Monday 21 June 2010

Fruitfulness


Praise be to God!

Yesterday the Lord spoke to us about bearing lasting fruit and He showed us that just as our spiritual birth and growth are dependent on Christ, so our fruitfulness is dependent on Christ in us. Looking at John 15:1-17 God revealed the following to us:

The significance of lasting fruit
  • We cannot produce lasting fruit apart from Jesus. John 15:4,5
  • Our fruitfulness demonstrates that we follow Jesus and belong to Him. John 15:8
  • Our fruitfulness glorifies God. John 15:8
  • The fruit we produce is to remain. John 15:6
The nature of lasting fruit
  • It is evidence of what we are rooted in and not an objective apart from Christ.
  • Lasting fruit is consistently produced both in secret and publicly.
  • Lasting fruit is not dependent on the soul (mind, heart, will).
  • Lasting fruit proceeds from one's own life.
What is lasting fruit?
  • The lasting fruit we produce reveals we are disciples. John 15:8
  • Love reveals that we are joined to God. John 13:34,35; Gal. 5:22
  • To love consistently and continuously is only possible by remaining in Christ. 1 John 4:7-16

If we are rooted in Christ, we are rooted in love and will consistently produce the fruit of love.

How do we produce lasting fruit?
  • Be rooted in Christ by depending on Him.
  • Be filled with the Spirit.
  • Remain and abide in Jesus and don't allow the self-life to dominate.
  • Make room for God's love to be revealed.

We praise God for showing us how we must depend on Him to be "..oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour" (Is. 61:3).

This Sunday Mike Vickers will be speaking at KLF and on Monday we will be joining him on the first stage of his Frankfurt - Berlin crosswalk. On Monday evening Mike will be ministering at Charity Church in Hanau (click here for directions).

Upcoming events and important dates:

27 June: Mike Vickers - Crosswalk launch (Frankfurt - Berlin)
4 July: KLF meets at Baptist church in Eschersheim (Haeberlinstr. 3)
31 July - 7 Aug: Faith Camp (click here for more info...)
10 - 13 Aug: Arts Festival (click here for more info...)
15 Aug: KLF meets at Baptist church in Eschersheim (Haeberlinstr.3)
28 Aug. : Summer celebration with TPLF in Bockenheim

Quote of the week:

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4,5

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