Tag: Bearing Fruit

Bearing No Fruit to Fruit

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The Secrets of the Vine: Bruce Wilkinson has an excellent study of disciples bearing fruit and what that really means.

  1. The Secrets of the Vine Introduction
  2. Authentic Disciples Bear Fruit
  3. From No Fruit to Bearing Fruit
  4. From Bearing Fruit to More Fruit
  5. From Bearing More Fruit to Much Fruit

The Secrets of the Vine (Bruce Wilkinson), teaches about every believer going from bearing no fruit to bearing fruit. John 15:2, 4, 6

Percent of Christians at each stage:

  1. No fruit (60%)
  2. Fruit (25%)
  3. More fruit (10%)
  4. Much fruit (5%)

The Challenge to Bear Fruit:

  1. “Every branch in Me” is a believer in Jesus – (present active participle, linear, continuing) 2 Corinthians 5:17
  2. “Does not bear fruit” is a believer not bearing fruit currently – John 15:2a
  3. “He takes away” is God’s parallel response to our poor productivity – John 15:2a

Pitfall:

Does God do anything to you when you are not bearing fruit? Misconception: God does not intervene when you are not bearing fruit. Truth: God regularly intervenes to stimulate you to bear fruit.

  1. Your fruitfulness is hindered if you choose to sin – Romans 6:21a, 22
  2. Your fruitfulness is hindered if you focus on riches and this world – Matthew 13:22, Luke 8:14, 2 Timothy 2:3-4
  3. Your fruitfulness is hindered if you give into apathy Titus 3:14, 3:1

Principles of the Fruit Bearing Disciple:

  1. The Disciple Principle # 1– God gets involved with believers making fruitlessness their ongoing choice.
    1. “Take away” does not mean cut off, but lift up – (aeros, to lift up should never be translated cut off. The branch falls and gets into the dirt, and mud, where it gets no light from the sun. The vinedresser carefully washes the branch and ties it back up) – Matthew 9:6b, and Matthew 14:20
    2. “Lift up” in the vineyard means to clean off and tie back up – the branch is far too valuable to cut off.
    3. “Lift up” for believers means God seeks to restore constantly
  2. The Disciple Principle # 2– God intervenes in the life of the “no fruit” branch with disciplines.
    1. God disciplines every single member of His family – Hebrews 12:8
    2. God disciplines as a kind and loving Heavenly Father – Hebrews 12:9
    3. God disciplines when we need it, for our holiness and profit – Hebrews 12:10
  3. The Disciple Principle # 3– God disciplines progressively through Three Stages – Hebrews 12:5-6
    1. Stage 1 – God’s light discipline is called rebuke – 2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 14:8 (verbal or spiritual dimension, reproof, conviction of the Spirit, discomfort).
    2. Stage 2 – God’s medium discipline is called chastening – Hebrews 12:9-10 (correction which has an emotional dimension, distress).
    3. Stage 3 – God’s heavy discipline is called scourging – John 19:1-2, Matthew 10:17 (meaning exactly what is says, bringing severe pain into a person’s life, which has a physical dimension, desperation).

What if a branch does not want to be picked up? Remember that God does not go directly to the belt, but goes through a discipline process.

The Process of Divine Discipline:

  1. Process # 1– God’s discipline can affect us in all areas including physical – 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
    1. God may discipline you with weakness – 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Acts 5:16 (sick).
    2. God may discipline you with sickness – Matthew 14:14, Numbers 12:9-10
    3. God may discipline you with premature death – Acts 5:4b-5, Proverbs 9:10 (discipline is different from punishment. Punishment makes you pay for what you did; discipline is to correct so you will not make this a habit). Additional thought, are all sins equal in God’s sight. Yes, on one side, Jesus died for “sin” but on a practical side, stealing a pen from work is not the same as murdering someone. Both sins put Jesus on the cross, but there are levels of sin, as Ezekiel talks about “greater abominations” in Ezekiel 8:6-10, 13, 15
  2. Process # 2– God disciplines appropriately but some sins are dealt with severely.
    1. God disciplines severely the sin of unforgiveness – Matthew 18:32-35, Luke 16:23, 27-28
    2. God disciplines severely the sin of sexual immorality – Hebrews 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
  3. Process # 3– God’s discipline is not necessary if we judge ourselves.
    1. Judge yourself by repentance – 2 Chronicles 34:27-28a
    2. Judge yourself by restoration – Luke 19:8
    3. Judge yourself by reconciliation – Matthew 5:23-24

The Precept of God Desiring Fruit Bearers :

God disciplines believers who are not bearing fruit in order to restore them to fellowship and fruitful productivity.

Conclusion:

  1. Do not forget the exhortation about God’s discipline – Hebrews 12:5
  2. Dedicate yourself to be trained by God’s discipline – Hebrews 12:11

Hebrews 12:5-13 is a key passage. Check also Isaiah 5:1-4, Deuteronomy 8:5-6

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Authentic Disciples Bear Fruit

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The Secrets of the Vine: Bruce Wilkinson has an excellent study of disciples bearing fruit and what that really means.

  1. The Secrets of the Vine Introduction
  2. Authentic Disciples Bear Fruit
  3. From No Fruit to Bearing Fruit
  4. From Bearing Fruit to More Fruit
  5. From Bearing More Fruit to Much Fruit

The Secrets of the Vine (Bruce Wilkinson), teaches that if we are a follower of Christ we are to bear fruit; it’s not an option.

The Passage:

The Foundational Illustration:

  1. The vine is Jesus Christ – John 15:1a
  2. The vinedresser is God the Father – John 15:1b
  3. The branch is the believer – John 15:2a, 5b
  4. The fruit is the result of good works – John 15:16b

What is Fruit?

  1. Fruit generally means good works – Titus 3:14
  2. Fruit can only be produced by those in Christ – John 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 – Colossians 1:10a
  5. Fruit is the result of your effort and labor – Philippians 1:21-22a

The Pitfalls:

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

  1. Productive: You have been appointed to bear fruit – John 15:16a, Romans 7:4b, John 15:2a
  2. Partnership: You have been empowered by God to bear fruit – Philippians 4:13, Colossians 1:28-29

The Principles of Fruit Bearing:

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

  1. Every believer bears fruit at one of the four levels at all times.
  2. Every believer is to grow to the “much fruit” level.
  3. Every believer should increase fruitfulness as they mature.
  4. Every believer has been created to do specific works prepared by God:

A Word about Works:

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

Every believer increases fruit by Three Secrets of the Vine:

  1. From “no fruit” to “fruit” God takes away – John 15:2a
  2. From “fruit” to “more fruit” God prunes – John 152b
  3. From “more fruit” to “much fruit” God abides – John 15:5b

The Fruit Bearing Process:

We are made for a purpose and for certain tasks that God wants to accomplish through us. He has gifted each believer. God is calling us to stand in the gap, and if we do not do it, there is a huge hole in the wall.

  1. Process # 1– Bear fruit through good works that are private – for growth – Titus 3:8
    1. Bear fruit by your private charitable deeds – Matthew 6:1-4
    2. Bear fruit by your private prayers – Matthew 6:6
    3. Bear fruit by your private fasting – Matthew 6:17-18
  2. Process # 2– Bear fruit through good works that are public – for others (this may appear to be a total opposite of the previous point, but we are to look at our motivation. We do things FOR the public, not to be recognized BY the public).
    1. Public good works are to be purposefully displayed – Matthew 5:14-16
    2. Public good works should cause non-believers to give God glory – 1 Peter 2:11-12 (we do not want people to look at US or even at the WORK, but to say, “Thank God for that church down the street”).
    3. Public good works require personal involvement and sacrifice – James 1:17
  3. Process # 3– Bear fruit through good works that are personal.
    1. Bear fruit in your neighborhood and marketplace – 1 Timothy 5:9-10
    2. Bear fruit in your family and marriage – Ephesians 6:4, 5:33
    3. Bear fruit by using your gifts in church and missions – Hebrews 10:24-25

The Fruit Bearing Precept:

God commands all believers in Jesus Christ to fulfill their eternal destinies by devoting their lives to bear much fruit by doing good works to the glory of God.

Conclusion: Acts 9:36, Hebrews 13:20-21

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The Secrets of the Vine

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The Secrets of the Vine: Bruce Wilkinson has an excellent study of disciples bearing fruit and what that really means.

  1. The Secrets of the Vine Introduction (below)
  2. Authentic Disciples Bear Fruit
  3. From No Fruit to Bearing Fruit
  4. From Bearing Fruit to More Fruit
  5. From Bearing More Fruit to Much Fruit

The Structure of Each Session:

  1. Passage: Study the text and learn of the meaning
  2. Pitfalls: Uncover the common misconceptions
  3. Principles: Become familiar with understanding the teachings
  4. Process: Learn how God works in your life
  5. Precepts: Understand the universal truths that apply to all believers

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