Produce what the vine wants!
“I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5
There is nothing more delicious than fresh fruit right from the tree. Many years ago, I had the privilege of driving through Georgia just as the peach trees where ripping with their fruits. To this day, I have not had a juicier, sweeter, delicate peach! I also live in an area where there are numerous apple orchards and every fall, I look forward to the ripe harvest of delightful apples. Every so often, there is disappointment. You grab an apple off the tree, and it is rotten.
Jesus uses this kind of analogy to describe his disciples and their work in his kingdom. Now each of us as his disciples would love to think of themselves producing wonderful and bounteous fruits of service in Jesus’ kingdom. Fruits that he would be proud of and exactly what he wants us to produce. But the devil points out our rotten sin filled works of service.
We are born with the natural inclination to fulfill our wants and desires apart from the vine. These fruits are empty shells full of death. The branches that produce what they want instead of what the vine wants dry out and are only good for fire.
How can we produce the correct fruits of service in the kingdom? Remember who you are attached too! The devil points out our failures because he wants us to focus on ourselves. We are not by ourselves; we are connected to the Vine! Since we are connected to the Vine and we remain connected to the Vine, we automatically bear much fruit. Jesus is producing the fruit in us and it will come out exactly the way he wants it. That is why we constantly go back to him. He is the one who paid to remove the rotten sin filled works of self service when he died on the cross.
However, for us to continue to produce fruits of service in God’s kingdom, our vine has to be alive. Our Vine came to life to pump us full of life and we will continue to produce fruits of service pleasing to our God because Jesus lives! These fruits continue automatically through the Vine. Continue to remain in Jesus and you will produce fruit!
Dear Vine in heaven, continue to produce good fruit through us your branches. Let us always remember that our fruits do not save us but come from your loving sacrifice. Remain in us so that we bear much fruit to your honor and glory. In your name we pray! Amen!