will be pruned.
I ask everyone a question: Are you willing to be pruned by God? How many people are willing to be pruned by God? You say, “I am very willing to be pruned by the Lord Jesus.” Is there anyone willing? I dare say that in a little while, you will all be willing to be pruned by the Lord.
First, let’s look at the word “prune.” It is an adjective meaning “to make it clean, to make it pure.” When Jesus prunes you, He wants to make you clean. Do you know? Grapes have a characteristic; many bugs often run onto the grapevines. When it rains, if the rainwater is not clean, it can leave many things on the grapes, such as the bodies of bugs and bug droppings.
So the owner or caretaker of the vineyard will regularly wash the grapevines. Otherwise, too many dirty things will affect their growth. So for farmers, they will always see these little bug bodies. Or because of the wind, there are dirty things! Farmers will use clean water to wash them off. This is what the Bible refers to as pruning.
Please listen carefully; every time you have bitterness, pressure, sadness, or grievances in your heart, these things that should not appear in your life, diseases should not appear in your body because you are the vine branches, and the vine branches are healthy. But now there is sickness inside; what will the farmer do? The farmer will cut off the bad parts.
To put it bluntly, when you come to Jesus with pressure, Jesus will remove your pressure. When you come to hear Jesus’ word with bitterness, Jesus will remove your bitterness. When you bring your diseases to Jesus, Jesus will remove your diseases. This is what the Bible refers to as pruning. God will continually prune you through water and His word, cleaning out all the excess things inside you.
Let me ask everyone again: Are you willing to be pruned by Jesus?
You all changed your minds quickly. Just a few minutes?
So please remember — when you see those people pruning grapevines, they are not just randomly cutting with scissors; they cut off the bad, excess things that should not exist. So when you are listening to the word, Jesus will start to look for what bad, excess things should not exist in you. He sees a tumor that is surprisingly there, and Jesus looks at it and “snip,” cuts it off. Now you have become clean. So you should pray every day for Jesus to prune you!
Why can we restore our strength at night? After a day of work, when you lie in bed at night, while you sleep, you rest, and stop all work, Jesus starts to prune you from head to toe. Jesus sees that you have been under a lot of pressure for your child recently, and wrinkles start to appear; Jesus presses, and the wrinkles disappear. So you should ask the Lord Jesus to prune you every day! The pressure is too much; I do not want this anymore; hurry and prune it away! So the Heavenly Father sees that it indeed needs pruning and starts to use His word to continually prune.
Every branch that bears fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. So if a person carries a disease, can they bear fruit? No. Jesus must first remove this disease before they can bear the fruit of peace, gentleness, and self-control. This must be pruned; otherwise, it will be troublesome. Our lives are always like this. No matter what kind of tree it is, when it grows branches, what will the caretaker do? They will prune it off. This is to allow the tree to grow better.
So when some things that should not appear in your life appear, it is also time for pruning. Our Heavenly Father will also prune, Amen. Thank the Lord, only the grapevine that is continually pruned, the branches that are continually pruned, can bear fruit. When being pruned, is it comfortable? You must remember — it is uncomfortable.
For example, when we have dirt on us, others say, “Let’s take a big water pump and start spraying,” and when you scrub a bit, it feels quite comfortable. But when someone else prunes you, it is uncomfortable. But please remember, this is beneficial for you. Many times we cannot see it. This grapevine must be pruned every year, but even after being pruned every year, it cannot bear fruit immediately.
Generally speaking, it takes three years to bear fruit. Abundant fruit starts from the third year. Do you know why I have never asked you to do anything in the previous years? Because you were just young grapevines! So it needs to grow for a while. As it grows, you will find that some people have buds appearing — the bud of pride.
Branches will appear, and at this time, I will start to tell you with the word: Accept pruning. Because you need to bear fruit. So we need to be patient with any soul. When you evangelize to others, you must accompany them for at least three years. Do not say, “Since I have led you to make a decision for Christ, you can take care of it from here! Whether you come or not has nothing to do with me.”
Please remember to accompany them for three years; only after three years can this person have good deeds. This requires a long time of patient treatment of souls. This is why Jesus tells us to “warn those who are idle, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.” Not bearing fruit is not a matter of a moment.
Today you believe in Jesus, and tomorrow suddenly everything is fine; that is impossible! It requires a process. This process needs time to verify. Therefore, in the first three years, the grapevine is in a process of continually taking root. For a new believer, continually give them grace, continually supply them. Let them continually take root in the word of Christ. And then? As they continually listen to the word, they will inevitably bear fruit. According to some vineyard and farm people, even grapevines that bear fruit in three years are not suitable for winemaking. Generally, do you know how many years it takes? Six years.
From this year, you will be able to produce good wine. You are now suitable for making good wine. So others will smell the fragrance from you. So in our church’s sixth year, you will emit the fragrance of Jesus Christ, Hallelujah. This wine gets better with age! When you have believed in the Lord for ten years, it will be incredible.
From miles away, people will smell your fragrance. You are doing work in a market, selling something, and the whole market knows that you believe in Jesus, and you believe very well; they know you are very genuine. This is the fruit that has come forth. Of course, there are also negative examples.
For example, if a non-believer is very cunning and always shortchanges others, after ten years, in that market, others will say, “Don’t go to that place; that person is not trustworthy!” There is also a fragrance — a stench of fragrance. Today we want to emit the fragrance of Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!
So Jesus said, I am the vine, hoping you can emit the fragrance of wine. What is the characteristic of wine? When you first drink it, the taste is not very good; when you drink it, it is not for you to gulp it down, but to savor it slowly. So Jesus lets us taste Him through life continually, Amen! At first, you find that believing in Jesus and not believing is not much different; the more you believe, the more you cannot live without Him. This is what we call the aftertaste of wine is particularly strong. At first, drinking it does not seem remarkable; drinking two or three bottles is not a problem. But after drinking, when you go home, you may sleep for several days.
The aftertaste is that strong. So your aftertaste is very strong. When you say something to others, they may not understand it at that moment, but when they think about it at home, they realize you are very wise, and in the future, they must consult you for anything. This is the aftertaste. Because we are not using our own wisdom, we are using the truth from the Bible. When you tell them the truth from the Bible, they think about it more and more at home, and in the end, they will want to consult you more.
In the past, Solomon’s fame spread far and wide, and the queen of the south came to ask Solomon many questions. As a result, the more she asked, the more surprised she was, saying, “I have heard of your matters, and today I see it is not even half of what I heard! Your wisdom is too great. Your subjects are blessed!” Isn’t that a strong aftertaste? This is the wisdom of Jesus. So when you are continually pruned by Jesus, only Jesus remains. Thus, your life will be completely different. When you have believed in the Lord for ten years, twenty years, please remember you have become a fine aged wine. Hallelujah!
Are you willing to be pruned? It is not that from today onwards, I will look at what is wrong with you every day and give you an axe; that way, you will be pruned into a disability. That will not help you bear more fruit. Instead, it will prevent you from bearing fruit. That is not the correct way to prune. So we need to find out how to prune.
Let’s look at John 15:3: Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Isn’t this the word I just told you? What do you think you are? — Aged wine.
Isn’t it clean? Compared to when you first entered, saying, “Oh, I have offended God again! My situation is terrible!” After hearing the word, you suddenly think, “I am aged wine,” so your mood changes immediately. Because you have been placed on Jesus’ cross. Hallelujah!
So today I am not saying, “You must not… must not… must not…!”
If you tell a vine branch not to let bird droppings fall on it, can it do that?
The vine branch may also feel wronged, saying, “I do not want bird droppings to fall on me, but you say birds always fly over me; what can I do?”
Today, when we tell others, “Do not sin all the time,” that person will say, “I do not want to sin; I cannot help it.” What to do? How to be pruned? When the vine is lying on the ground, the first thing the Heavenly Father must do is lift it up. First, lift it up.
So what is the message we want to convey to you? It is about the cross of Jesus Christ, to first lift your faith. First, let you know you are in the embrace of Jesus, to let you know that today Jesus has not abandoned you. At any time, you must know that God will not abandon you; this is in line with what Jesus said, “Because of the word I have spoken to you, you are already clean.”
If you say you went to hear the word, and after hearing it, you feel even more filthy, then you should not listen to such a word. That is contrary to the Bible. The Bible tells you that continually listening to Jesus’ preaching, in the end, you will feel clean. Today, indeed, many churches preach like this. After preaching, they make you feel even filthier.
For example, that “Ten Commandments training class.” You will feel that everything you do is wrong. Ephesians 5:26 mentions something: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. When you come to church today, Jesus Christ wants to wash you clean through His word. So no matter how you feel, you say, “I feel I have offended God,” that is just how you feel; that is not the fact. Jesus, through His word, has already helped you wash clean, Hallelujah!
You may feel that God does not hear your prayers today. But I tell you, because of Jesus’ cross, today God hears your prayers. It has nothing to do with your deeds. This is the effect brought by the precious blood of Jesus. When Jesus is lifted up here, you are lifted up. Because you are tightly bound to that cross. As long as you are willing, as high as Jesus is, you will be as high. If you are unwilling to be on the cross, then you will be lying on the ground.
Let’s look at a verse. Today we emphasize: I do not recommend that everyone listen to too many sermons. One or two is enough! Do not look for too many; too many are not suitable for you. Because no matter whose sermon you listen to, you will always be influenced by them, right? Many messages are mixed messages. Do not let these words wet your feet and make you feel filthy. This is incorrect. What is Jesus’ work? It is to wash your feet clean. I will look at the next verse:
John 13:13-14
You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
Many people have read this passage. Some churches directly hold such gatherings once a month: everyone brings a basin, and after the gathering, they start washing each other’s feet. Is this method good? — Yes, the one being washed enjoys it, and the one washing has a humble heart; it is indeed good. But this passage does not mean that Jesus wants me to take a basin and wash each other’s feet. Washing one another’s feet means we should serve one another today.
In the context of this passage, Jesus has some dialogue with Peter. When it was Peter’s turn, Jesus wanted to wash Peter’s feet, and Peter said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Peter said, “Then wash not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.”
Did Peter completely misunderstand what it meant? Jesus said, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.” The spiritual meaning is that those who have been washed by Jesus Christ’s precious blood are saved people. Saved people washing their feet means that your feet will get dirty; your feet will pick up some things, and when Jesus washes your feet, He connects with you. If you do not remain in me, you cannot bear fruit. You must remain in me, and I will remain in you, and you will bear much fruit.
Jesus means: Let me wash your feet often! Your feet will get dirty because of the dust. The Middle East has a lot of wind and sand; two-thirds of their country is desert. After going out, it is necessary to wash your feet because there is a lot of dust. At this time, what should we think? This dust refers to the devil’s attacks, your diseases, your weaknesses, your guilt, and all negative things. These things should not exist on your feet. This is washed with water. So Jesus no longer uses His precious blood to wash; He uses water to wash. That is why Jesus wants to wash your feet. So how does Jesus wash your feet today?
We read Ephesians 5:25-27:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Every time you feel filthy, every time you feel unworthy, every time you feel you have offended God, at that moment, the condemning word will say: Be careful! With your character, if you do not bear good fruit, the Bible says the axe is already prepared; just wait to go to hell!
Similarly, when preaching this passage, one makes you feel more fearful, hopeless, and filthy, while another says: Because of the word I have spoken to you, you are already clean. Hallelujah. Which kind of message do you need to hear? The latter.
The word that makes you feel clean, that lets you know today, through Jesus’ word, you are already clean. You are the church; the church is not a building; the church is a group of people purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. So today, God wants to wash you clean through the word, through His words. Only when I tell you that God blesses you not because of your good deeds, but because of Jesus, will you know that you are different from the world.
The world needs to rely on their efforts, while you rely on God’s power. What is the difference? For example, when we do business, one person uses various promotional activities, putting all their hopes on these promotional activities, hoping to sell their products. We do the same thing. We do promotional activities, but our focus is on God: God, bless me through these promotional activities! One has God; the other relies on themselves. This is different. Today, we let you have the wisdom of Jesus through God’s words, making you a holy person, a person different from the world.
To present her to himself as a radiant church, do you know you are glorious? Because the glory of Jesus is upon you. Without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. At first, we feel we are sick, wrinkled, have problems, are condemned, and feel guilty, thinking we have done many regrettable things. Today, Jesus wants to wash all of these away with His word. This is pruning. It removes all the things that should not exist in your life, Amen.
Jesus once gave His life for you on the cross. Now, He continually washes us clean every day with His word. You are being cleansed. No matter what burdens you had when you first came to this church, at this moment, you should lay down your burdens. Because God wants to lift you up again, to prune away the excess things inside you. You can bear glorious fruit, Hallelujah. So you are now being cleansed.
I wish everyone to listen to the word repeatedly every day. At least give yourself an hour each day to listen to our sermon recordings; this is continually washing you with God’s word. Doing so every day is like you are a vine branch, and the caretaker washes you with water every day. Even if a bird drops droppings on you, you do not need to worry; you have water washing you every day. So every time others attack you, slander you, or spread rumors that hurt you, you can overcome by listening to the word. At that time, you will often bear glorious fruit, joyful fruit, and peaceful fruit, Hallelujah. This is the kind of fruit Jesus Christ hopes you will bear. Hallelujah, Amen!
If anyone does not remain in me, they are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. This refers to unbelievers. The final outcome of unbelievers is to be thrown away and burned. Later it says: You will bear much fruit, and my Father will be glorified, and you will be my disciples. Who bears fruit? It is us. So do not pray, saying, “Lord, you go do this thing! Lord, you go do that thing.” God wants to do it through you.
So from today, you say to yourself: “Lord Jesus, change my family through me. Change my husband, change my children, let me bear your fruit so that they can believe in you.” Do not say change him, change him, change him. You must prune him to be the same. So first, use God’s word to prune yourself, and then he will be willing to be pruned. Thank and praise the Lord. So every day we should live this way.
Verse 7: If you remain in me and my words remain in you.
How do we get into Christ? Isn’t it because you believe in Jesus? So when you believe in Jesus, you remain in Jesus. His words also remain in you; this is something many people lack. Today, many people believe in Jesus, but there is no word of Jesus in them, so they are often weak, sick, and deceived. At this time, let the words of Christ remain in you. Every day, through the spiritual food we provide, through the sermons we deliver, listen a little every day, and let this word continually fill your heart.
The following says, “If my words remain in you, whatever you wish, ask, and it will be done for you.”
When you often place the words of Christ in your heart, the things you pray for will be accomplished by God. Many people say, “Lord, I have believed in you for so long; why do you not hear my prayers?” Remember, those who speak like this are definitely people who do not often listen to the word; they do not know: God cannot not hear their prayers. Their declaration itself is wrong. God has never said that if your deeds are bad, I will not hear your prayers.
When we correctly listen to God’s word every day, renewing us, when you pray, you will know that God hears. God will accomplish what we need. Whatever you wish, ask, and it will be done for you. This is the word of the Bible. I hope everyone will start from now on to develop a habit of listening to the word. Let the words of Jesus Christ remain in your heart. At that time, everything you seek in your heart, you believe God will hear.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Thank you for renewing us again today through your word. Lord, when we are weak, when we have some problems in our hearts, you do not see us not bearing fruit and cut us off; you lift us up. You lift us from the ground and place us back on your cross. Place us on the cross of what you have done for us, so we learn to look up to you again.
Let us learn to look up to your grace, Lord Jesus. Because you continually supply us. It is not that we can bear any fruit by ourselves; every day, when we receive from you, your power, your supply, and your peace fill me. Thank you, Jesus. Today you place me in you. Let me continually receive your supply. Drawing from your supply, I can bear abundant fruit.
Thank you, Jesus! I also want to say: Jesus, from today on, continually prune me, removing all the excess things in my life. Take away my pride, take away my arrogance. Take away my guilt.
In the name of Jesus, take away my diseases, right now, completely take them away. Take away all my self-exaltation. Let me solely rely on Jesus, let me solely look up to you, continually absorb the supply you give me, because you continually cleanse me with your word. Let me know I am a holy person, I am a righteous person in Christ, I am loved by God. I believe that what I wish in my heart, you will accomplish for me.
Because you are my supplier. I am the branch, and you are the vine. You give me everything I need. Then I can bear fruit, bear your fruit, bear glorious fruit. The fragrance of Christ will emanate from me. So I believe that this week, wherever I go, I will bring comfort to others. Because Jesus, you first comforted me. Wherever I go, I will bring blessings to others. Because Jesus, you first blessed me. I thank you for this.
I know today, through your word, I am clean, I am clean. Hallelujah. All glory be to our Father in heaven. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!