CANNED FRUIT STILL ROTS - ARGUING & GIVING

SCRIPTURE FOR THIS WEEK:

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:6–8.

JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING COMMENTS:

I was addicted to the praises of men.

Share story about bumper sticker being torn off.

FRESH FRUIT SERIES SUMMARY:

The sermon series we are going through and will continue going through the next few weeks is anchored in John 15:1-17.

Read this passage daily. (I am hearing fruit from people who are doing this, and seeing hearts moved…….please join in and do this if you are not).

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. (Fruit is not just leading people to Jesus. Fruit is also obedience to whatever he tells you to do).

The sermon two weeks ago was: How Fresh is Your Fruit?:

That message was about the fruit bearing process. Jesus told us we are to go and bear fruit for the glory of the Father. Jesus gave us the game plan to “bear much fruit”, fruit that will last.

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.

Last Sunday the sermon was: Canned Fruit Still Rots - Refining.

We talked about how many of us are seeking connection with Jesus but are refusing to be refined further. Unknowingly we can our fresh fruit by turning down refinement, we settle, and pause our spiritual growth, like canned fruit, and we sit in this idle state for weeks, month, or even years. However, we have a Father that is so good that He doesn’t let us stay there forever. He brings his word of refinement back to us over and over and over until we say Yes to him.

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.

THIS WEEK WE ARE CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATION IN REGARDS TO WAYS WE CAN INTENTIONALLY, OR UNINTENTIONALLY, CAN OUR FRESH FRUIT AND STOP OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH?

Give real quick synopsis. John 4:1-26

POINT 1: ARGUING………CANS FRESH FRUIT

I love the way the women at the well talks to Jesus at the well.

The women obviously believes in God. We see that in her comments.

However, she it literally talking to God and talks to Him in a questioning, argumentative, sarcastic, dismissive, and half truth telling posture:

“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.) John 4:9

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? John 4:11

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?” John 4:12

“I have no husband,” John 4:17

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” John 4:19-20

“I know that the Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” John 4:25 (This one is my favorite. She basically was telling Jesus that there will be another to come that knows more than Him.)

Have you ever talked to Father like she did?

I have!

This argumentative and dismissive attitude cans the fruit and potentially stops the maturation process, potentially for years.

I want to encourage you.

These moments are good moments.

How?

How can these moments be good moments?

Because they are part of the refining process.

And……Our God is so good that he uses all things for good…….even our temper tantrums and miss guided beliefs.

When we act like this we are simply being adults throwing temper tantrums because we are telling our Father that we don’t want what is best for us. (Any parents out there that can relate with that?)

And the good news is Jesus is patient with us and can deal with our caned fruit of arguing.

Remember from our anchor text (John 15:1-17) Father is our gardner.

In his role as the gardener he prunes us.

The pruning season usually comes during seasons of pain and trial.

When we are pruned we always have a choice of how we respond.

We respond with new growth or we respond with arguing and a dismissive attitude towards Father.

Usually when we are at this stage of the fruit bearing process, the truth is, we are on the verge of significant breakthrough; but at the same time we are on the verge of canning the fruit, potentially for years.

Testimony: Ritzville McDonalds

From Sprague to Ritzville, 24.5 miles. Trust me I know exactly how far that distance is. Every mile The Spirit nudged me over and over and over.

“Go to McDonalds”......”I don’t want to go to McDonalds”.

I was arguing with Spirit for 24.5 miles.

I didn’t want to go because I knew He was going to challenge me to do something uncomfortable.

Something that would challenge my “praises of men” addiction.

Share story (all the way to the Mike Wilson phone call).

The reality is I should have had fresh fruit to offer that gal at McDonalds. But the truth is I had nothing to offer……..because all I had was a posture of arguing. My arguing didn’t allow me to see what Father was seeing.

Do you see my past addiction that I speak about often at the beginning of messages poking it’s head out?

My Image…….My Fear…….My Shame………. kept me from speaking the Father’s Love to her.

This leads us to the second point. WE CAN FRUIT WHEN WE DON’T GIVE THE FRUIT AWAY.

POINT 2: WE CAN FRUIT WHEN WE DON’T GIVE IT AWAY

What does spiritually canned fruit look like, that should have been given away? Here are a few examples:

The covert critical attitude. (pretending to be positive…..and then the but enters the conversation). The critical spirit pokes its head out.

The spontaneity of the Holy Spirit doesn’t happen. It is missing. The controlling spirit pokes its head out.

Someone often talks about the things they have done, but then realizes that was 20 years ago. The settling spirit pokes its head out.

Not discipling anyone. The fearful spirit pokes its head out.

(If I asked you to write down the names of three people you are discipling right now, teaching them to be more like Christ, would you have three names to put down?) (If someone has been in your small group for more than three years you can’t put their name down…..Jesus had his disciples for 3 years).

Please hear me. I do not ask that question to put guilt on you. If you believe in Jesus you have been set free!!! There are people that need that same gift, and they need it desperately!!!

My purpose of asking that question is to bring to your attention that in our anchor text in John 15, Jesus gives all who claim to be believers a warning.

6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

John 15:6

I can’t preach this series on Fresh Fruit from John 15 without also sharing the warning Jesus gives.

There are many who profess to be followers of Jesus yet there is no fruit.

These people will find out they have no status with God. That is a frightening place to be.

We are to bear fruit and give it away!!!

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:7–8.

Did you catch that we are supposed to “SHOW” ourselves to be his disciples.

John 15 in verse 12 also says:

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

What is the fruit of an apple tree? (Let them answer, ask it again if needed).

What is the “real” fruit of an apple tree?

Hint (the purpose of the fruit is to propagate itself).

“The true fruit of an apple tree is not an apple, it isn't even a tree, it is an orchard” (By Ralph Moore - Making Disciples)

In order to bear much fruit we must die.

Die to ourselves and become faithful servants to the Father, for His glory.

Do you have fresh fruit that is bringing glory to the Father?

Last week and this week we have looked at the women at the well.

Let me ask you…………….What if the woman at the well didn’t “GO”?

What if she didn’t die to herself and give away her fruit?

To “GO” and bear fruit it costs something.

It costs your life.

The woman at the well went before her entire town and risked looking like a fool.

She went and told everyone; “Come see a man that told me everything I had ever done.”

Public transparency to all of her sin.

She had the fruit of an incredible encounter with the Lord.

She had the fruit of her eyes being opened to the Messiah.

She had the fruit of conversion.

She had the fruit of deep forgiveness.

She took that fruit immediately, with conviction, went and told everyone!

She gave her fruit away to others.

An entire town came to know Jesus because she gave away her fruit.

An insignificant woman’s testimony………mattered.

I am here to tell you that your testimony matters.

Someone out there needs to hear your testimony.

She gave her testimony away.

It is time for the church to rise up and tell our stories of what Jesus has done for us.

Quote:

Many people (and not just African people) are still lost in spiritual darkness that don't know where to find the help they need. Some of them are just outside the gates and don't even know it. They just need someone to open the door and invite them in.

Miracle at Tenwek - The Life of Dr. Ernie Steury - By: Gregg Lewis

(HAVE KEYBOARD PLAYER COME UP AND START INSTRUMENTAL FOR CLOSING)

There is a huge danger of spiritually canned fruit. A huge warning that Jesus tells us about. (Here are a few thoughts):

The spiritual source of canned fruit is a lack of the true love Jesus talked about. He talked about laying down your life for another. Laying down your life is the opposite of canned fruit.

Forgetting the posture that we are servants of the Lord God Almighty. When we say yes to him we say no to our wills and we say yes to His will. We often forget we are servants who are placed here for acts of good works to glorify the Father. That is why we are told to remind our selves daily to pick up the cross daily.

Many times when we find ourselves without fresh fruit it’s because we have forgotten our first love.

If you find yourself in this spot. Pray to your good good good Father to remind you of the first love you once had.

To return the fire and zeal to you.

To bring you fresh fruit so you can go and give it away.

To shine light on your arguments and to help you lay them down. That his grace would lead you to repent.

A healthy church is a church that is reproducing.

The Lord has put a passion on my heart that this congregation would be:

A church that plants churches that plant churches that plant churches.

That we would love our neighbors.

That our love would grow deeply and that we would be willing to lay down our lives and our wills for His glory.

And that we would organically raise up people that find salvation, through the discipleship of this body, that rise up to lead others to Jesus.

Closing & Prayer:

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;

(HAVE THE REST OF THE WORSHIP TEAM ENTER AT THIS POINT WHILE PRAYING)

Final Close after Worship Team

What is your part?

What is your next step?

Our anchor text for this series, the next 4 weeks, 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.

Sign up for small groups (mini-church).

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