WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
The average church member spends more a month on PREMIUM TV CABLE AND SATELLITE SYSTEMS
THAN ON MISSIONS. WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
I begin the lesson with a big, sweet yellow apple in my hand.
I have a clean pocket knife, and I slice the apple like a potato chip, thin slices.
I take a bite and I walk around and give a few slices to people and have them eat.
I ask them what possible lesson could this apple teach us today?
TEXT:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap everlasting.
9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, IF WE FAINT NOT.
10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly,
and he which soweth BOUNTIFULLY shall reap BOUNTIFULLY.
I. SPEAK SIMPLE WORDS!
Much of God’s work involves some simple one syllable words: Love, Joy, Peace, Hope, Kind, Work, Faith, and Wait.
We must not lose simple truth and the basics. You can so cloud real issues with facts that you can hide the truth and
get lost chasing butterflies and rainbows.
There are many church members that attend church faithfully and never change. For years they have heard many
good gospel messages and there is NO FRUIT to lay on the altar? They bear no fruit and there is no change.
These that bear no fruit often continually need a minister to pet them and treat them like a new born baby.
More warm milk please? Change my dirty diaper, please? How about some talcum power, I have developed this rash?
Who are we fooling, when the pastor’s main job is trying to keep Christians in church, and to stop families from
devouring one another?
WHERE IS THE FRUIT WE MUST OFFER ON THE ALTAR?
WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
II. Let me ask you a couple of questions?
1. What kind of fruit do you say you are growing?
2. Does reality in fruit inspection bear a witness to what you are saying and actually doing?
3. How much fruit have you planted?
4. How much of your effort is being wasted by playing church and religious games?
5. Have you grown fruit that will remain?
6. Action and how we react build reputations and character. Are your jokes, words, TV watching,
songs you are singing, family time bringing about what you want?
WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
III. THERE IS AN ATTITUDE OF SAMENESS THAT BECOMES A DEADLY TRAP!
IF YOU DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE DONE, YOU WILL ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS GOT.
How insane is it to want things differently and keep sowing the seed that you don’t want to harvest?
How insane is it to want things differently and continue to do the same old same old the same old way?
IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOU BETTER CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE GIVING!
WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
IV. FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS A REACTION.
This apple that we have before us today is a product of choices.
We must see the role of choices and how they can come back to us later on in life.
Also if we choose not to plant, there will be consequences. If we want to reap wisely, we must sow wisely.
Today’s choices will bear fruit later.
V. IF YOU WANT STRAWBERRIES TO GROW, DON’T PLANT CORN SEEDS!
The greatest gift you could give Jesus, is to come out of the cave of self pity and quit licking your wound, and
starting bearing fruit..
Many times the great gifts of God are given in the CRUCIBLE. And we seldom say THANKS!
VI. THE ADVICE OF AN OLD PREACHER? TAKE HEED!
Paul is nearing the end of his life and ministry, and Paul has these words penned, for Paul had learned the
principle that wise men know, it is the law of sowing and reaping. Paul knew many wanted gifts, physical and spiritual.
But Paul had learned the fruit bearing is the heart of God’s mission for every believer. Paul wanted you to
bear much fruit for the cross.
Philippians 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire FRUIT THAT MAY ABOUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT.
VII. THERE ARE DEGREES IN FRUIT BEARING. Lesson from John 15
1. No fruit. (John 15:2)
2. Fruit. (John 15:2)
3. More fruit. (John 15:2)
4. Much fruit. (John 15:5)
MUCH FRUIT COST MUCH EFFORT.
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you: EXCEPT a corn of wheat fall in the ground and DIE, it abideth alone:
but if it DIE, it bringeth forth much fruit!
VIII. FRUIT INSPECTION?
The church seems to think that correction is criticism? Biblically correction is protection!
What is not inspected and held accountable will never achieve what is inspected?
A good gardener must do much more than love plants, he must also hate weeds?
Jesus sat at the offering box and watched the giving. Wow, better not do that today?
If we are not careful we will not hold ourselves and others to some kind of accountability level and there will never
be an honest evaluation and inspection of our fruit. How can we offer better?
We will offer fruit full of worms because of idleness and slip shod effort?
We see a cry from within the camp to control and manipulate others, not submit and grow fruit.
The church is headed toward a serious "midget" growth pattern and fatal sickness,
because our heart’s set is longing for gifts, toys, games, and not THE WORD and TOOLS!
The average preacher watches 25 times more TV than reads his Bible?
The average church member spends more a month on PREMIUM TV CABLE AND SATELLITE SYSTEMS
THAN ON MISSIONS. WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
IX. CONSIDER THIS APPLE WE ARE EATING?
1. At one time that apple I am holding in my hand was a bloom on a tree.
2. At one time that tree was a seed in the cold wet ground.
3. Many can see the apple on the counter, a few can see the seasons and years that the apple required to
become fruit,
4. even fewer see the seed,
5. the damp ground,
6. the spout,
7. the little tree,
8. the cold winter, the wet and warmth of spring,
9. the pretty blossom,
10. and the little honey bee flying so busy all around.
11. Then there is the dry, hot summer,
12. the developing apple, the process of maturity, the ripening,
13. the picking, the bushel basket, and some of the apples are going to be crushed for cider or apple sauce.
14. Others will fall off the tree and rot, still others will be peeled for the pie.
15. Then there is the seemly, cruel process of pruning and cutting away excesses from the tree.
16. Watch out for the worms and insects, many grow inside and eat their way out.
17. Then how about the winds and storms that tax to the limits,
18. but to the apple that hangs to the tree, there is a plan, so much had to happen before I washed this apple,
and started cutting it to be the center of my lesson today, so much had to happen, I never saw this?
X. SOMEONE GAVE AND INVESTED YEARS AGO, FOR THIS SWEET APPLE WE EAT TODAY!
But it is all a process of time.
The Father saw it all, the Father had a plan.
Someone had saw the good ground.
Someone made the choice to plan to plant a seed.
Someone chose to water a little developing plant, and hope to the future. FAITH!
How much time and effort did someone invest in this tree and this apple?
XI. SEEMS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COUNT THE SEEDS IN An APPLE, there was 11 seeds in this apple,
BUT ONLY GOD CAN COUNT THE APPLES IN A SEED!
Someone dreamed many years before I cut this apple for us to eat and enjoy.
I know not who took the seed out of the apple? I know not who planted it?
I know not who watered the little tree? I never saw the little honey bee land on the blossom?
I may remember a few of the storms that have passed?
But before me is this apple so sweet, I taste the golden delicious apple and
I owe a debt to many unknown people. How shall I repay them for their kindness? I shall grow fruit!
XII. WE CANNOT EAT THE SEED CORN TODAY AND HAVE A CROP TOMORROW!
If what you have in your hand is not enough to be your harvest, maybe it is seed you are to plant and grow.
I shall invest in others and grow the patience to wait for the day!
Until then I must change! I must give! I must try again!
Until then I must understand the toils of my hands may not yield fan apple tomorrow or the next day.
God help me invest today and trust you for tomorrow.
I understand the fleeing nature of life, yesterday in embryo; today opportunity; tomorrow will be reserves, regrets,
and retreats, and unfinished deeds, unless I understand the process of time.
So for what ever time you have ahead you must know your assignment and role in the plan of God. Bear fruit!
Great test? Great testimonies?
There would be no fruit salad today had someone not planned and someone prepared? We can develop a spiritual attitude
looking for prosperity and pie falling out of the sky? We must grow fruit to lay at His Feet!
We may be like the five virgins, pure and kept clean, but they had no reserve and they had not prepared and expected
the day to come.
If you always do, what you have always done, you will always get, what you have always got?
How insane is it to want things different and stay the same? If you do not like what you are getting,
change what you are giving? Bear fruit! Bear much fruit. Some 30, some 60, some 100.
WHERE IS THE BEEF? WHERE IS THE FRUIT?
God is counting on you to sow good seed, and may someday we lay much fruit at His Feet!
Thank God for the apple today? Help me Lord develop a spiritual orchard for the Kingdom!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Could you be a team member and tell another of my
work, if each reader added one reader, we could go farther than I can reach.
