Where Are Your Fruits?
“The best evidence that a person is a son of God is that he does the works of God.”
“By your fruits ye shall know them?” What does this verse include? Does this verse mean that if a person is not openly bringing many people to church and having them be baptized they are a failure because they are not bearing fruits? Is a minister or canvasser judged on the number of souls that have been brought to church through their efforts? Sometimes this mistake has been made without any thought of consideration of the fact that missionary work is easier in some parts of the world than others. Why are there hundreds and even thousands of believers in countries like Peru while in North America and places like Australia there are relatively few? Does this mean that the brethren in Latin America have more living faith than the believers in North America?
Of course the amount of faith a person has, has no bearing on the number of souls they have brought to church. There may be two members with equally strong faith in two different countries and yet one belongs to a large church and one to a small church that has only a handful of believers.
Are we preaching to have the numbers flow in? Is that our main goal? That is the goal of most fallen religions. They always like to boast of great numbers and belittle God’s true church because of its small numbers. They even try to quiet their pricked conscience on account of this fact alone. What did Paul say in 1 Corinthians 3:6? “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Yes, it is God who gave the increase. Then may we conclude that God’s church is weak in different parts of the world? No, one thing God will not do is force people to believe and come to church. He works equally with the members of the church in different parts of the world.
By what kind of fruits do we measure our success? If it is the amount of souls that have been brought to church through our efforts, then we are making a great mistake. I am thinking of a great sister of faith in our church in Vancouver who passed away several years ago. She could not speak the English language very well, yet she went out canvassing for many years. She sold and gave away much literature with the few simple English sentences that she could speak. Not one soul came to church through her efforts, but I am sure there was much fruit for her labours. Maybe it was not directly from her canvassing work that souls came but a working church is a growing church. The literature is in the homes of the people and she has left the increase to God. They may read it at some future time and be saved. She was not lacking in faith. And also the church in Vancouver has grown through the diligent efforts of all the members.
I want to mention another case now. A friend of mine lost her cat and waited weeks for it to come home. It never came. One day she decided to print up some notices and post them around the neighborhood in hopes that someone may have seen her cat and would bring it home. The next day when she came home from work the cat was sitting on the front step. The cat most likely was not brought home through the notices, but she said that once she decided to do something then God did His part and brought her cat home in His way.
She compared this experience of her cat with the church in Toronto. There was a time when the young people were going out every Sunday to pass out religious tracts in the city. They were fairly regular about going out. Then she mentioned that although not one soul came to church through those tracts so far, because the church was working, 17 souls were baptized in the area that year. They came from other sources, but God worked for the church when the church was working. If we just sit and wait for souls to come in, it won’t happen.
I have often heard it said that very few souls have come to church through the canvassing work here in many of the Western countries. Mostly they come from other places. Does that mean we should stop canvassing and try to find out the most successful ways of bringing souls into the church? What does Sister White say about the canvassing work? “The intelligent, God-fearing, truth-loving canvasser should be respected; for he occupies a position equal to that of the gospel minister. Many of our young ministers would, if truly converted, do much good by working in the canvassing field.” 6T, p. 321. “The ministerial evangelist who engages in the canvassing work is performing a service fully as important as that of preaching the gospel before a congregation Sabbath after Sabbath. God looks upon the faithful evangelistic canvasser with as much approval as He looks upon any faithful minister. Both workers have a light, and both are to shine in their respective spheres of influence.” PC, p. 15. It is a very important part of the work because the literature is to go out as the “Leaves of Autumn”. The books and tracts may not be read today, but sometime in the future when the people are more receptive the Lord will direct them back to that literature and they will pick it up and read it. Also the beauty of the canvassing work is that you can do as much or as little of it, depending on the amount of spare time you may have. Some are full-time canvassers, some only part-time volunteer canvassers. And the truth of the matter is that souls have come to the message through the canvassing work.
Upon pondering this situation, I thought of my friend’s cat and the Toronto church. It doesn’t matter what kind of missionary work you do, just do something for the Lord and leave the increase to Him. Watch Him work miracles and build your faith. In some places of the world, many more souls come from the canvassing work. We are to preach for a witness wherever we are. This does not mean that we should not search for new ways to bring the gospel message to the people. We are to work where we are, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Fruits are not seen only in the number of church members in a church. The fruits of the Spirit mentioned by Paul are: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance.” Gal. 6:22,23. In these fruits nothing is mentioned about the numbers. Yet, if a person has the fruits of the Spirit, they will be as a “City set on a hill, that cannot be hid.” In this world of darkness and coldness, their light will shine brightly. Many people will see it and some will be drawn to the light. If a Christian dresses and acts like the world, he does not possess the fruits of the Spirit and will not have any effect on those around them. We must come apart and be separate. God is looking for quality more than quantity. Some also bear fruits by writing letters or articles for the Lord and thus are able to reach others in different parts of the world with encouraging words. Although this is good work, personal outreach is also very necessary whenever possible because as we share our faith verbally, our faith strengthens. Once a person is elderly, their prayers and offerings can help out needy mission fields. God has work for everyone to do, no matter how old or young, rich or poor. In Matthew 25:35,36, Jesus mentions various different ways that a person can do missionary work. “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
NOT GOD’S PLAN
Is praying enough missionary work for the young person who is full of energy?
“God does not mean that any of us should become hermits or monks and retire from the world in order to devote ourselves to acts of worship. The life must be like Christ’s life -between the mountain and the multitude. He who does nothing but pray will soon cease to pray, or his prayers will become a formal routine. When men take themselves out of social life, away from the sphere of Christian duty and cross bearing; when they cease to work earnestly for the Master, who worked earnestly for them, they lose the subject matter of prayer and have no incentive to devotion. Their prayers become personal and selfish. They cannot pray in regard to the wants of humanity or the upbuilding of Christ’s kingdom, pleading for strength wherewith to work.”SCp. 101.
We are not to wait until better opportunities to witness for our faith. We must ask God what is our duty today and do it. Today is the only day that we have been given and let us make the most of it. We must let the Holy Spirit dwell in us today and produce His fruits.
MANY LINES OF WORK
“Loyalty to Christ demands the faithful performance of church duties…
“Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. . .
“The Lord calls for young men and women to gird themselves for lifelong, earnest labor in the Sabbath-school work… The Lord would have teachers in the Sabbath-school work who can give wholehearted service…
“The idea of holding Bible readings is a heaven-bom idea, and opens the way to put hundreds of young men and women into the field to do an important work, which otherwise could not have been done. The Bible is unchained. It can be carried to every man’s door, and its truths may be presented to every man’s conscience. .
“The Lord calls upon our youth to labor as canvassers and evangelists, to do house-to-house work in places that have not yet heard the truth.. . Those who will go forth to the work under God’s direction will be wonderfully blessed… “One of the best ways in which young men can obtain fitness for the ministry is by entering the canvassing field. . .
“The very best talent that can be secured is needed to educate and mould the minds of the young, and to carry on successfully the many lines of work that will need to be done by the teacher in the church schools… Teachers are needed, especially for the children… Our church schools need teachers who have high moral qualities;…
“The Lord desires to have in His service intelligent men, men qualified for various lines of work. There is need of business men who will weave the grand principles of truth into all their transactions. ..
“There is no missionary field more important than that occupied by the faithful God-fearing physician. . . “In almost every community there “are large numbers who do not listen to the preaching of God’s word or attend any religious service. If they are reached by the gospel, it must be carried to their homes. Often the relief of their physical needs is the only avenue by which they can be approached. ..
“There must be no belittling of the gospel ministry. No enterprise should be so conducted as to cause the ministry of the word to be looked upon as an inferior matter. It is not so… The highest of all work is ministry in its various lines, and it should be kept before the youth that there is no work more blessed of God than that of the gospel minister…
“Children can be acceptable missionary workers in the home and in the church. God desires them to be taught that they are in this world for useful service, not merely for play. In the home they can be trained to do missionary work that will prepare them for wider spheres of usefulness… MYP, pp. 219-224.
MEROZ
What is Meroz? In Judges
5:23 we read about Meroz. “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.”
“There is a class that are represented by Meroz. The missionary spirit has never taken hold of their souls.”
A bitter curse is pronounced on those who do not come to the help of the Lord. What had Meroz done? Nothing! And this was their sin. They came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty. The curse of God came upon them for what they had not done. They Master will require of each steward to give account of his stewardship to show what he gained with the talents given to him. It is not because of great crimes that they are condemned, but because they did not come to the help of the Lord. Lukewarm Meroz, they are neither for nor against, neither cold nor hot. Let them arouse and act their part in the work for the Lord today, before it is forever too late. Sister White addressed some people in her day who were in this situation. “A people are here addressed who make high profession, who are in the habit of praying, and who delight in religious exercises; yet there is a lack. They realize that their prayers are not answered; their zealous, earnest efforts are not observed in heaven, and they earnestly inquire why the Lord makes them no returns. It is not because there is any neglect on the part of God. The difficulty is with the people. While professing godliness, they do not bear fruit to the glory of God; their works are not what they should be. They are living in neglect of positive duties. Unless these are performed, God cannot answer their prayers according to His glory.” T2, p. 147
“We shall individually be held responsible for doing one jot less than we have ability to do. The Lord measures with exactness every possibility for service. The unused capabilities are as much brought into account as are those that are improved. For all that we might become through the right use of our talents God holds us responsible. We shall be judged according to what we ought to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to glorify God. Even if we do not lose our souls, we shall realize in eternity the result of our unused talents. For all the knowledge and ability that we might have gained and did not, there will be an eternal loss.” COL, p. 362.
“We may not have committed grievous sins; such offenses may not stand registered against us in the book of God; but the fact that our deeds are not recorded as pure, good, elevated, and noble, showing that we have not improved our entrusted talents, places us under condemnation.” ISM, p. 220.
“When the King shall make investigation, these do-nothing, illiberal, selfish souls will learn that heaven is for those who have been workers, those who have denied themselves for Christ’s sake. No provisions have been made for those who have ever taken such special care in loving and looking out for themselves. The terrible punishment which the King threatens those in His left hand, in this case, is not because of their great crimes. They are not condemned for the things which they did do, but for that which they did not do. You did not those things which Heaven assigned you to do. You pleased yourself, and can take your portion with self-pleasers.” 2T, p. 27.
“Let all who believe the truth begin to work. Do the work that lies nearest you; do anything, however humble, rather than be, like the men of Meroz, do-nothings.” T8, p. 246.
WORK OF WOMEN
Women are also expected to bear fruit, however their fruit may be of a different nature.
“All who work for God should have the Martha and the Mary attributes blended – a willingness to minister and a sincere love of the truth. Self and selfishness must be put out of sight. God calls for earnest women workers, workers who are prudent, warmhearted, tender, and true to principle. He calls for persevering women who will take their minds from self and their personal convenience, and will centre them on Christ speaking words of truth, praying with the persons to whom they can obtain access, laboring for the conversion of souls.
“Oh, what is our excuse, my sisters, that we do not devote all the time possible to searching the Scriptures, making the mind a storehouse of precious things, that we may present them to those who are not interested in the truth? Will our sisters arise to the emergency? Will they work for the Master?” T6, p. 118.
We know a family in Canada who lives across the road from where we used to live. There is a single mother with several children at home. Her youngest son befriended my son and they spent much time together. This mother is a very faithful Christian. She goes to church regularly and participates in many church activities and also she often spends her holidays travelling to different parts of the world doing voluntary missionary work. Yet in her children there was a different spirit While the youngest son was not fully affected by the absence of the mother yet, the older children were quite rebellious. They were doing poorly in school and were troublemakers in society. They have no interest in their mother’s faith. Is this mother doing true missionary work?
“God has assigned woman her mission; and if she, in her humble way, yet to the best of her ability, makes a heaven of her home, faithfully and lovingly performing her duties to her husband and children, continually seeking to let a holy light shine from her useful, pure, and virtuous life to brighten all around her, she is doing the work left her of the Master, and will hear from His divine lips the words; Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord. These women who are doing with ready willingness what their hands find to do, with cheerfulness of spirit aiding their husband to bear their burdens, and training their children for God, are missionaries in the highest sense. They are engaged in an important branch of the great work to be done on earth to prepare mortals for a higher life, and they will receive their reward.” 4T 465/466.
This previous paragraph is woman’s first work. Not all women are in families with children. Some never had children and some have children who have grown up and left home. This being the case then they have more time for ministry outside the home.
‘The mother’s work often seems to her an unimportant service. It is a work that is rarely appreciated. Others know little of her many cares and burdens. Her days are occupied with a round of little duties, all calling for patient effort, for self-control,, for tact, wisdom, and self-sacrificing love; yet she cannot boast of what she has done as any great achievement. She has only kept things in the home running smoothly; often weary and perplexed, she has tried to speak kindly to the children, to keep them busy and happy, and to guide the little feet in the right path. She feels that she has accomplished nothing. But it is not so. Heavenly angels watch the careworn mother, noting the burdens she carries day by day. Her name may not have been heard in the world, but it is written in the Lamb’s book of life.” MH, p. 376.
WORK FOR YOUTH
Bearing fruit does not come naturally. In order for a plant to grow and produce fruit, it needs rain, sunshine and minerals from the earth. Even then some plants may grow but will produce only very little fruit. In the days of Jesus there was a fig tree that had no figs. Jesus cursed the fig tree and it died the next day. It was only cumbering the ground. In another parable the gardener requested time before the non-producing fig tree was cut down. He asked for another year in which he would put an extra effort to have this tree produce fruit.
The same is true for our young people. They will not grow up and be automatically Christians simply because their parents were. No, they must be trained. But by whom? “God has appointed the church as a watchman, to have a jealous care over the youth and children, and as a sentinel to see the approach of the enemy and give warning of danger. But the church does not realize the situation. She is sleeping on guard. In this time of peril fathers and mothers must arouse and work as for life, or many of the youth will be forever lost.”CG, p. 312.
Their training is the responsibility of the whole church. There is often the danger of only concentrating on our own children and even looking down upon those other children and young people who are not as well trained and are causing disruptions in the service. We are told that we must help these children as though they were our own.
Once a youth is baptized, the work for them is not finished. “If you consent to the baptism of your children and then leave them to do as they choose, feeling no special duty to keep their feet in the straight path, you yourselves are responsible if they lose faith and courage and interest in the truth.” CG, p. 500.
So what are we training our young people for? Is it just to be good and faithful church members? What did the Waldenses train their youth for? Our duty is no different. We are to train them to be useful, active members in the church. “The churches in different localities should feel that a solemn responsibility rests upon them, to train youth and educate talent to engage in missionary work.” 6T, p. 213. That does not mean they need to become full-time missionaries, (although this is a very worthy goal for them to reach) if they are not led of the Lord in this line. Instead they can be trained as to how they can share their faith in school, in their work place, and with different kinds of people. They also need to be taught how to use their spare time wisely because that is when Satan will come in strongly, when they have nothing to do. Satan will find them something to do if we don’t direct them to what the Lord wants them to do. Youth is the best time to serve the Lord. While they are young the burdens of life are not heavy upon them, and their minds are not harassed with care. While they are so free they should devote the best of their strength to God. They need to be encouraged to follow the words of the spirit of Prophecy to go to new areas with the gospel message.
Even in the world, the strength of the youth is recognized.
Look at most armies in the world. They like to draft the young people, beginning at the age of 18. That is when they are at the height of their strength. How much better if we channel that energy into the Lord’s army.
“When the youth give their hearts to God, our responsibility for them does not cease. They must be interested in the Lord’s work, and led to see that He expects them to do something to advance His cause. It is not enough to show how much needs to be done, and to urge the youth to act a part. They must be taught how to labor for the Master. They must be trained, disciplined, drilled, in the best methods of winning souls to Christ. Teach them to try in a quiet, unpretending way to help their young companions. Let different branches of missionary effort be systematically laid out, in which they may take part, and let them be given instruction and help. Thus they will learn to work for God.” Gospel Workers, p. 210.
“Let not the youth be ignored; let them share in the labor and responsibility. Let ministers put to use all their ingenuity in devising plans whereby the young members of the church may be led to co-operate with them in missionary work. Let those who have charge of the flock of Christ awake to their duty, and set many souls to work. Scarcely a thousandth part of the work is being done that ought to be done in missionary fields.” Southern Watchman 07-03-02.
Work where you are. Don’t dream of distant lands and future times when you will have better opportunities to work for the Lord. The Lord will not take you to distant lands unless you have fulfilled your duties in your home field.
Do something – anything -and the Lord will bless your efforts.
OMISSION VS. COMMISSION
“The duty of setting a good example must be considered. We must weigh faithfully the results of our actions. If we think a certain course will do us no harm, we should then look at it from the stand point of others and ask how it will affect them.” 11 MR, p. 297
“There are sins of omission, as well as sins of commission, and all of us are influencing the course of others. A neglect when the work is laid before you, is as wrong as to perform some sinful action, for in neglecting your duty you fail to supply your link in the chain of God’s great work. Your influence docs not sustain His cause.” 11 MR, p. 297.
“The law of God condemns not only what we have done but what we have not done. We will, in the day of final accounts, find a register of the sins of omission as well as the sins of commission. God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing. It is not enough that by our own measurement of character you prove you have done no positive wrong. The fact that one has done no positive good will be enough to condemn him as a wicked and slothful servant.” 6MR,p. 141.
“You have excused yourself for speaking evil of your brother or sister or neighbor to others before going to him and taking the steps which God has absolutely commanded. You say: “Why, I did not speak to anyone until I was so burdened that I could not refrain.” What burdened you? You were under the guilt of sin because you did not go and tell the offender his fault between you and him alone. If you did not do this, if you disobeyed God, how could you be otherwise than burdened unless your heart was hardened while you were trampling the command of God underfoot, and in your heart hating your brother or neighbor? And what way have you found to unburden yourself? God reproves you for a sin of omission in not telling your brother his fault, and you excuse and comfort yourself by a sin of commission by telling your brother’s faults to another person! Is this the right way to purchase ease – by committing sin?” 2T,p. 53.
In Ezekiel 3 we see the Watchmen on the walls of Zion. They are to issue the warning message. If they do not, the enemy will come in and destroy the people. We are these watchmen. We see the danger up ahead and we are to warn those who do not sec it. If we do not do our duty, the blood of those poor sinners will be on our garments. What can we answer them on the judgement day when they ask us why we didn’t warn them when we knew what was coming?
Jesus spoke many parables regarding the neglect of known duties. One that was mentioned already was about the fig tree. Other parables in this regard are: 10 virgins (Mat. 25:1-13), 10 talents (Mat. 25:13-30), lack of a wedding garment (Mat. 22:1-14), refusing to come to the King’s feast or supper (Luke 14:1, 12-24), the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Saying and Doing (Mat.21:23-32). These people were not evil, they simply neglected their duty.
TYPES OF WORK
Missionary – full time
Missionary – part time
Missionary – volunteer (Using our leisure time wisely)
We are one of the three above.
“I see fields that have never been entered. The torch of truth must be carried into the dark places of the earth. While the angels are holding the winds, we must work as Christ worked. Let no man fix his eyes on his own sphere of labor, and think it is of greater importance than all others. The missionary fields are all to receive equal interest. The field is the world.” RH 12-15-85
“How often is Christ disappointed in those who profess to be his children! He has given them unmistakable evidences of his love. He became poor, that through his poverty we might be made rich. He died for us, that we might not perish, but have eternal life. What if Christ had refused to bear our iniquity because He was rejected by many, and so few appreciated His love and the infinite blessings He came to bring to them? We need to encourage patient, painstaking efforts. Courage is now wanted, not lazy despondency and fretful murmuring. We are in this world to do work for the Master, and not to study our inclination and pleasure. And to serve and glorify ourselves. Why, then, should we be inactive and discouraged because we do not see the immediate results we desire?” RH, 07-13-86. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if ye faint not.” Gal. 6:9. “We can every one of us do something, if we will only take the position that God would have us. Every move that you make to enlighten others, brings you nearer in harmony with the God of heaven. If you sit down and look at yourself and say, ‘I can barely support my family,’you will never do anything; but if you say, ‘I will do something for the truth, I will see it advance, I will do what I can,’God will open ways so that you can do something. You should invest in the cause of truth so that you will feel that you are a part of it. God does not require of men to whom He has given one talent, the interest of ten. Remember that it was the man who had one talent that wrapped it in a napkin and hid it in the earth. You should use the talent, influence, and means which God has given you that you may act a part in this work.” RH, 07-08-90.
“My brethren and sisters, do you desire to break the spell that holds you? Would you arouse from this sluggishness that resembles the torpor of death? Go to work, whether you feel like it or not. Engage in personal effort to bring souls to Jesus and the knowledge of the truth. In such labor you will find both a stimulus and a tonic; it will both arouse and strengthen. By exercise your spiritual powers will become more vigorous, so that you can with belter success work out your own salvation.” T5, p. 387.
If you sit down and take into account what you do with your leisure time, calculate how much of it is spent for the Lord and how much for yourself. Hopefully the scale will not be unbalanced. It may be time to start to seriously consider bearing fruit for eternity and not the poisonous fruit that Satan wants us to produce in his way because it will not only kill us but also many around us. My wish and prayer is that none of us will be cut down as cumberers of the ground but that our fruit will be borne unto Eternal Life.