Increase
God has called us to be fruitful! He has chosen us to take on His fruitful nature and His purpose to multiply our lives and His kingdom. This is a great challenge but it’s also the most significant and rewarding thing we can achieve in our lives.
Producing Fruit
(1) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
(2) He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
(3) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
(4) Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
(5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
(6) 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.
(7) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
(8) This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
(2) He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
What does God do so that each part of the branch is fruitful?
(4) Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
(5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
How can we remain fruitful?
(8) This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
How do we give glory to the Father and show that we are His disciples?
Fruit vs No Fruit
What can we learn about God’s value on fruitfulness from the following verses?
Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)
(6) Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.
(7) So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
(8) “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.
(9) If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”
Matthew 21:19 (NIV)
(19) Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
(14) “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
(15) To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
(16) The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
(17) So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
(18) But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
(19) “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
(20) The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
(21) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
(22) “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
(23) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
(24) “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
(25) So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
(26) “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
(27) Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
(28) “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
(29) For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
(30) And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Why Be Fruitful?
(16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
What have we been appointed to do?
(10) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
(11) And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.
(12) And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
How can this scripture encourage those who might be feeling barren?
(26) He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
(27) Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
(28) All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
(29) As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
What is this parable a picture of?
Why should we feel encouraged to keep scattering seeds?
(10) Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
(36) Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
Ask
What does fruitfulness mean to you?
Application
What would you need to do to see an increase of fruitfulness in your life?
Prayer
Lord, help me be fruitful! Thank you that you provide everything I need to be fruitful. I want to have an abundance of fruit so that I can help others be fruitful too.
Key Verse
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.