2 Seeds - 2Trees
Intro- Imagine you are walking through the woods on a path, one side of the path is in sunlight and one side is in darkness. On each side of the path is a tree. The tree on the left is in darkness and the tree on the right is bathing in the sunlight. The tree on the left is old, scary, and gnarly. Let's look closer at the tree. The limbs are broken, and the bark is full of holes from years of damage from birds and insects. Even though we can't see the fruit, there is fruit there, but the fruit is not good fruit but it is still seed. Now let's look at the other tree. It majestically lifts its limbs towards the creator in heaven. The leaves are perfectly shaped and the bark is perfect. The fruit on the tree is perfectly shaped and the sweet fragrance entices you to eat of the fruit.
Which of these trees is desirable to you; one of these trees grows inside each of us. The fruit we bear is evidence of the tree that is inside of us.
Text- Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psa 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psa 1:4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Psa 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
The fruit of the evil tree
1.Discrimination/ prejudice - a lot of us think we know what prejudice is; a lot of us think that someone who is different from us is OK as long as they stay in their place. But even if you notice their difference you have the fruit of prejudice growing in your life
2.Separation - sign/ Love thy neighbor but put up a fence
How God sees separation - fingers and thumb, toes and big toe
Remember discriminate and separate contain 3/4 of hate (ate).
3.Pride - people think they are better than others Prov 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Text- James 2:1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.
James 2:2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
James 2:3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"
James 2:4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
4.Exclusion/ ignoring - times I was excluded (Gatlinburgh trip)
These may seem like harmless fruits, but when allowed to grow they bloom into much more harmful fruits - violence, murder.
Fruits of the good tree
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The seed of the evil tree is hate and the seed of the good tree is love.
A maple tree brings forth maple seed and an apple tree brings forth apple seed therefore the good tree brings forth good seed and the evil tree brings forth evil seed.
Evil seed cannot grow on a good tree and good seed cannot grow on an evil tree, but each tree produces its own kind.
Gal 5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Gal 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
Gal 5:20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
Gal 5:21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Gal 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
You cannot have both the good tree and the evil tree in you at the same time because they cannot occupy the same space at the same time - you can't have light and darkness at the same time (there is no gray).
If your life is showing bad fruits, then you have the evil tree growing inside you from the seed of hate. If your life is showing good fruits, then you have the good tree growing inside you from the seed of love.
If you have the evil tree growing inside you, you have to do some gardening. You have to cut down the evil tree - some people just cut down the evil tree, but you have to pluck up the roots so that it will not grow back, then you must get out of the darkness. You need to let God plant the good seed and stay in God's light because the good tree needs God's light to grow. The more you bathe in God's light and stay clean, the more fruit you will bare and the stronger the tree will become.
