Am I Fruitful? - Greg Branch 1/8/20

Well, I have to tell you I'm thrilled on just many levels to

be here tonight. I'm thrilled to be back with you

here to worship, and I'm thrilled for the reason that

we're back here with you to worship.

I was asked when weight and Taylor were engaged, was I

excited for the wedding and I said, well, I'm a little I don't

know so much about the wedding but I am ecstatic for the

marriage. So I am thrilled, I'm excited

for the congregation here that Wade's here among you and that

way we tailor plan to be here. So thank you for who you are and

what you are now to him and to us.

And it's amazing how much shorter the road between Oakdale

and Bakersfield has gotten for the branch family.

For a little while this evening, I'd like to draw your attention

to the Book of Mark. I hope that you can see it well,

and of what's going to be up here is primarily going to be

the scriptures that we read and we consider in this subject.

The question, am I fruitful know?

This question comes up in my mind.

For a lot of reasons but specifically you'll see after we

finish our reading for Mark chapter 4, we're going to read

Mark 4 · chapter mention

verses 3 through 9 and then verses 13 through 20.

In Mark 4 and 3, says listen. Behold A sower went out to sow

and it happened. As he sowed that some seed fell

by the wayside and the birds of the air came and devoured.

It some fell on Stony ground where it did not have much Earth

and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of

Earth. But when the sun was up, and

it's was scorched and because it had no root it withered away and

some seed fell among thorns and the Thorns grew up and choked it

and it yielded no crop, but other seeds.

It fell on good ground and yielded.

A crop that spring up increased and produced some thirtyfold,

some sixty, and some an hundred and he said to them, he who has

ears to hear. Let Him hear.

We go on down to verse 13 and he said to them as he tries to

explain his, do you not understand this Parable?

How then, will you understand all the Parables?

How are you going to stand anything the sower?

He said the sower sows. The word And these are the ones

by the wayside where the word is sown.

When they hear Satan, comes immediately and takes away.

The word that was sown in their hearts.

These likewise are the ones on Stony ground who when they hear

the word, immediately receive it with gladness.

And they have no root in himself.

And so indoor only for a time and afterward when tribulation

or persecution arises for the words sake.

Immediately, they stumble for, I leave this slide in because

we're not going to spend a ton of time on this.

Terrible, i-i'm trust, and I'm talking to a Wednesday night

crowd. This is not new for you, you've

heard this if you haven't, then we can talk about this.

Maybe more later, you can study in depth, but most of you, I

believe have read this. We recognize when he talks about

this, the seed that's been sown in the Wayside that Satan

immediately and you've done it, you've talked to people when the

minute you talk to him, you think it's getting through but

it's like immediately it's it's gone.

He said Satan takes that away. He says, there are ones in Stony

ground, they hear it. They say, they're happy to hear

it. They seem glad about it, but

they have no root and so they don't stay for very long.

And they're gone. They, we've hardly gotten to

know them and they're not here anymore.

He says, now, these are the ones sown among Thorns.

They're the ones who hear the word and the cares of this world

that a seat fulness of riches, the desires for other things.

Enter, again choke the word and it becomes unfruitful These

people take it further. But life gets in the way.

There's a tendency we can have, I might say a little time out on

myself already to blame our self when other people get caught up

in life, and they don't hang onto it.

Like they did it first and we say, what do we do wrong.

Jesus, is he talks to his disciple?

Says it could be the soil. That was planted.

We plant. We water.

God gives the increase. He said sometimes it's it's

everything else. It's the noise around that take

people away, note to self to the Wednesday night crowd.

We're not immune from this either.

Are we? The noise around us, can begin

to take away the joy we have, but these are the ones on good

ground, those who hear the word accept it, and bear fruit.

Some thirtyfold, some sixty and some 100 in Luke's account.

He says, now the ones that fell among Thorns of those who, when

they heard and go out and are choked with cares, riches, and

pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity, but the ones

that fell on good. Ground are those who having

heard the word with a noble and good heart?

Keep it and bear fruit with Shoots.

Now, I threw this one in here because it's such a parallel

teaching, but I really liked what he talks about the fruit.

We're going to have to be patient.

I'm not very patient. That's why I like to have some

radishes in my garden. They don't take long.

They remind me that it's going to be worth it.

Everything else we're doing for the beets and for the turnips

for the tomatoes. he says we have to understand that even

when it's in good ground, You hear the word with a noble

heart, you know, they're going to bear fruit to, but we're

going to have to be patient to see that happen now, why did we

even read through this? Because the question is, am I

fruitful? And I read through this parable

and I'm not so much interested this evening and US breaking

down this Parable. Is I imagine Torsten Askin.

Okay, now having heard this Parable, am I the one that's

fruitful. And I want you to ask yourself.

Am I fruitful based on what we've just read?

I want us as we come out here to see the urgency that's

associated with. Being fruitful, it's not just

kind of a question. We ask ourself and then we just

say, well yeah, I'll think about it more Sunday, I got things to

do Thursday for. We have a wedding I need to

understand this is an urgent question, even amongst the

amidst the wedding. John chapter 15 and verse 5.

John 15 · chapter mention

Jesus said, I am the vine. You are the branches, he who

abides in me and I in him Bears, much fruit for without me you

can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me,

he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them

and throw them into the fire and they are burned.

If you abide in me my words abide in you, you will ask what

you desire and it should be done for you by this, my father is

glorified that you bear much fruit.

So you will be my disciples if I understand what Jesus saying, if

you're my disciple, you're going to bear fruit.

And if you don't you're gonna be like a branch.

That's no good and they just they trim them they wither and

then they just burn them if that's not enough to give us it.

Romans chapter 6 verse 20 says, for when you were slaves of sin,

Romans 6:20

you were free in regard to righteousness in Singing in

anything to do with righteousness.

What fruit did you have? Then in the things, which you

are now ashamed? For the end of those things, is

death. I don't know, everybody story

here. I know a lot of you were raised

in a home brought to this building and your whole life.

Essentially you've been brought up in the Lord's church and you

obeyed the gospel. Some in this audience.

So I'm gather I would gather that's not your story.

But you know, one thing everyone of us have in common in our

story, no matter what our raisin was like and whether or not we

grew up listening to sermons like this or not is we've got a

dark place that there are things.

We hope nobody else finds out and we hope that the people who

do know or willing to forgive us. and we are so grateful, that

God is Because we're ashamed of those things.

There's no good fruit. There's no fruit in that, not

good fruit. The hang of those things is

death, that's why we're here. But now having been set, free

from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your

fruit to Holiness and the end everlasting life.

We don't have to look down that dark path.

We can look to something. That's wonderful for the wages

of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal

life in Christ. Jesus, our lord, that's a gift.

We're here. That's why we're on them was

denied. That's why you do what you do.

That's why you live the way you live.

But what about Disfrute. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 19

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

says every tree that does not bear.

Good, fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire therefore

by their fruits, you will know them.

So here's the answer to the question.

Am I fruitful? Yes, I am.

Fruitful But now I got another question.

Is it good? Or is it bad?

Because what I learned from the passages, we just studied is

everybody is fruitful everybody bears fruit?

But some fruit it in fit for eating.

Some fruit is not fit for God. So my question becomes.

What does it mean to Bear? Good fruit.

That's really the answer that I need tonight is that mean I have

to convert somebody? That's lost.

Does it mean that it's how many people I baptized or LED to to

have the preacher baptized or how many people that I helped

restore or maybe its children? Because we know Proverbs 1 27

and verse 3 refers to children as the fruit of the womb, What

is it mean to Bear? Good fruit.

I want to spend the rest of the time we have tonight to see what

the Bible says, because I got to admit.

When I started this sermon, it's I didn't reach the conclusion

that I thought I was going to. And you know what?

I don't know about you when you study things in the Bible, when

you sit down and people say, how do you come up with service?

Generally, sermons to come up for me, just reading but

occasionally, it will be a question that I want to find out

what the Bible says. And I I usually go in with a

preconceived idea, kind of think, I know what I'm for, I'm

coming but I'm going to I hope I'll let the word ring it out

with a word. Let it in places that I didn't

expect it to tonight because I want to know what else the Bible

says about being fruitful first of all, we're going to go to

Romans chapter 15 for her. Please knows from Macedonia.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

Macedonia. And a Ki to make a certain

contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem,

it please them indeed. And they are their debtors for

at the Gentiles, have been partakers of the Our spiritual

things, their duty is also a minister to them and material

things. Therefore, when I have performed

this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of

you to Spain, but I know that when I come to you, I shall come

in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Did you realize that your contribution is a fruit?

You know, we don't talk a lot about contribution and if you're

a visitor here tonight or maybe you're new to the church here

since I don't know everybody's face.

Don't remember exactly. Maybe somebody's here.

There's not going to be a contribution.

That's not why I'm about to say this.

There's no love offering that's going to happen tonight.

In fact I am confident that at this congregation.

It's done one time and is most likely done with the morning

service on Sundays, first day of the week.

Because that's the New Testament pattern for it.

But as you prepare your heart and purpose and in your heart,

what you're going to do this next Lord's day, I want you to

consider the fact that your contribution is referred to in

the scriptures as a fruit. Are you proud of your fruit?

Do you consider yourself fruitful in that light?

Now I want us to understand for this fruit to be good.

It has to be from cheerfulness in 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 and

verse 7. God loves a cheerful Giver.

He doesn't want you. Do it grudgingly or out of

necessity. He loves a cheerful Giver.

We also understand from that, What Paul told the Corinthians

in First Corinthians 13 and 3, he says, you could give all your

goods to be everything you have to the poor, but it's with it.

If it's without love, it's worthless, you've become like a

sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal, just a noise spiritually

speaking. You know what, we also

understand from what Paul told the Corinthians and the Second

Corinthian letter. He says, I want you to consider

what you give. What'd you get?

I want you to consider this in light of God, I want you to be a

cheerful. Great Giver.

I don't want you to grudgingly or of necessity.

I don't want you to trust me in this that if you don't see if

you don't, so what's right? That?

God cannot bound to you. Now, I'm not going to preach a

Prosperity Doctrine. That's not my point, but here's

my point, our contribution, what we give, and I'm guessing here.

If you're a Wednesday night crowd your, some of the main

givers First of all, I want you to know that's fruit because we

can get really depressed about how many people, we've converted

about somebody. We're trying to get back to the

church. That's just not answering our

calls anymore. That's even maybe asked us to

stop reaching out. They just want to be left alone

and we can beat ourselves up over to that and think I'm not

fruitful I want you to know is if you give to the Lord, The

Lord says that's fruit as long as it's cheerful and it's with

love. What else does the word say

about fruit? We have an altar, Hebrews

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13 and verse 10 says, we have an altar, from which those

who serve the Tabernacle have, no right to eat for the bodies

of those animals. Whose blood is brought into the

sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp.

Therefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with

his own blood suffered outside the gate, do you think?

It was an accident that Jesus was crucified outside the city.

He had to fulfill the shadow of things from the Old Law, all

those carcasses, everything they got carried out because it was

to be outside the camp Jesus, took that upon himself that

shame, that's why he was outside the gate that Hebrew writer

says, therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp bearing,

his reproach, we're going everywhere.

We're not in this sterile environment, with what we have.

We're willing to follow him out there for here.

We have no continuing City but we seek The one that come we

don't Center our religion in Jerusalem or any other place

anymore. It's not geographically Bound.

In fact, it is bound to Jesus Christ.

We're seeking City that had come yet therefore by him.

Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.

That is the fruit of our lips giving, thanks to his name, but

do not forget to do good and to share for, with such sacrifices.

God is well, pleased, when you sing praises tonight, According

to Ephesians 5:19. I hope you presented to God a

Ephesians 5:19

heart Melody. I love sitting around Rochelle

when she sings. She's sick right now and she

couldn't sing tonight. That's the exception.

Not the rule. I know Christians who the rule

is, they don't sing. God wants the fruit of your

lips. You're like, oh, but I can't

seem like this person or that person.

That's the beauty of Ephesians chapter 5, not 19.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

The melody is made in the heart to the Lord.

You know, people that use this verse and they'll go to it.

And so, you know, that's the Greek word there solow.

And that's just to pluck as a stringed instrument, and that's

their justification for for using instrumental worship.

If you go into that, what's plucked there, it's the heart,

it's not the strings of an instrument, it's the strings of

your heart and praise God tonight that he didn't say, we

had to sing a Melody out of our vocal cords because some of some

people just can't do it. And all of us at one point or

another because of some problem whether it's laryngitis or

sickness couldn't do it. Thank God.

He doesn't say we have to be able to play a melody on a

stringed instrument. There's a few in this audience

that maybe can do that, but I can't.

In fact, even if I thought I wanted and God said, that's what

you have to do. How long would it take me to get

to the point that I could play an instrument to make a Melody

if I couldn't sing? But it was possible to somehow

learn. How long would it take to learn

to sing? How long does it take for you to

learn to put your heart into something?

Miniature committed your hearts. In its engaged, God has asked us

to present something, the fruit of our lips from a pure and

sincere heart that the minute a person believes, they're able to

accomplished any other interpretation on that that

somebody wants to put on the theological world, makes it

impossible for somebody to immediately upon their

conversion. Be able to fulfill It's a

wonderful thing. I don't have to be able to carry

a tone, I don't have to be able to read music.

I can immediately began to sing or give praises to God, and he

can accept it. The fruit of your lips, your

praise to God, is fruit or you fruitful.

If it's your habit that you don't sing that, you don't speak

up. With your voice to God.

I hope it'll become that habit, that's fruit that God wants

from. You Galatians chapter 5 22.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

You had to know we were going to get here eventually, but the

fruit of the spirit is love. Joy.

Peace, we like those first three at least.

I do. Even if Joy, you know, I don't

know if it's that giddy thing. It's really a calm Assurance.

Peace, it seems when you really look through it.

But when we get to long-suffering Do you realize if

you're going through something and you're wondering if it's

really worth it, you hanging on when it your suffering is fruit.

Are you fruitful? We've all gone through times.

We suffered. We've all gone through times.

We wondered if what's worth it. When we hang on and we suffer

long, that's fruit of the spirit.

Kindness, Being kind to people goodness faithfulness gentleness

self-control. I mean we could spend just a

week talking about all those if we want to break them down and

yet you can sit there and read them and it's just as plain as

the Hannaford your face. This is fruit when we have love

joy, peace. We're willing to suffer.

Long will be kind of people. We want to be good.

Will be faithful faithful from God's perspective, not just that

we're doing things. We think are good, but that

we're looking to the word of God, and we're faithful to it.

And we're gentle and we'll have self-control against such.

There is no law. Nothing is against this and

those who are Christ's have crucified, the flesh with its

passions and desires. We're going to turn away from

sin and turn to the fruit of the spirit.

If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit.

Let us not become conceited. Provoking one.

Another envying, one another, and then he continues in chapter

six. Remember, this is just the

letter chapters and verses. And I want to keep going to see

where this leaves Brethren. If a man is overtaking and any

trespass, you who are spiritual restore, such an one in the

spirit of gentleness, this gentleness, he's talking about

here. He says that applies to how we

restore people, who have sinned. Be careful of with the way we

truth. Considering yourself lest your

also tempted for some of us, maybe it'd be better if we said

consider and how we want our kids treated.

He says think about you bear one another's burdens and so fulfill

the law of Christ. If anyone thinks himself to be

something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

What is it that causes people to not treat people with this kind

of love and gentleness? I infer from the reading it's

because he thinks a lot of himself anything I never would

have done that. How could you do that?

If we consider ourselves and we think you know what, maybe I

wouldn't have done that but I've done something just as bad.

I've done things like it, does that change the way that I want

to re ache, he seems to have that tied together, that when we

get to where we have, no patience with other people.

It's because we think so much of our self and he says, that's not

a good point, what is he going to say?

But let each one examine his own work and then he will have

rejoicing himself alone and not in another for each one.

Shall bear his own load. Let him who is taught in the

word share and all good things with him.

Who teaches do not be deceived. God is Not mocked for whatever a

manso's that will he will also reap.

Are you fruitful? Yes, is it good or bad?

He says it's depends on what you so for he sews to his flesh,

will of the flesh. Reap corruption.

He supposed to The Spirit, Well of the spirit reap everlasting

life. I want you to know it's never a

mistake to put the church and spiritual things as a priority.

As parents, you go through all those decisions with your kids.

While I know should we do this? Should we do that?

We'll never make a mistake when we put spiritual things as a

priority when we're in our work, we think live.

I know I'm committed to the church but you know with my

worker with my job or with this client never made a mistake when

you put spiritual things your priority We sow to the flesh

will of the flesh. Reap corruption.

We sow to the spirit, we will have the spirit reap everlasting

life and let us not. Grow weary while doing good,

don't get tired of showing up on Wednesday night, don't get tired

of being the one that answers, the call for brother so-and-so

her sister. So and so You keep doing it.

As long as you can do it until you're that brother so-and-so

her sister so and so that somebody's need to call for help

or get help to, he says, for in due season, we shall reap.

If we do not lose heart, My fruitful.

What am I willing to do? Therefore, as we have

opportunity, let us do good to all especially those who are of

the household of faith, keep doing as good.

That's talking fruit. What else does he say?

In Ephesians chapter 5, beginning in verse 8, he says

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

for you were once Darkness but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light for the fruit of the spirit is in

all goodness righteousness and Truth finding out what is

acceptable to the Lord. My fruitful, do I care?

What is good right and truthful according except what's

acceptable to the Lord? That's fruit.

Fruit of the spirit. Sometimes we wonder if it's

worth it to keep trying to strive to know what truth is and

to hold the doctrine in its Purity.

And I want to tell you it is as important.

Now as it has ever been as it was the day it was pinned, it's

just as relevant today. As the day that this was written

by the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus.

And may we never ever doubt that.

What acceptable to the Lord is fruit of the spirit and have no

fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather

expose them for. It is shameful to even speak of

those things which are done by them and secret, some things you

can talk about. Said, stay away from that.

Don't have any fellowship with that, but all things that are

exposed are made manifest by the light.

For whatever makes manifest is light.

Therefore he says awake, you who sleep arise from the dead and

Christ will give you light. Why do we have to stay and worry

about what's acceptable to God? Because that's where the light

is. That's where hope is.

That's where everything is. Nobody desires.

To stay in darkness. See, then that you walk

circumspectly. not as fool's but as wise Redeeming the time

because the days are evil Now this wasn't written in the year

2020. He stays have always been this

way. Today, we have to hold to this.

This is bringing fruitful. Back to what Jesus said in.

Luke chapter 13. He says he also spoke this

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Parable we started with a parable we're going on with the

parable he spoke this Parable a certain man had a fig tree

planted in his Vineyard. He came seeking fruit on it and

found them he said to the keeper of his Vineyard.

Look for these three years. I have come seeking fruit on

this fig tree and find them cut it down.

Why does it use up the ground? The answered and said to him sir

let it alone this year. Also until I dig around it,

fertilize it and if it bears fruit well but if not after

that, you can cut it down. This is quite this, this purple

to me is just one of those that I love it and I've scares me to

death. How do we know when we're in

that last year? And my fruitful.

So it says Greg you didn't even talk at all in this about how

many people are baptized or how many people were converted or

how many people were restored. You know why?

Paul said, I have planted paulus watered.

God gave the increase. I need to stop feeling the

pressure of everybody else's reaction and I need to start

feeling the pressure of what I'm going to do with the truth.

Whether I'm going to sing, praise to God with my lips,

whether I'm going to live the life that is just screams Jesus

to the world around us. If nothing else, we might be

able to be like that wife. That Peter talked about who says

that had the unbelieving husband that he says by your Chase

conduct accompanied by fear. You may without a word win him

over. Now if that works in a marriage

with an unbelieving husband and a believing wife, why can't it

work in any relationship? You keep standing up wherever

you're at wherever you live, whatever you do.

You keep doing what's right follow this pattern.

You keep showing ever people know when you come to church

they know what's your where your priority is And don't fall prey

to that old trick that somehow. Well, you know, I could go to

services but I'm really trying to encourage so.

And so to come back, maybe if I go do this with them, then later

on, they'll be more encouraged to come to church.

I've never seen it work. The only thing I seen it do is

draw a good people that you can rely on to help build the church

up further away from the body. You stand for, what's right?

You stand for what's true? Nothing else.

You don't know if this is the last year or not.

Take advantage. God planted us got allow us to

dig around us and fertilize us when we need to grow and God

Waits patiently. One last season.

I don't know if this is our last year tonight, but I asked you.

What would you do? If you knew this was your last

year, we're starting a new one. What if somehow you just knew

whether it's miraculous that God could tell you or whether it's

the doctors that said, look, here's what it is and we know

nobody's lived more than a year with what you've got.

What would change? Maybe you're here tonight.

You've never obeyed the gospel. Mark, 16 and 16.

Jesus said, you need to believe in him.

Do you believe my God, most likely you do believe in less

than we just made. You come tonight.

Have you repented? What is repentance.

Literally, if I understand this Greek word, it means to think

differently. Change the way you look at

things from a man's perspective to the way God would have us and

what that means is going to be a turn around.

From self-will to what God's will is.

In all the things that people talk about in what it takes to

be a Christian and whether it's a work or whether the faith and

works and all that repentance to me is it's the toughest you're

changing the way. It changed everything.

Jesus said, unless you repay, you'll perish.

In the book of Acts, he says, there was time God winked in

ignorance. But now commands all men

everywhere to repent. He also wants us to confess,

Romans 10, and 10. Are we willing to confess Christ

from this day forward and he wants us to be baptized and

Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27.

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

It says many of you have been baptized into Christ, have put

on Christ tonight if you haven't put Christ on if you think you

put him on what you have been baptized, it's time to put him

on. Come tonight, being me according

to Ephesians, 4 and 5. There's only one baptism

therefore has to be what we can read in the scriptures.

We know the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8, came to a

Acts 8 · chapter mention

certain water said, here's what our y-intercept me from being

baptized. You said if you believe you met

at the you get they got down already a chariot.

Both Philip and the eunuch down into the water and he baptized

him, he immersed him. He dipped him according to

Romans chapter 6. He buried him in that water.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

That's what we'll do tonight. If you are a Christian perhaps

you fallen away, maybe you realize that You know what?

You're not fruitful. And if this was the last year,

you don't think that would be a good one.

Beauty is you got a chance to change that.

That look as a Christian. As a kingdom of priests.

You can pray to God and he will forgive you and cleanse you of

all unrighteousness. But James 5:16 says affected for

James 5:16

her prayer of a righteous man, availeth much.

I trust, there's righteous people here to pray with you and

for you and maybe you're like Simon in Acts chapter 8.

Acts 8 · chapter mention

It says, you know, would you pray these things?

Don't happen to me and you'd like the prayers of the church.

We love to pray with you. We love to play.

Pray for you. We thank you for listening to

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Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.