INTRODUCTION:

For Christmas one year, a particular woman had asked for a specific vacuum cleaner, A Rainbow Vacuum. These vacuums use water to trap the dust. The had seen a demonstration and was absolutely floored by what this vacuum could do. But since it was a high priced vacuum (about $1,000) the woman decided to ask her family to purchase it for her.

About a week before Christmas, the vacuum was delivered and everybody agreed that it would be good to give it to mom early so they could use it to clean the house for the Christmas gathering. Believe it or not, they were all almost as excited as she was. This vacuum was a wonder. It did everything you can imagine a vacuum cleaner can and more.

The next day, mom got it out. She set it all up, plugged it in and began to vacuum the family room. The vacuum purred quietly. She was so pleased. You could actually see the difference in the carpet even though the carpet had been vacuumed the day before with the old vacuum cleaner. She was very pleased. But then, all of a sudden, that pleasure ended. The vacuum just quit. One minute it was working the next minute it was off. She flipped the switch two or three times and then all of a sudden it was on again.

She kind of shook herself, thinking that was weird, and went on.

But then it vacuum went off again. So she jiggled the switch again. Sure enough, the vacuum came back on again. So she thought to herself, there must have been a short in it or something. And about that time, the thing shut off again. Now she was mad.

She hunted down her husband in the garage and vented her frustration on him. "You just bought me a brand new vacuum cleaner, and it's already on the fritz! The crazy thing keeps going off and on, off and on. There has to be something wrong with the switch. There has to be something wrong someplace."

It was obvious to the husband that his wife was about to implode in frustration so he went in to see what was wrong, listening to her complain about the piece of junk he had bought her. When he got in the house, the vacuum was still going on and off, on and off. He couldn't figure it out either. So he decided the best thing to do was take it back and exchange it.

So, he went to unplug it and that's when he solved the problem. It seems that in her excitement and haste, his wife had plugged the vacuum cleaner cord into the Christmas tree blinker outlet. Vacuum cleaners don't work well that way. And neither do we.

Jesus talks about that in the Gospel of John. He says that apart from Him we have no power and bear no fruit. However, being plugged into Jesus empowers us for ministry and bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God. Let's look at that passage.

John 15:1-8 (NRSV)

[1] "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.

[2] He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.

[3] You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.

[4] Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

[5] I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

[6] Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

[7] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

[8] My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

I. UNPLUGGED:

As many of you know, my favorite guitarist is Eric Clapton. There's just something about the way he plays guitar that moves me. One of my favorite performances, let's you hear the intimacy of his guitar playing in very beautiful way. The performance was titled "Unplugged."

The whole idea is that rather than having all the enhancements of then electronics in the electric guitar, the guitarist is asked to return to the clear and pure simplicity of the acoustic guitar.

While that might work in playing guitar, it won't work in our spiritual life. Being unplugged from Jesus isn't healthy. Just like being plugged into an intermittent power source can be unhealthy.

A friend of mine sent me a story about a guy who one day was sitting at a stop light. The lady in front of him was going through papers on the seat of her car, and when the light changed to green she didn't obey its command. A green light is a commandment - NOT a suggestion!

When the light turned to red, and she had still not moved, this guy began (with my windows up) screaming epithets and beating on his steering wheel and generally going nuts because the woman hadn't moved. His expression of distress was interrupted by a policeman, gun drawn, tapping on his window.

Against his protests of, "You can't arrest me for hollering in my own car," the officer ordered the man into the back seat of his patrol car.

After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised him he was free to go. The man said, "I knew you couldn't arrest me for what I was yelling in my own car. You haven't heard the last of this."

The officer replied, "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. I was directly behind you at the light. I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, 'What a jerk! But there is nothing I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car.'"

"Then I noticed the 'Cross' hanging from your rear view mirror, the bright yellow 'Choose Life' license plate, the 'Jesus is Coming Soon' bumper sticker, and the 'Fish' symbol, and I thought . . . . that must be a stolen car. Surely a Christian wouldn't act like that."

Being unplugged from Jesus causes us to wither. Being unplugged from Jesus causes us shrivel up spiritually and forget who are. Only plugging in to Jesus intermittently does the same thing, it just takes longer. The bottom line is that eventually we wither away until we can't even be recognized as belonging to the vine.

II. PLUGGED IN:

A. You and I are called to stay "Plugged In"

It's that simple. We're called to "Abide in Christ. And let Christ Jesus abide in us."

The Message puts it this way: "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you."

The Dave Matthews Band puts it this way in one of their unreleased songs titled: #34 w/Words. "Lean upon me, I'll lean upon you, We'll be okay."

Being plugged in to Christ, abide in Christ, making our home in Christ means we don't have to face the uncertainty and cruelty of the world alone.

We don't have to face the alienation of the world alone.

B. A little girl had been trying for months to learn the art of tying her shoes. She final grasped the knack and was able to do it by herself. Her parents expected delight in the child but were surprised by her disappointment. Her father asked why she was crying. She sobbed, "I just learned how to tie my shoes." He said, "That's wonderful, honey. Why then are you crying?" She replied, "Because now I'll have to do it all by myself for the rest of my life."

That's how we all feel isn't it. Now I'm not saying don't learn those things that will help you grow or be your own independent person. That IS part of being a connected to the Vine and living in Christ. Just don't get so far away that you get disconnected. Don't get so smart that you think you can live life all by yourself for the rest of your life.

For our graduating Seniors I'd give this piece of advice. You're fixing to leave home and go off to school. You'll be on your own. You'll get to make all the decisions. The temptation will be to forget about church and forget your relationship with Christ. Maybe it won't be to forget, it'll just be to postpone it for awhile. Or put it up on the shelf like a book you plan to read later. There will be a huge group of others at school who will do just that.

But I want to challenge you to stay connected. Stay plugged in. Remember your source of power. Remain at home with Jesus. That doesn't mean you can't grow and experience life, you can. Just stay home in Jesus, just abide in Him. "Lean on him and let Him lean on you."

And then know this. There will probably be times when you do leave home, when you do forget, when your life gets off center. It happens to all of us. Remember what Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz said: "There's no place like home."

When you've made your home in Jesus and He's made His home in you, you may have stepped outside for awhile, but you can always come back. You can always come home. That's His promise to you. That's what the parable of the prodigal son is all about.

Our God is a God of Second Chances.

CONCLUSION:

Have you ever seen the movie "Galaxy Quest?" It is a send up and spoof of the sci fi series of the 60's. The "crew" of a long-discontinued TV show is kidnapped and called upon to save an alien civilization. This alien civilization thinks the show represents "historical documents." Remember "Captains log 3452." Anyway, the aliens have based all of their technology, customs and lifestyle on scenes from the show.

When the "crew" is taken to the bridge of the ship for the first time, they learn that they can operate the controls by doing whatever their characters did on the show. The faith of the alien commander, Mathesar and his ship-mates inspires the Galaxy Quest crew to become what they have only pretended to be. The actors discover that being "in character" gives them the power to do things they didn't think they could ever do. And in the end, they prevail. They save the day.

As Christians, we're called to stay "in character" everyday. We're called to "abide in Christ." And when we do, we are given the power to do things we didn't think we could ever do.

The simple secret is being "Connected," Plugged in, At Home, Abiding In, Leaning On, Christ Jesus the son of God, the True Vine. The source of our power.

Don't let your life or your faith wither away. Get Connected. Stay Connected.

1. Adapted from: The Pastor's Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), Dec 1998

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www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermon.html (Richard Fairchild Lectionary Resources)

Homiletics, (Communications Resources, Inc., Canton, OH)

Lectionary Homiletics, (Lectionary Homiletics, Inc. Midlothian, VA)

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The Clergy Journal, (Logos Productions, Inc., Inver Grove Heights, MN)

Preaching Magazine (Preaching Resources, Jackson, TN)

Circuit Rider, (The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN)

The Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1953)

The New Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1995)

Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 2002) SermonPrep Version.

Preaching the Miracles, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1998) SermonPrep Version.

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