Christian Horticulture

Christian Horticulture!

Sermon Notes

June 8, 2008

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

9248 E. Riggs Road 85248

(480) 895-8766

John 15:1-17 NRSV

¹“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

A. Introduction

1. Julie and the beanstalk!

a. When my daughter Julie was in the first grade her class planted bean seeds in cups. At Open House she proudly showed me her plant. It was the biggest and greenest beanstalk of them all! Next to her was a cup with a dead brown plant. I asked Julie, “What happened to that kid’s plant?” She replied, “Billy didn’t water his plant.” So I asked, “Why is your plant so big?” “Oh, daddy!” she said, “If you water it, give it sun and plant food, it gets big.”

b. Julie learned a valuable lesson from her school project of growing a plant. She learned about consequences. If you do good things for your plant, it brings good results!

2. The Bible and horticulture

a. The Bible is filled with illustrations from the farm and field. Many of these horticultural illustrations make promises to us: “You reap what you sow.” (Galatians 6:7) The lilies of the field teach us to trust that God will take care of you. (Matthew 6:28-30) And the Parable of the Sower tells us that where the seeds fall determines what will happen. (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20 & Luke 8:4-15) The same is true for people.

b. This morning I share two lesser-known “farm theology” promises, and a truth from today’s Scripture about bearing “good fruit”.

B. To produce joy, cultivate forgiveness!

1. Bill Cosby

a. Bill Cosby tells some humorous stories about his childhood. One winter day Bill decided to sneak up on his friend “Weird Harold” and hit him with a snowball. And just as he was about to throw the snowball he got hit in the side of the head with a slush ball. He turned and there was Jr. Barnes laughing. “Hey, man!” Bill said, “Why’d you hit me in the face with a slush ball?” Every kid knew that slush balls were against the rules. You weren’t supposed to mix ice and gravel with a snowball. Now the slush ball was running down his shirt and melting in his underwear. “Ha, ha, ha!” Jr. Barnes laughed, “You’re so funny!” “It was then,” Bill Cosby said, “I knew that I wanted revenge!” Bill made the nastiest slush ball ever to clobber Jr. Barnes. And then he waited for Jr. Barnes. Finally on July 12^th the kid showed up. It was a good thing he had put the slush ball in the freezer. Bill went out of his way to make Jr. Barnes think that they were buddies. He invited Jr. Barnes to sit on his front porch and eat a popcycle. “I’ll go get another one,” he told Jr. Then he opened up the freezer to get his slush ball. It wasn’t there! His mother had thrown it out months ago. “So,” Bill said, “I ran outside and spit on Jr. Barnes!”

b. Bill Cosby makes you laugh when he tells this story. However, you realize something else. Revenge was not sweet. Bill was a miserable kid for six months. Whenever we harbor anger and hatred we end up robbing our own life of joy and contentment.

2. Billfold and the piece of string

a. Author Guy de Maupassant in his short story “The Piece of String” tells the tale of a man wrongly accused. Maitre Hauchecorne was walking through his town’s busy marketplace when he sees a piece of string on the ground. Thinking he might have a use for it, he bends down and picks it up. A few days later Hauchecorne is arrested for stealing a man’s wallet. The police tell him they have a witness, who saw him pick up the wallet. The witness is the harness-maker, a man with whom Hauchecorne once quarreled.

b. Hauchecorne protests his innocence. He tries to explain what actually happened. It is to no avail. The evidence is too much against him. No one seems to believe him. Finally before the case goes to trial the lost wallet is returned. An illiterate farm hand says he found the wallet and took it home to ask his master to tell him what to do. Maitre Hauchecorne is released. He tries to explain things to the townspeople, but still no one believes him. The horse dealer puts it this way: “There’s one who finds it and there’s another who returns it. And no one the wiser.” They still think Hauchecorne stole the billfold, and then when caught had an accomplice return it. Now Hauchecorne is really filled with anger. He will not forgive the harness-maker. He will not forgive the towns people. He lets this event ruin his life. Every day he would brood over what had happened. He ended up neglecting his work, his family, and himself. He became obsessed going from person to person telling them how he had been wronged. Telling them how those who had wronged him had not made it right. “And all,” he moaned, “over a little piece of string.” He died of a broken heart.

c. Hang on to anger and hatred, refuse to forgive, and the result will be to rob your own life of happiness. On the other hand, if you cultivate forgiveness, you find your heart released from a heavy burden. If you empty your soul of animosity, there is room for joy! Cultivate forgiveness in your life and you find happiness.

C. To produce peace, cultivate trust!

1. Dog Diplomacy!

a. A politician once said, “Diplomacy is the art of saying, ‘Nice Doggie’, until you find a rock.”

b. Our world does not have a lot of peace or enough justice. It is because we do not trust each other. Or perhaps more properly put: It is because past and present experience has shown us that certain people and certain nations are not trustworthy. The world will not have a lasting peace without nations acting responsively. Nor will you and I find peace in our Church or homes without family members being honest and faithful in word and deed.

2. Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football

a. Every American knows the story of Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football! In one episode of the comic strip this was the dialogue: Lucy says, “Why don’t you let me hold the ball for you Charlie Brown?” Charlie Brown responds, “DO YOU THINK I’M CRAZY? Do you think you can fool me with the same trick every year?” Lucy says, “Oh, I won’t pull the ball away. Charlie Brown, I promise you. I give you my bonded word!” Charlie Brown looks at Lucy and her sincere expression. He says, “All right. I’ll trust you. I have an undying faith in human nature!” Charlie Brown trots a ways off and turns and runs like the wind toward the football. As he approaches he states, “I believe that people who want to change can do so. And I believe that they should be given the chance to prove themselves.” Charlie kicks at the ball and, of course, Lucy pulls it away. Charlie Brown screams, “Aaugh!!!” He then crashes to the ground with a “wump”! Lucy smiles and says, “Charlie Brown, your faith in human nature is an inspiration to all young people.”

b. In the Peanuts comic strip there was never peace and harmony between Charlie Brown and Lucy. Lucy deceived and lied to Charlie Brown. She would say one thing and do another. If you want peace in your home, your work place, or your Church, it begins with you being a person of honesty and integrity. If you want peace, cultivate trust. And that means you be trustworthy!

D. You are not called to produce the good fruit; you are called to dwell in Jesus!

1. Buttermilk

a. Don was a recovering alcoholic. He had given his life to Christ. He regularly attended AA meetings. He had been sober for about a year. But then one month Don was under a lot of stress. As he walked down the sidewalk he approached a tavern. He was tempted to get an alcoholic drink. A voice inside seemed to say, “Go on, one little drink wouldn’t hurt.” Another voice told him, “Don’t go in, you know what will happen.” A taxi cab driver pounded his horn and Don looked up. There across the street was a café. A sign read: “Buttermilk, all you can drink 25 cents.” Don ran over to the café and ordered glass after glass of buttermilk until he was so full that he craved for nothing else!

b. The lesson is this: If you want to be victorious over evil, then you have to fill yourself with something that is bigger, holier and stronger. We must “remain in the Vine” which means to be filled with Christ’s Spirit. That is the only way to resist evil and to live a life that produces good fruit.

2. The Dove Man!

a. There was a guide who lived in North Africa, who was said to never lose his way. Explorers and scientists could always count on him leading them safely through or across the Sahara Desert. This guide always carried with him several homing pigeons. When in doubt as to which path to take, he would release one of his birds. It would circle and then make a beeline for home! This gave the guide the bearings he needed and assured that he could find the way back home. People called him the “Dove Man.”

b. You and I on our own will mess up this thing called life. On our own we will choose the wrong path. On our own we will not live a life of loving-kindness. Victory in living comes from giving one’s heart to Jesus. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NRSV) Great living comes from placing Jesus at the center of our hearts and letting Him be our guide.

E. Conclusion

1. King’s Banquet

a. Jesus told a Parable about a King’s Banquet. (Matthew 22:1-14 & Luke 14:15-24) The King was inviting folks to attend his son’s wedding feast. The King wanted to share his blessings with the people of his country. He sent his own personal servants out to give each person a special invitation. But a whole bunch of them made excuses and others made light of the invitation. And believe it or not, despite what was promised, many people didn’t show up! And they lost out on all the gifts and benefits that the King bestowed.

b. Today God has made you some promises. They are yours if you accept the invitation and receive them in faith.

2. Recap

a. To produce joy, cultivate forgiveness!

b. To produce peace, cultivate trust!

c. You are not called to produce the good fruit; you are called to dwell in Jesus!

John 15:1-17 NRSV

Christian Horticulture!

1. To produce joy, cultivate forgiveness!

2. To produce peace, cultivate trust!

3. You are not called to produce the good fruit; you are called to dwell in Jesus!