Do You Have Leaves Or Fruit?

Matt. 3:10 and Luke 3:9

John the Baptist is talking to lost people about their need to produce fruits before they are baptized.

If lost people need fruits to prove their are saved,

it is very apparent that saved people need fruits to prove they are saved.

            Leaves are what the tree has for itself, fruit is what the tree has for others (the continuation of the gospel to the next generation).  If all we have is for ourselves, God will be displeased.  Fruits are what we have for others.  Fruit is the natural result of a healthy plant, or saved person.

1.      Love is:

a.      Stergein - a love that has its basis in ones own nature.

b.      Eran is a love that has its basis in passion.

c.      Phlein is a love that has its basis in pleasurableness, it is a love toward a person or object hat gives a person pleasure.  It is a love of the head.

d.      Agapan is a love that has its basis in preciousness.  It is a love of the heart.  I like to say that Agape love is a self-sacrificing giving kind of love.

2.      Joy is: A calm delight, a gladness which produces a sense of well being over spiritual things, and flows over into materials things as well.

3.      Peace is: A rest or a quietness in ones soul because there is a total complete trust in God to perform in us and with us whatever is best for us.

4.      Longsuffering is: Closely akin to patience.  Longsuffering has more to do with being patient in the midst of trial and tribulations, when patience is simply waiting on the Lord without regard to the circumstances or situation.

5.      Gentleness is: Usefulness, or excellence.  Gentleness is not, not saying what is necessary to be said.  Gentleness has more to do with the manner, attitude, and spirit with which it is said.

6.      Faith is: The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11:1.  This means the person is believing what God said and acting on that belief.

7.      Meekness is: Not weakness.  Meekness reflects strength, not weakness.  A calm mind, not easily provoked.  I like to say that meekness is “teachableness,” that the person is willing to rely on God to protect them from all of Satan’s onslaughts. The meek person does not defend themselves (his character), but relies on the Almighty God to defend his character.

8.      Temperance is: Self-control.  But because I want to get completely away from the modernists idea of “self-sufficiency,” I term “self-control” as “God-controlled.”

It should be noted that these fruits are in order: i.e. They come one after another as they are learned.  It should also be noted and compared to II Peter 1:7 where charity (love) is the last of a list of attributes attained by the Christian.  Notice the difference in the two lists:  Galatians 5:22, 23 speaks of fruits (which are for others), while II Peter 1 speaks of that which is for ourselves.  Before you can have fruits (which are for others), you must have some things for yourself.  Hence the title to this message - Do you have leaves or fruit?

Matt. 21:18-20 - The fig tree withered at Jesus' command.  Note condition of leaves before and after.  Note the comparison between the fig tree and the life of the Christian.  A fig tree always represents Israel.  Every tree must have leaves to live.  Every tree that doesn't have leaves (in the summer) is dead.  But if all a tree has is leaves, it is a sick tree.  We are living in the "me" generation, where everything is for ones own self.  God will soon cut this generation down by the roots (not the trunk or branches).  The cutting down by the roots means that individual will not be coming back.

1.   Psalms 1:2,3 - We should be like a tree planted by the river of water of life - with leaves and fruit.

a.   Note that God has planted you where you are, unless you have transplanted yourself!

b.   Every individual tree (and every individual person) must grow their own roots down into the nourishment of the water (the Word of God).

2.   Rev. 22:2 - the tree of life has both fruit and leaves.  The leaves or fruit is not for themselves, but others.

3.   Rev. 4:11 - Everything has been created to give God glory, honor and praise.  This

Luke 13:6-9 - Parable of dunged fig tree.  It is apparent this fig tree has leaves, therefore showing it has life, but there is no fruit for the next generation, nor is there anything for God.  Note the patience of Christ as He deals with us.  He waited three years for this fig tree to bear fruit, but He would not wait any longer.  There is only so long God will deal with you for fruit, then he will chop you down.

What is the fruit God is looking for?  Fruit is Gal. 5:22 - love, joy, peace, etc. is the fruit God is looking for.  He isn't looking for any work we do to satisfy ourselves.  God is looking to see if we are giving Him the proper glory, honor and praise.  He is also looking to see if we are fooling ourselves into believing we are giving him the proper glory, honor and praise, when we aren't doing anything for Him, but for ourselves!

Matt. 13:22 - Parable of Sower and cause of unfruitfulness - worldliness.

Rev. 3:1 - The Sardis church had a name they lived, yet were dead.  The lives of many saved people are exactly like this.  People around them don't know they are saved!

Rev. 2:4 - The Ephesus church left their first love - According to Matthew 22:34-40 the first love is the love for God, and the second love is the love for others.  If you don't have love for God you won't have the proper love for others.

Ps. 92:12-15 - The righteous are like the palm tree, bearing fruit into old age, and their leaf does not wither.  This is the way we ought to be.  There is never a time to retire from God's service.  

Rev. 22:2 - The tree of life bears both leaves and fruits, the leaves are for the healing of the nations, and the fruit is for eating.  The words tree of life appears 10 times in the entire Bible, and only four times, teaching us that we can partake of the tree of life NOW.  This indicates that even the leaves we produce (which is for ourselves) will also be used for others!