Message Two The Universal Spreading of Christ as the True Vine—the Organism of the Triune God in the Economy of God

Scripture Reading: John 15:1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 12, 16-17

1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes it away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it that it may bear more fruit. 4 Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. 7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 In this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so you will become My disciples. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you. 17 These things I command you that you may love one another.

I. The organic increase and universal spreading of the church is the multiplication of Christ in the fruit-bearing of the branches of Christ, the true vine in the universe, as the organism of the Triune God in the economy of God—John 15:1-2, 4-5, 8, 16 (see scripture reading).

II. As the true vine, Christ is the center of God’s operation in the universe—v. 1; Col. 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation, 16 Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him. 17 And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him; 18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things; 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, 3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory. 3:11 Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.

A. The entire universe is a vineyard, and centered in this vineyard is the true vine, which is Christ the Son; everything that God the Father is and has is for this center, is embodied in this center, and is expressed through this center—John 15:1; 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all into His hand. 16:15 All that the Father has is Mine; for this reason I have said that He receives of Mine and will declare it to you. 17:10 And all that is Mine is Yours, and Yours Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

B. The true vine—the center of God’s operation in the universe—is for the propagation and multiplication of life—15:5, 8, 16 (see scripture reading):

1. To propagate life is to spread life widely, and to multiply life is to reproduce life—10:10 The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly. 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.

2. This propagation and multiplication of life is to express life for the glorification of the Father—v. 8 In this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so you will become My disciples.

C. The vine and the branches are an organism to glorify the Father, to have the intent, the content, the inner life, and the inner riches released and expressed from within—vv. 1, 4-5, 8:

1. In verse 8 the word glorified means to have the intent, the content, the inner life, and the inner riches released and expressed.

2. When the life of the vine is expressed through the branches in its propagation and multiplication, the Father is glorified, because what the Father is in the riches of His life is expressed in the propagation and multiplication of the vine; this is the glorification of the Father—vv. 4-5, 8.

D. As the organism of the Triune God in the economy of God, the true vine is for the multiplication and spread of the processed and consummated Triune God in millions of His chosen ones—17:20 And I do not ask concerning these only, but concerning those also who believe into Me through their word, 21 That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. 2:47 Praising God and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved. 5:14 And believers were all the more being added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 6:7 And the word of God grew, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly; and a large number of the priests obeyed the faith. 9:31 So then the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it was multiplied. 16:5 And so the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

III. We need to be brought into a full realization of the fact that we all are branches of the universal vine—John 15:2, 4-5:

A. We have become branches of the vine, members of Christ, by the branching out of the vine; when we believed in the Lord Jesus, He branched into us—3:15 That every one who believes into Him may have eternal life.

B. For us to be a branch means that Christ has become our life—Col. 3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.

C. Christ as the vine does everything through His believers as the branches; without Him we can do nothing, and without us He can do nothing; we need Him, and He needs us—John 15:4-5.

D. As branches of the vine, we need to abide in the vine—v. 4:

1. What we are, what we have, and what we do must be in the Lord and by the Lord in us—Phil. 4:13 I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me. 2 Tim. 2:1 You therefore, my child, be empowered in the grace which is in Christ Jesus;

2. If we would abide in the vine, we must first see the fact that we are branches in the vine, and then we need to maintain the fellowship between us and the Lord—John 15:2; 1 Cor. 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin. 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.

E. Our destiny as branches of the universal vine is to bear fruit for the glorification of the Father; this God-appointed destiny is fulfilled by the practice of the God-ordained way to carry out God’s New Testament economy—John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and I set you that you should go forth and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.

IV. When we abide in Christ as the universal vine, we have the church life—vv. 12, 16-17; 1 Cor. 1:2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours: 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 12:27 Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.

A. The branches are one with the vine and with one another—John 17:11 And I am no longer in the world; yet they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given to Me, that they may be one even as We are. 17:21 That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  22 And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one; 23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

B. The church life, the Body, is a life of loving one another; we need to love one another in the life of Christ, in the love of Christ, and in the commission of Christ—15:12, 16-17.

C. When we abide in Christ, we participate in the wonderful fellowship among the co-branches—vv. 4-5; 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write that our joy may be made full. 5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth; 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.

1. The inner life of all the branches is one, and this life should continually circulate through all the branches—vv. 2(And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us); 3 That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

2. The church life is the fellowship, the communion, the co-participation, the mutual enjoyment of Christ—1 Cor. 1:2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours: 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 12:27 Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.

3. All the local churches should remain in this unique fellowship—the fellowship of the Body—Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. 1 Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we report also to you that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4. Because we are in this one flow, we cannot be separated by space; no matter where we may be, we are all in the one fellowship—1 Cor. 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

V. For the universal spreading of Christ as the true vine, we need to have effective prayers for fruit-bearing—John 15:7, 16:

A. Prayer is man cooperating and co-working with God, allowing God to express Himself through man and thus accomplish His purpose—Rom. 8:26 Moreover, in like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God. James 5:17 Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

1. A praying one will cooperate with God, work together with God, and allow God to express Himself and His desire from within him and through him.

2. Real prayers cause our being to be wholly mingled with God, causing us to become a person of two parties—God mingled with man—1 Cor. 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

B. We need to pray in the Lord’s name as the issue of our abiding in the Lord and of His words abiding in us—John 15:7, 16:

1. When we abide in the Lord and let His words abide in us, we actually are one with Him, and He works within us, and there will be a desire in us that comes out of His words, and His desire will become our desire—v. 7:

a. When we ask in prayer for what we will, it is not only we who are praying, for He is praying in our praying.

b. The Lord will answer this kind of prayer, because it issues from our abiding in the Lord and from His words abiding in us.

2. To ask in the Lord’s name requires us to abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us so that we may actually be one with Him—v. 16:

a. When we ask, He asks in our asking.

b. This kind of asking is related to fruit-bearing and will surely be answered by the Father—vv. 7, 16.