The
Fruit Of The Spirit Study Course
The
Fruit Of The Spirit Study Course
Lesson Seven: The Fruit And The Seed
Text: Mark 4:15-20 - And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. [16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; [17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. [18] And these are they that are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, [19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. [20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Before we get into the individual study of each fruit of the Spirit this lesson is also necessary to learn about the processes of seed planting and fruit bearing. As stated before, many want the gifts of the Spirit because there is no “waiting” for those. The fruit of the Spirit is not a recipe for instantaneous sainthood. Bearing fruit is a time consuming process and for that reason many never come to maturity in Jesus. We are an impatient society and we are an impatient church. We want everything “right now.” But the path to maturity and growth in the Kingdom of God is not one that you will walk in in a day, week, month or even a year. It’s a life-long process that will only end when Jesus appears for the saints and this corruption puts on incorruption.
Acts 6:7 - Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied. (As the Word GREW, so did the people. As the Word GROWS In our hearts, so will our fruitfulness)
Romans 10:17 - So then faith coming by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Hearing the Word of God builds faith. Hearing and doing the Word of God also builds fruitfulness in us as believers. By the same token, the lack of study in the Word of God produces barrenness of soul. Just studying the word will not get it done as well. We must be DOERS of the Word as well. The parable of the seed and the sower explains why some Christians are more fruitful than others.
1. The Wayside Hearer (4:15-17)
This hearer hears the word of God and refuses to obey it. As a result, they do not profit by it and become easy prey for Satan to “STEAL” the seed sown in their heart. Satan’s business is to steal and to blind the minds of those listening to the gospel message.
2 Cor. 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Those who reject the word of God will one day be judged for their rejection. If they refuse to repent and be born again, they will lose their eternal souls.
Hebrews 2:3 - How Shall we escape it we NEGLECT so great salvation?
2. The Stony Ground Hearer (4:5-6, 16-17)
These are those who hear the Word of God, yet their heart is not properly prepared to receive it. According to Finis Dake, he says of this type of hearer:
“It is partially prepared ground but the stones were not taken out so the seed could grow and fully develop. They hear the Word of God, gladly receive it, but have no depth of consecration, no root to endure, no stability to stand persecution, trial, and misunderstanding which are sure to come and fall away.”
These hearers develop a “hardened heart.” This explains why in a congregation of people, some hear the gospel and get saved, while others die and go to hell. This also explains why some hear the gospel and what it says about divine healing and some receive their healings and others walk away in disbelief and never receive anything. This type of person also does not count the cost before saying they will follow Jesus.
Luke 14:28-30 - For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
C. The Unfruitful Seed (Mark 4:18-19)
These are they who hear the word of God and fail to produce fruit. Jesus called the reasons behind this unfruitfulness as ‘THORNS” which choke the word. Jesus lists these three things:
1. Deceitfulness of Riches.
1 Tim. 6:9-10 - But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. [10] For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Matthew 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Whenever we’re consumed by mammon, or money, then we can be certain the root of our tree is evil and covetousness in our hearts.
Ephes. 5:5 - For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
It doesn’t mean that God does not want to prosper His people. It means that we are not caught up in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luke 16:11 - If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
2. Cares Of This World
Jesus came to give us more abundant life. Too many Christians are robbed of the abundant life by the WORRY of other things and the day-to-day problems of life.
The story of Mary and Martha illustrates perfectly the type of service Jesus is wanting. He wants us to be consumed with Him. The daily care of life will take care of itself. Our pursuit must be of Jesus. That doesn’t mean we have to neglect our families or business. It just means our focus and purpose of life are HIM.
Matthew 6:25 - Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Matthew 6:34 - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
3. The Lust Of Other Things
1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever.
James 4:4 - Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Mark 4:19 - And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
In as much, there are some in the “church” whose trees are full of leaves, but no fruit. This person will seem very holy and may even have certain gifts of the Spirit operating through him or her. But the nature of Christ is missing because there is no relationship with Christ. (Matthew 7:21-23). If a fruit tree produces only leaves, without a doubt it would be considered unproductive. So if an individual performs all sorts of religious acts, including the performing of miracles, and yet has no fruit, he or she stands in danger of losing their eternal soul.
Matthew 7:19-23 - Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Jesus rebuking the barren fig tree is a prime example of his judgment on those who only profess Christianity but do not really possess the nature of Christ.
John tells us that when Christ Is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He Is.” When Jesus comes, He Is coming for those who have His nature. When our inward man is revealed it must have the new nature of Christ for us to make the rapture. If the seed we have is of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then we will bring forth the fruit of death, not life. Our “leaves” will not save us in the day when the “fiery eyes” of Christ reveal our true nature.
E. The Good Ground Hearer (Mark 4:20)
To bear the Fruit of the Spirit ought to be the ultimate goal of every Christian. If we are going to bring forth this fruit, we are required to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the Word of God. The word of God is only good for us to know if we have a living relationship with the LIVING WORD, the Son of God.
James 1:22-23 - But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. [23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
1) Attentive
James 1:19- So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (SLOW TO SPEAK, SWIFT TO HEAR)
We need to stop talking and start listening. Jesus exhorted his disciples and those who followed him many times to do this: “he that hath EARS to hear, let him HEAR.” The good-ground hearer of the Word of God is one who listens to “what the Spirit is saying unto the Church.”
2) Retentive
This person also retains what he hears, not being forgetful. (James 1:22). It’s more than memorizing scripture. It’s letting the Word of God get deep into your spirit man.
3) Receptive
Proverbs 16:22- Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.
Why is the correction of fools’ folly? Because they do not receive anything said to them. They listen with their ears but never receive it with their heart.
4) Productive
John 12:24- Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone: but if it dies, it PRODUCES much grain.
Isaiah 55:11 - So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Luke 8:15 - But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
F. Conditions of Bearing Fruit.
Jesus is the vine. We are the branches.
John 15:1-5 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [2] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. [3] Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
1. Cleansing.
John 15:3 - Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
The WORD of GOD makes us clean. The WORD is the seed of the sower. Jesus said that only the PURE in HEART shall see God. Only the pure In heart will bear fruit.
2. Abiding.
John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
The word abiding comes from the Greek word meno that means to dwell, abide and continue in. Without us taking the time to “ABIDE” in Christ, we cannot and will not bear fruit. To abide In Christ, one must have a daily prayer life, an attitude of repentance and openness to the Holy Spirit and a genuine love for CHRIST, not a superficial show of religion. Jesus warned that If we don’t abide in Him, the results will be eternally dreadful.
John 15:6 - If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Abiding in Christ produces fruit and gives us the opportunity to see miracle-answered prayer in our lives.
John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
3. Obedience
John 15:10-12 - If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [11] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [12] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
The word keep in John 15:10-11 implies obedience. This same word Is found in this context some 359 times in scripture. Obedience is greater than all our religious sacrifices. When we start obeying God and His word, then we will start seeing fruitfulness in our Christian experiences. Until then, we will continue in our religious ruts.
Jesus said in Verse 2 of John 15 that “Every branch in Me that does not bear FRUIT He takes away; and every branch that bears FRUIT he prunes, that it may bear MORE FRUIT. In Verse 5,8, Jesus spoke of MUCH FRUIT.
John 15:5-8 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [6] If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. [7] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. [8] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The 30-fold return is noted in the words, FRUIT. Some bear a little fruit after which the Lord prunes the branches and the Individual bears MORE FRUIT. This MORE FRUIT denotes the 60-fold return of the seed sown in the hearts of the good-ground hearers. The heart is pliable in the hands of the Spirit and when it allows God to move on the inside, MORE FRUIT is the result. MUCH FRUIT represents where God wants all of us to be---THE 100-FOLD RETURN.
John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Remember this: You are as spiritual and fruitful as you want to be! We are not waiting on God for revival. He is waiting on us!
H. The Unprofitable Servant.
There are three main reasons people are not profitable in the Kingdom of God:
Lack of Knowledge (Hosea 4:6)
A Feeling of Being Above Rejection and Reproof (Heb 12)
An Attitude Of Going Beyond The Minimum Requirements Of Salvation.
This type person never exerts his spiritual muscles to bring forth any more fruit than He already is bringing. (Self-Satisfied) (Luke 17:7-10). Even though we may feel we havedone what is required, God is looking for so much more.
Matthew 25:30 - And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There will be many “servants of the Lord” miss heaven because of an unfulfilled call on one’s life, unfaithfulness to the call and a lack of taking a stand for holiness.