"Let's bear The FRUIT!"

God has a purpose for our lives and what is that purpose very simply, it is to bear FRUIT.
If we bear fruit, we are of value to him. God the Father is the vinedresser, and his sole desire is that the branches of the vine might bear fruit, that is how he evaluates them.
Notice what He does.
"I am the true vine and my Father is the vinedresser. He cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit."
In grape vines, 90 - 95% of them is pruning off worthless branches. The reason is, on grape vines, grapes only happen on new growth. Those old branches might look wonderful and leafy but the simple truth is that they will not bear any fruit. So God cuts them off and tosses out all that old stuff so that the new vine branches might be fruit bearing ones. The simple truth is that old branches on a vine take up its nutrients so that new vine branches will only produce poor fruit. That is why old branches are cut off.
This first part that the vinedresser does is the painful to us because he is talking about us as individuals. This passages forces us to ask ourselves: Are we fulfilling God's function for our lives? Are we bearing fruit that will last? Or are we pieces that need to be cut off because we are fruitless?
Before we ask that question further, let me point out something else that the vinedresser does. If he sees a branch bearing fruit, maybe not a lot, but a little, you know what he does to it - this time he does not cut it off, rather he cuts it way down to size.
"Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more."
The whole reason behind pruning is FRUIT - not just a little, but a lot of fruit.
"It is the Glory of my Father, that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples."
Pruning is also done for the purpose of strength. Some long branches couldn't bear any fruit because simply they are not strong enough. Therefore the vinedresser cuts branches short so that when the fruit comes, it will be strong
So the question asks us: Are we BEARING FRUIT? And then: What does it mean to bear fruit?

Let me describe.
1. Fruit never exists for itself. Fruit is designed for others. However you might choose to define fruit - the first and most basic question is this - are you living to serve yourself or are you living to serve God and others?
2. Good fruit is food! This is true of spiritual fruit also, it is for other people to enjoy and grow by, it blesses others, it nurtures them.
3. Good fruit is reproducable - it has the potential when falling onto good soil to reproduce again the same fruit as the original vine. The faith of the ours ought to become the faith of those around us. If not, we will be burned.
This has many applications for our lives. It is very practical. We always live in a time when we are making choices. And so often we make those choices based on abilities, interest, and so on. But how about the question of having a choice in which we intentionally bear fruit for God? How does fruit bearing fit into our plans? How are we going to be living our life for others? How is our life in Christ going to be reproduced in others?
The last question, if we want to bear fruit is - "What is the key to bearing fruit?"
The answer is the wonderful part of this passage. The key to bearing fruit is not in our doing so much, not in our work or activities, the key to the function of bearing fruit is in our RELATIONSHIP with Christ.
"Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing."
Amen.