Bearing Fruit

BEARING FRUIT

John 15:1-5

INTRO: We are responsible to God for bearing fruit. How much fruit we bear will depend on how dedicated and mature we are as Christians.

Today, lets look at the degrees of fruit bearing, and the corresponding degrees of service.

I. FRUITFUL LIFE REVIEW.

A. Cleansing.

1. God can and will cleanse.

2. Christ cannot have communion with a defiled Christian.

B. Abiding.

1. Christ must be allowed to abide in us if we are fruitful.

2. We might say we are free, and we may say we can make our

own decisions, but we are not our own, we are bought with a

price (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

3. Jesus died that he might purchase you and he lives that he

might possess you.

C. Obedience.

1. Without obedience there can be no abiding.

2. If you will entirely submit yourself to God, you won’t have

any problems bearing fruit as God expects.

II. THREE DEGREES OF FRUIT BEARING.

A. Fruit (v. 2) — All Christians.

1. The new convert.

2. The babe in Christ.

3. The stagnant Christian.

B. More Fruit (v. 2) — Some Christians.

1. God purges fruit bearers so they may bear more fruit.

2. The growing Christian.

C. Much fruit (v. 5) — Few Christians.

1. The mature, dedicated, one.

a. A Christ-Possessed life.

b. Every area. There is no area more dangerous than the area

Jesus doesn’t control.

c. This is the area where Satan works.

2. Unless he has every area, He doesn’t want any area.

a. The moment you keep Jesus out of an area, you open the

door to Satan.

b. Jesus wants to possess you completely or not at all.

c. He will not share his possession with anyone.

3. Illus. of Gen. Wellington – how he tried to surrender while

keeping his sword.

a. Sir, your sword.

b. Jesus wants our sword.

c. There can be no surrender if we still have our sword