Fruit on Every Branch

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine about the ministry of disciple making, and he made the comment "Jesus wants fruit on every branch." Ever since that conversation, I've been haunted by that thought.

In John 15:1-8, Jesus says that He is the Vine and that we, His followers, (you and I) are the branches. He goes on to say that His Father is the Gardener and that the Gardener (God Almighty) cuts off every branch in Jesus that doesn't bear fruit. Are you in Christ today? If so, are you producing fruit? If not, I need to warn you that you are in danger of being cut off from Jesus!

He says that the Gardener prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it can be even more fruitful. You see, if your life is bearing some fruit, God the Father will remove meaningless things from your life so that your life can produce even more fruit for His Kingdom and purposes.

Jesus finishes this teaching by saying that it brings glory to the Father when we bear much fruit and that this is how we show (or maybe how we prove) that we are truly His disciples. In John 15:7, Jesus tells us how to bear fruit. First, we must stay connected to Him. Second, we must possess or carry His words, His teachings, inside of us. And then the magic happens! If we will do those 2 simple things, (stay connected to Him and keep His teachings in us), then God will give us whatever we ask for so that we can bear much fruit!

So, the Father who cuts off the branches that don't want to produce fruit is the same Father who will provide everything necessary to branches that want to bear fruit! Do you really want to bear fruit for the Lord?

Seriously, ask yourself, "Am I bearing much fruit?" Are you bearing any fruit at all? In this passage there are 4 levels of fruit bearing: 1) no fruit, 2) some fruit, 3) more fruit, and 4) much fruit. Which one are you today? And which one do you want to be?

I don't ask that question in a spirit of judgment or condemnation, but out of a spirit of concern. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association says that 90% of Christian church members in America never share the Gospel with anyone and as a result, 95% never lead one single person to Christ in their entire lifetime. There is no way that is what Jesus wants from His followers!

I don't know about you, but I can't see how never leading another person to Christ could be considered bearing fruit. Jesus' final command is for ALL of His followers to make disciples of everyone on earth! So, if a person claims to be a Christian, but never shares the Gospel with anyone and therefore never leads another person to Christ, how could that possibly be considered bearing fruit? And my friend, if we're not bearing fruit, then according to Jesus' own words, we're in danger of being cut off from the Vine by Almighty God the Father who is the Gardener.

And remember, the branches that end up separated from the Vine (whether by the Father or by their own choice) wither, get picked up, and get thrown into a fire.

So, if human beings represent the branches, and Jesus says there are certain conditions under which people are going to be separated or cut off from Him, we'd be wise to pay close attention so that doesn't happen to us. The separated branches get burned in a fire. What do you think that represents? Does that sound like someone who's entering Eternity in Paradise with God?

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master gave His servants 5, 2, and 1 talents, respectively. (A talent was a measurement of money worth over $1,000.00) Talents don't just have to refer to money. Talents could mean gifts or abilities or material things. They probably refer to a combination of things. Whatever they are in your life, the purpose of the talents is to gain more (multiply) talents. Sadly, the servant that was given one talent didn't do anything with it. He just buried it. When his master returned, the servant was called wicked and lazy for not putting what he was given to use in the interests of the master! Then he was cast into "outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Do you think that servant went to Heaven? Of course not. There will be no weeping or gnashing of teeth in Heaven. That's what people in Hell do.

Now, let's all pause and take a very honest look at ourselves to determine whether or not our lives are bearing fruit for God. Let's ask ourselves whether or not our lives are multiplying talents for the Master. This is critical because, to be in Christ but not bearing any fruit and not multiplying the talents you've been given is an extremely dangerous place to be. If you are a follower of Christ, if you are a Christian church member and you can't point to any fruit that your life is producing, may a holy fear come over you right now.

Now, if you have analyzed your life and you recognize that you're not producing fruit, then you are in danger of being cut off from the Vine. If that's you, don't wait another second! Make the necessary changes right now. You can produce fruit by supporting mission work that's actually impacting lostness and reaching lost souls for Christ. The best way to bear fruit is by leading people to Christ yourself.

The simplest Gospel presentation in the New Testament is found in Mark 1, where Jesus said "The time has come. The Kingdom of heaven is near. Repent of your sins and believe the Good News." That is a very simple Gospel message that any one of us can share. Just get in the habit of asking everybody if they've heard the Good News and just ask them, "Can I share some Good News with you?" or, "Have you heard the Good News?" Most people won't say no. And keep in mind you are offering them a ticket to eternal paradise and an escape from eternal death. You never need to apologize for that.

Now, if you're a church leader in the world, please don't be content with Christian church members who come to meetings and give some money and volunteer in the programs at your church. Because just doing those things doesn't guarantee that they will produce fruit. Being a passive spectator Christian church member doesn't guarantee that they're not in danger of being cut off from the Vine.

As I read this passage from John 15:1-8, I recognize that there are two ways that a person can become separated from the Vine. One of them is by not producing fruit, which will trigger the Father cutting you off from the Vine. But the other one is done by yourself. Jesus says to remain in Him, which means we have the option to not remain in Him. He promises if you remain in Him, then you will bear much fruit, but there are those who won't remain in Him.

It breaks my heart to think about people who've spent years or decades in Christ and then they leave Him in their twilight years. They simply drift away. Maybe they produced fruit in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s but then in their 60s they become self-centered and get concerned with their own enjoyment in their own entertainment and how they were gonna enjoy life in retirement! They stopped concerning themselves with bearing fruit for the King and the Kingdom. Instead, they became preoccupied with their own comfort, ease, and enjoyment.

Those people don't remain in Him. And again, if they don't remain in Him, they are like a branch that withers, is picked up and is thrown into the fire! Don't let that be you! May you finish the race well! Finish in a way that you produce fruit until your dying day!

Another way to produce fruit is by helping other people get into the Bible and meet the God of the Bible and learn how to follow and obey Him.

As they mature, they tend to get saved (if they weren't already). They usually become obedient disciples who make more disciples. And, when they share what they are learning with others, they identify people who are looking for God. Then they can start more groups among the friends and family of the others who are looking for God. In this way they produce the fruit of disciples making disciples! I believe this is the type of fruit that brings God glory, because we prove that we are actually Jesus' disciples when we bear much fruit.

Please hear my heart, I care about you and I want what's best for you. I never want to see you in a dangerous position where your salvation or relationship with Jesus is in jeopardy. No matter what stage of life you are in, you can still bear fruit. You may be just getting started following Christ, or you may be nearing the end of your life.

If you are in the twilight years of life, you can still bear fruit. You probably have more time to pray than ever. So get in His Word. Hide it in your heart and ask the Father to give you everything you need so you can continue to bear fruit. Call everyone you know and ask them how you can pray for them. Through your prayers, many will come to Christ. Run the race to win and NEVER GIVE UP!

God bless you.