The very first word God speaks to the man and the woman after creating them is a blessing paired with a mission: "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). Pastor Jean-Serge BEDA picks up this word to ask you a very simple question: are you bearing fruit? Is Christ being formed in you? Because being fruitful is not first about having children: it is about letting the image of God be revealed through your life.
This message continues a teaching given the previous week by Pastor Celestin on the signs that reveal Christ still needs to be formed in us. Here, the focus shifts: room for practical ways to help the seed planted in you truly become visible fruit.
Outline of the Message
1. "Be Fruitful": Recovering the Meaning of the First Mandate
The word "fruitful" comes from the Hebrew parah: to bear fruit, to be productive, to thrive. When God tells the man and the woman "be fruitful," he is not first talking about children. Notice the order carefully: "be fruitful AND multiply." There is fruit to bear before there is multiplication to see.
Now, God had already declared: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26). If God, who is already fullness, excellence, perfection, asks this man created in his image to "become fruitful," it is because the seed was indeed there, but the fruit was not yet visible. Being fruitful means bringing out the image of God planted in you. Letting his goodness, his love, his faithfulness, his holiness shine through your life.
In other words, being fruitful means letting Christ be formed in you. Since Christ is "the image of the invisible God," making him visible is fulfilling your first mandate.
2. A Reminder of the Four Warning Signs
Pastor Celestin had pointed out four signs that reveal Christ is not yet fully formed in us. Pastor Jean-Serge BEDA quickly reviews them:
- being tossed around by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:11-13);
- harboring rivalries, divisions, disputes in the Church or in departments, expressions of carnality;
- considering only your own interests, like a child;
- fighting the same sins over and over.
If you recognize these signs in your life, this is not an insult: it is an observation. And it is the starting point of the work to be done.
3. First Step: Intentionality
Christ being formed in you can never be the result of an accident. It must be intentional. Your will has to take part in the process. Just as in biological fertilization: the seed has been given, but it is waiting for your agreement, your obedience, in order to bear fruit.
Intentionality begins with an awareness ("I have this in me, so Christ still needs to be formed in me"), but it does not stop there. It shows up in concrete actions: a discipline of life, a roadmap, habits to stop, relationships to cut off, better associations to pursue.
"I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:26-27)
Many people hear the message, say "amen," jump, celebrate, then leave church without having made a single concrete decision. Be intentional. Take action.
4. Second Step: Repentance and Confession
Proverbs 28:13 says: "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." The word "prosper" is the same parah. In other words, whoever hides their transgressions cannot be fruitful.
The word "confess" comes from the Greek homologeo: to say the same thing as. Confessing a sin means saying about it what God says about it. Do not hide your face. Do not hide behind masks.
Compare two kings. Saul, in 1 Samuel 15, returns from the battle against Amalek having disobeyed. Facing the prophet Samuel, he lies: "I have carried out the command of the Lord." Then, when Samuel hears the sheep, Saul blames the people and wraps his disobedience in a religious coating: they kept the plunder "to sacrifice to the Lord your God." At no point does he acknowledge his sin.
David, on the other hand, in 2 Samuel 12, when Nathan confronts him, does not justify himself. He simply says, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan answers him, "The Lord has taken away your sin; you shall not die."
A hidden lie is dangerous. Pastor Jean-Serge tells the story of a woman who, for fourteen years, had let her husband believe he was the father of a child born from an assault. A series of teachings on confession leads her to speak up: her mother even tries to talk her out of it ("you're going to ruin your home"), revealing her own guilt in the process. The husband, a discerning man, had sensed from God from the very beginning that something was off; he ends up officially taking on fatherhood of the child. Freedom came through the truth.
Beloved, if you have lied to your husband, your wife, a brother, a pastor, do not say "I was set up." Acknowledge that you have sinned. God hates sin, but he is good: "What are you afraid of? Is there anything God has never seen on this earth?"
5. Third Step: Living Filled With God Rather Than Spending Your Life "Chasing Demons"
The pastor gives a blunt diagnosis: when you look at the prayer life of many Christians, you find 2 to 3 percent praise to God and 97 percent warfare. We love "chasing demons." That is not it.
The best way to neutralize the devil's ability to cause harm is to let yourself be so filled with God that there is no room left for the enemy. There is no more space. Be filled with his light, his truth, his love, his peace, his joy. That is far more powerful than spending your prayer time fighting.
6. Fourth Step: Walking in Integrity
"The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day" (Proverbs 4:18). If you decide to walk in integrity, the Lord himself clears your path.
Being a person of integrity is simple: private life equals public life. I do what I say, I say what I do. I am not a crowd pleaser. I remain one with myself. That reflects the oneness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, this one God who created man in his image.
7. Fifth Step: A Continuous Cycle of Prayer and Meditation
"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." (Daniel 6:10)
Consecrated, in Hebrew, points to holiness and being set apart. It carries the idea of exclusivity: you live exclusively for God. Build a regular rhythm: a routine, a discipline of prayer and meditation. Do not settle for other people's teachings; they went and dug for themselves. Go dig for yourself too. Work at hearing God personally.
8. Sixth Step: Honoring the Times of Worship God Has Established
"From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord" (Isaiah 66:23). God has established a day on which all flesh comes to worship before him. If you treat the days of worship lightly, you weaken your altar.
Since Covid, many people have gotten into the habit of staying home and "following the service online." Do what you must: unless you are on an IV drip, you need to be at church on Sunday. Times of prayer during the week and formal worship services are altars you build, and they are the ones that speak into your life on the day the enemy strikes.
Key Takeaways
- Being fruitful first means bringing out the image of God planted in you: letting Christ be formed in you. Multiplication comes after the fruit.
- Christ being formed in you cannot be an accident. Your will has to take part in it, through concrete choices and discipline.
- Whoever hides their transgressions does not prosper (Proverbs 28:13). Confession means saying about your sin what God says about it, like David, not like Saul.
- The best way to block the devil is to be so filled with God that there is no room left for him. Do not spend 97 percent of your prayer time fighting.
- Integrity, regular prayer, and honored worship are not optional: they are the altars on which Christ takes shape in you.
Personal Application
- Of the four signs (drifting doctrine, rivalries, selfishness, the same recurring sins), which one concerns you most today?
- What concrete decision will you make this week so that Christ is formed in you? A habit to cut off, a relationship to adjust, a set time of prayer to establish?
- Is there a hidden lie in your life, in your marriage, your family, your work, your church, that God is asking you to bring into the light?
- What has your prayer life looked like these past few months: how much praise, how much warfare, how much personal meditation on the Word?
- How do you concretely honor Sunday worship and weekday times of prayer? What needs to change?
Scriptures Cited
- Genesis 1:26-28, "Let us make man in our image... Be fruitful, multiply."
- Ephesians 4:11-13, attaining to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, "I discipline my body."
- Proverbs 28:13, "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper."
- 1 Samuel 15:12-23, Saul refuses to acknowledge his sin.
- 2 Samuel 12:13, "I have sinned against the Lord."
- Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn."
- Daniel 6:10, three times a day, on his knees.
- Isaiah 66:23, "All flesh shall come to worship before me."
- 1 Corinthians 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet."
FAQ
Does being fruitful mean having children?
Not first and foremost. The Hebrew word parah used in Genesis 1:28 means "to bear fruit, to be productive, to thrive." God says "be fruitful AND multiply": multiplication comes after the fruit. Being fruitful means letting the image of God, that is, Christ, be revealed through your life.
How can I know if Christ is being formed in me?
Look at the four signs covered in the message: are you being tossed around by every wind of doctrine, do you harbor rivalries and divisions, do you think only of your own interests, do you keep fighting the same sins over and over? If so, there is work to do. Awareness is the starting point.
Is it enough to confess my sins to God, or do I also need to tell someone?
Confessing to God is essential: it means acknowledging what he already sees. But when a lie has hurt someone, a spouse, family, a brother or sister, bringing it into the light is part of the work of fruitfulness. Pastor Jean-Serge even mentions engagement: if you sinned during your engagement, talk about it before the wedding. What you hide will follow you.
to take notes and ask questions.