FOUNTAIN OF TRUTH CHURCH

Abiding

The Answer to All You Have Been Searching For

Pastor Anthony Trezza

John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ... 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 

Abide: meno – To remain

John 15: 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Regarding Answered Prayer:

James 1:6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

• The problem is that too many Christians Dwell with God but they don’t Abide with Him.

Dwell: Goor – To lodge somewhere temporarily, to sojourn

• This is why many Christians never grow into a deep solid relationship with the Lord
• They sojourn in and out of the Lord constantly

Matthew 13:20 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. - Then he sojourns back.

• The reason those who abide in Christ have their prayers answered is because they are desiring and praying for the things God wants them to have in the first place
• Look around you, life teaches us that people pursue and succeed in things that those who are in their life influenced them to pursue…

Dwelling is Not Abiding:

Leviticus 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,… 

1 Chronicles 17:5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another.

Finally Ps 91:

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells (sojourns) in the shelter (secret place) of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

• If we want the promises of Ps 91 we must Abide in Christ
• If we want our prayers to be answered we need to abide in Christ
• It is not just about us anymore, America needs our prayers… 
• The Church needs our prayers
• Abiding in His shadow is to remain under His influence

We Are Instructed to Abide Until the End:

Matthew 10:22 "… it is the one who has endured (Abides) to the end who will be saved.

Abiding Enables Us to Endure Through All Things;

2 Timothy 2:3  … therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (Matt 13, no root)

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Faith is the assurance of things hoped for)

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

• Blessed is the man that remains under the influence of God when he is being tempted

Here is a good one for those of us who have attended the same church for a long time:

1 Peter 2:19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.

But Most Christians by Far Are not Living the Abiding Life in Christ, they Are Just Sojourners Passing in and Out of Christ Throughout their Entire Salvation

According to Matthew 13:21 they have no firm root, they are only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises they immediately he fall away.

How Do We Abide:

• We abide by loving the Lord

John 15:9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

• His commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart

1 Corinthians 13:7 …(Love) endures all things. 8 Love never fails;… 

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

How Do We Fall in Love with the Lord:

John 15: 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,…

• Gods word is His love letter to you
• We may begin a relationship by appearance only, but love can only come through conversation…

Did you know that countless people have fallen in love by mere letters, without ever seeing the person they were exchanging letters with

Besides that, there are many more who fell in love through letters and when meeting in person ended up getting married.

During World War 2 countless marriages were solidified through the exchanging of letters. When the soldiers returned from war these same marriages lasted a lifetime.

• We have morphed into a temporal society- Looks are fleeting (Trophy wife)
• We want quick self-gratification with no long-lasting commitment
• We even attend churches that make us feel good
• The music meets our needs more than it draws us into real worship for God
• And we sit under preaching that never produces roots into Christ 

Look at the gospels, Jesus declared that He was always in the Father, therefore the Father was always in Him

This was such a truth that Jesus declared that He and the Father were one and the same

You will never have the Father abiding in  you if you are not abiding in Jesus.

Abiding in Jesus is therefore the answer to everything in life that you have been searching for!