The Process Of Producing Spiritual Fruit Series

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING SPIRITUAL FRUIT

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

INTRODUCTION: WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:

GALATIANS 5:22-23 BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, 23 GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL; AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.

YET THIS MORNING, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SPIRITUAL FRUIT, AND IN THE PROCESS HELP TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL FRUIT

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL FRUIT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IMPARTED TO US BY THE HOLY. IT IS SOMETHING WE OBTAIN FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT. SPIRITUAL FRUIT IS SOMETHING IMPARTED BY US AND IS PRODUCED BY A PROCESS IN OUR LIVES.

PROPOSITION: IN ORDER OT HAVE JOY IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST WE NEED TO BE PRODUCING SPIRITUAL FRUIT

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 AND THIS I PRAY, THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE IN REAL KNOWLEDGE AND ALL DISCERNMENT, 10 SO THAT YOU MAY APPROVE THE THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT, IN ORDER TO BE SINCERE AND BLAMELESS UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST; 11 HAVING BEEN FILLED WITH THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO THE GLORY AND PRAISE OF GOD.

TRANSITION: IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WE NEED TO, ….

1. UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE SAVED TO BEAR FRUIT

a. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A PURPOSE FOR OUR SALVATION.

b. THE GOAL OF SALVATION IS TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS

c. THE CONCLUSION OF SALVATION IS ETERNITY WITH GOD

d. THE PURPOSE OF OUR SALVATION WAS TO BEAR FRUIT – SPIRITUAL FRUIT

EPHESIANS 2:8-10 FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD; 9 NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST. 10 FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND SO THAT WE WOULD WALK IN THEM.

i. WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH – SALVATION IS PURELY GOD’S FAVOR ON US

ii. WE ARE NOT SAVED BY WORKS. IN OTHER WORDS WE CANNOT WORK ENOUGH FOR SALVATION

iii. SALVATION IS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST

iv. SALVATION IS THE CONDUIT OF DOING GOOD WORKS GOD HAS ALREADY PUT IN PLACE FOR US TO DO.

e. IT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES TO BEAR FRUIT FOR HIM

f. IF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOU LIFE, NOW YOU KNOW!

2. THE TWO STEP PLAN OF FRUIT PRODUCTION – ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

a. WE NEED TO HAVE ABOUNDING LOVE

i. ABOUND COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD, PERISSEUO

ii. IT MEANS TO BE OVER OR ABOVE; TO BE MORE THAN ENOUGH

iii. TO BE PRESENT IN A SUPER ABUNDANCE

iv. HAVING ENOUGH TO SPARE

b. IT IS A LOVE CHARACTERIZED BY

i. GROWTH

ii. KNOWLEDGE

iii. INSIGHT

iv. DISCERNMENT

v. QUALITY – FROM GOD!

ONE MIGHT SAY THAT ABOUNDING LOVE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND A CLANGING CYMBAL

1 CORINTHIANS 13:1 IF I SPEAK WITH THE TONGUES OF MEN AND OF ANGELS, BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I HAVE BECOME A NOISY GONG OR A CLANGING CYMBAL.

c. LOVE AND REAL KNOWLEDGE

i. GREEK WORD EPIGNOSIS

ii. IT MEANS A SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE

iii. A KNOWLEDGE THAT COMES FROM THE STUDY AND TIME PUT IN THE WORD OF GOD

iv. IN ORDER TO DO GOOD WORKS AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, WE NEED TO BE ABOUNDING IN LOVE

v. USING THAT LOVE AS A CHANNEL FOR OUR GOOD WORKS

vi. THE LOVE OF GOD ABOUNDING IN OUR LIVES PLUS NO RESISTANCE FROM US EQUALS CHRIST HONORING/GLORIFYING GOOD WORKS!

d. LOVE AND DISCERNMENT

i. REDUCES THE RESISTANCE NECESSARY TO DO CHRIST GLORIFYING GOOD WORKS

ii. COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD AITHESIS

iii. MEANS UNDERSTANDING THAT COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD

iv. DISCERNING HOW THIS LOVE SHOULD OPERATE

v. IT WAS A WORD THAT WAS USED TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING THAT WAS GENUINE OR AN ANIMAL THAT WAS SUITABLE FOR SACRIFICE.

vi. MORE THAN SIMPLY KNOWING GOOD FROM EVIL OR RIGHT FROM WRONG

1. EVEN THE DEMONS KNOW THAT, AND I FOR ONE WOULD NOT TRUST THEIR DISCERNMENT

JAMES 2:19 YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ONE. YOU DO WELL; THE DEMONS ALSO BELIEVE, AND SHUDDER.

2. DISCERNING WHAT IS BEST AND THEN LIVING THAT WAY – EXCELLENCE!

YOU SEE, WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER WHAT GOD WANTS US TO KNOW, GLEANED FORM OUR TIME AND STUDY WITH HIM COMBINED WITH HOW WE ARE TO USE IT IN A GENUINE AND GOD HONORING WAY, THEN AND ONLY THEN DO WE HAVE A CONDUIT FOR CHRIST GLORIFYING GOOD WORKS.

THIS THEN ALLOWS US TO BE (STEP #2)