Another Sermon for the Starving Bible Believing Christians All Over the World Wide Web
2005 - Touchet Baptist Church, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2005
Learning the way of God more perfectly - Acts 18:26 with the Scriptures Rightly Divided - II Timothy 2:15

"I AM's" are "STILL IS's"
Part IV
The "I Am's" that Jesus Christ says He is in the Gospel of John
To have a life WITH Christ, one must KNOW Christ personally, not just know about Him!
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Rightly Dividing the word of truth will lead you to the real Christ

The True Vine!
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
John 15:1
John 15:1-6
1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (either taken away or purged - it seems difficult at times, eh!)
3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. (John 14) As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (These are good verses for dads and their teens, too!)
5: I am the vine, ye (the Jews) are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ("faggots" are sticks gathered for burning...)

God is the Husbandman
    His Increase
1Cor:3:7: So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
    His Call
Jn:6:65: And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
    His will
John 6:39,40
    His people
John 17 - read entire chapter to see How much He gives glory to God the Father!


Now, to us, as Gentiles!  The Greater Commission!
Romans 11:16-24
16:  For if the firstfruit be holy (Jews), the lump is also holy: and if the root (Jesus - the vine) be holy, so are the branches.
17: And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18: Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19: Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. (Don't even begin to think they did it for us!!!)
20: Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  (that is the real reason!)
21: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22: Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23: And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24: For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?  (A saved Jew today?)

Two mysteries involved here:
    I.  Israel's Blindness
Romans 11:25
25:  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

    II.  Joint-Heirs, Joint-body; joine partaker for us with the Jews
Ephesians 3:1-7
1: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2: If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4: Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5: Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

    Joint-body
Ephesians 2:14-18
14: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18: For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

I Corinthians 12:12,13
12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.


Or you can remain part of the vine of the earth!
Revelation 14:18-20
18:  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20: And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

See Deuteronomy 32:31-34
31: For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
32: For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
33: Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
34: Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
35: To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

for details of the winepressing... see Isaiah 63:1-6
1: Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?  this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?  I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2: Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3: I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4: For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5: And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6: And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Jeremiah 25:30-34
30:  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31: A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
32: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33: And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
34: Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

Relevation 19:13-15
13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.


Take Your Pick...

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The True Vine of Jesus Christ
Galatians 3:26

or stay as you are...
The False Vine of the Earth
He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18