João 15
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 15
Wiersbe on fruit - The word results is often heard in conversations among Christian workers, but this is not actually a Bible concept. A machine can produce results, and so can a robot, but it takes a living organism to produce fruit. It takes time and cultivation to produce fruit; a good crop does not come overnight. We must remember that the branches do not eat the fruit: others do. We are not producing fruit to please ourselves but to serve others. We should be the kind of people who “feed” others by our words and our works. “The lips of the righteous feed many” (Pr 10:21).....Many of these things could be counterfeited by the flesh, but the deception would eventually be detected, for real spiritual fruit has in it the seeds for more fruit. Man-made results are dead and cannot reproduce themselves, but Spirit-produced fruit will go on reproducing from one life to another. There will be fruit—more fruit—much fruit. A true branch, united with the vine, will always bear fruit. Not every branch bears a bumper crop, just as not every field has a bumper harvest (Matt. 13:8, 23), but there is always fruit where there is life. Scripture catalogs 3 general kinds of spiritual fruit...(See more on fruit below) 1) Spiritual attitudes that characterize a Spirit-led believer - Galatians 5:22-23, Hebrews 12:11 Every believer manifests all the aspects of this fruit to some degree, although often one or several traits will be predominant. This spiritual attitude fruit precedes spiritual action fruit described below. If the spiritual attitudes are present, the fruit of good deeds will invariably follow. 2) Spiritual actions - Romans 6:22, Philippians 4:16; 4:17; Hebrews 13:5 In Colossians Paul describes believers filled with or controlled by the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding and thereby walking worthy of the Lord, pleasing him and bearing fruit in every good work. (Col 1:10+) 3) New converts - Romans 16:5 ("Epaenetus...first convert [aparche]" = the first fruit); 1Co 16:15 ("Stephanas...first fruits" [aparche] of Achaia" To sum it up, fruit is Christlike character, Christlike conduct, and Christlike converts Steven
João 15
Wiersbe - A branch is good for only one thing—bearing fruit. It may be weak in itself, but it has a living relationship with the vine and can be productive. To abide in Christ means to be in communion with Him so that our lives please Him. We know that we are abiding when the Father prunes us, cutting away the good so that we can produce the best. We glorify God with fruit, more fruit, much fruit. Abiding depends on obeying, and obeying depends on loving. Love and joy go together and make it easy for us to obey His will. We should love Him, love His will, and love one another. Note the “fruit of the Spirit”: love (v. 10), joy (v. 11), and peace (Jn 14:27; Gal. 5:22). Depend on the Spirit’s power and you will be a fruitful, faithful Christian (vv. 26–27). (BORROW With the Word page 700) Lord, I would be soil in which You can plant Your Word with its promise of fruit; I want to be open to You every day, So what You have planted takes root. —Hess ILLUSTRATION - As the playwright George Bernard Shaw was nearing the end of his life, a reporter asked him a question: “If you could live your life over and be anybody you’ve known, or any person from history, who would you be?” Shaw thought for a moment and then replied, “I would choose to be the man George Bernard Shaw could have been, but never was.” Be the man or woman God has created you to be. He has formed you for fruitfulness. Prepare for some precise pruning. Deal with discipline. And resolutely remain in Christ. If you do, you’ll have more fruit than you can handle. - Brian Bill THOUGHT - DEAR DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST PERHAPS YOUR LIFE HAS NOT BEEN AS FRUITFUL AS YOU WOULD HAVE WISHED. THAT IS WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE AS THEY SAY, BUT THE FUTURE OF FRUITFULNESS IS AS BRIGHT AS YOU WILL ALLOW IT BE. WILL YOU LAY ASIDE THE OLD AND PUT ON THE NEW? WILL YOU BY THE SPIRIT (Ro 8:13) KILL THAT SIN THAT HAS BEEN INFECTING YOUR VINEYARD? WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HONESTLY WHOLEHEARTEDLY SING THE FOLLOWING WORDS TO YOUR FATHER, THE GREAT VINEDRESSER? IF SO I AM CONVINCED THAT YOU WILL END YOUR DAYS IN A BLAZE OF GLORY, GLORIFYING THE FATHER AND STORING UP FOR YOURSELF IN HEAVEN A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST OF FRUIT THAT WILL LAST FOR ALL ETERNITY! TODAY IS THE DAY! SET YOUR MIND ON THE THINGS ABOVE AND NOT ON THE THINGS OF THIS EARTH, FOR THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY AND EVEN ITS LUSTS, BUT SPIRIT WROUGHT, GOD GLORIFYING FRUIT WILL ENDURE FOREVER AND EVER (Jn 15:16). AMEN. Take my life and let it be by Frances Ridley Havergal (1874) Watch the story behind this great hymn of consecration Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise, let them flow in endless praise. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee, swift and beautiful for thee. Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee, filled with messages from thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use every power as thou shalt choose, every power as thou shalt choose. Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne, it shall be thy royal throne. Take my love; my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee, ever, only, all for thee. The Christian life really isn't hard to live—it's impossible! In fact, only one person in history has actually lived it perfectly Jesus Christ. The situation isn't hopeless for us, however. When Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to help us live in a supernatural way (John 14:15-17). Just as the Spirit gives us new life in Christ, so also He enables us to live the Christian life as we walk in close fellowship with Jesus (John 15:4-5). A church bulletin captured this reality in the following prayer: "So far today, Lord, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped; I haven't lost my temper; I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few moments, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed. And from then on, I'm going to need a lot of help." —HWR WHAT JESUS ACCOMPLISHED FOR US, THE SPIRIT WORKS OUT IN US. Abide in the Vine - Henry Blackaby “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 15:5 If Jesus were making this point today, he might talk in terms of electricity. Even the most powerful electrical tool is useless unless it is plugged into an electrical outlet. Without power, the tool is of no use to anyone. Jesus’ point that we can do nothing without being “plugged in” to him seems so obvious we might wonder why he even mentions it. God wants Christians to do two things: grow in our personal relationship with him and spread his good news to others. As ridiculous as it seems, we often try to do both of these things in our own strength. We get too busy to spend time with God, and prayer seems to slow us down, so we try to have a relationship with him through other ways. We go to church, spend time with Christians, and talk about Jesus as if we know him. We assume that since we are Christians, we must know Christ. We might even try to convince a friend to become a Christian. But we never seem to experience victory in our lives, and we don’t understand why God does so little through us. Our lives lack power. We are so busy trying to do things for God that we have no time to spend with God. Jesus’ message is straightforward. Just as an electric tool is useless without electricity, so the Christian life is impossible without the presence and guidance of Christ. Jesus says, “Abide in me.” Don’t try to live the Christian life without Christ; it can’t be done. (BORROW The Experience page 358) The Vine - Henry Blackaby “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 15:5 Are you seeking to do great things for God? Or would you rather God did great things through you? There’s a world of difference in the two. The first is dependent upon your strength and your ability, which are both limited. The second is based on the inexhaustible strength and ability of God. Jesus says we need to take a lesson from a branch. A branch doesn’t worry about producing fruit. It simply stays attached to the vine. It is through the vine that all the nutrients flow from the roots to the branches. When a branch is receiving everything the vine has to give, the fruit comes naturally and effortlessly. The key to the Christian life is not how hard we try to be spiritual but how closely we stay connected to Christ. We don’t need to worry so much about what we are doing. Our focus should be on staying close to Christ. If you find that living the Christian life is wearing you out, you could be trying to live it in your own strength—doing things for Christ rather than enjoying a relationship with him. When you enjoy a close relationship with Christ, he is able to produce all kinds of good things in your life. Focus on strengthening your relationship with the vine and the fruit will follow naturally. Remember, apart from the vine, the branch is only a decoration. (BORROW The Experience page 358) QUESTION - What is the key to bearing fruit as a Christian? | GotQuestions.org WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - In the natural world, fruit is the result of a healthy plant producing what it was designed to produce (Genesis 1:11–12). In the Bible, the word fruit is often used to describe a person’s outward actions that result from the condition of the heart. Good fruit is that which is produced by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a starting place: the fruit of His Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The more we allow the Holy Spirit free rein in our lives, the more this fruit is evident (Galatians 5:16, 25). Jesus told His followers, “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16). Righteous fruit has eternal benefit. Jesus told us clearly what we must do to bear good fruit. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5). A branch must stay firmly attached to the trunk to stay alive. As disciples of Christ, we must stay firmly connected to Him to remain spiritually productive. A branch draws strength, nourishment, protection, and energy from the vine. If it is broken off, it quickly dies and becomes unfruitful. When we neglect our spiritual life, ignore the Word of God, skimp on prayer, and withhold areas of our lives from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit, we are like a branch broken off the vine. Our lives become fruitless. We need daily surrender, daily communication, and daily—sometimes hourly—repentance and connection with the Holy Spirit in order to “walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Staying intimately connected to the True Vine is the only way to “bear fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:14), to “run and not grow weary” (Isaiah 40:31), and to not “grow weary in well-doing” (Galatians 6:9). One counterfeit to bearing good fruit is pretense. We can become experts at the routines, the lingo, and “acting Christian,” while experiencing no real power and bearing no eternal fruit. Our hearts remain self-centered, angry, and joyless even while we go through the motions of serving God. We can easily slip into the sin of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day in judging ourselves by how we think we appear to others and neglecting that secret place of the heart where all good fruit germinates. When we love, desire, pursue, and fear the same things that the rest of the world does, we are not abiding in Christ, even though our lives may be filled with church-related activity. And, often, we don’t realize that we are living fruitless lives (1 John 2:15–17). Our works will be tested by fire. Using a different metaphor than fruit, 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 says, “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” God is the judge of even our thoughts and motivations. All will be brought to the light when we stand before Him (Hebrews 4:12–13). A poor widow in a one-room hut can bear as much fruit as a televangelist leading giant crusades if she is surrendered to God in everything and using all He has given her for His glory. As fruit is unique to each tree, our fruit is unique to us. God knows what He has entrusted to each of us and what He expects us to do with it (Luke 12:48). Our responsibility before God is to be “faithful with little” so that He can trust us with much (Matthew 25:21). What is the fruit of righteousness in Philippians 1:11? | GotQuestions John