LASTING FRUIT

John 15:16 - Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you

Matt 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The title of today’s message is, “Lasting Fruit”.

As kids, one of the most important things to us when we were playing, was to be picked for the team. And dare I say not just picked but to be picked first, because the next best thing to being captain of the team, was to be chosen first. This signified you were one of the best players. What you didn’t want was to be chosen last, to be chosen last meant you needed to up your game so that next time you wouldn’t be.

In life, even as adults, I would dare say we still want to be chosen first; just look at the professional drafts…it’s a whole production with teams making deals even throughout the draft to put themselves in a position to chose the players to make the best possible team.

The player’s dream is to be chosen first or at least in the first round, because to be chosen in the first round means the possibility for more money. The higher you’re selected in the draft, the bigger the contract, if you make the team. That’s right, I said if you make the team. To be drafted doesn’t automatically mean you make the team, there’s still work to be done, plays to be learned, and positions to competed for. Being drafted is not a guarantee that you will be on the team.

Our Scripture text from John is just a small part of the discourse Jesus had for his disciples at the Last Supper. He was leaving them instructions and encouragement in what would be his farewell sermon. It was time for his purpose to be fulfilled and the disciples still had no idea of what was about to come. To them it was just another meal with Jesus, the man they had been walking with now for the last three years.

When you get comfortable with someone, you think it’s going to be this way forever and then something happens, something that changes your relationship forever. I don’t need to make a list because we all live through change, we all live through hardship, we all live through disappointment. For the disciples, the person they had come to trust, to love as a brother, a teacher, a friend, a Savior, a provider and a miracle worker was about to leave them and their lives would once again be changed forever.

Did you know you can have multiple life changing events? Change is not a one and done kind of thing. There are people who come into your life for a reason, some for a season, and some who come for a lifetime. Those who come for a reason or a season may be there just to get you moving in the right direction, to set you on the path to your destiny.

When they come, don’t try to make the seasonal people lifelong partners, because the relationship won’t last. It’s like fruit, every fruit has as a season and when you try to hold on to it for too long, it will rot. Or if you try to get that fruit out of season it may be bitter, it may be expensive or it may not even taste the same because someone may have attempted to duplicate it’s environment to force it to grow out of season.

Jesus came for a season, to train a group of men for a mission to take the Gospel into all the world. He had to encourage them because he knew they’d try to return to what they had always known. When you grow up with certain beliefs it’s hard to change as an adult. It can be difficult to shift from what you were taught as a child, to put aside what mama and daddy told you. As an adult it can be difficult to take your life in a new direction, even if, that direction leads to a better place. Jesus knew these men, he knew them better than they knew themselves; and you’d better believe He knows you better than you know yourself.

He knew they’d be tried and tested and challenged and threatened and he had to give them what they needed for the journey they were about to undertake. God has done the same for us, while the disciples had Jesus with them for a season, they were living the story. We have the benefit of the story in its completion, we have the Bible and we can read it as much as we want. We even have various translations to read if we can’t understand one and study Bibles when we want more clarity or instruction.

There’s something else we have the benefit of; we, like the disciples, have the advantage of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, leading and guiding and reminding us of who we are and who He is. Reminding us that God has never lost a battle and that He never will.

When get saved, we like to believe it was a choice we made. We have songs such as I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, and I Choose Jesus, when in fact the truth is according to the fifteenth chapter and the sixteenth verse of John we see we actually did not choose Jesus, He chose us. The Scripture says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you”.

Jesus chose us for the team before the world was created. We were born chosen by the Supreme Creator of everything that was made. Isn’t that exciting to know that God chose you before you were born? He told Jeremiah, before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I knew you.

For those walking around distressed and depressed because of what the cyber bullies are saying, remember you were chosen by God. So what does that mean?

It means God sees your pain and He cares

It means, he hears your cries and he bottles up every tear.

It means He is your protector and defender.

It means He will fight your battles you don’t have to clap back at the internet trolls.

For those who may be suffering the rejection of divorce, remember you were chosen by God, despite what your now ex-partner had or has to say about you, here’s what God says

You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

You are holy and without blame.

You are a person of wisdom and prudence.

You are more than a conqueror, you are an overcomer.

In addition to that, God will restore everything the enemy has tried to take from you.

Your self-confidence

your self-esteem

your self-respect and

your self-reliance

For those who may be dealing with a situation you think is imperfect, a situation you feel is too hard, too emotional, too costly, it’s just too much…Jesus said cast your cares upon Him for He cares for you. You don’t have to carry it by yourself, in fact you don’t have to carry it at all. Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

So when sides are chosen, what you need to know is…you were chosen before the world began and you were chosen to be on the winning side. Where do you stand? Who’s on the Lord’s side?

Not only were you chosen, you have been ordained, God has set you apart, he has separated you from the crowd, so don’t worry when you don’t fit it, there is a reason for that, you weren’t meant to be like everybody else. You are a one-of-a-kind original work of art and God made you perfect. No matter what you look like, God made you perfect.

When you’re ordained you’ve been set apart for a purpose and your purpose is to go and bear fruit. Let’s not move too fast, first you have to go. You have to move from where you are and go. You can’t just sit on your sofa and expect people to come to you asking about Jesus. We are about to start meeting in person again and we cannot get back into the building and go back to what we were doing before. We cannot sit inside and expect people are just going to come; we must go to where the people are, we must put aside our fear, put aside our preconceived notions and go ye therefore into all the world, but let’s start right here in Douglasville, let’s start in our own neighborhood, let’s start in our own church community.

Next, to bear fruit you must plant seeds. You plant seeds by telling others what thus saith the Lord. You don’t have to memorize Scripture and quote it verbatim, just tell them what God did for you. Tell them what he delivered you from. We were all lost, on our way to hell and God reached down and pulled us up out of the mud, He gave us a way out of the pit we were in. He took us off the path we were on that led to hell, death and destruction and placed us on one that leads to a city where the streets are paved with gold, one that leads to life everlasting and blessings.

But let me just tell you this, when you spend time with God daily, reading, studying and meditating on His Word, then you will be able to quote versus. Because you’ll begin to hide His Word in your heart. You’ll be able to quote it because it’s in those alone times with God, when you allow Him to speak to your heart through his Word that the Word will stay with you. When you’re under attack you’ll remember when David said in Ps 27

27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

When you need guidance and strength for your journey, you’ll remember the 23rd division of the Psalm when David said

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

When your life seems to be crashing down around you, you can think back to Romans 8:28 and be reminded

And we know that all things work together for good, to them who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.

And if by some chance you forget or lose sight of who you are and who God is; allow Ps 8 to jog your memory as you say…

8:1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! But until then, just tell them your story, you never know, it may be just what they needed to hear. Then there’s one more Scripture you’ll want to know when it’s time for them to make the best decision of their life…you’ll want to let them know about Romans 10:9—10. You’ll want to be able to tell them

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

And then you have to water the seed. Here’s where it may seem a little tricky, sometimes watering the seed may look like you’re planting the seed, you can’t always be sure where you are in the process. Here’s what’s important…be a part of the process. Whether you plant, or water or both, just be a part of the process.

When you’re a part of the process, not only will you bring forth fruit but it will be fruit that will remain. Now someone once said to me in essence, if Love Christian Center was witnessing our congregation should be larger, because the fruit would remain. But here’s what God showed me, we aren’t witnessing just to build Love Christian Center, we are building the Kingdom of God and we have much fruit, fruit that has gone out from Love Christian Center and multiplied. Man looks at what they can see at the time and God looks through time and space. He looks at your past, your present and your future. LCC we have lasting fruit.

When Jesus said go into all the world and teach all nations, he didn’t say bring them all back to Love Christian Center. The fruit we’re striving to grow is worldwide fruit, that’s why we ask and encourage you to share the message by whatever platform you’re viewing it. If you’re seeing this message, if it speaks to your heart, if it challenges you, if it encourages you in any way, join the team and help us spread the Word, hit like, hit share, leave a comment, and if you live in the Douglasville, GA area come worship with us when we get into our new location. If you don’t live in the area, you can still join the online ministry, we choose you.

And when you go forth and make fruit that remains there’s another opportunity you have, if there were someone you could ask for anything and they would give it to you; would want to know that person? Well get ready, I’m about to introduce you. In the last part of this verse, Jesus says, “that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Understand Jesus chose you, He ordained you so you could go and bear good fruit, the kind that remains and when you do that, what it shows is you understand the things of God. It shows you know what’s important, it shows you won’t be materialistic and selfish in your asking. It shows you have read James 4 and you’ll know, “…you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

When you understand that Jesus chose you, that He ordained you so you could go a bear good fruit, the kind that remains, you’ll understand the power to ask for what you want is in the name of Jesus. In and of ourselves we have no power, power belongs to God and we are so blessed that he chooses to include us in his plan. That he chooses to work through us to achieve his purpose. That he chooses to use us to spread his message of salvation.

When you understand that Jesus chose you… you will seek first the Kingdom of God. You’ll understand this world is temporary, this is not our home. So we won’t worry about the material things of this world,

our focus will be on heaven

our focus will be on seeing our Savior face to face

our focus will be on being in a place where there is no darkness, because the SON Son shines perpetually

our focus will be on the joy we have because there is no sickness or sorrow or death

When you seek God’s kingdom first your focus changes. When you seek God’s kingdom first he’ll give all you need down here and some more. You see, He knows what you need and he even knows what you want.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring to be the best, as long as you’re not stepping on others to get there. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more, as long as you’re not taking from others to have it. There’s nothing wrong with having as long as you don’t lose your focus.

God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That’s a promise and we serve a promise keeping God. We are to put first things first and everything else will fall into place.

To put first things first on this journey, it begins with accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. It’s a simple prayer that says, Father, I believe and confess that Jesus is your Son, that he was born of a virgin, died for my sins and was raised again. I believe that he ascended back to heaven and now sits at your right hand praying for me. Jesus I’m asking you to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In your name I pray, amen.

Our desire is to have lasting fruit, fruit that remains for the kingdom of God not just Love Christian Center. Our mission is to lift up Jesus and win souls for the Kingdom of God knowing that one who wins souls is wise.

If you’ve given to your heart to Jesus, but have yet to give your talents to a local church, we’d love for you to join us on our mission. You can join us online or give us a few more weeks and we’ll be at 3500 State Hwy 5, ste 101 in Douglasville, GA, but you can respond today by replying to this message or sending us an email to [e-mail].

If you feel led to support this ministry financially, please go to the giving page of our website at www.lovechristianctr.org for all the ways you can give. When you sow into this ministry you are sowing into good ground.

You were chosen to bear lasting fruit, are you prepared for the harvest?