In our daily meditations over the last couple of days, we have discussed how believers constitute the Body of Christ in this world. This kind of organic unity with Christ, spoken of by Jesus, indicates that He is the Vine and believers are the branches. The fruit from this organic union with Him will draw many into the Kingdom of God. The branches cannot bear fruit unless they remain attached to the vine (John 15). We are exploring an intimate love relationship with the God who created us. People today are yearning for a genuine relationship with God.
I remember a story that John Wimber, the founder and church planter of the Vineyard Movement of churches, shared during an event where he was the main speaker. Before John became involved with the Vineyard group of churches, he worked for Fuller Theological Seminary and taught extensively on church growth. John was taking the time to introduce his topic when a frustrated pastor and delegate stood up and stated that he already knew what John was saying, but when would he receive some advice on how to grow his church? John patiently told him that he would have all his questions answered shortly. A little later, the man grew impatient again, hoping to learn a new method that would catapult his church into greater numerical growth. Standing up in the crowd, he said, "Yes, I know all that, but when are you going to help me grow my church?" John just looked at him, and at that moment, the Spirit of God gave him a wise, intuitive answer. He asked the man a loaded question: "Okay, how many more like you do you want?" The man fell back into his seat and exclaimed, "I don't want any more like me! I want them to be like Jesus!"
The truth that John Wimber stated is that followers often go where their leader goes. If we want our group or church to embody biblical truths, the people must first see those truths in their leaders! If we're going to grow spiritually, we must follow the Maker's instructions. True life and reproduction can only come from an intimate union with the True Vine. Think of it: all life in nature is born out of intimacy. Why would it be any different for the Church's growth, the Body of Christ, as a living organism? Many leaders have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the road to growing the church. These failures are particularly evident in the Western Church today. Pastors desire to make our churches comfortable for non-believers. The goal is to draw the lost to hear the Gospel by removing roadblocks and creating a "seeker-sensitive" or relaxing environment.
This movement of roadblocks is an idea close to God's heart since He sought to remove the religious obstacles obscuring the image of the Father’s heart from the people of His day. The Lord often challenged the Pharisees and taught people through simple stories they could understand. Unfortunately, in many churches today, we have focused on a performance-oriented approach, placing greater emphasis on professional presentation and less on the One we are presenting. Speaking the Word of God is powerful. In contrast, our performance can often seem based on human effort. We must connect to the divine source—Jesus—in an intimate relationship. When we connect people to Christ through His Word, He can transform lives. Do you believe this? We cannot afford to forget or set aside the Lord as the One living in His people. People want the "real deal," the true Living Bread that alone can satisfy. Keith Thomas
Taken from: The Gospel of John series. The study is 30. Jesus, the True Vine