The Doctrine of Christ no 70

The Life of Christ no 10

“You are the branches”

Brian Kocourek

2 Timothy 2:6 The husbandman that labors must be first partaker of the fruits.

Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Romans 7 : 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

This evening I would like to take a short message on John 15, where Jesus said, “I am the Vine ye are the branches”. So let us turn in our Bibles to John 15.

KJV John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: (Now, I would like for you to think about these Words that he is saying here because they are very, very important. He says,) Every branch in me (or that claims to be in me, in other words every branch that claims to be Christian but that bears not fruit He (God) taketh away: (so it looks like God will like any true Vine Dresser, he will cut away any branch that does not bear fruit. But then he says,) and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  

Now, we need to know what it means by He will purge it, in order for it to bring forth more fruit. I like what I am hearing here because Jesus is telling us that He is the Vine, and the Vine is the main stem that carries the Life of the plant. And the branches are the sub-vines or those that branch off and they also carry the life of the vine, and the evidence that they are carrying the life of the Vine is that they are producing fruit. So when they cease to be fruit bearing that is when they have dried up and are dead.

3 Now ye are clean through the word (it is the washing of water by the Word which cleanses us, and he tells us here that we are clean through the Word) which I have spoken unto you. (Then he tells us we must remain in Him, he says,) 4 Abide in me, (remain in me) and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (so the fruits we are looking at can only be produced as long as the branch remains attached to the life giving flow from the Vine life.) 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  6 If a man abide not (or remains not) in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and withers away; and men gather them only to cast them into the fire, and burn them. (Brother Branham said the fruitless branch is only good for firewood.) 7 If ye abide (remain) in me, and my Word abide (remains) in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified,(Herein is my Father endoxazo’d, here in is my Fathers opinions, His values, and His judgments magnified) that ye bear much fruit; (and in doing so ) so shall ye be my disciples.   So it is very apparent that we have no right to call ourselves a disciple of Christ unless we show in our very lives evidence or fruit of His Life abiding in us and dwelling in us.

AMPLIFIED John 15: 1 I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away and trims away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

In his sermon, Jesus Christ the same 58-0214 P:47brother Branham said, “Flesh cannot do those things. What is it? The vine, the branches, the same life that was in the vine comes through His branches. He feeds the branch through His vine. That's how He declares Himself to be the same yesterday, and forever, for He said, "I'm the Vine." The Holy Spirit now, Christ in Spirit form in you, energizing you with His Spirit to believe God, and He's everything that He does, He manifests Himself just like He did in the Bible times. "The works that I do, shall you also. A little while, and the world won't see Me no more (How many knows He said that? That's the unbeliever.), yet ye shall Me (the believer), for I ('I,' personal pronoun), I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world." Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. "The works that I do, shall you do also." Now, the word there in King James says, "Greater works than this will you do." But if you'll run that back to the Greek Lexicon, you'll find out that it doesn't mean, "greater," it means "more." You couldn't do greater. He stopped nature; He healed the sick; He raised the dead; He done things. Well, there could be no more done.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Jesus Christ the same 58-0323 P:55 The Bible said; Jesus said, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." The vine doesn't bear fruit, the branch bears fruit. And the branch will bear the fruit of the vine it's connected with. And I ask any scholar of the Scriptures to show me where Christ ever organized a church or made an organization, where He ever said a certain bunch of creeds would do it. He said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot even understand the Kingdom of God." If it's pumpkin vine, it'll bear pumpkins. If it's a watermelon vine, it'll bear watermelons. If it's a grapevine, it'll bear grapes. If we are the branches of His Church, we'll bear the fruits of the Lord Jesus. "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do, shall he do also." The same kind, not a different, "The same works that I do." God help us.

2 Corinthians 9 : 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

Philippians 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. You see it is the desire of the Five Fold to see fruit in the people, because the fruit shows life, and growth and maturity and ripening being ready for the harvest.

Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Letting off the pressure 62-0609E P:51 Jesus said in John 14, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And the first branch that come forth out of that Vine they wrote a Book of Acts behind it. That's right. And today, we have denominations living on the name of Christianity, but only bearing denominational fruit. That's right. But if that Vine ever puts forth another branch, you'll write a Book of Acts behind it, because it'll bear the original life. If the Spirit of Christ is in the church, well, it'll do the works of Christ. Jesus said so.

3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. When we abide in the Word it cleanses us, we die to self, and the very life in that Word becomes alive in us and is living in us.

Matthew 3 : 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

You must be born again 61-1231M P:121 When you're born again, God vindicates you. That's how God vindicates all of His nature. What? By their fruits. That's the way He vindicates His ministry. That's right. All of His servants are vindicated the same way He vindicates nature. How do you know it's a peach tree? 'Cause it bring peaches. How do you know it's an apple tree? Bearing apples. How do you know it's a Christian? Christian signs bear from it; Christian life comes out of it. How do you know he's a teacher? The Word comes from him. How do you know he's a prophet? The Word comes through him, bears record, vindication. It proves itself. How does it become that? When it dies and becomes one. That's right. When we die and become a new creature in Christ Jesus, it gets us with our calling; we stay with our calling. The fruits of the Spirit follow us when we are His servants. When we are born again, the fruits of Christ's Life follows us. That's right. How do you know it's a peach tree? It's got peaches. How do you know he's a Christian? He acts like Christ; he walks like Christ; he talks like Christ; he lives like Christ, above sin, victorious. What does he do, say, "See what I done"? Christ didn't do that. He gave all praise to the Father. That's right. That's how you know it. By their fruits you shall know them. What must..."Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again he cannot even understand the Kingdom of God."

Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

You must be born again 61-1231M P:127 Father, I believe that it's ordained of You, that it should be this way, that we might understand what birth and resurrection mean, what it means to be born again. We have to, First things first, we have to die in order to be born again. You never change Your law. The law of nature still provides. The law of nature is that any seed must first die in order to be born again. And we realize that we too must die in order to be born again. And so many, Lord, today, I pray You forgive us, so many has depended upon certain experiences they had, that they claim they're born again. But the fruits of their life shows that it, they were brought on the wrong tree.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Matthew 13 : 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Why 61-0413 P:80 Now, how does a doctor ever find what kind of medicine that to work on a person with? Yes, they're afraid of the new birth. You know what? The reason they're afraid of the new birth... because... Listen, excuse me, my sisters, will you? This is a mixed audience, but you listen to your doctor; I am your brother. Any birth is a mess I don't care where it's at. If it's in the pigpen, in the barnyard, or if it's in the pink decorated hospital room, it's a mess. And the new birth is too. It will make you squall, and bawl, and wash all that paint off your face. It'll do things for you that you didn't think you'd do. You'll carry on like you never did think you'd do. It's a mess. But you know, before you can be born, you have to die, and some people die awful hard. They kick, and bawl, and scream, and carry on. "But unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone." If you want to bring forth fruit, die to yourself and your own manmade theology, and be born again of the Spirit and the resurrection. That's right. Get rid of the old spirit of selfishness and dryness that's in you. Take on new Life. It's messy.

So what are the fruit God is looking for? Well beside the doctrine and the fruits of the spirit, he is looking for growth and signs you are alive in Christ Jesus.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Matthew 12 : 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Hebrews 13 : 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Hebrews 12 : 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Ephesians 5 : 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Galatians 5 : 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Hear ye Him 62-0711 P:68 That's the reason He could smile here. Jesus had carried out every Word of it. That's it. He'd carried out just exactly to the Word, now, because He was that perfect Son. And He is the same, and He died to become the Vine, that we might become the branch, that He can energize us with His Life to make the same Life that He had, living in us. Then we'll do the same thing. Jesus said in Saint John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Now, we watch what He done. See, we haven't time tonight, but we'll take it up later, and see what His works was: maybe tomorrow night. Then, see if He will perform that same works. If He does, He remains the same. Now, then God would be pleased with that.

4 Live in Me, and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without being vitally united to the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.

God keeps His Word 57-0115 P:89 And when He went away, His works was to be carried on in His church until He returned. Is that right? He said, “We are the branches; He is the Vine.” Is that right? Saint John 15th : "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And every branch that bringeth forth fruit is pruned, and fixed up, and purged so it'll bring more. But the branch that doesn't bear fruit is plucked off. Now, the branches is the one that bears fruit, not the vine. So we, the church, is left as the branches. So your eyes and my eyes is the only eyes that God has on the earth. Your lips and my lips is His branch. He energizes it to bring forth fruit. And our ears is His ears. Our hands to do good is His hands. Our feet are His feet to carry us to church and to do good. "Blessed are the feet that beareth good tidings." And also we are His vine. And He just pours His energy into us.

5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit.

Healing of Jairus daughter 55-0227E P:16 You remember when He stood there looking out upon the harvest, He said... He was the Lord of the harvest. He said, "The harvest is ripe and laborers are but few; pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He will send laborers into His harvest." In other words, "Pray to Me that I will send laborers into My harvest, which I'm just telling you it's such a needy thing." But part of it lays in human beings. Do you believe that? The Kingdom of God lays within the human being. Now, Jesus said in one place, "I am the Vine, ye are the branches." The vine can't bear fruit; the branches in the vine bears fruit. God cannot bear fruit of Himself, it's got to take the Church. Is that right? He's got to take you branches to bear fruit. And when you branches are yielded to the vine, then fruit comes forth. See what I mean? God wants your hands; He wants your eyes; He wants your tongue, wants your lips, wants your ears, wants your hands and feet so He can bring forth fruit through you.

John 15:5b However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. Therefore it is not what you do that merits anything. It is what he does through you, living and abiding in you’re his life living itself out in you that counts with God.

6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.

Door to the heart 58-0316E P:92 If it's a sinful vine you're hooked into, it'll bear sin. If it's a church vine, it'll bear churchanity. If it's Christ, it'll bear the works of Christ: got to. "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And now, He only has hands, mine and yours, eyes, mine and yours. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And let me say this as I'm leaving tonight.

Jesus Christ the same 58-0312 P:31 If a Christian church is the branch that's in Christ, they'll do the works of Christ and bear the Life of Christ. "By their fruits you shall know them." Now, then the way that He is today, He's here in the form of the Holy Spirit, working through His Church, performing the same things that He did there. That makes Him the same yesterday, today, and forever. His Life, the Life that was in Christ, which was God, produced the kind of a life that He lived then, that same Life comes into His churches, His church members, since they have been purged by His Blood and given the Holy Spirit access to work through them, bears the same fruit that He bore. So therefore, the world can see then that Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Will church go before tribulation 58-0309E P:48 Now, the Lord Jesus, when He was here on earth, the works that He did, which we've just quoted, He promised that He would come again before the end of time and would do the same thing. He said He would do it through His church. Now, He said, "I am the Vine. Ye are the branches." Now, the vine doesn't bear fruit. The branches bears fruit. Now, if it's a pumpkin vine, it'll bear pumpkins. It it's a watermelon vine, it'll bear watermelons. If it's a cantaloupe vine, it'll bear cantaloupes. If it's a grapevine, it'll bear grapes. If it's a Christian vine, it'll bear Christ, the life of Christ, the works of Christ. See? Then our spirits has to be energized by something. I'm so glad to be in Him, tonight.

958) Jesus Christ the same 58-0214 P:47 You have to know it by the Spirit. Flesh cannot do those things. What is it? The vine, the branches, the same life that was in the vine comes through His branches. He feeds the branch through His vine. That's how He declares Himself to be the same yesterday, and forever, for He said, "I'm the Vine." The Holy Spirit now, Christ in Spirit form in you, energizing you with His Spirit to believe God, and He's everything that He does, He manifests Himself just like He did in the Bible times. "The works that I do, shall you also. A little while, and the world won't see Me no more (How many knows He said that? That's the unbeliever.), yet ye shall Me (the believer), for I ('I,' personal pronoun), I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world." Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. "The works that I do, shall you do also." Now, the word there in King James says, "Greater works than this will you do." But if you'll run that back to the Greek Lexicon, you'll find out that it doesn't mean, "greater," it means "more." You couldn't do greater. He stopped nature; He healed the sick; He raised the dead; He done things. Well, there could be no more done. But you could do more of it, because He would be in His church as the vine in His branches, or whole world around...?... the same thing.

What is the attraction? 65-0725E P:55 Let's take John 14:12, of the New Testament, Jesus said:... He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also;...Also in Luke 17:22 to 30, He said: As it was in the days of Lot, before Sodom was burned, so shall it be at the return of the Son of man, that day when the Son of man is being revealed. Oh, just look at the Scriptures! "The Son of man," Jesus Christ the same yesterday and forever, growed a-past denominations, growed into the top of the tree. What did He say in John 14, or 15? "Every branch that's in Me that doesn't bring forth the fruit, it'll be cut off and pruned, throwed into the fire and burned. But every branch that'll bring forth fruit, it'll be purged."

Stature of a perfect man 62-1014M P:77 Some of them say, "Well now, the Bible said that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever." And the church says, "In a certain sense He is the same." Oh, oh. Oh, no, you done broke the gap right there. See? Yes, sir. No, sir, He is the same. Yes, sir. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. There's no difference in Him at all. He lives in His church doing the same things." A little while," as I quoted awhile ago, "A little while and the world seeth Me no more, yet ye shall see Me." For He said, "I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world." Again He said, "The works that I do, shall you do also." Again He said, "I will be the vine; you'll be the branches." And the branch only lives by the life of the vine. Whatever's in the vine comes out through the branch. Glory. Then Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, it produces the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear ye Him 57-0125 P:18 The hope of all the ages rests there on the Person of the Lord Jesus returning the second time. He was a man, yes. But He was Divine man. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself: Jehovah's tabernacle. "Not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in Me," said the Son. "He doeth the works." Another words, in that day the Father was the Vine. He was the Branch to bear the fruit of God. Now, He becomes the Vine, and we become the branch. And all that was in God was poured into Christ...?... Here it is. But listen. All that was in Christ was poured into the Church. "The works that I do shall you also. More than this shall you do, for I go to My Father." You see it? We are living under our God given privileges that God has redeemed us to.

Letting off the pressure 62-0609E P:51 Jesus said in John 14, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And the first branch that come forth out of that Vine they wrote a Book of Acts behind it. That's right. And today, we have denominations living on the name of Christianity, but only bearing denominational fruit. That's right. But if that Vine ever puts forth another branch, you'll write a Book of Acts behind it, because it'll bear the original life. If the Spirit of Christ is in the church, well, it'll do the works of Christ. Jesus said so.

Have faith in God 58-0510 P:50 Any vine bears fruit through the branch of what it is. If it don't do the same thing Jesus did, then it's not Jesus. Certainly. If God told you the spirit of John Dillinger was in me, I'd have guns, and I'd be dangerous. If God told you the spirit of an artist was in me, you'd expect me to paint the picture of the artist. If I say, "The Spirit of Christ in me," then it produces the works of Christ. He promised it.

Jesus Christ the same 58-0312 P:31 If a Christian church is the vine, or the branch that's in Christ, they'll do the works of Christ and bear the Life of Christ. "By their fruits you shall know them." Now, then the way that He is today, He's here in the form of the Holy Spirit, working through His Church, performing the same things that He did there. That makes Him the same yesterday, today, and forever. His Life, the Life that was in Christ, which was God, produced the kind of a life that He lived then, that same Life comes into His churches, His church members, since they have been purged by His Blood and given the Holy Spirit access to work through them, bears the same fruit that He bore. So therefore, the world can see then that Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jude1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Door to the heart 58-0316E P:92 If it's a sinful vine you're hooked into, it'll bear sin. If it's a church vine, it'll bear churchanity. If it's Christ, it'll bear the works of Christ: got to. "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And now, He only has hands, mine and yours, eyes, mine and yours. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And let me say this as I'm leaving tonight.

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Let us bow our heads in prayer…