KINGDOM IMPACT SERIES
Week 1: THE KINGDOM ‘IMPACT’ AND ‘FRUIT’ (bananas aren’t the only fruit)
Dan Lyons
INTRO
In the OT there is a story of a girl, just an ordinary girl who’s name isn’t even mentioned in the Bible, was
unfortunately taken away by an enemy country’s raiding party… which is what enemy raiding parties dothey take what they like (2 Kings 5).
This girl with no name is taken and ends up a slave in a pagan household in a pagan land, working for the
enemy commander’s pagan wife. She’s isolated from other believers, wrenched from family and friends,
and has nothing but a life of slavery to look forward to. She is just a girl of about 13yo, is living a life that is
all wrong- and burning through her head is “Where Oh where is God in all this?!” Surely she would have
wanted to be somewhere else.
Her mistress’s husband, Naaman, was the commander and chief of the pagan army that had taken her
captive and raided her home town, he had somehow contracted leprosy. Now put yourself in her shoeshow would you see his illness? As justice, punishment from God, because of his hatred of God and His
people? Would you want to see Naaman die a painful slow death? Probably serves him right hey! That’s
what happens to those who mess with Gods people!
But this girl with no name simply responds to her mistress, as recorded in 2 Kings 5:3,
“She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him
of his leprosy.” She’s not looking to punish her enemy, but to bless him. She doesn’t want Naaman dead,
but healed. She loves her enemy- just like Jesus told us hundreds of years later - “You have heard that it
was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
- The girl with no name believed that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is stronger than the other gods
of this world, and she was right.
Naaman is healed of his leprosy. Praise God.
Naaman becomes a believer and follower of the One True God. Praise God.
Naaman’s whole household, the army which he commands, the King of Aram who he serves and his entire
court, and the whole nation of Aram, heard that the God of Israel, our God, can do what pagan gods
cannot. So the great story of God spread throughout the whole country! Praise God.
All this happened because of a nameless girl who loved her enemies, and shared a simple sentence… just
one small act in the hands of a big powerful God was enough to see the Word of God spread.
TRANSITION
The big truth here this morning, and through-out this IMPACT series, is that you don’t need to have a high
position, or a university degree, or lots of money – to have significant impact for God. All this IMPACT
started because of a girl’s heart to bless others, even her enemies.
This IMPACT SERIES over the next couple of months is not about becoming a “super saint”, you know someone who preaches the Gospel like Billy Graham, or prays longer and passionately then Yonggi Cho, or
knows the Bible better than Darrell Bock (he’s coming you know- next Sunday night). This IMPACT SERIES is
about understanding what REAL KINGDOM FRUIT looks like when ordinary people are transformed by Jesus
and fulfil their God-given purpose in this world.
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REAL KINGDOM FRUIT
The Bible talks and teaches about fruitfulness all through-out its pages… and there are many different types
of fruit. Personally my favourite fruit is bananas and eat them with everything- mashed up on toast, sliced
up on cereal, mixed up with milk and ice-cream in shake… my favourite though is banana and Nutella
sandwiches… I haven’t eaten breakfast yet and might just start drooling thinking about this!
- If someone told me that I could only eat 1 fruit for the rest of my life I’d choose bananas- even though
mangoes are awesome, and strawberries, and grapes. But bananas aren’t the only fruit. In fact there are
lots of things that we don’t even realize ARE fruit- take tomatoes for example… and pumpkins! I found out
this week that pumpkins are the largest fruit … they are unique because they also constitute as being
vegetables as fruit you can eat raw … which you can with pumpkin … but no-one does!
Show picture of world’s largest pumpkin: 900+ kg! If a banana weighs a hundred grams, you could fit 9000
bananas into this 1 pumpkin!
Bananas aren’t the only fruit, any more then new converts are the only fruit that God cares about.
Evangelism matters! NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOMEONE PERSONALLY MEETING AND
ENCOUNTERING JESUS AND FOLLOWING HIM. People need to know the Good News- so we must continue
to pray for those around us to know Him! But living a life bearing fruit is more than just being evangelistic.
There are some who are called to bear banana’s (lead others to Christ), and there are some who are called
to bear pumpkins (build up and care and disciple others).
See the Bible talks about fruit in so many ways.
- Genesis 1:28 “Be fruitful and multiply…” which we won’t talk about that specifically now! But God’s plan
originally was fruitfulness…
- Psalm 1:1-3 says straight up, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked…but whose
delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree
planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.” Godly living shaped by godly obedience leads
to a life that fulfills the purposes God has for it - fruit at the right time. Fruitfulness is the result of righteous
living, of being planted in the house of God, and having your roots in God.
- In Deuteronomy (11:13-25) there is a direct link between obedience to God’s wide-ranging laws and the
nation’s economic, spiritual and social well-being.
- In the NT fruit is contrasted between bad and good fruit - meaning all people will produce fruit, but how
will it end up is determined by the heart and character of the person.
- Jesus says this in John 15, Jesus describes that the way the heart and character of a person bears good
fruit is because the person is connected intimately to Him. Jesus is the true vine and we as disciples are the
branches that He desires to bear abundant fruit. The only way? Remain in Jesus Christ via faith. This means
to obey Jesus, to love Jesus, to lead a life dependent on Jesus, to persevere and soak in Jesus’ Word, and to
pray in Jesus’ name. Later in John 17, as the disciples left the Upper Room towards the Garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for the disciples and prayed again for fruitfulness.
So ultimately - FRUIT is anything that brings glory to God, accessed by remaining intimately with Him.
1 Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they
may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
In other words, the people we work with, live next to, play PS4 or Pokémon with, may or may not respond to
God in our lifetime (or theirs), but that isn’t the only measure of fruit- it’s our actions and attitudes and
heart given over to Jesus in every sphere of our lives to give glory to God, even on judgment day. God will
take care of results- we’re here to give God glory in our lives.
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I was at Ron Nowlan’s funeral yesterday and was impacted by the life of this man… he was a true
statesmen, a true man of God, and not just because he was a pastor here at Bracko. I didn’t hear that Ron
was the best preacher in the world, or someone who had led hundreds to the Lord… What I heard was a
man who bore KINGDOM FRUIT:
As a father devoted to his kids despite serious hardship and very trying circumstances.
As a husband caring for his wife in her illness.
As a grand-father encouraging his grand-kids to continue on running the race for Christ.
I heard about a genuine man who lived for Jesus in every part of his life… the fruitfulness in Ron Nowlan’s
life was evident at his funeral yesterday when people spoke about his impact for the Kingdom.
Ron served in the defense forces during WW2, based in Cairns as an engineer, and those who have served
in the army know what a frontline is. The frontline is the place that we engage the enemy. It’s hard work; it
sometimes feels like we’re not making ground- not moving forward.
As disciples called to be fruit, we need to know what our frontline is! Ron had many frontlines (family,
ministry - we’ve heard about this), and so do you. Bill Purcell’s frontline is more than just trying to harness
Leonie’s energy and activity… it’s his Jacana work You talk to Leonie and her frontline has just changed from
being a head of department at a prominent school to now being a key leader in Pastoral Care and leading
the charge in moving our Women’s Ministry forward.
What’s your frontline? Do you see your work, family life, ministry as your frontline?
How have you seen Jesus moving there already?
How is your heart towards others you serve on the frontline? Do you attempt to bless them? Do you pray
for them?
Challenging isn’t it! This next term’s focus on Kingdom Impact is about availing ourselves to God be used on
our frontlines, but first we have to recognize where our frontline actually is. Do you know yours?
God maybe calling you to bear bananas there, or bear pumpkins, or grapes. Are you available to be used?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, give us the eyes and heart to see You and where You would have me serve You. Give us the
desire and courage to ask what would You have me do. And give us the love and grace to do it for Your
glory.
Lord Jesus, as we focus on KINGDOM IMPACT, give us the awareness of Your Holy Spirit walking with us,
leading us specifically, to engage well with the world Your calling us to be salt and light in.
All this for Your glory Lord. Amen.
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