Trees are meant to grow, produce and branch out. But in order to do so they must be well rooted. A tree that bears no fruit defeats its purpose. In the same way as followers of Christ we must be rooted in Him to produce good fruits and ultimately branch out these good fruits to those around us. We can’t just look “Christian,” we must actually live out what His word says. And to do so, we must abide in Him, who is the vine. If our faith isn’t challenged by the values of the world, our works can become dead. Ultimately, the challenges we face allow us to connect to the source of all that is good.

Fruit without God is empty

1. Rotting away from the Vine

Jesus makes it clear that those who are not united in Him resemble a branch that has been removed from the root. Drawing our lives to Christ and building a relationship with Him is the same way a branch draws its life from the root of its vineyard and becomes fruitful.

2. Rooted in the Vine

As Jesus gave His correction to the church of Sardis, He reminded them to remember and keep what they had already heard. Jesus’ instructions are simple yet powerful. Sometimes we don't need a new word, but rather a renewed conviction to obey the word we’ve already received. Today, He calls us to remember the Gospel and action out our love for God and others.

The church of Sardis is an example of what can happen when we're not rooted in Christ. We can easily drift from what we are called to do and be deceived by our circumstances. Jesus warns us that he can remove His protection and provision if we're not careful. We must be proactive as followers of Jesus by continually building His church and developing the fruit of the spirit. It is a lifetime process to be obedient to God. His blessings for us must be guarded and protected until the day we get to spend eternity with our Lord and savior.