Did you know that God has an
orchard of fruit-bearing Life trees? In
Paul’s prayer for the church at Philippi, he describes these trees from the
roots all the way up to the fruits. Each
of us is one of these trees. The health
of our tree is dependent upon growing deep roots of wisdom, a sturdy trunk that
is free of pests and disease, and strong branches teeming with fruit.
Philippians 1:9-12
And this
is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and
depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may
be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of
righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Things to think about:
· Before we
dive into our topic, here is a Pro Tip on prayer from a pastor friend: If you
don’t know how to find the right words when you’re praying, use the prayers of
the Scriptures as your model. I have
marked in my Bible this passage as my prayer for our group.
The Roots
· Paul says
that in order for our tree to grow big and strong it must have roots that are
growing deeper in knowledge and insight. God’s word and His teachers provide us
with the nourishment we need to grow as He intended.
o
Absent a strong foundation, our tree is susceptible to every wind,
flood, and drought.
§ Winds of
circumstance can challenge our commitment
§ Floods of
discouragement can overwhelm us
§ A drought of
feeling God’s presence can shrivel our faith
§ Do any of
these ring true for you?
§ Are there
Scriptures you cling to in times like these?
o
We can sometimes be more like thin blades of grass or a delicate
flower than a towering tree
§ Isaiah 40:8 –“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like
the flowers of the field. The grass
withers and the flowers fall, because
the breath of the Lord blows on
them. Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God
endures forever.”
o
We are also vulnerable to toxins like bad teaching or faulty
theology
§ Ephesians
14:4 – “ Then we will no longer be
infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there
by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their
deceitful scheming.”
§ Proverbs 19:2a –
“Desire without knowledge is not good”
o
Then when the winds, floods, and droughts come as they inevitably
do, we will be able to discern what is best, to remain pure, and to be blameless.
The Trunk
o
However, a great deal of knowledge that never comes out hiding is
like a root system that never becomes a tree.
It eagerly takes in the nutrients and the water but doesn’t grow up and
give back.
o
Paul
said it like this in 1 Corinthians 13:2:
§ If I have the gift of
prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if
I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing.
§ Jesus is love and
does not hide from the harsh glare of the sun or the bitter cold of winter.
o
So the trunk is the link between the roots and the branches that
bear the fruit.
§ Jesus said in John
15:5, “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.
§ Why does Jesus count “good
works” that are done apart from Him as nothing?
The Fruit
· The very point of a fruit tree
is to bear fruit. The Orchard Owner designed
it that way and expects to see branches that are leafy and brimming with
deliciously sweet fruit.
· Fruits of righteousness
o
Love
God by obeying His commands
o
Love
others as Christ has loved you
· Fruits of the Spirit
o
Galatians
5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
§ The fruit described here is
attainable by each of us because it’s not called the fruit of man but of the
Spirit who indwells every believer.
· Let us pray as Paul did that on
the day of Christ, we will be filled with the fruit of righteousness, to the glory
and praise of God.
Proverbs 11:30 - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life
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