Canned Fruit Still Rots - Refining

SCRIPTURE FOR THIS WEEK:

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

John 4:1–26.

SERIES UPDATE: FRESH FRUIT

Last Week Update:

The sermon last week was: How Fresh is Your Fruit?:

Last week we discussed John 15 and our participation in “ the process of bearing much fruit”.

In order to bear fruit we must “Remain or Abide” in Jesus. We can’t do anything on our own.

The Father appoints us and we must be obedient to the appointment in order to go and bear fruit.

We are told to ask. We need to be praying for the fruit bearing process.

The source of all the fresh fruit is LOVE.

Where We Are Going (Set The Stage):

This week we are going to talk about Canned Fruit Still Rots - Refining

Next week we are going to talk about Canned Fruit Still Rots - Arguing & Giving

The week after that we are going to talk about Multiplied Fruit

And then in the final week of the series we are going to talk about Community Fruit. That last Sunday in the series we are going to share some of the Fresh Fruit we are seeing amongst us. Testimonies!!

VISUAL AID:

If you were looking for a snack, by a raise of hands, how many of you would pick these bananas to eat?

If you “had” to choose between these bananas and this can of peaches, by a show of hands, who would pick these bananas? Now, who would pick these peaches?

If you “had” to choose between this can of peaches and this can of peaches, by a show of hands, who would pick this can? Who would pick this can?

Now if I told you this can was purchased at the beginning of Covid and this can was purchased a few days ago would that change your mind?

CANNED FRUIT COMPARISON TO OUR WALK:

Canned fruit in itself is strange.

It is neither truly alive nor naturally decomposing.

It is stuck in an artificial state that “WE’VE” created.

Once canned, the fruit can never ripen further, never develop new complexity.

Have you ever noticed there is an illusion of variety - peaches, pears, fruit cocktail - but it all tastes remarkably similar……..sweet and mushy………But you can have it anytime you want it!!!

Meanwhile, fresh fruit has distinct flavors, textures……….But it isn’t available when you want it. It comes in seasons at its pace and timing.

Caned fruit can mirror how “WE” sometimes want God’s blessings but we want it on our demand and on our timing.

In the spiritual refining process there are seasons in which we attempt to take back control of the process and do things our way.

When we do that our spiritual maturity, like canned fruit, stops in a strange suspended manner.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN INTENTIONALLY, OR UNINTENTIONALLY, CAN OUR FRESH FRUIT AND STOP OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH?

Settling (This week)

Arguing (Next week)

Not Giving It Away (Next week)

SETTLING……CANS FRESH FRUIT:

Settling can take many different forms.

Today I want to specifically talk about Settling for Connection Instead of Refining

Let's look again at the interaction between the woman and Jesus and look for the settling moment:

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I love this phrase, “become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

We drink and then we become a spring!

That isn’t human math!

That is supernatural math!

Jesus just gave this woman a word of knowledge .

A word of knowledge that leads to incredible transformation for her life.

Just like Jesus gave the women, the Spirit gives us words of knowledge that lead to incredible transformations for our lives.

When we say “yes” we experience the multiplication of the Father’s favor.

We drink from Him and we become a spring of water that overflows.

The river becomes so great that we can’t contain it. It just flows out.

That is a mindblowing concept………but it is true.

This overflow is the full life of joy Jesus talks about in our anchor text for this series in John 15:1-17.

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Jesus gave the woman a word of knowledge for spiritual insight that if tended to, will lead to a transformed life.

Remember last week how we talked about Savior vs. Lord?

When Jesus is Savior he is our ticket to heaven.

When Jesus is Lord we love him so much we will obey every word he speaks.

The transition from Savior to Lord is the incredible journey of the refining process that The Holy Spirit brings us on.

Look at how the woman responds to Jesus’s offer for living water:

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Do you see the “Savior comment”?

Do you see the self serving desire?

Jesus you are my Savior and I will gladly drink your water so “I won't have to keep coming back here”. (The “ticket to heaven” comment).

It is all about “I”. How “I” can benefit.

This is the next part I absolutely love.

Last week we learned that Jesus tells us to ask?

“whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Last week we talked about part of the fruit bearing process is “Asking”.

Did you catch that the women at the well asked. ““Sir, give me this water”

What I love is that even though she asked with a selfish ambition, the ticket to heaven, Jesus still gave her the heart piercing answer, the ticket to Lordship.

The heart piercing answer is the way to salvation and the start of the journey to refinement.

The thing she needed to repent of.

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

Jesus gave her what would later become her testimony.

I want to make sure you see the progression here.

Jesus first made a connection with her.

He gave her a “word of knowledge”.

She “asked”

He gave her “the next step” (the path to refinement).

He presented her with “the hard thing”.

This is the moment where we choose to be refined or settle.

When Father gives us a word of revelation, many times it comes in the form of pruning.

He gives us an opportunity to level up in our spiritual journey, to bear much fruit.

If we don’t choose the path of refinement. We choose to can the fresh fruit by deflecting or ignoring……..but both lead to the same result…….settling.

Look at how she responds:

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

When she could have immediately drank and moved forward spiritually she deflected, ignored, and settled.

We settle for the comfort of the connection instead of the refining.

“Jesus just give me the water…….a great conversation at the well…..I’m good now.”

Don’t get me wrong. Many times we need the connection at the well, and that is it.

There are times we simply need to just sit with Jesus in loving relationship with “no to do list”.

But other times, when He has given us a word, we need to obey…….and obey quickly. Tend the word!

Refinement isn’t fun.

You usually have to do hard things like:

Repent

Shine light in dark areas

Do uncomfortable things that really stretch you.

Sometimes this settling happens for days, weeks, months, and even years.

We turn our back on the refinement and we desire to simply stay seated at the well.

We desire to stay at the place we encounter Jesus.

How do I see this example of the women at the well and the process we just discussed play out in our lives?

Typically this occurs when we sit with The Spirit in our quiet time, with our small group, listening to a sermon, reading a book, or listening to a podcast.

Spirit nudges us with a word or revelation.

This word or revelation is intended specifically for our own personal growth, personal fruit.

We are encouraged because we just had a connection with the Lord! (Connections with the Lord are always an incredible blessing.)

We end our “session” and say to ourselves, “Man, what a great time today!”

We walk away feeling encouraged, full, in the right spot spiritually.

But then we don’t do anything with the word of knowledge.

We let it sit.

We settle.

Time passes and we are, once again, seeking connection……..trying to bypass refinement.

However, our Father is so good. He doesn’t allow us to bypass refinement. He brings the word back to us again, and again, and again until we do what He desires in us.

Then and only then do we graduate to the next thing.

This was where for many years I delayed my spiritual refining.

I confused the encounter with refinement.

Refining only comes when we “tend the word”. When we do what Spirit tells us to do.

What I have come to realize is the “joy” and the “full life” Jesus talks about is not hearing the word, it is doing the word while in full relationship with Him.

Testimony: James 4:16 experience.

4 times the Lord showed it to.

All of a sudden the following scripture came alive to me:

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22–25.

When these moments happen in a Christian’s life we are faced with an intersection point.

Do we engage the word given and tend to it by choosing to be refined further in our relationship with Jesus?

OR

Do we keep playing the part and just enjoy the connection at the well, enjoying the encounter?

When we don’t obey the fresh revelation from the Spirit, the fruitfulness of our walks slows down or even stops.

We can the fresh fruit and pause the maturation process.

Have you ever been on fire for Christ and then something shifts and things slow down.

Have you wondered why that shift happened?

There are times Father slows it down.

But I think most of the time we do something that slows it down or stops the burn of the fire and the passion.

Usually the cause is sin.

Most of the time it isn’t a massive hidden sin.

I think most of the time it is us simply being disobedient by telling Father “No” about something.

Our “No” usually comes because something uncomfortable is in front of us.

And this truth blows my mind. When we say “No”........Father honors it (Free will).

Our choice of being content and settling causes our fresh fruit to rot.

Sometimes the rot, like these bananas is visible for others to see.

Other times the rot is hidden in our hearts, like these caned peaches.

Sometimes the settling has been canned for a few weeks or months (like these peaches).

Sometimes the settling has been canned for years (like these Covid peaches).

CANED FRUIT STILL ROTS!

HAVE YOU CANNED SOME FRESH FRUIT THAT YOU NEED TO ASK SPIRIT TO HELP YOU DEAL WITH?

We can justify nearly everything we do. We are really good at that.

Spend some time this week seeking the Spirit’s wisdom in this area for you.

How about you ask the Lord what can I do now that’s a NEW?

Keep asking The Holy Spirit to accelerate your growth. Pray for it. He is the teacher!! He is the gift given to you by God……….obey Him.

Don’t settle. Push through the hard. Obey.

The thing I dearly love about the Holy Spirit. I have learned that when I finally circle back to “the thing of refinement”, He always is willing to start back up where we left off last time.

When we repent and come back He is always willing to accelerate our growth again.

Closing:

Jesus has called us to bear much fruit……fruit that will last. The purpose of our fruit is to glorify the Father. We need to be a people that are all about our Father’s business. As long as we have breath in our lungs we are about His business. We need to choose, key word choose, to reproduce converts and reproduce our church! If we don’t get laser focused on this it won’t happen. My question is;

What is your part? What is your next step?

Our anchor text for this series is John 15:1-17.

Read this passage daily.

Spend some time meditating on it.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what He wants you to know personally.

Whatever He tells you, obey it. Jump in!

Let’s ask the Lord of the Harvest to bring us a harvest and to direct our steps to participate in it.

Fellowship Encouragement:

Get some donuts.

Sign up for small groups (mini-church).

Sign up to serve in your church (we need more Sunday School teachers!!)

Meet someone new this morning. Go get coffee this week sometime. Intentionally build community.