23 November 2003 1 Keys to Producing Fruit #4
Abiding in God's Word
Keys to Producing Fruit #4
Abiding in God's Word
1. Introduction:
John 15:1-8 “Abide in Me and my words abide in you”.
· Clear will & purpose of God is that every believer be fruitful; productive.
· “Much fruit” => God is honored.
=> Evidence you are a disciple – fully committed follower of Christ.
· 3 Levels of Fruit bearing:
i) No Fruit => He lifts up, positions to bear fruit.
ii) Fruit => He prunes to produce more fruit.
iii) Much fruit => He is honored by our life.
· “Not Abide” => Cast forth and withered = 3584 = to shrivel, dry out, lose vitality.
2. Abiding = Key to Fruit bearing:
John 15:7 “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you”.
· Abide = 3306 = to remain, continue, endure in a place or relationship.
· Abide in Christ =>
(i) Maintain vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ - the head.
- Prompt confession of sin.
- Daily prayer – worship – intimacy.
(ii) Maintain vital relationship with local church – Body of Christ.
- Cannot be a fruit bearer with “Jesus & me” only mindset.
- Acts 9:4 “Why persecute Me?” Christ identifies with His body.
- Local church is the body of Christ – household of God.
- Broken relationship/ sin/ offenses hinder fruit. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)
- Psalm 92:13-14 “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the
courts of God, they shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat & flourishing.
· ”Flourish” = 6524 = to break forth as a bud, bloom, blossom.
· Fat and flourishing = rich, fertile and green, prosperous.
- God plants you in a local church to provide an environment to bring forth fruit – teaching – anointing – correction.
· The key part of the Devil's strategy is to destroy your potential:
i) Disconnect you from Christ.
ii) Disconnect you from local church relationships.
23 November 2003 2 Keys to Producing fruit #4
Abiding in Gods Word
3. Abiding in the Word of God.
· Note the two conditions for fruit bearing:
(i) Abiding in Christ. (ii) Words of Christ abides in you.
a) Your attitude to the Word of God is your attitude to God Himself.
· 2 Samuel 12:10-12 “Despise the Word = despise God”.
- You cannot separate the two. God's word expresses who He is.
- Reject the word => Reject Him.
· Luke 6:46 “Why call me Lord Lord and do not what I say:
- Acknowledge the King => obey the Kings directions.
- Born into a kingdom to submit to a king and his word.
- “Kingdom of God” not the “democracy of God”.
b) There is contention over the Word of God.
· Genesis 3:1 “Did God say?”
- The serpents strategy was to sow doubt about God's Word & Character.
- By rejecting 'word' – Adam rejected God's authority & sin entered.
- Receiving & responding to the Word of God was His key to living.
· Luke 8:12 “The Devil comes and takes away the word sown in heart.
- This is the key parable – tells how fruit bearing occurs.
- The Word is a seed that produces fruit.
- There is contention over the word: Birds-Sun-Thorn.
- v15 “Man who hears the word and keeps it brings forth fruit!”
c) God's Word is the Channel of His life and Power:
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “--- word of God that works effectively in you who believe”.
- Word must be received, embraced, believed & acted upon.
- Faith causes the Word of God to come alive and produce a result.
- Nothing is impossible to Him that believes. (Mark 9:23)
- Hebrews 4:2 “The Word of God does not benefit if not joined to it by faith”.
d) How to let the word of God Abide in you:
(i) Hear the Word. Proverbs 4:20
· Be attentive & focus on what God says.
(ii) Meditate on the Word. Psalm 1:2
· Delight yourself in what God has to say and be repeatedly connected.
(iii) Confess the Word. Hebrews 10:23
· Confess = to say the same thing on, speak out as God spoke.
· Learn by heart = to learn by mouth.
(iv) Obey the Word. John 7:22-25