Rev. Michael J. Imperiale            

First Presbyterian Church                                        September 18, 2005

Doing Life Together: Growing to Be Like Christ

John 15:1-8

Introduction

When the HCI consultant team interviewed me, the first question they asked was, “Mike, what is your vision for First Presbyterian Church?” I could have quoted from our mission statement: First Presbyterian Church is a mission serving Jesus Christ as a growing and loving family of God, etc.” Or from a vision statement I constructed when I first came to Salt Lake City four years ago: “to invite and gather Christ-seekers and Christ-followers, etc.” But I knew they wanted to know what my own personal vision is for our church. I said, “I see First Presbyterian Church being a large, downtown, evangelical, mainline church ministering in word and deed to the City of Salt Lake.”

I see our church growing in number and influence through mission and ministry to individuals and families, to neighborhoods and businesses, to organizations in the arts, education, politics and society. One hundred years ago, a thousand souls walked from the old church on Second South and Second East to the new church on South Temple. In 1927, several hundred gathered on the front lawn next door (now the LDS Business College) for a panoramic photo of the Sunday school. I want to gather there again within the next few years to get a 2008 photo of a thousand member congregation.

I see First Presbyterian Church growing warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism.

I see our church having a positive presence and reputation for the downtown area. I see our church being known as a “good news” community of faith that knows how to articulate the saving message of Jesus Christ in winsome way that regularly results in new disciples. Always looking outside of ourselves, I see members of our church engaged in other people’s lives through service all the while offering the saving grace, the message of freedom and forgiveness, the personal encounter with our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I see our church offering to people a helpful middle ground on which to fall either from religious abuse or straight jacketed experience or from irreligious, secular lack of meaning in life. Freedom from a legalistic, pressure-to-conform church or freedom from do-as-you-please, self-destructive ways, the Presbyterian Church is meant to be that middle ground of balanced, biblical, “good news” faith and life.

That’s my vision for First Presbyterian Church. What do you think? A heart for the city. We are on our way to fulfilling that vision and still have a way to go. So, how can we turn that vision into reality? Will our life and ministry together result in the fruit that God wants to grow in us?

I. The Branch Cut Off) vs. 1-2, 5-6)

Jesus said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit… Apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

Unfortunately, the mainline denominations in the United States have been consistently losing members each year over the past thirty. The Presbyterian Church has dropped from five million to two and a half million. Although the population growth in Utah among non-LDS people has grown, the churches in our Presbytery have also lost half their membership during these years.

Vineyard and vine are rich images for the people of God, the community of faith. They are rooted in the religious tradition of Jesus’ time. Israel is noted throughout the Old Testament as God’s vineyard or as a special vine. If you went to he great temple in Jerusalem, on the front of the entrance to the Holy Place was a great, ornate, golden vine, a symbol of the presence of God with his chosen people. In Matthew 20, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner” who hires men to work in his vineyard. In Mark 12, he tells another parable of one who planted a vineyard and entrusted it to tenants to care for it. In Luke 13, another story tells of the patience of a vineyard owner. Now in John 15, with this important image, Jesus refers to himself. “I am the true vine.”

There are three ways I can think of that people do not bear fruit and become the

branches that are cut off, wither up, are gathered and thrown into the fire. First, there are those who never profess Christ. They hear about Jesus, they are exposed to the invitations of faith, but they refuse to listen or ignore the importance of the salvation message and living for God. They feel they don’t need or want a Savior. It’s fine with them for the time being to wither and burn.

C.S. Lewis had a colleague at Oxford who laughed at a cartooned epitaph, “Here lies an atheist, all dressed up with no place to go.” Lewis slyly responded, “And I’m sure he wishes now that were true.” People who go through this life rejecting or without Christ will indeed have a place to go.

Secondly, there are those who render lip service to Christ. But profession without practice is fruitless as well. Words without deeds, convenient, cultural Christianity will leave one cut off.

Then there are those who face some difficulty in life or simply desire to do as they wish and drift away from Christ and abandon faith. The branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off, thrown away, become withered and be burned.

II. The Branch Pruned (vs. 1-3)

“I am the true vine,” said Jesus. Jesus is the source of life, nourishment, support, and strength. “And my Father is the gardener.” God knows just how to keep the vineyard healthy and growing. “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean, already pruned because of the word I have spoken to you.”

Guston Borghem was the sculptor who designed and directed the carving of the massive figures that honor Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt on Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Have any of you been there? I’ve only seen pictures of it. When asked how he produced this amazing work, he said, “Those figures have been there for forty million years. All we had to do was dynamite 400,000 tons of granite to bring them into view.” God shapes our lives chipping away, sometimes exploding away those things that must go and replacing them with a life, a character, an attitude that honors him.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.” If you are a believer, a follower of Jesus, you can expect to be pruned to become even more fruitful. As we live by faith in Christ day to day and year to year, the Lord will use trials, tests, difficulties, disappointments, and challenges to prune us, clean us by his word. The Lord cares for his vineyard causing us to grow stronger in our faith and more fruitful in our lives.

III. The Branch Fruitful (vs. 4, 7-8)

“If anyone remains in me and I in you,” said Jesus, “you will bear much fruit.” Winning others to faith and trust in Christ, an active prayer life with the witness of many answered prayers, a joy for living even when troubles strike, and a love for God and love for neighbor are among the fruit that Jesus talks about in just this chapter (John 15).

In doing life together as a church, how many new disciples has the Lord brought to himself through First Presbyterian this past week or month or year? How are you taking advantage of the prayer ministry here at First Pres? Do you use the prayer box we publish each week and rejoice in God’s response to our heart’s desires through prayer? Has the Holy Spirit been growing a new and renewed sense of joy in your life through the worship, fellowship, study and serving you experience here? And are you engaged in a mission or ministry in the name of Christ here in Salt Lake City?

Conclusion

Jesus Christ, God the Son is the vine. God the Father is the gardener who cares for the branches to make them more fruitful. Superficial commitment will lead to being separated from the vine. Unproductive followers, unproductive vineyards are as good as dead. Fruitful branches are pruned back to promote growth. God is not content with the status quo.

I believe that our Lord wants First Presbyterian Church together along with each individual to grow in health and fruit. In two weeks, on October 1st, we will have a prayer time for the whole congregation to renew a vision for our church life together; on November 5th and 6th, the elders will meet to consider ways to implement healthier ways to be a fruitful church; and on November 13th, we will have a congregational meeting to vote on the recommendations that come from prayer and leadership.

This is an exciting time to be a Christian in Salt Lake City. The opportunities for bearing fruit abound. I hope you will join me and Pastor Jim, the Session, the staff and this church in pursuing being healthy, fruitful branches nourished by the vine in God’s vineyard.