The Gospel's Social Program's Fruit & Root

Introduction:

Welcome to hell. Those were the words one pastor told me when I said we were looking to move to take a pastoral position. When we moved here from Charlotte, NC, I was amazed and the vegetation. I mean I know we live in the desert, but I was amazed at the variety. Grapefruits, organges, lemons. It is amazing that in the same climate of cactus, there is citrus. In our previous house, we had a few variety of citrus trees, but there is one tree that had, the worst citrus I had ever had. It was awful. It was sour, and bitter, and gross. I don’t know what the purpose of the fruit was. Maybe to make some type of solvent to take the enamel off your teeth.

It’s important to be able to identify fruit so you know what your eating, to take in what’s good for you. Is it poisonous, is it edible.

In the same way, followers of Jesus need to bear distinct types of fruit. This might be the best way to communicate to a watching world who Jesus Christ is, what he has done, and what he has called to as his followers. Today we are going to look at one of those specific fruits.

What type of fruit should we be looking for, and what type of root is needed?

Fruit of the Gospel’s root is Love For Brothers

Purpose is for assurance and one of their great sources of assurance and ours is the bearing of gospel fruit. Recall that the church has been rocked by discord and false teaching. How can you have assurance when you have false teachers that are coming in and lobbing grenades at you?

Last week we discussed one of the assurance on whether the gospel has taken root in our lives is bearing the fruit of loving God. In life evidence by desiring to obey God and repenting when we fall short.

But another fruit of the gospel truth Is following the command to love your brothers. You see the Christian faith was never meant to be lived in isolation, it’s not meant to be divorced from a church, it’s not meant to be just me and Jesus. It was meant to be lived in a community where you have opportunity to demonstrate love for your brothers. How can you say you love someone, when there is really no connection, no relationship. The reason why this is driving us to be in a fellowship, in a community, in a church body can be understood when we answer the question, who are our brothers.

Who are the brothers?

My conclusion is other believers.

The reason why is the John uses the term brothers referring to the recipients of this letter. For example first John 313. These are people in the church. Also John makes the argument later on but one of our best witnesses to the world is the love we have for one another.

a That this does not mean that we don’t love our neighbors, which could include both believers and unbelievers. Or those that are our enemies. Scripture calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But the attention of resources and time is tilted in favor of focusing on the community. See you Galatians 610.

In order to lover brothers we need to know who our brothers are, which means we need to be involved in the life of the church.

In what sense is it new?

That was part maybe be confusing at first read because John says it’s not a new commandment it’s an old commandment at the same time it’s a new commandment. OK John… Which one is it? Is it new or is it old?

Well it’s both. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

But this command would not be new to the people receiving this letter. This is part of the gospel. But the call the follow Jesus, to be loyal to his kingship, is the love God and to love others. So it is new in the sense that Jesus said it was a new command, but it’s not new to this church.

And look What John says. Here is such an encouraging word from a pastor, disciple, apostle,.

What John says. Here is such an encouraging word from a pastor, disciple, apostle,. The love that was evident in Christ is evident in you.

The progress is not perfect, but is evident. That’s what he means when he says the true light is shining and the darkness is passing away. He doesn’t see the darkness is gone, but the light is having its affect and removing darkness of your life, from the church, from the world.

Illustration of a dimmer switch. The scripture here is acknowledging that we live between the dawn of a new age in the end of the evil age. We are in the already, but not yet. Regards kingdom is here and growing, that God is ruling and reigning, but there will still be pockets of darkness until Christ returns in glory.

Are we in darkness or not? Well do you love your brother?

Do you love your brother?

1 Corinthians 13 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Are you patient and Kind - Or are you harsh, short-tempered. This cuts across generational lines. Boomers, we need you to be patient and kind with the Gen Xers, Milleniuls, and Gen Z. Disagree with us, point out our blindspots, but do it in a gracious way. Tell the truth, be honest, but do it in kindness. For the younger generation, you too can exhibit patience and kindness to those who have more grey hairs. Be patient with them, be kind. Listen to what they tell you. It may not be delivered exactly as you want to hear it, but listen for the truth.

Are you envious of those around - their job, their family, their home, the trips they can go on, the gifts God has blessed them with. Or can you praise God in good conscience for the way he has blessed your brothers.

Are you boastful - Do you brag? - seeking status, influence, power

Arrogant - For once our proposal comes near to J. B. Phillips’s extended paraphrase: nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Is it all about you and your needs or preferences trump everyone else’s. Whether that is the style of liturgy or music or the type of bread used in the Lord’s Supper.

Rude - offensive in language. You don’t say things that are inappropriate to intentionally offend people. Out of love you learn to reign it in to not offend those around you.

Not insist in its own way - preferences are subsumed by love. How many churches were ravaged by decisions over preferences in the last couple of years. Masks not talked about, masks recommended, masks required? I know guys that have had their churches ravaged by a 6 inch piece of cloth. Men who were trying to love their people well.

Irritable -Are you on razors age of rage. Do people have to tiptoe around you? This where the contrast of patience comes into play. You can see how this might play out. The arrogant rude insist on their own way person elbows in and is demanding. How do you respond? Patience, or irritability.

Resentful - Work of reckoning. This is payback. When someone hurts you, are you looking to settle a wrong done to you. Either by ignoring the person, being passive aggressive, or doing something wrong.

rejoice in wrongdoing - meaning someone else sin you take some sort of stance, where you are looking forward to “disicple them” Or coach them, or tell them the truth.

It does rejoice in the truth -Love takes no pleasure in someone else’s failure, and delights in integrity and reality. If the situation is bad, love wants to help; if the situation is good, love wants to celebrate.

It is open and honest because you have placed your identity in Christ.

Bears all things - are you willing to take a slight from someone else. Can you overlook it? Or do you have to get even.

believes all things - Augustine, too, interprets this as “believing the best” about all people.

hopes all things - related to that, you never give up on others

endures all things - love that perseveres through the good and the bad!

This is what it looks like to love others. This is an impossible task.

We can’t do this in our own power. It’s only through the power of the spirit but we were able to move toward this love ethics. And the fruit that he bears in our lives as we submit ourselves to His truth, his way by trusting in him.

Does your life reflect an increasing love toward your brothers in Chirst.

In other words, is the darkness fading away and is that demonstrated by an increasing love for the fellow believers God has placed in your life.

I know many younger people, are frustrated with the church. And there is validity to that frustration. Some have been deeply hurt by the church. You have not been loved well by the church. This sermon is not meant to be a get the church out of jail free card. I am not saying that the church should get a free pass By the way.

If we are doing things that are contrary to God’s word, if we have hurt you in any way, let us know so we can reconcile. The church is not perfect and it won’t be until Jesus returns. But because of that , we should be all the more humble and willing to reconcile.

But also I encourage you that if you are getting more irritable. Increasingly bitter, more self-important, more self-seeking. That is a sign of darkness. Your love for the believers in your life is diminishing, that is an indicator that something is wrong. Maybe you do need to reconcile with someone, or maybe, you are still in darkness. And if that’s the case, then you need the gospel. You need to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and trust in his death on your behalf.

Getting to the Root of The Gospel

The only chance we have is to have the gospel as our root. And John gets back to the basics of the gospel.

1 John 2:12-14 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

What seems to be the case here is that John is writing believers that are in three different levels of maturity. The new believer, the growing believer, and the steady believer.

Three levels of maturity

The new believer and he identifies as children. Meaning they are new or very young in the faith. They understand the essentials. They are born again, or regenerate, they now that their sins have been forgiven because of work of Jesus. They are brought into God’s family as his beloved child found in Jesus Christ. They have moved from not know God at all, or seeing him only as a judge to acknowleding him as Father. Let’s begin praying now…today how many people in Queen Creek, Mesa, Santan Valley, Gilbert, well here this basic gospel message through our church. And the other churches that are preaching us. That as we prepare for the transition to a new location and a new time, that we are doing it so people can hear. Not to grow a brand or make a name for Hope community Church, but so people can receive the forgiveness of sins and profess God as Father, and Jesus as Lord.

fight over the tempter. What does do? He lies. So these young people in the faith grow in their maturity and are able to discern truth from fiction. They become familiar with the with the evil ones tactics.

Illustration counterfeits - The more familiar you are with the true thing. The color shifting, the colored fibers, the texture, watermark, red and blued threads. Etc.

The person who is growing in their faith, begins to regularly win battles with Satan.

So what are you doing to grow in your faith? Coming to church is an important part of it but we truly have an embarrassment of riches here. You can access a bible anywhere. You can’t say that about every other country. WE have doctrinal documents that may be difficult to understand at first, but they are so helpful in understanding the faith. There are Bible helps, and things that explain the confession to. There are numerous podcasts, youtube channels, books, conferences, magazines, blogs, and a host of other resources. And you have people in this room too, including your pastor who want to help you grow in understanding the faith. Don’t just stay like a child in your faith. Grow. So you can know God at a deeper level. So you can be equipped to teach your children or those new to the faith. So you cna be the one who brings new people under your wings and helps them get a deeper understanding of who God is. That is what he means when he says God’s Word abides in you. You have become familiar with the Scriptures and you are able to discern God’s voice from the voice of the enemy.

The tempter, Satan is not dumb. He knows how to get us to doubt, how to get us to question. Not because he can read our minds. He‘s not all-knowing like God. But he has been around the block. He knows how to try to tempt. He knows how to take truths and twist them just enough to make them seem like the truth.

Matthew 4:5–6 (ESV): Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

But when we have an understanding of God’s Word, when we abide in it, we are better positioned to overcome and fight.

You can’t just ignore the Lies of Satan. That be like saying don’t think about pink elephant. Got you… NO, replace Satan’s lies, his deceptions with God’s truth. That is the key. Having God’s Word abide gives us the amo we need to battle And overcome.

Here is what this might look like in practice

I’m just going to use myself as an example

I wish I had the gifts on this other pastor. He is a better communicator, better leader, he has a following, why can’t I be like him.

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

It all depends on you. You need to make it happen. You need to take control of your own destiny.

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

You need to get the latest greatest. You’ll be more productive. Think of all the things you an do if you were just to have a little extra for yourself. You deserve it. You work Hard.

Luke 12:15 “And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.””

And the beautfoul thing is that you don’t have to fight this battle on your own. Look around you. This again is why it is important to love those around you. You may not know what people are battling, how the devil is tempting them, but that prayer offered for someone, that moment of kindness, that gentle correction could have a lasting effect.

settled faithfulness

As you grow in your understanding of who God is and what he has done, you grow in knowing Jesus. And in doing so, you have the settled faithfulness of someone who has seen God work over and over again.

You cling to the promises of God.

You don’t live in fear the culture or the end of the church.

Not because you put your head in the sand and pretend like evil does not exist. That’s not what faithfulness looks like.

You cling to Jesus because you are so confident in his promises. You know he is faithful. You know he won’t let anything happen to the bride of Christ, the church. You know we loves the bride enough to give himself up for her and he will protect the bride. He who suffered for his bride the church, will keep her in his grasp all of our days.

Conclusion:

As people see the fruit. A church that is committed to loving each other well. And when we do mess up, we own it, confess it, repent, and reconcile. That is attractive fruit. People will want to know the root. Why are peopel doing these things?

Let’s be the church that does these things well.