Knowing What It Really Means to Lose Your Marbles

SERMON SERIES: Losing Your Marbles

Mike Hosey, An Elder

If you want to know what it really means to lose your marbles, pay close attention to the words of Jesus in John 15:1-11.

In that passage, Jesus argues that He is a vine, and that God is a vineyard keeper.  Further, He states that God prunes the branches along that vine when they don’t produce fruit, and then throws them into the fire to be burned.  However, those branches that do abide in the vine, well, they produce much fruit. They don’t even have to try. It’s just automatic. Interestingly, Jesus points out that the production of much fruit is proof that those branches are connected to Him (John 15:8 ESV).  In contrast, those that don’t produce fruit aren’t really connected at all. This leads to at least two significant questions: What does it mean to abide in Jesus? And what does it mean to produce fruit?  

Well, abiding means to remain as one, or to endure.  So abiding in the vine of Jesus means to remain at one with Him, or to endure with Him. It means that we should strive to make sure that our lives are in agreement with His way of doing things. 

Producing fruit means bearing spiritual traits.  These traits (or fruits) are found in Galatians 5:22-23. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control.  When you are not abiding in Christ, you can lose these fruits.  And when you lose these fruits, it only follows that you are going to lose your marbles as well. Just imagine how the goodness of your world would collapse as each of these traits disappeared!

So how do you abide in Christ and keep from losing your fruits (and your marbles).  Well, one thing you can do is follow God’s lead.  Anything in your life that doesn’t produce Christ-like fruit, prune it out of your life and throw it on the burn pile!

And the next thing you can do is what Jesus instructs in John 15:10. Keep His commandments. The two greatest commandments are to love God with everything, and your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).  When you’ve done those things, your marbles will be secure and your joy full (John 15:11).