Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, as we began looking at God’s call for us to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, I told you that I have made that my regular prayer for our church since we began back in 2008. Unity should be a priority for us. It is for Jesus.
But a decade later, as we were working our way through John’s gospel, I came across another verse of scripture that I’ve prayed regularly for myself and for each one of us.
In John 15, Jesus tells us that we are to abide in Him. He is the vine. We are the branches. We draw our life from Him.
And in that context, Jesus says “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
I’ve added that to my prayer list for our church. I want us to be a church that glorifies God by bearing much fruit.
What kind of fruit is Jesus talking about in John 15?
He is telling His disciples that as they abide in Him, the blessings of God’s rule and reign in the earth will expand throughout the world as a result of their faithful witness. There will be new spiritual life. New followers of Jesus. New fruit.
But I don’t think that’s the only kind of spiritual fruit Jesus has in mind in this passage.
The NT talks about other kinds of spiritual fruit that God produces in our lives as we abide in Him. Like the fruit of repentance. The peaceful fruit of righteousness. The fruit of the Spirit. And the fruit of our lips – praise for God.
When we abide in Christ, here’s what happens.
Our life bears witness to God’s greatness. We share the gospel with others. We see people come to faith.
We are quick repenters. When we sin, we confess, we turn away from our sin and turn back to Jesus.
We pursue righteousness, godliness and holiness. We have a new desire to live a life that is pleasing to God.
We grow in godly character. What comes out of us, even under pressure, is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.
And we praise God. Publicly. Out loud.
And when that’s happening in our lives, God brings a harvest. People come to faith. We bear much fruit.
Now you may look at that and say “that’s quite a list. That’s a big assignment. I’m not sure I can do all that.
“In fact, I’m pretty sure I can’t do all that.”
I have some great news for you. Jesus’ assignment for us is not that we bear fruit. His assignment is that we abide.
Fruit is the result of abiding. That’s what Jesus says in John 15:5. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
If you look at your life, and find yourself saying “the fruit is sparce,” here’s what you do.
Focus on abiding.
Remember your identity.
Reset your priorities. Be on guard against getting distracted by lesser things.
Stay in regular communication with God.
And meditate regularly on God’s great love for you.
How does God demonstrate His love for us? While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Just let that soak in.
The key for us, when it comes to bearing fruit, is that we abide.
Do you know what Jesus had to do to bear fruit? Here’s what He said in John 12.
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:23-24).
Without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no fruit at all. But because of His death and resurrection – because He lives – we can abide and as a result, bear much fruit.
So here’s the question for each of us. How is your fruit production?
- Are you a regular repenter?
- Are you growing in godliness?
- Would people say you regularly display the fruit of the Spirit in your life?
- Does the light of Christ shine in and through you?
- Is praise for God regularly on your lips?
- And are you seeing people come to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him because of you?
If your answer to those questions is “I have some work to do,” here’s what Jesus would say to you.
“I did the work. Believe that. Abide in me. Draw near. The closer you get to me, the more fruit will come.”
Remember Mary and Martha? Martha stayed busy working while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. And what did Jesus say to Martha? “Mary has chosen the better part.”
To bear much fruit, we need to do what Mary did. Choose the better part.
Abide in Him.
RENT-A-YOUTH WEEKEND
On Sunday, Pastor Cole shared about the annual Roots Rent-a-Youth weekend, coming up November 7-8. This is a weekend where we deploy teams of students to homes across our city for service projects – leaf raking, other yard work, car washing, heavy lifting – anything you can think of around your house or yard where you think “I wish I had a few teenagers to come help me with this…”
There are a couple of objectives here. First, we help our students practice serving members of our body. And second, you get a chance to get to know these students better.
Here's how it works. You click here (https://us.list-manage.com/ZIYQEvvhVvV?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf), get more info, and sign up to reserve a slot for that weekend. If the kids are coming in the morning, you might have some doughnuts or cinnamon rolls for them. After lunch, have a snack ready. Or maybe a meal. You can work that out with Cole.
Slots are limited. So pick a time slot. Think about a project they could do. And enjoy some time getting to know our students better as they serve you.
NEXT NXTGEN GET TOGETHER
The next NxtGen gathering for young adults is just a few weeks away. Plan to join with others at the Gurney’s for a fun evening together.
ROOTS HANG OUT
And there’s a Hang Out happening for our Roots students soon. Make sure you have the date locked in for your student.
FALL WOMEN'S RETREAT
It's not too early to start thinking about the fall Women’s Retreat. Space is limited for this two night getaway. Dana James will join us again as the featured speaker. And there is no better way to make new friends and enjoy a relaxing weekend away than to be part of this special annual event. Registration is now open, and the event will almost certainly be completely filled. Find out more or register here (https://us.list-manage.com/1CxRgFLPYZr?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf).
EQUIPPING COLLECTIVE EVENTS
Next month, the Equipping Collective (formerly Downline) is hosting Dr. Brad Wilcox from the University of Virginia for an evening focusing on The State of The American Family. The event is free, but tickets are required. You can register for tickets here (https://us.list-manage.com/LkYCXbkQPtU?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf).
In addition, the Equipping Collective is holding a four week Equipping Lab to help moms and dads understand how to Create A Family Vision. There is a registration fee for the Equip Lab. You can learn more and register by clicking here (https://us.list-manage.com/EhrsDM5RrRa?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf).
And this Sunday, Troy Stephens from the Equipping Collective will be in our lobby at Redeemer before and after our service to answer any questions you might have about the fall events.
READY FOR SUNDAY
Here is the preview (https://us.list-manage.com/aEekjk5A7tG?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf) of the songs we’ll be singing together this weekend.
And here is this week’s catechism question and answer:
Question 38: What Is the Church?
Answer: The church is the people of God— established by the gospel and chosen by grace. It is not a religious club or social action group. The church comes together to be a local embassy, a picture of God’s kingdom through worship and love.
When you give someone a gift, what are you hoping they’ll do with it? Depending on the gift, you’re likely hoping they will wear it or eat it or put it to use in some way. That’s exactly what Jesus is expecting we will do with the gifts He has given us – gifts that, as we see in Ephesians 4, are even more precious to us as we think about the price He paid so we could possess them. This Sunday, we’ll explore what Ephesians 4 tells us about spiritual gifts.
See you in church!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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