He Made It Again/Fruit Salad

HE MADE IT AGAIN!

FRUIT SALAD! Broken, spilled out, at Jesus’ feet.

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Jeremiah 18:2 The word of the Lord told Jeremiah, ARISE, and GO to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my word.

4. And the vessel that He made of clay was marred in the hands of the potter: so HE MADE IT AGAIN another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2. Every branch in me that beareth NOt FRUIT He taketh away. And every branch that beareth FRUIT, He

purgeth it, that it may grow MORE FRUIT.

4. Abide in me, and I abide in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, ---

5.I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth

MUCH FRUIT. For without me ye can do nothing.

I. NOTICE HIDDEN IN THESE VERSES A LESSON OF THE DEGREES OF FRUIT BEARING.

1. NO FRUIT

2. FRUIT

3. MORE FRUIT

4. MUCH FRUIT

ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS YOU COULD GIVE JESUS IS TO FORGIVE THAT PERSON WHICH YOU ARE ANGRY, DISAPPOINTED, OR BITTER.

THERE ARE MUCH SWEET FRUIT THAT GROWS FROM A FORGIVING HEART!

II. THE SPILLED FRUIT SALAD!

Here is a bowl of fruit salad for you!

I always make fruit salad for Christmas, it has been a family tradition for many years.

While at home, my Mom and Dad always received a lot of fruit for Christmas.

We would always make fruit salad out of the fruit and top it with marshmallows.

Apples were always abundant.

My Mom’s battle with cancer was near an end, it would be her last year with us here on earth.

As Mom was carrying the bowl of fruit salad to the refrigerator, and in her weakness she dropped the whole huge bowl of fruit salad.

She started crying and was embarrassed that she had dropped the bowl.

I hugged Mom and told her that was all right, we would make another bowl.

I was cleaning the gallon of fruit salad from all over the floor.

As Mom cried, she said, Son, we often get mad at people who spill things, parents get mad

at little kids for spilling things, a wife gets mad at her husband for spilling things, and sometimes spills

are a part of life.

I replied, Mom, you are right, sometimes we spill things, and wish we hadn’t, but it does not matter,

let’s laugh, clean it up, and make some more.

I ran to Winn-Dixie and bought more fruit, and we came home and made another bowl.

The whole family joined in, and making the second bowl was much more meaningful than the first.

We laughed and laughed remembering Christmas’ passed. The spill pulled the whole family together

to encourage Mom.

When it was all over, Mom hugged me again, and said, Son, you are a good son.

I hugged Mom back and told her she was a GOOD MOM.

I guess, I am wanting to tell you, if you spill something, don’t get mad, laugh, CLEAN IT UP,

and try again.

I PROMISED TO NEVER MAKE FRUIT SALAD AGAIN AFTER MOM’S DEATH.

The next Christmas the fruit on the table beckoned me, I had to make fruit salad. I had to make it for

my sons, and their sons. I made the most I had ever made. I bought $150 worth of fruit.

I took fruit to the rest home and gave a bag to everyone there. I made a huge bowl and shared it with my neighbors.

I took a bowl to a friend that was dying, and they greeted me at their door, I told them of Mom spilling the bowl and how we made it again. The older couple cried, and said we need to call some of our family over and share your fruit salad and clean up a mess

we have. As I got in the car and drove away, I saw the real fruit come out of the fruit salad.

III. SOMETIMES IT IS NOT SPILLED FRUIT SALAD, IT IS A SPILLED LIFE OR A SPILLED MINISTRY?

Mary had made a mess out of life.

All the people knew in the room that Mary was a spilled, broken mess.

Many people were in the room, and they all saw and judged BAD MARY!

MARY HAD WASTED AND MESSED UP HER DIRTY LIFE!

Jesus saw Mary differently than the others in that room that day.

Mary saw Jesus differently than the others in the room. Some wanted to see a sign, others were following the crowd.

As Mary saw her broken, messed up life, she started crying.