UN-FRUITFULNESS
- ALL FRUIT HARVESTED IS NOT ALWAYS
FIT TO EAT
-
First
Word
- GOOD
WORKS
does not make you a Christian; but because you are a Christian you will do
good works. – Fruit does not fall very far from the tree. - The Bible is
clear that you will recognize a Christian by his works, his fruitfulness.
- There is a new fruit that is
observable in the actions and reactions of the Believer. In due season people will observe
in the Believer’s life the Holy Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
- As a kid, I tried to
eat the fruit of a persimmon tree before it was ripe. It was bad fruit.
- This Word study
raises to a HIGH PITCH how God feels about BAD FRUIT.
- What ever is stored
up in a man is eventually what comes out.
Evil gives birth to bad fruit. – The grace of God teaches us to say
NO to ungodliness and worldly passions.
Matt 7: 20 – By their fruit you will recognize them.
20 Thus, by their fruit
you will recognize them. NIV
Gal 5:22-23
– Fruit of the Christian
22 But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law
Matt 12:35 – Bad Fruit stored up gives birth to more bad fruit.
35 The good man brings
good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil
things out of the evil stored up in him.
Titus
2:11-12 – Grace lets us say NO to worldly passions
11 For the grace of God
that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say
"No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age NIV
Satan
·
As
soon as the desire to do “good works” comes, Satan tries his best to choke
it out with distractions, keeping it from being watered and receiving the light
of the sun; causing it to WITHER, thus the desire to “do good” becomes
unfruitful. NYOBS 20.36 The Holy Spirit
Matt 13:4-7
– Early on, Satan tries to steal your Works
4 As he was scattering the
seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky
places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil
was shallow.
6 But when the sun came
up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had
no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns,
which grew up and choked the plants. NIV
John 15:6 – Unfruitfulness
withers the Believer.
6 If anyone does not
remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. NIV
What More can God do?
- God, through the Holy
Spirit has given the best and most specific gift tailored just for
you to produce fruit that is to be used for the building up of the
body of Christ. – While the gift is just for you; it’s not just to enrich
YOU, but to enrich the whole body of Believers in the vineyard of Christ.
- He chose the most specific
and “choices of gifts” that will grow best in your fertile soil:
Then He removed the stones in your life that would impede its
growth; He then watered it with his Word, then guarded it and
watched over the growth awaiting the harvest.
- What
more can God do to help you to produce a harvest ? – Live is choice driven.
- Only the one who DOES
the will of the Father will enter the
1 Cor 12:11 – The Holy Spirit determines your BEST GIFT
11 All these are the work
of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he
determines. NIV
Isa 5:1-4 –
What more can God do?
1 I will sing for the one
I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile
hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared
it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a
watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop
of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 "Now you dwellers
in Jerusalem Judah
4 What more could have
been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for
good grapes, why did it yield only bad. NIV
John 8:36 – You are free to choose
36 So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed. NIV
Matt 7:21 – Only the one who DOES the will of the Father
21 "Not everyone who
says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who DOES
the will of my Father who is in heaven. NIV
It’s all over
- The “Believer” WILL BE FRUITFUL; but if
there is no fruit, it’s all over. You don’t belong to God. .–
You cannot be fruitful apart from God
- God will not be
mocked – You will reap what you sow. – Those that produce sour grapes will
die for their own sins
- You will eat the
fruit of your ways and be filled with the fruit of your schemes – At some
point the face of the Lord will turn against you. – You will become a
wasteland. – God will put an AX to your tree and cut it down and use it for
firewood in the
Gal 6:7-8 –
God will not be mocked – You will reap what you sow
7 Do not be deceived: God
cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
8 The one who sows to
please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who
sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. NIV
John 15:4 – Your
gift cannot function apart from God
4 Remain in me, and I will
remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the
vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. NIV
Matt 7:19 – Trees that bears bad fruit will be axed and burned
19 Every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Luke 13:9 –
A little more time for fruit – if not cut it down
9 If it bears fruit next
year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" NIV
Matt 3:10 – Bad fruit – cut off – Thrown into the lake of fire
10 The ax is already
at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire. NIV
Jer 31:30 –
You produce sour grapes and die for your own sin
30 Everyone will die
for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be
set on edge. NIV
Matt 21:19 – Your gift will be gone forever
19 Seeing a fig tree by
the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said
to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree
withered. NIV
Isa 5:5-7 –
I will make you a wasteland
5 Now I will tell you what
I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be
destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a
wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will
grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
7 The vineyard of the LORD
Almighty is the house of Israel
1 Peter 3:12 – The face of the Lord is against evil doers.
12 For the eyes of the
Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the
face of the Lord is against those who do evil." NIV
Prov 1:31 – You will eat the fruit of your ways
31 They will eat
the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
NIV
Un-Faithfulness
- Scripture about un-fruitfulness
leads right into the subject of un-faithfulness. If you are unfruitful you will also be
un-faithful.
Luke 16:10-12 Trusted with little can be trusted with much
10 "Whoever can be
trusted with very little can also be trusted with much and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
11 So if you have not been
trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 And if you have not
been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of
your own? NIV
Fruitfulness
- A Believer is like a
tree planted by the water that produces fruit in its due season.
- When you bear fruit, it
is a sign that you are a disciple of Christ.
- Therefore make every
effort to add the fruit of brotherly kindness, love, goodness,
knowledge, self control, perseverance, and godliness,
to your faith.
- Fruitfulness enlarges
your righteousness
Ps 1:3 – Fruitfulness yields its fruit in due season
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf
does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. NIV
John 15:8 – Bare much fruit showing you are Christ’s disciple
8 This is to my Father's
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
disciples. NIV
2 Peter
1:5-9 Add knowledge, self control, perseverance
5 For this very reason
make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these
qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective
and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not
have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been
cleansed from his past sins. NIV
2 Cor 9:10 –
Fruitfulness enlarges your righteousness
10 Now he who supplies
seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store
of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. NIV
Pruning
- Discipline and
pruning comes from the Father because you are a son of God – He will
prune your works in order that even more works will be harvested.
- Even when you have a
bad harvest, the grace of God will
give you another season to cultivate what has been planted.
John 15:2 –
God will prune a gift that is not bearing fruit.
2 He cuts off every branch
in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.
NIV
Luke 13:6-8
– One more “season” to use your gift.
6 Then he told this
parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to
look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
7 So he said to the man
who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look
for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it
use up the soil?'
8 "`Sir,' the man
replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and
fertilize it.
NIV
Heb 12:7-8 –
Discipline comes from the Father to His sons.
7 Endure hardship as
discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father?
8 If you are not
disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate
children and not true sons. NIV
Let it shine
- Your gift is not for
private consumption, but is to be placed like a Light House on public
display so others may be drawn to its light. – FRUITFULNESS
- When the woman with
the issue of blood was healed, Jesus called her to share in public
what had happened to her in secret so others could “See the Light”.
- We are to live in
harmony
with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be
compassionate and humble. - The fruit of righteousness brings
PEACE.
Luke 8:45-47
– Share publicly how God has touched your life
45 "Who touched me?"
Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are
crowding and pressing against you."
46 But Jesus said,
"Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
47 Then the woman, seeing
that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the
presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she
had been instantly healed.
NIV
Luke 11:33 – Let others see the fruit of your conviction
33 "No one lights a
lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he
puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.
NIV
1 Peter
3:8-11 – Live in harmony, love, compassionate, humble
8 Finally, all of you, live
in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers,
be compassionate and humble.
9 Do not repay evil with
evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called
so that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For, "Whoever
would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his
lips from deceitful speech.
11 He must turn from evil
and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
Isa 32:17 –
The fruit of righteousness brings peace
17 The fruit of
righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness
and confidence forever. NIV
Good
News
- If you have not been
fruitful; start now. – Use your gifts to help others so that God will be
glorified.
- Our LORD; our compassionate
and gracious God is slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving
wickedness, rebellion and sin.
- Seek God while He may
be found and He will abundantly pardon. Though our sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as
crimson, they shall be like wool. – Because of Jesus Christ, God
will remember our sins no more.
- If you are a
Believer; then you will have good works – You WILL be fruitful.
Ex 34:6-7 –
God is slow to anger and quick to forgive
6 The LORD, the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
7 maintaining love to
thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not
leave the guilty unpunished;
NIV
Isa 1:18 – A Believer’s sin becomes white as snow
18 "Come now, let us
reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. NIV
Isa 43:25 –
He remembers our sins no more
25 "I, even I, am he
who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers
your sins no more. NIV
Isa 55:6-7 –
Seek God while He may be found – Mercy & Pardon
6 Seek the LORD while
he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake
his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have
mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. NIV
Relationships
- Life is like a river
flowing gently through the land. Many
Believers especially myself, sit on the bank and enjoy the river
and its sounds from a distance; uninvolved, unfruitful, but watching
and enjoying.
- Others are out in the
middle of the river with the waters flowing all around them as they extend
a part of themselves to others. – Making a difference; being fruitful;
building life long relationships.
- To use an old
Presbyterian term; “This study bites me in the Butt”. I find myself ALWAYS sitting on the bank
watching the “fruitful works” of others. – I find it easy to pray
throughout the day, tithe, support missionaries, give money and spend
hours daily doing “Word Studies” for my self; but I just can’t seem
to give of myself; of my time to others.
- Mike, my youngest son
told me he was spending about 3 hours every Sunday helping his new church set
up and tear down equipment in a temporary rented facility – I asked WHY? He said he had always attended
Church somewhere every Sunday, but had developed NO relationships. –
Five years ago he had been deeply involved in his Church; so considering
commitment, he had already been there and done that and had just
taken a break. However, he had become disconnected and fruitless, now it
was time to get his FAMILY involved again.
- Such is the case for ME; “Been There; Done That”. – I had
become so involved with so many responsibilities, that I didn’t even get
to hear a Sunday School lesson or the Pastor’s sermon; so I just started
saying NO - Now I find I can’t get myself off the river bank. - I just watch. – I sure know and speak to
a lot of people, but I don’t have any relationships.
- This Word study speaks
to ME to be fruitful through relationships with others; to get IN the river; to DO things
“quickly” in season or out of season; whether it’s
convenient or not. – To be fruitful
Is that YOU… sitting on the bank… next to
ME…
commiserating with unfruitfulness ?
James 1:22 –
Don’t just hear the Word – DO IT
22 But be ye doers of
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. KJV
2 Tim 4:2 –
Be ready whether it’s convenient or not.
2 Preach the Word; be
prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. NIV
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses. Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I otherwise ever could have.
Annotated Reference Bible - Dake
Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenny White
Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row
Expositors Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale
Matthew Henry’s Commentary – Zondervan
Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan
New International Bible – NIV
New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas & Tenney
Old Testament Survey – Eerdmans
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible - Zondervan
Thru The Bible
– J. Vernon
Victor Journey through the Bible; The – V. Gilbert Beers
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney
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