Bearing Fruit

John 15:1-8 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

I want my life to be fruitful.  I believe most of us do.  John 15 tells us how we can bear fruit for the Kingdom.   

The first step is abiding in the Vine.  This means having total dependence on Christ.  John MacArthur writes:  The word "abide" basically means "to remain." Every Christian remains inseparably linked to Christ in all areas of life. We depend on Him for grace and power to obey. We look obediently to His Word for instruction on how to live. We offer Him our deepest adoration and praise and we submit ourselves to His authority over our lives. In short, Christians gratefully know Jesus Christ is the source and sustainer of their lives.

Next, we must yield to the pruning process.  Jesus tells us that his Father is the gardener.  He cuts off any branches that are in the vine but not producing fruit. As the vinedresser, God also prunes every fruit bearing branch in the vine so it can produce even more fruit. 

What does the pruning look like?  It may be trials God allows to strengthen our faith.  It may involve the severing of relationships that are not healthy.  It may be the convicting power of the Holy Spirit showing us areas of sin or unyieldness.  It may involve financial strain that causes us to look to God as our source rather than relying on our own strength.

Whatever it looks like in our life, one thing is certain, if we yield willingly to the gardener and allow him to prune away the dead, wilted branches we will bear much fruit. 

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The Holy Spirit uses the double-edged sword to prune away the unholy to make room for that which is holy to grow.  1 Peter 1:16 “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”

We need to die to ourselves and our desires before God can properly use us. John 12:24 “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”  Jesus, by his death, brought life to us; our death-to -self will allow us to minister life to others.  John 15:16 “You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”

Finally, the Word must abide in us. Luke 8:5-8 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

For the Word to abide in us, we must have good soil in our hearts.  Good soil is soil in which the seed can grow.  It is a heart that is surrendered to God and is willing to be a doer not just a hearer of the Word.  When we hear or read something from the Word and the Holy Spirit begins dealing with our heart about: it, we must pray into it, meditate on it, and even share it with our accountability partner or group.  Luke 8:15 says, “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”

Special Note: If we are not seeing fruit born from our life, it is not because there is anything wrong with the seed.  The Word is always good; it is the dirt it is planted into that determines how much, if any, fruit is produced.  If we have hearts with good soil (yielded, submissive, repentant, humble, etc.)  we will bear much fruit.  If our hearts are stony (unyielded, rebellious, selfish, prideful, etc). we will not bear fruit. The type of soil in our hearts is up to us.  We can choose to cultivate good soil or bad soil. 

Let us stay firmly rooted in the vine, yield to the pruning process of our loving Gardener, and ask the Holy Spirit to analyze the soil in our hearts and help us cultivate fertile soil.  Then we will bear much fruit!!