BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY
Study Text: Genesis 1: 27 – 29
Gen 1:27 And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth.
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold! I have given you every herb seeding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; to you it shall be for food.
Introduction:
- The purpose of God for us as Christians is to be Ambassadors of heaven on Earth, thus ensuring that the Kingdom of God is realized on Earth.
- God wants us to be Fruitful and Multiply in all areas of our lives:
1. Spiritually: By living a life pleasing unto God and by being involved in faithful services for His kingdom.
2. Intellectually: He wants us to grow in knowledge, wisdom and understanding both in spiritual things and academic matters.
3. Physically: He wants us to prosper in our health, and in our financial and material wealth.
- Basically God wants us to prosper in all areas of our lives here on Earth! It is not God’s desire to see his children suffering Spiritually, Intellectually and Physically on Earth where they are suppose to be Ambassadors of the Almighty God.
- We are created in the image, likeness of God and we are commanded and blessed to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over all.
- Even after Mankind had sinned, God still blessed Noah after the rain that killed all living creatures and said Be Fruitful and Multiply.
- This is a clear indication that God has created you to be fruitful and to multiply irrespective of what happened in the past, only if you can place yourself in the position to be blessed by him like Noah who was in the Ark.
- God wants to bless you and has already made a plan for you to be fruitful and multiply in all areas of you life.
- We shall discuss this study under three sub-headings:
1. Understanding Fruitfulness
2. Understanding The Principles of Fruitfulness
3. Understanding The Areas of Fruitfulness in Our Lives
A. Undestanding Fruitfulness:
i. Fruit-fullness is a sign of life; it is a source of deep satisfaction - the fulfillment of purpose.
ii. Fruit-fullness is what the gardener expects when he plants a seed: to grow a vineyard.
iii. Fruit-fullness is the natural byproduct of the healthy believer and is the result of several important elements at work in the believer.
- A fully devoted disciple is a fruit-full disciple-growing and maturing.
- A fruitful person is one who is implanted and abiding in Christ - growing, increasing, abounding, flourishing, and reproducing much fruit. John 15: 1-2.
iv. Fruitfulness is both a command from God and a blessing from Him. It is a sign of spiritual health and life.
v. Fruitfulness is a life of fulfillment and purpose, and a life in partnership with God. John 15:8.
B. Understanding The Principles of Fruitfulness:
- How do we become fruitful, and what is the fruit that God expects? Ps 1: 1-3, Ps 92: 13-14.
- A life totally separated from sinners and sins and that have pleasure in discovering the will of God and doing them completely shall be a fruitful life.
- Our lives can not produce fruits unless we abide in Christ and He abides in us.
- Certain processes are necessary for fruitfulness to take place:
1. The Preparation Process: Both the seed and the soil has to be prepared ready for planting.
- The seed is the word of God, and the soil is our heart. We need to prepare our heart ready to be able to received the viable seed of the word of God.
- Jam 1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and overflowing of evil, receive in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.
2. The Planting Process: After the soil has been prepared ready, the actual planting must be done.
- This is by allowing the word of God to produce faith in our lives, so that we believe it and then be prepared to put it into practice.
- Jam 1:22 But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jam 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror.
Jam 1:24 For he studied himself and went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like.
Jam 1:25 But whoever looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, he is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one shall be blessed in his doing.
3. The Purging Process: Shortly after planting, weeding will be necessary, so that all unwanted plants that can affect the well being of the real planted crop can be taken away.
- The weed may include all ungodly relationships and association arouund us, it can also be the cares of this world.
- 1Ti 6:9 But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which plunge men into destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all evils, of which some having lusted after, they were seduced from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.
- 2Ti 2:3 Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
- 2Ti 2:4 No one who wars tangles with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who chose him to be a soldier.
4. The Pruinning Process: This is a process of treaming of exceces after the tree is fully grown, this will allow for maximum illumination and aeration necessary for better production of fruits.
- As we grow, we must submit to the various dealings of the Lord in our lives, so that we can be more fruitful.
- Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
Col 1:10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
Col 1:11 being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness,
Col 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
C. Understanding the Areas of Fruitfulness in Our Lives:
1. Fruitfulness Biologically:
- God desired that as His children, we should be fruitful biologically. We are to raise godly children by training our children in the ways of the Lord.
- 1Ti 3:2 Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,
1Ti 3:3 not a drunkard, not contentious, not greedy of ill gain, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous,
1Ti 3:4 ruling his own house well, having children in subjection with all honor.
1Ti 3:5 (For if a man does not know to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
2. Fruitfulness Spiritually:
- We are expected to live a life pleasing unto God at all times, and to be growing in our relationship with God.
- 2Pe 3:17 Therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand, beware lest being led away with the error of the lawless, you fall from your own steadfastness.
2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
3. Fruitfulness Maritally:
- As Christians, God desired us to enjoy our marriages and not to endure it. There may be crises, but we must know how to manage them with the wisdom of God, so that the Home can be peaceful.
- 1Pe 3:1 Likewise, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, so that if any do not obey the Word, they may also be won without the Word by the conduct of the wives,
1Pe 3:2 having witnessed your chaste behavior in the fear of God.
1Pe 3:3 Of whom let not be the adorning of garments, or outward braiding of hair and wearing of gold, or of putting on clothing,
1Pe 3:4 but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, the meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God.
1Pe 3:5 For so once indeed the holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands;
1Pe 3:6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children you became, doing good and fearing no terror.
1Pe 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live together according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel, the female, as truly being co-heirs together of the grace of life, not cutting off your prayers.
4. Fruitfulness Professionally:
- Even God wants us to prosper and be fruitful in our vocations and professions. All the people He called to Kingdom business were not failures in their various professions. They were neither lazy nor idle.
- 1Ki 19:19 And he left there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, and he was plowing; twelve pairs of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
1Ki 19:20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Please, let me kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again, for what have I done to you?
1Ki 19:21 And he turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. And he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
5. Fruitfulness Financially:
- Jesus was poor so that we can be rich through His poverty.
- 2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty.
- It is part of our financial fruitfulness to get money only by Godly means, and to use our money for the purpose and the glory of God.
- 1Ti 6:17 Charge the rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, He offering to us richly all things to enjoy,
1Ti 6:18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to share, to be generous,
1Ti 6:19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
6. Fruitfulness Ministerially:
- We have been given different ministerial assignments for the purpose of expanding the kingdom of God.
- We must be fruitful in this area by being committed and faithful in our calling and services in the Church and the kingdom of God.
- Eph 4:11 And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Eph 4:13 And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Eph 4:14 so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.
- 1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in Word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox treading out grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his reward."
7. Fruitfulness Inter-personally:
- When God demanded Holiness from us, He equally demanded that we follow peace with all men.
- Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord;
Heb 12:15 looking diligently lest any fail of the grace of God, or lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it many are defiled,
- We are to be fruitful in all our interpersonal relationships, at home, offices, neighborhood, churches and in all manner of conversations.
- 1Pe 3:8 And finally, all be of one mind, having compassion on one another, loving the brothers, tenderhearted, friendly.
1Pe 3:9 Never give back evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, giving blessing, knowing that you are called to this so that you might inherit blessing.
1Pe 3:10 For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile.
1Pe 3:11 Let him turn aside from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.
Conclusion:
- God both commanded us to be fruitful and also blessed us to be fruitful.
- We can be fruitful only by remaining in Him, and we will be rewarded for our fruitfulness.
- It does not matter what situation of things are with you today, you have been called to a fruitful life, and you can start today by fully rendering your life unto Jesus, who is the Vine that bears our fruitful branches
