SPEAKER_02: Hello everyone, I'm Dr.
SPEAKER_02: Steve Holt.
SPEAKER_02: I want to welcome you to the Road Church Podcast.
SPEAKER_02: Each week we go into God's Word.
SPEAKER_02: We teach chapter by chapter and verse by verse.
SPEAKER_02: We are here to build the Kingdom of God revolution through empowering people to change the world.
SPEAKER_02: So we pray this will minister to you at your heart level and change your life.
SPEAKER_02: Today, be encouraged by our guest speaker.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Well, John 15 is a favorite of mine.
SPEAKER_00: It's uh one of my favorite teachings of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: It's actually where we concluded at the youth retreat on Sunday morning, encouraging high school students to refocus and reconnect to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And uh this passage was on my heart again for this morning, but with a bit of a different focus.
SPEAKER_00: So the title of this message is Where is the Fruit?
SPEAKER_00: Where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: And throughout the Bible, but especially in the New Testament, we see this analogy used of our lives producing fruit and uh being connected to the vine and things like that.
SPEAKER_00: And whenever, um that's exactly what John 15 is talking about, and whenever I hear this analogy, um, thinking about our lives bearing fruit, I also think about actual fruit, uh, because I like actual fruit.
SPEAKER_00: And so I want to start with a quick story.
SPEAKER_00: So when my family and I uh we moved into the house where we currently live almost five years ago, and when we moved in, we were told that there was a peach tree in the corner of our yard.
SPEAKER_00: And we were pretty excited about this.
SPEAKER_00: My wife Allie was very excited about this because she grew up in the Midwest, where that's a much more common occurrence.
SPEAKER_00: Things grow better pretty much anywhere else other than Colorado, right?
SPEAKER_00: Uh we live in a desert, so it's uh it's hard to grow things.
SPEAKER_00: So she was really excited about the thought of having a fruit tree in our backyard.
SPEAKER_00: So we moved in in May, um, and that first summer the tree did not look very good, didn't produce anything, uh, but I watered it.
SPEAKER_00: We watered it uh throughout the winter, we continued to water it, and then that next spring, it had flowers, it had uh all these beautiful pink uh peach blossoms all over the tree, so we're really, really excited.
SPEAKER_00: And then uh because we live in Colorado, we got one of those super late May snowstorms.
SPEAKER_00: So I'm out there on a ladder in the middle of the snow, throwing a giant blue tarp over our tree.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and it worked.
SPEAKER_00: I saved the the peach blossoms, and then because it's Colorado, three weeks later it's June and it's 90 degrees.
SPEAKER_00: And we were out of town, we asked somebody to water it.
SPEAKER_00: She probably did, but it was really, really, really hot.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know the technical term for whatever these are, but I call them peach babies because they were little tiny peaches that were growing on the tree, and when we came home, all the little peach babies had dried and shriveled up and fallen off of the tree.
SPEAKER_00: So we were very, very sad.
SPEAKER_00: No fruit that year as well.
SPEAKER_00: The third year, uh, the tree was looking a lot better, it had uh leaves, um, but no fruit.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it's like an every other year kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00: Again, we really did no research into this.
SPEAKER_00: We probably could have, we just watered it.
SPEAKER_00: And so don't know why.
SPEAKER_00: Um, although I will say that year, that third summer, uh, there was no flowers and no peaches, but uh we had the youth group over at one point during the summer, and and uh he's one of my leaders now, but one of my youth students at the time, Micah, said, Joey, what kind of tree is that?
SPEAKER_00: And I said, It's a peach tree, and he said, Yeah, I know there's a peach on it, and I said, No, there's not, and he said, Yeah, there is.
SPEAKER_00: And he showed me in the middle of the tree, there was one peach.
SPEAKER_00: Super random.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know how that happened, but we did get one technically that year, and it was it was yummy.
SPEAKER_00: Um, so year four, year four.
SPEAKER_00: We have a lot of anticipation, excitement towards year four.
SPEAKER_00: So we're really excited, watering it, taking care of this thing.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, we get a huge harvest of peaches, and it was awesome.
SPEAKER_00: We we like my wife canned them and froze them, and we had peaches for like a whole year.
SPEAKER_00: It was great.
SPEAKER_00: And then the following year, uh the tree died and it's no longer in our yard.
SPEAKER_00: But it's been quite uh quite the journey with this tree.
SPEAKER_00: But throughout that process, throughout that process, we were often asking the question: where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: And there were a lot of moments of frustration and confusion because we're like, this is a peach tree we were told.
SPEAKER_00: And there were we were finding peach pits all over the yard.
SPEAKER_00: As we were doing landscaping and stuff, we were finding peach pits.
SPEAKER_00: We're like, we know this tree has produced peaches before.
SPEAKER_00: Why are we not getting peaches?
SPEAKER_00: And and so uh there was a lot of frustration and confusion as we asked this question, where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: And I think the same question can be asked and should be asked of each one of us in our own lives.
SPEAKER_00: And is God looking at us, is God looking at each one of you and asking, where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: Because fruit can often be the indicator.
SPEAKER_00: And James 2 talks about faith without works being dead, and works or fruit is evidence that your faith is alive, and it's evidence that we're connected to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna consider this question as we look at the passage this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: So if you're with me in John 15, would you follow along as I read?
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna read the first eight verses together.
SPEAKER_00: I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser.
SPEAKER_00: Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
SPEAKER_00: You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
SPEAKER_00: Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine.
SPEAKER_00: Neither can you, unless you abide in me.
SPEAKER_00: I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me, and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.
SPEAKER_00: If any one does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered, and they gather him and throw him into the fire, and they are burned.
SPEAKER_00: If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
SPEAKER_00: By this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples.
SPEAKER_00: You will be my disciples.
SPEAKER_00: So vines and vineyards were common symbolism that Jesus used as he taught, and we see it throughout Scripture, and and because grape vines were common all throughout Israel, um and still are, and also a large golden vine was used as decoration on the temple, symbolizing Israel as God's vine.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus is speaking in a language that would have been familiar to his disciples.
SPEAKER_00: And he starts by saying, I am the true vine.
SPEAKER_00: I am the true vine.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus is is emphasizing himself, emphasizing the Father as the way, as the way to salvation, as the way, the truth, and life.
SPEAKER_00: And he's saying it's not through Israel or being an Israelite, it's through Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And he uses this kind of powerful pointed language towards himself throughout the book of John.
SPEAKER_00: John 6, 48 says, I am the bread of life.
SPEAKER_00: John 8, he says, I am the light of the world.
SPEAKER_00: In John 10, he says, I am the door, and he says, I am the good shepherd.
SPEAKER_00: In John 11, he says, I am the resurrection and the life.
SPEAKER_00: He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.
SPEAKER_00: In John 14, 6, he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
SPEAKER_00: No one comes to the Father except through me.
SPEAKER_00: So, church, the first thing I want to establish this morning, first thing, is that Jesus is the only way.
SPEAKER_00: If you don't hear anything else I say this morning, then please hear this.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is the only way.
SPEAKER_00: He isn't a way or part of the way, or well, he's a part of my story.
SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
SPEAKER_00: He is the only way.
SPEAKER_00: And people will try to tell you that the teachings of Jesus are good, and maybe we can take this religion and that religion, and really a combination of all of them is the best way.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is pretty clear on this one.
SPEAKER_00: Don't do any of that.
SPEAKER_00: He is the only way.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is the vine.
SPEAKER_00: And one of the first things I did when we moved into our house and inherited this peach tree was removed a dead branch.
SPEAKER_00: One of the tallest branches on the tree, the previous owner put bird netting on it and it killed that branch, so I cut it off.
SPEAKER_00: Now, when I cut off that branch, I didn't cut it off and suddenly expect it to start bearing fruit.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: That's not how it works.
SPEAKER_00: If a branch is not connected to the tree, if a branch is not connected to the vine, it's certainly not going to start bearing fruit.
SPEAKER_00: That's not why we remove branches.
SPEAKER_00: You must be connected to the vine, to the plant to bear fruit.
SPEAKER_00: So what about us?
SPEAKER_00: Where is the fruit in our own lives?
SPEAKER_00: Is there fruit in our own lives?
SPEAKER_00: And how do we know?
SPEAKER_00: Well, I have three questions for you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Three questions we can ask ourselves to determine if there's fruit in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: So if you're taking notes, the first question is this Are we connected?
SPEAKER_00: Are we connected?
SPEAKER_00: Be connected to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Well, what does that mean?
SPEAKER_00: It means complete dependence.
SPEAKER_00: Complete dependence.
SPEAKER_00: A branch gets everything it needs from the vine or from the plant or from the tree, right?
SPEAKER_00: It gets water, food, security, safety, everything.
SPEAKER_00: The branch doesn't have to wonder if the vine or the plant will take care of it.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to worry.
SPEAKER_00: It has complete dependence, complete trust on the plant.
SPEAKER_00: And in the same way, Jesus wants you to be connected to Him and dependent on Him, a constant connection.
SPEAKER_00: Are we trusting God and relying on Him with every need in our lives, just like the branch is relying on the vine?
SPEAKER_00: Or are we worried?
SPEAKER_00: It reminds me of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, where he encourages those listening to not worry about flute, food, and clothes like the plants and the birds, but to seek first the kingdom of God and trust him with everything else.
SPEAKER_00: Trust and depend on God, just like the branch trusts the vine.
SPEAKER_00: Just like the branch trusts the vine.
SPEAKER_00: So let's look back at verse 5.
SPEAKER_00: He says, He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me, you can do nothing.
SPEAKER_00: We can't do anything of real, eternal, significant value without Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Connection is the key.
SPEAKER_00: And without a connection to Jesus, your life will be fruitless.
SPEAKER_00: Your life will be fruitless.
SPEAKER_00: And that is a sad thought.
SPEAKER_00: Because I think we all have this desire to make an impact, right?
SPEAKER_00: It feels good.
SPEAKER_00: It feels important when you hear people say, hey, that, you know, you made a difference in my life.
SPEAKER_00: You you changed the course of my life.
SPEAKER_00: You really poured into me.
SPEAKER_00: You spent time.
SPEAKER_00: Well, I think we all desire desire to hear that, to make that kind of impact, to leave a legacy when we're gone.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus is saying here, without him, our life will not produce fruit.
SPEAKER_00: Without Jesus, we won't have fruit in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: And that's a sad thought.
SPEAKER_00: But I think you can flip that.
SPEAKER_00: On the positive side, you can flip that same thought.
SPEAKER_00: And I think there's a promise associated with this verse.
SPEAKER_00: And the promise is this if you are connected to Jesus, then your life will produce fruit.
SPEAKER_00: If you are connected to Jesus, you will impact the kingdom, you will make a difference, you will change people's lives.
SPEAKER_00: This is a promise.
SPEAKER_00: If you are connected, your life will bear fruit.
SPEAKER_00: Even if you don't see the results at first, if you don't see it in the moment, keep going.
SPEAKER_00: We don't always see the results right away.
SPEAKER_00: And I was talking about this with Sebastian this week, and we were talking about the other day, and we and we were talking about the Old Testament prophets.
SPEAKER_00: And then I thought of Isaiah, right?
SPEAKER_00: And how Isaiah is this powerful book with these messianic prophecies, and um we talk about them every year, and there's one we use at Christmas every year, and it's so much fruit has come out of that book for believers today, right?
SPEAKER_00: But Isaiah and a lot of these other Old Testament prophets were not very popular in their day and age.
SPEAKER_00: They were often hated for the words that they were bringing.
SPEAKER_00: And they probably got frustrated and like, where is the fruit?
SPEAKER_00: I'm hearing from God and I'm not seeing any fruit.
SPEAKER_00: And now we can look back and make, man, there's so much fruit, right?
SPEAKER_00: So even if you're not seeing it at the time, in the moment, keep going.
SPEAKER_00: Because here's the truth if you are connected to Jesus and you are where he has led you and asked you to be, then keep going.
SPEAKER_00: There will be fruit.
SPEAKER_00: This is a promise.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says in this passage, abide in me.
SPEAKER_00: Abide in me.
SPEAKER_00: The Greek word for abide is meno, which means to continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain.
SPEAKER_00: And of that list, the word dwell sticks out to me because dwell isn't like a come and go kind of word, right?
SPEAKER_00: Dwell, you're you're staying put.
SPEAKER_00: It has some commitment to it, right?
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't just mean connecting to Jesus on Sundays, it means living there, staying there, pressing in, abiding, dwelling with Him.
SPEAKER_00: And this is a privilege.
SPEAKER_00: We're invited to dwell, to abide in the God who created the universe.
SPEAKER_00: It's a relationship and an invitation.
SPEAKER_00: So throughout life, through the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, remain, endure, continue, abide in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Let's reflect on that this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Are we abiding in Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Are we in God's Word?
SPEAKER_00: Are we spending time giving God praise and worship?
SPEAKER_00: Are we are we praying?
SPEAKER_00: Are we in fellowship with other believers?
SPEAKER_00: All of those things connect us to the vine.
SPEAKER_00: They connect us to the vine.
SPEAKER_00: So the first indicator of fruit, first thing we need to ask ourselves this morning if we're looking for fruit in our lives, is are we connected to Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: So that's number one.
SPEAKER_00: Number two is are we working with God?
SPEAKER_00: Would you keep a finger or a bookmark in John 15 and turn back in your Bibles with me to Psalm 127?
SPEAKER_00: I will let you turn there.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 127.
SPEAKER_00: We're just gonna read the first two verses.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 127 says this, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.
SPEAKER_00: Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
SPEAKER_00: It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he gives his beloved sleep.
SPEAKER_00: So I love this passage because when we're talking about fruit and results and making a difference, I want to be careful that the focus shouldn't just be on the fruit or how much fruit there is.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: I think it's important to point out quantity versus quality, and we're not just going for quantity, the most fruit as possible.
SPEAKER_00: And actually, when we did that fourth summer finally get fruit on our peach tree, we actually got rid of a lot of the peaches when they were like halfway grown because the branches were so loaded up with these peaches.
SPEAKER_00: They're like drooping, they're like scraping the floor.
SPEAKER_00: And we were worried it wasn't a very big tree, we were worried about how this tree was going to support all of these peaches.
SPEAKER_00: So we actually thinned out a lot of uh the peaches so that the tree uh could do what it needed to do.
SPEAKER_00: And I think the same thing can happen in our own lives where we get excited about ministry, we're excited about what we get to do, and we say yes to everything, and we go, go, go, go, go, and that can actually lead us to being stretched thin and getting burnt out and not being as effective or used as as we should be.
SPEAKER_00: So we need to be intentional with our time and what we're doing and make sure we're connected to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: And it reminds me of um when our first son was born, my wife Allie and I have have four kids now, our oldest is four, our youngest is seven months uh today, actually.
SPEAKER_00: And I remember very clearly to when our first was born, when Miles was born, and and uh we didn't know what we were doing as our first kid.
SPEAKER_00: I especially didn't know what I was doing, and but I wanted to help, right?
SPEAKER_00: And there's a lot that a dad can't do when it comes to taking care of a newborn.
SPEAKER_00: Um so I was trying to do everything else.
SPEAKER_00: So I was doing the dishes, I was doing the laundry, I was taking care of the dog, I was taking care of the house, and I thought that I was like crushing it.
SPEAKER_00: I'm like dad over dad of the year over here, husband of the year, I'm taking care of everything, um, crushing it.
SPEAKER_00: And then I found out that my wife Allie was kind of frustrated with me, and I was really confused as to why, how on earth could she be frustrated with me?
SPEAKER_00: Like I am, I'm crushing it.
SPEAKER_00: And we had a conversation, and she said, I don't really care about all of that right now.
SPEAKER_00: I would love it if you just sat down with me and the baby and just like hung out with us.
SPEAKER_00: I was like, oh, good point.
SPEAKER_00: And it reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha from the Bible, where it's the same kind of thing, where uh one is busy and distracted by all the stuff that needs to be doing, the other one's just hanging out with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And I think God can look at us the same way, and he says, You're so busy, why don't you just hang out with me?
SPEAKER_00: Why don't you just spend time with me?
SPEAKER_00: And there's a difference between working with God and just working for God.
SPEAKER_00: There's a difference between working with God and working for God, and the difference comes with the connection that we're talking about.
SPEAKER_00: Are you connected to the vine?
SPEAKER_00: Because without the connection, there's no fruit.
SPEAKER_00: And Solomon's saying a similar thing here in Psalm 127.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, if you're trying to build the house by yourself without God, whatever you're trying to do, if you're just running and you're not connected to the vine and you're building and you're doing all these things, it's in vain.
SPEAKER_00: It's meaningless, it's worthless.
SPEAKER_00: Pause, stop.
SPEAKER_00: Is what I'm doing, is the ministry I'm pouring into, are all the things I'm trying to accomplish?
SPEAKER_00: Is God with me?
SPEAKER_00: Am I in his will?
SPEAKER_00: Am I am I partnering with the Lord in what I'm trying to do?
SPEAKER_00: Because if not, it's in vain, and if not, it will be fruitless.
SPEAKER_00: So are you where God has called you to me?
SPEAKER_00: Are you connected to him?
SPEAKER_00: It also reminds me of James chapter 1, where James writes, but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
SPEAKER_00: For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
SPEAKER_00: So are we just trying to check the boxes, or are we engaged in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ?
SPEAKER_00: Are we connected to the vine?
SPEAKER_00: Are we working with God?
SPEAKER_00: And back in John 15, verse 8, says this by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples.
SPEAKER_00: The goal, the goal is for God to get the glory.
SPEAKER_00: May our lives only bear fruit if it glorifies God.
SPEAKER_00: So we can be his disciples, so we can go and make other disciples, right?
SPEAKER_00: The word disciple actually means pupil, right?
SPEAKER_00: So if we're gonna be God's disciple, then we're learning from him, right?
SPEAKER_00: We're being taught by him so that we can go and do the same thing.
SPEAKER_00: We can go and teach others.
SPEAKER_00: And again, all of this only works if we're working with God.
SPEAKER_00: So that's the second question.
SPEAKER_00: Are we working with God?
SPEAKER_00: And the third question is this Are we operating in love?
SPEAKER_00: Are we operating in love?
SPEAKER_00: So let's continue in our passage this morning, John 15, picking it up in verse 9.
SPEAKER_00: As the Father loved me, I also have loved you.
SPEAKER_00: Abide in my love.
SPEAKER_00: If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love.
SPEAKER_00: These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may remain, your joy may be full.
SPEAKER_00: This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.
SPEAKER_00: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
SPEAKER_00: So we are called as believers to live lives that produce fruit.
SPEAKER_00: However, the fruit is pointless without love.
SPEAKER_00: The fruit is pointless without love.
SPEAKER_00: Last week, Pastor Steve finished our series in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and you referenced 1 Corinthians 13 a lot during that series.
SPEAKER_00: And um I love that uh that chapter, and we're gonna use it a little bit here at this last point.
SPEAKER_00: And so uh you can turn there if you want, but 1 Corinthians 13, 1 says this though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I become sounding brass or a clinging symbol.
SPEAKER_00: And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
SPEAKER_00: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
SPEAKER_00: You see, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we just spent the last however many weeks studying are worthless, they're pointless, they're nothing without love.
SPEAKER_00: And these verses are a great reminder that you could be doing what you think is amazing things, working in the Holy Spirit, but if it's done from a place of anger or jealousy or pride, then it's just noise, and it's probably gonna do more damage than good.
SPEAKER_00: Because without love, it's nothing.
SPEAKER_00: You see, it's not just about the fruit, it's not just about accomplishing things and doing things and cool opportunities, it's about love.
SPEAKER_00: Love is key.
SPEAKER_00: Actually, love is the fruit.
SPEAKER_00: Love is the fruit.
SPEAKER_00: Look back at verse 9.
SPEAKER_00: As the Father loved me, I also have loved you.
SPEAKER_00: Abide in my love.
SPEAKER_00: You see, it's this trickle-down effect.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is saying, God loved me and I'm loving you, right?
SPEAKER_00: And so God loved Jesus, Jesus loves us, and we love people.
SPEAKER_00: Love is the fruit.
SPEAKER_00: First John 4 says, We love him because he first loved us.
SPEAKER_00: He started it, he initiated it, he first loved us.
SPEAKER_00: We're just loving him back.
SPEAKER_00: And one of the ways that we love Jesus back is by loving his people.
SPEAKER_00: We love him back by loving his people.
SPEAKER_00: And when we use the word love, the world is taking that word.
SPEAKER_00: And twisted it and created it and turned it to mean things that it shouldn't mean.
SPEAKER_00: And there's different types of love.
SPEAKER_00: The world doesn't really talk about that either.
SPEAKER_00: And unconditional love, friendship love, all different types.
SPEAKER_00: And so when Jesus commands us to love, we might not know exactly what that means.
SPEAKER_00: And if you look back at verse 12, he says, This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.
SPEAKER_00: We are commanded to love as Jesus has loved us.
SPEAKER_00: Now that's a high standard.
SPEAKER_00: That's a high bar to love people the way Jesus loved people.
SPEAKER_00: Because he demonstrated his love so many times throughout the New Testament, right?
SPEAKER_00: Just a few of my favorite examples.
SPEAKER_00: A love when Jesus fed the 5,000, right?
SPEAKER_00: He's teaching to thousands of people on that hill.
SPEAKER_00: And those people are there for one reason to be spiritually fed by Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: They're there to quench their spiritual hunger, to learn and teach them.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus did that.
SPEAKER_00: He met their needs spiritually.
SPEAKER_00: But then he went a step further.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't just care about their spiritual need.
SPEAKER_00: He also cared about their physical needs.
SPEAKER_00: He said, These people are hungry and I love them and I want to feed them.
SPEAKER_00: He demonstrated his love by finding a way to feed thousands of people.
SPEAKER_00: Or what about the woman who was bleeding, who'd been suffering for years, and Jesus was on a mission to go to go save somebody else, to go heal somebody else.
SPEAKER_00: He's kind of in a hurry and he's pushing through this crowd of people, and he feels someone grab his cloak.
SPEAKER_00: And this is a woman that was unclean, that nobody would want to deal with.
SPEAKER_00: They wouldn't look at her, they wouldn't touch her, they had nothing to do with this woman, and Jesus stopped in the middle of this crowd, on his way to an urgent matter, stopped, looked at this woman, loved her, cared about her, healed her.
SPEAKER_00: Or what about when Jesus washed the disciples' feet?
SPEAKER_00: And this is a big one for me, a convicting one, because I think feet are really, really gross.
SPEAKER_00: Um I even my own feet.
SPEAKER_00: I don't like touching my own feet.
SPEAKER_00: Um so if we're commanded to love people like Jesus loved people, then okay, Joey, you gotta be willing to touch people's feet, right?
SPEAKER_00: Big act of love there for Jesus to serve his disciples in that way.
SPEAKER_00: I also love the connection between love and joy in verse 11.
SPEAKER_00: These things I've spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full.
SPEAKER_00: If we are connected to Jesus, if we're abiding in his love, if we're walking in his will, our life will produce fruit and we'll be full of his joy.
SPEAKER_00: Fullness of his joy.
SPEAKER_00: That's the result of abiding in Jesus' love.
SPEAKER_00: You'll be filled up with the joy of the Lord while you serve him.
SPEAKER_00: Now, that doesn't mean you'll be happy all the time.
SPEAKER_00: Serving the Lord's not always easy.
SPEAKER_00: There's difficult situations that we we navigate, but it does mean that your life will be one that is meaningful and impactful.
SPEAKER_00: And you'll be filled with his joy.
SPEAKER_00: So my last question this morning is this What does fruit and love look like in our own lives?
SPEAKER_00: Because as believers in Christ, this is our calling and this is our mission.
SPEAKER_00: This is our command to love people as Jesus has loved us.
SPEAKER_00: So can we feed people like Jesus did?
SPEAKER_00: Spiritually, physically?
SPEAKER_00: Are we just trying to meet one of those needs?
SPEAKER_00: Or do we care about both like Jesus did?
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes you need to meet someone's physical need before you can address their spiritual needs.
SPEAKER_00: And every summer I get to take our high schoolers on a missions trip.
SPEAKER_00: Uh we go to the beautiful city of Colorado Springs, we call it Mission Colorado, and we we serve in our missionaries here in our own city.
SPEAKER_00: And so a lot of that street evangelism, um, bugging tourists and praying for them and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00: But then we also do a lot of homeless uh ministry, and and what we've learned is that if you uh meet a physical need first, the conversation is gonna be a lot more fruitful.
SPEAKER_00: And so we'll make sandwiches and we'll bring water bottles and and uh those type giving a gift will open the door to have a conversation with someone because once their physical need is met and they see that you care about them, they're probably gonna be a lot more willing to open up and and hear what you have to say.
SPEAKER_00: And um maybe there's maybe there's a neighbor that like drives you nuts, right?
SPEAKER_00: And you're like, that that person needs Jesus, right?
SPEAKER_00: That person needs Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe inviting them over for dinner would be the invitation or the icebreaker to have that type of conversation, right?
SPEAKER_00: Food is a powerful tool.
SPEAKER_00: I'll tell you, I'm a youth pastor, I know how powerful food can be, right?
SPEAKER_00: If I have pizza at something, there's gonna be a lot more teenagers there.
SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, think about that.
SPEAKER_00: Meeting the physical need and then the spiritual need, or maybe there's a person that's been on your heart a lot recently, and you can't stop thinking about them.
SPEAKER_00: There's probably a reason for that, right?
SPEAKER_00: There's probably a reason for that.
SPEAKER_00: Or it might be leading you to reach out to that person.
SPEAKER_00: So do it.
SPEAKER_00: Actions speak a lot louder than words, and people remember how you made them feel over what you've said.
SPEAKER_00: So, how can we make people feel Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Well, by how we treat them and how we love them.
SPEAKER_00: Loving people as Jesus loved us is action.
SPEAKER_00: It's action and how we serve people.
SPEAKER_00: So how we treat people is important, and it's often the most powerful tool that we have to love people well and share Jesus with people.
SPEAKER_00: So let's go back to 1 Corinthians 13.
SPEAKER_00: I want to look at the list that Paul provides of what love is and what love is not, and let's apply it practically to our lives.
SPEAKER_00: So 1 Corinthians 13, picking up in verse 4, says this love suffers long and is kind.
SPEAKER_00: Love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, it does not behave rudely, it does not seek its own, it's not provoked, it thinks no evil, it does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth.
SPEAKER_00: It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
SPEAKER_00: So let's go through this list and look at how we can love people like Jesus loved people.
SPEAKER_00: So the first one is love suffers long.
SPEAKER_00: Other translations say love is patient.
SPEAKER_00: It's a tough one to start with.
SPEAKER_00: We're all really, really good at being patient, right?
SPEAKER_00: But love is often demonstrating patience.
SPEAKER_00: Well, loving my kids, who are mostly toddlers, requires a lot of patience.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: Love is patient.
SPEAKER_00: The next one is love is kind.
SPEAKER_00: This one's fun, right?
SPEAKER_00: We can show the love of Jesus Christ just by being kind to people.
SPEAKER_00: And have you noticed how rare that is?
SPEAKER_00: Like that you can be kind to somebody and they're surprised by it.
SPEAKER_00: Because how rare and unusual it is to go out of your way and being kind, we show the love of Jesus simply by being kind.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus modeled this one constantly.
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes just being kind will be all that it's is necessary to open the door to have a conversation about Jesus and about the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: Love is kind.
SPEAKER_00: The next three we can kind of group together, they're all they're all prideful things, right?
SPEAKER_00: Love does not envy, does not parade itself or boast, it's not puffed up or arrogant.
SPEAKER_00: You see, loving people like Jesus, it's not about us.
SPEAKER_00: Love is not about us.
SPEAKER_00: If we're doing something out of envy or boasting or arrogance, that's not love.
SPEAKER_00: That's something else.
SPEAKER_00: Then he says, love does not behave rudely.
SPEAKER_00: That one should go without explanation, right?
SPEAKER_00: Don't be rude.
SPEAKER_00: And if I am rude to someone, I'm not showing love.
SPEAKER_00: That's the opposite of love is kind, right?
SPEAKER_00: Love is kind, it's not rude.
SPEAKER_00: Love does not seek its own.
SPEAKER_00: Again, love is not about us.
SPEAKER_00: If we're not doing something out of pride or achievement, then it's not love.
SPEAKER_00: Love is not provoked or irritable.
SPEAKER_00: This one reminds me of the first one.
SPEAKER_00: Love is patient, right?
SPEAKER_00: If we're easily provoked or irritated, we're not demonstrating love.
SPEAKER_00: The next two are similar.
SPEAKER_00: Love thinks no evil, love does not rejoice in iniquity or wrongdoing.
SPEAKER_00: You see, love from Jesus from the Father is pure and it's good, it's not evil.
SPEAKER_00: Love rejoices in the truth.
SPEAKER_00: We serve a God of truth.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus came to the earth with truth.
SPEAKER_00: He said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life.
SPEAKER_00: As believers in Jesus, we have the truth.
SPEAKER_00: We know the truth, and we love people well by sharing with them, by showing them the truth with love.
SPEAKER_00: Love bears all things, right?
SPEAKER_00: We have the opportunity as believers to bear each other's burdens, and by doing so, we're showing love.
SPEAKER_00: I hope you're a part of a small group.
SPEAKER_00: I know in my small group we spend a lot of time hearing each other's prayer requests and praying for each other and bearing each other's burdens.
SPEAKER_00: That's showing love.
SPEAKER_00: Love believes all things, right?
SPEAKER_00: Love without compromising truth believes in people, believes the best in people.
SPEAKER_00: Do we believe the best in people or are we skeptical and closed off to that?
SPEAKER_00: Love hopes all things.
SPEAKER_00: Love believes in the future.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus brings hope to this world.
SPEAKER_00: That hope lives in each one of us as believers.
SPEAKER_00: It's an anchor to our souls, as it says in Hebrews.
SPEAKER_00: So share that hope with someone, and by doing so, you're loving them.
SPEAKER_00: Lastly, love endures all things.
SPEAKER_00: This is hard for us to do.
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot to endure in this world.
SPEAKER_00: But it's exactly what Jesus demonstrated on the cross.
SPEAKER_00: He endured all of it.
SPEAKER_00: He endured pain, he endured humiliation, shame, torture.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because of his great love for you and for me.
SPEAKER_00: And that brings us back to John, John 15, 13 says this greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest act of love is that laying down your life for someone else.
SPEAKER_00: And that's a serious thing to ask of someone.
SPEAKER_00: It's the biggest thing you could sacrifice.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus was not asking anybody to do anything that he was not willing to do himself, because this is exactly what Jesus did.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest act of love ever on the cross, displayed on the cross.
SPEAKER_00: And that's the gospel message.
SPEAKER_00: And maybe some of you here this morning need to hear the gospel message.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe some of you here this morning need to share the gospel message with someone specific in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever the reason is, here it is.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was fully man, he was fully God.
SPEAKER_00: He came to earth, he walked this earth as a man, he dealt with a lot of the same things we deal with, but he was perfect.
SPEAKER_00: He never sinned.
SPEAKER_00: He chose to take on our sin, our shame, our pain, and take it to the cross.
SPEAKER_00: He was punished on our behalf for us because of his great love for us and because of his grace and his mercy as a gift of love, the greatest act of love.
SPEAKER_00: And that gift is available for each one of us today.
SPEAKER_00: So don't leave here this morning without accepting that gift.
SPEAKER_00: If the Lord's tugging on your heart right now, there's a reason for that.
SPEAKER_00: I'll give an opportunity to accept that gift and receive prayer in a little bit after worship, but don't leave here without putting Jesus on the throne of your life.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you need to rededicate your life to Christ this morning.
SPEAKER_00: If something was tugging on your heart through the reading of His Word about wanting to live a life that bears fruit, needing to get reconnected to the vine, we'll have an opportunity for you to do that this morning as well.
SPEAKER_00: There's so much available for each one of us today.
SPEAKER_00: There is love, there is freedom, and there's a life that will bear fruit.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Road Church Podcast.
SPEAKER_01: We pray today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world.
SPEAKER_01: For more information about the Road Church and to find more content like this, go to theroad.org.
SPEAKER_01: That's theroad.org.