Abounding Grace

Pastor Ed Taylor: God desires us not only to bear fruit but to bear much fruit. And for the coming year, greater abiding equals greater fruit. A greater emphasis on staying put in the Lord will equal a greater abundance of fruit that He brings through your life. While the Bible says apart from Him I can do nothing, the Bible also says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Guest (Male): Welcome once again to Abounding Grace with Pastor Ed Taylor, as we continue our four-part mini-series, "Greater." We'll discover today that God wants us to experience greater abiding, and as we do, we'll experience greater fruit. What does abiding in the Lord look like? We'll get some clues as we examine the early church. Turn with us to John chapter 15, as we join Pastor Ed for part two of "Greater Abiding."

Pastor Ed Taylor: The fruit of the spirit. He wants that fruit of the spirit to flow. It's an evidence of being a believer, and we want to see more and more of it in our lives. To me, it's just so one of the great things of being a part of the church of Jesus all these years and also now pastoring and leading in a church is watching Jesus invade someone's life and change them.

Do you know how exciting that is? I get to see a lot of people. I get to talk a lot to a lot of people before they're saved or right after they're saved and they're sharing their story with me, and I get to watch Jesus invade their life and take over. As He takes over, He begins to rearrange. The best way to think of it is if your life is like a house, and God comes in and He takes over and He starts to clean up room by room, room by room.

Just rearrange things, rearrange the furniture and change things. Go out and clean out the basement, make sure all the closets are clean. Even the things you've hidden in the wall, He's going to take care of those as well. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing. It's not an easy straight line most of the time. There are struggles, three steps forward, four steps back. That's normal. But it's exciting to watch it. It's exciting to watch God take over a life and change you.

The problem, though, is when you lack an abiding attitude, you are preventing God from changing parts of your life. When you're not abiding, you say, "This area and this area, but I'm not going to give Him this area." Well, you've chosen not to abide in Christ. You've chosen to take the lead. You want to be the vine dresser now. You want to be the gardener. I know what to do with my life, and I know how to handle it, and I know how to fix it, I know how to figure it out.

You know none of those things. The Bible very clearly says in verse five, "Without me, you can do nothing." You can put your name in there, "Without me, Ed can do nothing." He's not saying there's no activity coming from your life. Obviously, there will be. But what He's saying is you can do nothing that is eternal fruit. You can be a better person, you can be moral, you can do good deeds, you can give money to the poor, whatever. But if it's not for the Lord, it's nothing.

Think of giving. You have a dollar in your pocket and you give it to someone. You say, "It's Christmas time, I'll give to the poor." But you have to really ask yourself, did the Holy Spirit tell you to do that? Have you noticed lately you go to the market or you go to any of these stores and there's always going to be when you're swiping the credit card, "Do you want to round up for something?" You guys see that? Almost every time I'm like, "No. No, I don't want to round up for anything."

I'd rather be led by the Lord. Maybe God wants to give me more than 50 cents to round up for some cause, or maybe there's a different cause. But I could say yes to every single thing and feel good about myself, but that's not necessarily fruit. That's just me. I'd rather personally be a giver that's not limited by rounding up or anything, but being led by the Holy Spirit and just trusting Him in giving.

I'd rather bear the fruit of God speaking to me and leading me, not just a cashier asking me. And even some of you, not even being upset. Don't get mad at the cashiers or anything. They're just doing their job. Calm down. You don't need to be upset all the time. They're just doing their job asking you, and you go, "I'm tired of everyone asking me." Well, don't be tired. That's just your flesh.

Do you know when you attempt to do things in the strength of man, you get frustrated? Are you frustrated a lot? You don't need to answer, but are you frustrated a lot? You might want to ask yourself how much energy and effort you're putting into trying to be all that God wants you to be instead of just abiding. Just abide. Just stay put in the Lord, just like you started. Sometimes you get so far from God that God calls you back.

Just like He did in Ephesians chapter two. He says, "I see a lot of good activity in your life, church in Ephesus, but you've got a big problem. You're busy, but it's not out of love." Jesus says, "You have left your first love. You have disconnected from the vine." And what does He tell us? He says, "Remember from where you have fallen." Do you remember where you've fallen from?

The place of peace, safety, fruitfulness, joy, confidence. You're just loving the Lord. It's not you, it's not your attitude, it's not your opinions, it's not everything about you. It's just the Lord. You're so happy that you're saved, that your sins are forgiven, that there's a future and a hope for you. He says remember that, and then secondly, what does He say? Repent. Your wandering away and disconnecting from the vine is a sin to be repented of, to be forsaken.

It's damaging you, it's damaging the body of Christ, our church, it's damaging your family. He's saying get back and get plugged in. Remember from where you've fallen, repent, and then repeat. Go back and do the first works from love. There is activity from our life, but it comes from love, the greatest motivator. It's a beautiful thing to watch God invade a person's life and for them to stay there.

When you start bearing much fruit, Jesus will begin to rearrange things in your life so you can bear more fruit, what Jesus referred to as pruning. He'll start revealing things to you. We are a church where you're welcome here no matter what you're into, what your background is. You are welcome in this church. But you're not welcome to remain in that place. God receives you as you are, but then He begins to change you because you need and I need to be changed.

I need my life cleansed. How do I cleanse my life? How do I see this cleansing in my life? Well, come back and notice in John chapter 15, He says in verse three, "You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you." The agent of cleansing is God's word. My pastor, we're going to come up on this study in 1st John. We're finally going to finish chapter one on an upcoming midweek Bible study, and I stopped and I paused just to teach a Bible study on one verse.

It's a verse my pastor would always refer to as God's spiritual soap: 1st John 1:9. And he would say sometimes you just need a washing and a cleansing, that's what you need. And you come when you go through life and you get all dirty and you're just carrying things and getting dirty by the world and soiled by the world, you need to come back to God's spiritual soap. 1st John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

How is it that we're cleansed and how is it that we are continually cleansed? We come back to the Lord. We ask for forgiveness. The work of His Spirit cleanses us, and we are in His word. If you remember, we just read together in Psalm 119, it asks the question in verse nine, "How can a young man, how can a young woman, how can an old man and an old woman cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your word."

Building on our study last time, greater faith comes by greater time in the word. You want mega faith, you need to be mega in the word. Why? Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word of God is a cleansing agent in your life. It brings you back to reality. The greatest thing you can do as an abiding believer is to read your Bible every day, to read it every day, allowing it to do its cleansing work.

Turn over to 2nd Timothy chapter three, let me show you something. 2nd Timothy chapter three, and it's an easy verse to remember because it's 2nd Timothy 3:16. Just like John 3:16 is popular, 2nd Timothy 3:16. Four things that God does whenever you read the Bible. He can do all four, He can do one, He can do two, He can do three, He'll never do zero. One of these up to four of them always happens when you and I read the Bible.

Notice with me 2nd Timothy chapter three, verse 16. "All scripture," or another way of saying that is the Bible, "is given by inspiration of God and is profitable." Let's stop there for a second and let me convince you if I can that every time you read the Bible, it's going to profit you. You will profit. It will be the best investment of your time. Best investment. Now you're not reading the Bible to be a scholar, you're not reading the Bible to be a Bible teacher, you're not reading the Bible for all the different roles you hold in life.

You're reading the Bible because God gave it to you as His gift. And when you read the Bible, you learn about the author, just like any book. I'm sure you have favorite authors. I have some favorite authors, and when I have a favorite author and you're reading and you're receiving, it's like you get to know them and you want to wait for their next book to come out. Well, God has given us His book. He's not coming out with any more. He's given it to us all at once.

As you read it you're like, "Oh, I like this. I like Him. I like this author." Notice four things that you'll be profited. Number one, it says that all scripture, the Bible, is profitable for doctrine. The Bible is saying when you read the Bible, it's going to tell you what's right. It's going to tell you what's right. That's what doctrine is: right teaching. When you read the Bible, it's going to tell you what's right. It's going to give you insight on what's right.

You have any kind of question, a question of right or wrong, the Bible will answer that question. What is right, what is wrong? The Bible will give you clarity in a world that likes to erase those lines, in a culture that calls evil good and good evil. We come back to the word of God, and God will tell us what's right. Number two, He also will tell us, and this is not a popular one, the Bible is profitable for reproof or rebuke. Reproof or rebuke.

We don't like that. But number two, the Bible will tell us what's wrong. Because we do need to know what's wrong. It's the reason why you look in a mirror before you leave the house, isn't it? Have you ever thought about that? Why do you look in the mirror? Because your hair is all messed up, how would you ever know? Your teeth have all stuff in them. How would you ever know how bad you look unless you look in the mirror and get ready to go present yourself in the world?

That's what a mirror is for. Do you know the Bible says it's a mirror? That when you open it up, it's a mirror to your life? How would you ever know that something needed to be corrected? How would you ever know, in a world, maybe you grew up in a home with foul language or a family with foul language, how would you ever know that foul language wasn't good unless God said, "Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth. Let your words be seasoned with grace"?

And you look at your own words and you're like, "My words aren't like that. My words are seasoned with nastiness, and I need to stop that." The Bible will tell you. It'll show you. Thirdly, notice what happens. Not only is the Bible profitable for what's right and what's wrong, but thirdly, it says for correction. This is also not a popular one. I mean who, which of us really likes to be corrected often? The Bible corrects us often.

Correction is a very loving, gracious, merciful act on God's behalf. Because He says this: "This is what's wrong, but I'm going to show you how to get right." That's what correction is. How to get right. You know what is right, God shows you what is wrong, and then He shows you how to get right. He doesn't leave you stuck, "Figure it out. This is what's wrong with you, this is what's wrong with your life. Go ahead and figure it out and come back to me when you've got it all figured out."

He doesn't, He gives us correction. He shows us the way in which we're supposed to go. And then finally the Bible says that we'll receive instruction in righteousness. Instruction in righteousness. This is how to stay right. How to stay right. Show you what is right, what is wrong, how to correct what's wrong, take wrong and make it right, and how to stay right, which is what I think all of us desire. We want to stay right.

Then He says because in verse 17, "that the man of God may be complete," or that word could also be translated mature, "thoroughly equipped for every good work." Every area of life is covered as we open the word. It's simple reading. I had some things on my mind today, and I'm just very regularly and habitually doing what I normally do. I open up my Bible—actually, I have my iPad, open up my iPad, open up my Bible app, and today's the 21st, I read Proverbs 21.

Chapter 21, verse one, what does it say? "The king's heart is in the hand of God, and He moves it like the rivers of water." I had some thoughts about what's going on in the world today. I had some thoughts praying about the soon return of the Lord. You might have concerns. "Look who's in charge, and look what's happening in this world, and all the news and everything." What happens? The Lord just says, "Let me just tell you something, Ed. I want you to know something about this world. I don't want you to forget it. Sitting there on your couch, in the dark, waiting for everyone to get up, get ready for church. This is what I want you to know: I am in charge of the affairs of this world."

"You don't need to worry about it. You just look to me." "Yeah, but you don't understand this thing. You don't understand this law. You don't understand who this is." God, you know what He says? He's like, "Ed, I think you don't understand." And that was just verse one of the Proverbs. Already God began to speak to me about some things that are on my mind, on my heart, about the future for my kids and my grandkids. That's how I started, by the way. I started trusting in God.

That's all I had. I just trust Him. My life was already jacked up, so I didn't have anything left but to throw my whole care and concern upon the Lord. And now 30-plus years later, what is the Lord saying? "Ed, just keep doing that. Throw all your cares and concerns upon me." And He reminded me just with the timely word of a very habitual thing I do. I read the Proverbs every day, and that one verse stopped me, and I'm like, "Yes, Lord."

Or today, as we were reading through the Psalms, I know we do it every week, and I know it's a traditional thing that we do. But I mean literally, I'm reading verse 11 over the church, "Hiding your word in my heart so I won't sin against you." And some of you, the Holy Spirit was telling you, "You haven't hidden a word in your heart in years. You need to follow David." Then all of a sudden, what happened? Pastor Ed had a follow-up on that Psalm.

Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. Today he had a follow-up on that Psalm, and what did he say? Exactly what God already said to you. You don't need a pastor. You have the Holy Spirit living in you. You open up the word of God, and what will He do? Show you what's right, show you what's wrong, show you how to make wrong right and how to stay right every single time if you are open to the work of the Spirit.

And how does that happen? By abiding. By abiding. Which leaves us with one of our final questions, and that is: well, wait a minute, abiding, what does that mean exactly? When you say stay put, pastor, what are you trying to say? That is a good question. I'm very glad you're thinking it or might be thinking it later. Let me answer it for you with a verse: Acts chapter 2, verse 42. Acts chapter 2, verse 42.

You can stay in these areas just to begin with. This is what made the church so strong. When I start to say it, it's going to be familiar to you. It's describing the early church. What helped them reach the known world within a few years, what helped them get through the persecutions, what helped them get through the animosity of the government, all of that, it says this about them: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine."

So you want to abide in Christ, read your Bible every day. "And in prayer." A place of staying put is praying. "And in the breaking of bread." We did that today as a church, but you don't have to wait for your church to take communion, right? You can take communion and remember the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ anytime you want. You don't need a pastor to lead you, you don't need a church service, although it's always good for us as a church because we come together and do it.

But you can have a time of communion on a Tuesday night with your family and draw the kids together and have communion together and say, "We're remembering the Lord in our house." And you can have communion in the break room at your office. You just have a little table over there and you just take communion unto the Lord. You've got your lunch there, but you're also taking communion unto the Lord. Continuing steadfastly, remembering Him, examining ourselves.

And then the final thing, they continued steadfastly in fellowship with other believers, talking about the things of the Lord, that Greek word, *koinonia*. Being together in the Lord. God desires us not only to bear fruit but to bear much fruit. And for the coming year, greater abiding equals greater fruit. A greater emphasis on staying put in the Lord will equal a greater abundance of fruit that He brings through your life.

While the Bible says apart from Him I can do nothing, the Bible also says that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He's going to lead me in those fruitful places, and He knows what He's doing. He knows what I need to be pruned, He knows when I need to be tended to, He knows what I need to hear, when I need to hear it. I've actually had some things on my heart lately that I've shared with you before, that God uses Buckley and Hampton as a corner to speak to me.

So I rearranged my driving this morning. I've been avoiding that corner for a while, actually. I was sharing this with a sister today, I think this is a word for you. I was sharing this with a sister because in grief and all that, I've found that breaking my routine helps get my mind off the routine of just being sad. So one of the ways I do that is when I drive to church I'll pick different ways to get here, even if it takes me a little bit longer.

Doesn't matter, I just, because when you're driving the same way every single day, you don't think about it, and it frees your mind up to think about other things. So I'm going different ways, I have to pay attention and I'm not familiar with the neighborhood. I've had this pattern recently that I've been doing for a few months, and I'm noticing it's becoming a routine. I've got some things in my mind I've been praying about.

So I'm driving up and decide, "Well Lord, you usually speak to me at Buckley and Hampton, so I'm going to take Buckley all the way up this time and make a right on Hampton." So I'm kind of getting nervous as I'm getting to the corner because I'm talking to the Lord and I'm like, "Hmm, I wonder what He's going to say." I come up, I'm about five cars behind the light, and we're inching up when the light changes and I turn right, and do you know what happened? Nothing.

God didn't choose to speak to me on... it was the process, I think, that God was using this morning. It was just, "It's good, Ed, that you're seeking me." No answer today. Or maybe at the end of the day He'll tell me, "I gave you your answer in your devos, I don't know why you're asking for other things. I already gave it to you." I don't know what it is yet, but I do know this: I felt a sense of satisfaction that my heart just in the few minutes it took to drive to church, I felt that affirmation of the Holy Spirit that, man, at least it's good you're seeking me.

I'm like, okay, I'll take that. You have all the answers, Lord. You know what you're doing with my life, and so I'll follow you even if I change things up. And I'm not going to demand that you speak to me on Buckley and Hampton. He might have said, "I told you something at Buckley and Quincy, but you weren't paying attention." Whatever, I don't know. But the Lord is good, and He's calling us to a greater abiding this coming year. Amen.

Guest (Male): Pastor Ed Taylor on Abounding Grace. We've been encouraged today to abide in the true vine, and as we do, we'll see greater fruit coming forth from our lives. What you heard today is part two in our series titled "Greater." The entire study is archived for you at aboundinggraceradio.com and oneplace.com. You can also listen through our app, and that can be found in the App Store or Google Play. Just search for Ed Taylor.

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