Abiding In The Vine Part 2

Bearing Fruit

 

John 15: 5-8

Jesus says we will bear much fruit, not that we might or may or perhaps but that we well.

It is a guarantee.

A vine that does not bear fruit, has lost the ability to draw sustenance from the vine, it cannot bear fruit and is therefore cut off and burned.

This can happen in our lives as Christians if we let ourselves become too busy, overwhelmed or let anything get between us and God.

 

Notice in verse John 15:7-8 Jesus says 3 very powerful things:

1. If you abide in Him and His Word abides in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. Three things stand out.
2. "you will ask" : will ask,  you will ask what you desire…. If we are abiding in God's Word we will ask our desires.  Our desires will line up with God's Word.

And it will be done for you!  God will put the correct desires in our heart and He

          will grant them.

2. This will glorify the Father.
3. We will bear much fruit, signifying to the world that we are indeed His disciples.

 

So what kind of fruit do we bear??

Last month we talked about an abundant prayer life is one of the fruit we bear.

Let's take a moment to look at two things Jesus said in relation to prayer.

 

John 14:12-14:

1. The works that Jesus did we will do greater!
2. It will be done in Jesus name. Why?

Because it will glorify the Father, through the son.  That is why we pray in Jesus' name, He is now at the right hand of the Father, as our High Priest and giving us direct access to the Father. He is our advocate.  The Father is glorified in the Son.

 

John 16:23-24;

1. Here again Jesus is telling us to ask in His name, always pray in the name of Jesus.

Everything is given in and through Jesus that is what He came for.  To give us life, life more abundantly.

2. That your joy may be full. (read amplified.)  This is the joy Pastor talked about    

     Sunday.  Deep down spiritual joy and well being that comes from God and not your

     circumstances. It is a joy that comes from knowing that God hears our prayers and

     answers them.

 

So it is God's desire that we bear fruit.  It is His promise and guarantee.

Galatians 5:22-23:

Look at these words.  They describe God,  God is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kind, good.  These are characteristics of God.  They are attributes of God's nature that are planted into your spirit with the new birth..  We are given God's nature in the new birth.

All that God is, the very life of God is now inside us!!!

As we abide in the vine, become saturated with God's Word and Ways, these seeds planted in our spirit will grow and bear those fruit.  You cannot bear this fruit if you are not born again!

 

Notice what the first fruit is….love!

Love is the first fruit listed because it is the most important?  It is the key that opens all the doors to the promises of God and the glue that holds everything together.

 

 1 John 4:8

God is love,  that is plain and simple.  God's number one attribute, trait is love. Everything God did, will do and has done is generated from His love for us.  This is the love that dwells in us.. God's love.

Romans 5:5

 

John 13:34-35:

Matthew 22:35-40

 

What are the qualities of love??

 1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Living Bible:

"4. Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud,

5. never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.
6. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
7. If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him."

We have heard this all our lives, but how many of us actually practice it, everyday on a daily basis.

 

Ephesians 4:1-3 Living Bible:

"4. I beg you--I, a prisoner here in jail for serving the Lord--to live and act in a way worthy of those who have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these.

5. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
6. Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit, and so be at peace with one another."

 

Ephesians 4:23-32:    Living Bible:

"23.  Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better.

24. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature.
25. Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves.
26. If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry--get over it quickly;
27. for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil.
28. If anyone is stealing he must stop it and begin using those hands of his for honest work so he can give to others in need.
29. Don't use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing.
30. Don't cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete.
31. Stop being mean, bad-tempered and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives.
32. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ."

 

Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by the way we treat the brethren.

How can we expect the world to come to Christ when we as believers treat each other no better than the world treats each other.

 

What are the signs we are not walking in love:

Strife, unforgiveness, gossiping, unfaithfulness, meanness, selfishness.

 

When we exhibit these behaviors to each other, what kind of message are we sending to the world?

Think what an impact we as believers would have on the world if we truly walked in love.

If we truly grasped what it meant and fulfilled it completely.  Nothing could stop us!

 

If you have unforgiveness in you life it will hinder your prayer life.

Mark 11:23-26

Jesus is telling us, to stop praying, and get those feelings and situations right, before you come to Him in prayer, because God cannot hear your pray if you are in sin, and unforgiveness is sin.

1 Peter 3:7

This is talking about what hinders prayers of married couples, strife, quarreling and unforgiveness will hinder your prayers.  It is also true of our treatment of each other.

 

 

1 Peter 3:8-12

don't hold grudges, think of others first, ask yourself how what I am going to say will affect others,  how I act will affect others?

We are to act righteous and loving to receive the blessings of God.  God's promises have

Conditions.  We are to keep His commandments.

 

What are the benefits of walking in love.

1. Answered Prayers
2. Forgiven sins, we are to forgive as the Father forgave us. God so loved us that he gave.  He gave His son, who through the shedding of His blood, blotted out our sins.

Love blots out all sin.  1 Peter 4:8

3. Divine health. Ephesians 5:14-16

 

I urge you today, set things straight and walk in love.