How to Increase Fruitfulness

Cultivate Truth

Luke 13:6-9

• “Sir . . . I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year fine! If not, then cut it down.”

• “. . . Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” – John 1:17

Introduction

• Personal Life • Personal Relationships• Performance

Introduction

• Fruit is a yard stick

Introduction

• Where is the problem?– The fruit – accept it– The tree – no one can change– The soil – treat it

Introduction

• Fertilizer – Nitrogen - Love– Phosphate - Grace– Potassium - Truth

Introduction

• Nitrogen – sunlight uses chlorophyll (mostly nitrogen) to produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide–Without protein plants wither and die

Introduction

• Love is the greatest need– How you perceive God– How you perceive yourself– How you perceive others

Introduction

• Phosphate promotes maturation and helps plants withstand stress, encourages healthy blooms and root growth– Lack encourages sugar blockage

Introduction

• Grace makes love work– Accept yourself as God created you– Relationship – provides flexibility– Performance – increases potential

Introduction

• Potassium – encourages water flow and increases crop yield and fruit quality. Keeps the leaves healthy to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide

The Soil without Truth

• Block light– Light is essential growth – – “. . . Light came into the world . . . He

that doeth truth comes to the light” (John 3:15-21)

The Soil without Truth

• Empowers bondage– Binds us to the past – blocks the flow of

water (word) – – “. . . cleansing her by the washing with

water through the word” (Eph 5:26)

The Soil without Truth

• Immobilize action (Galatians 2:14-21)– Neutralizes character– Frustrates grace – shifts to works–Weakens faith – ability to believe

The Soil Without Truth

• Compromised Truth (Rom 1:18-32)– Look at the creature rather than the

Creator– Given over to our imaginations and

sensualities– Our vision becomes skewed

The Soil Without Truth

• “. . . you must no longer live . . . in the futility of [your] thinking . . . they are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God . . . given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in . . . impurity and lust for more” (Eph 4:17-19)

Impact of Truth in Soil

• Idea of truth – free from exaggeration, pretense, simulation, falsehood, deceit

Impact of Truth in Soil

• Integrity of character• Jesus personifies truth – “I am the way, the

truth and the life” (Jn 14:6)• Truth releases freedom. “You will know the

truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32)

Impact of Truth in Soil

• Truth dwells in all believers– Jesus Christ – John 14:6-7– Holy Spirit – John 14:17-19

Impact of Truth in Soil

• Truth purifies (removes impurities) and consecrates (make productive) – John 17:17

Impact of Truth in Soil

• Truth promotes exchange of life from death

• “Love rejoices in truth” (1 Cor 13:6)• “Speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:25 KJV)

Truth at Work in the Soil

• We grow up (Eph 4:15)• We are fitted together (Eph 4:15)• Makes increase of the body – edifying of itself

in love (Ephesians 4:16)

Truth at Work in the Soil

• We bear fruit and seed for the next harvest!!!– John 17:18-19 – “As you sent me . . . I

have sent them . . . They too are sanctified”

Truth At Work in the Soil

– “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” – 2 Cor 9:10.

Truth at Work in the Soil

• Brings us into unity (Eph 4:13)• Places us in relationship• Matures us into maturity

Application

• How to work love, grace and truth into your soil– Read / meditate on Scriptures– Ask the Holy Spirit to apply it– Cultivate into your heart