1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:06,120 Please be seated church good morning forward you're going to 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:11,760 ask you to open your Bibles to Luke chapter 6 verses 43 to 45. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,000 You're using the Bibles found underneath some of the chairs in 4 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,880 the main odd here it's page 915 or you can download the Bible 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:22,320 app. What a great tool that is. 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,480 You can get all the versions of the Bible in all sorts of 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:27,000 languages. It's absolutely free. 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,280 You can download it on your phone. 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,759 But we're in Luke chapter 6, verse 43 to 45. 10 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:35,600 What a great morning it's been this morning, man. 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,600 It's so good to worship together as God's people, to be rooted 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,600 and reminded of these great truths that we've been singing 13 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:44,840 together, and then to celebrate these baptisms. 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:52,280 What a joy that is to use the language of our text today. 15 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:56,640 What those people who are being baptized were saying was this, 16 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,760 that Jesus has given them a different route and that's 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,640 creating different fruit. That's what I want to talk about 18 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,960 today. So if this is your first time 19 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:08,640 with us, man, we're so glad that you're here. 20 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,760 Maybe you're just looking for a church to call your own and, and 21 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,200 to make your home. We'd love this to be the place 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,680 for you. Maybe you're here today and 23 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,680 you're exploring faith. You heard some of the stories of 24 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,200 people just exploring faith and finding Jesus. 25 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,120 Maybe you're on that journey of exploring faith. 26 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,200 We're glad that you're here. Maybe you don't know what you 27 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,160 believe about God. Maybe somebody's dragged you 28 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,320 along because they got baptized today and deep down there, like, 29 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:34,920 hey, this is what's changed my life. 30 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:36,680 I would love to see it change your life. 31 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,080 And whether you knew that or not, that's why they brought you 32 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,920 along and they wanted you to be here to witness what's going on 33 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,120 in their life. No matter who you are, no matter 34 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:47,720 where you've been, no matter where you're coming from. 35 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,160 I just want you to know this, we love the fact that you're here 36 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,720 and just relax right now because I know it's nerve wracking. 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,120 You come into church, maybe you haven't been in church for a 38 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:58,640 long time or never been in church. 39 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,840 You're like, what's this guy going to do? 40 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,200 I'm not going to ask you for money right now so you can let 41 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,520 go of your wallet. I mean, I'm not here to guilt 42 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,600 you. I, I don't want you to walk out 43 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,640 of here just feeling all uncomfortable. 44 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:16,280 What I want to do this morning is this. 45 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:21,840 I want us to see how the baptisms that we experienced and 46 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,720 the words that Jesus are going to speak today, they tell the 47 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:30,200 same story. So we've been in this section of 48 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,080 scripture in the in the book of Luke that's called the Sermon on 49 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,760 the plain. Jesus has given this extended 50 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,560 teaching about what it looks like for people to follow him 51 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,720 and how different life becomes. And there's this huge crowd 52 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,720 that's gathered and he's just given this consistent message. 53 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,360 And hopefully you've seen it if you've been walking with us, 54 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,760 that if you're going to follow Jesus, life is going to be 55 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,320 different in all sorts of different ways that we've talked 56 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,800 about. And so today Jesus is kind of, 57 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,560 we're in the second to last week of this. 58 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,680 Jesus is bringing it all to a head. 59 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,800 And he's saying that ultimately, all these differences that he's 60 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,640 been speaking to the crowd in front of them that we are 61 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,160 receiving today as we walk through his word are rooted in 62 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,760 the fact that they come out of a heart that's been made 63 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,480 different. And the big idea that's going to 64 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:32,080 kind of undergird not only everything that we're talking 65 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,520 about today, but everything that we've talked about thus far is 66 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:40,680 this, that the fruit of your life will always reveal the root 67 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,640 of your heart. The fruit of your life will 68 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,320 always reveal the root of your heart. 69 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,360 So let's let's walk through these verses together. 70 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:53,520 Luke 643 to 45 encourage you to read these words as I walk 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,000 through them, read along with me. 72 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,920 This is the words of Jesus. Jesus is a good tree doesn't 73 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:05,040 produce bad fruit. On the other hand, a bad tree 74 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:10,080 doesn't produce good fruit, for each tree is known by its own 75 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,680 fruit. Figs aren't gathered from thorn 76 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,519 bushes, grapes picked from a Bramble Bush. 77 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:23,600 No, a good person produces good out of the good stored up in his 78 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:28,520 heart. An evil person produces evil out 79 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,520 of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from 80 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,680 the overflow of the heart. Here's the first thing that I 81 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,600 want you to see today. You can't produce good fruit 82 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,280 from a bad root. That's that's what Jesus starts 83 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:50,120 off by saying. He uses this really obvious, It 84 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,000 seems like a of course Jesus type of illustration, right? 85 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,120 You don't need a commentary for this. 86 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,280 You don't need any type of theology degree. 87 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:02,320 You don't need to be a horticulturalist to understand 88 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,560 the reality that you can't produce good fruit from a bad 89 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:07,840 root. And I love this about Jesus. 90 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:12,200 I love the fact, see anybody can make a simple thing and make it 91 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,640 complex. Lots of people like to sound 92 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,600 smart by taking simple things and making them complex. 93 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,400 One of the things I love about Jesus is Jesus takes really deep 94 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,200 truths and makes them so simple and approachable for us, right? 95 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,680 He's just saying this. Healthy tree, healthy fruit, 96 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:36,640 unhealthy tree, unhealthy fruit. Jesus's primary concern here, 97 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,840 though, is not that we understand horticulture. 98 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,440 It's about teaching us about some realities of the human 99 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,800 condition. And he's saying this, what your 100 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,640 life will eventually reveal is what you're rooted in. 101 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:56,720 Your life always reveals through your actions, your words, your 102 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,200 deeds, what you're rooted in. And you can fake it for a little 103 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,680 while, right? You can fool people for a little 104 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:11,960 while, you can Polish yourself up for the right situations, you 105 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:16,400 can behave well in public for a bit, you can keep up an image 106 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:22,040 for a while. But eventually, inevitably, 107 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:29,080 inescapably, fruit shows up. Because the fruit of your life 108 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:31,920 will always reveal the root of your heart. 109 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,280 See if you're rooted in pride. Eventually, it'll show up in 110 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:44,400 your relationships. Eventually, you'll be in a 111 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,480 relationship with people. And the people who are closest 112 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,160 to you, they often see this first, right? 113 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,960 Like they'll know that you're the person who's quick to 114 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:53,880 criticize you Got a critical heart. 115 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,120 Why is that? Because you have a root of 116 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,440 pride. You'll be a person who struggles 117 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,880 to grant forgiveness because you're too proud. 118 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,440 I mean, you don't have to grant forgiveness if you never ask for 119 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,120 forgiveness, right? If you're rooted in insecurity, 120 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,480 it eventually shows up in your decisions. 121 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,960 It'll show up in your people pleasing behaviors, or it'll 122 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,040 show up in your inability to make a decision. 123 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:28,920 The fact that you're constantly paralyzed if you're in rooted in 124 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:33,800 bitterness, I mean you, we've, we've all, we, we all know the 125 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,920 people around us in our lives who have a root of bitterness 126 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,680 has grown up because it just flows out of their tone, right? 127 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,840 It's, it's just their tone drips with a sense of bitterness, envy 128 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,400 at other people. If you're rooted in fear, it 129 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,360 comes out in your reactions. You will be an anxious or angry 130 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,400 person. By the way, both of those things 131 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:02,440 tend to be rooted in fear, anger, and anxiousness. 132 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,240 If you're rooted in selfishness, it, it shows up in your bank 133 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,800 account, in your bank statement. It shows up in the way that you 134 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,400 invest your time in things or don't invest your time in 135 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,120 things. Because the fruit of your life 136 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,960 will always, at the end of the day, reveal the root of your 137 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,480 heart. You can't hide it forever. 138 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:30,240 So many of us try and fix ourselves by starting at the 139 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,440 wrong end. We started trying to fix 140 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,679 ourselves by focusing on the fruit. 141 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,000 We're like. We're like a gardener going out 142 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,560 and seeing the the tree is sick and taking good fruit out of our 143 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:48,040 fridge and stapling it on to the tree. 144 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:55,320 We try and fix the problem by stapling some fruit on, but that 145 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,040 doesn't make the tree healthy and eventually what happens? 146 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,200 The staples fall out, the fruit falls off, and you see once 147 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:08,680 again clearly the tree is sick. You can fool people for a while, 148 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:12,840 but you can't fix the problem by stapling fruit on a tree. 149 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:18,040 For some of you, This is why your spiritual life feels so 150 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:23,400 exhausting, because the entirety of everything that you have been 151 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,680 doing is just trying to fix the fruit. 152 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,920 You just keep on trying to staple stuff on and it falls 153 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:30,960 off. Then you're going to get more 154 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:32,080 fruit. You got to staple it on. 155 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,680 It's exhausting work. A tree doesn't work itself up 156 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:38,840 like that. The tree bears fruit from its 157 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,200 roots. Like an apple tree doesn't have 158 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,640 to say, I got to try really hard to make apples. 159 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:49,960 Apples are what come off of apple trees. 160 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,480 You need to stop trying to produce fruit and instead let 161 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,560 Jesus transform the root. The whole sermon on the plane 162 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:08,200 Jesus is describing what happens when someone is rooted in him. 163 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,480 This is so important if you're going to understand this passage 164 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:16,920 here in all of Scripture, right. He so he said, like, if if 165 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,560 you're rooted in me, you're going to produce a different 166 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:22,840 type of love where you even are able to love your enemies. 167 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,840 You can't work that up in you. You're going to you'd have a 168 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,360 different way about you and your ability to forgive. 169 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,840 It's going to be different the way that you treat people who 170 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,080 hurt you. It's going to be different the 171 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,480 way that you look at other people. 172 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,240 You're not going to look at other people through a lens of 173 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,040 judgement and and a critical lens. 174 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:48,320 Your heart's going to be different when it comes to 175 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,360 generosity because we're going to see your speech is going to 176 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,360 be different. And you can't do this through 177 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,000 just sheer force of will. I'm just telling you, you will 178 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,480 get exhausted and you will give up or everybody will see that 179 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:06,640 you're a fraud sooner or later. If you truly want to change your 180 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,400 fruit, you got to change your root. 181 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,160 You can't produce good fruit from a bad root. 182 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,920 Then he says this. He says in verse 44, each tree 183 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,960 is known by its own fruit. Figs aren't gathered from thorn 184 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,160 bushes or grapes picked from a Bramble Bush. 185 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,520 The second thing Jesus wants us to see is that your fruit shows 186 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:33,800 what you're rooted in. See, as Jesus is extending this 187 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,280 metaphor, he's extending the illustration in the point. 188 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:41,840 He's saying if you want to know what type of tree a tree really 189 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,840 is, check out the fruit that grows. 190 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,960 That's how you find it out, Don't You don't ask the tree 191 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,600 what the tree claims to be. You don't. 192 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,120 You don't look for a label on the ground somewhere that's 193 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,840 affixed to the tree. It's it's not about what the 194 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:04,280 tree intends to be. What a tree ultimately is is 195 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,520 revealed by the fruit that comes off of it. 196 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:12,480 Fruit always tells the truth. You you say? 197 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,440 So I'm like, I believe in God. Wonderful. 198 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,360 I'm a spiritual person. Great. 199 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,360 I go to church when I can, if I can make it. 200 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,680 Sometimes I even go to a discipleship group. 201 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:29,200 If I'm really, really, really spiritual, I go to an equipped 202 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,960 class. I've got one of those Christian 203 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,400 T-shirts that I put on from time to time that Derek showed a 204 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,080 couple weeks back. I haven't worn it since because 205 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,200 I felt embarrassed. I got a Jesus fish on my back. 206 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,440 I've memorized all sorts of scriptures. 207 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,120 All great. That's wonderful. 208 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,400 But Jesus says, what's the fruit? 209 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:55,280 Because a thorn Bush, it can't grow figs. 210 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,000 A Bramble Bush, it can't grow grapes. 211 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:08,440 A heart that lacks deep faith is going to struggle to show deep 212 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,960 peace. A heart that hasn't experienced 213 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:17,360 forgiveness at the end of the day is going to run out of the 214 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:23,400 ability to forgive these as Jesus has walked through the 215 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,560 things that should be true of his followers. 216 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:28,400 Again, that radical love for enemies. 217 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:31,000 This is Jeremy talked about last week. 218 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:37,120 Just a heart for for justice and for those who are oppressed to 219 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,720 be met with justice and kindness and love. 220 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,480 Hearts filled with mercy and generosity. 221 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:54,040 Humility instead of hypocrisy. Those are not tasks that Jesus 222 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,040 is giving. They're traits that show up when 223 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:06,520 your heart gets transformed. He's listing fruits that grow 224 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,480 out of a new heart. Again, Jesus doesn't say each 225 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:17,280 tree is known by its intentions or each tree is known by the 226 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,960 rightness of its theological beliefs. 227 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:26,520 Let me ask you a question. If you came to a tree and it had 228 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:31,240 a label on it that said orange tree but there was a whole bunch 229 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:35,640 of bananas growing off of it, would you assume the tree was 230 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:39,080 wrong in its fruit or the OR the sign was wrong on the tree? 231 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,960 That's what Jesus is saying. Each tree is ultimately known by 232 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,640 its fruits. Your fruit will always show at 233 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,200 the end of the day what you're rooted in. 234 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,120 No matter what label you want to put on yourself, if you're 235 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:58,080 rooted in Christ, it should end up showing up in your fruit. 236 00:14:58,080 --> 00:14:59,240 It doesn't happen. All the ones. 237 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,800 You don't go out to a tree all at once and see all the fruit. 238 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,720 One day there was no fruit. Now there's all fruit. 239 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,400 It takes time. God works on us. 240 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,960 But when the root gets changed, the fruit begins to change. 241 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:16,440 And if the label isn't matching the fruit, the problem is not 242 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:25,000 the fruit, it's the label. Verse 45 A good person produces 243 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,960 good out of the good stored up in his heart. 244 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,200 An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his 245 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,840 heart. That's what what he's saying is 246 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,280 this. What takes root in your heart 247 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:45,000 will bear fruit in your life. See Jesus now taking what has 248 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,320 been implicit in this illustration He's given. 249 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:51,960 He's getting us real explicit. He's moving from the orchard to 250 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:56,360 our souls. He says, your heart, my heart, 251 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:02,200 it's like soil. Whatever takes root in that soil 252 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,280 and the quality of the soil that's there with the root 253 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,240 that's in it will determine and will bear fruit right here in 254 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,600 the here and now. So what takes root in your heart 255 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:21,560 will bear fruit in your life again if you allow bitterness 256 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,880 and, and, and the Bible even talks about this thing called a 257 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:28,600 root of bitterness that just works its way down into our 258 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,600 hearts and our souls. And when that bitter root gets 259 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,360 rooted, man, it produces nasty fruit. 260 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:45,720 When fear gets rooted in our heart produces anxiety. 261 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,480 Lack of peace. When shame. 262 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,640 Man, I've just seen this so many times that I'm so sick of seeing 263 00:16:55,640 --> 00:17:00,880 this because I think Satan just uses shame in powerful ways that 264 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:03,880 so many of us don't understand. When shame takes root in your 265 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,920 heart, When you see yourself through the mirror of shame, 266 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:14,920 isolation is what happens, and people run away from community 267 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:16,599 right when they need it the most. 268 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:25,200 When pride takes root in our heart, sense of entitlement, 269 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:31,680 even anger at God when things don't go my way takes root. 270 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:37,240 Roots never stay hidden forever. They start down there in the 271 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,120 ground under the soil, but sooner or later as that root 272 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:48,200 sits there, it puts shoots up. At some point in due season, we 273 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:53,040 see what comes out. But the flip side is also true. 274 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:54,920 And this is what Jesus says here, right? 275 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,080 Because it's not just a bad root that takes root and bears 276 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,760 Bratford, but he says, no, there's also this other reality. 277 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,960 This is a good news reality that the good news, the truth of God, 278 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,040 goodness can take root. The gospel can take root in a 279 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:15,760 life, and when the good news takes fruit, good fruit begins 280 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,480 to bear. Like the gospel. 281 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,400 At its core is this. We talked about this a couple 282 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,520 weeks ago, Romans 5/8 that God proved his own love for us in 283 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,640 this. While we were still sinners, 284 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,400 Christ died for us. I don't know how to tell you how 285 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:36,000 good that news is. It is such good news, and when 286 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,480 you believe that to be true, when when that truth starts to 287 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,160 take root and you begin to believe it in all these 288 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,720 different areas of your life, when you allow the truth of that 289 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,640 to take root, all sorts of things by the power of the Holy 290 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:53,640 Spirit begin to change. See when grace takes root in 291 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:56,720 your life. When you realize I didn't earn 292 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,160 my salvation. God proved His love for me and 293 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:04,120 this there was nothing good about me, and he ran towards me 294 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:07,480 to save me and rescue me. When that's true in your life, 295 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,240 when you begin to believe that in all these different parts of 296 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,400 your life, you know what gross gratitude grows. 297 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:18,120 Man, God is so good to me. He's so kind, He's done so much. 298 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,760 I deserve nothing and he gave me everything. 299 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,880 How could you not grow in gratitude? 300 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:30,000 When love takes root, When you understand man, God loved you at 301 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:35,200 your worst while you were a Sinner, Not just the sins you 302 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,960 had committed, but all the sins you're going to commit still, 303 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,560 and he ran towards you instead of away from you. 304 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:48,680 Then instead of shame taking root, instead this, this 305 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:53,760 beautiful reality of confession within the context of community 306 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:58,120 where we can support each other and love each other, that takes 307 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:03,920 root. When faith takes root, when you 308 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:10,440 have roots going down that really believe that Jesus saved 309 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:15,600 me and if he did the saving, there's nothing I can undo 310 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,400 because this isn't about me, it's not about my works. 311 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:21,800 Then you know what grows up in you? 312 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,120 Peace and confidence. Because you know nothing can 313 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:30,440 take you away from God, and if He's promised you a future with 314 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,240 Him forever in heaven, He'll deliver that you can't get away 315 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,840 from it because He's running after you to pull you back. 316 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:44,400 A new heart and new truths produce a new root and new 317 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:49,360 fruits. The best way to test? 318 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,080 Because we're like, what? It's really hard to know 319 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:56,480 sometimes, right? What's in US until sometimes 320 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,760 it's too late because we've really done some damage. 321 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,160 How would we test what is inside of us? 322 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,360 What what's taking root? Jesus says, let me tell you, 323 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:08,600 it's your words. It's verse 45. 324 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,280 A person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart 325 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,960 and evil produce person produces evil out of the evil stored up 326 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,080 in his heart. And then he says this, for his 327 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,960 mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart. 328 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:31,360 You want to know what's going on in your heart, in here inside 329 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:33,720 you. Watch your words because your 330 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,320 words are the ripened fruit of your rooted heart. 331 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,320 See, up to this point, Jesus has shown us right. 332 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,400 What you're rooted in will eventually come out of you. 333 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,960 Your fruit shows what you're rooted in, and what takes root 334 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,040 in your heart will bear fruit in your life. 335 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:57,000 And now he says, if you want to see your fruit clearly, if you 336 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:01,440 want to see what that root is that's in there, listen to your 337 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:06,880 words because your words are the right fruit that shows what's 338 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,480 truly rooted in your heart. He's saying this. 339 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:16,200 He's saying your words. My words, they're a loudspeaker. 340 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:22,640 I think a lot of us, we wonder we, we come to these points, 341 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,480 something happens in our life and all of a sudden we just lose 342 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,480 it on somebody, right? And we said, where did that come 343 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,720 from? How did that come out? 344 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,920 Why did I take that tone? Why was I so sharp? 345 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,440 Why? Why did I explode like that? 346 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:46,960 I got a cup here. If somebody bumped into me in 347 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,080 this moment and hit my arm, what would come out of this cup? 348 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:59,600 Whatever is already in it. Whatever is already in the cup, 349 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,040 something that's not in here can't come out. 350 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,520 What comes out when I get bumped is what's already in it. 351 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:12,480 What comes out of me when life bumps up against me, when 352 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,600 somebody rubs up against me wrong, when somebody makes me 353 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,440 angry. No, they didn't make me angry or 354 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,000 anxious. I was angry and anxious and they 355 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:30,520 bumped into me and it came out. See, Jesus says what's in you is 356 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,560 what comes out of you. What's in you is what shoots out 357 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:42,040 of your mouth. So when when condescending words 358 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,480 slide out of your mouth, when demeaning words that tear 359 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,640 somebody else come out of your mouth, it's because you got a 360 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,320 root of pride already in your heart. 361 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,200 That's what's in you. Somebody's not put it into you. 362 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:02,440 It is in you. It's come out of you when when 363 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,920 angry words, when rage filled words. 364 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:09,200 Guys, I'm talking to you especially man. 365 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,800 So many men struggle with anger. And as long as you think that 366 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,480 those words that came out of you, those angry words are 367 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,680 ultimately the result of somebody else, you won't ever 368 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,760 get to the root of the problem. Nobody made you angry. 369 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,080 You have an anxious or an entitled heart. 370 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,880 Somebody bumped into you and wrecked the fact that you're not 371 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:38,520 the center of the universe, and out of you spilled the rage that 372 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:42,680 came with that. If you struggle with lying, 373 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:48,920 struggle with telling the truth, it's because maybe you have an 374 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:52,400 insecure heart. So you've got to create an 375 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:54,520 image. You've got to craft an image 376 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,040 that will make people think something about you. 377 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,680 Or you've got to say lie so you don't set somebody else off 378 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:02,280 because they might think poorly of you. 379 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,400 Or maybe you've got a fearful heart that people would actually 380 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,640 see you for who you really are, and so you craft stories. 381 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,920 Maybe you've got a striving heart where you want to be 382 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,400 somebody else and you want to get ahead, so you try and 383 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,640 deceive your way there. But the issue is there's 384 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,160 something in your heart that's causing the lies. 385 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:32,160 Our words are the ripened fruit of our rooted heart. 386 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,320 Your mouth will eventually tell the truth about what you're 387 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,040 rooted in and where the roots go. 388 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,480 So if you want to dive down into your heart, start with your 389 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,800 mouth. But the good news again, it's 390 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,000 just as real when grace takes root. 391 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,920 When, when, When you allow the truth of God's grace to to 392 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,120 continue to change your heart. Then words of gratitude and 393 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:02,840 appreciation, instead of criticism and judgement grow. 394 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:09,960 When confidence takes root, you don't have to puff yourself up 395 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:14,400 or tear others down. Then words of encouragement take 396 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:19,560 root or take or grow as love takes root in your heart. 397 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:25,840 Words of care and compassion for others grow when humility takes 398 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,160 root. It's amazing how much more 399 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:36,200 patient our words get because when Jesus takes root, Jesus 400 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,960 like words grow. Words aren't the cause of the 401 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,280 problem. Words are the evidence of the 402 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,680 root. So how do you change the fruit? 403 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,640 You change the root. If your words are going to 404 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,200 change, if your actions are going to be transformed, then we 405 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,240 need to be changed from the inside out, not the outside in. 406 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,960 To produce fruit we have to be made new. 407 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,520 We need new hearts, we need a new route, and that starts with 408 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:11,000 allowing Jesus to make you new, to change your heart, to give 409 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:16,400 you a new heart inside. 2nd Corinthians 517 to 18 says, 410 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:20,840 therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 411 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,640 The old has passed away, the new has come. 412 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:30,720 Everything is from God. God does it all who has 413 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,080 reconciled us to himself through Christ. 414 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,000 That's how things begin to change when we begin to believe 415 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,400 that truth, that Jesus alone can make me new. 416 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,360 And we place our faith in the fact that Jesus, when he died on 417 00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:50,240 the cross, all of those bitter, angry, awful roots, they get 418 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:55,240 nailed to the cross. Jesus puts them to death on the 419 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,200 cross. So that's the old us now. 420 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,560 And He gives us a new heart that's been transformed by His 421 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:02,800 grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit. 422 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:07,120 We choose to believe that my sin was nailed and put to death with 423 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:10,440 Christ, so I get to live in Christ with Christ. 424 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,440 That's the first step. You've never come to a point 425 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:19,240 where you have believed that your sin can't get fixed by you. 426 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:25,200 Stapling new fruit on your sin can only get fixed by trusting 427 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,440 in Jesus Christ and rooting yourself down deep in the truth 428 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,280 that He saved you, He rescued you, He paid the price and 429 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:34,800 you're righteous through him and not of yourself. 430 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,240 You can do that today. Just call out to him and say, 431 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,760 Jesus, I believe I'm done trying on my own. 432 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,760 I'm done working this trying to staple fruit on myself all the 433 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,920 time. Would you come in and make me 434 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,880 new? And that's what he does by the 435 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,640 power of the Holy Spirit. That's the gospel. 436 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:58,600 But Christians, we don't move on from the gospel. 437 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,640 We root ourselves in it. I think so many Christians think 438 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,840 I received the gospel is true. Now give me all the stuff to do 439 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:13,120 as if that's maturity. That is not maturity. 440 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,200 Maturity is figuring out where you still don't, your heart 441 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:19,040 still struggling to believe the gospel, and allowing the gospel 442 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:24,040 to get real in those areas, like those of you who are baptized 443 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:28,520 today. The rest of the journey is 444 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,920 figuring out how to apply the truth that you confessed while 445 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,400 you were in that tank to all the different areas of your life. 446 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,960 That's what it looks like, letting what you confess and 447 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:43,120 Jesus has already done in your life through the cross work its 448 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,480 way out in all of these areas, letting the truth of that sink 449 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,800 down deep. Followers of Jesus, what's the 450 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:55,520 fruit of your life? Especially the words of your 451 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:00,400 mouth, because the words of your mouth are proclaiming where 452 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:04,640 there's still work to be done in changing your heart to believe 453 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:11,280 the gospel to be true. A good person produces good 454 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,960 fruit out of the good stored up in his heart. 455 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:19,480 Are you storing up the truths of Scripture so the Holy Spirit can 456 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,880 bring those to mind and and can bring new fruit out of it? 457 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,120 Don't settle for stapled fruit, Church. 458 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:32,560 Don't settle for stapled fruit. This is not a call to try 459 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,000 harder. This is not about you 460 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,360 manufacturing fruit in your life. 461 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,560 You know, we don't participate in all these things, these 462 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,800 spiritual disciplines. We don't participate in reading 463 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,800 the Word of God and praying and fasting and coming and 464 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,000 worshipping together collectively. 465 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,520 We don't participate in them to put fruit on ourself. 466 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:05,160 We participate in them so that God can produce new fruit in us 467 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:09,720 through our participation. The stuff, the disciplines, 468 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:14,320 they're not the fruit. They're they're the nourishment 469 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,920 we give so that Jesus can work the fruit. 470 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:18,880 Holy Spirit can work the fruit up. 471 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:22,920 The fruit of your life reveals the root of your heart. 472 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,360 To change the fruit, you got to change the root. 473 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,560 You need to, like we talked about at the beginning of this 474 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,680 fall, you need to abide. We're going to close with this 475 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:38,800 song Abide that we started singing back in September and 476 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:46,080 and I would just say as we sing this song, sing, sing the words, 477 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:50,080 but also just be calling out through the Holy Spirit. 478 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,200 Holy Spirit. Are there are there roots in my 479 00:31:55,200 --> 00:32:01,280 life that need to get fixed? What what's been what's been 480 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:07,120 taken hold in your heart? Just show him look, what in my 481 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:12,360 life needs to be pruned? Where do I need to believe 482 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:14,960 different truths and have a different route? 483 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:21,480 So I would bear different fruit and just ask Him to help you to 484 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:27,240 abide daily, deeply, desperately. 485 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:32,400 Because a different fruit always flows from a different route. 486 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,400 And a different route begins when you allow your heart to 487 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:40,200 begin to abide in Jesus and what He has done for you. 488 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:41,240 Let's sing.