Colossians 1:6-8, Believers produce fruit

What good is an apple tree that doesn’t bear fruit? I mean the very reason it was planted was to produce fruit in the season it should produce fruit. In Matthew chapter 21 there is a story of a fig tree that Jesus saw from a far off, He was hungry, so He thought let’s go get some figs. When he got to the fig tree, He notice that there was no fruit upon it, but it was the season for it to be producing fruit. At this point, Jesus cursed the tree and it withered up and died. A tree that didn’t produce fruit when it was supposed to is useless. In verse 6 of our text today, Paul says that gospel message will bear fruit and go throughout the entire world and then goes on to tell the church of Colossae that man name Epaphras was the one who shared it with them. Their faith in Jesus Christ was based upon one man’s willingness to simple share the gospel and let it do what it does, bear fruit of repentance.

For the gospel to bear fruit it must be sown (spoken) so it can be planted in the hearts of men and women around the world. Matthew 28 tells us that it is the job of believers to take the gospel message around the world so that the fruit of life can spring forth in their hearts. Without the commitment and dedication of Epaphras the gospel wouldn’t have had the opportunity to produce fruit. For some reason God has chosen us to be the vessel to carry the gospel message and the means by which it is spread throughout the earth. It is the responsibility of every believer to take the time and effort to sow the gospel of Jesus Christ in the hearts of those around us. Fruit can’t be produced if the seed is not first sown. In the story I mentioned above from Matthew 21 many believe that the fig tree was symbolic of the nation of Israel at that time in history, they had hardened their hearts to the point to where they were no longer producing the fruit of God. A situation no one should ever want to find themselves in.