Choosing To Bear Few Fruits
by Pastor Dag Heward-MIlls
Herein is my father glorified, THAT YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:8
Bearing fruit is one of the most important things for you and I to do. All through the bible, God’s servants are encouraged to bear fruit worthy of the investment God has made in us. Even ordinary Christians are told to bear fruit. God is glorified through the fruit we bear. The more fruit we bear, the more we bring glory to the father.
Sometimes, you wonder what pastors are looking for in the ministry. There are pastors who leave their place of fruitfulness and travel to countries where there is no one to preach to. There are many pastors who have only forty members in their European churches but could have had a thousand members in Africa. But they chose to live in Europe and bear only forty fruits. Sometimes, the desire in pastors is not a desire to bear fruit but the desire to live in Europe or America. What do we want? To bear fruit and glorify God or to live in the western world? As ministers of the gospels have made the terrible mistake of choosing to live in certain places rather than bearing fruit, the poor regions of the world have been sold out to other religions. This is why choosing to bear little fruit is one of the top ten mistakes of ministers today. Are you looking for a European address or are you looking for fruit? Are you looking for an American Green Card or are you looking for fruit?
Some pastors are not happy to bear much fruit if they are doing it under the banner of someone else’s ministry. I have watched as ministers have left the place of fruitfulness and moved into the deserts of ministry. Often it is more important for them to be independent than to be fruitful. But it should be the desire of every minister to bear much fruit. Unfortunately the desire for money, position and fame is not compatible with the desire for fruitfulness. Are you looking for independence or are you looking for fruit?
There are times ministers of the gospel have to choose between preaching to rich congregations or poorer congregations. Often, there are many more people to evangelise in poverty-stricken regions of the world. In these poverty-stricken regions, there is little money to be earned by a preacher. Are you looking for money or are you looking for fruit?
Fruitfulness must be on top of the agenda of every true man of God. Always ask yourself; what can I do to bear more fruit than I am already bearing. This is the reason why I want to have more churches. This is the reason I constantly press for church growth. That is why I write more books and preach as much as I do. I am striving for fruitfulness. I know that “Herein is the Father glorified…”
God placed the desire for fruitfulness in my heart. I have prayed for years that I would be fruitful.
For a brief period, I lived in England. Often, I was home alone and had a lot of time to pray. I always remember one rainy night when I walked up and down the road praying for fruitfulness. There are times you particularly remember your prayers because in that moment, you connected to heaven in a special way.
That night, I believe I connected to Heaven in a special way. I had one cry on my heart, “Lord make me fruitful.” I was only twenty years old then but God heard my prayer and many years later, I see much fruit around me. But it is still not enough, I want to bring more glory to the Father by bearing even more fruit.
Unfortunately we have replaced God’s explanation of what glorifies Him with our definition of what glorifies Him. One day a brother came from the university campus with “good news”. He said, “God is being glorified on campus, the Spirit is moving.”
I was very interested to know what was happening so I asked, “Really, what is happening?”
With a broad smile he answered, “Many students have passed their exams!”
This brother had equated the passing of exams to the move of the Spirit of God. I explained to him that the passing of exams was a great thing but the indicator of the move of God was when people were saved and gifts of the Spirit manifested.
When our desires are met, we think God is being glorified. The hymn is sung “‘To God be the glory great things He has done”. Today, a new car or a new house means God is glorified.
When weddings take place we like to sing to the glory of God. The parents of the bride and groom will say, “God has glorified Himself today”. The bride will say, “God has brought glory to His name.”
Dear sister, I am sure there was glory at your wedding. But Jesus said He would be glorified when you bear much fruit.
Herein is my Father glorified, THAT YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:8
Herein is my father glorified, THAT YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:8
Bearing fruit is one of the most important things for you and I to do. All through the bible, God’s servants are encouraged to bear fruit worthy of the investment God has made in us. Even ordinary Christians are told to bear fruit. God is glorified through the fruit we bear. The more fruit we bear, the more we bring glory to the father.
Sometimes, you wonder what pastors are looking for in the ministry. There are pastors who leave their place of fruitfulness and travel to countries where there is no one to preach to. There are many pastors who have only forty members in their European churches but could have had a thousand members in Africa. But they chose to live in Europe and bear only forty fruits. Sometimes, the desire in pastors is not a desire to bear fruit but the desire to live in Europe or America. What do we want? To bear fruit and glorify God or to live in the western world? As ministers of the gospels have made the terrible mistake of choosing to live in certain places rather than bearing fruit, the poor regions of the world have been sold out to other religions. This is why choosing to bear little fruit is one of the top ten mistakes of ministers today. Are you looking for a European address or are you looking for fruit? Are you looking for an American Green Card or are you looking for fruit?
Some pastors are not happy to bear much fruit if they are doing it under the banner of someone else’s ministry. I have watched as ministers have left the place of fruitfulness and moved into the deserts of ministry. Often it is more important for them to be independent than to be fruitful. But it should be the desire of every minister to bear much fruit. Unfortunately the desire for money, position and fame is not compatible with the desire for fruitfulness. Are you looking for independence or are you looking for fruit?
There are times ministers of the gospel have to choose between preaching to rich congregations or poorer congregations. Often, there are many more people to evangelise in poverty-stricken regions of the world. In these poverty-stricken regions, there is little money to be earned by a preacher. Are you looking for money or are you looking for fruit?
Fruitfulness must be on top of the agenda of every true man of God. Always ask yourself; what can I do to bear more fruit than I am already bearing. This is the reason why I want to have more churches. This is the reason I constantly press for church growth. That is why I write more books and preach as much as I do. I am striving for fruitfulness. I know that “Herein is the Father glorified…”
God placed the desire for fruitfulness in my heart. I have prayed for years that I would be fruitful.
For a brief period, I lived in England. Often, I was home alone and had a lot of time to pray. I always remember one rainy night when I walked up and down the road praying for fruitfulness. There are times you particularly remember your prayers because in that moment, you connected to heaven in a special way.
That night, I believe I connected to Heaven in a special way. I had one cry on my heart, “Lord make me fruitful.” I was only twenty years old then but God heard my prayer and many years later, I see much fruit around me. But it is still not enough, I want to bring more glory to the Father by bearing even more fruit.
Unfortunately we have replaced God’s explanation of what glorifies Him with our definition of what glorifies Him. One day a brother came from the university campus with “good news”. He said, “God is being glorified on campus, the Spirit is moving.”
I was very interested to know what was happening so I asked, “Really, what is happening?”
With a broad smile he answered, “Many students have passed their exams!”
This brother had equated the passing of exams to the move of the Spirit of God. I explained to him that the passing of exams was a great thing but the indicator of the move of God was when people were saved and gifts of the Spirit manifested.
When our desires are met, we think God is being glorified. The hymn is sung “‘To God be the glory great things He has done”. Today, a new car or a new house means God is glorified.
When weddings take place we like to sing to the glory of God. The parents of the bride and groom will say, “God has glorified Himself today”. The bride will say, “God has brought glory to His name.”
Dear sister, I am sure there was glory at your wedding. But Jesus said He would be glorified when you bear much fruit.
Herein is my Father glorified, THAT YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:8
