On September 5, 2021, Pastor Eric spoke on the importance of fruitfulness in the life of a Christian.

Read Genesis 1:28

God created human beings in His image and according to His likeness –with an intellect; feelings; and the ability to discern right from wrong. Adam and Eve were also given the ability to communicate and to make wise decisions. God blessed them, and commanded them to be fruitful and to multiply.

God desires his children to be blessed with fruitfulness in every area of their lives. He gave believers the ability to be fruitful, to enjoy fruitfulness, and to increase in fruitfulness. That is the very reason He created us. We can overflow with fruitfulness in everything we do – in our family life, in our relationships and in our workplace. We are called to be fruitful. This is God’s will for us!

Read Exodus 1:6-14

This chapter begins with the announcement of the death of Joseph and his brothers. Despite the deaths of the early generation that traveled to Egypt, Israel grew exceedingly strong and its relationship to Egypt eroded. Generations later, the steep growth in the Israelite population came into conflict with the king of Egypt, who wanted his name honoured in all the earth. He perceived the growth of Israel as a threat, since they were faithful to their calling to be image-bearers of God. Motivated by fear, Pharaoh condemned the Hebrews to slavery in an attempt to reduce their numbers. This effort failed and he resorted to infanticide in an effort to control God’s people.

The more oppressed the Hebrews were, the more they multiplied. Remember, no matter how hard Satan tries to stunt or persecute the church, the more blessed we will be. The more oppression he tries to send, the more we will multiply. The more he tries to quiet, persecute and shut churches down, the more they will grow underground.

Read Genesis 9:1

In this chapter, Noah is essentially told to start over. When Noah came out of the ark, it was like God had pressed the big reset on mankind: He was ushered in a new beginning on earth for the human race. Noah and his sons and their wives heard the same command given to Adam and Eve: be fruitful and multiply.

Believers can be fruitful in many ways. True fruitfulness begins in the heart with the fruit of the Spirit. That inner fruit affects our actions; the words we speak and the deeds we do to glorify God, and accomplish His will. God’s desire is to transform us into the image of His Son and make us as fruitful as He was.

You and I were:

Created for fruitfulness 

Since we are created in God’s image, we are to be fruitful. The Lord could have created everything himself, but He chose to create us to work in tandem with Him to bring about the world’s potential; to participate in His work.

Commanded to fruitfulness

We are to be fruitful and multiply spiritually. As disciples of Jesus, we are commanded to go out and make disciples.

Blessed for fruitfulness

The Lord blessed Adam and Eve. It was God’s blessing that gifted them with fruitfulness – the ability to procreate – to reproduce their kind. We, too, have been blessed by our loving Father to be fruitful everything we do.

Commissioned for fruitfulness   

Read Colossians 1:9

God is not just calling us to work, He’s calling us to bear fruit in our work. God desires for us to actively engage with the world around us. He wants us to be productive. In other words, He wants us to live out our productivity in whatever social and cultural spheres He has placed us.

Appointed for fruitfulness

Read John 15:16

It was the Lord’s choice to give you the amazing privilege to excel in and exhibit your fruitfulness. You may have experienced rejection in the past, but your Heavenly Father has chosen you to become His child. Besides choosing you, God has also appointed you for this assignment. You are chosen and appointed.

Redeemed for fruitfulness

Read Romans 7:4

Jesus asks us to go and make disciples of all nations. Serving Him empowers us for fruitfulness.

A fruitful life is visible.

Read Matthew 7:16-20

Jesus says that we will be able to identify false Christians by their fruits. False believers will not produce good fruit. In the Bible, fruits represent the outward manifestation of a person’s faith; in other words, their works and behaviour. After we repent and accept Christ as our personal Saviour, He changes our hearts. We then produce good fruit. Our actions and words change as we walk in fellowship with God. When our hearts change, we produce good fruit.

Pastor James May said:

In all of our dealings with man, this is the guiding principle by which we can judge character and see into the window of the heart, mind and soul of every man. By looking at the fruit that is brought forth from the life of an individual, we can truly see whether they are rooted and grounded in the True Vine, Jesus Christ, or connected to the wrong vine.

Read John 15:8

Jesus examines the quality of our fruit. He is the Vine and we are the branches and every aspect of our relationship with Him displays our total dependence on Him. Christ calls us to demonstrate our discipleship and to glorify our Father in heaven by bearing fruit.

How are we fruitful?

Read Psalm 1:1

Who or what is influencing your life?

If we want to be fruitful, we need to stop being influenced by unfruitful counsel: people who don’t reverence and honour God. Christians are to read and apply the Bible to their lives. Those who properly obey God’s Word will enjoy spiritual success and spiritual prosperity.

Check your connection.

Read John 15:5

Christ describes here the essence of a fruitful believer’s life. By faith, we must stay connected to Jesus to live the most abundant and God-honouring life of fruitfulness in Christ.

Don’t close the door on the gardener.

Read John 15:2

Jesus explained to His disciples how his Father is the gardener that prunes each branch so that it can bear more fruit. He tells them to be mindful of Him and to pray without ceasing. He instructs us to do the same and to be filled continually with his Spirit. If the good branches are not bearing good fruit for a time, the gardener will cut them off.

The result of spiritual faithfulness is that God is glorified and we grow in Him. This is the ultimate fruitfulness for a believer. Are you a fruitful Christian?

Watch the sermon here: