Fruitful Church
Fruitful Church
By Apostle Aje Pelser, preached at Harvester Reformational church, Cape Town.
27th November – Thanksgiving Sunday
Isa 27:6 Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, And fill the face of the world with fruit.
Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit is a process, not just one event.
Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
G2590 “karpos” a reaped harvest – Thayer’s Greek Definitions.
Where spiritual gifts are given by God’s grace; Fruits have to be cultivated in cooperation with the Holy Spirit daily.
There are simple steps to producing the fruit of the Spirit that will show the world Christ within us, the hope of Glory!
Step 1 – Come to Jesus!
When the early disciples found Jesus, they said to each: “Come and See!”
Joh 1:35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
Joh 1:36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'
Joh 1:37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Joh 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?'
Joh 1:39 He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
Joh 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Joh 1:41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ).
Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone).
Joh 1:43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow Me.'
Joh 1:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Joh 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'
Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'
We are grafted into the Vine – Jesus Christ and there are a few lessons to learn from grape vines:
'Grapevines are usually grown from cuttings that are rooted in nurseries. They are often grafted to root-stock of other species before being transplanted to vineyards. The young vines are planted from 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) apart in rows 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 m) apart. They are trained up on wooden supports or wire trellises, and are pruned each year.'
Vines are grafted into roots that have imunity built into them, so we are grafted into Christ and therefore have a built in immunity versus sin, sickness and Satan. The key here is not to try and bear fruit and try not to sin, or even try to stay healthy, but to remain grafted into Christ _ the source of all we need!
Step 2 – take Root in Jacob the true Church,
If you take root somewhere you will bear fruit. But sometimes God must first remove a root of bitterness.
Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
You could be poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity, that prevents the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.:
Act 8:17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
Act 8:19 saying, 'Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'
Act 8:20 But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
Act 8:21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
Act 8:23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.'
Act 8:24 Then Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.'
The Good News is that God can replace that bitterness with His Holy Spirit as the apostles laid hands on people in the early church, you can also receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands in Church today!
The source of the Fruit of the Spirit is the indwelling Holy Spirit of God in your life – the promise of Jesus Christ, the Helper, the Comforter the one that brings to your remembrance all things Jesus said to you, that leads and guides you into all truth and shows you things to come!
Step 3 – Blossom and Bud
We recently had a vision of a rare flower in one the church services. It was a special gift to the body of Christ, someone that reconnected with the Church that brought a special gift and talent to the Lord as well.
For a flower to blossom and bud, http://www.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/plant-terms/bud-info.htm
Step 4 – Fill the Face of the World with Fruit!
This is what is required of disciples of Christ:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen.
As we fulfil our Divine Commission to Go and make disciples, we balance our work with the Great Command to love one another and the Lord who sends us! Graciously God has provided His Holy Spirit as a Helper, Comforter and Source of Witnessing Power.
Acts 1:8.
Act 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'