“If my life is fruitless it doesn’t matter who praises me, if my life is fruitful it doesn’t matter who criticizes me.” – John Bunyan
“You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.” John 15:16 GNT
We were chosen as well as appointed. This appointment is the destiny of every child of God no matter the gifts or talents one possesses. Our appointment is to bear much fruit!
THE ORIGINAL MANDATE
The original mandate has to do with building families, and cultivating creation. (Genesis 1:26-28) Sadly, the expectation that Adam and Eve would spread God’s blessing from Eden to the whole world is shattered when they disobey God and are expelled from the garden. What will God do now? As Genesis continues, so the promise of fruitfulness is repeated. First to Noah after the flood, and then to Abraham and his family. Next you see it revisited when the covenant at Sinai is made (Psalm 80:8-11). Then as the pages turn from the Old Testament to the New, Jesus continues the message of fruitfulness throughout the Gospels. In John 15 He speaks of our union with Him and the fruit that will come from our lives as a result. This union with Jesus means our willful participation of restoring the end-time people of God back into the family. (John 15:8).
THE IMAGE OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING
Through all this, as we see in Psalm 1 and elsewhere, bearing fruit becomes an image of righteous living.
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus’ departing words to the disciples continued the echo of Fathers heart that we saw all the way from Genesis. Go and make disciples; bear fruit!
In closing I want to leave you with something to ponder on from Tony Evans that I never forgot. He said, “Fruit is always visible. You can SEE IT! He then asks this question, “If you were arrested for being a Christian would you be convicted based on evidence or would you be incited of all charges?”
QUESTIONS:
1. “GO” is about bearing fruit. How is your life bearing fruit as a Christian? If your not bearing fruit, what do you believe is the reason?
2. What are some things that can be done to position yourself for growth? (Encourage Bible reading, daily prayer, faithfulness, OCSM, etc)
3. Do you have someone in your life right now that your discipling? What are some ways you can encourage someone to take the next step towards becoming a lifelong follower of Christ and a multiplying disciple?
