Fruitliness
(2-1-04)
Luke 13:6-9
“…If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'”
Why is fruit bearing
so important? Things have a purpose don’t they? We all own stuff with purpose and some things that have none. What happens
to things that are no longer useful because its purpose is gone? If its purpose cannot be redefined and adjusted for multiple
usage it will often find its place in the rubbish pile. Isn’t this true? Barring all sentimental attachments, if something
is not worth its salt, we cast it away.
Jesus’ parable here in Luke demonstrates this same
principle. Since Jesus, as the master, looked at a tree this way, (Mat.3:9-10 [John the Baptist], Mat.7:15-20, Mat.21:19ff
) how might He look to His Churches? I believe that Jesus looks to His Churches with expectation. We can learn from Scripture
that Jesus does have purpose and expectation for everyone in His kingdom and for all the Churches that they gather in. Isn’t
this true?
·
Mat.28:19-20 –
“go and make disciples”
·
Lk.7:30 – “…rejected God’s purpose
for themselves, because..”
·
Acts.5:38-39 – “…if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will
fail. 39 But if it is from God…”
·
Acts.13:36 - "…For
when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation…”
· 1Cor.3:8-9 – “The man who plants and the man who waters have
one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
· 2Cor.5:5 – “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is
to come.”
· Eph.3:10-11 – “His intent was that now, through the church, the
manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according
to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our
Lord.”
·
2Tim.1:9 – “who
has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of
time,”
God has a purpose for His Church and His people! What is God’s
greatest and deepest passion of the heart? John 3:16-17 – “God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” And again 2Pet.3:9 – “…He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” What does God truly want? Souls rescued from the hands of the devil himself. Deliverance
from sin and death. Souls purchased from slavery by the paid price of Jesus’ own blood and set free by that transaction.
This one thing you need to know concerning my purpose in the kingdom –
I am one who digs around the root of the tree and fertilizes in hopes of bringing the tree back to fruit yielding health and
vitality. If you are not a contributor to the tree’s health and growth, then what else might you be? I have a name that
may interest you. In the greek - dokimavzw - dokimazo = I test (Ps.11:4; Jer.6:27; Jer.17:9-10;
1Cor.3:1-23 [13]) This
I know, whether you can accept it or not, how you respond to my labor is your test. We have good reason to move forward together
as one person.
