[0:00] do you know that in your heart that He's alive? He's alive forevermore. He's alive regardless of whether He's alive in us.
[0:14] He's alive. Is He alive in our heart? Amen. I've been so excited this morning that even when I got up, I said, God, I don't know if I can preach today.
[0:30] There's such a thing about being too excited that you can't preach. We'll try. God is amazing. He's done amazing things.
[0:43] He's done victories in my heart. Brought victory to my heart in many areas. A new light, new hope. God has met with us. You know, you can't sit here and go through, I think it was 32 messages total.
[1:00] That we listen to and five hours of praying for each other or talking with each other and lifting each other up to the throne of the Most High.
[1:10] I mean, how can you not be changed? Right? God's Word never returns void. And this morning as we were here worshiping, something way back in my memory just took me back years ago of when we've experienced some of the greatest revivals in our lives where the joy of the Lord was just so real and so precious.
[1:35] And we need this. We need this. I thank God for that. That it's not just a memory, but it's a reality today that we're still walking in that.
[1:47] So I thank God. We can't praise Him enough. I'm not going to ask you if you love Jesus this morning. I've seen it and heard it all morning.
[1:58] Hallelujah. Some of you have made brand new commitments or new commitments, rededicated your lives. And you know, I would guess that all of us that have been here at least part of the time have had something that was deeply stirred in our heart, challenged perhaps, hopefully changed to the glory of God.
[2:26] You know, and there was maybe a few things that we even disagreed that Bert said. You know, out of the hundreds of messages or hundred plus messages, there's always going to be a thing that you might question a little bit.
[2:41] Like, well, that's not quite how we believe or whatever. And if I wrote a book like that and preached all that, you'd probably find a few things as well that, well, I didn't know John believed quite like that.
[2:55] I don't know, but Bert is not God. You know, and he may have some things that we differ on slightly, but God's Spirit spoke to us this week through those messages.
[3:10] And we receive that with joy and with gladness. And we allow God to change us through His Word, not because of man, but because of God Himself.
[3:24] But now what? What are we going to do with it? How are we going to live? That's always the question that comes to my mind at a revival time.
[3:40] Now what? How are we going to walk this out? How will it be tomorrow when some of you go snowmobiling or boarding or whatever? How about the next day? How about going back to work?
[3:53] The normal life? Is there a concern in your heart that what God has done will fall away?
[4:03] Or you'll fall away from it? When we're out there facing the world, it's lust and the devil. I know you're excited this morning like I am.
[4:17] But this road will not get any smoother. Might get rougher actually. But it will be worth it all. We know that.
[4:28] We know it will be worth it all. And not only to make it to heaven someday, like we heard that last message, but it's worth it all just to walk with Jesus.
[4:43] Now, today. It's worth it all. The peace and the joy that God puts in our hearts is worth every step of the way. Even on a rough road.
[4:55] Even when there's things that are thrown at us like doubts and fears and things that we face. Just normal life that life throws at us. And then we have the devil yet.
[5:10] But that peace and joy no man can take away. No person can take that. The devil can't take it. And we must remember that we are redeemed.
[5:23] I was going to title the message Remember Who You Are. But I've changed it to Continue Ye in My Love. Let's turn our Bibles to John chapter 15.
[5:39] Yesterday I just opened my Bible here on the table and that's where it opened. So I was, every time I glanced down I saw I am the true vine. As we sat here yesterday.
[5:51] So I don't know. I didn't even think that would be a message until later. But that's where I want to focus on mostly this morning. John 15. Where Jesus said I am the true vine.
[6:07] That would tell us there might be other vines out there. But He's the true one. Jesus is the true vine. And if we're going to make it we're going to have to be plugged in or connected to that vine.
[6:23] We're going to have to abide and stay there. And that's what Jesus is giving us this morning. I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman.
[6:36] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit He purges it that it may bring forth more fruit.
[6:52] He purges it. You know there's been a lot of purging this past week. There's been things that are painful to talk about. Painful to hear.
[7:03] Painful to do and you know to release those things. To deal with them. It's not easy to be honest. When something is shameful.
[7:17] Sometimes it means getting rid of things that our flesh enjoyed. You know that can be a purging. Just things. Things that our flesh has been doing for a long time.
[7:29] And you know God brought some things to my mind that I enjoy. Wait a minute. Is that questionable? Do I need that in my life? It's purging.
[7:42] It's when God purges us. And He takes those things. It can be painful. Whatever God wants to do let it be done.
[7:55] Because Jesus is looking for fruit. And you know in real life when we don't trim a tree a fruit tree it doesn't bear much.
[8:06] But when you cut those branches back and you cut those bad parts off and throw them away get rid of those things that hinder the growth of fruit then it will bring forth beautiful fruit.
[8:20] And that is the end goal. God doesn't just want to come trim you up and hurt you and just hurt the flesh for no reason. He wants fruit. Just like if we're an orchard or whatever where they have fruit trees.
[8:39] People that raise fruit for a living. They know. they know how to get the most fruit out of the tree. You know that? And they don't spare.
[8:49] If they're a good caretaker they will prune that thing just right. And if we allow Jesus through the Holy Spirit to do that yes amen.
[9:01] Verse 3 Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you abide unto me I'm sorry abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself okay we'll come back to that except it abide in the vine no more can you except you abide in me I am the vine you are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing you know here is the answer brothers and sisters here's the answer to continue here's how to go forward that we abide in him and realize and recognize that without him we can't do anything Jesus own words without me you can do nothing this is how we walk in victory day by day week by week year by year that's how we walk in victory being in him and he in us being in Christ this is the only hope for man's struggle in this battle we have nothing else to offer even as a church we have nothing else there is no program there is no ten steps to victory it's abiding in the vine it's Jesus the life of Jesus we know this but we need to know this we need to really know this like in our hearts not in our minds but we really need to get a hold of this that it's abiding in
[11:01] Christ only Christ and continuing in him will bring that victory will make so that there's more and better testimonies next year like we talked about yesterday that's the only thing that will make the difference abiding in Christ being willing to abide being willing to be purged by him from time to time and get the ugly stuff out of our life verse 6 if a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned he said if a man abide not in me a person that does not abide in me is going to be burned if you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you do you believe this do I believe this that if we are abiding in him that's the qualification then we can ask
[12:16] Laverne you can ask about your dad your parents and you can believe do we believe this morning when we were praying I was like do we believe do we have this faith you know yesterday we prayed for something that we believe is impossible with men and we're going to keep praying because we believe we believe you know what I'm talking about verse 8 herein is my father glorified oh this is this is another key verse that you bear much fruit so shall you be my disciples yes the Lord is looking for fruit and he won't settle for anything less than fruit coming from those from those people that have been redeemed from the lives of those of the believers he won't settle for less he wants that fruit from you and I and he's looking for much fruit not just a little bit here and there a little bit fruit he wants much fruit in fact
[13:26] Jesus said that my father will be glorified that's really the end goal is the glory of God it's what he deserves it's why Jesus died it's why he died is the lamb of God getting the glory he deserves many times when there's a prayer request or something on the ministry chat brother Phil will make a statement or something about that the lamb of God would get the glory he deserves glory to the lamb our fruits will bring that glory to his name it's only our reasonable service father is looking for fruit he's looking for fruit from those that were redeemed by the blood of his son that's what he's looking for God did not give up his only son for no results those results are from the lives of the believers you and
[14:33] I he's looking for much fruit but in that same verse or some of the other verses as well yeah I think it was one of the previous verses where it says without me you can do nothing no person will ever produce this fruit how many people have tried and tried and tried to be fruitful in the Christian life or in a religious life tried and tried even here right some of us have tried that you've tried to be fruitful it's not possible God will only accept the fruit that comes from the vine the fruit that comes from the vine who's the vine Jesus and we're just connected to him he's in us we in him the Lord
[15:34] Jesus you and I can never produce any of that fruit man has tried for centuries but it doesn't work when will we ever learn it doesn't work you can't you know you can do certain things you can you can look like a Christian you can fake it you can whatever whatever but you cannot produce the fruit God's looking for trying harder is foolishness to God just well just I'll try harder I'll try to be more victorious I'm going to try harder but if you're not connected to the vine you ain't going to make it it's foolishness to God he's looking for a total surrender to him the Lord Jesus let's go to verse nine as the father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love don't ever leave this
[16:41] I think Mike or somebody earlier said that too never leave this but there's the title of the message continue you and ye in my love we have this love we have it burning in our hearts we're passionate we have burdens for souls but the key is to continue keep on going don't give up don't stop continue if you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love remember this is Jesus talking to us this morning these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full let me ask you what's the gauge on your joy tank this morning the gauge ain't working is it it's overflowing
[17:42] I'm just waiting for something amen overflowing the joy of the Lord will overflow in our hearts but I just had that in my notes what is our joy tank if there is such a thing what's the gauge showing is it almost running on empty too many times we're running on empty and we're not sure we're going to make it to the next place but it doesn't have to be like that let it overflow and touch other people but this will all depend on our attachment to the vine once we once we go off on our own and that's severed there's no life that's why there's no joy there's whole groups of people with no joy there's no attachment to the vine there's no life let's have that let's be committed to staying attached to the vine you know Jesus said these words 2000 years ago and I believe that he wants it for right now if he was here
[18:48] I don't think he'd tell us different words he's speaking this to me to you this morning even in much sorrow and difficulty like I mentioned earlier the road may get rougher it may not be smoother but even through that we can have joy and what does the bible say the joy of the lord is my strength amen without joy we're not very strong and what do we need we need strength we need that strength verse 12 says this is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends now Jesus here is turning this love from the father and from Jesus to us now he's saying and you love each other too you love each other like how are we supposed to love each other as I have loved you what did he do he showed us his love he came down here and he showed us how to love all the way to the cross and lay down his life let those nails go through his hands and feet those wounds those stripes that healed heals us he showed us how to love didn't he there is no greater love than this he said and then and then in the same you know the same paragraph or whatever he says that this is his commandment that you love one another in the same verse there is no person that can convince
[20:51] God that they love him if they don't love each other that's Bible that's not my words you can never convince God you can say it all you want to say it but if you don't love the brothers and you don't love the sisters in the church in your family and so on the sinner the neighbor you have no love for other people like God loves then that mind of Christ like Mike was talking about is not in us and you'll never convince God that you love him that's just faith we must it is a commandment Jesus said that you love one another verse 14 you are my friends if he puts this if in here if you do whatsoever I command you he uses that word command twice here at least first he commands that we love each other and then he says you are my friends if you do what I command you you know the verse prior to this in verse 13 he says that if a man lay down his life for his friends and then he goes on and says you are my friends you are my friends are you a friend to Jesus this morning is he your friend sometimes we may not feel like we are abiding in Christ we want to look at that then too sometimes we don't necessarily feel good maybe physically maybe maybe we just woke up discouraged and we don't know why but by faith we still obey his commandments no matter how we feel we don't let those feelings override that spirit that spirit of life that's in us we can never do that sometimes we're tempted to we allow those feelings and all of a sudden we feel like we're not abiding but we know that
[23:06] God has put his spirit in us and we let that spirit rule verse 15 henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I made known unto you he's saying here you know we're not just servants we're not just Jesus servants I mean we are in a sense but we're his friends we're Jesus friend this morning look at him as our friend he wants that he wants to be our friend he said you have not chosen me but I've chosen you and I've ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever you shall ask of my father in my name he may give it to you these things
[24:11] I command you he comes back and here he says it again that you love one another that you love one another but God wants fruit he doesn't want he's happy and rejoicing too this morning that we've been blessed and changed he did that for us and he's glad to do that but he's looking for more than that he's looking for more than a week of excitement in the word he's looking for a life that will continue on and keep on going and not give up and have fruits that's where he gets glory he gets praise from us this morning yes but he is looking for a glorious life that lives only for him verse 18 now if the world hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you if ye were of the world the world would love his own but because you are not of the world but
[25:14] I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you listen he's saying here that if you were of the world the world would love you they would accept you they would not hate you at all and many of us have testimonies of that like wow as soon as I turned to Jesus and decided to follow him people worldly people don't like me hate love hate people that don't know God hate us now that doesn't mean we in turn hate them right we don't hate them we don't hate those people that that some of you have felt hurt from no we love them and we want Jesus to change them too and take them out of the world too right but don't be surprised when the world hates you Jesus said you know we're not better than him if they hated him they're going to hate us when we make that change that give our whole life to
[26:24] Jesus Christ the reason the world hates us is because we've changed that allegiance we're no longer part of that kingdom we've been translated to a new kingdom and that's upsetting to people it brings conviction to people verse 20 remember that the word that I said unto you the servant is not greater than his Lord if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will they will keep yours also and you know who persecuted Jesus you know we we would we often think of the world as a government and you know and it is the world but but who are these persecutors
[27:25] I don't know but in the past it seems to me like almost always they were religious people people that even named the name of Christ people that you know if you look back in the the anabaptist persecution what is it the 1500s or whenever that was it was always the religious ones in Jesus day same thing religious people it was the Pharisees it was the people that thought they had the right religion that persecuted Jesus and persecuted the saints it'll be the same for us history repeats itself it is almost always people with another gospel that will persecute you verse 21 but all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake because they know not him that sent me they don't know the father if
[28:41] I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin wow so Jesus is saying that he came he exposed them he exposed those religious people at his time if he hadn't they wouldn't have known their sin would never have been exposed but he came and he exposed their sin but they had no cover for their sin because they rejected him but oh what a covering what a washing we have available that precious blood of Jesus will take care of our sin has taken care of our sin if we believe verse 23 he that hateth me hateth my father also and we can see that in our day if
[29:42] I had not done among them works which none other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my father but this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law they hated me without a cause it was in their own law verse 26 but when the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the father even the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the father he shall testify of me has the comforter come to us as the comforter the holy spirit has he come to us I thank God this morning for that comforter for the holy spirit that comes he's not just a comforter but that's what he's called here he's the holy spirit the spirit of
[30:45] God what a blessed life it is to have the comfort of the holy spirit you know when we're troubled when we're struggling whether it's sin or whether it's relationships whatever it is that comforter that comes and dwells in us Jesus made that promise at the time he made those promises they didn't understand but after God began the church in that upper room from that day forward the church knows what the comforter is do we know what it is do we live and allow him to live in us and use us verse 27 and you shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning speaking to his disciples here they shall bear witness but that comforter came and worked in their lives you know we're we do go out into the world and we talk with people we talk with people of the world that don't know our
[31:51] Christ how will it be this week and next week we must remember who we are and who we belong to if we want to walk in a greater victory than before we must remember this you know the world is an ugly evil place we have never seen a darker time than now it's ugly it's evil it's wicked it needs light Jesus said you're the light of the world that devil he has set up everything we can imagine in this world to trip us up to make us fall to make us stumble he knows that thing of the old nature that thing of the flesh and that's why he comes with such powerful temptations but we don't have to be defeated we don't have to give in
[32:53] God has provided a way brother James this week gave us a verse and it should be a verse for us to memorize he said and I believe it in Corinthians there 1 Corinthians 10 12 wherefore let him that well I'm sorry it's 13 but I'm going to read three verses here wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall in other words if you think you're standing in your own you can do this by yourself you better look out because you're going to fall and then Paul here says this there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it that's the verse we kept hearing this week and I just my mind went to that this morning verse 14 says wherefore my dearly beloved flee from idolatry but
[34:06] God has made a way of escape he has made a way and you know I don't know what Paul had in mind what all he had in mind there but as far as that way of escape but that God is with us and that when we are abiding in him like John says here in 15 if we're abiding in Christ that's your way of escape you will never go wrong by abiding in Christ you'll never get too much of Jesus you'll never ever go wrong by abiding in him you can you can count on this fact that every time we fall or every time we stray it's because we didn't continue in abiding in him if we abide in the vine this year we will have Christ as our all let's turn now to Hebrews chapter 10 am I the only one that's really warm in here
[35:12] I don't know what the temperature is but I'm really warm I don't want you to get too cold either Hebrews 10 verse 9 I believe is where we'll start I want to talk a little bit about faith then said he lo I come to do thy will O God he taketh away the first that he may establish the second talking about the old and the new by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all and every priest standing daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins in the old the priests would try to take away our sins they would go in on behalf of man but this man talking of
[36:23] Jesus after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified hallelujah we know what offering that is that's the offering of Jesus the perfect lamb whereof the holy ghost also is a witness to us for after that he had said before this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more glory to God for that verse for that prophecy and that reality
[37:26] I believe this week that Jesus has written his law in our hearts and in our minds he has showed us many things about himself and his heart the mind of Christ you know in the old it was all written on stone or tablets and sometimes man today will still do that and try to keep all the things that they believe God wants in a church or whatever and I'll leave that but one thing for sure is that God wants to write it in our hearts in our you know if you just have it on a tablet or on a paper what if you're far away by yourself somewhere what are you going to do about it where nobody sees us but
[38:28] I'm telling you if he writes it in our hearts it doesn't matter where we go where we're at it doesn't matter if we're all alone that law is written deep in our heart that's the heart of God that's what he wants and he says he will do that and then it says and their sins and their iniquities will I the father the Lord remember no more that means he'll forget about it and if God does something he never does it halfway he can't he can't do something halfway he's God so if he says that I will remember something no more it's done it's a fact there's no halfway about it you know sometimes we forget about something and then somebody else comes along and kind of reminds us a little bit like do you remember oh yeah I'd forgotten about that but not with
[39:28] God when when he forgets he forgets I am thankful this morning through the blood of Jesus that he forgot about my sins and that they're gone let's read verse 18 now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin friends if we have experienced forgiveness if you've been washed in God's blood there is nothing more that will cleanse you there is no other that's what that verse is saying there is no more offering there is nothing else you can't you can't become better than being washed in the blood of Jesus that's it you can try all you want but you can't get more you can't do more the blood of a perfect lamb you cannot be redeemed more than that this is all man may say to you that you can't be redeemed you've sinned too much yes we have sinned too much yes yes that might be true but oh that blood that's what's being underestimated that blood of
[40:55] Christ is so much more powerful to cleanse than any sin a man can commit in the flesh you know there is a sin but we're talking about the sins of the flesh murder you know that's one that comes to mind you know if you murder somebody that can God forgive that if we don't think so there's something wrong with our belief because when Jesus hung on that cross that perfect land and when God when that blood is applied to your life that satisfies the father that satisfies him and he'll remember your sins no more we must believe in this glory to his name the power of that cleansing blood is more powerful than any sin of the flesh that man can commit glory to his name we worship him this morning thank you
[42:08] Lord for that blood God I plead that blood upon us on this church father I thank you this morning we worship you we thank you for the blood of Jesus God we just worship you thank you that you revealed this to us that there is nothing more powerful than the blood of your son Jesus Christ because you were perfect thank you for forgiveness hallelujah we've witnessed that cleansing power and don't anybody ever dare speak against that blood and the power that's in it the power to forgive sins verse 19 having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus you know that blood is so powerful that we can even come into the presence of God you know you could never do that if the blood wouldn't have washed you we could never come into the presence of
[43:09] God he would never put his spirit where that blood hasn't cleansed we heard this week he only puts his spirit where the blood has been birthed a cleansing in other words he only lives where the blood has been applied I'm so thankful when I read read these verses this morning I got pretty excited verse 20 by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water you know if that blood has been applied there is nothing to stop us from coming into the presence of God and to dwell in the presence of God there is nothing unless it's your pride but don't be afraid to draw near to be in the very presence of God that presence is open to us today for the redeemed today it's not when we get to heaven it's for today that we live in the presence of God the Holy
[44:52] One verse 23 says let us hold fast now here's where we're talking about faith let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised and that verse just spoke to me as well this morning that he says Paul here says to hold fast to get a hold of it and hang on hold on as your life depends on it because it does your life depends on us holding on God is always faithful we can trust him totally going forward and then he goes on he says these words yet and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works that word provoke I'm not sure why he used that word but you know we would probably say encourage one another but Paul says provoke one another maybe we need to get a little more fiery about it you know what provoke means but it's in a good way it's in a loving way it's to under love and good works strengthening one another not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching was there ever a time or a day that the church needed each other more than now than this day
[46:29] God knew that every generation in the church will need to hear these words but is there ever been a time this world is ugly it's evil wicked to the core there is nothing good in the devil and his snares and he is angry and he knows he has just a short time and he doesn't want us to influence anybody else he doesn't want to you know have anybody else be saved by the blood that's why he's after us he's angry will we abide in the vine this year will we continue when we are working will we be singing his praises throughout the day that's another reason that country music is wrong you know it takes our if nothing else it takes your attention off of singing praises to him listening to praises to him and it'll bring just a deadness there's a lot of other kinds of meaning that are wrong too by the way but to sing praises to our
[47:44] Lord and if we're not singing it be listening to it whatever meditating on his word on his ways his statutes when we're when we're playing sledding whatever we're doing I know that's that season right now when we're playing basketball or volleyball or you know are we abiding we're going to abide or is the abiding just when we're in church or when we pray evening no I think we need to be at that full time 24 7 365 days a year full time that's God's heart for us and if we're going to walk in victory we need that when we are alone when we're with friends what we do when we're alone is who we are that's who we are if we're one person then another person in church then we're faith will we abide abide in me Jesus said this is your answer going forward it really is it's my answer that answer is our victory oh victory in Jesus oh victory in Jesus stay near the cross letting that river that God has put in us that river of living water flow like
[49:18] Jeffrey said I'm overflowing let it flow and what does that mean to let it flow if it's overflowing it's going to touch other people it's going to give us a burden for some of our old friends right we had that I think in our house last night a burden for people other young men that aren't walking right that river gives you that but if it doesn't flow out listen if it's not flowing out it's not flowing at all it needs to flow out and then also to stay in prayer that connect that connection to the vine is also through prayer
[50:18] I believe that we need to pray more this week that has really spoken to me about my own prayer life and even as a church that we pray more we take time and I think it was Brother Burke that said that you know the devil will do everything in his power to stop you from praying and so we should do everything in our power to go pray through the power of the Holy Spirit let that spirit override the flesh and the mind but have the mind of Christ to come to him in prayer and pray and pray for those things pray I just have a renewed burden and a renewed vision to pray for those things that are impossible by man you know we we limit ourselves by our doubts and our own thinking well it's just not going to happen it's just not going to work it's never going to change but that's because we don't believe in him that's unbelief and so let's believe let's be a believing church let's really believe for the things that are impossible by man
[51:33] Jesus said without me you can do nothing but we're not without him that's the point we're not without him so let's believe you have an unsaved friend somebody that's not walking right or something that's just looks impossible it's not impossible with God so have faith stay in the vine God bless you all of you enjoying that I don't have I believe that you have to