TAKING THE SHEPHERDING WAY
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND REVIVE THE CHURCH

SERIES FOUR
SHEPHERDING PEOPLE ACCORDING TO GOD
TO BRING IN A NEW REVIVAL

Message Nine
The Glory and Joy of the Believers in Bearing Fruit

Scripture Reading:

John 15:8-11       In this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so you will become My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.

1 Thes. 2:19-20   For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Are not even you? For you are our glory and joy.

THE FATHER BEING GLORIFIED BY OUR BEARING FRUIT

We may like the matter of abiding in the vine, abiding in Christ, which is found in John 15. We may desire to be those enjoying the unsearchable riches of the vine. However, John 15:8-11 does not stress abiding only; it also stresses fruit-bearing. If we bear fruit, the Father will be glorified. The Father will not be glorified just by our abiding. He will be glorified only if we are bearing fruit. Only fruit-bearing can release the Father’s divine life. When we bear fruit, the very divine life which is in the Son, the vine, is released.

Fruit-bearing Being the Issue,
the Result of Our Enjoyment of Christ

As we are abiding in the Son, we are absorbing the life which is in the vine. We are participating in the unsearchable riches of the life-juice of the vine. Sooner or later, the life we have been absorbing will be released. When this life-juice is released, it issues in fruit-bearing. Fruit-bearing is the issue, the result of our enjoyment of Christ. It is this releasing of the life-juice that expresses God. In the releasing of the life-juice, the Father is glorified.

Our Fruit-bearing Being God’s Glorification

An illustration of such a release can be seen in the carnation flower. If the carnation does not bloom, then its glory, its beauty, remains hidden. When the carnation does bloom, the inner life of the carnation has been released. This is the glorification of the carnation. We cannot appreciate the beauty of the carnation if it has not blossomed. The carnation is hidden, and the beauty of its life is not yet expressed. Once it blossoms, its life is expressed; its life is glorified. The blossom is the glorification of the carnation. In the same way, our fruit-bearing is God’s glorification.

He wants us to express Him in bearing fruit for the vine tree’s increase and enlargement. The increase and enlargement of the vine is the Father’s glorification. Have you noticed how particular the Lord’s words are in this portion of John 15? He says, “In this is My Father glorified” (John 15:8). “In this” refers to fruit-bearing. If we bear much fruit, the Father is glorified.

Our preaching the gospel is to bear fruit, to bring forth Christ into people, making them Christ’s fruit, Christ’s expression. When we bring Christ into a sinner, he becomes Christ’s very expression. Verses 8, 9, and 10 of John 15 are all connected. If we keep the Lord’s commandments, we will abide in His love (v. 10), we will bear fruit (v. 8), and the Father will be glorified (v. 8). When we bear much fruit, the Father is glorified more.

THE NEW BELIEVERS BEING OUR GLORY AND OUR JOY

In John 15:11 the Lord said, “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full” (v. 11). To be branches of the divine vine and to bear fruit to express the divine life is a matter of joy-a joyful life. Many saints have had the experience of being in ecstasy when they have baptized one into the Triune God. They have testified that after bringing one to the Lord, they were unable to sleep well throughout the whole night because the Lord’s joy had become their joy.

Our Joy Being the Fruit That We Bear

First Thessalonians 2:19-20 says, “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” In John 15:11 the Lord refers to our joy being made full. In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul refers to our joy again. What is our joy? Our joy is the fruit that we bear. These two portions of the Word are related. John 15:11 should be referenced to 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20.

The Father’s Glorification Being Our Glorification

What is our joy? What is our glory? What is our crown of boasting? Christ’s joy is our joy. The Father’s glorification is our glorification. In John 15 and in 1 Thessalonians 2, we have these two words-glory and joy. To Paul the fruit borne by him was his glory and his joy.

When the Lord comes and you stand before Him, who will stand with you and for you? What will you say? Suppose you have never brought anyone to the Lord. This means that you have never borne any fruit. You may say: “Lord, look at Your talent. Your talent is in my pocket. I didn’t lose it. I’ve been keeping it.” For us to say this to the Lord when He comes will be a shame to us, not a glory or a joy (Matt. 25:24-30). My burden is to pass on this God-ordained way to you. If you will take the God-ordained way, you will be a new person, a person bearing fruit.

OUR ABIDING IN HIM TO BRING FORTH FRUIT
BEING OUR VERY DIGNITY

Who is preaching the gospel in these days in the way which God has ordained? Some Christians are preaching the gospel, but their preaching is mostly being carried out in an old, traditional way. There is an urgent need for some of the Lord’s people to be brought into the realization that we should be gospel preachers who impart Christ into others, thus making others a part of Christ, an expression of Christ, which is a glorification of the Father. This must become a regular part of our daily life. Gospel preaching should not be an occasional matter. We need to preach the gospel regularly as a part of our Christian life. Even though we have been fellowshipping this matter for almost five years, not many have entered into such a regular gospel preaching Christian life. Our main burden is to drop the old, traditional way of preaching the gospel and to pick up the God-ordained way of preaching the gospel as a part of the Christian life.

This God-ordained way of preaching the gospel as a part of our Christian life is very workable. It depends upon whether we would take it and whether we have heard the Lord’s word spoken to us. His word to us is that we should abide in Him that we may bring forth fruit that He may be expressed and enlarged. For the Lord to give us such a charge is the greatest love. If the president of the United States would charge you to represent him, how would you feel? Such a charge would make you feel very dignified. His charge to you would be an expression of his love toward you. You would not tell him you are too busy or simply not interested in representing him.

A good number of us must make up our minds to take this God-ordained way of preaching the gospel and practice it by forming teams to go out regularly to visit people to bring them into salvation. We must go to them again and again to have home meetings with them and to nourish them, to cherish them, and to feed them. After a while, we will bear remaining fruit as a result of our going in the way ordained by God. (The Exercise and Practice of the God-Ordained Way, msg. 6)