Have you ever picked fruit right off the vine or tree at it peak ripeness? There’s nothing in the world like it. It’s full, rich and sweet. Much of the food we eat these days is so nutritionally deficient. Fruits and vegetables are picked well before their peak ripeness, shipped around the world in frozen containers, then delivered to us with the appearance of ripeness, but it never taste like “vine ripe” fruit because it’s lost so much of it’s nutritional value. This is so sad, but we accept it as normal and wonder why we are emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually weak, sick or feel like something is missing.
Over the last 3 weeks, I preached a series entitled “Vine Ripe”. The scriptures are clear that we are to bear good fruit, not just good, but abundant fruit. Just like we were never intended to eat deficient fruit because it won’t sustain us or improve our health, we are to produce good and abundant fruit out of the lives we live.
- In Matthew 3:10, John the Baptist says “every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
- Matthew 7:18-20 says, “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
- Matthew 12:33, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.”
- John 15:2 says, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
- John 15:8, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
There are many reasons that keep us from bearing the fruit God intended us to bear. You may wish you could interrupt me at this moment by saying, Pastor James, WHAT FRUIT? What fruit am I suppose to bear? What is God’s good fruit? I’m so glad you stopped me. The fruit all mankind was created to bear, be known for and produce abundantly can be found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
This is the fruit Christ has deposited in us by His grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. To be “Vine Ripe” means to be attached to the main vine, Jesus. As long as we are in Him, His grace and Spirit dwells and flows through us. The fruit of the Spirit has no choice, but to overflow out of us. This is how others will know us, and know that we belong to Christ, by the fruit that is flowing out of the abundance of being attached to Him. Just like an apple seed produces apples, and grape seeds produce grapes, His spiritual seeds produce His spiritual fruit.
When we are not producing fruit, we are fruitless, lifeless and eventually dead. He will prune away all that is not bearing fruit first to make us healthy and create the best opportunity for us to bear fruit. As we begin to produce and overflow His fruit, He will prune us through love and discipline so we may grow stronger, healthier and produce even more fruit. It is not Christ’s will that any in the vine be cut off, but where there is no fruit, there is no life. Sadly, in many cases we cut ourselves off when He breaks out the pruning hook because we fear He will take away our comfort, our position or kingdom.
It’s time to stop cutting ourselves off from the vine when it gets uncomfortable. Don’t allow the enemy to distract us from growth, unity and success. A branch separated from the main vine will never produce fruit, just like a person cut off from a local church body is no longer attached to the main body, the Body of Christ, and therefore, won’t produce His fruit. It’s time to attach back to the main vine. It’s time to come back to the local church body. It’s time to reconnect in fellowship, unity, mission and community. It’s time to bear good and abundant fruit of the Spirit.
Are You Vine Ripe?
James Miller Jr
“Missionary to a Generation”
*Published in the August 28th, 2014 issue of the Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper.
via “Are You Vine Ripe” – Grace Church of Port Aransas.
