Good Fruit

We read John 15:1–6 and unpack what it means to abide in the vine, to be pruned, and to bear fruit.  Fruit that is often quiet and unseen. We challenge the idea that church roles equal fruit and point to everyday acts of love as the true mark of life in Christ.

• The vine, branches, and gardener explained.
• Fruit as the outcome of abiding in the vine, not performance.
• Pruning as removal of distractions for growth.
• Quiet acts of service as real spiritual fruit.

Thank you for listening to the Christ Quarter Extra, and please contact me if you have any questions or comments.

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John 15:1-6
15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 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.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

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Chapters

• 0:06 Reading John 15:1–6
• 1:17 Vine, Branches, And The Gardener
• 1:42 What Fruit Really Means
• 2:10 Quiet Acts, True Fruit
• 2:26 Pruning, Distractions, And Growth
• 2:48 Closing And Invitation To Reach Out

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:06

Hello, I'm Kirk, and this is the Christquarter Extra. Today I want to go over John chapter 15, verses 1 through 6. And the King James Version reads as follows I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which have spoken unto you. 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. I in the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Here God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Jesus is saying here that if we branches produce fruit, then we are purged, in other words, we're pruned, so that we will be able to produce even more fruit. Jesus also says here that those branches that do not produce fruit will be taken away. What does this mean? Does it mean that if I'm not a deacon or singing in the choir or doing something productive in church, that God will throw me away? No. Fruit does not necessarily refer to working in the way that most people mean it. We generally look at the actions of a person or how much stuff they have to say whether or not they're working and producing. But thank God, his ways are not like ours. God looks at the heart. If you're in Christ and Christ is in you, and you feed someone who's hungry, or visit someone who's lonely, all in God's name, you have produced fruit and God is pleased with you. Not one person need to know what you've done. God knows and he will prune, or in other words, purge, distractions from your life. Distractions that prevent you from doing even more good work and producing even more good fruit in his name. Sometimes purging is uncomfortable, and we may not understand what God is doing, but he is doing what is best for his kingdom and what is best for us. Thank you for listening to the Christ Quarter Extra, and please contact me if you have any questions or comments. Thank you so much.