A. Helping people to be saved in the Lord. Jn.15:5-8
1. Jesus is the vine. All believers are branches. 15:1
2. A branch has to be connected to the vine to survive and bear fruit.
A believer must remain in the Lord. Otherwise he is like a branch that is thrown
away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will
be given you. 15:7
Attention please: It is “If you remain in me and my words remain in you….”
The believers are responsible to decide whether and how he is to remain in the Lord
and how the Lord’s word is to be in him!
4. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my
disciples. 15:8
Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 15:1
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you
bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5. As we can see, it takes everyone to do his share of work for the branches to bear
much fruit. Jn.15:1-4
B. A life that has been transformed to do good things! Lk.13:6-9
1. 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.
2. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For 3 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?'
3. `Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it
and fertilize it.
4. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
C. The money giving to help the poor saints is a kind of fruit!
Romans 15:28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have
received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.
D. Good and bad characters as fruit! Matt.7:16-20
1. 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn
bushes, or figs from thistles?
2. 7:17-18 Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
3. 7:19-20 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
E. Put up a show but no substance!. Mk.11:12-14, 20-21
1. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
2. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.
When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not season for figs.
3. Jesus said to the fig tree: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again."
And his disciples heard him say it.
4. 11:20 … as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
5. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The tree you cursed withered!"
Attention: A fig tree is to bear fruit before its leaves come along!
When there are leaves, there must be ripened fruits!
Since it is not the season for figs. There must be no leaves!
If you don’t live like a child of God, don’t claim to be one!
F. There are others kinds of fruits also!
1. Col.1:10 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, growing in the knowledge
of God.
2. Fruit of lips as a sacrifice of praise present to God in worship! Heb.13:15
3. Phil.1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—
to the glory and praise of God.
Apostle John said, able to do righteousness is a sign of a child of God!
May the Lord bless you always! Share this on August 20, 2010 at retreat.