Secrets of the Vine

Session 1: Fruit-Bearing - A

Passage

• The vine is Jesus Christ – Jn 15:1a
• The vinedresser is God the Father – Jn 15:1b
• The branch is the believer – Jn 15:2a, 5b
• The fruit is the result of the believer’s good works – Jn 15:16b

1. Fruit generally means good works – Titus 3:14
2. Fruit can only be produced by those in Christ – Jn 15:2a
3. Fruit is a good work done with a God-honoring motive
4. Fruit is any action by a believer that pleases God – Col 1:10a
5. Fruit is the result of your effort and labor – Phil 1:21-22a

Pitfalls

I am not responsible to bear fruit because God bears the fruit

• Productive: You have been appointed to bear fruit – Jn 15:16a, Rom 7:4b, Jn 15:2a
• Partnership: You have been empowered by God to bear fruit – Phil 4:13, Col 1:28-29

Principles of Fruit Bearing

• Every believer bears fruit at one of the four fruit-bearing levels
• Levels – between the baskets: 1. No fruit, 2. Fruit, 3. More fruit, 4. Much fruit

Every believer bears fruit at one of the four levels at all times.

Every believer is to grow to the “much fruit” level.

Every believer should increase fruitfulness as they mature.

Every believer has been created to do specific works prepared by God: 

• Good works cannot earn eternal salvation since it is a gift – Eph 2:8-9; 
• Good works have been prepared for us by God in advance – Eph 2:10a; 
• Good works prepared by God is where we are to focus our energy – Eph 2:10

Every believer increases fruit by Three Secrets of the Vine

• From “no fruit” to “fruit” God takes away – Jn 15:2a
• From “fruit” to “more fruit” God prunes – Jn 152b
• From “more fruit” to “much fruit” God abides – Jn 15:5b