Title: Faithful pruning (John 15:1-5)
Contents
This is the last trimming season in the orchard. In fact, the pruning now would be a bit late. The spring season has also passed. Already hasty trees are sprouting new shoots. In fact, the content that provides the basics of today's sermon is a column titled "Pruning" that I wrote a few weeks ago in an Internet site Daum column in Song Ki-hyun's housekeeping movement. Orchard farmers prune in winter or early spring when leaves have fallen off and branches are clearly visible. Pruning is laborious and difficult for the farmer, and for the tree it may be painful for a while, but it is necessary. Pruning is the selection and pruning of dead, dead, diseased, or unnecessarily overgrown branches. These branches are a hindrance to forming a good tree shape and bearing good fruit. So, you have to cut it out boldly.
If you have garden trees or fruit trees planted in your home, prune them steadily. If you leave unnecessary branches because it is a waste, it will only cause obstacles to the tree, but will not do anything good.
If you don't prune, the nutrients that need to be used for the growth of the tree and go to the fruit go to other unnecessary branches. And later, on a hot summer day, unnecessary branches and lush leaves block the wind and block the light, causing pests and diseases, sometimes killing the branches. And sometimes the wind can't handle it and they fall over. And depending on the tree, the shape of the tree is significantly related to its fruit, but if it is not pruned, it adversely affects the ability to produce abundant fruit. Another is that you have to give the tree a proper weight distribution. Therefore, in order to control the size and shape of a tree and increase its aesthetic value, as well as to maintain a healthy state to prolong its lifespan, and to obtain high-quality fruit and abundant fruit, pruning is an unavoidable measure that a good orchardist should do to a tree. Keeping it is a must-have.
Our soul is like a living tree. And it is a spiritual tree that should bear abundant fruit. We are trees of faith. But pride is just an unnecessary branch for making a good tree and bearing good fruit. The branch of gloomy heart, the branch of fear, the branch of fear is like a stinging force. Jealousy, resentment, and impatience are just unnecessary branches for making a good tree and bearing good fruit. Rather, they only take away nutrients. These branches only create shade and darkness. Therefore, it causes pests and diseases, kills vision, eats away dreams, loses confidence, and shortens lifespan. Therefore, I must be able to faithfully prune my thoughts, habits, and actions that only take away nutrition and prevent me from bearing good fruit.
Genghis Khan said, "The enemy is not outside, it is within me. I have removed everything that bothers me. The moment I overcame myself, I became Genghis Khan." He was to himself the best gardener and the wisest gardener.
When Jacob had previously fled from his brother, Jacob had made a vow to God in Bethel (28:20-22). 'God is with me, and will watch over me on this journey I am going, give me food and clothing, and I will Let me return safely to my father's house, and the Lord will be my God, and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will become God's house, and I will give one tenth of all that God has given me.'
Jacob, who had made a vow like this, was protected by God, but he stayed in Shechem and did not go up to Bethel. At Shechem, Jacob's family met with an inescapable tribulation. This was the reason for the tribulation. They did not go to the place promised by God, but lived in the midst of the world.
God said to Jacob again, "Go up to Bethel" during the tribulation. So Jacob commands that all foreign gods be thrown away in order to purify his household (35:2-12). Rachel was serving the household guardian deity 'Teraphim', which she stole from her mother's house.
Also, the people of Shechem were instructed to wash their bodies cleanly, meaning that they would wash away all things that were defiled and worldly. They are also asked to change clothes, as Dina's eccentric clothes most likely caused the crime. Under Mount Sinai, Israel also washed their clothes and waited three days. Clothing represents the right conduct of the saints. Therefore, we must wash the clothes of the character defiled by sin in the blood.
And they buried the foreign gods and their earrings under the oak tree near Shechem. In this way, the saints must make a decision to regard what they cherished before now as excrement. However, no one pursued Jacob and his companions, who had been strengthened in their faith. When we do not have faith, we are openly fearful, anxious, and weak. When your faith grows stronger, you become bolder and those around you become afraid of him.
?쏪acob then said to his household and all who were with him, ?쏱ut away foreign gods among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.??
After this sermon, the gathered members began to throw various objects into the pit. Among the things they threw into the pit was a watch. This was a promise and a determination that the church members who were negligent in worship would not do so in the future, paying attention to how much worship was left at each service. Continue to CD. DVDs, obscene novels and magazines, TV sets, women in short skirts and trousers and costumes, men in packs of cigarettes, and the bottle pit was quickly piled up with items.
"These people surrounding this pit are not scoundrels, they are not insane or fanatics, they are just ordinary church members who have given up on their idols that stand in the way of their faith.
Jacob and his family went up to Bethel, built an altar, and called it El Bethel. At this time, the Lord appeared and blessed him. Lord, your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. I am the Almighty God. You will be fruitful and multiply. Kings of many nations will come out of you. I will give to you and to your descendants the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac.??
What happened when Jacob failed to faithfully prune? I smelt the smell of death. brought tribulation. But with faithful pruning, the smell of death was gone. The tribulation went away. And the blessing came.
What kind of gardeners and gardeners are we now? What kind of orchardkeepers, what gardeners are we taking for our inner garden and orchard? Are you faithfully pruning with meekness and patience? Do you miss pruning by greed and obsession, or by laziness and indolence, through indifference and ignorance? A new spring is coming soon. Pruning should be done before sprouts appear. So this year, I pray that all the saints who bear abundant fruit will become.