DREAMERS AND PRODUCERS
A few years ago I attended a science fiction writer’s convention. One of the speakers said something that has stuck with me over the years. He said that “the world is
made up of two types of people: Dreamers and Producers.”
Dreamers are very common in the writing world. These are the people that you meet at conventions, bookstore reading groups, and writer’s guilds across the country. They have great ideas for novels and stories. But their words never quite make it to paper and ink. They never actually get around to writing and so they miss out on what their dreams could have accomplished.
Producers, on the other hand, are seen and, more importantly to themselves, are read on a regular basis. They have been published in books, magazines, and newspapers like the ones you and I read everyday. Despite what the literary critics may say they have accomplished something.
In fact, you can see dreamers and producers in every walk of life. They are in factories, restaurants, and offices. They either make things happen or they sit back and watch as life seems to pass them by. They move up the ladder and often earn more money or they wait for that next promotion and wonder why they didn’t get the raise they were expecting.
The sad thing is that Dreamers and Producers are even in the church. I’m not going to start pointing fingers at anyone. Instead I’m going to talk a little more about the dreamers and producers that are in churches like ours.
You see, in the church dreamers often are people very much like you and me. They come to church on Sunday and they sing praises and hymns. They sit in the pews, pray, and listen to the sermon. They even have great ideas for ministry, because dreamers in church usually aren’t happy with the way that things are being done. Nor are they generally happy when changes are being made. When volunteers are needed they don’t step up and they even believe that someone else will do the job.
Now you’ve probably heard the saying that “80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.” This is certainly true in many churches today. You will find the producers leading music, teaching Sunday School, and wiping off tables after a potluck. They’re on the phone calling missing members, organizing upcoming programs, and visiting people in their homes and at the hospital. Producers are busy making a lasting impact on the lives around them.
I know I’ve already managed to tune some of you out by going on and on about dreamers and producers. But there is a reason. The truth of the matter is that Jesus had a lot to say about producers.
If you want to follow along with me, I’ll be reading from John 15:1-8.
15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
There are a few points I want to make this morning. I hope above all else that every single one of us comes to understand that being a producer matters.
Let me say that one more time. Being a producer matters.
As I was working on this sermon I was at work and I got thinking about production. You see I work in a business that revolves around production. The customers place an order with the company, whether it’s for soda flats, bread trays, or milk crates. Once that order is placed, the company plans for the amount of time it will take to complete the customer’s order. A machine is chosen, a mold is put in place, and a schedule is made of exactly how many hours that machine will need to run to finish the customers wants. As an employee my job is to make sure we meet that production set up. I have to work taking parts off the conveyor belts, trimming them, and stacking those parts. Each shift the parts are kept track of according to how many are made well and how many are not. If the number needed for that shift isn’t completed there must be some kind of mechanical explanation or it is the machine’s operator that is held accountable for the lack of production.
In the same way, Jesus is telling us that we are accountable for producing works in his name. We are to be reaching out to those around us. We’re to be changing lives for Christ.
But we cannot produce anything on our own. Jesus here is comparing himself to a vine and us to the branches attached to that vine.
Quite a few of the commentaries I’ve read about this passage of scripture say that Jesus is referring to a grape vine as he tells his disciples all of this.
Now I don’t know a lot about grape vines. Here’s the little bit that I do know. A few years ago Storm and I decided that we were going to plant grape vines out in the backyard. We built this archway that is about 6 feet tall and about 12 feet long. She bought these vines that were little more than stick poking out of the ground. They were growing just fine for a while.
Then came the day. I was out back with the weed whacker doing some trimming. And not being the most careful person in the world I hit one of those grape vines right about the point where the branches had started running up the archway.
I’ll have you know I did everything I could think of to save the plant. I fertilized it. I watered it. I wrapped one of those tree wraps around it and then I fertilized it. I pray over the vine. “Dear Lord. Do not let Storm kill me when this plant dies.” And I fertilized it some more. The plant still died.
But what I found in all of this was that with a grape vine the branches can’t grow leaves and they can’t produce grapes if they are no longer connected to the vine. They can’t get the nutrition they need from the ground. It just doesn’t work.
And the other thing I noticed through this is the times that I am the most productive, the times that I’m doing the most for God are the times that I am the most connected to him. They’re the times when I feel that my personal relationship with Jesus is at it’s fullest. And the times that I am doing the least for him are the times that I am furthest away.
The next thing I want you to realize is that Jesus wants you to produce a lot. Not a little bit. You need to be producing a lot.
Let’s look back a moment. John 15:5 says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.” It’s right there. Will produce much fruit. You need to be producing a lot for him.
It’s in verse 8 too. John 15:8 says, “My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.” Jesus is making it more than clear that we need to be doing a lot for him. We need to be touching lives every day.
But you’re probably like me. You’re plate is already full. There are kids games to go to, Wednesday night Bible study, and work. The list goes on and on. You plate is piled high and if just one more thing lands on there everything is just going to spilling over. It’s all going to fall apart.
So how much is enough? How much is a lot? I’m not sure. I don’t know how much you need to be doing. I’m not even sure how much a lot is for me.
Here’s what I did find though, over in the book of Luke you’ll find the parable of the minas. I want you to realize that this isn’t the parable of the talents. Now both about money. Both a mina and a talent are an amount of money. But in the parable of the talents everyone is given according to their abilities. The parable of the minas is different. In the parable of the minas every one is given the same amount. Every one is given one.
Then the time comes. The master of the house comes home and he calls his servants to him to account for what they’ve done with what he’ given them.
Luke 19:15-19 says this,
“Then came the first, saying, ’Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him,’Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ’Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ’You also be over five cities.’
Now there is something that I want to let you know here. Production earns rewards.
I came to this theory because all my life I’ve been like most of you. I’ve tried very hard to earn that pat on the back. I’ve tried to get as much recognition as possible.
And so here is the master. He’s calling his servants to him and the first one comes forward and says, “Master, I’ve earned you ten more minas.” I want you to see this. The master says two things to him. “Well done.” Then he says, “My good servant.” He’s using the words so many of us long to hear. “Well done, my good servant.”
Now it would be great if he did this for everyone. But he doesn’t. If you look at the second servant, you’ll see what I mean. The second comes forward and he’s earned five more minas. Now to me five would be a good return if I’d only used one to start with. But something is missing here. The master does not say, “Well done.” And he does not say, “My good servant.”
It’s like he’s saying, “OK. You did something, but it isn’t enough. You could have done more.”
You could have done more. You see, there is going to come a time when God is going to hold you accountable for what he’s given you.
He’s going to say, “I gave you something. I gave you a life. What did you do with it?”
I’m not sure about you, but I certainly value life above money. But I know the truth. I’m going to have to tell about what I’ve been doing. Worse still I worry about time. Am I even taking enough time to do the things I could be doing for God?
That’s when I saw the other ting about this passage in John that truly bothered me. Jesus doesn’t just say it once. He says it twice. That not producing fruit leads to separation.
Did you catch it?
Not producing fruit leads to separation.
You see, I was raised in this Christian home with the belief that once you are saved you can’t lose your salvation. And so I had to wonder if one is a Christian, how can one be completely separated from God?
I spent hours pondering this. I even spent 30 minutes last night going back over commentaries. And this is what I learned. Often there are people in the church who make a declaration of faith. They claim to believe in Jesus as their savior and friend. But their personal relationship with Jesus never develops. There isn’t a daily walk.
The sad thing is many of these people weed themselves out of the church. They leave of their own boredom. Occasionally they are asked to leave the church over some issue or another. One theologian that in some cases God even allows their life to come to an end, like Judas.
Let me ask you some things today. Are you making a difference? Have you developed a personal life and are you bearing fruit? Are you bearing MUCH fruit?
I want to end this by summarizing a fictional book I finished reading earlier this week. The book is called The Gifted and it’s be a lady by the name of Terry Blackstock. In the story three friends are trapped in an earthquake. One loses her eyesight. Another man loses his ability to walk. The final friend is burned so badly by fire that his lungs and voice may never work properly again. But the three begin praying and the next day wake to find the injuries gone. Not only are they gone, but God has replaced each one’s injury with a miraculous gift. Each one uses their gift, with the help of the others, to change the lives of people around them. A short time passes and suddenly the gifts are gone. What these friends find though is that they don’t need the gifts to help other. They can still bear fruit with who they are.
You and I may never think we have a miraculous gift. But we do. We have a life. A life that can be used for God to bear fruit.
