John Chapter 15:1-8

This is awesome because see there's actually a sequence in here for stages of you will a fruit development.

The first is no fruit there's no fruit. The second is bearing fruit. The third is more fruitful. The fourth is much fruit, much it's a pleasure to see some of you folks and see their lives and see how much fruit your life is bearing knowledge of following Jesus is an amazing thing.

Family members begin to come. Other people are coming to Jesus because you are bearing fruit. Your abiding in Jesus welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today were blessed to have one of David Mickey's associate pastors here with us yesterday a what does God do in our lives to help produce more fruit about God places the desires enough to tell others about him and love them just like he loves us.

He wants to help with every step of the way. Today, Pastor David McGee explains how this works. As he continues in the Gospel of John chapter 15. Now here's David McGee with part two of the teaching spiritual fruit. John chapter 15 verse one says I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 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 again were continuing with really what is some fairly difficult teachings of Jesus. These words are pretty in-your-face upfront and bolts of working together to take our time with these in and look at what Jesus is saying now and keep in mind it if you been here for very long. You've probably heard me talk about serving.

You've heard me take you talk about putting wheels on your face. You've heard me talk about these things and and and perhaps even some of you thought you know what you talk about that too much but but wait a minute look at what Jesus is saying here liquid Jesus is talking about in the terms in the words that he uses these are some pretty bold words. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit bears fruit he prunes it may bear more fruit. Now want to keep something in my because as we look through this to be on assays to have a fairly twisted notion of this passage you used to see I don't know what you know when it talked about pruning. I just, Saul. You know some maniacal gardener, you know, running through the garden. I get or maybe the chainsaw gardeners on Nina run into the garden doing that, but at this point my life I've pruned Rose's and also pruned fruit trees. We have fruit trees were we live in an I don't ever prune anything because I'm mad at. I'm pruning in for its benefit because I'm mad that she some of us think well yeah he he he gets mad and then he prunes us on to because if I'm mad at the apple tree. I'm not going to go permanent.

I'm gonna let it alone time to leave it there to pruning doesn't mean the gardener is man is a minor factor watched an elderly person when they pruning roses and was just amazed at the care and the attention of where to cotton, how to cut and even the angle to cut on the branches. I thought what a beautiful picture of the heavenly father as he carefully and tenderly prunes our lives to put more energy into the places that are bearing fruit in verse three says you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you already clean because of the word. Now this concept is not just here it's all over the Bible and Psalm 119 verse nine. This is how can a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to your word.

Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 and 26 husbands, love your wives and elbows are fine, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. The word understand this is part of what God uses to cleanse us and for us to bear fruit is the word of God is the word of God. Now we obviously hold the word and in a great importance here. Why because Jesus has used this word to change us over and over and over and over again to cleanse us to cleanse us now. The new living translation here in verse three is interesting so let me make sure that it says in John 15, three in the new living translation you've Artie been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I've given you.

Second, Jesus is speaking to us and and… Have you ever been in a Bible study either. Just reading the Bible or maybe sit in a study, maybe even today.

You sitting there in your hearing God's word and also in your like pull their winter branch. I just got pruned. Praise God.

Well, didn't need that branch anyway. I mean, this is what God's word is it's the proper function of God's word.

Now you can dig your heels and when you hear teaching eyes not right, I'm not believing that I know he I know he said it. I know it's in the Bible but I'm not buying that.

That's an option it's not a good one good one because God desires to prune us through his word and in unit we often ask ourselves, are you in the word every minute when some ice. Is that what they're saying is, are you in the Bible are you reading the Bible.

Have you are you and Bible study are you in the work. But there's another good question is, like that is the word in you is the word and you is having a place of authority in your life is having a place of prominence in your life. I sure hope so sure. In the next life lesson. There is the Bible washes us prunes us and helps us to bear good fruit. Verse forces 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 as interesting concept here because any fruit that we bear is because of our relationship with Jesus. Now there's a whole lot of people who say yes, I believe you said you believe in Jesus Leaving no do you do go to church now don't go to church with you read your Bible laterally remove our I watched. I watch Christian television symptoms Christian television screen will some of this but understand that that's there's more to it than that. From what Jesus is saying if nobody if somebody doesn't have any fruit you should be concerned. You should be concerned and in love and honesty. You say you know what, if you believe in Jesus. I don't see the fruits I don't see the fruits of belief and walking again. We should all be bearing fruit.

According to this passage. The last thing I want somebody to be that really believes in Jesus. The last thing I want them to do is be living a life that's not bearing any fruit I've seen fruitless believers in. How tragic that is because there is so much to do to serve God and to love the world and to invite them into a relationship with Jesus and I hope hope that nobody in here that nobody listening. This morning, our TV, radio, Internet, whatever will be happy with a fruitless life because God has so much more planned for you. Matthew chapter 21 verse 33 says here another parable, there was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard that a hedge around, dug a winepress in it, built a tower in a lease that the vine dressers and went to a far country that one vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the vine dressers that they might receive its fruit in the vine dressers took the servants beat one killed one and stoned another.

Again he sent other servants more than the first. They did likewise to them and last of all he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son. But when the bond dressers. Saul the son, they said among themselves, this is the year, come, let us kill and seizes inheritance verse 39 so they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those non-dressers and they said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably in Lisa's vineyard to other vine dressers, who will render to him the fruits in their seasons. Verse 42 Jesus said to them, have you never read the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I will I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it, and whoever falls on the stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder and when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they will perceive that he was speaking of them, but they sought laid hands on Emily feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. So skip back to John now this lets us and that there's something deeper going on what we see right here really is. Jesus is saying you know what I am the vine in the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament there was a picture of Israel be in the vine and Jesus is saying you know what, this is a season now where you can be grafted in. What an amazing thing that now were grafted in an talking bearing bearing fruit.

You're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior.

You need people to pray for them.

You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's virtual here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee.

We can pray for them as well. Just by simple going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love that needs know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones. What an awesome way to bring your love ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown. One. Pray for seven cities in our listening audience for Allen, Louisiana, Fruitland and St. Mary city, Maryland situate Massachusetts. Baldwin Benton Harbor in Vassar, Michigan, Lord, thank you for the cities.

Thank you that we get the broadcasts in the cities and Lord, thank you for everyone listening pray that you would encourage them right now.

Help them in these last days to keep their mind and their eyes. Their heart focused on you hoping to be in your word every day Lord for encouragement. God, I pray that your mind and that you have a good plan you're going to take care of them.

They don't have to fear the Lord for anyone listening who doesn't yet know you. I pray today that they will put their trust in Jesus simply received the gift that you paid a high price for them to have. Just by trusting in you in Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse verse five I am the vine and you are the branches. He who lives in me and I and him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Jesus is saying when our relationship is right with him. The natural occurrence will again be that were bearing fruit that were bearing fruit. Now Jesus says, without me you can do nothing.

Anything you know nothing of meaning nothing that's important. Nothing that will last. Now you may have done nice things outside of Jesus. Certainly there's organizations that do nice things outside of Jesus. But you know what Jesus says here in the final result. It's not it's not worth anything in an eternal nature that's really important for us to understand here is one, and there's a cute little thing is cute give you little warm fuzzy practice random acts of kindness and assume nice.

You probably just got the warm fuzzy just now then, but that's not what we do. We don't practice random acts of kindness were we should be practicing meaningful acts of kindness and using that opportunity to talk to people about the Lord. That's one of so many comes to us for food. We can food but also given Jesus as my comes here for closing. We give him clothing.

We also given Jesus.

Why because that's, that's, that's the real that's the real deal. Verse six if anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them in the fire and they are burned may encourage again the bear fruit. What are some fruits. Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 goes through some of the fruits of the spirit. This is in part what Jesus is timeout buddies talk about other things to but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and and actually you can go to Galatians 5 and read more. And Paul, who Paul was rather forceful at times, encouraging people to work to bear fruit.

Why did he do that will maybe he was just you had a bad day and trying to Dale. Now that's not enough. The Philippians 417 says not that I seek the gift but I see the fruit that abounds to your account.

See when you bear fruit according that verse.

It abounds to your account. Jesus sees Jesus looks and I bearing fruit.

Praise God praise God. Lesson Jesus said we should bear spiritual fruit not be spiritual fruits.

Somehow the church is gotten sold on this you know if it's weird, it's good and if it's weird or it's better you don't find that in Scripture. I've met some people to be honest in the church that were well to be honest none. He is a fruitcake and somehow they blamed it on God. You God had me do this. And God had me do that. God known as light will limit where do you see that in Scripture was not in there okay were much finished talking.

Don't be afraid I can't chapter and verse people when people start talking about. There's so much weirdness.

I hate even hit the highlight but when when people begin to start talking about gold dust falling down from the ceiling and people start talking about feelings in their miles turning to gold. The best thing you can do is show me in the Bible where it talks about anything like that because it's not end here on the planet. I'm not mine. And what happens is so many times as people to get into those excesses bearing spiritual fruit there being spiritual fruits amen are all me see some of you got. I can't believe somebody is actually saying this, but I thought for a long time will some monies speak to this stuff. Amen and and how do you tell if it's real fruit or not you look at you look at some fruit appear that the guys in the front row. The girls in the front row. They probably can look at this and kinda tell but if you're in the back. You know, nobody you can't tell what's real and what's not real. Some of Israel.

Some is not real see in and actually I had to back say to have the county go through and was at real real is this real, that's not real and in real is not real is real. It one of my doing, I'm inspecting the fruit anything were supposed to be doing this. Why have you ever nothing I ever did this but but but as a little kid. Did you ever pick up a fake piece of fruit and ratified it. That is not good.

It's bad coming in and and then you were like suspected fruit for a long time merger, although it's real or not. You understand that is some people's experience with the church they go okay. I'm hoping this is real. I really need to eat I'm really hungry and then they bite into it and it's plastic and it's not real negative and then they get angry and they start writing editorials and they start writing magazine articles, and they start picketing against the church while because they found fake fruit. We don't want fake fruit around here in leadership and myself sometimes we have to inspect the fruit to save it's real, I'm willing to do that I'm willing to be used by Jesus and the word of God to help prune but that's an important thing that verse seven says if you abide in me. What's a big if you about any and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you by this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. Ellis is awesome this is awesome because see there's actually a sequence in here for stages of you will of fruit development. The first is no fruit there's no fruit.

The second is bearing fruit.

The third is more fruitful. The fourth is much fruit much fruit. It's a pleasure to see some of you folks and see their lives and see how much fruit your life is bearing now at your following Jesus is an amazing thing that family members begin to come. Other people are coming to Jesus because you are bearing fruit. Your abiding in Jesus your abiding in Jesus and get abiding in the word to John chapter 8 verse 31 says then Jesus said to those the site said to those Jews who believed him.

If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

How many times we often quote the last part of this verse and the truth shall make you free. That's not accurate.

Many people around the tribe this morning. They have Bibles in their house. They have the truth in their house but they're not free, why not because they haven't done the other thing.

Perhaps there's even some people in here this morning who been disappointed because her thinking okay what about the truth wellto make you free. Only well. I guarantee it. But according to this verse you need to abide in the word be his disciples know the truth and the truth shall make you free verse eight points a picture that says this is the way my father, God the father is glorified, that you bear fruit that you bear fruit. So the question is are you barren fruit out of those four things that we just listed no fruit bearing fruit more fruitful. Much fruit. Which one do you want your life much fruit. That's what I desire for my life within the Lord is going to need to do a work through you in you and is probably going to use people to do it in his word to do it so that you would bear more fruit.

But be encouraged because it's it's not the case again of the maniacal gardener running through the garden with a chainsaw is the lovingly tender heavenly father strategically making cuts prune so that you can bear more fruit.

God is interested in you bearing fruit want to give glory to God the father God is in the numbers, you realize that talks about 3000 people getting saved in the book of acts talked about 5000 people getting fed fish and bread. He's interested in multiplication because understand one of the main differences in the fake fruit in the real fruit. This doesn't have any seats in inside of this fruit is the possibility of multiplication of many more plants, trees and fruit coming from this. If you know Jesus here this morning you have this potential. You have this possibility. If you allow the Lord to have his way in. You and through you.

Now keep in mind there is fruit. That's you can look at me looks good right but is empty. No seeds. See maybe this is like religion, morality, those things are real fruit.

Religion being religious B and moral in and of itself. No seeds. Some of you have mistakenly thought that a Christian is a whole list of do's and don't you've mistakenly thought that Christianity is a way to die. Christianity is a way to live in is not just about doing good. We look at David David who orchestrated a murderer who was in adulterer and God said there's a man after my own heart this chair.

This chair will never smoke pot.

It will never drink it will never cuss anybody out. It's always in church, but this chair is not a Christian. It takes a personal decision and personal relationship to follow Jesus all of us have a scorecard that before we come to the Lord come to Jesus are bad outweighs her good because the word says it was broken in one place. We've broken it never and we stand condemned before a holy and righteous God.

That's the bad news. The good news that Jesus wants to adopt. If you come to him asking to forgive you of your sins, ask him to give you the power to follow him he will do just that. Friend, you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now.

Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again.

Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge.

Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners they wake up with encouragement to pass the data to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading and the thought to meditate on.

Throughout today from the heart.

David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues taking verse by verse in the gospel of God