Matt Richards
(Devotional from 2015)
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Don't be a Jaffa.
I don't want to produce a Jaffa Church.
If you've ever been to Africa you know the oranges are different.They are full of pips. You take a bite and soon find yourself spitting out the pips.
Western civilised countries have bred the pips out and mass produced oranges to have the look without the inconvenience of the pips. As a result we have a product that cannot be planted and cannot produce fruit of its own kind.
Felt the Lord say to me that modern church is a 'Jaffa church.' Looks great, looks like church, is franchised and mass produced, but is flavourless; most of the congregation haven't or are unable to produce fruit of their own kind.
They are Jaffas (please as usual, hear my heart I am talking about Radical). So the people bear no fruit and are totally dependent on the religious system to reproduce (like the supermarket).
I feel there's a home grown revolution coming where the congregation aren't looking for the evangelist to bear the fruit but produce fruit of their own. It comes naturally. The seed for new growth is in them.They will bear a harvest twenty fold, forty fold and a hundred fold.The emphasis then changes to you and me for, "It's in you brother, it's in you sister" (Henri Staples).
Hardcore Discipleship is the way forward. Disciples making disciples. The day of just attending a service are over. We are not called to fill seats but make disciples. It's not up to a few but up to you (and me) to reproduce.
Don't settle for Jaffa, bear fruit. You're not just an orange you are an orange tree.
Prayer:
Father forgive me for just being concerned about my life and blessings.
Help me to produce fruit and reproduce no matter how costly in Jesus' name amen.