Much Fruit

On Tuesday I met the pastor of a local church in Macia, and he invited me to speak at his church on Wednesday evening.  My interpreter Milton was pressing on me the need for a fiery evangelistic message, but when we entered the church I immediately discerned that this congregation was full of devout believers. They needed a message of encouragement.  So I switched gears and preached on one of my favorite passages: John 15.

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches.  Some branches bear no fruit, and are cut off and burned.  Some branches bear some fruit, but could be more fruitful if properly pruned.  I spent most of my time encouraging the congregation to delight in the pruning of God the Gardener, who removes the dead weight from our lives so we can bear more fruit.

I also stressed that Jesus said "as the Father loved me, so I have loved you."  I encouraged them, and I encourage you, to find peace and strength in the knowledge of God's inexhaustible love.

At the end of the message, I gave an altar call.  As I expected, no one came forward to receive Christ as savior. But when I invited them to come forward to pray for God's pruning, that their lives would be more fruitful, over half the church responded.

"This is to my Father's glory: that you bear much fruit."

Photos:
1) me with the pastor and first lady of the church, also my interpreter Milton and my son Mancoba

2) praying for the congregants