WEBVTT 00:00:00.401 --> 00:00:12.891 I'm not much of a gardener, but I've dabbled at different times, and I once tried growing zikinis, and we had a great harvest. 00:00:12.891 --> 00:00:15.848 It was so bountiful I thought I'll do it again. 00:00:15.848 --> 00:00:19.266 But when I tried again, no such luck. 00:00:19.266 --> 00:00:29.486 I tried everything I fertilized, I watered, I even hand pollinated the flowers, but nothing, and so in the end I had to pull up the plants. 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:55.990 n our reading today, jesus said I appointed you to go and produce fruit, and in fact, being fruitful is so important to God that he said every branch in me that does not produce fruit, the Father removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 00:00:55.990 --> 00:01:05.373 Jesus wants us to be fruitful Christians, but what does it mean? 00:01:05.373 --> 00:01:09.228 What does it mean to be fruitful in the kingdom of God? 00:01:09.228 --> 00:01:13.388 What sort of fruit are we meant to bear? 00:01:13.388 --> 00:01:14.965 What does that look like? 00:01:14.965 --> 00:01:16.481 What do you think? 00:01:16.481 --> 00:01:29.191 Well, fortunately, the New Testament has a thing or two to say about fruit and bearing fruit, and there are four types of fruit that Jesus is seeking in us. 00:01:29.191 --> 00:01:31.927 But before we look at them, let's just take a moment to pray. 00:01:31.927 --> 00:01:37.572 So, father, as we've heard your word this morning and as we come to just reflect on it now. 00:01:37.572 --> 00:01:53.784 I pray that you will guide my words, open our hearts to receive your word, and, father, may our lives be transformed by it and may we bear fruit as your people, In Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:53.784 --> 00:02:03.112 Well, when you think of bearing fruit, maybe, like me, your mind goes to Galatians 5, verse 22. 00:02:03.112 --> 00:02:08.710 And I do need to apologize I had slides for this morning but we had some technical issues. 00:02:08.710 --> 00:02:11.145 But Galatians 5, 22,. 00:02:11.145 --> 00:02:28.280 Don't worry about going there now We'll be looking at a number of verses, but there Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit and he calls these love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 00:02:29.364 --> 00:02:30.548 So what are the fruits of the Spirit? 00:02:30.548 --> 00:02:38.524 The fruit of the Spirit is the product of the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts, changing our lives. 00:02:38.524 --> 00:02:48.149 The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence that God is in dwelling us through His Spirit, living within us and changing our hearts. 00:02:48.149 --> 00:02:53.239 I didn't need to apologize, thank you. 00:02:53.239 --> 00:02:56.370 Fruit of the Spirit the work of God in our lives. 00:02:56.370 --> 00:03:05.227 Now, this isn't the only place we read about this sort of fruit, the fruit of a certain character and disposition. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.604 In Romans 6, chapter 6, verse 22,. 00:03:09.604 --> 00:03:21.730 Paul says we gain the fruit of sanctification, or holiness, when we're set free from sin and become servants of God. 00:03:21.730 --> 00:03:32.665 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification and the outcome is eternal life. 00:03:32.665 --> 00:03:45.949 Now, whenever we read that we're sanctified, which just means we're made holy, there are two aspects to this, and one is that we're set apart for God. 00:03:45.949 --> 00:03:50.931 We are holy because we belong to a holy God. 00:03:50.931 --> 00:03:52.264 It's as simple as that. 00:03:52.264 --> 00:03:54.707 That's regardless of anything we do. 00:03:54.707 --> 00:04:01.906 If you are a Christian here today, you belong to God and you are holy before Him. 00:04:01.906 --> 00:04:20.413 But being holy brings a certain responsibility, also brings again a certain transformation, that we are bearing the fruit of sanctification and so we start to act in holy ways. 00:04:20.413 --> 00:04:33.101 That fruit putting off sin and putting on righteousness, and then righteousness itself is another fruit that God desires. 00:04:33.182 --> 00:04:58.310 Philippians 1, verses 9 to 11, and I pray this that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 00:04:58.310 --> 00:05:00.482 Well, what is the fruit of righteousness? 00:05:00.482 --> 00:05:16.084 Well, it's everything we've been looking at, but Paul particularly says knowledge of discernment to approve the things that are superior, the things that lead to purity and blamelessness before Christ. 00:05:16.084 --> 00:05:28.826 And this is what, in Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 8 to 10, paul calls the fruit of light, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. 00:05:28.826 --> 00:05:39.781 Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth, testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 00:05:39.781 --> 00:05:42.769 And so do you see how this works. 00:05:42.769 --> 00:05:48.916 You are light, and so the way you live should shine. 00:05:50.559 --> 00:06:15.144 Lifestyle, the way we live, flows from our identity in Christ, and so we see these cluster of fruits which all sort of point back to the same thing the fruit of the Spirit, the work of God in our lives, the fruit of sanctification, which is really the work of God in our lives, the fruit of righteousness and the fruit of the light. 00:06:15.144 --> 00:06:17.630 It's all God working in our lives, isn't it? 00:06:17.630 --> 00:06:23.670 But God in us, changing us and so that our life becomes consistent with His. 00:06:23.670 --> 00:06:45.608 And we might call this cluster of fruit, although it's the work of God in our lives, first and last, it actually results in good character, the way we act, the way we speak and conduct ourselves, and it's something God does in us, changes our hearts so that it affects the way we live. 00:06:45.608 --> 00:06:55.552 And so the first question this morning, as we consider bearing good fruit, is this how is your character before God? 00:06:55.552 --> 00:07:04.173 Are you bearing the good fruit of Godly character, of the Spirit, of sanctification, of righteousness, of the light? 00:07:04.173 --> 00:07:22.014 Well, a very closely related fruit to the fruit of good character and we've sort of been alluding to this is what John the Baptist called the fruit of repentance in Luke, chapter 3, verse 8. 00:07:22.014 --> 00:07:31.173 And in this he gives this an ominous warning produce fruit consistent with repentance. 00:07:31.173 --> 00:07:34.105 The act is already at the root of the trees. 00:07:34.105 --> 00:07:43.031 Therefore, every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire, similar to what Jesus said. 00:07:43.031 --> 00:07:46.478 What, then, should we do? 00:07:46.478 --> 00:07:57.928 The crowds were asking him, and he replied to them the one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same. 00:07:57.928 --> 00:08:07.838 Now, notice here that John doesn't only tell people to stop doing things, he will tell people to stop doing things. 00:08:07.838 --> 00:08:11.504 I left those verses out because I want to make this point here. 00:08:11.504 --> 00:08:19.362 But he also tells them to start doing things, and in this case it's notably sharing. 00:08:21.927 --> 00:08:36.501 Sometimes, as Christians, it's really easy for us to focus on the things we should not do and a Christian is someone who doesn't do bad things, and that is actually true. 00:08:36.501 --> 00:08:39.869 But we shouldn't and we shouldn't sin. 00:08:39.869 --> 00:08:50.673 We shouldn't sleep around, we shouldn't steal or cheat or lie, because sin leads to death and we are people of life. 00:08:50.673 --> 00:08:56.244 But Jesus didn't simply say don't sin. 00:08:56.244 --> 00:09:00.653 The fruit he seeks is the fruit of doing good. 00:09:00.653 --> 00:09:12.802 It's the fruit of good works, as Paul calls it in Colossians, chapter one, verse 10, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. 00:09:12.802 --> 00:09:19.460 And so, as we, the fruit we've been looking at has a very practical outcome. 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:23.448 The fruit of the Spirit is love, and what are we commanded to do? 00:09:23.448 --> 00:09:26.181 We are commanded to love one another. 00:09:26.181 --> 00:09:32.653 The fruit of the Spirit is peace, and Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. 00:09:32.653 --> 00:09:36.144 And don't we need peacemakers in our world today? 00:09:36.144 --> 00:09:43.106 The fruit of the Spirit is patience, and the Scriptures tell us to be patient with those who are weak. 00:09:43.106 --> 00:09:49.711 The fruit of the Spirit is kindness, and Jesus said blessed are the merciful. 00:09:49.711 --> 00:10:02.523 And Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 10, says For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of us to do. 00:10:02.523 --> 00:10:09.985 So God has good works for you to do, good things he wants you to do. 00:10:09.985 --> 00:10:12.597 Do you know what they are? 00:10:12.597 --> 00:10:18.442 Are you bearing the fruit of good works? 00:10:18.442 --> 00:10:32.427 Well, very briefly, there's two more sorts of good works I want to talk about, slightly different, because godly character and good works aren't the only kinds of fruit that Jesus seeks. 00:10:33.275 --> 00:10:38.544 And in Colossians, chapter 1, verse 6, paul says the Gospel is bearing fruit. 00:10:38.544 --> 00:10:45.241 All over the world People are becoming followers of Jesus. 00:10:45.241 --> 00:10:55.605 And in John, chapter 4, verses 34 to 36, jesus said to his disciples my food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. 00:10:55.605 --> 00:11:00.566 Don't you say there are still four more months and then comes the harvest. 00:11:00.566 --> 00:11:02.221 Listen to what I'm telling you. 00:11:02.221 --> 00:11:06.164 Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 00:11:06.164 --> 00:11:16.215 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper can rejoice together. 00:11:16.215 --> 00:11:18.438 Harvest fields are so ready. 00:11:18.438 --> 00:11:23.369 Jesus said that the reapers and the sowers can barely keep up with one another. 00:11:23.369 --> 00:11:37.826 And Jesus' great joy is to see the fruit of the Gospel being harvested, to see people won for the kingdom of God, souls being saved for eternal life. 00:11:40.535 --> 00:11:48.421 And Francis leaves us with a very potent but very simple challenge Are we bearing the fruit of the Gospel? 00:11:48.421 --> 00:12:00.184 Are we telling people the good news about Jesus and the kingdom of God, and are we seeing people become followers of Jesus? 00:12:00.184 --> 00:12:04.462 Are we seeing souls won for the kingdom of God? 00:12:04.462 --> 00:12:08.059 Are we bearing the fruit of the Gospel? 00:12:08.059 --> 00:12:22.261 Well, there's one final kind of fruit that the New Testament talks about Hebrews, chapter 13, verses 14 to 15, says we do not have an enduring city here. 00:12:22.261 --> 00:12:25.482 Instead, we seek the one that is to come. 00:12:25.482 --> 00:12:32.687 Therefore, through Him, let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise. 00:12:32.687 --> 00:12:36.583 That is the fruit of lips that confesses name. 00:12:36.583 --> 00:12:49.961 So the fruit of praise is the response of the Christian who has their hope fixed on that eternal city, the New Jerusalem, where God dwells with His people. 00:12:53.294 --> 00:12:54.760 We live in troubled times, don't we? 00:12:54.760 --> 00:12:59.243 And some of you have first hand experience of that trouble. 00:12:59.243 --> 00:13:08.668 I grew up during the Cold War, when people thought we were on the brink of World War III and nuclear annihilation. 00:13:08.668 --> 00:13:18.225 Let me tell you, this year feels far more of a danger of that than it did in the 1980s when I was growing up. 00:13:18.225 --> 00:13:26.999 But Christians are a people who seek the good of this world, and that's true. 00:13:26.999 --> 00:13:31.245 We seek good now, but our hope is not now. 00:13:31.245 --> 00:13:36.681 Our hope is the life to come, and that's where our hearts are set. 00:13:36.681 --> 00:13:42.442 We look to the world to come as our final home. 00:13:42.442 --> 00:13:52.528 We work for world peace, but our hope is not in world peace now, but in the Prince of peace for all eternity. 00:13:53.735 --> 00:14:04.464 And as we bear the fruit of Godly character and good works and the gospel, so the fruit of praise to our awesome God increases. 00:14:04.464 --> 00:14:10.985 Friends, do your lives reflect this? 00:14:10.985 --> 00:14:14.923 Do your lives bear the fruit of praise? 00:14:14.923 --> 00:14:22.087 Praise a feature of your life as you pray and meditate on the things of God. 00:14:22.087 --> 00:14:25.063 And, of course, if you come to church, we praise God when we're here. 00:14:25.063 --> 00:14:30.605 But praising God isn't just the music we sing or the prayers we pray in church. 00:14:30.605 --> 00:14:38.245 It's a disposition, a sort of a leaning into God and the way we live once again. 00:14:42.494 --> 00:14:56.855 So Jesus is looking for fruit from His people, the fruit of the Spirit and Godly character, the fruit of good works, the fruit of the Gospel, the fruit of praise, and say how are you doing? 00:14:56.855 --> 00:15:00.974 Are you bearing good fruit? 00:15:00.974 --> 00:15:17.778 And maybe you're thinking actually, tick, tick, tick, tick, I'm doing pretty good, just remembering that if you are, that's the work of God in you, it's not you doing it, it's the overflow, and that's great. 00:15:17.778 --> 00:15:24.142 But maybe, like me, you probably feel a bit more mixed. 00:15:24.142 --> 00:15:29.052 You know, sometimes the fruit looks OK, sometimes I'm not so sure. 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:34.078 So the question is, how do we become more fruitful then? 00:15:34.078 --> 00:15:35.333 How do we bear better fruit? 00:15:35.333 --> 00:15:49.038 Well, one of the things I've noticed about gardening is that my plants really don't have a choice in what sort of fruit they bear. 00:15:49.038 --> 00:15:59.783 My bad zucchini is not withstanding Plants just sort of grow and, depending where they are, decides what sort of fruit they bear. 00:15:59.783 --> 00:16:01.474 It's the conditions. 00:16:01.474 --> 00:16:14.355 My zucchini plants can't decide to be fruitful, it just happens when usually they have fertile soil, sunshine, water and the right pollinators, when the conditions are right. 00:16:14.355 --> 00:16:16.313 And it's the same for us. 00:16:16.313 --> 00:16:33.140 But we're not quite as passive as my zucchini plants, because Jesus says there is something we can do to be more fruitful, and it's not to try harder to be more fruitful, it's to put ourselves in the right place where we can bear fruit. 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:37.181 So let's read John, chapter 15 again, just verses 4 to 8. 00:16:37.181 --> 00:16:45.833 He says remain in me and I in you, just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine. 00:16:45.833 --> 00:16:48.500 Neither can you, unless you remain in me. 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:51.393 I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:16:51.393 --> 00:16:57.461 The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 00:16:57.461 --> 00:17:02.860 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. 00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:05.517 They gather them, throw them into the fire and they're burned. 00:17:05.517 --> 00:17:11.873 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 00:17:11.873 --> 00:17:20.383 My Father is glorified by this that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. 00:17:20.383 --> 00:17:24.980 What word pops up again and again and again remain in me. 00:17:24.980 --> 00:17:28.837 Maybe some of the other translations have a bide in me. 00:17:31.549 --> 00:17:54.873 When we abide in Christ, we will abound in fruitfulness, and so if you don't feel like you're abounding in good fruit, as Christ wants to, you wants you to be, here's the key and the question for us Really not. 00:17:54.873 --> 00:17:55.936 Are you bearing fruit? 00:17:55.936 --> 00:17:56.638 That's a symptom. 00:17:56.638 --> 00:17:59.737 Are you abiding in Christ? 00:17:59.737 --> 00:18:09.002 Have you created space in your life, your time and your attention for Christ to remain in you? 00:18:09.002 --> 00:18:15.643 And he says, for my word, his teaching, his gospel to remain in me? 00:18:15.643 --> 00:18:30.678 Is your heart prepared like the good soil that Jesus talks about in the parable of the flower, the four different kinds of soil where some produces a pretty pathetic crop but some produces a fruitful crop? 00:18:30.678 --> 00:18:40.575 Or are your roots planted, in his word, like a tree besides streams of water, like he talks about in Psalm 1? 00:18:40.575 --> 00:18:47.338 Remain in Christ and let him dwell in you, and you will bear fruit. 00:18:50.009 --> 00:19:00.402 Jesus has appointed us to bear fruit, so let's be a people who abide in him, so that we may abound in fruitfulness. 00:19:00.402 --> 00:19:09.490 Let's pray, and then I'm going to invite you, ahi, to come and just give a summary of that, if he's brave enough to do so In Korean. 00:19:09.490 --> 00:19:19.585 Father, we thank you that you have called us to a very simple process of being fruitful. 00:19:19.585 --> 00:19:35.211 Lord, I pray that you will just challenge us in the coming week to take stock of our lives and where we have perhaps gotten so busy or distracted that we don't have time for you. 00:19:35.211 --> 00:19:44.021 Lord, help us to repent and create that space so that we can abide in you and you in us. 00:19:44.021 --> 00:20:03.098 So where we've become disappointed, perhaps just tired, please help us to find our rest in you, because in resting in you that's where we abide, in you and, lord, you do the work in us to make our lives fruitful. 00:20:03.098 --> 00:20:06.397 We pray in Jesus' name, amen.