Living Out the Miracles: A Fruitful Life in Christ
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Matthew 21:18–22
Matthew 21:18–22
In our Scripture today, Jesus demonstrates His authority over nature through the cursing of the barren fig tree, tying it to the importance of faith and the power of prayer as means to produce spiritual fruit in our lives.This passage calls us to examine our own lives for spiritual fruitfulness and to actively live out the faith that Jesus offers, empowering us to see miracles in our everyday lives as we fully trust in God's provision and power through prayer. Today through our scripture we will learn that faith and prayer are essential components in producing spiritual fruit in our lives, just as Jesus exemplified through His actions. It encourages us to expect miracles through our relationship with God. Christ is the ultimate miracle worker, not just in His acts during His earthly ministry, but also as the one who empowers us today to live transformed and fruitful lives. He fulfills the promises of the Old Testament and represents the genuine source of life and growth. True faith, rooted in Christ, leads to a life that bears fruit and reflects His miraculous power through our daily actions and prayers.
1. Proper fuel
1. Proper fuel
In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
In this passage we first see Jesus authority over nature, we also see in this the power of the Spirit. It leads us to a place of understanding that our faith in Christ opens us to the power of the Holy Spirit. Before we get into that though this scripture gives us a view of how the fig tree can represent our lives and how Jesus views fruitlessness. Given what we know about how God feels about those who do not produce fruit.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 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. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Church we must produce fruit. Overall though this scripture is not focused on the fig tree or it being an example of us. It is more leading us to a position of understanding the power of the Spirit in our lives. But I would have been missing an opportunity to ignore the imagery given here in this passage. So getting back to what the authorial intent is we see that Matthew is presenting that through the Spirit Jesus had even authority over nature. When we live in the power of the Holy spirit then we can see miracles happening around us. The fruit of the Spirit allows us to be a part of the things that God is doing around us. Are you filled with the spirit in a way that allows you to see and be a part of God’s miracles? Jesus presents us at this moment the fuel for miracles.
Gasoline in diesel can destroy the fuel system; diesel in gasoline can cause clogs and poor performance. In both cases, prompt action and professional fuel system flushing are essential to avoid costly repairs
What fuel are you running on? A believer running on the worlds fuel will not experience the world that we are designed to experience or be a part of. We are called to live and be led by the Spirit. Romans8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Believers are called to be led by the spirit. He is the fuel for miracles in our lives. We first see that Jesus displays the power that is given in the Spirit, He provides for us a description of the proper fuel in our lives. Jesus gives us a test drive here of the Sprit. He then lets us buy and open the throttle.
2. Wild Ride
2. Wild Ride
When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
The second part of what Jesus did in this miracle was to provide the description of the wild ride we can experience with the Holy Spirit. I know folks who are part of Corvette clubs and purchase Corvettes. Do you know why they do this? It is for the ride that a corvette provides. It is for that feeling of being pushed back into the seat, for the feeling of the wheels gripping the road. For the overall experience of being behind the wheel of a vehicle that has more horses than a Texas Rancher. It is for the wild ride. Can I tell you folks that the Spirit can provide a much wilder ride than a Corvette ever could. Jesus just explained to His disciples the type of life that they will experience if they put the spirit first in their lives. Are you ready to really live that wild ride and experience what the Spirit can do through you and with you? We see the power of the Spirit in the scriptures time after time after time. It is not the person it is the spirit through the person. The disciples were astonished at what Jesus did and Jesus said to them that if they will live in the spirit with no doubt in them that they would see greater things in their lives.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
See scripture is chock full of examples of what the spirit can do. Jesus in this moment is also preparing His disciples to understand that the Spirit of God is the one who gives the power to perform miracles. Remember Jesus performed no miracles until the Spirit of the Father rested and stayed on Him. Jesus also told His disciples that The one He was sending was greater than even He. It was because the Spirit of God in us allows is to live out the Miracles of Jesus in our lives. To be a part of something bigger than ourselbves, to do something we never thourgh we could do.
