It’s Spring and life is showing up again in West Texas. Flowers are blooming, fruit trees are flowering, fresh green leaves are appearing over night. People are thinking about planting and the local nurseries are starting to buzz with activity. Everyone will soon be looking for fresh fruit in the stories and in farmers markets. God will also be looking for fruit. John 15 is the famous text in which Jesus declares that he is the vine and we are the branches. He explains in that text that we cannot bear fruit unless we remain in him, connected to the branch through which all nourishment comes. There have been countless sermons preached on what it means to abide in him or remain in him, but it seems that what Jesus was emphasizing is fruit.

In verse 8, Jesus declared, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Jesus has always been interested in the Father’s glory. In this context, he says that the fruit we bear does just that. We need to notice his expectation of each of us. He expects us to bear not just a little fruit or bear fruit occasionally, but that we bear much fruit. He ends that verse by saying that fruit bearing actually one of the marks of authentic discipleship. No fruit, no discipleship.

Perhaps, the pressing question that flows from this text is what constitutes the kind of fruit that Jesus is talking about. Whatever it is, we know it must be the same kind of fruit that Jesus produced when he walked this earth because our ability to produce comes through him. Every plant produces another plant that has all the qualities of the original. If we are attached to the vine, we cannot or should not bear fruit that is foreign to the source. So then, what should this fruit look like?

Let’s begin by considering what it shouldn’t look like. It should not look like the desires of the flesh. Let’s be honest. It is not unusual for us to chase the desires of our flesh and then assume that our success in fulfilling those desires is pleasing to God and is fruit for the kingdom. This natural fruit might fall under the categories of selfish ambition, seeking the praise of men, and covetousness. Even spiritual leaders can work hard to pastor the biggest church, write the best-selling book, be invited to the most prestigious speaking engagements at the largest conferences, etc. It is easy to paint these achievements as ways of serving the kingdom by influencing the most people for Jesus, but if pride or selfish ambition is the ultimate motive, this is not the fruit Jesus is speaking of. Jesus is always speaking of spiritual fruit that comes through the move of the Spirit not the move of our flesh. Men can astound us at times with their natural abilities and because we are impressed, we may assume that these men are operating by the Spirit. But the Spirit produces spiritual fruit that is eternal. Fruit produced by our natural abilities may impress, but it his not necessarily eternal.

I’m always concerned that the “prosperity gospel” gives rise to this kind of “fruit.” If you are not familiar with the term, it is a brand of gospel that declares material possessions are evidence of God’s favor. If you have faith for a thing and ask for it, then God will give it because of your faith. This is a biblical principle in part, but I don’t think Jesus had in mind his disciples living in 26 million dollar homes, driving a Ferrari, and flying to engagements in eighteen passenger privater jets. Of course, the rationalization for such extravagance is that God blesses his most faithful servants in such ways. Therefore, the more material possessions you have, the more he approves. If that is the measure of approval, then Jesus was a failure since he had “no place to lay his head” and had to be buried in a borrowed tomb.

What then is acceptable fruit? Scripture speaks of fruit in many places. One place, of course, is the the fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. The first fruit God is interested in is the fruit of a changed heart and transformed character. It is the manifestation of love, joy, peace , long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. These fruits are to replace the acts of the flesh which include anger, jealousy, discord, rage, selfish ambition, etc. We begin to bear this fruit of the Spirit when we make ourselves available to God through time in the word, prayer, confession and repentance. We bear this fruit when we own our sin and weaknesses instead of rationalizing them or blaming others and bring the flesh before the cross so that the Holy Spirit can do his work in us. A believer who claims to be a follower, but does not reflect the fruit of the Spirit is not a good advertisement for Jesus.

A second kind of fruit is the fruit of good works. We are told that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). God prepared us to do good works. That means that as we do what God has ordained and destined us to do, we are bearing fruit that brings him glory. Again, this requires that we seek to know what God has planned for us and then run in that lane … the lane he has marked out for us. This approach to life is the biblical approach rather than deciding what we want to do with our life and then asking God to bless our plans rather than blessing us as we follow his plans. In best case scenarios, we discover the thing that was on our hear to do was the very thing God had placed there. However, one of Satan’s primary strategies is to distract and deter us from God’s plan for our lives. Our prayer should always be for God to guide us and direct us on to the paths he has laid out. Our greatest satisfaction and fulfillment will be found in that lane along with our greatest productivity in the kingdom.

Our praise to God is also fruit that we can bear. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Her. 13:15). Thanksgiving and praise are forms of spiritual fruit that flows from a heart of gratitude for all that God has done for us, It is not always praise in the form of music and song, but simply declaring the goodness and greatness of God in any form.

In addition to the forms of fruit we have already named, there is also the fruit of sharing the gospel and turning hearts to Jesus. Remember the parable of the sower who scattered the word of God on all kinds of soil. Many of the soils failed to produce a crop, but the seed that fell on fertile ground produced a hundred fold. When we declare the word of God, especially the gospel, it will not always fall on hearts that will receive it, but when it does, your planting will bear tremendous fruit in the kingdom of God…perhaps for generations.

So… we are called to bear much fruit in the kingdom of God – not natural fruit, but spiritual fruit. We will not do so by pursuing our own desires and calling it God’s will, but will produce it when we actually pursue God’s will and stay closely connected to Jesus. Gardens bear the most fruit when the gardener is intentional about his or her plantings, when the garden is weeded frequently, and when nutrients are continually added to the soil with the right amounts of water. The garden we tend for God will require intentionality, the constant removal of sin and fleshly motives from our hearts, constant connection with the vine and the life giving force of the Holy Spirit that waters every seed we plant in the name of Jesus. We cannot forget that we are expected by the Father to bear fruit in his kingdom and in doing so we will receive a great reward. Hopefully, all the life reappearing around this Spring will be a reminder of the things God wants to bring to life through us. Blessings in Him.

Have you ever noticed that the gospels often provide little snippets of three or four verses that make you raise an eyebrow, but then we often run on to other things that are more clearly illustrated?  I think the cursing of the fig tree in Matthew 21 and Mark 11 is one of those.  The narrative in both gospels tells us that early in the morning, as Jesus was walking from Bethany to Jerusalem, he was hungry. He saw a fig tree in the distance, but as he drew near, he noticed it had leaves but no fruit.  He then cursed the fig tree and it began to wither immediately. Mark tells us that when the disciples and Jesus passed that way again the next morning, they saw that the tree was totally dead.  The disciples pointed out the obvious and then Jesus told them that whatever they ask for in faith they will receive.  

If we just run past that, it would be easy to believe that Jesus cursed the fig tree as an example of faith, but I think there is more to the story.  It is the only example I know of where faith brought death rather than life and a withering instead of a healing.  It seems that the fig tree would have been a greater example of faith if Jesus had blessed it and, in the morning, it had been burgeoning with perfect fruit.

If you look at Mark’s narrative, you find that Jesus cursed the tree and then went on to the temple where he drove out those who were selling merchandise in the temple courts.  He did so while declaring that the temple should be a house of prayer rather than a den of thieves.  Both Matthew and Mark state that the fig tree had leaves but no fruit.  From a distance, it looked healthy, but with close inspection, it was bearing no fruit, which was its God-given purpose.  The temple and Israel’s religious leaders may have looked grand and godly from a distance, but on close inspection they were failing to fulfill their God-given purpose.  The whole nation of Israel was in that condition and soon felt the full brunt of the curse of the fig tree when Rome destroyed both the temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

There are numerous examples in scripture in which trees that are not bearing fruit are eventually cut down and thrown into the fire (example: Matt. 3:10, 7:19).  Although, the initial application is probably the nation of Israel, I think we should also examine our own lives to see if we are bearing fruit for the kingdom.  I see many believers who once served actively and intentionally in the kingdom, but have long since quit doing so.  Some go to church from time to time, but don’t serve there.  They don’t share the gospel with those they encounter in their daily lives.  They don’t serve the poor or the oppressed in their communities.  They don’t labor in prayer for others.  They live a rather moral life and do the things that bless their own lives and their families, but not the lives of others in any direct way.  With any objective measure, they are no longer a force for the kingdom of God.  

One of Satan’s great strategies is busyness.  We give into the constant demands of the world – a standard of living that takes seventy hours a week to maintain, a social agenda for us and our children that is exhausting, and a life with no margins for intentional serving or quality time with the Lord. When we have to choose, we usually choose the demands of the world because God is not threatening us or pressuring us like the world does.  

We need to see the hand of Satan in all of this.  I’m always amazed at Jesus.  He could have easily let the demands of notoriety and building his ministry overwhelm him, but he never seemed to be in a hurry.  In fact, in his busiest moments, rather than working harder or putting in more hours, he often slipped away from the crowds and his ministry for time with the Father.  

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Our fruitfulness depends on our connection.  The greater our connection, the greater the fruit.  In the kingdom of God, fruit is a big deal.  Read through the gospels with an eye to fruitfulness and you will see how important it is – for a nation or a person.  

I need to be reminded that busyness is not the same as fruitfulness.  Pastors can get so busy with “the work of the church” that our time with the Father gets neglected.  When I labor without spending significant time with the father, I can bear little fruit that matters.  I thought you might need a reminder as well.  

Take an inventory.  See how you spend your time, your energy, and your money. See if you can clearly identify the ways in which you are intentionally bearing fruit in the kingdom.  If need be, reprioritize and take action to redirect some, if not all, of your life.  Then set times to take inventory of your priorities on a regular basis so that you don’t skip back into old habits.  Most importantly, be honest with yourself about what you are doing and why.  Blessings in Him.