Bear The Fruit Of Salvation

Scripture

Matthew 7:15–23 ESV

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Intro

One of my fondest memories is gathering fresh plums with my Grandpa

Genesis 1:11–12 “And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

This is a warning for those in the church

Wolves in sheep’s clothing

False Prophets

They are in the Church

Sheep’s clothing

They are preaching and teaching

Prophets

They do not follow the Father’s will

Leading people away from God’s will

“Did God really say?”

BEWARE

Jesus says they will be there, watch out

We will know them by their fruit

Fruit - What is in the wake?

The fruit analogy was not a new one

Psalm 1:1–3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Proverbs 14:14 “The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.”

Matthew 3:8 “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” - John the Baptist

As a boat leaves a wake in the water so we leave a wake in our life

Galatians 5:19–24 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Is enmity, jealousy, anger, divisions, drunkenness in your wake?

Is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control in your wake?

We would like for the fruit of the Spirit to be in our wake so how do we get there?

It takes time for fruit to be produced

Don’t jump on to every fad that comes around

If something seems off then weigh it out

Declaring God’s name in vain

There are people who declare the name of God but are not His disciples

Some are intentionally deceptive

Some have deceived even themselves

Doing the will of God

Does the fruit lead to following God’s commands?

Does the fruit lead to ignoring God’s commands?

“Workers of lawlessness”

Genesis 3:4–5 “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

Practice what you preach

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Knowing God

The question every man shutters to hear

“Does this make me look fat?”

“You look more beautiful today than the day I met you.”

“What are you thinking about right now?”

“Nothing”

“Squatchacabra”

“That dress does not make you look fat”

The question is seeking connection and relationship

What is our goal in life?

To know God

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Philippians 3:8–11 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

Powered by the Holy Spirit

John 14:15–17 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

John 15:4–5 “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. 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.”

John 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

Keeping God’s commandments is how we abide in Him

How now shall we live

Ask, seek, knock to know God

In knowing God we will be able to discern those false prophets

In knowing God we will produce the fruit of salvation