Living A Fruitful Life

We all desire to live a life that is fruitfully and usefully spent. How do we determine that our lives have been fruitfully and usefully spent? Lets look at these questions:

• How does God measure success in the life of an individual
• How does God measure failure in the life of an individual

Are these two questions answered by the fleet of cars or number of houses we possessed or by the level of poverty in individual’s life, or lack of education?

God will not measure our success or failures in our lives by human’s standard, Man’s standard is not Gods standard. According to Luke 12:15 ‘ for a mans life consiseth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”

What are the Patterns of a Fruitful life?

1. Jesus Christ First: A fruitful life is the one that have Jesus Christ first in all things. It is a life that starts with Jesus and end with Him. Revelation 1:11 says I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last

· When you are praying to Jesus as the Alpha and Omega, you are praying to the one who is, who was and who is to come. He is our all sufficient Lord who will not fail to complete the good work he has begun in us

· A life that recognizes that Jesus never changes. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb 13:8

· Jesus Standard remains the same today as ever

· A life of wisdom that gloriously lived in the fear of God Proverbs 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

· A life without a stain or blemish. Philippians 2:15 -16

· A honest life of hard work and soul winning spent in turning sinners to righteousness. Mathew 28:19–20

1B A fruitful life is a life full of holiness: Holiness is being set apart for a higher moral commitment in all ramification. Ephesians 4:22–24.GNT” So get of your old self, which made you live as you used to-the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. 23 Your hearts and minds must be made completely new. 24 and you must put on the new self, which is created in Gods likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy” So therefore we are called as a Believer to be set apart, holy and to live out a righteous life in that holiness. There are times we may think it is not attainable to be holy or live a holy life. But according to Philipians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

· We should understand that we have been made perfect by the atonement of our sins, as we continually living in Christ, our holiness increases and as we surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He makes us more holy through its guidance and leading.

1. A fruitful life is a life that loves God

· A life that loves God Duet 6:5 “And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thou soul and with all thy might

· A life joyfully reading the word of God and meditating on it. Psalm 119: 162 I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil (treasure) 163. I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

· Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”

· John 17:17 “ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

· Hebrew 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”

· A life spent obeying God and keeping His commandments. John 14:23 “ if a man loves me, he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him”

John 15:14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.

· A life of peace, double portion of peace based on holiness and absolute trust in God

2. A fruitful live is one of Compassion and Active love- Colossians 3:11–13, Galatians 5:22–23”but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control: against such things there is no law”

· Have compassion for especially the downtrodden, the sick

· And unhappy captives of satan

· We must demonstrate our compassion by giving our best be it money, time, tracts and give comfort to those that are in pains and in need. John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life”

· A little love is a life of obedience to Gods commandment of love your neighbours like yourself

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3. A fruitful life is a Sacrificial life Luke 21:1–4 The poor widow that casted her two mites of all she had for living into the offering basket.

· A fruitful life has to be a life of sacrifice

· Sacrificial living

· Sacrificial giving

· Sacrificial praising of God. This is how Jesus lived his life

5 Constant Fellowshipping with Jesus Christ

· Jesus Christ is the fruit bearer, no one can bear fruits when cut off from Him

· Those who fellowship with God always get whatever they ask for

· There is an assurance that you will not backslide when you constantly fellowshipping with Jesus Christ. John 4:7 “ submit yourself to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you”

· The condition for fellowshipping with Jesus Christ is by paying the price of separation from the world. Amos 3;3 “ can two walk together except they be agreed”

6 What is the reward of a fruitful life:

· The reward for a fruitful life is eternity with Jesus Christ. God has given us eternal life as a believer. For those that have not accepted Jesus Christ this is the moment of the truth, confess your sins and accept Him into your life so that you can enjoy the eternal life with Him. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved Romans10:13.

· 1John 5:11–12 “And this the testimony, that God gave us eternal life and this life is in his son, whoever has the son has life whoever does not have the son of God does not have life”

· Continuous fellowship with Jesus in this life guarantees fellowship with him in Eternity 2Timothy 4:7 “ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith……..

7. What is the Fertilizer for the tree of life?

· Faith is one major ingredient of a fruitful life, it is the fertilizer of for the tree of life.

· If faith is absent the tree life of man will be on a barren ground and fruitless.

· We must have faith in God. Through simple faith in Almighty God we can overcome great odds. Examples of those who overcame challenges in the bible by trusting God in Faith are Abraham, Noah, Paul and Silas, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Shunamite woman etc Hebrew 11:6 “ but without faith it is impossible to please Him for he that cometh God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of the that diligently seek him.”