Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Old Festac, Lagos HQ
28th May 2018
Study 51 – GOD’S DEMAND AND DESIRE FOR THE BELIEVER’S FRUITFULNESS
John 15:7-16; Genesis 1:28; 9:7; 17:6; 35:11; Psalms 1:3; 128:3,4; Proverbs 11:30; Matthew 3:7-8,10; 7:19; Mark 4:20; Luke 13:6-9
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:8,11).As a child of God, the way to glorify the Father in everything you do, everywhere you go and in whichever way you live, is to bring forth fruits and much fruits. Once we are born again, the joy of the Lord comes into our hearts – happy day, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. That joy will not be stagnant but will be increasing and be full in Jesus Name. So whatever circumstance or situation you find yourself, as a child of God, connected with and remaining with the Lord, the joy of the Lord will abide; in your family, personal life, and as you walk and live the Christian life, your joy will be full in Jesus Name. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”(John 15:14). As a friend and follower of Christ, you must be obedient to His word, for this is the evidence and proof that you love God and Christ. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that you fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16). That is the purpose He brought you into the Kingdom, chose you and ordained you, that you bear fruit and that your fruit will remain. Your converts will come and abide, in Jesus Name. It is a new day, a new dawn and a new dispensation.
As we look at God’s universal creation, fruitfulness is His unchanging demand and desire. He wants us to be fruitful both in the natural in the spiritual (Genesis 1:28; 9:7; 17:6; 35:11).When He calls anyone, He wants that one fruitful, and as He calls you into the Kingdom, He wants you to be fruitful as well. “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.” (Psalms 1:3).He’s talking here about your moral and righteous life now that you know the Lord and are separated from the world. This is the fruit of your life, character and connection with the Lord; fruitfulness, more and much fruitfulness is the demand and desire of God. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise”(Proverbs 11:30)Here He is talking about spiritual fruit. As a child of God, you have been won into the kingdom and have become wise. This wisdom of the Spirit and Scriptures that you gained as you studied the Word of God, will lead you to win souls into the kingdom. The believer is a converted, conditioned and commissioned person to bear fruits. Whatever you attain in life, fruitfulness in the Kingdom is God’s measure of a purposeful, profitable and pleasing life. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Forone coming out of the darkness of the world to the Lord for forgiveness and a transformed life, God demands fruit of repentance. You see the desire and demand of God is fruitfulness, and you will bear fruits. (Mark 4:20)You hear the word, and your life is being transformed, and heart cleansed and washed, then you will bear fruits, more fruits and much fruits. (Luke 13:6-10) The Lord looks for fruits and the essential thing of the Christian life is bearing fruit. This is the fruit we should be bear, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22). Without fruits, our lives and existence are not well pleasing unto the Lord. What kind of fruits should we bear as believers?
- Fruit of Repentance – turn away from sins, and come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Fruit of Regeneration – a change in the heart, life and character
- Fruit of Restoration/Reconciliation – like the prodigal son coming back home to the father.
- Fruit of Righteousness – holiness of life
- Fruit of Revelation – through exposition of the Scriptures and the more you know of the Lord in His word, then you will bear fruit
- Fruit of Reunion – between Christ and you as the Bride
- Fruit of Renewal and Revival
- Fruit of Resemblance – the more we look into Christ, the more we are like Him, talking and leaning on the Lord
- Fruit of Reproduction – by, in and through Christ, to do His work in greater measure, healing, teaching and evangelizing like Christ.
You will bear fruits and every one will see that you are bearing fruits unto Christ.
3 points:
POINT 1: THE PRICE OF TREASURED FRUITFULNESS FOR CHRIST
John 15:7-10,4,5; 1 John 2:6,10,12-17; Isaiah 37:31; Jeremiah 17:7,8; John 12:24-26; Romans 7:4-6; Galatians 5:22-24
You cannot say that you are a disciple of Christ and be empty and fruitless, not contributing, and no profit of you in the kingdom of God – “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). The price we pay to bear fruit is that we abide, and be embedded and totally in Christ. He wants you to bear fruits and you will bear fruits in Jesus Name. We remain in Christ no matter the temptations, trials, threats and persecutions that come our way. “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6).The price of fruitfulness is to walk and talk like Christ, do what Christ will do in any situation of life. Also we will show that love by acting and living in the light and no occasion of stumbling in your own life (1 John 2:10).And the word of God abides in you, this is how to bear fruits as believers (1 John 2:14). It is by the word of God abiding in us and we live by the Word that we are able to overcome the world and the wicked one. Those who have come out of the world and its pollutions and are living according to the word of God, those are the people that are going to abide forever and bear fruits unto the Lord.
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31). The deeper the root sinks into the ground, the more the branches will shoot up and bear fruits. As a child of God, the deeper your root and foundation are, and the deeper into the love of God and His Word, the ocean of His promises, and everything He has provided for you, the more you will bear fruits. The one that trusts in the Lord, whatever the enemies do, he will overcome. Enemies will not stop your journey halfway. See what that faith and hope in the Lord will generate in the life of that man, “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).You will keep on yielding fruit of repentance, regeneration, righteousness, total reconciliation, revival, renewal and revelation; these fruits will be seen in every life in Jesus Name.
“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” (John 12:24).As a child of God you throw your life into the field of the Lord for souls, for the benefit of other people; then you will bear much fruits. This is the price we pay for fruitfulness. As believers, we are married to Christ, but if we are fruitless, it is no fault of Christ, for there is nothing wrong with Him, He is Perfect and not barren, so the fault is ours (Romans 7:2-4).The purpose of our union with Christ is that we should bring forth fruit unto God. What kind of fruit? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Christ has paid the full price to prepare you for fruitfulness. But,
(1) We must be willing and desirous; (2) We must abide and consecrate our lives unto the Lord; (3) We must receive and retain the Heavenly Vision of Evangelism/Soulwinning; (4) We must be purged and prepared to bear fruits; (5) We must be dead to the world and alive unto the Lord; (6) We must have and keep the mind of Christ; (7) We are must be crucified and fully identified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). This is not imposed on you, but you must be willing to pay the price to be fruitful. You will be fruitful, in Jesus name.
POINT 2: THE PROOF OF TRUE FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST
John 15:11-14; Deuteronomy 13:1-4; 4:2,5; 30:6,8,10,14; Psalms 119:60,115; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; John 14:15; Deuteronomy 8:2; 2 Corinthians 8:22; 13:5; Galatians 6:4; 1 Timothy 3:10
There is a proof that you are connected and a friend of Christ, not just an empty testimony. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).When the 70 returned from their outreach, they rejoiced because they bore fruit; the joy of fruit bearing. There is the joy of (1) salvation and (2) service; and as you continue in the service your joy will be growing and will be full. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). The proof of our love for God, and fellowship with the Lord is that we are obedient to His commandments. “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).When somebody is trying to tempt you to make you live contrary to the word of God, the Lord wants to know whether you will abide in the Word or not, and prove your heart if you really love the Lord. You will not backslide. (Deuteronomy 4:2,5) Ifyou love and are connected with the Lord you will keep His commandment and you will not add or subtract from His Word. (Deuteronomy 30:6,8,10,16).When that sanctification (circumcision of heart) has taken place, then you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and do all His commandments. Keeping the commandments, that is the proof that we know, love and are connected with the Lord. We make up our minds to keep the commandments of the Lord (Psalms 119:60,115).“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).This is why we are here, born again, studying the Bible so that we will keep His commandments and do them, for this is the whole duty of man. The proof of our fellowship and loving Christ is living for Him, living as He has commanded, living as He lived and as He would live today if He were to be here and be confronted with our situation and circumstances. You cannot love and not (1) Listen to Him; (2) Learn of Him; (3) Live only for Him; (4) Labour for Him; (5) Leave the world behind and lose everything for His glory; (6) Lead souls to Him; (7) Love only what He loves, and whom He loves supremely.
If you say that you love the Saviour prove it by the life you live, by the things you do, by the labour of love that you render, by the desires in your heart, by the thoughts and plans of your life, by whose commandment you keep, by total commitment you have unto Him, and by submission to Him in all things. Prove your testimony, confession and dedication unto the Lord by the life you live and what you do. As a minister, worker and lover of the Lord, prove it. It is not enough to say that you are born again, a follower, friend of Jesus, and learning the word of God, you must prove it. The proof is very important (Galatians 6:4; 1 Timothy 4).
POINT 3: THE PRIVILEGE OF THE TRUSTWORTHY FRIENDS OF CHRIST
John 15:13-16; James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8; Exodus 33:11; Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 22:11; 27:17; Luke 12:4-9; John 3:29-30; James 4:4; John 15:7,16; 14:13-15; 16:23; 1 John 3:22-24; 5:14-15
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:13,14,16).Sometimes, we say that we are brothers, believers, converts, but there is something more, Jesus calls us friends. We are friends of Jesus. There is no friendship and fellowship between light and darkness, between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, between truth and error, holiness and hypocrisy, Christ and the antichrist. He said as you were willing to come out of darkness, evil, unrighteousness, error, hypocrisy, and anything defiling, that’s why He has chosen you that you should go and bear fruits and that your fruits will abide.
You can be a friend of Jesus like Abraham was a friend of God. God called Abraham his friend, not before he was converted; and the Lord is saying it is your turn, calling you friend (James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8). God also spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend. So as it was possible for these Patriarchs to be called friends of God, it is possible for you to be called a friend of Jesus, the Richest and Greatest in the whole universe, our Saviour, Healer and Deliverer. What does it takes to be friend of Jesus? In whatever situations you find yourself, you will still love Him at all times, and show yourself friendly, loyal, closer to Him than anyone on earth (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24).He loves purity and hates every iniquity, sin, impurity and moral dirt, so you want to love purity and pureness of hearts, then you will be His friend (Proverbs 22:11). As you read the words of Jesus, He sharpens you, makes you brighter, makes you that you want to live, and to run the race that is set before you.As a friend of Jesus, you are protected and secured, nothing evil will happen to you for the very hairs of your head are all numbered(Luke 12:4-8). You belong to Christ, so let them know that you are not ashamed of Christ, let them know in your family and community, and you will not deny the Lord (Luke 12:8,9).This is attitude and language of a friend of Christ, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). If you are real friend of Christ, you will not be a friend of the world, but that you will be totally different from the world, you will not drink or do what they are doing (James 4:4). You will not be an enemy of the Lord. So the question then is: Are you are a true friend? Are you converted, abiding in Christ, cleaving to the words of Christ, clinging to what He has commanded, faithful unto the Lord, witnessing, telling other people about this your Friend Jesus Who saved and changed your life? Are you fruitful and obedient to the word of Lord and are you a trustworthy friend?
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you; Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:7,16). That promise of God is so important. If you are asking for salvation, sanctification, healing, deliverance, whatever you need for yourself, family, soul and body, He answers prayers. Once you are a friend of Christ and you prove it by the life you live and your commitment unto the Lord, He will give it to you (1 John 5:14).You are going to bear fruits and every other need in your life the Lord will supply. From today, the Spring of Joy will fill your life, soul, mind and personality. The Lord demands and desires fruits from our lives.
Ponder on this! The proof of our fellowship and loving Christ is living for Him, living as He has commanded, living as He lived, living as He would have lived today if He were to be here and be confronted with our situations and circumstances. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – Fruitfulness in the Kingdom is God’s measure of a purposeful, profitable and pleasing life. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – The believer is a converted, conditioned and commissioned person to bear fruits. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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