The theme of my denomination this year is “A Dynamic Movement of God.” This theme comes from the denomination’s vision statement which was created in the early 2000s.
While we definitely want to participate in the movement of God, let us not believe that we can manufacture a movement of God. Many Christians claim that they have figured out how to create a movement of God. The famous preacher on TV, the popular author of church growth books, the large church down the road all have strengths and their weaknesses. They might help us in some way. They might not. Bearing fruit for Jesus is not something that occurs by following the pathway of so-called success that others are promoting.
Instead, as we saw in the previous post, Jesus calls us to remain in him. He alone is the power, and therefore he is all we want. This is why I have been writing in my weekly Monday email to my church’s Leadership Team that we as a church need to look to the Holy Spirit to guide us. What is the Spirit saying to us? How is the Spirit at work in our community? We strive to remain in the Spirit, to hear how he is guiding, and how he is at work, so that we can join him.
Otherwise, we are resting in our own power, which Jesus says is fruitless. Look at verses 6-9,
“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
As we learned in the post here, Jesus earlier that evening taught the disciples, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples that you love one another.” Now in John 15:8 he says there is another way that we show we are his disciples, by remaining in him, and he will enable us bearing much fruit. He reminds us that it is a remaining in his love.
Jesus once taught, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouths speaks.” When we are remaining in him, his power is flowing through us, and his Spirit is transforming our hearts, so that the feelings, thoughts, and deeds, the fruit of Jesus naturally flows out of our lives.
Bear the fruit of reproducing, multiplying. Invite others to follow Jesus. That is remaining in his love.
Bear the fruit of allowing the Holy Spirit to continually transform your hearts and minds so his Fruit is overflowing out of your life. That is remaining in his love.
Remaining in him is not the same as going to worship services, reading your Bible, and other traditional Christian activities. Those practices are not wrong. But remaining in Jesus is a work that goes deep, transforming our hearts and minds. Jesus wants our hearts to become more and more like his, so what naturally flows out of our lives are the good fruit of the Spirit. This is why we pray in humble dependence on him, “Lord I need you, I can’t do this without you.”
Photo by Rachel Coyne on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 