October 15th, 1991                                 "A Good Tree Bringeth Forth Good Fruit"                                Bro. Joe Daniel

Matt. 7:17-20

"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." Verse 17. Everybody knows this. Have you ever gone and eaten margosa fruit? Margosa fruit is very bitter. No one thinks they are as sweet as grapes. The margosa tree produces bitter fruits. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Verse 18, 19 & 20. By now our fruits should have filled the world; Punjab, Tibet, China and Russia. But somehow, we have not become perfect in love. You know the bottle-neck. In most of our lives, love is the bottle-neck. There is not an outpouring love. Please note, that love and holiness go together. The Bible says, "He that abideth in love abideth in God." We have unlimited opportunities to love. But we have to learn to love as Jesus loves. Sometimes, we get very angry with the wrong-doer. That is our natural response. What is God’s answer to the wrong-doer? The Cross. What an answer! Any wrong-doer when he comes to the Cross, he is dumb-founded. His self-defence and self justification cease. We do not have such love; we do not exercise such love; we do not use this answer. We believe in the might of our own arms and our own words. No, the Cross is the answer. There is so much wickedness around us- so much that should not be there. What is the answer? What is God’s answer? He can throw us off into the fire- every one of us, me, you, everyone. But what is His answer? "I have taken your sins on Me." I find that very hard to do. My natural zeal makes me feel very angry at sin. But what is Jesus’ answer? "Father forgive them." When they were nailing Him to the Cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them." When they were nailing Him to the Cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them." If we also were like that, our fruit would fill the earth. My dear people, let us not be talkers. That is why Jesus closed His Sermon on the Mount like this: "Not everyone 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."

Let us not be afraid of God’s will. We have many natural fears. Fear comes because of lack of faith. And out of that fear comes disobedience. Jesus completes His Sermon on the Mount on the note of obedience. "I have told you all these things. If you do them, you will be like one built on the rock, if you do not do these, you will have a great fall." Why should we fall? Why should we fail in love? Why should we allow the devil to bring all fears and unfaith? See, God has surrounded us with works of faith. But still we can entertain fears and work negatively. And that will only make us go far away from God. But, when we obey, in effect we are saying, "My Father, I know, you take care of me. I know, you have got more than adequate provision for me - more than my needs. I will not listen to my natural fears or to the world. I will look to you."