Love Abounding and Fruit Growing - Unto God’s Glory!
January 30, 2021      |     By: Jonathan Brickley      |      Category: Sermons      |      Location: El Dorado
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Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

John 15:8 (NIV)
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Gardener/Husbandman
“Georgos” - Land worker

God is “Looking for Fruit”
First Blessing = BE FRUITFUL

5) God’s Glory
4) Fruit of Righteousness
3) Intimacy - Purity - Produces Fruit (Treasuring Christ)
2) Discernment to Treasure What is Best/Most Excellent
1) Love Abounding in Knowledge and Insight

CS Lewis (Mere Christianity)
"But even the best Christian that ever lived is not acting on his own steam-he is only nourishing or protecting a life he could never have acquired by his own efforts…. The Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or — if they think there is not — at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it."

Through his anguish - Hosea goes DEEPER into the love of God and sees how He longs for His people to be Pure and Undefiled! UNTO MORE FRUIT!

Discerning by testing

1) Different Preaching (Philippians 1:15-18)
2) Different People (Philippians 3:2-3)

Philippians 1:15-18 (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.
16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Philippians 3:2-3 (NIV)
2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.
3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

Discernment versus Critical Spirit

What is Love?

At its core, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the Truth” (1 Corinthians 13)

Love ALWAYS does what is True and Best for the object of its love - even if it seems unloving at the moment”

Knowing Jesus - Knowledge
Practical Insight - Wisdom from his Word

Both Allow us to LOVE IN OVERDRIVE!

Love Overflows in the Context of Truth (Knowledge & Wisdom)
and
Love Lacks in Foolishness & Ignorance

Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV)
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.