Though we were in a bit of a hurry, I had to stop. There on a street corner in the town of Katerini was one of the largest fruit and vegetable displays I’ve ever seen. It was a smorgasbord of colour and the proud owner fussed over the display like an artist adding the finishing touches to a great work.

In John 15, Jesus describes our heavenly Father as a gardener and one who takes great joy over his display of fruit.

In my last blog, I mentioned that our vision at EBC is,

As passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, we desire to live fruitful lives so our God is seen for who he really is.

The basis for our vision is John 15:8,

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Now, classically, a church might base it’s mission or vision statement on a verse such as Matthew 28:19ff,

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…”.

Surely, there’s the calling of the church right there! That’s what we ought to do! That should be our vision!

Now I’m the first to admit that I have been powerfully inspired by those words of scripture. They serve to provide an incredibly succinct commission for the church. But two questions might lead us to enquire further;

• “How do we know when a disciple is “made”?” and
• “What’s the ultimate purpose for making disciples?”

I believe that in John 15:8, Jesus not only reveals the nature of a true disciple but he also tells us what the ultimate purpose of discipleship is. Here it is again,

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

But how is this missional? How does it relate to what we have traditionally called “the great commission”?

Well, God is a loving God. It’s who he is. When he reaches out to humanity, he is simply being true to his character. Mission therefore flows from “being”. It’s the fruit of our lives. It’s why we were chosen and it’s what gives God glory!

So, how’s your fruit display looking today?