Scrutinize the Fruit

Scrutinize the Fruit Scrutinize the Fruit Michael Morse / General CrossFit / Heart; Fruit; Genuine; Character; Nature / Luke 6:43-45 When we want to hide our true self we can deceive and pretend to be what we arent. By all appearances we can look like what we want to portray, but Jesus says there is a truth to life that will always reveal our true identity, the fruit of our life. Jesus tells us why we should be looking at the fruit to determine the tree. Introduction 1. One thing about the health and fitness industry is it doesnt take long to know if they are genuine or not. a. A person wears their fitness and its visible for all to see i. If they claim to be able to build muscle they will have well developed muscles ii. If they say they are able to reduce fat - they will have a low body fat percentage b. If they claim to be in shape and fit they should be able to exercise without dying - at the very least right? c. Someone who lives a lifestyle of health and fitness shows it - it is evidenced visibly 2. The Sermon on the Plain continues with Jesus telling us the same about how to know one another a. Its in the same context about being judgmental - we arent to be judgmental but we are to exercise judgment. b. Jesus using agricultural metaphor gives us several principles to use proper judgment so that we may know one another i. Because like fitness people evidence who they are visibly - if you know what to look for or what to look at › SLIDE Luke 6:43-44 CSB 43 "A good tree doesn't produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn't produce good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren't gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. › SLIDE Luke 6:45 CSB 45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. › SLIDE Each One Produces Fruit According to Itself › SLIDE Luke 6:43 CSB 43 "A good tree doesn't produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn't produce good fruit. 1. There are two types of trees a. There are many kinds of trees - Maple, Pecan, Pear, Apple, etc - but only two types i. There are good trees and bad trees b. Good - Greek word - Kalos - Good beautiful and desirable i. What is ordered and sound - virtuous ii. Biblically - conformity to God's will, morally good in accordance with the law c. Bad - Greek word - Sapros - corrupt rotten - poor quality, unfit for use i. What is useless and unpleasant d. The metaphor here is not about the condition of the trees but rather of the types of trees i. Now a tree is not really a tree here - Jesus is using this metaphor to relate to people or their teachings 1. It not of trees that are healthy and sound while others are rotting 2. It is of trees that are of an excellent variety and trees of a worthless or useless variety ii. Both trees look grand as merely trees and that is why Jesus says we must look deeper to reveal their worth. 2. Each tree produces the same type of fruit as itself a. Good trees do not bear bad fruit and bad trees do not bear good fruit i. Fruit is used over 200 times in the Bible mostly in relation to the food group - figs, grapes, prunes etc. ii. Another common usage of the word is in relation to results of an action 1. Every action has consequences or results - whether good or bad 2. It is in this context we will look at fruit › SLIDE Fruit - results or consequences of an action - whether good or bad b. It is absolutely impossible for a tree to bear fruit contrary to its own constitution and nature › SLIDE Each One Is Identified By Their Own Fruit › SLIDE Luke 6:44 CSB 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren't gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. 1. Each tree is known by its own fruit a. The fruit is the final test for the tree i. Fruit is the definitive test for the tree › SLIDE A tree is known by its OWN fruit b. The fruit reveals and makes KNOWN the tree i. Known - epiginosethe - full knowledge complete intimate knowledge ii. The fruit of a tree reveals the true and actual character/nature iii. The fruit is the inevitable result of who we ARE 1. Each tree will be identified by its own fruit not the fruit of other trees like it but each one by its own 2. Every tree and its worth is evident by the fruit › SLIDE Each tree is evident by its fruit - there is no other way or test a. This should give pause to some and relief to others - because while a tree can claim to be something its not - it cant be that for too long it will be found out b. There is a time before the harvest comes but nonetheless there will be a harvest and the fruit will be evident and revealing i. The fruit a tree produces cannot be different from the character of the tree itself. ii. Fruit is the picture of the product of one's life - their choices behavior and conduct 3. You produce what you are a. It is a physical law as well as spiritual law - self-evident within agriculture i. You only produce what you are - and you cannot produce anything different from what you are b. You do not get figs from thorns and grapes from bramble bush i. Never do you see someone go to a pecan orchard expecting apples or oranges ii. The idea is not only humorous but ridiculous 1. People know to judge the tree by its fruit now Jesus is telling us to avoid judgmental and hypercritical judgment and avoid error from false teachers - we must judge people by their fruits also 2. Brambles and thorn bushes bear no fruit - so it is with men also › SLIDE You want to identify the tree - look at the fruit because that it what the tree is and what it can produce › SLIDE Each One Produces From the Treasury of Their Heart › SLIDE Luke 6:45 CSB 45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 1. Just as there are two types of trees - there are two types of people a. Good or Evil i. We are all in one of the two categories - we are good or we are evil ii. There is no neutral for to be neutral is to the same as evil › SLIDE Matthew 12:30 CSB 30 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters. › SLIDE Luke 9:50 CSB 50 "Don't stop him," Jesus told him, "because whoever is not against you is for you." b. Not to have good fruit is to have evil fruit - there is no innocent sterility. 2. Each person produces what they have from their hearts a. A bad/evil heart produces bad evil actions with bad consequences that the Bible calls bad fruit › SLIDE Jeremiah 6:19 CSB 19 Listen, earth! I am about to bring disaster on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to my words. They have rejected my instruction. › SLIDE Hosea 10:13 CSB 13 You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in your large number of soldiers, › SLIDE Works are Fruits Galatians 5:19-21 CSB 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things-as I warned you before-that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. b. In contrast a good heart produces good actions and good consequences the Bible calls good fruit › SLIDE Ephesians 5:8-10 CSB 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light-9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth-10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. › SLIDE Galatians 5:22-23 CSB 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 3. Even a persons words are fruit of the heart a. The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart i. Hearts are exposed through words ii. Words reveal more than we think they do › SLIDE - William Barclay Always our speech betrays us › SLIDE Matthew 12:33-34 CSB 33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. › SLIDE Matthew 12:35-37 CSB 35 A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." b. Pay attention to what someone says or does - their fruits because it reveals who they really are i. That is important for us to know - so important Jesus made sure to teach it to His disciples. Conclusion › SLIDE Fruit of the Flesh Galatians 5:19-21 CSB 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things-as I warned you before-that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. › SLIDE Galatians 5:22-23 CSB 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. We know that we can tell a tree by its fruit and we should use this in examination of others and of those who would be teachers - but we also must turn this around and examine our own fruit and allow it to reveal to us our true self. › SLIDE What we ARE is more important than anything we say or do; because what we ARE determines what we say or do Jesus tells us that it is a question of dealing with the core of the tree. Fruit does not corrupt itself, but fruit comes out corrupted because the tree is corrupted at the core. It is our hearts that need attention. We need to judge ourselves first - at the heart - Are our hearts disposed towards God, or are they set against Him? Use the fruit as the test to take inventory of who you are - New Year is good time to take inventory of where you are, where you want to be and what you need to do to get there. It starts with being honest with yourself and seeing your self clearly with 20/20 vision - a good tree with a new heart or a bad tree with a sinful and corrupt heart. If you have good fruit you are a good tree If you have bad fruit - you are a bad tree - the only way to change your fruit is to have your heart changed - for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks forth Today we partake of communion - as a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus - before we hand out the elements I want to give you a chance to partake of communion with a new heart or a renewed heart. You may fool some people but you arent fooling God and you wont fool everyone for long - you fruit reveals who you are You are examining the fruit of your life and words and realize you need a changed heart or a cleansed heart or maybe you have never given your life to Jesus and you need a whole new heart - this is the time to do it this is the time to come to Jesus and have Him cleanse and renew and replace your heart. Has your heart been transformed by the grace of God? If not you need Him now Communion › SLIDE 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 CSB 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." › SLIDE 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 CSB 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:33 PM January 4, 2020.