Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
How many of you have had your own fruit trees? They may take quite a few years until they finally begin bearing fruit, but if you want them to become even more fruitful, you will need to remove any branches that are dead or unproductive. This is because rather than producing something, they are partaking of the sustenance of the tree but aren’t doing anything at all. A lot of the time they will block the sunlight from other more productive branches, hindering their process of growth. So if you want productivity, they must be removed in order to bring forth a big harvest.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The Heavenly Father is like a gardener, who will remove unproductive branches in the church. But men who abide faithfully in Christ Jesus and His teachings, and dedicate their time to discipling others, will have much fruit unto life eternal.
John 15:1-8 (KJB) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
To bear fruit is to reproduce something, whether it’s fruit of the womb or an apple on a tree branch. The Apostles were commanded to go out and make disciples, teaching people to observe the things that the Lord had taught them. To have everlasting fruit, one must educate others in the doctrines of our faith, so they can lovingly obey them and someday obtain eternal life. Everywhere Jesus went, He would call out to men to preach the gospel, but many of them were just too busy doing other things.
Luke 8:14 (KJB) And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Unfruitfulness is very upsetting to the Lord.
Matthew 21:19-20 (KJB) And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Sometimes, if the entire tree is unproductive, then the whole thing will eventually need to be cut down.
Luke 13:6-9 (KJB) He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
Jude speaks about these unproductive branches in the following passage
Jude 1:12-13 (KJB) These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
A manufacturing company is supposed to produce a product, but if the owner comes in and finds all of the machines shut down, and the employees are sitting in the break room all day, what do you think he’s going to do? He’s probably going to fire them! It’s because they are not producing anything, and that is the core of unfruitfulness. Many people are going to spend their lives building skyscrapers. Others will spend many years building their own businesses and becoming wealthy, but because they use their time for other things rather than leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus, they will be fruitless at the judgment. Everything on this Earth is going to eventually be destroyed, and the only thing that really is going to matter at the judgment is the fruit who you led to obedience to the teachings of our faith.
To produce fruit in the Christian Life we must abide in Christ and His teachings. When He says preach, we preach. When he says teach, we teach. A band instructor is never going to have a fruitful class of musicians if he never bothers to instruct them. Like growing an apple tree from a seed it’s going to take some time, but we must be patient and faithful until the Lord brings forth those things that are written.
Mark 4:8 (KJB) And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
The Lord Jesus teaches that those who abide in Him will have much fruit, and when you abide in Him, you will humbly accept His biblical directives and commands. When we obey Him in such a manner, it proves that we love Him, and He most certainly will reward that behavior.
Revelation 22:12 (KJB) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
So when you prune branches, you remove certain parts to improve the health and productivity of the rest, and God is currently removing all the dead branches so that those who are truly abiding in Christ become even more fruitful. This is just as He foretold, as He putteth down one, and setteth up another. Some trees will be without fruit, and others will be fruitful, and it all comes down to their response and obedience to the gospel. Some will be gathered up and burned, while others will enter into life, and like tares and the wheat, you will find both kinds of them scattered throughout,……
……The Orchard
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️
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