The Shocking Truth About the Spirit part 5 Fruitful Witness
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Intro
Being subpoenaed to court as a witness. I was surprised by the lawyer interrupting with an objection. Here-say. It was I that was the witness on the stand. A witness to what I saw. I was not there to speak in place of someone else’s experience. They could be called and speak for themselves. I was the only authority concerning what I saw. No one could speak for me and what I saw. Same for the officer.
In the world of marketing and advertising, things have changed a lot in recent years. No longer are the classifieds in the printed paper important or even read much. Mailers have lost the spark they once had. And we all know how telemarketing is getting less and less affective and more and more bothersome....But the tried and true method of ages past still reigns as king. Word of mouth. The power of personal testimony. A personal witness can go further than thousands of fliers. Which is why sometimes celebrity endorsements are still influential. We may not know the John Doe on a flier stating that so and so is the best so and so. But if Superstar such and such says it’s so, we want to believe it. And if the person trying to convince us of something is a close friend or family, we will be more often than not more influenced by them than shear statement printed on a page from the company indicating why we should choose their product.
Everyone is a witness to something...
Every Christian is a witness for Christ.
As we continue in this series about the truths of the Spirit
Promise of receiving spirit
It will be with us and in us
To convict and convert the heart
Is available now
The divine nature of the Spirit that brings life to these dry bones
Through the Spirit Christ dwells in us
Today we continue the exploration...The reason we need the Spirit
Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
It is to receive power to be witnesses.
We need the Spirit to receive power to witness.
We need the Spirit to receive power to witness.
The spirit is a gift who gives power to witness.
Witnessing
Witnessing is not one of the spiritual gifts. Where we all get gifts, but not all have the same one. It is something everyone capable of doing. Everyone is capable for witnessing. The power to do so and the content of the witness is given to everyone who has accepted Christ as their savior.
Witnessing is a privilege of the converted, not a talent.
Witnessing comes out naturally by those who have a testimony. The way we express our testimony will indeed vary from person to person.
If you have an experience with Jesus, then you are capable of witnessing.
those who are not capable of witnessing, have not experienced Jesus.
Witnessing is an outward expression of something that has happened inwardly.
Martys - definition = witness from which we get the word “martyr”.
However, in greek the word martyria is the content of the witness.
In English, one word describes both the person and content. I am a witness and that which I say about it, the content is also the witness.
Witnessing is empowered through the manifestation of the Spirit.
Manifestations of the Spirit (The outward visible expression)
Manifestations of the Spirit (The outward visible expression)
Only two manifestations of the Spirit
When we receive the Spirit it will be seen in two ways:
The lives we live
The burden we have for those who do not know Jesus
And we see the example in the upper room on pentacost.
In the same vain, we receive two things from the Spirit, Fruit & Gifts
Fruit
Gifts
they are companions and should never be alone.
Someone with spiritual gifts should testify to their experience and share it.
There are a variety of ways to do so and the time and place should be considered.
But we should be witnessing. And we have power to do so.
Fruit manifestation
Paul talked about the fruit of the Spirit and reminded the church about grace. We are saved by grace. Christ’s righteousness. But notice what was happening to the Galatians. They were called hypocrites for promoting works of the law to earn salvation.
And the rest of the Jews also joined him in this hypocrisy so that even Barnabas got carried away with them in their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they weren’t acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, though you’re a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you require the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Gal 2:
In that context he asks...
I just want to know this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law or by believing what you heard?
gal
He encourages them that Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the law. And also contrasts the results of legalism, which don’t save and bring death, or falling away from grace, by contrasting with walking in the Spirit.
You people who are trying to be made righteous by the Law have been estranged from Christ. You have fallen away from grace! We eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith.
I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.
love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control
Manifestation of the Spirit
Miracle fruit with 9 flavors from one source, or 9 types from one source
These fruit expressed through our character resemble Jesus. We reflect Jesus as we bear fruit and people are able to see the fruit.
And we expect to reap this kind of fruit if we are connected to the spirit
Just as when we plant an apple seed, we don’t wait for an artichoke, we expect apples.
Based on what we sow, is what we reap. which means if we are sowing seeds of discord.
Story example of witnessing and visible fruit.
You might be thinking, I want more of this fruit in my life. Or I wish someone else in my life would be fruitier.
How we bear fruit
How we bear fruit?
How we bear fruit?
This illustration says it all.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper.
2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit.
3 You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything.
6 If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.
john 15.1-8
This process of bearing fruit takes time. And the verse is clear about it.
First there is bearing no fruit and then some fruit, then more fruit.
2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit.
then much fruit
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything.
8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.
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The vineyard manager, vine dressers, vitner, takes care to help the fruit bearing process.
2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit.
Prune, trim, remove, takes care of the vineyard
Produces growth.
Leaving alone, the vineyard doesn’t thrive.
We already see the goal is bear much fruit.
Although, in a way, there is cutting and some pain, that experience helps with new growth.
As such, God doesn’t cause suffering and the consequences of sin, but as he allows those things to exist, as we receive scars, experience some dieback, he comes in a prunes, so we get stronger. The pests of the vineyard cause the defoliation, fruit rot, etc. And the gardener comes in to clean up and start the healing.
The pruning process also goes on throughout the season, not just in winter when there is no growth. Although the pruning helps fresh growth of shoots leaves and tendrils. as the leaves emmerge, they can be too thick and the fruit is not exposed to the sun. Optimum conditions is a good amount of sunlight, but not complete coverage or no leaves at all.
In other words you need to be able to see the fruit. When I went through the vineyard, I couldn’t see it unless I looked under everything. It was a mess. No one was taking care of the vineyard.
the manager does this very carefully. He is closest to the vine when he is working on it. Just as when we are going through our tough spots on life and need pruning and care, we can rest assured God is never closer to us than when we need him most.
he won’t give up on us even if we are blaming him for the pain and discomfort we are experiencing in life.
All we need to do is...
Abide in Christ
Abide in Christ
The beginning process of bearing fruit God just initiates. He starts pruning us and caring for us. Fruit comes forth. Yet we don’t lose freedom of choice. We must choose to remain with him. To abide.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything.
Abide = remain, stay
So we begin by being rescued by Jesus. Remember the Spirit also has a role of converting the heart. He fills us up. Christ in us.
16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
We are branches that have been grafted in.
We are branches that have been grafted in.
17 If some of the branches were broken off, and you were a wild olive branch, and you were grafted in among the other branches and shared the root that produces the rich oil of the olive tree,
18 then don’t brag like you’re better than the other branches. If you do brag, be careful: it’s not you that sustains the root, but it’s the root that sustains you.
23 And even those who were cut off will be grafted back in if they don’t continue to be unfaithful, because God is able to graft them in again.
This is the
Adoption into Christ
Adoption into Christ
4 But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.
5 This was so he could redeem those under the Law so that we could be adopted.
The grafting process takes skill.
Jesus is the best at it.
Abide in him, don’t every leave. To keep on bearing fruit and to receive the care of the vineyard manager, keep holding on.
So we see this side of witnessing…the fruit. We need to be fruity christians. And the spirit helps with the fruit-bearing process as we remain in Christ, and he in us, filled with the Spirit.
The other part is the gifts. Remember we said fruit and gifts are the manifestation of the Spirit.
Gifts of the Spirit
Gifts of the Spirit
List needed.
Job description list
Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd/Pastor, Teacher, Discerner of Spirits, Encourager, Faithful, Generous, Healer, Knowledgable, Multilingual, Interpreter of Languages, Leader, Merciful, Miracle Worker, Server/Minister, Wise.
Gift of grace and love (verse needed)
Multipurpose gifts
Build up the church and to help witness.
Christlike life and ministry
Results in a Christlike life and ministry, which is our witness.
We take the promised power to witness, and use it.
The promised Holy Spirit lives in us and empowers us and manifests itself, shows itself in us through fruit, love joy peace, self control, and through giving us gifts
People in turn see Christ through us.
This is a natural process, that takes time as the fruit grows and the vineyard master takes care of us and prunes us. All the while the Christlike character and desire to witness emerges and becomes obvious to people.
The witness helps people see Christ and leads people to Jesus.
Closing story of a great witness
David and Svea Flood, missionaries from Sweden, went with their 2-year old son to the Congo, Africa, to do God’s work.
They joined the work with another couple from Scandinavia named the Ericksons.
In the remote village they journeyed to in order to become part of the community, they were met with resistance from the village chief. He wouldn’t let them have contact or enter their town for fear of upsetting their gods. So they made a mud hut up a hill outside of the village. They prayed for a breakthrough, but only were able to make contact with one boy twice a week from which they would buy chicken and eggs.
So Svea Flood decided he would be the one she would share Jesus with. Every time they met she would share stories.
Meanwhile Malaria outbreaks were ravaging the area. The Ericksons decided they had enough and moved to the central mission station, leaving the Floods behind. Then Svea Flood became pregnant, But due to several bouts of Malaria, she was weakened and 17 days after giving birth, she died at age 27. Her husband David snapped after digging her grave and burying her. Mad at God and discouraged, he went back to the mission station, gave his newborn daughter Aina, and son, to the Erickson, and then abandoned them all to go back to Sweden.
Eight months laters, both the Ericksons died from a mysterious illness. The little girl was given to an American missionary couple, who renamed her Aggie, and took her to live with them in the States.
How could so much go wrong when all these people wanted to do was serve God? Yet God was working through this unhappy situation.
Aggie grew up and met and married a young man who was a pastor. He eventually became president of a Christian college.
Then one day a Swedish language religious magazine arrived in her mailbox. As she was looking at the pictures out of curiosity, she noticed a picture of a grave in a primitive remote location with a white cross with the words SVEA FLOOD engraved. She couldn’t read the article so she raced to the college to find the professor who she knew could.
What does this article say? So he summarized the story of how missionaries in the Congo long ago worked hard, and how Svea Flood died young, and how she made contact with an African boy, and that there were many Christians living their now.
Then a few years later were attending a high-level Evangelism conference in London and a report was given about the Congo. The Superintendant spoke eloquently about the work and spread of the gospel.
Afterward, Aggie couldn’t help but ask him if he had her of her parents David and SVea. What she heard brought tears.
“It was Svea Flood who led me to Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents. Svea’s earnest effort to bless the boy and help him made an impression. He accepted Jesus and after he grew up he convinced the chief to build a school in the village and then he led all the children to Christ. Children led parents, and eventually the chief became Christian.600 in the village and 100,000 in the country.
A Christlike life and ministry is why the spirit gives us fruit and gifts. To have power to witness for Jesus.
In the tough times, we are pruned and he takes care of us and we bear more fruit. get stronger and Jesus shines more.
Don’t dispare in the tough times. There will come joyous times and results for your efforts to witness.
Appeal/application
Grab hold of Jesus through prayer, telling others about him through your fruitful character and gifted abilities to help other, make friends, building the togetherness we need, in unity.
Two
As Christ wants to Abide in you, Abide in Christ, remain in Christ.
Me (How do I struggle with this?)
How I struggle with being a witness.
We (How do we all struggle with this?)
God (What does the Bible say about this?)
You (What should you do about this?)
We (How can we all live this out together?)
