Friday Night Message: Bearing Fruit - Part IV

 

 

 

May 13, 2022

 

Good evening brethren,

 

Tomorrow Sue and I will be attending Sabbath Services at the GCE Conference of Elders in Cincinnati.  And we will have the opportunity to spend some time with Mark and Barb Welch.

 

Right now I am sitting on the back porch of Mike and Davina’s house in rural Kansas … enjoying the blue sky, which “sets off” the puffy white Cumulus clouds, viewing the fields of golden buttercups surrounded by luscious green grass, listening to the melodic calls of the barn swallows as they reduce the insect population near the porch.  I can readily detect the smell of whole chickens cooking in the large smoker grill.

 

Amazingly, I can also get good Internet access here, so that as usual, I can send out the Friday Night Message for the week.  A few weeks ago we began a series of messages dealing with the subject of bearing fruit.  We established that it is vitally important that we be fulfilling the role of firstfruits … and that role is to be bearing good fruit in our lives.  In these messages, we first considered this question:

 

1.     Why plant seed in the first place?

 

It’s a big disappointment to plant, and then not be able to harvest the desired fruit.  And it is very apparent that we understand that from the passage in Isaiah 55 in last week’s message, “My word will not return to Me empty” (some translate empty as without fruit) … God expects to reap a spiritual harvest.  So just like the farmer or gardener, God is interested in seeing fruit born.

 

Christians are portrayed in God’s plan of salvation as being firstfruits, so consequently it would seem clear that we must be bearing fruit.  Last week we  considered the lesson of unproductive plants in the New Testament …. the parable of the fig tree, the vine and the branches, the parable of the sower.  Now for the crucial question:

 

2.     Are we bearing fruit?

 

How do you know if you are bearing fruit in your life?  As with so many questions and issues, the Bible … the word of God supplies us with the answer.  Paul lists the fruit of the spirit, and we should compare our lives to those character traits.  And Christ Jesus enumerates a number of aspects which should comprise our attitude and state of mind

 

Gal. 5:22-23 – … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… against such there is no law.  

 

Matt. 5:2-10 – Then Jesus opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for the shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 

In light of Scriptural truth, we need to be exhibiting the proper behavior in the right attitude… and that includes all of us.  Look at your family, consider your employment, assess your spiritual state:

 

•       Husbands, do you gently lead the family?  Do you understand and practice Servant Leadership?

 

•       Wives – do you willingly submit to and support your husband?

 

•       Parents – Are you bringing up you children in the fear of God?  And are you faithfully providing (physically) for your offspring?

 

•       Employees – Are you learning new skills, growing in favor with your superiors and co-workers

 

•       Do you serve the church regularly?  And are you hospitable towards the brethren?

 

•       How is your relationship with God … Is it growing and improving, or is it fading and waning?

 

•       How is your relationship with your fellow man?

 

•       What is your attitude and state of mind – does it include peace, joy, and love?

 

Again, the fundamental question we are attempting to answer truthfully and honestly is …Are we, who are called firstfruits, bearing good fruit?  If we are not, then we need to ask ourselves another question:  Why Not?  Why are we failing to bring forth good fruit?  We will address that issue next Friday Night, as we conclude this series of messages.

 

 

 

Have an uplifting Sabbath,

Fred