Worship Helps for Easter 5
I am the Vine
Eastern Orthodox
Worship Theme: Through faith, we are connected to Christ
as a branch is connected to a grape vine. The result of being connected to
Jesus is that we will now bear fruit. The fruit of a Christian is a life of
love. Out of thanks for God’s love, we now seek to love our fellow man by
sharing God’s message of love with him. As believers we seek to show love not
only in what we say, but also in what we do.
First Lesson: Acts
16:11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and
the next day on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi ,
a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we
stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the
city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat
down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One
of those listening was a woman named Lydia ,
a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira ,
who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's
message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized,
she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the
Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded
us.
1. Paul and Silas met a group of women in Philippi .
What made Lydia
notable?
2. No one can decide to ask Jesus into his or her heart.
What is the only way someone becomes a believer in the Risen Savior today?
Second Lesson: 1 John 3:18 Dear children,
let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19
This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts
at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God
is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear
friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22
and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what
pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of
his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24
Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we
know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
3. What aspect of love does John emphasize in verse 18?
4. At times we can begin to doubt whether or not we have
true faith and are saved. According to verses 18-20, what evidence of faith can
put our hearts at ease?
5. What is the relationship between our faith in Jesus and
our love for one another?
Gospel: John 15:1 "I am the true
vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 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. 3 You are already clean because
of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will 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. 5 "I am the vine;
you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain
in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are
picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me
and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples.
6. By being connected to Christ through faith, we are
saved and produce fruit. How do we stay connected to Christ?
7. Evaluate the following statement. “It is important that
a Christian produce fruits of love.”
Answers:
1. Lydia
was well-to-do. The Lord opened her heart, and she asked to be baptized, along
with the rest of her household. She then asked Paul and Silas to stay with her.
2. When people come to faith today, like Lydia ,
the gospel must first come to them in some way. Then the Lord must open their
hearts to pay attention to it and believe it.
3. In verse 18, John emphasizes that love is more than
words. It is very easy to say, “I love you,” but John encourages us to show
that love in everything we do.
4. A desire to serve God and show love to others is
evidence of the faith that God has given us.
5. Our love for others is a result of faith. Through faith
we receive forgiveness, life and salvation. Out of thanks for God’s great love,
our faith now wants to live a life of love and service to others.
6. If faith is what binds us to Christ, then the Means of
Grace (the Gospel in Word and Sacraments) are what keep us connected to him.
Through the Means of Grace, we are united with Christ and are able to produce
fruit. If we do not make frequent use of the Means of Grace we become weak, do
not produce much fruit and are in danger of separating ourselves from Christ.
7. We receive heaven as a gift of God’s grace through
faith. Fruits of love are not necessary for salvation. That being said,
however, faith will always produce fruit. The stronger the faith the more fruit
it produces. God wants us to produce many fruits of love and commands us to do
so. So even though fruits of love are not necessary for salvation, they are
still very important. They are still necessary.
Throughout Scripture we can find vividly illustrated
messages from God. The illustration from today’s gospel reading was easily
understood at the time it was written, and remains clear for us today. Christ
is the “true vine,” the perfect vine, to which the branches—some fruitful and
some not—are attached. Those of us who follow him, who remain attached to the
true vine, are blessed with his promise: “If you remain in me and my words
remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” Then we
will truly be his disciples and, as his stewards, “bear much fruit.” With the
temptations of this world, remaining attached can sometimes be difficult. The
more we experience the nurturing care and love of the gardener, our Father in
heaven, however, the more we become willing managers of the resources God gives.
We should listen to God’s revealed will. For He has made “known to us the mystery of
His will” (Ephesians 1:9) and made it clear through Christ so that it might be
preached.
This is revealed to us in the way Paul says “those whom He
predestined [elected and foreordained] He also called” (Romans 8:30 ). God does not call without means, but
through the Word. For He has commanded
“that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name”
[Luke 24:47]. St.
Paul also testifies in a similar way when he writes,
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through
us. We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20 ). The King calls the guests that He wants to
have at His Son’s wedding through the ministers He sends out (Matthew
22:2–14). He sends some at the first and
some at the second, third, sixth, ninth, and even at the eleventh hour.
If we want to think about our eternal election to
salvation helpfully, we must hold strongly and firmly to this truth: just as
the preaching of repentance is universal, so also the promise of the Gospel is
universal, that is, it belongs to all people.
For this reason Christ has given these commands:
Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in
His name to all nations. (Luke 24:47) – Formula of Concord ,
Solid Declaration, Article XI, God’s Eternal Election (paragraphs 26-28)
Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed his blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am his and he is mine!
Oh, the height of Jesus' love,
Higher than the heav'ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity,
Love that found me -- wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought him not.
Only Jesus can impart
Comfort to a wounded heart:
Peace that flows from sin forgiv'n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav'n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me.
All my wants to him are known;
All my sorrows are his own.
Safe with him in earthly strife,
I await the heav'nly life.
Strengthen me, O gracious Lord,
By your Spirit and your word.
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
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