That Ye Bear Much Fruit

Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, April 09, 2006, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. 
THAT YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT

By Michael D. O’Neal
Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia

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Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8

Text: John 15:8

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Introduction: The conversion of a sinner is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the scriptures, and was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. We are His fruit:

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Once a person is saved, he is supposed to be fruitful. One of the fruits of a Christian is to produce converts, that is, other Christians.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Like a marriage produces children, so we should produce spiritual offspring, even children unto God:

Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Paul spoke of desiring to have fruit among the Romans in Rom. 1:13, referring to his desire to preach the gospel there and see people saved.

There are other fruits of the Christian as well. The Bible speaks of
“fruits of your righteousness” in 2 Cor. 9:10
“fruits of righteousness” in Phil. 1:11
“fruit unto holiness” in Rom. 6:22
“fruit of the Spirit” in Gal. 5:22 and Eph. 5:9
“fruit of my labour” in Phil. 1:22
“fruit of our lips” (praise) in Heb. 13:15

Heavenly wisdom produces good fruits:

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

God is glorified when we bear MUCH FRUIT, according to our text. Let’s glorify God by doing that. In order to bear much fruit:

I. WE NEED PLANTING

Psalms 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

    A. We are planted in salvation

    B. We are planted in a setting
        1. Psalms 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

    C. We are planted in service
        1. God puts you into his work
        2. Paul said that God put him into the ministry

Bloom where God plants you!

II. WE NEED PRUNING

John 15:2 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.

To purge is the Bible word for pruning and it means

    A. To cut off

    B. To cleanse

    C. To consecrate

III. WE NEED PRECIPITATION

Leviticus 26:4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Deuteronomy 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Of the fruitful man of Ps. 1, who is like a tree that bringeth forth fruit in his season, the Bible says:

Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Comparing the Bible to rain,

    A. Rain regenerates

    B. Rain refreshes

    C. Rain raises up fruit

We need to hear the word of God
Read
Meditate on it
Study it
Listen to it taught and preached

IV. WE NEED PRODUCTION

Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

    A. Be spreading the seed of the gospel

    B. Be stable where we are planted

    C. Be submissive to the Root – the Lord Jesus Christ
        1. He is the vine; we are the branches
        2. He is the root; we are the tree

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