• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Bible Reflection No wax fruit

No wax fruit

Posted on April 12, 2021 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment


I have a pear tree, an apple tree, and a cherry tree in my yard. If they were not producing fruit, I could go out and buy a bunch of wax apples, cherries and pears and hang them on the trees. This would make the trees look productive to those passing by, but wouldn’t fool anyone who took the time to take a closer look.

In the same way, I have seen churches that manufacture a frenzy of activity that seems to indicate that there is spiritual growth taking place, but upon closer examination, I find only the appearance of fruitfulness.

Jesus said to the Church in Sardis,

“I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.”

Revelation 3:1, ESV

The problem lies in a faulty understanding of what it means to build the church. When Jesus builds the church, he uses the preaching of the gospel to transform individual hearers into children of God. The church’s responsibility ends with the proclamation of the gospel and the “equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Real growth can only take place when the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bring about new life in the hearers.

But it seems that in 2021, the “experts” seem reluctant to wait upon God to bring growth so they invent methods to bring people in and make it appear that spiritual growth is taking place. The problem is that the fruit we produce by human methods is wax fruit and not real fruit.

The experts say you need professional musicians, concert-style lighting, slick branding, and polished speakers who won’t offend the hearers, to draw people in and, hopefully, capture their attention. Keep it fun and keep it light.

But when a church spends more effort on its style and branding than it does on teaching its members what it means to live in the obedience of faith (Romans 1:5), then little, if anything, of substance, is taking place.

I suppose it would be prudent to remind us what else Jesus wrote to Sardis:

“Remember then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.”

Revelation 3:3, ESV

When the tree no longer produces real fruit, it may be time to cut down the tree.

When the church no longer produces spiritual fruit, it’s time to find a different church.

Because if they are not producing spiritual fruit, it is evidence that Jesus has already left the building. And, if Jesus isn’t there, there’s not much point in staying.


Filed Under: Bible Reflection Tagged With: fruit, growth

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Pulling Guard

The Apostle Paul as a Pulling Guard

It is nearing the end of summer and soon we will have football. One of the fundamental aspects of American football is the running game. A key to a good running game is blocking. The runner must have players to go in front of him to keep the defenders away. The picture shows a guard, […]

Blessed

Introduction to the Beatitudes – Sermon on the Mount #3

Before examining the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11, it would be helpful to offer a few words on the meaning of the word translated “blessed” in our English Bibles. The word in the original is makarios, which in Homer denoted the “transcendent happiness of a life beyond care, labor and death.” (Theological Dictionary of the New […]

Bible Reading

A great reminder about Bible reading

If I approach the text with humility and self-denial the result will be much different than if I approach it with a sense of superiority and judgment.

Swimming Upstream

Going against the flow

In reading the book of Isaiah, I get the sense that with the advent of electronic media, we have improved the speed of communication but not the quality of the content. Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun and this passage confirms it. Isaiah describes a nation that is in the midst of […]

Action

Assent versus Action

For now, I will continue to have a gap between my assent and my action, but it will not always be so.

One day, Jesus will return or I will go to meet him and all will be put to right. The gap will be eliminated. Assent and action will be simultaneous.

What a relief that will be.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
June 2023
SMTWTFS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930 
« May    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2023 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in