Abide In Christ #2 (2025.08.24)
Scott continues the Abide in Christ lesson by sharing another discussion by Dr. John MacArthur to explore the biblical meaning of abiding in Christ, focusing primarily on the topic of fruitfulness as the vital second benefit of abiding. Drawing on passages from John 15 and 1 Peter, the discussion explores the metaphor of the vine and branches, the process of spiritual transformation, and the evidence of genuine faith in the life of a believer. The speakers emphasize that true fruitfulness comes from remaining connected to Christ, resulting in both inner changes (such as transformed character) and outer conduct (good works and service).
The episode breaks down the difference between inner fruit—changes at the core of a person’s character, and outer fruit—actions and behaviors that stem from that changed core. Listeners are reminded that fruitfulness is not a competition but is ultimately to the glory of God, and that pruning, discipline, and the testing of faith play an important role in deepening fruit. Practical elements such as prayer, praise, giving, and using one's gifts are highlighted as ways Christians can bear fruit daily.
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Transcript
Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet or fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website@beholdingbibletruth.com and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode. Well, we are looking at the subject of abiding.
Scott Keffer [:Watched Dr. John McGarter talk about abiding and he's home really abiding as he is face to face in glory. And he, he's clear about what he was right about and clear about what he was wrong about. And once he gets home, it doesn't really matter. It's all clear then. In the meantime, we kind of walk our way through figuring this stuff out. So we're going to look at today this idea of fruit, which is the second benefit of abiding. So stand with me if you will.
Scott Keffer [:Let's read this passage together. I am true vine. My Father is fine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you, abiding me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it applies the divine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches, you abides in me, and I in him.
Scott Keffer [:He bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up. And they gather them, cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, my words abide in you. Ask whatever you wish, and shall be done for you by. This is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit, so fruit to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Abide in my love.
Scott Keffer [:If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may Be made full word of the Lord, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full, so that so abiding is so that his joy would be in us and our joy would be full. So last week we looked at the first benefit of abiding, and that was this idea that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the eternal triune God, dwells in each believer. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit dwells in each believer. And this week we're looking at the second benefit, which is fruitfulness. So if all goes well, I'll be able to crash the computer trying to get MacArthur up here again. We'll see what happens there and which.
Dr. John MacArthur [:God has for us. God is love. And the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. I wish we'd start talking like this. Right to abide is to remain. And for all who remain, they give evidence of a genuine salvation. And how is that defined? It is defined as God living in us. God living in us.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Taking up residence. Colossians 1:21 says, you were formerly alienated from God, hostile, aged in evil deeds. He has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. If indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, if you remain, if you stay, if you abide, he abides in you. This is an incredibly stunning reality. You think about the condescension of our Lord to take on a human body, but he took on a sinless human body. What kind of condescension is it for the triune God to take on a sinful body, take up residence in us? Now I want you to look at 1 Peter, chapter 1. 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3.
Dr. John MacArthur [:This is a doxology, really. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. All right. We're born again, which means we have new life, Divine life we have obtained. Verse 4. An inheritance imperishable, undefiled, will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. And we are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. On the one hand, we persevere and remain and stay and endure.
Dr. John MacArthur [:On the other hand, God keeps us. And then this most significant section, verse 6. In this you greatly rejoice What? What do you rejoice in? For a little while, if necessary. You've been distressed by various trials. Why? Why would we rejoice in trials? Why is James telling us, count it all joy when you fall into various trials? Why is Peter saying this? Because that's the proof of your faith. Your faith isn't proven until it's tested. When something goes wrong, what happened in the parable of the soils, Tribulation, distress, the plant died out. Fruitless.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Deceitfulness of riches, cares of the world, troubles, problems. That's the test. The best thing could possibly happen in your life as a believer is to have your faith tested. Because when it's tested and it holds, this proves its reality. The best thing that can happen is to have a disaster that is beyond your control, something outside of your power. That is a trial of grave difficulty, because that's what reveals the false. Their faith can't survive. It collapses.
Dr. John MacArthur [:But when you are distressed, who have a true faith, your faith is proven to be more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire. And it may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, though you haven't seen you love. The best thing can happen to a believer is to have something go wrong in life. So something go wrong. And the more that goes wrong, and the more times things go wrong, and the more years you experience the things that go wrong, the more your faith is tested, the more your true faith is tested, the stronger it becomes. If it's a false faith, it collapses. So I love that phrase, the proof of your faith, which is more precious than fine gold. The greatest gift you could possibly have is to know your faith is real.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Right? That keeps the hope of heaven bright. That keeps the knowledge of forgiveness clear. That brings joy into your life. That takes the fear out. New Christians struggle with that. You lead someone to Christ. They're new in the Lord. Maybe days, months, years.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Life's going on pretty good. They don't have a lot of issues. They don't have a lot of struggles. Their faith is not tested. Maybe they feel insecure. Lord, save me. I don't know if I'm saved. I wonder if I'm saved.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Maybe I better pray again. Try to make sure this is real. And people may do that frequently. Then a major test comes which could shatter a false faith, a superficial confidence in God, and they go flying through that. And their faith is not weaker. It's what? It's stronger. And that becomes the proof that it's a Saving, enduring faith. So the first benefit of staying is everlasting salvation.
Dr. John MacArthur [:You're on your way to heaven. You're on your way to be found. First Peter 1:7, in praise and glory and honor, at the revelation of Jesus Christ, verse 9, you will obtain, as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I don't want to go through life worrying about whether I'm saved. But I can't necessarily get that confidence on my own. Some of it comes from reading Scripture, which tells me that a true faith is a lasting faith. But how do I know I have a true faith? You know you have a true faith when you have a proven faith. And the more your faith is proven, and the more you have the tests, the stronger your faith becomes.
Dr. John MacArthur [:And you get this pure gold gift of the full knowledge that you're headed for heaven. So you say, abide in me. Why? Because if you abide in me, I abide in you. That's how to define yourself. I'm a Christian. Well, what does that mean? God lives in me. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, live in me. Not only in me, but in every other Christian, but in me personally.
Dr. John MacArthur [:In me. This is beyond comprehension. This is a condescension, even beyond the condescension of our Lord into a perfectly sinless body. Were it not for grace, this wouldn't happen. So that's the first benefit. The second, and we'll be able only to introduce this, is fruitfulness. Sticking with the metaphor, fruitfulness. Go back to verse four.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Abide in me, and I in you. Then this, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. So neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Don't forget that. He who abides in Me, and I in Him. There it is again. In him, I in him, I in him.
Dr. John MacArthur [:He bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. All right. This is sequential, isn't it? If you're a true believer, if you're an abiding branch, then Christ is in you. He's in you. He lives in you. And the result of that is manifest fruit. You will bear fruit.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Verse 2. You will bear more fruit when you are pruned. What's that? Providential trials, troubles, tribulations that we talked about. You will bear fruit. You will bear more fruit. Verse 5. You will bear much fruit. Verse 8.
Dr. John MacArthur [:The Father is glorified when you bear much fruit. And look at verse eight and prove to be my disciples. So what's the proof that You're a true branch.
Scott Keffer [:Fruit.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Part of that fruit is the fruit of endurance, patience through trials. There's a negative in verse 4. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. That's stating it negatively. Then it's stated positively. The same thing in verse five. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and and in him he bears much fruit.
Dr. John MacArthur [:And then back to the negative as a warning. Apart from me, you can do what, Nothing, because you can't accomplish the work of God in human strength. The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly. Romans 7. Paul picks up this same idea in verse 4. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit for God. That we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
Dr. John MacArthur [:If you are in Christ, you bear fruit for God. If you're not in Christ, you bear dead fruit. Lifeless, useless fruit is everywhere in the Bible. There's a simple sort of summary statement. In Philippians 1:11, I think that I'll tell you what it is. Paul talks about living lives that are abounding more in real knowledge and discernment, proving things that are excellent, being sincere and blameless. And then in verse 11, he says, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, who is the vine, to the glory and praise of God, who is the vinedresser. So what is fruit? It's righteousness.
Dr. John MacArthur [:It's righteousness. Can't do that. Without the presence of God in my flesh, I can do no good thing. Even my righteousness is filthy rags. Fruit is righteousness. And when the Trinity takes up residence in us, necessarily fruit will be produced. Righteousness will manifest itself because righteousness has taken over inside. Hosea 14:8 says, God says, from me is your fruit foundation.
Dr. John MacArthur [:From me is your fruit found. Luke 6:44, 43 and 44. Our Lord said, a good tree doesn't bring bad fruit. A bad tree doesn't bring good fruit. By their fruit, you what? You know them. How do you prove to be a disciple? Go down to verse eight. How do you prove to be a true disciple? How do you prove you're not a fake? How do you prove you're not a Fraud. Well, we saw one, you remain even through the trials.
Dr. John MacArthur [:But two, you bear much fruit. You bear much fruit. Fruit, yes, more fruit. Verse two, much fruit. Verses five and eight. Now let me move that idea of abiding in Christ, remaining in Christ from salvation into sanctification for a moment, and let me just kind of draw it out a little bit. You are, as a matter of reality, abiding in Christ, and He is in you. But if we look a little deeper into that relationship from a sanctifying aspect, the more you abide in the presence of and the knowledge of and the love of and the obedience to Christ, the more fruitful you become.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Our Lord acknowledged this in the parable of the soils, the good soil. The seed went in and it produced fruit. But not everybody had the same right. Some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. We could all say, well, look, the Trinity lives in me. The Trinity lives in me. I possess the life of God. And God manifestly demonstrates the fruit of righteousness.
Dr. John MacArthur [:And that would be true of all of us, but not to the same degree. That is why there are so many commands in the Bible, because the assumption is that we can disobey, we can cease to keep the Word, cease to love the Lord, cease to honor the Lord, cease to do his will at points in our lives. But that restricts our fruit bearing. Yes, we all bear the fruits of righteousness, but we don't all have much fruit. And we all need to have more fruit. We say, how do you do that? Well, it's not a matter of human effort. It's about abiding in Christ. Let me make a simple point out of this.
Dr. John MacArthur [:The more you focus on Christ, the more fruitful you become. The more you focus on yourself, the less fruitful you become. Lose yourself in the glory of Christ. That's 2 Corinthians 3:18. As you gaze at his glory, you move from one level of glory to the next, to the next, to the next by the Holy Spirit until you literally become like Him. Yes. Yes, we battle against sin. Yes, we war against the flesh.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Yes, we beat our body into submission so that we're not cast away. Yes, we're zealous for virtue and holiness and purity. But all of that is in response to the vision of Christ that keeps expanding and becoming larger and richer and more glorious. You know, I just don't know how Christians sitting in churches where Christ is not constantly exalted, I just don't know how they survive the shallows of their sanctifying experiences. Fruit comes by Abiding. All Christians, true Christians abide. All who abide have Christ and God and the Spirit abiding in them. They all then become frank fruit bearing trees.
Dr. John MacArthur [:They produce deeds of righteousness, attitudes of righteousness, words of righteousness, but not all to the same degree. The degree depends upon the level of our commitment, which depends upon our affection for understanding of Christ. Let's pray. Lord, we're very grateful for the opportunity to be.
Scott Keffer [:Okay, So I thought we'd look at this a little more in depth. This idea of fruit and fruit bearing number one benefit is what everlasting salvation. Salvation Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to benefit fruitfulness cost some more much. They said some 100x, some 60x and 30x, right? So when I think about here we are I and along walk with the Lord. That fruit has two components. The first would be inner. First would be inner. Inner fruit.
Scott Keffer [:That would be character, right? Our core, right? Who we are as core. This is changing us. So he says in Philippians 1, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, filled with it, right? Which comes through Christ to the glory and praise of God. So I remind myself, this is not about fruit contest, if you will, right? This is not who has the best rose bushes, not who is produces the best apples. He said at the end of this, this is to the glory of God. This is to the glory of God. So it's a reminder because instantaneously when you talk about fruit, you go into self reflection. Oh yeah.
Scott Keffer [:And how many look at their fruit and are really satisfied? You think, no, like what is that? Look at my branches. Like where's the fruit? So and then I look around, I think, well, your fruit's better than my fruit. He's got more fruit, right? He's got 100, he's got 60, he's got 30, right? So it gets into this spiraling. Who's the branch? Who's being burned up? Who's right. All those questions go through here, right? Doesn't feel like my joy may be made full Feels like, ah. So I think first of all it's. It's inner, right? It's inner. Inner.
Scott Keffer [:Is there anything in a way that you can do about that? Says the Lord desires truth in the inward spot. What his word separates where living in active sharpening to its sword, piercing. As far as the division of soul and spirit, where is that? And revealing the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It's given us a fresh heart, a new heart. He's changing us in or out first. In or out, right? In, out. So this is to the glory of God. Why do I bear fruit? So that God would be glorified.
Scott Keffer [:Right? It's not me. Right. Not to boast in me. And it's one singular fruit, which is very important because you tend to pull them apart and look at them. No, it's one singular fruit. There's a reason. It's the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit has one job, one job.
Scott Keffer [:It says in John 16, to reveal Christ. The Spirit reveals Christ. This is the fruit of Christ. You understand? This is the fruit. This is God's character. So the surprise, right? The. The Spirit. He will reveal me.
Scott Keffer [:Right? He reveals Christ. And who does Christ reveal? No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten God. Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father. He has revealed him. He's brought him out into the open. The Word became flesh and tabernacled. Nobody's seen the Father.
Scott Keffer [:He's the blessed and only sovereign. The Father is the blessed and only sovereign. He's the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. He alone possesses immortality. And he dwells in unapproachable light. That's the Father. The Son reveals him. The Spirit reveals the Son, the Son reveals the Father.
Scott Keffer [:To the glory of each other, if you will. So he's glorifying. Right. Sanctification is. We are freed from sin and enslaved to God. You derive your fruit. It's literally. That's the same word, carpos.
Scott Keffer [:It says, you derive your fruit. We're not enslaved to God. We derive fruit. What is that? Sanctification. What's the outcome? Eternal life. What's sanctification? A process. Process. We're now enslaved to God.
Scott Keffer [:Now enslaved to God. Before that season starts in any sport, what do they do? They have spring training. Really? Four. Right. The Tour championships going on. What do they do before they compete? They train. They practice. Right.
Scott Keffer [:Training. In Scripture, that's called discipline. But it's the same word for training. It's what you do before you compete. You train, you. You're trained up, you're trained up. He says all training, discipline. Right.
Scott Keffer [:Seems not to be joyful. Yet to those who have been trained by it afterward, it yields. What's a yield? The peaceable fruit of righteousness. We are being trained, disciplined. Like pruning. That's what he says. The picture is pruning. Pruning.
Scott Keffer [:That's it. When we were up at Niagara on the lake, you look at the work that it takes with the grapes in order to produce wine and the years that go on. And the. I mean the whole process is amazing. Amazing. Part of it is they snip off. Snip off smaller fruit that it may be bigger. You snip off small, smaller fruit that the grapes may be richer and bigger and more fruitful.
Scott Keffer [:He says, you will bear fruit, you will bear more fruit and you'll bear much fruit. That's a process. Sometimes sniffing is required. Dang. That's why I put beside it. Feelings are false prophets. Feelings are false prophets. They're not a good test of fruitfulness.
Scott Keffer [:Feelings and, and the process of fruitfulness don't go together. Feelings are false prophets. I have followed my feelings often and they. There's a way that seems right to a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death. If you follow your feelings when you think about this, it makes sense to us. When you have training, it doesn't feel good, does it? No pain, no gain. So we get it. In the physical world, of course, I just prefer, you know, an easy, smooth bride.
Scott Keffer [:Lord, there are no bark lounger Christians. But if you do right, it's not a. It's not a ride. So discipline, like pruning, right? So he says, if these qualities are yours. So these are qualities of character. They're at our core and they're not who we are by nature. He's taken our heart of stone. He's taken it out.
Scott Keffer [:He's replaced it with a heart of right. Taking our right given as a new heart. And he's changing our character. So if this is the character, right, Spirit reveals Christ. This is Christ's character. Well, it's going to be foreign to me, isn't it? It's foreign. It's not how I'm wired. Why in the flesh, the things that I want to do, I don't do.
Scott Keffer [:The things that I do, I don't want to do. And Paul says, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death, thanks be to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. That's our only hope. That's our only hope here, right? So he says, these qualities are yours. They render you neither useless nor unfruitful. In what? The true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For our Lord Jesus Christ. Interesting.
Scott Keffer [:If you look at Paul, Paul calls him Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ. Lord Christ. Christ alone, right? Always Lord. Always Lord. He's not just Jesus. Jesus is his human name. He's Jesus Christ.
Scott Keffer [:He's Lord Jesus Christ. He's not just Jesus. He reveals Lord Jesus Christ. So this is our Lord Jesus Christ. He Lacks these qualities. Short sighted. Be all the more diligent, he says. Be all the more diligent.
Scott Keffer [:What's that mean? What's that mean? What's it mean to be diligent? Say it again. Stay after it. Stay after. Intentional, intentional focused, focused striving. So he says, be all the more diligent. To do what? To make certain about his calling and choosing. Doesn't mean you might lose your salvation. Stop.
Scott Keffer [:No, he says, be all the more diligent. The proofing. So when we hear the proof of we think you could fail. The Lord's saying, no, I'm showing you it's real. It's like testing. It's like, you know, the, the, the what was the laboratory testing we used to be growing up underwriters, laboratory or whatever, you know, it was tested. It's to prove to you that this is gently, so that you don't have questions. It's not to prove so you can fail.
Scott Keffer [:This is not like I'm going to test you like in school and I'm going to put stuff on there that you can't answer, right? Then you're going like, no, this is the proving of. It's to prove it out. Make certain about his calling and choosing you for as long as you practice, you'll never stumble. Bring this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ will be not just supplied you abundantly, surprise you. Full joy, abundance, supply. But diligence. I like that.
Scott Keffer [:I don't like that. I always say people will want the result but never want the process. People will envy the result, but they'll never envy what you went through to get there. Right? The reality in our life, right? Reality in our life. So that's inner, right? That's our inner character, our core flowing from inside of us, right? So there's an inner part to fruit. There's an inner fruit, inner fruitfulness. And that's a battle, isn't it? Like this, right? Always inside we think the battle is only out here. But how many battle in here? Only while I'm awake.
Scott Keffer [:Sometimes when I sleep, sometimes when I sleep, right? I mean this is true. There is. There's a battle raging. There's a battle raging in here. Old man, new man, flesh, new man. There's a battle raising. Sometimes I just want be done, right? So I want to be done. I think, Lord, I think I want to see you more to just be relieved of this than to see you, right? So that's where this is the battle, internal battle, right? The Result is he is sanctifying us.
Scott Keffer [:And then you have. The outer is fading away. Like this is becoming more broken and painful and hurtful. And it doesn't operate the same way. It's more frustrating, right? And as he's saying, this is dying out. This is being renewed. So we have the inner. And then, of course, right, flowing out of here.
Scott Keffer [:We have outer fruit. We have the outer fruit. This is conduct. So they're conduct. So he Sundays in John 15:16. He says, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you. Attention to verbs. Chose.
Scott Keffer [:What does that mean? Purposeful. Selected. Right. I chose you and appointed you. Chosen and appointed. Chosen and appointed. Chosen and appointed. Who chose him? The Lord Jesus Christ, your savior, chose you.
Scott Keffer [:He says, I chose you. And I didn't just choose you. I. What's it mean to get an appointment? Yeah, well, it's a. It's an assignment. I chose you and appointed you. What were I. What were we appointed to do, Lord? To go and bear fruit.
Scott Keffer [:And fruit that would remain. So you're chosen and appointed to bear fruit. How does that feel like, huh? Good way to wake up. Hey, I've been chosen. Appointed to bear fruit. Sounds like a purpose. It sounds like a purpose. All your days, whether this stuff is breaking down, whether you can do less and less and less.
Scott Keffer [:Therefore, we boast about our weaknesses, our distresses in order that the power of Christ. Yes. And so Paul says, hey, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go home. For me, right? To live Christ and to die is gain. To die is gain. We think, oh, so and so dies. Yeah, it's gained.
Scott Keffer [:What's he say? If I'm to live on in the flesh, this will mean by stay. You're not just hanging around. No matter what age, no matter where you are, no matter what's happening on here, it's for fruitful labor. Labor means work, means work. Fruitful labor. So we labor to bear fruit. Fruitful labor. We labor to bear fruit.
Scott Keffer [:People say, why do you still work? I answer, because I can. Because I can. Fruitful labor. Do we labor to bear fruit? Since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you. Ask that he be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you will walk in a manner worthy of him. So we walk in a manner worthy of him. To the Lord, please Him in all respects. Bearing fruit in every good work.
Scott Keffer [:Fruit and a good work. Work as a result of labor. Labor produces work. Fruitful work. Right. Increasing in the knowledge of God. So what's it mean? Pray to bear fruit and better pray for other people to bear fruit. So we pray this for you to walk in a manner worthy and be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, right? Be pleasing.
Scott Keffer [:But you bear fruit. Pray to bear fruit. And pray for others to bear fruit as well. Pray for others to bear fruit. And if you think about right, this outer fruit, right, this outer fruit, Whatever's going on up here is a result of what? The brutes. It's down here. In Jeremiah 17, it says, hold on. Bless is the man whose trust blesses the man who trusts in.
Scott Keffer [:In the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. This is really cool, not just trusting in him, but he is your trust. He'll be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream. And it will not fear when the heat comes. It will not fear when the heat comes. And its leaves will be green. It will not be anxious nor cease to yield. Fruit will not fear.
Scott Keffer [:He comes, they can spy or something, undo. But the fruit we see out here, right? And then people say, what the heck is that? How can you do that? This picture of a desert. This is a picture of lights, like Ra. Ground that's cracked, no water. Then use this tree. People saying like, what's up with that? Teeth? Ground's parched. Where are you getting your water? Underground. Underground.
Scott Keffer [:Screams right? So we labor because we're chosen and appointed. We pray because we're chosen and appointed, very practically through him. Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. Oh, okay. That is the fruit of lips that give thanks. So praising and thanking God is bearing fruit. Literally, when I praise God, I am bearing fruit. When I thank God, I am bearing fruit.
Scott Keffer [:You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people, right? You were not people. Now you're God's people. When we praise God, when we thank God, we're bearing fruit. Isn't that cool? I can bear fruit every day, purposefully. Get up and thank them. Get up and praise it. I bear fruit. They're fruit of my lips, root of my lips.
Scott Keffer [:So that's outward. I can do that. Paul says the Macedonian Ikea have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor. And I put my seal on this fruit. Ah. To give is to bear fruit. Giving is bearing fruit. Giving is bearing fruit.
Scott Keffer [:I would say when I have missionaries here, I mean, I'm asking for people to give. Give. Right. One bu Needs money.
Dr. John MacArthur [:Get.
Scott Keffer [:You should give, Give. Why? Paul says it's not the gift. I'm not the gift itself, but for the credit, the fruit. It literally, the word is. He said in New American center, it says, for the profit, to your account. That's what the verse says to the prophet, but it's to the carpost, to the fruit, to your account. When you give, there's fruit to your account. You want more fruit, give more.
Scott Keffer [:You want much fruit, give much. You want some fruit, give. You want more fruit, give more. You want much food, give much. It's fruit, it's fruit to them, it's fruit to you. That makes sense. Well, those are real, practical. Let's go back to the theoretical ones.
Scott Keffer [:Real practical, right. Pray, pray, praise, give. Not that I seek the gift itself. And lastly, the Apostle Paul says, so that I may obtain some fruit. Oh, really? Fruit among you also. Even as among the rest of the Gentiles. So for my part, he says, for my part, for the fruit, I am eager to do what? Preach the gospel. So people confuse that.
Scott Keffer [:You think, what's he saying is preach the gospel to more people? Like, share your faith. Somebody's saying, there's a reason. There's a reason. Paul was chosen and appointed to preach to the Gentiles. That's his calling. Why? How do I know that? It says in Scripture, to me, the very least of all saints, this was grace, was given. What was the grace, Paul? To preach to the Gentiles. That's his calling.
Scott Keffer [:He's gifted and he's called. So what's the point? You bear fruit when you carry out your calling, when you minister your gifts. When you minister your gifts. Ministering your gifts is bearing fruit. Ministering your gifts. That's why he says, employ your gifts. They're employable. They are to be at work.
Scott Keffer [:They are to be at work. The gifts aren't for the shelf. They are to be at work. Right? So he says, employer, gift, Right. Employee. So ministering again. So their inner. Right.
Scott Keffer [:Inner gift, inner fruit. And there is outer fruit. So our conduct, there's cool ways to carry it out. Right? It's it. The picture is we're chosen and appointed. Chosen and appointed. We labor, we pray, we praise, we give, we minister our gifts, all very fruit, the end of the day to the glory of God. So we are to go and flow and grow.
Scott Keffer [:We are to go and flow and grow. That's the picture. And we do that. The Lord Jesus Christ gets glory because the fruit is revealing him. Fruit is revealing him. So we are to go and grow. So just easily root yourself in Christ in the morning. You abide in me.
Scott Keffer [:Root yourself. How do I. How do I do that? Right? God's word. First word, right? First hour power. First hour power. First hour power. First hour power. You want power in your life? You need to have a routine in the morning where you're, where you're deeping yourself into Christ.
Scott Keffer [:First hour power. It ain't your phone, it ain't your computer, isn't the tv. It's not right. You got that first hour. Get rooted in him. Now remember, you are chosen and appointed. You're His. He has chosen and appointed you to bear fruit.
Scott Keffer [:And then just have a way even to reflect and realign. Because days don't always work. Today. Just don't. Days don't always work. So we are to go and grow and flow. Okay, Write down the insight. Fruitfulness question.
Scott Keffer [:Comment insight. Yeah, some of them take a long time. Long time. Sounds good, right? You can be more fruitful. Very specific ways you can be more fruitful right today, like even now, your heart can be praising him, thanking him, who else? We all care. Chosen and appointed. Chosen and appointed to. To bear fruit.
Scott Keffer [:May the great vine, dresser and son, who is the vine, the true vine. May he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance rest upon you. And may his shalom be deep in your soul. May he keep you this week. May your roots be deep in him and may his life flow into you and out of you.
Scott Keffer [:May he bless you and keep you always, always, always. Amen. Thank you, Scott. Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
Scott Keffer [:And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time. May God bless you and keep you peaceful. It.
