Bringing Glory to God

Meditations for Seeking the Life in Christ

The Gospel of John 

September 13, 2024

Bringing Glory to God

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.

This brings great glory to my Father”

John  15:8

In John 15, Jesus says he is the true grapevine, and his Father is the gardener. What if your church announces the Gardener will be meeting with your congregation to cut off every branch that isn’t producing fruit. He will also prune the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. Ouch! I wonder how many people will show up to meet with the Gardener.

I believe our willingness to sit still for the Gardener is directly proportional to our ownership of Jesus’ expectation that we produce much fruit for him. Note that Jesus twice says that he expects much fruit from his disciples, not just some fruit. (John 15: 5 & 8) Our willingness to sit still for the Gardener is also directly related to our staying close to Jesus: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). Knowing I am in Christ, and he is in me emboldens me to allow the Gardener to cut and prune, even if I do cringe and cry ouch!

Our mission is to make disciples for Jesus for the transformation of the world. The fruit Jesus is expecting us to produce is fruit that helps people know and love him. We are also called to produce much fruit in ministries of peace and justice that transform the world into the Kingdom of God. This passage should give us pause to examine our life for evidence that our focus, our priorities are aimed at producing much fruit for Jesus’ Kingdom.

My Takeaway: I must never lose my personal expectation that I will produce much fruit for Jesus. When I am faithful, I will hear Jesus says to me, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:8).

And also you! 

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.