Dear Christian friends:

Our text this morning tells about fruits of the Christian. What are the fruits of a Christian? Paul says in Galatians 5:20, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness." So all the good works which God's Holy Spirit leads us to do because of love of God are called our fruits. In our text Jesus compares us Christians with a grape vine. We Christians are the branches and our good works are the grapes or fruits.

In our text Jesus admonishes us about producing fruit for God our Maker, Savior and Keeper. We need this admonishing because of our sinful body we often are careless and lazy about giving fruit for God. So let us this morning from our text and with God's Holy Spirit consider:


First we see that God expects fruit from us. In verse 2 Jesus says, "Every branch in me that bears not fruit He (the Father) takes away." And in verse 8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."

If you plant a tomato plant and cultivate it and water it and care for it two or three months and then you see it gives no fruits, you become very displeased, and pull it out and throw it on the trash pile. You expect your tomato plant to give fruit.

So God our heavenly Father who has loved us and cared for us very much in Jesus gave His own Son to die for us to make us His good children. He expects fruit and good works from us. He waits and looks anxiously to see our fruits. He did not save us for nothing. We are saved to serve. If we give no fruit to God He takes away. A stern warning to our lazy and careless sinful heart.

Even if we do a little good, He is not satisfied with few fruits. He wants many fruits, much fruit from us. Jesus says in verse 2, "Every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Anyone who keeps grapes or fruit trees knows that he can make the vine or tree produce more fruit by pruning. So God often gives us troubles, cuts away things in our life that prevent us from giving much fruit.

When I was a child, I remember my mother talking and pleading with my aunt to send her children to Sunday School and confirmation instructions and for the family to attend the church services. However, my aunt kept on putting it off. One Summer my aunt with her four children and husband were driving from Santa Ana, to Huntsville, Texas to visit relatives. They were pulling a trailer loaded with camping gear and baggage. As they entered El Paso, Texas one of the tires blew out causing my uncle to lose control of the car and trailer. The car fell on its right side where my aunt was sitting in the front seat with the window open. Her right arm was injured so severely that it had to be amputated just below the elbow. Shortly after the family returned home, I noticed that they were attending church regularly. The children were enrolled in the Sunday School and the older ones were also in confirmation instructions. My aunt also became a teacher in the Sunday School, sometimes teasing us children with the stump of her forearm. So God may let you lose something dear to lead you to serve Him Better. Many waste their time and strength on things that give no praise to God!

God is very earnest about us. He expects fruit from us for His glory and for our own good that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now God does not ask us to do more than we are able. He gives us the power to do these good works, give fruits. (Read verses 4-7) "Abide in Jesus!" If we stay joined with Jesus our wonderful Savior, we will always have power to love God and other people. Why? We will see Jesus crucified. We will remember our sinful natures and God's great love and mercy. While we were stubborn sinners Christ died for us. As we daily remember our sinfulness and God's wonderful forgiveness we grow in love for God and forgive others and stop criticising and finding fault. We show patience and understanding and help others to know our wonderful God and Savior.

Abide in Jesus the true vine. He feeds our hearts with spiritual power and love. This means hearing His Word often in Church and daily at home. Follow the guide in Portals of Prayer! By this you abide in Jesus and He in you.

But if you become careless about Jesus' Word and do not hear and read it you will die like a branch cut from the vine. Also forget not to pray for God's Holy Spirit, verse 7. Jesus says that God is anxious to give us the Holy Spirit with all His fruits. Jesus says, "If your son asks for bread will you give him a poison snake? If you sinners know how to give good gifts (things) to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" Ye have not because ye ask not.

We think of that great layman Stephen, Acts 7, the first man to die for Jesus. Because he preached to those Jews who crucified Jesus they stoned him to death. "But he full of the Holy Ghost looked up to heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said,"I see heaven open, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." And as he died he prayed God to forgive those who stoned him. Stephen gave much fruit for God. He even gave His life for God and then saw heaven's glory.

Now we have our Every Member Visit, E.M.V. program. Jesus is asking you to give fruit to God through our E.M.V. He doesn't ask you to die. But to give yourself, your heart. Pledge in money, for God's work.

Amen.