October 11, 2026 - It’s Your Move

Scripture Reading — John 15:1–2 (KJV)

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.

Sermon Summary

Taking an Honest Look in the Mirror

Rev. Jeffery Johnson opened with a challenge that landed close to home: we are very good at judging everybody else, but it's much harder to stand in front of the mirror and see our own character defects. When we judge ourselves, we tend to be a whole lot kinder. We don't look as old as people say. Nothing's wrong with our attitude. We're not as short-tempered as folks claim. In his words, we have a tendency to grade ourselves on a curve.

But to get where God wants us to be, we have to pull away everything that distorts the view. That means admitting we're not always as nice, or as loving, as we think we are. And an honest look in the mirror brings us to one more conclusion: none of us is staying here forever.

Jesus Is Preparing a Place for You

Pastor reminded us that John wrote these words as Jesus was preparing to leave His disciples and return to the Father. Just one chapter earlier, in John 14:1–3, Jesus tells them He is going to prepare a place, and He tells them exactly who it's for: you and me.

Rev. Johnson shared that he has been thinking about leaving this world more than usual lately, and about friends who have already gone on. That's why he comes to church on Sunday, why he goes to Bible study and Sunday school, why he reads the Word every day, and why he tells his brothers and sisters that there are other options on the table. Each morning is a gift. This day is enough by itself, so thank God for using you in it.

Don’t Forsake the Assembly

Jesus spoke this teaching to His disciples together, as a group, and Pastor used that to speak plainly about church attendance. Some people say you don't have to go to church to be saved. But if church was good enough for Jesus, it ought to be good enough for us, and the Word tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

He pointed to the saints who sat in these same pews before us, the mothers and fathers of Baker's Chapel who came in wheelchairs and on walkers, who came when they felt good and when they thought they had better things to do, just to testify that God had been good to them. If it was good enough for them, it's good enough for us. And when the pews are empty and no one has called to say they are sick, Pastor said he can only conclude that a choice was made. That's between you and God, but when you stand before Him, it will have been your move.

The Vine, the Vinedresser, and the Branches

In the text, Jesus lays out three roles so there's no confusion. He is the true vine. His Father is the vinedresser, the One who cultivates, builds up, adds on, and cuts away what is dead. And we are the branches. Jesus was encouraging His disciples: as long as you stay connected to Me, wrapped up in Me, you are going to be all right.

But there's a warning in it too. Being in the house of God and not producing anything is a problem. The branch that bears no fruit doesn't get a second word in the text; it is simply taken away. You can't prune something that isn't producing.

Chosen and Prepared For

Pastor's first point: Jesus chose you; you didn't choose Him. He turned to Jeremiah, where God tells the young prophet that before he was formed in his mother's womb, God knew him and called him. Your life was no accident. God knew your future before you took your first breath, and only a good God can do that.

His second point: God not only chose you, He prepared for you. Pastor painted a funny picture of showing up at a friend's house when they knew you were coming, only to find them still in rollers with no food on the table. Our God isn't like that. From the fall of the first Adam, He was already preparing a remedy for sin, and in John 14 Jesus confirms it: He is preparing a place for us.

Choosing to Praise and Counting Your Blessings

Being chosen and prepared for still isn't enough. We have to bear fruit, and Pastor made clear that our response is a choice. Sickness, an empty pocket, no friends, no job: none of it is enough to stop him from shouting, because nothing can separate us from the love of God. When he wakes up, he's already having church. He doesn't celebrate God because of what he has but because of what God has done, sending His only Son to die for our sins.

He reached back to the old saints' advice: count your blessings and name them one by one. Your children are still among the living. You may not have much on your head, but you have a roof over it. When the doctor hands you a long report, read one line: I'm still here. And you don't have to wait for Sunday. You can have church at your bedside, at your desk at work, on the way to the job site, even on the way to the hospital.

It’s Still Your Move

Rev. Johnson closed by challenging Baker's Chapel to make a decision. You have a choice to serve the Lord and to lift Him up. You don't want to be the branch that bears no fruit. Whatever issues are on your table tomorrow, it's still your move to praise Him. If you have no friends in the world, you and Jesus are the majority. If the doctor's report has you thinking about the cemetery, you're still here, and it's still your move. Don't give up on God, because God has not given up on you.

Key Takeaways

•     Be honest with yourself. Stop grading yourself on a curve, and let God show you who you really are.

•     Jesus chose you and is preparing a place for you. Your life is no accident, and God has been preparing for you since the beginning.

•     Stay connected to the Vine. Gathering with God’s people matters, and a branch that bears no fruit is taken away.

•     Count your blessings. No sickness, shortage, or bad report has to stop your praise. You can have church anywhere.

•     It’s your move. God has not given up on you, so choose to serve Him, praise Him, and bear fruit.