Bearing Spiritual Fruit - Part 1

This podcast is made available by this increasing media generosity and support is your donation today means great podcasts might be swimming available to help people look to God daily presentation of the nation today send out all day. The Bible says mature believers are like trees firmly planted but the only way that we was able trees. Christians also produce the Turning Point of the Jeremiah continues a series of spiritual growth by examining the evidence to others of the difference of Jesus's life and how long to introduce his provoking message bearing spiritual fruit is the well first of all thank you for joining us and Find Your Pl. in John chapter 15 because were going to just go through that passage. Word by word. Verse by verse. As we talk about bearing spiritual fruit probably heard people say something like this shouldn't judge other people but it's okay to be a fruit inspector and what they mean by that is we shouldn't have a judgmental attitude. But the Bible does say by their fruit you shall know them. In other words don't necessarily take everything everybody says about their life. Watch their life.

See what they do. What is God doing in their life. What is their food.

Is there any evidence someone said if you were indicted for being a Christian is there enough evidence to convict you. Well, that's a good question and answer that question today and tomorrow as we continue our discussion in the life that God blesses well right now.

I love this passage of Scripture because it gives you so much help in knowing first about what is spiritual fruit. What is that word mean what is it look like, how do you multiply it. What does the Bible really say about it. Let's find answers to all those questions as we open our Bibles today. John chapter 15, my calling as a linebacker for the Miami Dolphins and a graduate of Auburn University after he graduated and went on for his pro career. His college coach showed Jordan came to him and said Mike I like you to help me try to recruit some players for my college team. I'd like to use your spare time to help me be a recruiter. Mike was pretty excited about that. He said he'd be glad to help his alma mater. He loved Auburn University. So he signed on for duty. Mike asked should look where do you want me to recruit and so Jordan said well Mike it's like this. He says you know there's some players. If you knock him down. They will get back up and Mike Civil Code you want me to recruit anybody like that. He said no sir, I do not. Mike said well what you want. You know there's other players. If you knock him down to get up and if you knock him down again. They won't get up so you don't want me to recruit like that said no sir, and then show Jordan said Mike.

He said there some players knocking down to get up you knock him down to get up you knock him down to get up no matter how many times you knock them down. They get up and Mike was fairly out of his chair with excitement. He said, and where you want me to recruit right show Jordan said no Mike what I want you to do is find the guidance knocking all those players down you know it's interesting that someone has defined the Christian life as falling down and getting up falling down and getting up falling down and getting up all the way to heaven.

I suppose there is some truth in that. But is it just me or do we spend most of our time talking about falling down and not very much time about how to walk forward and be productive in our Christian life.

The Bible has a word for being productive. The Bible is very clear about what it means to be productive and the word that the Bible chooses to use to describe a productive person is bearing that word and that term is used in the Old Testament many times in fact, the word itself appears 106 times in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, it appears some 70×27 epistles in the New Testament the word fruit is found in 24 in the context of being productive and be only three epistles were it's not found have the concept without the word.

In fact, Paul wrote most of the New Testament as we know there's not one book that he wrote what he doesn't talk about what it means to marry, to be productive.

Apparently, in the eyes of the Holy Spirit who obviously divinely authored the Bible and in the eyes of the writers used of the Holy Spirit to pen the words in the Bible. This is a very important concept and Paul speaks of fruit in the believer's life almost every other brat not like to suggest you first of all that is very important subject give you six reasons why it's important.

First of all, fruitfulness is the mark of your genuineness as a believer it is the determination as to whether or not you are truly born again. For instance, the Bible says and you probably heard this statement before that it is by their fruit you will know them now that passage is in Matthew seven, verses 15 through 28 beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous little you will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles, even so every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Good tree cannot bear bad fruit, a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Therefore, what is the rest of it by their fruits you will know them.

In other words, the Bible teaches that by what we do as believers, how we function where there were productive, whether there's anything in our lives that evidence that were truly born again that becomes the test outwardly of the genuineness of who we are inwardly Matthew 12 says it again. Matthew 1233 says either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad for a tree is known by its fruit. In the illustration is where the tree and whether we bear fruit or not is a testimony to the genuineness of our faith. Every once in a while someone comes to me and says pastor. I know so-and-so and may claim to be a Christian but they live just like everybody else. They don't have any evidence in their life.

There's nothing changed about them.

There's nothing new about them when you say well I can't judge whether their questions are not is not up to me. Somebody said you can't be a judge, but you can be afraid inspector so maybe we should once in a while back up a little bit and say if a person can be a Christian and it doesn't change his life in any at all. Then something's wrong with my understanding of the Bible because the Bible says when you become a Christian all things pass away and all things become new and there should be an evidence in your life that something is different now. I believe if you're a Christian, somewhere someplace and I want to give you some illustrations. In a few moments to be able to see there's a sense that something is going on in that person's life that's beyond just the natural it's the supernatural is to become preachers or evangelists are all that but listen to me now Jesus Christ changes your life. Salvation is not reformation its transformation.

Jesus Christ comes to live within your life. There will be somewhere somehow evidence of that in your life. I wondered if I was off on our rabbit trail here, but I remember going back and looking up some of the more tested and true expositors of the word of God. In years gone by, and every one of them close to this view that if you are a believer you will have some fruit. If you are believer there will be some evidence. Ironside one of the great teacher said there are a great many believers who bear very little for God, but all of them bear some fruit for God. What is the test that proves whether he is really in the vine, bears all who have life bear fruit for God. If there is no fruit. You can be sure there is no life I could multiply quotes like that from many Bible scholars who have written on John 15, very important passage in the New Testament. The point is evidence of being a Christian will be seen in your life.

So if you say will yes when I was a teenager when I was eight years old when I was six years old. I accepted Jesus in my heart but your life hasn't changed at all and you just live as if there were no God, for all intents and purposes, you're a practical atheist claim of a Christian.

I want to to look in your own life and see what you be in the faith, because the Bible says if there's no fruit. There's no rent if there's no evidence there's no reality so this is an important subject because it is the mark of your genuine faith in Christ. Secondly, it is important because it is a measuring stick. In a sense of your walk with the Lord. It's the measure of your growth and maturity.

If you read this passage and I hope you will take time to really study John 15 because it's a crucial passage in the New Testament, you will discover that there are different levels of productivity.

For instance, the text talks about some bear fruit, and some will bear more fruit and some will bear much fruit.

And then he goes on to talk about fruit that abides or that's permanent so there are all kinds of levels of that's pretty obvious, is that you know Christians who are just so totally productive. Seems like they're always involved in God is doing things their lives in wonder how the world to keep up with all its God's doing and you see somebody just getting started in here and there, you can see some evidence of fruit. So fruit bearing is kind of like how you see where you are in your walk with the Lord. Is there any productivity in my life is my life making any difference.

Is anybody suggesting that I might have a relationship with Jesus Christ, is anybody seeing me in the context of my regular walk and saying he's different.

I wonder what's different about him or about her fruit bearing is the measure of your walk with Christ. When you first get started. You will have little fruit, but if you grow and if you abide in Christ and if you spend time in the word of God and you you to the Holy Spirit will become more and more productive in your life as you walk with the Lord. Thirdly, this is an important subject because it is the motivation behind God's discipline. Here's an interesting thing people ask all the time why do Christians suffer a lot of reasons why we suffer. I've been asked hundreds of times. Why do you think you got cancer and I was telling one simple reason because I'm human. That's it I'm want something far more profound than that.

But as far as I know, that's the reason humans are susceptible to disease. But why does God sometimes allow that disease and use that disease in a believer's life not look at what it says in John chapter 15 it says in verse two every branch in me that does not bear fruit he notices capitalize takes away and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Now fruit bearing reason behind much of the discipline and suffering and chastisement and pruning that goes on in the life of a believer missing. Why am I going through this. Will it may be because you have borne fruit. God wants you to bear more fruit so he put you through some times of testing to make you more productive you say pastor. How does that work well. I'm not a great grower horticulturist. I'm not any of those things but I know a little bit about it from having studied it and the reason why vineyards are pruned so that the life-giving sacraments in the vine won't be wasted on shoots where there isn't any fruit.

So they clipped those lines in order to make the vines that are bearing fruit. Even more fruitful. Now watch that and think about that in terms of your life. Why would God prune your life. I discovered that one of the reasons he does that is we have this inevitable tendency to get involved in things which are productive and in doing that we end up sapping all of the spiritual energy that God wants to use in the productive areas of our life and they get run off into dead end streets. Can I get a witness on talking about when I see God doing in my life often is this put some kind of testing in my life and as I began to try to figure out what it's all about. He puts his finger on some stuff that I'm doing that I don't need to be doing is not bad stuff. It's just not productive stuff and he says I will you stop doing that and use your energy and it seems to me that the Christian life is just one continual rehearsal after rehearsal of that particular play because as you become more productive, more opportunities come more things are available, and if you're not careful if you're a person who doesn't like to say no like I don't like to say no say yes yes yes yes, and here's what you learn. Every time you say yes to something you say no to something else, and what God wants to do for the pruning process is he wants you to be more fruitful if you're already bearing fruit.

He will send some tests along the way to make you even more productive and when that happens, what you do is you backup maybe take a little personal retreat and you say Lord God help me to evaluate what's going on in my life. And Lord, you have permission to just take the divine shears and cut off those things that are not productive so that my energy can be flowing into the areas of my life I have gone through the process many times in my life and so have many of you the reason for writing is important is because it's the motivation behind God's pruning the reason he sends discipline for life. Quite often, so that we can be more productive.

Sometimes he uses the difficulties in our lives to open doors so that we have a greater sense of productivity and ministry so that's the next reason why fruit bearing is important is the motivation behind God's discipline not notice. Fourthly, fruit bearing is the method of touching other people not watch carefully and think with making the logic of this in the Bible were told that were to bear fruit. Why so that we can pick up food and eat it ourselves. What you will find out and studying the Scripture is the fruit bearing is totally centered. It's not about you it's about others how to minister to other people.

Just a few moments to talk about some ideas but listen, if you're a fruit bearing Christian, the fruit in your life is going to touch other people before in your life is going to make a difference in the lives of other people just take some of the fruit of the spirit of, well, you know, unless you're some kind of a weird person you don't cause all that love to be turned inward on yourself. What is the fruit of love. It's touching other people with so when you are fruit bearing person touch other people. I read about a woman who was giving a testimonial talk about a first aid class where she had received training and she said there was this terrible accident in front of my house. A man was lying there with bone splinters rolling around in pools of blood, his arteries were severed. He was in a state of shock when I remembered my first aid instructions that if I put my head between my knees. I wouldn't think I put my head between my knees and I didn't think that I am so grateful I took this class passed away. A lot of people think about the Christian life.

God gives you this ability and this so you can consume it on yourself. But here's what happens if you are productive Christian will not be self-centered. You will be Christ centered and other centered Jesus first other second and third jail why that's how you get joy in your Christian life.

So fruit bearing is important because it's the means you have the method you have of touching other people and then let me give you another reason I want you to really understand how important this is. Before we go through for five ways that you are fruitful and productive. According to the word of God. It is the manifestation of Christ the world. How does the world see Christ ever seen Christ.

Personally, I haven't. I don't think anyone has say well he appeared at the foot of my bed when I was in the hospital. Well thank God for that.

If that's what you think. I'm looking to get in your head about that but I'm just saying that Jesus Christ does not make personal manifestations in this particular time. How does he manifest himself manifest himself through Christians reading a book one time talk about the church is Christ body number two.

His body number one is what he walked around and when he was on this earth. We went back to heaven he said now the church is my body. This is body number two and it still body number two that we manifest the presence of Christ in the world.

I was on a talk show in Dallas is a little nervous about it because I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I've gotten the place where I just pray this prayer and Donna and I pray this prayer oh Lord God help us to bring the presence of Christ into the situation is, what were called to do and when you bear fruit.

That's what you do take the presence of Christ and what is fruit is everything that's Christlike if you're fruit bearing Christian or becoming more and more like Christ. So whatever you do in whatever situation you walk into whatever environment you find yourself in our view, as Christ by those people. Whatever Christ they know they will know through you and is your fruitfulness that you bring Christ into the situations of people's lives. Woodrow Wilson, former president United States had a favorite limerick that went like this was not a very attractive person. According to history aims to recite the slope all went like this. I know how ugly I are I know my face ain't no star, but I don't mind it because I'm behind it. It's the following front gets the jar you know and that's kinda latest for a lot of Christians is it's the fellow in front gets the jar and I'm afraid that the many Christians who have never gone into the word of God to find out what it says and to live what God says were to live in terms of fruitfulness. I think sometimes the watching world is quite ajar. They hear us talk about being Christians, but sometimes they don't see much of Christ in us, and I say that because it's true of me and I know it's true. All of us at one time another thing in the we all have to say that that often times and situations we don't exemplify the spirit of Christ.

Well one last reason why this is important. You might think. Boys given the whole message on why it's important to talk about what it is. The last reason it's important is because it is the means of glorifying the father. Notice what it says in John chapter 15 in verse eight, and this is so powerful in my mind.

By this my father is glorified not watch this, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. Westminster catechism which many of you studied in churches, says that the first priority of man is to glorify God. But how many sermons have you ever heard about how to glorify God. I read a couple books and put a few sermons but is not talked about very much, and a lot of people just say well glorify God, but they don't tell you how. But here's a verse that tells you one thing you can do to glorify God. It says by this my father is glorified, how that you bear much fruit. What is that mean that you become a productive Christian when you are productive Christian will bring glory to the father being a productive Christian is being Christlike. Can't you see how that would bring glory to the father when he will become like Christ, who is God the father's son and bring glory to the father. Just think about appearance. Just think about yourself as last time somebody came up to you and said something good about what your kids go someplace and your children are on display and someone comes up and says to you when he's a fine young man.

She's a fine young woman glorified in that process. Amen.

Because there are product the product of your parenting. Now watch when we bear fruit, which is the Christ likeness in our lives, we bring glory to the father because people see in us that which he has imputed to us through his righteousness, and they see in us the evidence of our relationship to the other. That's what bearing does makes Christ in you the hope of glory come alive so people see the Lord Jesus and you literally carrying out the DNA of the Lord and reflecting his attributes in your life will have much more about this tomorrow from John 15 one through eight. This message is called bearing spiritual fruit and it's part of the series the life God blesses. We have one more session tomorrow as we finish up this discussion on Thursday and Friday were going to talk about committing to growth making a decision not just to be a Christian but a growing Christian will talk about that on Thursday and Friday. God bless you will see later tomorrow for more information on Dr. Jeremiah's current series life go places.

Please visit our website. We also find two freeways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points and daily email devotional sign up today. Jeremiah's uncle/writing Jeremiah got old/writing when you do, please ask your coffee object countrymen's new book, God's blessings just for you. 100 and personal readings and reflections gift of any amount and if you still have devotional for 2021: spring day personal copies of. It's a great way to get your copy, visit us at Jeremiah/writing I'm very hopefully join us tomorrow as we continue the series the life God blesses here on Turning Point for taking time to bring peace in