"Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.
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Discipleship Training Course Come… Follow Me!
Lesson 32: "Be fruitful...and multiply":
Part 1: Understanding God's desires:
Review
We have seen...
1. God the Father's
intervention to save believer's from the curse of sin and death through
the Cross.
2. That God
has designed that the disciple's of Jesus live in the resurrection
power that brought Jesus from the grave, by living before Him with a
humble and contrite heart.
3. That
believing disciples are in the Father's plan and that they will go
through temptation and suffering for a specific purpose.
See Romans 5:3, 4 And not only that, but we also glory in
tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and
perseverance, character; and character, hope.
4. That God is a Spirit
who will communicate with us. See Hebrews 12:9.
"Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we
respected them for it.
How much
more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!"
5. That Satan, who is
also a spirit, will try to communicate with us to lead us into
deception. See Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of
God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
In this lesson, we shall consider...
1. The bearing of fruit
for the kingdom;
2. Different areas of
fruitfulness;
3. The nature and need
for divine wisdom.
Our objective is...
to begin to see the unveiling of the plan God has for the disciple's of
Jesus.
1. The disciple's freedom.
John 8:36
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Three areas of freedom that the Cross of Jesus has liberated us from
are: Sin, Self, and Satan.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,
and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Romans 6:16-18
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you
are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death,
or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that
though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free
from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
2. Father's purpose in His choice
of us.
Matthew 21:43
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and
given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that
whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Romans 7:4
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through
the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was
raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
3. Areas of fruitfulness.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
1. The fruit of the
Holy Spirit's indwelling.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are
lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and
if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things.
2. A fruitful mind
See also Romans 8:5-8 and Ephesians 4:22-44
Colossians 1:10
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being
fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
3. Fruitful Righteous
Action.
1 Peter 4:10
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.
4. Fruitful In
spiritual gifts
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is
the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as
you see the Day approaching.
5. Fruitful in
fellowship with the believer's
3. The necessary ingredient - His
power.
Ephesians 1:17-23
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory
of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working
of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also
in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His
feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which
is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Power in the inner life.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Power for witnessing.
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of
the power may be of God and not of us.
Power to believe in God.
Power in the ministry of the gifts.
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might.
Power in Spiritual Warfare.
4. The nature of His power.
Ephesians 3:16
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
John 14:12
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I
do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I
go to My Father.
1 Corinthians 12:7
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit
of all:
James 4:7-8
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
5. The necessary gift of His wisdom.
Proverbs 4:5
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the
words of my mouth.
James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct
that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you
have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie
against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but
is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking
exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to
yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by
those who make peace.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6. What divine wisdom does for the
believer.
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to
think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Wisdom Brings self understanding.
1 Corinthians 2:10 -12
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man
knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?
Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who
is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given
to us by God.
It brings clarity in understanding truth.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been
assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that
from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
It brings comprehension of Scripture.
Colossians 1:9
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Wisdom brings understanding of God's will.
1 Corinthians 14:20
Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be
babes, but in understanding be mature.
It brings understanding of the Spirit's gifts.
2 Corinthians 2:11
lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his
devices.
It brings understanding of spiritual power.
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a
defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you,
with meekness and fear;
It brings encouraging hope to those that are called.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need
that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For
when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon
them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not
escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day
should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and
sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
Malcolm Vine, Cornerstone Ministries. September 2004.
To contact the Bible School email: bibleschool@cornerstoneministries.org.uk
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