Level Up: Bearing Fruit, The Promise on the Altar

This week I have been absolutely "shook" by something I heard in Pastor Javier's sermon last week.  He was talking about fruitfulness and somehow that stuck with me.

Look at this:

John 15:4-8

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 
6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 
7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

when I think of the possibility of going through life and  Producing ZERO FRUIT, I am terrified.

It happens more often than not.  People sit and warm the pews for 50 years, they go to church events, they may volunteer at church, they shout and have a Bible, but at the end of the day they were not fruitful.  

No lasting impact and nothing to show for their "faith" walk.

Is that the definition of being Lukewarm?  I think it may be...because the scripture says, 

"Those who remain in ME and I in them, will produce MUCH fruit.  Apart from me, you can do nothing."

If you don't produce anything, then you're NOT in Christ and will get thrown away like a useless branch.

Oof

It is perfectly clear that if you produce much fruit, you are the TRUE disciples and this will glorify God...so what if you don't produce anything and don't glorify God?

It is not about being active and busy because we can be active and busy and still produce NO fruit. Our only result is that we will end up depleted and exhausted. 

The Opposite of Fruitful is Barren 

Definitions of Barren

• incapable of producing offspring - so you don't produce anything that will last another generation.
• not productive
• unproductive of results or gain : FRUITLESS
• DEVOID, LACKING 
• lacking inspiration or ideas

THIS IS AWFUL

We CANNOT be okay with being barren people of God

Faith in Action

I believe that Faith that doesn't take any action is not really faith at all.  It's just religious tradition and ritual.  

We already know that definitely doesn't produce any good fruit. Just look at the Pharisees.  They just made everyone tired and discouraged with all of their traditions, judgments, rules and rituals.

Well what does produce fruit? 

Obedience, Complete Trust in God, and Commitment

Yep.  That's what produces fruit.  There is no way I would still be a practicing disciple of Jesus if it wasn't for the testimonies I've seen because people decided to be obedient to God including my own.

As I am pondering this calamity of being Spiritually Barren, this shifted my mindset in a big way toward my own obedience.

I'm finally beginning to get it: God is not setting me up to fail

Put it on the Altar

I went back to a familiar place...One of my favorite stories:  Abraham putting Isaac on the Altar.

Now after these things, God tested [the faith and commitment of] Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.”

 2 God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of [a]promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of [b]Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his 

donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son 

Isaac; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and then 

he got up and went to the place of which God had told him.

What Abraham didn't do

It doesn't say that Abraham asked a bunch of questions about why God was asking him to sacrifice his son.

It doesn't say that Abraham wanted to know how he was going to have many descendants.

It doesn't say that Abraham wanted more opinions from others about what he should do.  

All it says is that God told him to sacrifice the son he loved so much, his promise, and sacrifice him to the Lord.  Abraham did as he was told.  He even got up early and didn't procrastinate!

He's sho nuff better than me!!

I got to thinking about this story this week because:

God didn't test Abraham's faith because he wanted to see him fail.  

He didn't test Abraham's faith to make him look foolish

He didn't test Abraham's faith because he wanted to punish him.

God tested Abraham's faith because he wanted to see if Abraham trusted in the promise (isaac) or in Him (Yahweh).  Obviously Abraham trusted in  Yahweh and his provision.  

God also Tested Abraham's faith to see how committed he was.  If this wasn't going the way he thought, then would he drop out of the many descendants deal and say: "Sorry it ain't worth all this.  Sacrificing my son?  No thanks.  I think I'll move on"

I truly believe God is testing whether or not I believe in the promise or whether I believe in Him and his provision.  

I also believe he's testing my commitment level (I don't blame him for that. I have a habit of moving on when things are going too slow or I run ahead and make a mess out of things because I am too impatient) 

God is not setting me up to fail.  He wants to see me succeed because who is getting the glory?  He is.

If Abraham had not done what God had asked of him, then we would not have had this great story.  Future generations also would not have the fruit of knowing God's faithfulness and provision because after that episode

 Abraham named that place [i]The LordWill Provide. And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it [j]will be seen and provided.”

SEEN AND PROVIDED.  Sounds like Fruit to Me. 

I'm unwilling to forfeit my testimony that On the mountain of the LORD it will be SEEN and PROVIDED.  If you remember that was one of the first promises I ever received on This Sacred Journey.  

I have no doubt that We're gonna see something exciting and it will all be provided by the Lord.  

COME ON RAM IN THE BUSH!!