Christ: The way of bearing fruit
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Christ the way of . . .
Christ the way of . . .
So much more that just the say way of life. We have seen many things on this journey so far.
The way to God and to life
The way to Truth and of love
The way of Joy and of peace
The way of unity, prayer and forgiveness
Laying some groundwork for today.
Jesus uses fruit to describe a mark of discipleship (Jn15:8)
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
So bearing fruit is proof of discipleship; not for discipleship but from discipleship.
Jesus states the disciples are to be fruit bearing (Jn15:16)
16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
What does fruit do? It produces more fruit. We have been appointed just as the disciples there were to go and bear fruit.
Failure to bear fruit has dire consequences (Jn15:1-6)
I think this passage has much to say that helps us set the stage to demonstrate that Jesus is the way of bearing fruit.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
You see Jesus and the Father (v.1)
You see non bearing fruit is taken away (v.2, burned up v.6)
You see fruit has nothing to do with salvation but proof of it (v.3)
You see fruit is contingent of staying connected to the vine (vv.4-6)
(Transition) the end result for the unfruitful is not easy to accept and dreadful to even contemplate. So, having said that we need to ensure that we bear fruit. And this morning in trying to look at Christ the way of bearing fruit we will look at:
Fruit bearing, contingent on abiding in Christ
Fruit bearing is manifested in various ways
Fruit bearing leads to fulfilled life
Fruit bearing: Contingent on abiding
Fruit bearing: Contingent on abiding
To abide (verb): accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation). Abiding is explained by Jesus and instructed by Apostles too.
Explained by Jesus
We must abide in Him (Jn15:4-5)
We cannot bear fruit on our own
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Abide in Him and bear much fruit
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Paul acknowledges that our adequacy is found in from God in Christ (2Cor3:5; Php4:13)
5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Add in
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
(Transition) - So how can we abide in Christ since we are told we must abide if we are to bear fruit?
How do we abide to bear fruit?
First you need to put Him on in baptism (Gal3:27)
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Then you abide in His love (Jn15:9-10; ref: Jn14:15, 21-23)
9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 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.
He commanded the apostles and gave a promise; love = keeping commands; keeping commands will bring = the helper (Holy Spirit)
Keep commands loves me, and he will be loved by My Father.
(Transition) A disciple will bear fruit if truly a disciple. To bear fruit proving you are a disciple you must abide in Christ. To abide is to obey His commands. Now what kind of fruit will the disciple bear? What fruit will be manifested in the disciple? It will vary.
Fruit being manifested
Fruit being manifested
Fruit comes in many shapes, textures, taste and even seasons doesn’t it? Bearing spiritual fruit does to, it can, will be manifested in various ways.
Soul winning for Jesus (Rom1:13; Mt28:19-20)
Like Paul wanting to bear fruit among the gentiles in Rome
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are to bear fruit, go and make more disciples just as the apostles did in first century. They were commanded and we should follow the lead
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Insert Go and nake disciples picture here)
It takes a village to make disciples
Evangelist, teachers, mentors, friends
It takes time, materials and especially takes prayer too
It takes God’s word in you so God’s word can work through you!
2021: Together we grow (spiritually, numerically, financially and in service) - expand on this- fruit bearing discipleship
Sharing with each other as there is a need (Rom15:25-28; ref: 2Cor8:1-5)
25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.
You can read more on this in 2Cor8:1-5 too, they gave even beyond their ability. First by giving themselves to the Lord then to the Apostles by the will of God for the saints in Jerusalem.
(transition) So from soul winning for Jesus to caring for one another in Jesus name; looking out for one another. That sounds like the next fruit
Developing Christ like character, maturing in Christ (Gal5:16, 22-23; 2Pt1:5-8)
Walking in the Spirit and bearing fruit of the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
and then the fruit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
and Peter calls this fruit, developing the graces as seen here
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So not to be unfruitful in true knowledge of our Lord. May we be fruit bearing by developing Christ like character as we share with others in need after sharing the good news, being a soul winner for Jesus. See, told you it takes a village and each of us has a part, different fruit, different gifts to bring and use.
Knowing, and bringing God given gifts given by the Spirit for the common good (1Cor12:4-7; 12-14)
Gifts for the common good, let me show just a touch of this
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
and then a few verse later
12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
Next, Praising God and giving thanks (Heb13:15; ref: Jn10:10)
We, as disciples, bear fruit and manifest fruit in praise
15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
It is the fruit of our lips! A acceptable sacrifice that should be offered continually!
(Transition) We as disciples will bear fruit, bear fruit for the kingdom, for the common good. Fruit that brings glory to God and proves we are His disciples. Fruit bearing also brings about the abundant, or full life as it says in (Jn10:10).
Fruit bearing and the fulfilled life
Fruit bearing and the fulfilled life
Benefits of being a fruit bearing disciple of Jesus Christ. The greatest benefit is knowing you are a Christian, then there are secondary benefits too. So may we look back at what we have covered and see the benefits, the results for us, personally.
Winning souls produces joy (1The2:19-20, 3Jn1:4; Ref: Lk15:7; Mt3:8; 2Cor7:10; Act2:47; Jn3:5; Rom6:4; 1Cor5:17)
19 Who do you think we’re going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it’s not you? 20 You’re our pride and joy!
Joy (rejoicing) in heaven (Lk15:7) and joy in the kingdom when we together bear fruit for the kingdom, fruit worthy of repentance (Mt3:8) that leads to salvation (2Cor7:10) and addition to those being saved daily by the Lord (Act2:47). They, the converted believer, bring joy to those who helped the journey to a new life (Jn3:5; Rom6:4; 1Cor5:17)
(Expand on the above, slow down built it up)
Look how John put’s it:
4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
So, we rejoice when one is saved on the day of salvation the start of their walk, but fruit it not a one day thing is it? We should have joy each and every day for each person the Lord has blessed us with. Don’t stop then, keep rejoicing!
Sharing with each other produces happiness (Act20:35)
We know the early church being a christian made you an outcast and the disciples had all things in common and gave to help one another in need (Act2:44-45, 4:32)
But it also produces within the giver happiness.
35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’ ”
You are blessed when you give, you are happy when you give. Give from a cheerful heart and it is not just about our offerings on the first day of the week, but being a blessing to others who are in need.
Maturing in Christ, developing Christ like character produces assurance (2Pt1:8-11; Jn13:34-35, 1Jn3:14, 18-19; Ref: Jn20:31; 1Jn5:13)
You know the song, blessed assurance Jesus is mine. It is more that a song, it is strong faith, belief an assurance that we have in Him. It is as Peter says.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Can you say abundantly supplied to you! As you mature in Christ, develop Christ like character, graces you have the blessed assurance of your entrance into the eternal kingdom! This goes with the assurance we find in John’s writing (Jn20:31; 1Jn5:13)
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
Passed out of death to life, then a few verses later
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
Can you see, the blessed assurance!
(Transition) So, from a blessed assurance that brings about the sacrifice of praise to our lips filled with thanksgiving that brings about the peace of God to the fruitful disciple of Jesus Christ.
Praising God and giving thanks brings about, or produces peace (Php4:6-7)
While we may have times of stress, of anxiety in our walk, prayer is an antidote for anxiety.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
and the promise we find from God through the inspired writer is found in the next verse
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Notice it is the peace of God that guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
(Insert invitation slide: bearing fruit)
Are you bearing fruit, as a disciple, you will bear fruit if you are abiding in Him (Jn15:8)
Jesus Christ provides the way of bearing fruit, to be a disciple by His sacrifice on the cross
Become a disciple today, be saved!
Be fruitful and multiply today through soul winning, sharing, developing, praising and giving thanks.
(Song) (Prayer) (Exit)