Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That sounds strange at first because we obviously can do things without Him. We can build buildings, organize programs, preach sermons, sing songs, create music, produce impressive services, draw crowds, and entertain people. We can become remarkably good at doing church. But Jesus was not talking about activity. He was talking about fruit.

An iron does not cease to be an iron when you unplug it. You can still hold it in your hand. You can still move it back and forth across the clothes. You can imitate every motion you would make if it were plugged in. But eventually you will wonder why the wrinkles aren’t disappearing. The problem isn’t the iron. The problem is the connection.

That is the danger Jesus warned His disciples about. We can become so skilled at the motions that we fail to notice the absence of the power. We can learn how to conduct church, preach sermons, sing songs, organize ministries, and attract attention while accomplishing very little of what Jesus actually called us to accomplish. Jesus did not call us merely to create activity. He called us to bear fruit.

Fruit cannot be manufactured. It grows because the branch remains connected to the vine. Jesus said, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” The question, then, is not simply, “Are we doing something?” The better question is, “Is what we are doing producing what Jesus desires?” Are people being transformed? Are disciples being made? Are broken lives encountering grace? Are believers becoming more like Christ? Is the Gospel reaching people? Is Jesus being glorified?

We can do church without abiding in Christ. We can create music without abiding in Christ. We can entertain people without abiding in Christ. We can generate excitement without abiding in Christ. But we cannot accomplish His objective without Him.

An unplugged church may still be busy. It may still look impressive. It may still go through all the motions. But activity is not the same thing as fruitfulness, and motion is not the same thing as power. Like an unplugged iron being moved back and forth across a wrinkled shirt, we can be doing all the right motions while lacking the power necessary to accomplish the purpose.

Jesus’ words bring us back to the one thing we cannot substitute with talent, technology, organization, or effort: connection to Him.

“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” ©

–PGR