A few weeks ago, I was asked to preach a sermon which is not something I’ve done for quite a while. I don’t think it was one of my most memorable, but what is interesting is how the topic has stuck with me.

I was speaking on Matthew 13:1-23, the Parable of the Sower. It’s the first of a series of parables, and one where Jesus not only gives the story to the crowd, but also answers his disciples’ question as to why he’s started using parables and then gives an explanation of what the parable means.

The first part is essentially Jesus explaining the doctrine of election, where God chooses some people over others. As a topic, it probably requires more than half a sermon to do it justice. 

The second part is where Jesus describes four ‘soils’, which represent responses to the Word of God. Only one bears fruit (or yields a crop) and does so in abundance. The other three fail to bear fruit due to complete disinterest, an unwillingness to commit, or having too many other distractions.

It was this fruit-bearing aspect that stuck with me. 

It seems that ‘fruit’ is something that God is looking for in our lives – as a reading of John 15 will show. In my talk I gave some examples of what ‘fruit’ might be – essentially it is the demonstration of the character of God in our lives. A well-known passage is Galatians 5:22-23, which lists these characteristics: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

I recently came across this verse in my daily reading – Isaiah 37:31

And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

This ties in with another point I made in my talk, that in order to bear fruit, we must be grounded (rooted) in the Word of God.

Bearing fruit is essentially the sign (or proof) of a person being a Christian, because fruit is the result of growth. It’s a similar idea to James saying how faith is demonstrated by works (James 2:18).

But there is a sequence. Taking root must happen before there can be fruit. That time varies greatly – it could be 5 minutes or 5 years!

I also think it’s ongoing, in the sense that we’re continually growing in depth and so continually bearing fruit.

Take root downward and bear fruit upward

Isaiah 37:31

This can all sound straightforward and easy, but the Christian life is anything but. In a world which is in rebellion against God, where ‘self’ is king, living out God-like characteristics is to go against the grain. Not only of the world round about us, but also against what seems ‘natural’ to us. 

It seems our faith is constantly being put to the test. I used to think that as a person matures as a Christian that things would get easier. Not so!

Last week, our family in Macclesfield (six of us plus dog) went to visit our son and his wife in Amersham and meet their new daughter. It was a weekend visit, so we wanted to get going as early as possible on Saturday morning. Things were going relatively to plan – we were about to leave when I realised that I’d lost my wallet. During the next half hour, I was asked by each family member in turn where I’d had it last, what clothes had I been wearing, had I checked my coat, the car etc etc. Love, joy, peace, patience and so on were all being stretched somewhat. I was convinced I’d last had it in the house, but it was nowhere to be found. I did, however, remember to pray and also remembered from my reading (Through the Bible in a Year, currently in Jeremiah) how God constantly berates the people of Israel for trusting in just about anything but him. So I decided I would leave it with him, and despite the uncertainty, I had a sense of calm and, interestingly, an idea it was ‘underneath’ something. There were no strange transactions on any of the cards, so we left without my wallet. Or so we thought. On arriving, four hours later, we lifted a cake tin out of the car, and my wallet fell out. My wallet has a magnetic money clip on it and the cake tin was apparently made of something magnetic, so when it had been put on top of my wallet, the two became attached, with the wallet ‘underneath’ the tin. So all was well – a swift prayer thanks and resisted the temptation to work out who had last moved the cake tin.

It was a simple incident, but it reminded me of the battle going on within us and round about us. Sometimes the issues we face are really big. But most of our lives are spent in everyday routine, which are the places where we learn to trust God. If we can learn in the small things we will be equipped to deal with the big things. That’s how the young  David faced up to Goliath, because he’d learned how to deal with lions and bears (for him a small thing!) while looking after sheep (1 Samuel 17:33-37).

At the end of Hebrews, the writer gives some instructions on Christian living. He includes a verse telling us to avoid the love of money and to be content with what we have (more an everyday issue), possible when we remember that God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. 

I will never leave you nor forsake you

Hebrews 13:5

We have a part to play in this; firstly, to remember God is with us, and secondly to to act like he is! Acknowledging him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6), and doing everything in his name (Colossians 3:17) because his name is his character, and doing things ‘in his name’ reflects his character – which is to bear fruit.