Friday Night Message: Bearing Fruit - Part V

 

May 20, 2022

Good morning brethren

 

Two weeks ago we began a series of messages dealing with the subject of bearing fruit.  We, as Christians, are called to be firstfruits, so it logically follows that we should be bearing fruit … good fruit.  It is vitally important that we be fulfilling a role… the role of be bearing good fruit in our lives.  We first considered this question:

 

1.     Why plant seed in the first place?

 

Then we asked the 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 answers.  Paul lists the fruit of the spirit, and we should compare our lives with 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.  Look at your family, consider your employment, assess your spiritual state.  I wanted to repeat the bullet points below from the previous message, because that enables us to apply Biblical teaching to our daily Christian living:

 

●       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?

 

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?

 

So now the last question… 

 

3. If we are not bearing fruit, why not?

 

What are some of the possible reasons we may be unfruitful?  Referring to some of the same verses that we read earlier in this series:                

 

► Mark 4: parable of the sower

-        some seed never took root (not well grounded in the truth, perhaps not converted?)

-        some are overtaken by thorns and thistles (materialism and the cares of this world)

 

► John 15: - parable of the vine and branches

-        Some are cut off from the true vine (they leave the body of Christ, they forsake God’s word and His way of life, cutting themselves off from the fellowship of the church)

 

► Plants can wither – they need plenty of water (symbolic of the Holy Spirit) …. showing the importance of regular prayer and Bible study.

 

In summary then, Christians are called today to be among the firstfruits.  As such, we need to be bearing fruit, not just simply “hanging in there” or “enduring to the end”.

 

Our Christian life must be much more than just warming a seat once a week at Sabbath services.  It involves more than having your name, address, and donation record stored on a server in Cincinnati.  Bearing fruit goes well beyond a simple test of endurance.  Being a fruit-bearing Christian is much more than simply avoiding disfellowshipment.

 

Matt. 21:43 – Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

 

Christ said this to the priests and Pharisees (physical Israel). The same warning applies to us as spiritual Israel.  I truly hope that none of us are rejected because of leading a fruitless life.  I trust and pray that all of us will be a part of that spiritual harvest pictured by the Feast of Weeks.  We must bear fruit.  It’s that important.

 

Let’s be sure that we are deeply rooted in the truth, firmly established in God’s word.  Let’s be well watered, fully hydrated … filled to overflowing with God’s Holy Spirit.  We need to avoid becoming overgrown with thorns and thistles, choked out by the cares of this world.  We must abide in the true vine, never pruned from the only means that we have to bear good fruit.

 

Let’s make sure that we are bearing fruit, good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  If we do that, then we will be in that early spiritual harvest, as firstfruits unto God, even as is pictured by the day we are celebrating soon …. Pentecost, the Feast of Firstfruits.

 

 

 

Have a joyous Sabbath,

Fred