Are you Bearing Fruit Yet?

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (English Standard Version)

Yes. I guess that you could say that this story never gets old for me. We've just read the story of the Fig tree, and the judgement that was imposed on it for not bearing fruit. And yet, there's another story in the Bible with the same message. "Bear fruit, or else..." Well, what are you waiting for? Obviously the story or message is an important one to have it repeated over and over again in the New Testament.

Let's go over the verses again more closely, and let's see what we know. Jesus is the speaker, and he is calling Himself the true vine. Could there be other vines? Imposters? I think the implications are there that yes, there could be other vines, but the true vine is the only vine that matters. Jesus states also that His Father - God is the vinedresser. The One who walks throughout the garden and inspects the branches. Who searches for the good and for the bad. It is God who removes those branches that are attached to the vine, that are not producing. Remember the Fig tree? Why should the tree be left to use up the soil when it is not producing fruit? Why then should the branch be allowed to remain in the vine if it is not producing fruit? It is God who tenderly prunes those branches that are producing fruit. Why? To enable and encourage them to bear more fruit. What a neat idea. We should always challenge ourselves to bear more fruit. We should never be satisfied to just bear a little. God allows us and enables us to bear as much as we can. To continue to develop and mature so that we can always continue to bear more and more. God is awesome!

See also what prunes us, what cleans us. Jesus' words. Read His words, and listen to God through His word. Allow His word to work on us, and to clean us of every evil fruit, every dead branch that we support. Allow Him to prune us and clean us so that we can produce the good fruit, and so that we can continue to bear even more fruit.

We are encouraged to abide in the vine, and the vine will continue to support us. The only way that we, the branches can bear fruit is by remaining in the vine. We cannot bear ourselves. We cannot support ourselves. We cannot bear fruit on our own. We can do nothing on our own.

Again, we see the stern warning that if we choose to fail to bear fruit, then we will be cut off -- separated from the vine, and cast away and later burned. Again, it is implied that only for a little while will we be allowed live in the vine before we are inspected and expected to bear fruit.

My prayer is that we are found in the one and only true vine. There are imposters out there, so we must be sure. That our respect and love toward God would cause us to glorify Him by producing much fruit. That we would never be satisfied with only producing "just enough to get by", but that our goal would be that we should strive to always bear as much fruit as we can, and then some. Give God the glory and honor that He deserves.

Are you listening to what God is saying in His Word?

Are You Bearing Fruit?

Luke 13:6 Then Jesus told a story. "A man had a fig tree," he said. "It had been planted in his vineyard. When he went to look for fruit on it, he didn't find any. 7 So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I 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. I'll dig around it and feed it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" (New International Reader's Version)

I just did a very quick and not so completely accurate count of the times that fruit is mentioned in the New Testament. Let's just say that it's well over forty times. Of those times, the word is used mostly in the four gospels in the teachings of Jesus. And over and over again, the word is used to compare our lives and our productivity to that of plants and trees and their productivity. I marvel at every teaching of Jesus, and His excellent wisdom. His stories are so simple and uncluttered that the 'simplest' person can understand them, but the 'wisest' person cannot see the true meaning. Yet, His teachings are dissected, broken down, and torn apart in hopes to find a deeper meaning. I will be the first to admit that even though His teachings are simple, I still struggle with full meaning. But I'm confident that if we're interested, God will speak to us through His word, and reveal His intended meaning to me, and to you.

In the story above found in Luke, there is a vineyard owner. Year after year, he walks through his vineyard, and stops at the fig tree. It's a beautiful tree. It is well shaped, has nice large leaves, has nice branch structure. In fact everything about it is perfect. Except one thing. It has no figs. The tree is obviously old enough to produce, and is perfect in structure so that by all appearances, it is a beautiful addition to his vineyard. But it is missing something. All the time and effort that had been spent on it the past several years has so far been wasted. It is puzzling in fact to the owner because he's been keeping tabs on this nice specimen. This beautiful tree will one day bear some wonderful fruit, but each year - nothing. Do you see the hidden meaning yet?

The owner has had enough. "Cut it down!" the owner proclaimed to the man who took care of the vineyard. "There's no need for this spot of ground to continue wasting it's resources on this worthless tree!" "Chop it down, and put something else here that will bear fruit!" "Too much time has been wasted on this tree, and I'm ready to end this and put a tree here that will bear fruit, and not waste time doing it." But the gentle voice of the vinedresser, the husbandman, or the gardener comes to the rescue. "Wait, Sir." "Give me one more chance, one more year to help encourage this tree to bear fruit." "Let me help this tree to realize that I'll do all I can for it this last year, and then, that's it." "Allow me to dig around it, to help aerate it, to fertilize it, to prune it and encourage it to grow and develop and to finally, bear fruit." "I know that it's possible, Sir. This tree is perfect in every other way. One more year." "If the tree has no fruit next year Sir, then I too will be done with it." Do you see the hidden meaning yet?

By all appearances, this tree was perfect. How do we appear to those around us? Are we putting on a show, so that we may look perfect to our friends? It all comes down to the final, most important question.... Are we bearing fruit?

What is the fruit that we should be producing? Read on.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Ephesians 5:9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

I have to read those words, those fruit words over and over. I have to allow them to really soak in. I have to think of my life, what have I done each day. Do those fruit words live in me? Have I been gentle, loving, peaceable, kind, happy, and humble today? It's been hard. I need to hear these words every day, and memorize them, to put them in my life, for them to be a part of who I am.

My prayer is that I am found to be bearing fruit. That I must realize that I only have a certain amount of time here on this earth, and I must use every available resource toward producing fruit. I realize that I am made for that purpose, and that I am expected to be doing so. Help me Lord to realize my responsibility that you've placed within my life. Help me to consciously bear fruit, so that others may see You living in me. Help others taste of that fruit so that they to may see that you are an awesome God who gives us every blessing.

Are you listening to what God is saying in His Word?