The Fruitful ChristianPart 4 Fruitful in Every Work
Text: Colossians 1:1-13
Memory Verse: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no lawGal.5:22-23 Recap: So far we have learnt that (1) God is gloried when we bear fruit (being productive, efcacious, protable etc). (2) We need to plant in order to bear fruit The Word of God is the Seed, our heart is the Soil (which determines our level of fruitfulness & needs to be cultivated through repentance, fellowship with the Lord & obedience) (3) We reap what we plant (we can sow to the esh or the Spirit). Today, we shall look in how God wants us to be fruitful in every good work i.e. being protable in every aspect of life. I. Fruitfulness in your mind (thoughts, emotions) Read: Rom.12:1-3. A Living Sacrice 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will ishis good, pleasing and perfect will. Humble Service in the Body of Christ 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Practical sense 1 John 2:1516 Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the worldthe desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of lifeis not from the Father but is from the world. How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being transformed by the renewing of our minds. We do this primarily through the power of Gods Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. What kind of fruit does your mind produce? Remember, the mind is the production unit of every action you take. If you can think right[in line with Gods Word], then you can live a good & very positively productive life. HOW? A. Phil.4:6-9[MSG] - Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8- 9 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by lling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, graciousthe best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies [v.8 NLT] - Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. B. Eph.3:16-19 - I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into Gods love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all Gods people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. . Phil.1:9-10 - I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand 10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God. Read: Col.1:6,9-12 NOTE: Prayer, Bible Study & meditation, and constant effort to control what goes in, stays in & comes out of your thoughts are essential to being fruitful in your mind. II. Fruitfulness in your actions & relationships When your mind is right, your actions will be right. Consciously let your actions be guided by Gal.5:22b-23[AMP] love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self- restraint, continence). Eph.5:1-7 - Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life lled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among Gods people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokesthese are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Dont be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Dont participate in the things these people do.
Eph.4:20b-32 - But that isnt what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like Godtruly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And dont sin by letting anger control you. Dont let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Dont use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to Gods Holy Spirit by the way you live 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Always ask yourself : What would Jesus do in this situation?