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, let us know Jesus more, and help us to keep our eyes on you, 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 nourishment and strength. Thank you and praise you. May the Holy Spirit guide each of our hearts, renewing our minds continually. Thank you and praise you. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Now, let us 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 able to supply people, and the Father is the one who tends the vine. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit. How many of us pray like this today: “Jesus, I entrust my child to you, please take care of him!” Think about it; this way of speaking 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 to fulfill His mission through us, 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 woody climbing plant that must attach itself to something else to grow. This means that if you throw the vine branches on the ground, they will not grow quickly. However, if you hang them on a trellis, they will grow very fast. Its greatest characteristic is that it must cling to a support 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; my Father is the gardener.”
So, who is responsible for you? — The Father. The vine branches are cared for by the Father. Therefore, whatever problems we have, the Father knows, and He is willing to tend to 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! That’s bad; it seems you are going to be cut off, just like branches thrown outside to wither, picked up, and thrown into the fire to be burned.
What does the fire refer to? The fire refers to the lake of fire. Because your earlier answer indicated you have not borne fruit, God “snips” you off, leaves you on the ground to wither, and then burns you. Is that so? If that’s 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. But 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.” Bearing fruit from the vine is an action; if you have no good deeds, you will not bear fruit. If you do not spread the gospel, you have no good deeds. Will you go to hell without good deeds? Our salvation is not related to our actions.
So how should we interpret this verse — if you don’t bear fruit, you will be cut off; where will you be cut to? Cut to hell. If you say just believing is not enough, you must have good deeds; if you have no good deeds, you will go to hell, 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 off, and you will simply not enter the holy city of Jerusalem, but remain outside the holy city. Revelation records that outside the holy city are the dogs. If you believe in Jesus, but 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’s 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 might be outside and turned into a dog. This kind of statement is similar to 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 have not read the second verse, “Every branch that bears fruit.” Amen! Brothers and sisters, we are all branches of Jesus; we do not belong to Jesus because of good deeds, but 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 states clearly — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Let’s emphasize again: Our salvation is very simple and is not related to your actions. If you are willing to accept Jesus and believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, His precious blood cleanses us from all sin, and then three days later, He rose from the dead. You must believe that Jesus died for you, and His blood cleansed you from all sin, 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 Lord Jesus; no one can change this identity. Because you believe in Jesus, you are a person who belongs to Jesus Christ. Amen!
Now let’s look at another verse: Ephesians 1:13: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
This does not mention your actions, 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 message 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. You just need to believe in Jesus, and the Bible says you will receive the promised Holy Spirit. This does not look at your actions, achievements, or good deeds, but only whether you believe in Him. When you believe, He places a seal on you, proving that you belong to Jesus.
In the past, during the time of the slave market, slave owners had a special mark to identify their cattle, livestock, and slaves. For example, if I were a slave owner and bought many cows, livestock, and slaves, I would have a triangular symbol with my name on it. After buying this batch of cows, I would brand them with a hot iron, so that anyone who saw this mark would know they belonged to me, and no one could take them away. This is a specific seal.
Today, when the Holy Spirit “seals” you, you belong to Jesus, and you are distinguished 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 your future entry into the kingdom of heaven. Entry into the kingdom of heaven does not look at anything else but whether you have this seal. 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 absolutely 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 scary because we just said where will you be cut to? Cut to hell. Many people start asking: Do you have good deeds? Have your actions met God’s standards?
If not, God will cut you off. Some even casually use other scriptures to explain that you shouldn’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 you enter?” “Bear more fruit!” Is it scary to quote scriptures like this?
In fact, many people are frightened by such scriptures. I know someone who asked me, “Do you think I am saved?” 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 is not related to actions. “Because they casually quote the Bible, misquoting the Bible.
What is the answer to that verse about “everyone who calls me Lord, Lord”? 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, which is why Jesus said, I am the true vine.
This proves that there are fakes and imitations, right? Jesus Christ is the only true one. That’s why it says, “Only those who do the will of my Father can 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.
This is very clear. What is my Father’s will? It is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him shall 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. The true meaning should be that every branch that 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 is lying on the ground bear fruit? At this time, the farmer or 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 down, and at this time, it will not bear fruit.
So the farmer, the caretaker, will take this branch lying on the ground and lift it up, placing it back on the trellis. Taking it from the ground and placing it on the pole refers to lifting it from the ground and putting it on the pole.
Lifting up is because in the past, we were all lying on the ground, and Jesus came to lift us up. Hallelujah! Remember the characteristic 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 up 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 and thrown into hell. But Jesus will not do that. Because the Bible clearly states that He will never forsake 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 Jesus; He wants to lift you up so that you can bear fruit.
Think about it, what does the trellis that the vine clings to resemble? 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 remain on the work that Jesus has already completed, and then it can continuously bear fruit, Hallelujah. Moreover, it can bear abundant fruit. This means that when you continually focus on Jesus and what He has accomplished on the cross for you, 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 Father is the caretaker. As a caretaker, you must take care of those around you, warning those who are idle. Today, what the Father does, we must also do. For example, if this vine branch has a strong personality, you place it up, and it slips down again. What to do? Directly use a rope or wire to tie it up. In this way, if you keep it fixed on the cross, it will continuously bear fruit.
So don’t think about being weak; come here, and I will tell you about Jesus until I lift you up, Hallelujah! This means to “warn those who are idle,” find a way to tie them to Jesus, binding 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 Jesus’ work; this is precisely a characteristic under the law. Seeing you disheartened, it keeps hitting you.
Think about it! Are you far from God?
Have you offended God?
Think about it; why haven’t such things happened to others?
At this time, the vine branch might look at itself and think it is 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 lift you 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’s very simple. Only when you do not see Jesus’ cross will you become disheartened. Only when you do not look at Jesus and do not know you are bound to the trellis, 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’m so troubled! What’s the difference between believing in Jesus and not believing? I’ve believed for so long, and there’s no effect.” All that comes out of their mouths is negative stuff.
Do you know why? Because they are weak, they cannot bear the fruit of Jesus. What to do? Place them back on 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 gets cut off; that would be cruel. If 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 cutting people off. Do not be a person who cuts off; be a person who lifts up.
Jesus clearly stated in John 3 that “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” If today you can lift someone up and let them see Jesus, they will be able to bear fruit. Hallelujah! You must 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 — if you don’t bear fruit, you will be cut off.
The next point is “He prunes every branch that bears fruit.”
Our second point is: Those who bear little fruit will be pruned.
I ask everyone a question: Are you willing to be pruned by God? How many of you are willing to be pruned by God? You say, “I am particularly willing to be pruned by 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. Do you believe it? In a little while, you will all be willing to be pruned by Lord Jesus.
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 crawl onto the grapevines. When it rains, if the rainwater is not clean, it can leave many things on the grapes, such as bug carcasses and bug droppings.
So the vineyard owner or caretaker will regularly wash the grapevines. Otherwise, too many dirty things will affect their growth. Therefore, farmers will always see these little bug carcasses. Or due to wind, there will be dirty things! Farmers will use clean water to wash them away. 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 illness inside; what will the farmer do? The farmer will cut off the bad parts.
To put it bluntly, when you come to seek Jesus with pressure, Jesus will remove your pressure. When you come to hear Jesus’ word with bitterness, Jesus will remove your bitterness. When you come to seek Jesus with diseases, Jesus will remove your diseases. This is what the Bible refers to as pruning. God wants to continually prune you through water and His word, cleaning out all the excess things inside you.
Now I ask everyone again: Are you willing to be pruned by Jesus?
You all change your minds so 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, and unnecessary things. So when you are listening to the word, Jesus will start looking for what bad, excess, and unnecessary things are on you. If He sees a tumor, He will “snip” 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 working all day, when you lie in bed at night, you rest, and you 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 lately, and wrinkles start to appear. Jesus presses, and the wrinkles disappear. So you should ask Lord Jesus to prune you every day! The pressure is too great; I don’t want this anymore; hurry up and prune it away! So the Father sees that it indeed needs pruning, and He starts to prune you with His word.
Every branch that bears fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. So if a person carries illness, can they bear fruit? No. Jesus must first remove this illness 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? He will prune it. This is to help the tree grow better.
So when things that should not appear in your life appear, pruning is also necessary; our Heavenly Father will prune. Amen. Thank the Lord; only a grapevine that is continually pruned, a branch that is 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 use a big water pump,” and they start spraying; it feels quite comfortable to scrub a bit. But letting others prune you is uncomfortable. But please remember, this is beneficial for you. Many times, we cannot see it ourselves. This grapevine must be pruned every year, but even after being pruned every year, it cannot bear fruit immediately.
Generally, 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 you need to grow for a while first, and as you grow, you will find that some people will have buds appearing — the bud of pride.
Branches will start to appear, and at this time, I will begin to tell you with the word: Accept pruning. Because you need to bear fruit. So we need to be patient with every soul. When you evangelize to others, you must accompany them for at least three years. Don’t say, “Since I have led you to pray the sinner’s prayer, 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 will 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. So the grapevine in the first three years is in a constant rooting process. For a new believer, continually giving them grace, continually supplying them. Let them continually take root in the words of Christ. And then? As they continually listen to the word, they will inevitably bear fruit. According to some vineyards and farms, even grapevines that bear fruit in three years are not suitable for winemaking. Generally, do you know how many years? 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 for ten years, it will be incredible.
From miles away, people will smell your fragrance. You are working in a market, selling something, and the whole market knows you are a believer 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, an unbeliever, if this person is very cunning, always shortchanging others, after ten years, in that market, others will say, “Don’t go to that place; that person is no good!” There is also a fragrance — a stench. 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; drinking it is not about gulping it down but savoring it slowly. So Jesus wants us to continually savor Him in life, Amen! At first, you find no difference between believing in Jesus and not believing; the more you believe, the more you cannot do without Him. This is what we call the aftertaste of wine being particularly strong. At first, when you drink, it seems nothing special; drinking two or three bottles is not a problem. After drinking, you go home and 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 the moment, but when they think about it at home, they realize you are very wise. In the future, they will have to seek you out for help. This is the aftertaste. Because we are not using our own wisdom but the truth from the Bible. When you tell them the truth from the Bible, they will think about it more and more at home, and eventually, 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 by Solomon’s greatness — “I have heard of your deeds, and today I see that 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. Then your life will be completely different. When you have believed in the Lord for ten or twenty years, please remember you have become a fine aged wine. Hallelujah!
Are you willing to be pruned? It’s not that from today onwards, I will look for your faults every day and give you an axe; that would make you disabled. 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.
Look at John 15:3: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Didn’t I just tell you this word? What do you think you are? — Aged wine.
Aren’t you clean? Compared to when you just walked in and said, “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 might feel wronged, saying, “I don’t want bird droppings to fall on me, but you say birds always fly over me; what can I do?”
Today, if we tell others, “Don’t sin all the time,” that person will say, “I don’t want to sin; I can’t help it.” What to do? How to be pruned? When the vine is lying on the ground, the first thing the Father needs to 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, first letting your faith be lifted up. First, let you know you are in the embrace of Jesus, and let you know that today Jesus has not forsaken you. At any time, you must know that God will not forsake 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 listen to the word and after listening, you feel even more filthy, then you should not listen to that kind of word. That is contrary to the Bible. The Bible tells you to continually listen to Jesus’ preaching, and in the end, you should feel clean. Today, indeed, many churches preach like this. After preaching, they make you feel even filthier.
For example, the “Ten Commandments Training Class.” You will feel that whatever you do is wrong. Ephesians 5:26 mentions something: to make her clean by the washing with water through 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 like I have offended God,” that is just how you feel; it is not the truth. Jesus has already helped you wash clean through His word. Hallelujah!
You may feel that God does not listen to your prayers today. But I tell you, because of Jesus’ cross, God listens to your prayers today. It has nothing to do with your actions. 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 seek 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 still mixed messages. Do not let these words wet your feet, making you feel filthy. That 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 meeting, they start washing each other’s feet. Is this method good? — Yes, the person being washed enjoys it, and the person 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 a 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 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 the precious blood of Jesus Christ are saved people. For saved people, washing their feet means your feet will get dirty; your feet will pick up some things. Jesus washing your feet connects you with Him. If you 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 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, you must wash your feet when you come back because they are covered in 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 but uses water to wash. That is why Jesus wants to wash your feet; how does Jesus wash your feet today?
We have 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, 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 time, 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!
At the same time, 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.
Let the word that makes you feel clean, let you know that 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 bought back by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. So today, God wants to wash you clean through His word, through His message. Only when I tell you that God blesses you not because your actions are good, 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, if we are both doing business, one person uses various promotional activities, putting all hope on these promotional activities, hoping that people will buy his things. 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, and the other relies on themselves. This is different. Today, through God’s word, you can have the wisdom of Jesus, becoming a holy person, a person who is 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, wrinkle, or any other blemish. At first, we feel we are sick, wrinkled, problematic, condemned, and guilty, feeling we have done many regrettable things. Today, Jesus wants to wash all these away with His word. This is pruning. It removes everything 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 time, 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 would listen to the word repeatedly every day. At least give yourself an hour every day to listen to our sermon recordings; this is continually washing you with God’s word. Doing so daily is like you are a vine branch, and the caretaker washes you with water every day. Even if a bird drops something on you, you do not need to worry; you are washed with water every day. So every time others attack you, slander you, or spread rumors about 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 for 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!” “Lord, you go do that.” 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 through me. 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 did we get into Christ? Isn’t it because you believed in Jesus? So when you believe in Jesus, you remain in Jesus. His words also remain in you, which 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 fill your heart continually.
Then it says, “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 don’t you listen to 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 listen to their prayers. Their declaration itself is wrong. God has never said that if your actions are bad, I will not listen to your prayers.
When we correctly listen to God’s words every day, renewing us, when you pray, you will know that God listens. 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 now 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 listen.
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 that we learn to look up to you again.
Let us learn to look up to your grace, Jesus. Because you continually supply us. It is not what we can bear; 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, continually prune me, remove 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 high-mindedness. Let me solely rely on Jesus, let me solely look to you, continually absorb the supply you give me, because you are continually cleansing me with your word. Let me know I am a sanctified person, I am a holy person, in Christ I am righteous, I am loved by God. I believe that what I desire 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 Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!