Friendship with God Part 9 - Bearing God's Fruit Notes

Context

John 14

Jesus has just concluded his teaching in John 14 about how we enter into a new life and a new relationship with God by trusting in the person and work of Jesus.

John 15

In John 15, he turns to what it means to bear God’s fruit in a fallen broken world. This is based and founded on everything he said in John 14.

God’s Purpose

God’s purpose is that we would bear fruit for Him by His power.

God is glorified when we bear fruit for Him by abiding IN HIM

Heart: A heart to glorify God

Goal: Bearing God’s Fruit (fruit for God, fruit that comes from God)

Method: Abide in God

to do what?

beat fruit

internal - character

external - multiplying disciples/followers of Jesus

STRUCTURE

Jesus Thesis:

A. The Vineyard Picture

John 15:1–2 (ESV)

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Jesus is explaining what this is going to look like.

Notice:

1. Jesus is the TRUE VINE

Jesus is the vine — the TRUE VINE

that means there are false vines

that means there is bad fruit — fruit that doesn’t last

that means we can abide in false vines

how do you know? — by the fruit (Matt 7:15-23)

Matthew 7:17–20 ESV

17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

2. The Father is the VINEDRESSER

The Father is the one who is cutting off and/or pruning

This speaks to the soveriegty of God and an intimate relationship we have with Him through Jesus.

Think about pruning:

grabbing each branch and examinig it

personally snipping away the parts that are unfruitfuil

This is an intimate expression of God’s tender care for us.

3. Something is always happening

God is committed to our growth in Christlikeness

So we are being pruned/discipled/sanctified always.

So when pain comes we can trust in this verse b/c it speaks to God’s purposes in v 2

The Why? — so that we might bear more fruit

Pain has the potential to bear more fruit.

B. THE RESULT/GOAL: God’s Glory

John 15:8 (ESV)

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

God’s Glory is the End Goal

Sole deo gloria — To God’s Glory Alone

1. hearts to Glorify God

We need hearts that seek to Glorify God rather than ourselves.

That is the Core issue — that is at teh cetner of our transformation.

We are given new hearts — the heart of Christ

a heart that above all else seeks to glorify God

How is God Glorified?

Jesus gives us two things but really are one.

Bearing Fruit

Becoming Disciples of Jesus

2. Bearing Fruit

Bearing fruit for God is what brings God glory

And it is by bearing this fruit that we become/prove to God disciples/follwers of Jesus

the language there is lit. “they might become” my disciples

ESV translates it as ‘prove’ and it does have that sense.

But it is from the inside out — not that we have to ‘prove’ anything

but rather as they say “the proof is in the pudding”

or as Jesus says ‘you know a tree by it’s fruit’

This is the one thing that defines a follower of Jesus

bearing God’s fruit

Now this should be convicting and cause us to really pause and reflect on our lives and ask:

What kind of fruit am I bearing?

b/c we are all bearing fruit — it’s just either good fruit or bad fruit and perhaps a mixture of both.

now we do need to take a moment ot define fruit

that would probably be helpful.

C. Defining Fruit

There are two kinds of fruit in the Bible:

Internal Fruit

External Fruit

Both mean growing in Christlikness — becoming more like Jesus — which is the end goal of discipleship and following God

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

1. Internal Fruit

a. Fruit of the Spirit

This means character — Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

b. Works of the Flesh

As opposed to Works by Flesh

Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

c. Growing in Character/fruit of the Spirit

How do we grow in the fruit of the Spirit?

Paul tells us in the same passage.

“Walk by the Spirit”

Galatians 5:16-18,24-26(ESV)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law....

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

So life in the Spirit is crucial to growing in the fruit of the Spirit

Basically the same thing Jesus was teaching in John 14 and will come back to in John 16.

The role of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us.

i. Live by the Spirit

How do we walk by the Spirit — I take that to mean walk by the power of the Spirit

I think Paul’s answer is the same as Jesus — we abide in Him

We live by the power of the Spirit (v 25) let us then keep in step (follow) the Spirit v 25

which we will talk about in a moment.

2. External Fruit

Jesus uses vineyard language b/c of the powerful truth it communicates.

Grapes/Fruit have to be healthy to produce their intended function

But inside every grape/fruit is the potential for multiplication

This is the external fruit — multiplying disciples of Jesus.

Disciples that have a heart to glorify God and bear even more fruit.

It really is a remarkable picture.

Think about it:

Inside every grape is the potential for vineyards of vineyards.

That is our calling — to bear God’s fruit with a heart to glorify Him

That means that any one of you could be a catalyst for an entire movement — and entire vineyard

if you catch this vision of what Jesus is teaching us.

producing God’s fruit by God’s power

Transition

So, now perhaps the most pressing question:

How?

How do we bear God’s fruit by God’s power?

ABIDING IN CHRIST

We have looked at John 15:1-2 and v. 8

The answer to how — is the middle part of this section: John 15:3-7.

What is the great secret to bearing fruit?

To church growth?

It’s very simple and very humble: Abide in Christ

John 15:3–7 (ESV)

3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. 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. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

1. Not earning Salvation “already clean”

Bearing Fruit does not earn God’s Love/forgiveness

The first thing he says is

“ you are already clean” b/c of the word I’ve spoken to you

It’s actually the same word for ‘prune’ in v 2.

Jesus is saying, even though the father is pruning/cleaning the vine, you are already clean b/c of the word i have spoken to you

In other words bearing fruit doesn’t earn salvation = being clean

but God is at work, since we are clearn/his/saved, so that we might bear more fruit = become more like Him.

2. Abiding in Christ

here is the core of it — Abiding in Christ.

I said it is both simple and humble

There is a call to bear fruit — but we can’t bear fruit without Christ in our lives

in other words —

God doesn’t call us to something he doesn’t intend to do through us, in partnership with us.

We need to feel the weight of the call — this is how you prove/become my disciples — by bearing fruit

We can respond to that with fear and shame

But we also need to realize we can’t bear fruit on our own

thus we can be encouraged b/c the answer is always to come to Christ — to Abide in Him

Do you see how beautiful that is?

This verse, John 15:5 is so important.

We shoudl commit it to memory and bring it to mind whenever we are feeling discouarged about fruit in our life.

3. What does it mean to abide?

To remain, to dwell.

Two pictures:

1. Your house.

What does it mean for you to abide in your house?

You go there

You spend time there

You enjoy the shelter, the safety, the refuge

You can leave your house and never come back

but you have to choose to dwell there -

you have to see it as your home.

This means spending time with Christ / in Christ

2. Vineyard

The second image is to really examine the metaphor of a vineyard

How does a grape grow?

It abides — remains literally in the vine

The vine is its source of nurishment, nutrition

it is how the grape grows and comes to maturity

to leave the vine is to die.

This comes back to literally plugging into Jesus

how do we do that?

there’s nothing new here

We just have to do what we already know to be true.

Spend time with God

In his Word — if my words abide in you

Cultivate that friendship — intimacy with Christ

In prayer

speaking to God

Walking by the Spirit/with God begins by talking with Him.

3. Answered Prayer

Look at the result.

John 15:7 ESV

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

Ask whatever you wish/desire

what your heart desires

If we are abiding in Christ and his words (I abide in you) then our desires will change to be just like his

and our prayers will change

and we will see more answerd prayers — and we will rejoice and glorify God

You see many of us, when we are praying, we are asking God out of our own needs or even selfish desires (James 4)

But if we cultivate a heart to glorify God

If we abide in Christ spending time with Him

talking to Him and hearing from Him

Our hearts will change

Our prayer lives will change

Our relationships will change

Our famliies will change

our Church will change

The world might even change.

Conclusion

We are called to produce God’s fruit by God’s power.

We do that by abiding in Christ

by talking with with Him and hearing from Him

through his Word, Prayer and His Spirit and His People

3Where do we bear fruit?

In our families - Parents over your children

In our workplace - how we perform our work, and the relationships we develop

Where we live — our neighborhoods/apartments and dorms

who has God placed around us?

What vineyard has he put you in to bear fruit?

Where we play

What do you do for fun?

Relationships are the Key

God has put himself in proximity to people, becuase he has put you in proximity to people and he dwells in you.

Closing Exhortation

If we catch a vision of the simplicity of following Christ and actually put these things into practice — we will bear God’s fruit.

There is potential in every one of us to not just produce a fruit, not just a vineyard, but vineyards of vineyards.

Abiding in Christ is the Key

It will transform your life

and will begin to transforms the lives of those around you.

Application:

Commit to Spend time with Jesus

Commit to spend time with Jesus’s People - church

Commit to God’s purposes in your life

fruit bearing / internal and external

Commit to God’s power in your life.

You cannot do this on your own power

it takes an intimate relationship with God

If we follow these simple steps, God’s power can be unleashed upon us and we could witness a move of God.

Closing Prayer

Verses

Romans 11:17–24 (ESV)

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.