Planting and Pruning
Fall is one of the best times of year for planting new
shrubs. In fact, Kristen and I just did
this at our house. We had some plants
that were dying in the front of our house so we pulled those up and replanted
them somewhere else in hopes that they would thrive in their new environment
and we also planted new, smaller shrubs in their place.
Farmers go through similar process when they are
planting their crops. They spend a lot
of time and money cultivating the soil that has already been planted in years past. When it comes time to plant they
have all the proper nutrients in the soil to make the plants produce
fruit. They have to remove all the old
plants which are no long producing by tilling up the soil and then they plant new crops in their place so that they produce fruit.
For individual plants, we go through a process called pruning to help them continue to thrive. In order for a plant to flourish and grow,
you have to cut off the old branches which stop producing fruit to make room
for new growth. The branches which don’t
produce fruit steel nutrients from the ones that do. So they need to be cut off.
The Vine and Branches
In John 15:5-8 Jesus talks about the grape vine in the same. He says, "I am the
vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear
much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is 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 given
you. 8 This is to my Father's
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
In order for a branch to bear fruit it must remain connected
to the vine! That's a simple truth that we all understand. But this also means that the branches which are not yet
connected to the vine, must be "grafted in" for them to bear fruit.
Grafting
Paul talks about this process when referring to how God was saving the Gentiles. He says, "…some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root" (Romans 11:17).
Fruit bearing is important.
Christians bear fruit in many ways, but one of the ways in which they
bear fruit is by sharing the gospel. The
fruit of their labor is that people come to Jesus. This is what Fortifying God’s Kingdom is all
about. It’s about building the kingdom
by becoming horticulturalists that graft new branches into the vine. We help people get connect to the life
source. Without a vine, branches are
destined to die. Jesus said they are
thrown away and wither and are only good to be thrown in the fire.
The truth of the matter is simple, without Jesus people will
perish.
We don’t like to talk about the place called hell where people live in eternal separation from God, but that should motivate us to share the gospel all the more. We have the important
job of helping other branches become and remain connected to the vine; to
Jesus.
Paul said in Romans 10:14-15, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
How are we doing with this Reinforcing Principle of the Refuge?
The Reinforcing Principles of the Refuge
Requesting God’s Guidance
Enjoying fellowship
Fortifying God’s Kingdom
Understanding God’s Word
Giving to the Community
Elevating God in Worship
