Fruit-- Bearing

FRUIT-BEARING

John 15:1-14

INTRO: Anyone who has ever done any farming or gardening, knows what it

means for a tree or vine to bear fruit. We all know how much work is involved to bring forth good fruit. If we let the vine grow wild, chances are we won’t get the full benefit of it.

Today, we want to look at another kind of fruit-bearing.

I. THE THREE CONDITIONS OF FRUIT-BEARING.

A. Cleansing—daily (vv. 2-3).

1. Jesus is the vine-we are the branches.

2. If we don’t bear, God will take us away.

B. Abiding (v. 4).

1. This means no known sin—unjudged or unconfessed.

2. No interest into which Jesus in not brought.

3. No life which he cannot share.

4. When we abide in Jesus-he takes all our burdens.

C. Obedience (vv. 10-12).

1. If we are to be fruit-bearers, we are to obey God.

2. Disobedient children don’t have the love and respect

of their parents that obedient children have.

II. THE THREE DEGREES OF FRUIT-BEARING.

A. Fruit (v. 2).

1. The New Convert.

2. The babe in Christ.

3. The Stagnant Christian.

B. More Fruit (v. 2).

1. A growing Christian.

2. A struggling Christian.

C. Much Fruit (vv. 5, 8).

1. The mature Christian.

2. As we bear much fruit, Jesus is glorified in us.

3. We bear the "ninefold fruit" of Gal. 5: 22-23.

4. Where such fruit is, the Father is glorified.

D. The pharisees were moral and intensely religious, but

not one of them could say with Christ: "I have

glorified Thee on earth" as Jesus said in John 17:4.

CONC: What kind of Fruit-bearers are we? Do we bear fruit, more fruit, or much fruit? Our goal, and our pledge should be to bear much fruit.