Bearing Fruit for God: Why and How

Introduction

In this message from the special seminar "Overflow, the Mark of True Disciples" at ICC Montreal, Pastor Lilliane Sanogo takes you into the heart of John 15:8: "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Two questions frame the whole teaching: why does God expect fruit from your life, and how do you bear it in abundance? Through Genesis 2, the garden of Eden, and the account of creation, you discover that God has a precise plan to make your life fruitful, and that he is waiting for a response from you.

Outline of the message

1. Why bear fruit: so that God is glorified

• Glorifying God does not mean adding to his glory, it means revealing to your neighbor the powerful God you know.
• God is not a megalomaniac: he seeks to be glorified so that men and women turn to him and see their lives transformed.
• Many live in shame of their faith: they hide their Bible, pray in a whisper, avoid blessing their meal in public. The question becomes: who is going to glorify God around you?
• Like Joseph in Egypt, as soon as the opportunity comes, clearly give glory to the God who gives you revelation.

2. Why bear fruit: to become a true disciple

• Many are believers, few are disciples. Out of about 15,000 people who followed Jesus, only 120 ended up in the upper room, less than 1 percent.
• A disciple is someone who sits at the Master's school and ends up resembling him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• You do not become a disciple because you declare it, or because you feel like it. You are a disciple because you have borne fruit.
• Moving from 1 percent to a generation of disciples is the Lord's desire for your church, and for you.

3. How to bear fruit: receive grace

• In Genesis 2:5, no tree bore fruit because God had not yet sent rain. The rain that rises from the ground is a picture of grace.
• "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). If you have Jesus, you already have grace.
• "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Your new identity makes you able to bear fruit.

4. How to bear fruit: agree to be formed

• The second condition in Genesis 2:5: there was no man to cultivate the ground. So God forms Adam; the word "form" (Latin formare) means to give shape, to shape, to instruct.
• Adam existed, but he was not yet equipped to make the trees grow. He needed training.
• God made every kind of tree grow in the garden (Genesis 2:9): architecture, accounting, medicine, pharmacy, ministry. Every tree requires its own training.
• Take your studies seriously, let the Holy Spirit and your leader form you: that is how fruit becomes pleasant to see and good to eat.
• The tree of life, in the middle of the garden, represents the Kingdom of God. Too many disciples have abandoned that tree. To preach the gospel, you also need to be formed: read the Bible, meditate on it, sit under teaching.

5. How to bear fruit: respect God's boundaries

• In the middle of the garden, only one tree was forbidden: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One out of thousands.
• The boundary is not there because the thing is bad in itself. Sexual relations, for example, are not bad, they are set apart for marriage.
• Respecting God's boundaries means agreeing to be consecrated, set apart for him. That is the key to the Nazirite vow, as with Samson.
• "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful" (1 Corinthians 10:23). If you want to bear much fruit, leave the forbidden thing in its forbidden zone.

Key takeaways

• John 15:8 sets a clear condition: if you bear much fruit, then the Father is glorified and you are a disciple of Jesus.
• Glorifying God means revealing who he is to those around you (neighbor, coworker, family), through a transformed life and a bold testimony.
• There is a real difference between believing and being a disciple: a disciple resembles his Master.
• To bear fruit, three things are necessary: grace (already given in Christ), formation (spiritual and practical), and obedience to the boundaries.
• Revelation 22:2 describes the tree that bears fruit every month: every month, a soul, a fruit, an advance should come out of your life.

Personal application

1. How many people saw God glorified in you last week? How many times did you clearly bear witness to Christ?
2. When you look at your list of goals for the year, what portion concerns you, and what portion concerns the Kingdom of God?
3. Are you simply a believer, or can it be said that you truly resemble Jesus? What concrete fruit comes out of your life?
4. In which "school" does God want to form you right now: your career, your ministry, your marriage, your knowledge of the Bible? Have you agreed to enter it?
5. Which of God's boundaries are you currently arguing with instead of obeying? What would happen if you simply decided to leave it in its forbidden zone, without trying to understand?

Verses cited

• John 15:8 (LSG)
• Genesis 2:5-9 (LSG)
• Genesis 1:11-12 (LSG)
• Matthew 5:16 (LSG)
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (LSG)
• Revelation 22:2 (LSG)

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to bear fruit for God?

Bearing fruit means producing in your life what God has placed in you: a soul won, a family restored, a talent used for his Kingdom. According to John 15:8, this is what glorifies the Father and proves that you are truly a disciple of Jesus.

What is the difference between a believer and a disciple?

A believer recognizes Jesus, a disciple resembles him. Out of about 15,000 people who followed Jesus, only 120 ended up in the upper room. A disciple is someone who sits at the Master's school until he resembles him and bears fruit.

How can you bear much fruit in practical terms?

Three things are necessary: receiving grace (already given in Christ), agreeing to be formed by God, the Holy Spirit, and a spiritual leader, and then respecting the boundaries God sets as signs of consecration.