This is the Truth Network. Can you name something that helps you abide closely to Jesus, who is our vine, or helps you adjust quickly to adversity?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
We are continuing our study today. on the very important topic of Thanksgiving to God.
Now, our text for the entire series is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Now, if you've been with us for this series, I hope that by now you are already beginning to form. The habit of thanksgiving to God in every circumstance, good, bad, and in between. all day long. When you wake up in the night and when you get up early. in the morning.
Now in our previous lesson, we simply established the fact that, well, Thanksgiving is easy. Anybody can do it, a PhD or a child. Why not do easy? when so often in this world we have to do Hard. difficult.
We also said that thanksgiving enables us to draw near God, as James instructs us in James 4, verse 8. And, of course, we said, that we're always close to the Lord because he said, I will never leave thee, nor Forsake thee. But the sense of his presence. is not always something we enjoy. And I would be the first to say that we walk by faith and not by feeling.
Nevertheless, Jesus said in John 14, Verses 21 and 23. that He would come and make His abode with us, and He would manifest Himself to us if We showed our love for him by keeping His word. And the word manifest in the Greek In John 14, twenty one. Means to make known to the bodily senses.
So I think it's the Lord's will, it's His desire that we enjoy a healthy sense. of the peaceful presence of God and thanksgiving. Galpsis. Do that.
Now, today we're turning to discuss another point, and we're learning today that Thanksgiving keeps us abiding or in touch with. The vine, Jesus. and able, therefore, to pray effectively, and lead a very spiritually fruitful life. Our text here, obviously, is John 15. We'll read verses 1 through 8 and note the words abiding and see what this abiding in Christ leads to.
Verse 1. I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman.
So Jesus is saying that his. very presence in the body of Christ is like a van. and the father is watching over this van as an earnest farmer would his vineyard or his orchard or his field. He goes on to say, Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away. Oh, my goodness, friends, this abiding or remaining in close touch with Jesus.
I would say it's an important matter because if we don't abide by Jesus' very own words, we risk. being moved aside And I think what this means primarily, too, is that God just sets us aside and He's not going to use us. We may be saved, but unused. And instead He turns to others who are abiding close to him and chooses to use them. to reveal his truth, speak his truth.
show His glory, work his works.
Now Jesus goes on to say, And every branch that bears fruit He purchased it. that it may bring forth more fruit. fruit.
So immediately we say God is very interested. In you and me becoming fruitful. Friend, are you becoming fruitful in your life? In other words, since you have received Jesus and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, are you? walking closely with him.
And is there a a tangible change in life, a noticeable change. in your life. Do others see and sense in you that a change has occurred?
Well, Jesus is saying that's most important. He goes on to say, Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, there's our key word, abide in me, or remain close to me, or remain attached to me, or remain in vital union. With me, just as a branch. cannot live unless it is vitally connected to the trunk of a tree, or in this case a vine.
We cannot abide, and we cannot bear fruit unless we are abiding in him.
So he says, Abide in me and I in you. Oh, what's this mean? This is telling us that the more we draw near the Lord and stay in touch with Him. The more his life which is already in us, if we are born again Christian, Is going to be manifested and make a noticeable difference in us and in our life work.
Now, he goes on to say now. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. Except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me.
Now that's exactly what I was just saying. If you sever a branch from the tree of from a trunk of a tree, What's going to happen? It may look like it's a liar for a while. But in every case, in 100 out of 100 cases, this is going to happen, that branch. will dry up and dap.
Friends, it's the same with us. Weary today, spiritually dry. Dull. Are you confused? Are you at your wit's end?
Perhaps it's because you've not been abiding in the Lord. You belong to him. You're born of him by the grace of God. You may have received a baptism with the Holy Spirit. You may be specially empowered with the Holy Spirit.
That will make no difference if you do not abide closely to Him. Absolutely. I don't care what your experiences have been with Christ in the past. Today Right now, while you're listening to my voice, again, you may be driving a truck. you may be going on a trip with your family.
You may be sitting in your den resting, taking a nap, listening quietly to this broadcast and sort of taking a power nap where you don't go to sleep, you just listen and talk to people.
Well, At this moment, are you abiding in him? That's the most important issue. Everything derives From the fact that the Christian Nabads close to Jesus. I think it is the blight, the curse. the malaise of the church today.
There's so many people. Are content to have a saving experience with Christ and then Well, simply Float along. And they don't come to the Lord daily for fellowship. and they're not a fruit-bearing member of the church. If that describes you, let me tell you plainly.
You are not in a position where you will be taken with Jesus appears. Yes, you will not go in the rapture unless you change your behavior and begin to abide in. The vine. The readiness warnings of Jesus in Matthew 24 and 25. and those warnings of the Apostles, Paul, Peter and John in the New Testament make it abundantly clear that if you're not abiding in Christ, you have no assurance whatsoever that you will be taken.
When Jesus comes, you may say, Well, Dr. Hannah, please don't disturb me.
Well, friend, the last thing I wish to do is to trouble you, but. If you're not abiding close to Christ, you need to hear this truth. This is the love of the truth coming to you right to your doorstep today. and informing you That if you don't abide in him. You needn't expect.
to be taken home with him. for ever to abide with him in heaven. And on this earth when he returns.
Now continuing with what Jesus said, he said, If a man abide not in me, he is cut forth as a branch and is withered. We just described that. And men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. There is debate among Bible scholars whether this means they are cast into hell and thus lose their salvation, or their works. are destroyed.
I believe the latter position.
Now, verse 7: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, okay, here's the promise: if you remain close to Jesus, And his words are in your heart at all times. This is a key statement. Because you can't about closely with the living word. unless you are remaining saturated. with the written word.
The two go hand in hand. Jesus is the living expression of the Bible. And the Bible. is the written description. of Jesus whom John calls The Lagos, the Word, that divine essence and thought.
expressed in human form.
Now, so he says, If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will. And it shall be done unto you. Oh, hallelujah. Here is the secret. to success and fruitfulness in your prayer life.
If you are praying but not receiving answers from the Lord, well, there could be a variety of reasons. Perhaps you're praying for the wrong thing. Perhaps the time for the answer to your prayer to be manifested has not yet come. God controls the times and the seasons in our life. Perhaps God is working in other people's lives or other situations to work all things together.
for a wonderful end for you, and he's just asking you to wait. What he does, he says other things. Give him a little time. Give him some, as we say in the South, elbow room. But it also could be that while you are praying, you're not abiding in the Word of God.
What is that?
Well, it's presumption. You know, if you want to Have a topic for an awesome study. Go through your Bible. and find the word if. Old Testament and New.
And in every case, you will see that God is giving conditions. for the promises which he attaches.
Now here, Jesus is very clear, if there's that word. You abide in me, and if we can transfer that to the latter phrase, that is. Grammatically correct. If My words abide in you. Those are the two conditions.
You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Here's what I think Jesus is really saying. He's saying look my friend I'd love to honor you and answer your prayers. But if you don't honor me, By drawing near to me in prayer and worship, And Seeking and studying diligently as if your life depended upon it, because it does. My word I just can't auto you.
I just can't answer your prayers. I just can't defer to you because you're not honoring me. You see, this. This is based upon the universal principle of 1 Samuel. 2 verse 30.
Them that honor me Ah, well honour. This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr. Hinnant's book, Gold Tried in the Fire. It is filled with spiritually rich biblical teachings, tested truths for trying times that will help you buy the gold tried in the fire Jesus challenged us to obtain in Revelation 3.18. This book will change your life.
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Now, again, Dr. Hinnant. But those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. The Lord. Cannot honor those who are dishonoring him.
And my friend, And I'm speaking to born-again Christians. Listen carefully to what I'm saying. If you have been born again, but you're not seeking the Lord, you are dishonoring Him. You said, wait a minute. Wait a minute, Dr.
Henley, I'm not living in fornication or adultery. I'm not homosexual. I'm not doing all these abhorrent. X I'm not I I don't have that kind of a lifestyle.
Well, that's fine, but you have a dead lifestyle. Jesus said to the church at Sardis, You have a name. That you or alive, or you're a lively church, but I say you are Dead.
So If you're living a stagnant Question Life Well Don't expect the Lord to answer your prayers. You have no biblical guarantee that it will.
Now God in His mercy may do so anyway, from time to time. But is that the kind of prayer life you want? Jesus is giving us the secret. Abide near him by again Prayer talking to him. Loving him.
Worship, singing unto him.
Songs of praise. Exuberant songs. and then singing songs of worship. quiet, sweet worship. to him.
As you're doing that, you are abiding in Him, close to Him, and then going through the day and just simply giving thanks, which is the theme of these studies. And then he adds to that, and my words abide in you. If you're abiding in him, and if you're in abide in above, His word is abiding in you. If the word of God is in your mind, it's before your eyes. And I would suggest That you keep the Word of God.
Visible in your house.
Now, of course, today we don't have to wear phylacteris. God ordered that in the Old Testament. But today Maybe it's Excellent to have the Word of God. framed in various parts of your house. meaningful text, particularly meaningful text, to have uh a list of scriptures over the sink where you wash your dishes.
or in your office where you can turn to them and see them. at a glance. and be refreshed with the Sweet word of God. This is what it means to abide in the word. And then when you have conversations with other Christians, don't just talk about sports or politics or social issues.
No, don't do that. Talk about the Word of God. And when you talk the word of God with other people, let me tell you what happens. Jesus draws near. Oh, yes.
Just as he did on the Amass Road long ago. Even though the two at that time were talking about Jesus in unbelief and disappointment and offense. They were still talking about him and the things that happened to him. When you're with your Christian friends, do you turn the conversation? to Christ and the Word of God.
A wonderful way of abiding in Him and helping others abide in Him because when you engage them in conversation about the scripture or scriptural truths, and patterns and ways and principles, You're causing them to stop. and to think about the Word of God. That is abiding in the word and that is honouring The living word. And when you do that, my friend, this is what's going to happen: you shall ask what you will. And it shall be done unto you.
Jesus is saying, Look, if you'll honor me, I'll honor you. If you defer to me and do as I prefer, that is, abiding in me and abiding in my word, I'm going to defer to you. I'm going to say, friend, what do you want me to do for you? As he did. To blind Bartimaeus.
And then Bartimaeus spoke up and said, Jesus, it is my eyes. That's the problem.
So if your prayer life is unfruitful, If you're praying very much been receiving very little answers. This may be the problem. you're not abiding.
Now Jesus goes on to say this. Herein Is my Father glorified? That is, in this lifestyle of abiding close to Jesus and Living immersed in His Word, abiding, remaining in close touch with Jesus through the Word of God and through prayer, and I will add praying in the Spirit. Herein, in this lifestyle, is my father. Glorified.
You know, many Christians are disappointed because they don't have a call to the Fivefold Ministry or to be a missionary.
Well That doesn't mean you're useless. That doesn't mean you can't glorify God. This text is telling us the most important way to glorify God. Stay close to Him. Stay full of His word.
And you're going to glorify him. And he, in his love and faithfulness to the principles of his word, which you see derive from his very nature. He will say, my friend, What do you want me to do, and would you Let this be known, I tell you, angels will be dispatched from the presence of God and bring that very answer from the Third Heaven Into your actual life. And you will be rejoicing that you took Jesus' advice in John 15 and started abiding close to Him and abiding deep in the rich field of the Word of God which we call the Bible. This sixty six book Wonder of a Library.
So this is a great secret when we learn to abide in Him, and it radically changes our prayer life and in that process, or as the KJV text says, herein. The Father is glorified. You, my friend, this moment You can glorify God right now, whether you're hearing this in the morning, noon, afternoon, or late at night. Or early in the morning, you and glorify God by offering Him thanks. and by abiding in the Word of God.
And you can have the absolute Assurance that He will answer your prayer and that you are glorifying Him.
Now, As you do this, As you abide in Him and remain close to Jesus, You will also bear wonderful fruit of the Spirit.
Now we'll turn to Galatians 5 and See what this says. Galatians 5, 22. And We'll just read a few verses here. I think they all have a bearing on this subject. But the fruit of the Spirit is love.
Enjoyed. Peace. Long suffering, that is endurance. gentleness Goodness. Faith.
Meet this TEMPERANCE Against such? There is no law, or to paraphrase that, there's no need of law to those. Who are living so close to Christ that the fruit of the Spirit is manifesting in their lives on a daily basis? This is such an important fact. Yeah.
The fruit of the Spirit is simply another way of describing Christ-likeness. Jesus was the man who was consummately filled. with the Holy Spirit. And everything about his life exuded The presence, the ministry, the power, the flow of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had love like no other.
He could and did love any one. He cared for them. He was interested in them, and it was genuine. And, my friend, that's what Christ wants to manifest through you. Yes, you.
You're listening to me now. And so he's speaking, I believe, through me, by his spirit, and saying, he wants you to walk in love. That love is described in 1 Corinthians 13. It is an awesome love, it is a powerful love. It is a love that cannot be embittered.
Because it is enthralled. With this love relationship with Jesus. And then there's joy. You know, the joy of the Lord cannot be pumped up. It just flows.
It's an inner gladness that is impervious to outward adversity because you're giving thanks in all things. And then there's peace. The peace of God which passes all understanding, as Paul described in Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. That peace is a powerful thing. An inner tranquility that simply cannot be disturbed.
by the events of life And by satanic interference, demonic interference. interference from those who are determined to stumble you in your walk or in your work. Oh, that piece is a powerful thing. I wouldn't trade. all the gold on planet earth plus the platinum too.
for the peace of God in my soul. I consider it my richest possession. and then long suffering. Friend, do you I know you have the capacity, do you have the willingness to Persevere. To, if necessary, wait long for your answer from the Lord.
You may be thinking, you know, Lord, I've waited so long.
Well, go talk to Moses. He waited 40 years for the fulfillment of the vision of God. Go talk to Paul. He waited about ten years before the revival among the Gentiles. The awakening began, and he thus began his ministry.
Go talk to David. He was running in the wilderness. hounded and chased. by King Saul and his cracked troops, who tried to kill him day and night. About a I I would say about a decade.
before the Word of God was fulfilled in his life. And then there's gentleness, the ability to react kindly and treat people gently when others would become angry and rough. And then goodness, the intention only to do good and never to do harm. constant benevolence, no. Uh malevolence.
and in faith, the ability to believe God against all odds. Believing because He has promised, because He has spoken, you don't have to see, feel, or touch to believe. And the nurse meekness. Meekness couldn't take in the front and not become offended. And then temperance.
Temperance. Self-control. That is perhaps the greatest fruit of the Spirit. And again, he says, against such there is no law. If you and I walk in.
These fruit which are, again, a description of Christ's likeness. then we are bearing fruit In the way he wants us to bear it. Remember, this is a general fruit-bearing that every Christian can and should. Bear and he comes. from remaining in close touch with the Lord.
This is how it's done. Your life works. To which you were foreordained before the world was, as Ephesians tells us in chapter 1 and chapter 2. Those works are additional. They're over and above this.
Fruit of the Spirit.
So in the believer's life, God would have you bear the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of your particular Call it.
So be about that my friend and the way to do it Is to in everything give thanks and to abide or remain close to Jesus constantly. We are so thankful you've been with us today and we hope the broadcast has been a blessing. In our next episode, we will discuss what it is that helps us adjust quickly to the adversities of life. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app.
May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Mm-hmm.
