Bearing Fruit

Yesterday, I attended Sunday worship via the Internet, thanks to Covid. (Don’t get me started down that “rabbit hole”!) Whenever I must be home on Sunday, I usually listen in to more than one message, and yesterday was no different. I heard two.  The first sermon was by a young preacher from my older daughter’s home church. He was beginning a series on “The Vine” from John 15. Jesus is the Vine and we, His people, are the branches. Branches bearing no fruit are cut off and branches bearing fruit are pruned to bear more fruit. Also, the branch must remain with the vine, it cannot bear fruit by itself.

“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” (John 15:4).

The second message was from a guest preacher at my home church who compared a tree growing by streams of water that flourishes to a shrub trying to grow in a desert with little water.

“He (v. 1 the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked) 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” (Psalms 1:3).

“He (v.5 the one whose heart tuns away from the Lord) will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives” (Jeremiah 17:6).

For a tree to be prosperous and bear fruit it needs a good root system. Roots help a tree to grow by allowing nutrients to reach all parts of the tree. Roots give it stability and of course when the roots are connected to the tree it has the nourishment it needs to bear fruit.

The speaker pointed out the importance of stability when the storms of life come our way. If our roots are well grounded in the soil of God’s Word, we are less apt to be uprooted when we face the difficulties of life. He also illustrated the connectedness we need with each other by reminding us how the mighty redwood trees can grow so tall and strong by interconnecting their roots with the trees around them.

I think God must want me to get this message about staying connected to Jesus and others to be strong and bear fruit for the Kingdom. He gave it to me twice! I better listen. What does God want me to do? It’s a question I ask frequently. He wants me to bring Him glory in everything I do. He wants me to concentrate more on the eternal things than on the temporary things. He wants me to see the urgency in evangelism.

Reading the Bible and praying is very important, but we must do more. That’s where we soak up the living water and nutrients for growth, but I must put actions with the prayers. Write that note, make that call or visit, extend that invitation, spend time with the lonely, or write that check.

And look for opportunities to speak about Jesus to others. There are only two destinations for our souls: heaven, or hell. That decision must be made now, before we die. Am I sharing the Good News of salvation? Am I bearing fruit for the Kingdom?

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18).