Bear Fruit

John 15:16-17
“You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and produce fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

• As I’m preparing for my sermon, God just speaks to me in an encouraging yet challenging way. Maybe it’s for Sunday but maybe it’s just for me for right now. If I were to just breakdown these scriptures I would break it down like this:

o God chose Me/Us

o We have work to do

o Bear fruit that will last!

• As I’m thinking about this I realize that God has chosen me to do a great task. It may seem to big for me to preach on Sunday, to plant a church, to go to school, to build a career. But if God, our creator, the one who designed and fashioned our lives has hand picked us for such a time as this then what do I have to fear? I wouldn’t think that God wants to see me fail? Right? So I have to remind myself, God chose ME to do this, not man.
• As Christians we should be one of the hardest workers on the face of this planet! Look, when Jesus was here he was not lazy but worked extremely hard. He helped, healed, served, died, and then came back from the dead. To each of us he gave us work to do, a personal assignment for you and for me. It may sound simple because we may not understand it, but our work on earth is to produce fruit! I thought about that for a moment and thought, “wait what kind of fruit is Jesus asking for?” so what type of fruit should Christians produce? Well in Galatians 5 Paul speaks about certain fruit that we should produce in our lives: “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
• Stuck somewhere in the middle of these scriptures is a small impacting and challenging phrase “…and produce fruit, fruit that will last.” I started thinking to myself how do you make fruit last? Fruit will eventually get rotten, no? so how do we produce fruit that will last? Well I think the answer comes in verse 17 where Jesus gives us a command, “…Love each other.” As long as you and I show, express, and give love we will produce fruit that will last. Love isn’t something that is tangible but it seems to go along way. No matter how old I get I will always know my parents love me, no matter how disconnected I get I know that Jesus loves me. See Jesus displayed a fruit that lasted, that has out stood time, scripture describes Jesus’ love like this, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Jesus displayed love, a fruit that has lasted for over 2,000 years and is still growing.
• What kind of fruit am I producing in my life? Is it love, peace, joy, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, self control, or gentleness? I am challenged and convicted to be one who produces not just much fruit, but fruit that will last.
• Thank you Jesus for showing me what it is to produce a lasting harvest. I understand that it was difficult for you, and I should expect the same, but I appreciate the example that you’ve displayed for me and the helper that you’ve given to me.