The Fruit of the Spirit
Truths about Spiritual Fruit
Spiritual fruit will be produced in the lives of true Christians
Matthew 7:16-20
Spiritual fruit may take time to produce in the lives of true Christians
Luke 13:6-9
Spiritual fruit may be different in quantity in the lives of true Christians
Matthew 13:18-23
What is Spiritual Fruit?
Spiritual Fruit is the Christian who comes to Christ through you.
Romans 1:13
Spiritual Fruit is the Conduct done for Christ by you
Colossians 1:10
Spiritual Fruit is the Character that Christ develops in you
Galatians 5:22-23
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Intro
Good morning.
Well, it is good to be back. I was in Florida last weekend and it was nice to be able to get some planning done as the leadership continues to think through our next steps as we seek to fulfill the commission of the church.
Just to update you on a couple of things
Pastor Search
We have gotten over 50 resume’s in so far as we continue our search for a Pastor of Discipleship and Teaching. Please be praying for the search team as they narrow that field of candidates down.
Expansion
The Leadership is also developing plans to expand our site in conjunction with IDOT’s expansion of RT. 30 and the work we need to do for the left turn lane that we will also need to pay for. So please be praying about that as well.
Anyway, while I was away, I not only got to do some planning but I was able to dine on some of the local cuisine. I love fish and was able to enjoy some fresh fish while I was down there.
I was also able to enjoy some Orange Juice there. Florida is a big orange producing state. They have a lot of orange trees.
Here is a picture of one.
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Do you know how I know this is an orange tree? There are oranges on it.
If I showed you this picture
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Would you be able to tell me what kind of tree it was?
Even if you were not a horticulturist, it is not that hard to identify a tree by the fruit that is on it.
Transition
Did you know the same should be true for the Christian?
The Christian should be easily identifiable by the fruit they produce.
This morning, we are going to be starting a new series talking about some of the things that the Holy Spirit of God produces and provides in our lives when we trust in Jesus as our Savior.
For this week and next we are going to be talking about the Fruit of the Spirit.
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Now a couple weeks ago, we finished up a series called not a fan, and we talked about the differences between being a fan and a follower of Jesus.
Well there are many people who will claim to be a follower, but are really only fans.
By examining the spiritual fruit in our own lives, we can better determine if we are a fan or truly a follower of Christ.
That is why it is important for us to examine our lives and see if we are bearing spiritual fruit as an evidence of the Spirit of God working in our lives.
Turn with me to Matthew 7:16-20.
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In this section of Scripture we are going to read, Jesus is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount and is warning the people about false prophets that will come into their midst. He says they come in sheep’s clothing, but really they are ferocious wolves. They will come saying things that sound good, but that is where it ends. Then He tells them how they can recognize those who are not speaking or believing the truth and are not really Christians.
Matthew 7:16-20
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Pray
Would people recognize you as a Christian by just being able to examine your life for a while? Are you producing fruit that makes you recognizable as a Christian?
I think that as we begin talking about Spiritual fruit, there are some
Truths about Spiritual Fruit
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that we need to understand to help us as we examine our own lives.
The first truth about Spiritual fruit that we need to understand is
Spiritual fruit WILL be produced in the lives of real Christians
The verses that we just read in Matthew 7:16-20 confirms that.
Verse 18 says
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
If you don’t bear good fruit, fruit of the Spirit of God that is supposed to be in you, then you are not a real Christian and thus, you will not inherit eternity with the Lord, but spend eternity in Hell.
This is so because Spiritual fruit is evidence that the Spirit lives in you. You, yourself do not produce this fruit, the Spirit does.
If the Spirit is within you, you WILL produce fruit.
Transition
Now the question you should be asking yourself is, “Is Spiritual fruit evident in my life?” and I don’t doubt that some of you are asking that.
At the same time, I would guess that some are thinking of somebody else and thinking to yourself, “I don’t see any spiritual fruit in ‘so and so’s’ life, so are they really a Christian?”
I want to urge you to be cautious in thinking those thoughts, because another truth is that while spiritual fruit will for sure be produced in the life of a true Christian,
Spiritual fruit may take time to produce in the lives of Real Christians
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Just like when a tree is planted, you are not picking its fruit the next day, spiritual fruit will take time to produce however it cannot take forever.
Listen to this parable Jesus told when speaking to some Jews. He says in
Luke 13:6-9 - 6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ’For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 "’Sir,’ the man replied, ’leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’"
The Scripture tells us in
2 Peter 2:9 that
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Our Lord is patient with people, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Repentance and fruit go together.
John told the Pharisees to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8)
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The Lord recognizes that it takes time as the Spirit of God works on and in people, so we too, need to be patient with people.
Application
We need to be cautious in judging people where we don’t recognize any fruit. We should be patient and helpful like the vinedresser in loosening the soil and helping them grow so fruit will be produced if they truly are a Christian.
Maybe it is taking time to do a Bible study with them.
Perhaps it is helping them see an area where they need to repent, but I would encourage you to do that with gentleness and respect.
We need to be patient with people who are not as mature as you may be. Instead of judging, take time to be used by the Lord like the vinedresser in the parable.
One final truth about spiritual fruit. While spiritual fruit will be produced and it may take time to produce,
Spiritual fruit may also be different in quantity in the lives of Real Christians
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Not every true believer will produce the same amount of fruit. As Jesus explains the parable of the sower to the disciples, he says the true believer is the one who hears the word and understands it and he produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:23)
There will be some Christians that are more fruitful than others, not because they are better or more talented, but it is in accordance with their gifting.
God, in his sovereignty, has gifted people differently. Now you need to realize that just because you may not be as fruitful as someone else, that does not make you any less valuable in the kingdom of God.
In the parable of the talents, it says that the master gave different amounts to his servants “each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15) and each of them produced different amounts.
The 2 who used their talents wisely and produced more, even though they were different in amount, heard the same thing, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”’(Matthew 25:21, 23)
Real Christians will produce different amounts of fruit, so don’t worry about how much someone else is producing and think you are inadequate. If fruit is being produced in your life, praise the Lord. It is to God’s glory that you are producing fruit.
Now, if you find no fruit being produced in your life, then you should be worried. But to truly answer the question if we are seeing fruit in our lives, then we have to begin with something even more basic.
Such as
What is Spiritual Fruit?
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Well, through God’s word, we see at least 3 different types of Spiritual fruit that is borne in the life of a Real Christian.
The first type of Spiritual fruit is the Christian who comes to Christ through you
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Spiritual Fruit is the Christian who comes to Christ through you
Paul writes to the church in Rome saying that he has desired to come to them many times “in order to have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the gentiles.” (Romans 1:13)
Paul wants to share Christ and have people come to trust in Jesus Christ through Him. That is a type of fruit, a harvest as Paul calls it.
As we share with other people what Christ has done in our lives and as we help them to understand the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, and they come to Christ, we are bearing spiritual fruit.
You don’t have to have the gift of evangelism to produce this kind of fruit. Maybe if you have the gift of evangelism you are producing more of this kind of fruit, but all of us should have some of this fruit in our lives.
Illustration
Billy and I were at a lunch this week where Allan Hirsch was the keynote speaker and the title of his talk was “Everyday Mission for Everyday People.”
Reaching people for Christ is not the mission that has been given to Billy and myself and the elders. It has been given to the church and you are the church.
All of those who have trusted Christ as Savior are part of the Priesthood of believers. We all have responsibility to tell others around us what Christ has done and is doing in our own lives.
Now that is a lot easier said than done. How can we help facilitate opportunities so that we might be able to share with others what God has done in our life?
One easy way is to on some regular basis, perhaps once a month or so, is to eat with someone not of the family of faith. A neighbor or coworker and their family. Go out with them or have them over to dinner.
You don’t have to steer the conversation, but it is as relationships develop that opportunities will present themselves, sometimes quickly and other times it will take longer.
Evanston
We were up in Evanston at a celebration that my sister was having. They had dinner at a restaurant and I happened to be sitting across from a friend of theirs. Just in the natural conversation of the night, I was able to share with Him how the Lord had worked in my life and that Jesus’ desire it to be have relationship with all of us.
It was a reminder to me that I too need to be making it a priority to get to know those outside of these walls so I can reap a harvest as people come to trust in Jesus through me.
Maybe there are some who are doing this and seeing a harvest. I want to encourage you to share that with me or other leaders that we might encourage other people with fruit that is being borne by people in this church. Please, give glory to God by letting others know what He is doing.
So that is one type of spiritual fruit that we should be bearing.
Another
Spiritual fruit is the Conduct done for Christ by you
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Colossians 1:10
10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work…NIV
The good works we do for Christ is a fruit of the Spirit.
This is one of the reasons we have been saved.
Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. NIV
Whether we help feed the homeless, serve at PADS, give to those in need, help protect the unborn, serve in our Little Sparks or Powerzone Ministries, help stack chairs so this facility can be used at other times and in other ways to help connect people to Jesus Christ, you are bearing fruit as you do them unto the Lord for His glory and honor.
If we do them for our glory, for our own honor, what could have been fruit, turns into nothing more than what Isaiah calls a filthy rag. (Isa 64:6)
Paul tells us that “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Bear fruit for Christ as the Spirit of God leads you to do things for Christ and His glory.
Finally,
Spiritual Fruit is the Character that Christ develops in you
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This is probably the fruit that most people think of.
Paul tells the Galatians that Character traits that are the fruit of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Those are things that should be more evident within our character as we grow in the Lord and are continually being transformed to look more and more like Christ.
It is these character traits that we are going to look at in greater detail next week so that we have a better understanding of what each of these will look like in our life, because in this sin scarred world, often the reality of these traits get perverted in our minds and we can’t clearly recognize them.
Jesus bore all of these in his life and we, as we are continually transformed, we too should bear these in our life as we look more and more like Him.
Paul tells the Corinthians in
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. NIV
Conclusion
Is there spiritual fruit in your life?
Are you seeing others come to Christ through you?
Is your conduct for the glory of the Lord?
Are you becoming more Christlike in your Character?
It is only in a relationship with Christ that we can bear spiritual fruit.
Jesus said in
John 15:5, 8
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… 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
If there is no recognizable fruit in your life, as you look at yourself, then you have some serious questions to be asking of yourself.
Brand new Christian
Perhaps you are a brand new Christian only having recently trusted Christ as your Savior. Bearing fruit will take time.
But if you think you have been a Christian for a while and you can’t recognize any spiritual fruit in your life, then a more appropriate question may be, “Have I really received Christ as my Savior? Do I really know Him or have I only known about Him?”
If you have no fruit, then I would say you need to repent, turn from your own ways and your own wisdom to Christ and as John the Baptist said, bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
If you would like to receive Christ as your Savior, the Bible tells us that it is through believing in Him and confessing the truth of that belief, that we believe that Jesus truly is God in the flesh, that He died for your sins, and that he rose from the dead.
When we truly believe that and confess that, the Bible tells us that it is then that we can be assured of our salvation.
Romans 10:13 says, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Call on His name today and begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit in your life.
Let’s pray.
