A LIFE OF PRODUCTIVITY

Mark 11:12-14,20-21

I would like to continue this morning in explaining the slogan of our church, "Leading people to a life of commitment and productivity in Christ." We will center our message on the second part of the slogan - The Life of Productivity.

Looking at the Bible, any serious Bible student cannot overemphasize the importance living a productive life. In fact, just in the New Testament alone, you can find references about this teaching more than fifty times. One of the most significant passages is found in John 15:16:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Have you ever realized that we are all ordained to bear fruits? The Lord mentions about having, not just ordinary fruits, but the fruits that can last forever. This is truly amazing!

Unfortunately, many of God's people fail to bring joy and honor to the Lord because of their unwillingness to live productive lives. This is the reason why we have this passage in the Scriptures about Jesus cursing the fig tree to drive across this truth.

Through the years, there were people who have rejected the authenticity of the text because they say that it does not fit the character of Jesus. A New Testament scholar T. W. Manson wrote:

"It is a tale of miraculous power wasted in the service of ill-temper (for the supernatural energy employed to blast the unfortunate tree might have been more usefully expressed in forcing a crop of figs out of season); and as it stands, it is simply incredible.

However, the answer to this objection lies on the understanding of the context of the text. Jesus did not arbitrarily curse the tree because he was hungry and it didn't provide what it promised. He could do without food, as for example when he refused to satisfy his hunger by turning stones into bread even though he had been fasting forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-4). The reason Jesus cursed the barren fig tree was because he wanted it to become a visual parable of what was happening to Israel.

What was the lesson for Israel through the fig tree? Well, anyone who is familiar with the fig tree in Israel was aware of the fact that the fruit on this tree always preceded the leaves. Since there were leaves on the tree, there should have been fruit. The tree gave an outward appearance of being productive but it was not.

Likewise, Israel as a very religious nation had all the rituals, and outward displays of spirituality but no substance, no real faith. The Lord Jesus through the fig tree is giving a warning against all showy display of religion that becomes superficial and hypocritical.

For us today, we need to understand the challenge to live our Christian lives productively in order to avoid God's discipline or judgment. What do we need to know about the life of productivity? I believe we need to emphasize three truths:

I    THE PREOCCUPATION:

To treat Christianity only as a religion, where we participate in the rituals, programs, and activities, we are missing on what would truly make us vital and fruitful. Listen to Jesus Christ reveal to his disciples the secret:

Christ provides us with an essential picture in this passage - He is the Vine, we are the branches. Clearly the Vine is the source and sustenance of life for the branches. As we remain (abide) in Christ, we will discover that our spirit is nourished and energized having the ability to produce fruits.

"Don't focus on the deeds; focus on the walk with Christ, and the righteous deeds will grow naturally our of your relationship." (John MacArthur, How to Survive in the World of Unbelievers)

To produce genuine fruits in life, we must get close to the True Vine. Christians who think they are bearing fruit even though they are not closely attached to the Vine will only bear artificial fruits.

II   THE PRODUCTS:

What are the fruits that God wants from our lives? Here are some direct Biblical references for the fruits we can have:

A. Fruit of a Change Life:

True repentance must produce a change in our behaviors. Receiving Jesus as our personal Savior involves genuine repentance. Change must be evident in us when we profess Christ. We are only deceiving ourselves if we continue to feel sorry for sins and not decisively break away from them. God wants to see change in us.

B. Fruit of a Christlike Life:

God also wants to see each one of us grow in some Christlike attitudes, which do not come out naturally from us. It is important to observe that the fruit here described is not produced by a believer, but by the Holy Spirit working through a Christian who is in vital union with Christ.

C. Fruit of Compliment:

We must also make the praising of God as one of our priorities in life. God expects us to worship and praise Him because of everything He has done and is doing for us. He wants us to say it. He wants to hear us verbally praise him.

D. Fruit of Conversion:

Another important fruit we need to have is the fruit of the souls we have won for Jesus Christ. All of us need to seek the conversion of those who are lost. Now, if we would like to begin bearing fruit on this area, we need to learn how we can communicate the gospel in an understandable manner and motivate a person to respond. Seek all the possible means to develop the necessary skill so we can do this effectively.

III  THE PROFESSION:

Lastly, a productive life is a necessity because it authenticates our profession of faith. Jesus once again, speaking about fruits gave these very serious words:

The word "Recognize" in verse 20 literally means an exact or full knowledge of. One's fruits provide an exact, unerring knowledge of what one really is. The fact is from the time of Jesus until today many are involve in religious deception. We can free ourselves from any suspicion if we show the proper fruits that must be seen through our lives. Can your life bear fruit inspection? Remember, God continues to inspect our lives to see if we are bearing fruits.