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Points covered: Three simple steps to be fruitful in your life. Follow these simple and practical steps and be on your way to fruitfulness in your life.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
God wants us to live everyday with confidence and success. Too many people live their lives intimated and insecure. They look outside and feel others are smart, great, more privileged and feel life has been bad to them. They put others in a pedestal and look down on themselves. It is good to accept others around you but you must understand that you are important to God as well. You are loved, you are special to God. People say my co-worker is very talented, that woman is very beautiful, they are a great family. Let them be what they are but you are created by the same God with the same potential. You have the DNA of success and fruitfulness in you through Jesus Christ.
Joke: Once a Chief Minister was riding with his wife after an official dinner. They pulled into the local petrol pump. Soon, he spotted his wife speaking to the supervisor there. After they started the Chief Minister asked his wife, “Who is that man?” “He was my good friend in college,” the wife said. The man said, “Aren’t you glad that you did not marry him, you would be working in the petrol pump.” His wife said, “No, if I had married him he would have been the Chief Minister.” Have confidence in your God given abilities. Never underestimate your potential.
The Bible portrays Apostle Paul as a successful man. He did great in his profession, good as an evangelist, and excellent as an apostle. He completed what he started even though he started late in life. In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul illustrates some secrets of his fruitfulness.
1 Thessalonians 2:1 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. Look at the term ‘not in vain.’ This means ‘not void of power.’ Paul operated in the power of the Holy Spirit and that gave him success.
1. Step to fruitfulness: POWER.
The first step to fruitfulness is to live in the power of God. A fruitful Christian operates in the power of the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit do in us?
1 Thessalonians 2:1 NIV You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. Paul’s visit to the Thessalonians produced results.
We cannot be a Christian in the strength of the flesh. We need to have the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power… Apostle Paul always moved in that power and that power produced fruitfulness even when Paul was in the innermost cell of the prison.
The Lord is waiting to be involved in what you do. So, don’t do things just for the sake of living, involve the Holy Spirit in whatever you do. You may be thinking, “Pastor I started this, I did that and finally ended up in bitterness and failure.” I want to tell you if you have God as your source of power you need not be discouraged even if you are facing a failure today. If God is your strength, you will always not remain a failure. Even if you see nothing in your naked eyes now, God is seeing victory ahead of your path.
Sometimes we can develop some self barriers to the flow of God’s power in us.
Unconfessed sin.
Unconfessed sin can be a hindrance to our fruitfulness. If we have sin in us we become an obstacle to God’s blessing. In the Book of Joshua the Israelites just defeated the big nation, Jericho. Now they are to take the possession of the Promised Land starting with the smallest enemy, Ai. God said possess the land but the Israelites terribly lost the battle of Ai. God wanted them to win but they lost. The reason was one man, Achan’s sin. He was an obstacle to God’s blessing to Israel after Jericho.
Ecclesiastes 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. God has destined success for us and maybe it is our unconfessed sins that are a stumbling block. Sin zaps of our power, steals our confidence, and destroys our fruit. The good news is that God is in the cleaning business. He can make anyone who comes to him clean. Let’s walk out of this hall today with our sins forgiven, full of confidence and power to produce fruit.
Prayerlessness.
Prayerlessness is another hindrance to fruitfulness and God’s power. When Jesus overthrew the money changers he said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” God expects prayer in this temple. I am taking about personal prayer, spending time everyday reading the Bible. Prayerlessness is a block in the channel of our blessing and slows us down. How is our participation for church prayers? It is sad that some believers do not even feel bad if they miss a Sunday service.
Joke: Once a believer decided to skip a Sunday service and went to the forest to do some bear hunting. Soon he spotted a bear on a hillside and as he was aiming another bear collided with him sending him tumbling down the mountainside. Before he knew it, his rifle went one way and he went the other, landing on a rock. That was the good news but the bad news was the ferocious bear was charging at him from a distance, and he couldn’t move.
“Oh Lord,” he prayed, “I’m so sorry for skipping service today to come out here and hunt. Forgive me and grant me just one wish…. please make a Christian out of that bear that’s coming at me. Let him love me, not eat met Lord!” That very instant, the bear fell to its knees, put its paws together and began to pray aloud right at his feet. “Dear Lord, bless this food I am about to receive… Amen.”
Maybe you are struggling in finances, struggling against one oppression after the other, sickness. You are doing your best but noting is working out. God is calling you for prayer. I have seen that many times great things are accomplished in my life by doing less, and praying more!
We have intercessory prayers, month watch, night prayers, fasting prayer that is coming up this week. Will you come for prayers? Even if you do not want to pray, you can say I will come and be a part of the prayer meetings. Stick around with church meetings and you can grow in your payer life and have the power of God in you.
2. Step to fruitfulness: PURPOSE.
Your purpose determines your altitude and fruitfulness. We need to have the right purpose and when God sees your motive He enables you to be fruitful. Paul had a purpose for the travel and ministry he did. 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6 3For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
Paul and Silas were the ministers of those days. They were missionaries. At the same time the politicians and priests of the pagan temples not only lived corrupt lives, but they were known for being greedy, selfish mercenaries. They would do anything to accomplish their ambitions. In spite of the corruption and wrong practiced by people then, Paul said we had the right motives, we were never corrupt, yet we produced greater results. God sees the purpose behind everything we do.
How can we have the right motive?
a. Live without deceit.
v3 For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. Paul says, “We didn’t manipulate you into making a decision.”
The outside world works on the principle of deception. The world does the wrong things the wrong way to satisfy their wrong motives. We are expected to do what is right, in the right way, for the right reasons. Maybe you have a colleague who does wrong; your neighbour maybe cheating and they are all prosperous. I want to exhort to stand up for the truth; work sincerely, be truthful with your finances, be good to those who harm you. Our role model is not the world, but Jesus Christ.
Psalm 92:12, 14 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.
Psalm 1:1-4 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
The wicked may prosper for a season, they may be successful now, but the Bible says the righteous will shine like the sun.
b. Don’t please people.
v4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. Paul is telling, “We didn’t speak to please men, we spoke to please God.”
As a preacher it is my challenge to preach the truth. As a believer our primary motto should be to seek the approval of God above man.
Illustration: I heard a story where an old man, a boy, and donkey all walking and going to town. The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so the man climbed up on the animal’s back. When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, he got off and set the boy on the animal’s back. In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again. In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people. The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road.
Some people’s life is fully torn apart because they live to please men. It is the fear of rejection that pushes people to please others. Eventually the victim will please the boss, colleagues, spouse and let others take advantage of them. I have learnt that you cannot keep everyone happy, focus on keeping God happy. Moses never did please men. Jesus never pleased people. Our mission is to please God and if we please God, genuine friends surely will be at peace with us.
c. Don’t use flattery.
Flattery is to compliment excessively and insincerely, especially in order to win favour. Many people flattery others to get what they want. v5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
Joke: A man who never complimented his wife went through a major operation. After the surgery, his wife was sitting beside him concerned when he would open his eyes. Sometime later the man opened his eyes, looked at his wife and said, “Darling, you look very, very beautiful and so pretty.” The wife was so happy to get a first ever compliment from her husband, but soon went into a deep sleep again. Sometime later again the man got up and the wife is waiting to hear from him. He said, “You are good, very nice” and again went into a deep sleep. The wife now thought that the operation was for good and husband’s love to her have improved now. After sometime the man suddenly got up from his sleep and shouted, “Come on lady, let’s go home.” The wife was surprised and asked, “What happened to the darling, beautiful, pretty, and good’s.” The man said, “Come ‘on I am no more under anaesthesia now.”
Flattery is giving unearned praise to someone. By smooth talk and flattery people deceive the mind of people and gain their selfish motives. Flattery is a lie, it is a sin. Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Paul is telling his purpose was right. He never practiced deceit, he never pleased men, nor used flattery.
Now the people who live with the right purpose and motive will usually not always be liked by others. 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. If you live to please God you will be persecuted, you will not be liked by all. Now we should not seek out persecution or opposition, we simply know that it will happen if we are true to the Lord’s message He has given us.
God on the other side is looking at our motives, He is watching us. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. God is our witness. You may not be liked by anyone, you maybe be disrespected for being a Christian, you may be living a sincere life and people may misunderstand you but God is telling, “I am your witness. I understand you even if people do not understand you. If you live with the right purpose, I will reward you.”
3. Step to fruitfulness: PERSEVERANCE.
The third secret of Paul’s fruitfulness was that he practiced patience in trials. 1 Thessalonians 2:2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.
We want our works to produce fruit, but do you know that every fruit has a season and a time for it. We need to have the perseverance to wait for God’s timing.
Acts 16 speaks of Paul’s ministry and sufferings in Philippi. They were beaten with rods and put in prison for the sake of the gospel. Many of us would have quit now. Many today would have seen Paul’s imprisonment as a closed door, end of the chapter, but it wasn’t. It was an attempt of Satan to stop them. Satan is trying to stop us from every side. Do you know this is where the jailer got saved and after this Paul went to Thessalonica and formed a church? Now Paul is telling, “Even after we were imprisoned at Philippi, we didn’t quit, we had great perseverance and our patience produced the result.”
A patient told the doctor who asked him to diet, “Don’t talk to me about improving my diet. I ate carrot the whole of last week, and nothing has changed now.” We are sometimes like this patient. We live in a time of instant noodles, T20 cricket where we are hungry for quick results. We often get worked up on delays or simple things and quit. Every of your hard work has an appointed time for the harvest, so don’t quit half way.
Illustration: I heard of a missionary, Jonathan Goforth who went to China. At age 70 the government forced him to leave the area he was ministering. He tried to go 5 other places, but all doors were closed. On the other side, his wife was very ill and they were taking care of 2 invalid children. Jonathan wouldn’t quit. On his 6th attempt he was granted entrance into NW Manchuria and there he baptized nearly 1,000 people.
Some of you are looking at your situation and are ready to quit. Maybe you are ready to quit your job, ready to quit some initiatives you have taken. Maybe you are ready to quit the ministry you have started. Don’t quit, don’t let your circumstances guide your life! You may be asking me pastor I just do not feel things will work out? Listen, God does not work on our feelings, sometimes our feelings are given by the devil too.
Illustration: In the initial days of our ministry here we did many initiatives almost every day for which we never saw any result. We had jobs, children to take care of, we had other ministries that we were involved in but we had no result in HBR layout. Many times we thought to call it quits, but I do not know something in our heart made us persevere. Today when I see back we can see the fruit of our perseverance. All hard work in the Lord what we thought was fruitless indeed produced fruit. Listen, God has destined a time for your fruit, so do things that you are good at even if you see no result, success will follow.
CONCLUSION:
When you gave your life to Christ you have entered into a new realm of fruitfulness and success. Maybe you are struggling with a crisis now, fighting a court case, got bad medical report, facing crisis in your career, you may feel all alone and weak. I want to tell you that you have a God appointed time of fruitfulness. Through Jesus you have the DNA to succeed. Don’t be discouraged looking at your circumstances or the other successful people. You trust in God’s power, have the right purpose, and persevere it is just a matter if time that you see fruit. I believe great times are coming your way because it is not over yet until God says it is over. Amen.
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