Acts 1.1-5

I’ve never heard anyone say, "Oh goodie, we get to wait in line at
Wal-Mart!" or "Oh look, there’s road construction signs ahead. I wonder
if we’ll get to wait!"
Waiting is probably one of our least favorite things to do. It’s a
waste of time. We want to be doing something. We want to at least make
it look like we are making something happen.
We would rather travel 20 miles out of our way, than wait 20 minutes in
a line of traffic. At least we would be doing something.

But Jesus tells the disciples to wait.
I wonder if after Jesus appeared to them many times and he convincingly
proved that he was alive, if they were excited to tell others he was
alive? But Jesus said wait. Don’t go yet. Don’t leave yet.

Acts 2 talks of the Spirit coming into the “whole house where they were
sitting.” I’ve always imagined the disciples still hid away, in a room
together. Still fearful. Still avoiding the people of Jerusalem. Maybe
even gathered in the room where they had shared the Last Supper with
Jesus.
However, "house" was a common term for the temple. It could have been a
room in the temple area.

The Feast of Pentecost was an Old Testament Jewish worship gathering.
Disciples did not neglect worship in the temple following Jesus’ death.
Jesus continued to worship in the temple, there was no reason to
believe the disciples did not. The epistles reveal house churches where
Christians worshiped and studied together about the things of Christ
and the Holy Spirit, but this does not mean they did not meet to
worship in the temples. We do not know when they discontinued this
practiced.

John Wesley did not break off from the church to form the UMC. He was a
part of the Church of England and wished to remain a part of the Church
of England. He wished to bring renewal to the Church. Members of the
Holy Clubs at Oxford fasted until 3:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays,
received holy communion once each week, studied and discussed the Greek
New Testament and the classics each evening in a member’s room, and the
next year visited prisoners and the sick, they systematically brought
their lives under strict review.

These meetings continued as Methodist Societies and they continued to
study the Scriptures and review one another’s walk, holding one another
accountable. Those involved with these societies were to meet with the
societies during the week and then worship at the Church of England on
Sundays.

Today we worship on Sunday. Do you know why the Seventh Day Adventists
are called what they are? When do they worship? Saturday.
What is the Jewish Sabbath? Saturday.
The early church continued to worship in the temple on Saturday,
gathering together in their house churches as follower of Christ, the
next day, on Sunday.
Another reason, I now believe the disciples were not hid away in a
private room somewhere is that when the Holy Spirit descended upon them
and they began to speak in other languages. There were people there to
hear them speaking.

Acts 2.5-13

Waiting
When I think of waiting I think of doing nothing, like sitting in a
line of traffic. Although, I prepare ahead for times like those any
more. I have teaching tapes, book on tape, praise & worship tapes.
I can pray.
I believe that the disciples waited in a similar fashion. I cannot
believe that in their excitement of everything that happened, all that
they had seen and witnessed, that they were not awestruck at God’s
activity and continually worshiped.

After all, Acts 2 goes on to say that after the coming of the Holy
Spirit, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts."

Acts 16.6-10

"… those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8.14).

Go forth waiting and being led by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There are all kinds of tests that we encounter in life: tests at school, job tests, vision tests, cholesterol tests (and other physical tests), driver’s tests.

Speaking of driver’s tests, there was a study released in recent weeks which reported nearly 20 million Americans (about 1 in 10 drivers) would fail a state driver’s test if they had to take one today. GMAC Insurance gave a 20-question test to more than 5,000 licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 65 in order to measure basic knowledge about traffic laws and safety. BTW, drivers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states did worst. Twenty percent of test-takers failed here.

Sadly, though, many people go through their lives testing all kinds of different things, but never assessing one’s spiritual condition. For Christ-followers in the Wesleyan tradition, the question Wesley would ask is, "Have you good fruit?" Wesley believed that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your life will naturally bear good fruit.

So, let’s begin this series with a little test. In the next few weeks we’re going to look at some different qualities. In each of the following categories assess yourself in that particular area: Passion & Purpose, Holiness, Joy, Compassion, and Perseverance.

Fruitfulness, for a Christ-follower, is directly connected to spiritual maturity! We all bear fruit naturally — but the kind of fruit we bear, and how much, depends on what we allow God to do in our lives!

“Spiritual maturity—or spiritual formation—is defined at its core not by being busy with a lot of Christian activities, or knowing a lot about the Bible, or piling up spiritual accomplishments. The Pharisees did all of these things, and Jesus said they were the least fruitful of anybody. To grow in authentic Biblical love and joy and peace and patience …” (John Ortberg)

Questions …

• What kind of fruit are you bearing in your life right now?
• What kind of fruit do you want to bear in the future?

Just as there are so many kinds of different fruit in the world today, there are also so many different ways we could describe the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5.19-26 for a description of both good and bad kinds of fruit.)

This list in Galatians 5 is not a complete list. And I don’t believe we will all look the same or bear the same kinds or amounts of fruit. But what I do believe is that, when we allow God’s Spirit to control us, we will produce good fruit, and the more we yield to God’s leadership in our lives, the more good fruit we will produce!

So, as we talk about qualities of the fruit of the Spirit that I believe we need to experience here in our context, my hope and prayer is that we won’t just learn new information, but that we will be transformed and be filled with a desire to bear more good fruit!

“We are to fulfill God’s dream — that we will bring him glory through a remarkably abundant life.” (Bruce Wilkinson)

I believe that it begins with right perspective and priorities. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God …” (Matthew 6.33). Earlier he had said, "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be" (Matthew 6.19-21). We will be passionate about the things we focus on, and as Christ-followers we need to focus on the things of God!

Jesus talked a lot about growing character from the inside out. Read Matthew 12.33-37; Matthew 15.17-20; Matthew 23.27-28.

Jesus, wrapping up the sermon on the mount, said "A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced." (Matthew 7.17-20)

What kind of seeds are you planting?
It seems to me that kind of fruit we bear depends on what kind of seeds we are planting, in our own lives and in the world around us!

How many seeds are you planting?
If you want to produce much fruit, you must plant lots of seeds!

“The Father wants more fruit from us so much that he actually tends our lives so we will keep moving up – from a barren to a productive branch, from an empty to an overflowing basket. And more is always possible. Why? Because we were created to bear fruit, more fruit, and still more fruit!” (Bruce Wilkinson)

You reap what you sow!
Scripture says, in Galatians 6.7-10: "You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord."

So, have you good fruit?
Some of my favorite words by Jesus are found in john 15 where Jesus says, "You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last" (See
entire passage John 15.1-17). As you build your life on Christ, may you bear more and more fruit for God’s kingdom!