Scripture note: The key to living a victorious life in Jesus Christ can be summed up into three simple words, IN THE LORD. Sound simple but it seems to be the hardest thing man or women can do. IN THE LORD, is not simply saying yes I am a Christian or yes I believe in Jesus Christ or even yes I go to church on Sunday. Lets look at a scripture that talks about this.

(John 15:1 KJV) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

(John 15:2 KJV) 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.

(John 15:3 KJV) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

(John 15:4 KJV) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

(John 15:5 KJV) I am the vine, ye 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.

(John 15:6 KJV) 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.

(John 15:7 KJV) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

(John 15:8 KJV) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

(John 15:9 KJV) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

(John 15:10 KJV) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

(John 15:11 KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

a. What we are talking about is being IN THE LORD.

b. You can not do anything for God on your own, nothing, you will only produce no fruit or bad fruit and be thrown away.

a. Did you ever notice how fruit when it is on the vine, the position of the fruit.

1. Yes it is hanging down, putting all of its weight on the vine.

2. You must learn to put all of your weight on the vine, not hang on to something else with one hand and one hand on the vine.

3. What else about the fruit, it gets all of its food from the vine. You can not live apart from the vine or you will die.

b. Did you notice in v:7 that if you abide in the vine you can ask what ever you want and God will give it to you. But you must be in the Lord.

(Psa 37:1 KJV) A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

(Psa 37:2 KJV) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

(Psa 37:3 KJV) Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

a. Proverbs 3:5 puts it like this, (Prov 3:5 KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

1. We need to realize that God knows best, he can see things we cannot and we must trust in him.

2. We are always worried and fretting about situations, but Gods word says, (Isa 26:3 KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

3. We must realize that if we will just trust in the Lord he can take care of any thing that might come our way, (Isa 26:4 KJV) Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

a. Let him be your joy, fountain of happiness and total object of desire, your most earnest petitions, deepest wants, highest aspirations.

b. If we will delight in the Lord we will experience total joy and happiness.

a. If we delight in the Lord we will delight in His word, In His Spirit, In His presence, we make Him our everything.

(Psa 37:5 KJV) Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

(Psa 37:6 KJV) And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

a. To totally commit your way unto the Lord, to say God I want to walk in your way not my own.

b. We are so busy trying to work out our own lives, planning, etc. what we are going to be, what we are going to do, where we are going to live, what we are going to do for God, BUT WAIT A MINUTE ARE YOU COMMITTING YOUR WAY UNTO THE LORD OR RUNNING IT YOURSELF.

c. You have to commit your way unto the Lord and trust in him.

d. Thy Kingdom come thy will be done. Remember the Lords Prayer.

e. When we pray this way we are saying Lord I've died to self and now I'm yours, you are the vine I am the branches and I will do whatever you want me to do, go wherever you want me to go, live wherever you want me to live, be whatever you want me to be.

f. DO YOU GET THE PICTURE

1. This means committing everything to him, money, talents, our life, everything.

2. It means dying to ourselves picking up our cross and following him, if we are not willing to do this than we can not be his disciple.

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

(Luke 14:27 KJV) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

3. But if we do, trust in Him, delight in Him, commit our ways unto him, we have the promise we can-

(Psa 37:7 KJV) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

a. When we are truly in Him we can rest and have peace and know that whatever we might face we can find know that we know he will take care of us.

b. But we must learn how to rest, and wait patiently for him.

c. This seems to be the hardest for us, we want instant action, we want to see Gods hand move right now, but God says wait patiently on Him.

d. Listen to what God says in Ps 46:10-(Psa 46:10 KJV) Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

(Psa 27:14 KJV) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

(Lam 3:25 KJV) The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

(Gal 6:9 KJV) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

(James 5:7 KJV) Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

(James 5:8 KJV) Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

(Prov 20:22 KJV) Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

(Lam 3:26 KJV) It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.