Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Orchard

The Orchard


God is raising up an orchard – a glorious assembly of living testimonies that declare His righteousness.
  • Psalm 92:12-15 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

His trees stand tall and strong; they produce an abundance of fruit. God gave the best that He had, the life of His Son Jesus Christ, for the eternal life of each tree in the orchard. He has placed them in the orchard according to His plan and desires to maximize the harvest. He longs to see the influence and impact on the world of the different fruit He has gifted each tree to produce.

God’s orchard is the church, the body of Christ. Each tree in God's orchard represents a person who has responded to the gospel message of Jesus Christ and has surrendered their life to His Lordship. And although there is much diversity with regards to the spiritual gifts and functions of the different trees in the orchard, there are also crucial commonalities that bring unity, strength, efficiency and effectiveness to the church and its members.


The Trees of God are Built Up in the Love of Christ.
  • Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
  • Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
The truth about Jesus’ Deity, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection from the dead and ascension to Heaven comprises the fundamental nutrients in the soil of the orchard. Each tree stands firm and grows strong in these truths. The love of Christ compels us to love others.


The Trees of God Bear Good Fruit
  • Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
  • Matthew 7:17-20 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
The level of spiritual maturity (love, obedience, discipline, knowledge, etc.), along with God’s sovereign plans and purposes, can impact the amount of beneficial fruit revealed in the life of a believer. But all the trees in this orchard will bear some amount of Godly fruit.


The Trees of God Bring Him Glory
  • Isaiah 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
  • John 15:8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
The purpose of every follower of Jesus is to love God and bring Him glory. The more good fruit we bear, the more honor and glory we bring to God. Some examples of good fruit include: praise to God (Hebrews 13:15), glorifying God (Philippians 1:11), good works (Colossians 1:10), living in a way that reflects what God has done in your life (Matthew 3:8), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and sharing the truth of Christ with the lost (John 4:35-36).


Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.


Are you a tree in God’s orchard?

If you are:
  • Stand firm and strong in the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
  • Bear much good fruit.
  • Bring glory to God.
If you are not:
  • Ask God to reveal His truth to you.
  • Watch expectantly for His response.
  • Be reconciled to God and be planted in His orchard.


Prayer

Thank You Father for planting me in Your orchard. I praise You for the work You have done in my life. What a blessing to see the vast expanse of trees bringing forth good fruit for Your Glory. I praise You and ask You in the name of Jesus to plant many more trees in Your orchard as they respond to Your Love, Your Truth and Your Spirit. Amen.