Before reading this article, please pick up your Bible and read John 15:1-5. Got it? Ok. There is a divine order presented in these verses. Did you see it? It begins in v2a with “fruit.” It continues in v2b with “more fruit.” It culminates in v5 with “much fruit.”
According to Jesus, the divine order of the Christian life is fruit, more fruit, much fruit. Rather than a diminishing pattern, it is an ever increasing one. It is God’s will that the farther we go in our Christian experience, the more fruitful our lives should become.
Last month, I celebrated my 56th birthday in Jerusalem. It was a birthday unlike any other. I did a lot of reflecting that day as I walked the streets of Jerusalem. Twenty years ago I was a young pastor with fourteen years of full-time ministry experience under my belt. Twenty years from now I will most likely have reached the end of my pastoral ministry.
The older I get the more I value time, and the more I seek to redeem it. In the words of Robert Frost, ”I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” So I am committed to a life of ever-increasing fruitfulness.
It is God’s will that every believer bears fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Remember Jesus and the barren fig tree? He inspected the tree because He expected fruit. The longer we serve the Lord, the more productive our lives should be. Not less fruit. More fruit.
Of course, there are those believers who have opted for a life of spiritual barrenness. They consume, but contribute little if anything to the kingdom of God. They are still on the team, but no longer in the game. Sadly, they fail to see what they are missing!
How encouraging it is to see Christians of all ages who understand this concept of fruitfulness and live highly productive lives for the Lord. They use their time, talents, and resources to make an impact on eternity, all the while laying up treasure in heaven. Life becomes an adventure following the Lord into new territories of service. What a way to live!
Life is serious business, and there are no redo’s. Do not waste your years investing in that which profits nothing. Give yourself to the things that matter most. Invest in the eternal. This much I know. No matter what others do, I will strive to live a spiritually productive life that bears fruit, more fruit, and much fruit.
Join me in setting this spiritual goal: that the older we get, the more fruitful our lives will become for the glory of God.
Pastor Todd Weston
According to Jesus, the divine order of the Christian life is fruit, more fruit, much fruit. Rather than a diminishing pattern, it is an ever increasing one. It is God’s will that the farther we go in our Christian experience, the more fruitful our lives should become.
Last month, I celebrated my 56th birthday in Jerusalem. It was a birthday unlike any other. I did a lot of reflecting that day as I walked the streets of Jerusalem. Twenty years ago I was a young pastor with fourteen years of full-time ministry experience under my belt. Twenty years from now I will most likely have reached the end of my pastoral ministry.
The older I get the more I value time, and the more I seek to redeem it. In the words of Robert Frost, ”I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” So I am committed to a life of ever-increasing fruitfulness.
It is God’s will that every believer bears fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. Remember Jesus and the barren fig tree? He inspected the tree because He expected fruit. The longer we serve the Lord, the more productive our lives should be. Not less fruit. More fruit.
Of course, there are those believers who have opted for a life of spiritual barrenness. They consume, but contribute little if anything to the kingdom of God. They are still on the team, but no longer in the game. Sadly, they fail to see what they are missing!
How encouraging it is to see Christians of all ages who understand this concept of fruitfulness and live highly productive lives for the Lord. They use their time, talents, and resources to make an impact on eternity, all the while laying up treasure in heaven. Life becomes an adventure following the Lord into new territories of service. What a way to live!
Life is serious business, and there are no redo’s. Do not waste your years investing in that which profits nothing. Give yourself to the things that matter most. Invest in the eternal. This much I know. No matter what others do, I will strive to live a spiritually productive life that bears fruit, more fruit, and much fruit.
Join me in setting this spiritual goal: that the older we get, the more fruitful our lives will become for the glory of God.
Pastor Todd Weston
