Great Achievement

Genesis 49:22 NKJV

“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.

Pray

I want to talk to you about what great achievement looks like according to the cycle of grace and God’s perspective.

You may recall that the Cycle of Works begins at achievement and moves towards acceptance.

Cycle of Works Slide

Our work (what we produce) makes us important (significance) and as long as we continue to provide value (sustenance) we will be wanted by others (acceptance).

This puts us under much pressure to perform in order to validate our worth in the eyes of others. So we hustle and grind and keep hustling and grinding until we are exhausted and stressed out.

How many of us want to escape the “rat race” and enter into a more satisfying life?

What adds to the pressure is that we know that we are going to give an account for our lives (Hebrews 9.27).

2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The good news is that if we live in the cycle of grace we will bear much fruit—do good works and have great achievements—that bring glory to God and eternal reward.

No Progress No Presence

There is no lasting progress or achievements apart from God’s presence and God’s path.

Judges 17:6 NKJV

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Doing what is right in our own eyes or according to the world is not going to work for us. And isn’t that what we’ve been doing when we are living according to the cycle of works?

This is not the way.

The way of the Lord is strength and blessing for His people (cf. Proverbs 10.29). We need to learn to abide in Christ and work from grace. This is what enables us to do great things.

When God is your source of wisdom and strength then you will discover that you can truly do all things (Philippians 4.13). Those who are living according to grace in God’s presence find that God is working in them and leading them in a way that leads to success and significance (Philippians 2.13).

Being Fruitful In Life

It is important to remember that you are God’s chosen. His beloved. You are special and important to Him. You are accepted.

We remain in the place of acceptance through practices that constantly bring us into God’s presence. This is how we sustain our relationship with God and His supply in our lives.

As we abide in God’s love and receive empowerment from His presence we discover a life of significance. What we do matters because of what it points to. Our lives fueled by grace become a standard for others to follow.

Ultimately, these things help promote a fruitful life. They create the conditions for good works that have a lasting impact on the people and world around us.

Here are a few ways that we can build on the cycle of grace and enter into a more fruitful life according to God:

Respond to the Call to Fruitfulness

John 15:8 NKJV

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

We are called to fruitfulness. Our good works are an indicator of our relationship to Jesus and lead to God’s glory (cf. Matthew 5.16).

Not only are we called to fruitfulness, we have to understand that God expects us to be fruitful.

Luke 19:11–15 NKJV

11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ 15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

The first step to having a fruitful life of good works and great achievement according to God is responding to the call to fruitfulness. In other words, we have to accept responsibility for the works we are called to.

Illustration: Do you remember how hard it is to ask someone out? Maybe you are bold and just go for it (or use an app) but I remember how hard it was to ask my last girlfriend out. We were on the phone and I was testing the waters by saying, “What would you say if I said I liked you or wanted to go out with you?” Her wise and slick response was, “I don’t know because you haven’t asked.” I immediately got off the phone, walked to her apartment and asked her to go out. She wouldn’t do for me what I needed to do. I had to take the step of faith. I had to choose to act. And when I did, and she said yes, our relationship started.

We may be looking for God to do something first. What He has done is to tell us He is here. He has shown us His kindness and love and invited us to life in and with Him.

But we have to recognize that until we make the move towards God and accept responsibility for our calling we can end up busy but not fruitful.

Remain in Christ

When it comes to great achievement according to God we have to understand that the source matters.

Matthew 7:21–23 NKJV

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Notice that the works were not accepted because the source of that person’s life was lawlessness.

John 15:1–6 NKJV

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, 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, 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, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Jesus makes it clear that the only way to great achievement and fruitfulness is through union with Him. It comes through abiding in Christ. He is the Source of life and strength and health.

We can do many things that others would ascribe as greatness, but only that which flows from Christ is truly great.

Illustration: Jonathan Edwards and Max Jukes (from Leonard Ravenhill in America is Too Young to Die). Jonathan Edwards, one of the greatest minds that God has given America, lived in the state of New York. He was a Christian and believed in Christian training. He married a girl of like character. From this union men have studied 729 descendants. Of this number came 300 preachers, 65 college professors, 13 university presidents, 60 authors of good books, 3 United States congressmen, and one vice president of the United States; and barring one grandson who married a questionable character, the family has not cost the state a single dollar. Max Jukes lived in the same state. He did not believe in Christian training. He married a girl of like character. From this union men have studied 1,026 descendants. Three hundred of them died prematurely. One hundred were sent to the penitentiary for an average of 13 years each. One hundred ninety were public prostitutes. There were 100 drunkards. The family cost the state $1,200,000. They made no helpful contribution to society.

Abide in Christ. Make Him your source and strength. And as you do, like a branch connected to a vine, you will produce much fruit and achieve great things in the eyes of God.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past/ Only what’s done for Christ will last. —C.T. Studd, Only One Life.

Receive the Reward of Fruitfulness

A life that pleases God because of works of righteousness leads to fruitfulness and reward.

Proverbs 12:14 NKJV

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 NKJV

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Ultimately, when our works pass through the fire only the gold, silver, and precious stones represented by our good words and works will remain. And these will be a reward for our faith (1 Corinthians 3.9-15, Hebrews 11.6).

Illustration: Fabulous Life of Filthy Rich Billionaires (on YouTube). Mega mansions, mega yachts, private jets, etc. Announcer said, "Aren't you jealous? Don't you want to be fabulously rich?" Everything other than good works is going to be dust at some point. Especially those things which the world celebrates will be nothing more than varying sizes of dust. That which remains, will be ours to enjoy.

We have something to look forward to. As we life for God, accepted and loved by Him, our works will result in an eternal reward. This will be the great achievement and impact of our lives!

Conclusion

Living in the cycle of grace brings us into the same Way and power that sustained the life of Jesus and enabled Him to do great things.

For us today, responding to the call to fruitfulness and remaining in Christ ensures that we will do greater works.

John 14:12 NKJV

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

God promises to work in us and with us and as we partner with Him we are preparing treasures for ourselves in heaven (cf. Matthew 6.19-20).

Pray