“Smoking may cause impotence.”  This was the interesting warning I saw on a cigarette package laying on the ground while I was in South Korea recently.  I wonder who came up with the whole drooping cigarette illustration.  Lung cancer warnings have not significantly stemmed the tide of those who need that nicotine fix here in America.  But I wonder if the drooping cigarette would work here?  I suspect South Korea’s anti-smoking campaign is effective.  No one wants to be impotent.

It seems that here in America we are obsessed with this whole impotence issue.  It is hard to watch TV any length of time at all without being bombarded with the latest impotence ad featuring the big three prescription drugs: Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra as the answer.  Now you have all these over-the-counter supplement commercials featuring guys with goofy looking grins all the time.  I don’t think anyone could have imagined this even 10 years ago.  Obviously, impotence is a big issue with men today.

The word impotence is interesting.  It comes from a Latin term meaning “not able.”  The dictionary defines impotence as, “Entirely wanting power, strength, or vigor of body or mind; deficient in capacity, weak; feeble; destitute of the power of sexual intercourse or of begetting children.” 

But you will rarely hear anyone refer to impotence, although that is what it has been called for a very long time.  Instead, it is erectile dysfunction.  And notice that erectile dysfunction has now come to be known as ED.  I guess impotence is not politically correct.  And you know I don’t hear people talking about spiritual impotence either.  But what would happen if men became more concerned about the issue of spiritual impotence? 

What if there was a warning for spiritual impotence?  What would it look like?  Where would it be found?  Actually, there it is such a warning found in the book of John.  Jesus gave an impotence warning as a part of His last words to His disciples.

“’I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered’” (John 15:5).

Did you catch that – “withered?”  What would withered look like?  Would it look like a powerless people, weak and unable to make a significant difference in the world?  Would it look like Christians who are unable (or unwilling) to produce offspring by being bold witnesses as to God’s goodness and greatness in their own lives?  Would it look like people who only wanted to invest their treasure in kingdom work, but never their time, or talents?  Would it look like a place devoid of disciple makers?  Would it look like a people too busy for a Sabbath rest, time with God, and time with their families?  Would it look like prayerlessness?  Would it look like people who protest the removal of God from government buildings and schools, but who can’t find time for Him in their own homes?  Would it look like a people placing its trust in government rather than God?  Would it look like people worrying all the time about what’s going on in the world to the extent that they are paralyzed with fear?  Would it look like a place where eagle eggs have greater protection than unborn children?  Would it look like big budgets for big buildings so we might all be more comfortable and more impressive than the church around the corner?  Would it look like a “divided house” with churches unwilling to work with other churches because of denominational differences or just insecurity manifested in “turf protection?”  Would it possibly look like people living a safe, routine, redundant life rather than the abundant life?  Would it look like a church afraid of the Holy Ghost because He will not be controlled, scheduled, or neatly placed in a program?  Would it look like a people unwilling to go out among the Publicans and sinners?  Might it even look religious? 

If there were an illustration which went along with John 15:5, what would it look like?  What would be withered?  Just asking – think about it.