FRUIT BEARERS

 

 

John 15:1-6, 16

 

Prayer

 

When Jesus said, “I am the true vine,”

He was reminding us that there was another vine.

 

 

That other vine appears in the fifth chapter of Isaiah.

God planted a vine which He identified as the house of Judah.

 

 

He planted Judah in fertile land;

A land of milk and honey.

 

 

He removed all the rocks from the field so that Judah could grow and produce       

fruit;

Fenced Judah in to protect her;

 

 

Built a watchtower to watch over her;

Built a winepress to process her fruit.

 

 

The harvest neared.

God began to look for good fruit.

 

 

Grapes appeared.

But the grapes weren’t sweet and juicy.

 

 

They were wild and sour.

Something was wrong with Judah's fruit.

 

Isaiah said God looked for the fruit of justice.

But He found the fruit of bloodshed.

 

 

God looked for the fruit of righteousness.

But He found the cry of distress.

 

 

So God decided to destroy the vine called Judah.

He cut off the rain;

 

 

Stopped pruning the vine;

Stopped hoeing around it;

 

 

Tore down the fence He built to protect it;

Allowed thorns and briars to grow up and choke it.

 

 

The people of Judah were another vine;

A vine that failed miserably;

 

 

A vine that God destroyed

Now, Jesus says, “I am the true vine.”

 

 

All other vines are false vine.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

 

 

All other ways are false ways.

Next, Jesus said, “My Father is the husbandman” (verse 1).

 

 

God cares for the true vine just like He cared for Judah.

He cultivates the vine;

 

Waters it;

Feeds it;

 

 

Inspects it.

He looks to see, if the branches are loaded with good fruit.

 

 

He’s much like the farmers of today.

They fertilize their crop, spray it, water it, etc.

 

 

But when the harvest nears, they don’t look for fertilizers, chemicals or water.

They look for fruit.

 

 

That’s what God does.

He looks for fruit.

 

 

What kind of fruit?

I will briefly mention seven things:

 

 

1^st----Fruit is soul winning.

Paul told the Romans, “I purposed to come unto you, that I might have some         

fruit among you” (Rom. 1:13).

 

 

He wanted to win souls for Jesus.

Our Church should be winning souls for Jesus;

 

 

Impacting those around us.

2^nd---Fruit is gifts and offerings.

 

 

 

 

The Christians at Macedonia and Achaia took up an offering for the believers         

in Jerusalem.

Paul planned to deliver the money on his way to Rome and Spain.

 

 

He said, “When I have performed this (or when I have taken your gifts to     

Jerusalem) and have sealed to them this FRUIT,”

“I will come by you into Spain” (Rom. 15:28).

 

 

3^rd---Fruit is the expression of our Christian nature.

Paul said the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,     

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

 

 

These are produced and shed abroad by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Church should produce good fruit in season;

 

 

Love when love is needed;

Joy when joy is needed;

 

 

Peace when peace is needed.

4^th---Fruit is good works.

 

 

Paul’s desire for the Colossians was that they would walk worthy of the Lord,        

being FRUITFUL in every good works (Col. 1:10).

Fruitful in the morning.

 

 

Fruitful in the evening.

Fruitful on Sunday.

 

 

Fruitful on Monday.

Fruitful all through the week.