Foundations for Fruit Bearing

Mike Connell

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So if we just go back and look at the big picture, Jesus is talking - this is the end of a message. Now notice this. In Matthew, Chapter 5, 6 and 7, it's all one block of teaching. This is the end of it; and so things usually progress from an introduction to a finale, so the introduction is: Blessed are the poor in Spirit; so the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount are the core attitudes and values of the kingdom, that we need to welcome and cultivate in our life. Secondly, He begins to talk about doing works. He says: let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works, and that they glorify your Father in Heaven. So He moves from: having the values of the kingdom; to doing the works of the kingdom. Then He comes to the very final conclusion and He says that: not all of those works will be of great value. Actually, I'm going to look over all you do, and I'll be looking: did this come out of intimacy, and relationship, and alignment with my will?

So in the very final part of this, first He starts: you need to build kingdom perspectives and thinking in your life. Secondly: get engaged doing something productive for the kingdom; and thirdly: align your life with the will of the Father. Don't just do your own thing. Not everyone that says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of Heaven; its speaking of coming into the realms of glory in this coming kingdom. He said: no. He said: those who do the will of my Father; and then He tells a story, and it's all about hearing and doing. So we see then God wants you to have kingdom values and thinking in your life. In other words, the core value system shifted; secondly, to be productive, and active in doing things; but thirdly, to ensure your life is aligned with what God has for you, and we need to learn how to align it.

So what I want to do is, to look at what I consider essential foundations; and they're found in one passage of scripture. It's very, very interesting that when Jesus was in the Last Supper, remember at the Last Supper it says this; it says: Jesus, knowing where He came from - in other words knowing He was from above, knowing His origins were Heaven, and knowing that He went back to Heaven - it says: and knowing the Father had given everything into His hands. In other words, He knew His identity. He knew His destiny, He knew what He was called to do, and it says: He girded Himself, and He served; and He served in the lowest role, as a servant.

He was not worried about what anyone thought about Him. He has eternity in mind. I know where I've come from, I know where I'm going, and because of that, I'm committed totally to serve the Father's purpose. There's nothing too low or too small for me to do, and the Bible says to have that same kind of thinking. What you do, flows out of who you are. If you're mean, you'll do mean things. If you're angry, you'll do angry things. If you're selfish, you'll do selfish things; so in other words, what he's saying is: out of what you are, flows the flavour of what you do.

Remember Jesus spoke of the Pharisees in Matthew 6, and He warned His disciples. He said: listen, when you pray, do your praying in secret. Why? Because the Pharisees pray out openly. Their whole agenda is to be seen by men. No reward for them in Heaven. When you give, don't let people see what you're giving. Do it in secret. He's saying this is about the whole motivation. The Pharisees were full of pride, and so pride flowed in what they did. You can't stop what you are coming through in what you do, and that's got a plus side and a minus side. The plus side is, be yourself and enjoy what God has gifted you with, and express it fully in light. The other side is, if there are character issues, they will come out as well; and so we want to look at that now, and I want to show you something that's actually full of promises. This is amazing scripture.

Look with me in 2 Timothy, Chapter 1. So we're called to be ambassadors. We're not just called to fulfil a destiny and have self-fulfilment. See, people who coach you, or life coaches, will talk all about your desires, your dreams and your destiny; but if you contact the Holy Spirit who's the best life coach of all, He'll talk about the will of the Father, and they don't always line up unfortunately.