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Tend Your Garden: Living Fruitfully for God's Glory

Scott Kercheville
07/02/23 - Sun AM

Credit for this sermon goes to my friend Daniel Broadwell of the Bellaire Church of Christ

In Genesis 1 the earth is without form and it is empty, it is dark and disordered. But God formed and filled the earth with light and life. And then he set humans over it all, telling them to be fruitful, multiply, to fill the earth, and to have dominion over it.

In Genesis 2:5 the story rewinds to back before the creation of humans to present a problem. Plants are not growing abundantly in the land not only because there is no rain, but also because there is no man to work the ground. But, God forms man from the dust of the ground, breathes his Spirit into him, and puts him in the Garden — Genesis 2:15 — “to work it and keep it.” “To work” is a productive word (to tend, to serve, to cultivate good fruit). “To keep” is a protective word (to guard). This is man’s purpose: to be productive in the earth and to protect what God has entrusted him with. We are kings and queens tasked by God to rule the earth and fill it like a temple with fruit and with the image of God for the glory of God.

But the Scriptures tell the story of how we have failed in that task. Isaiah 5 reflects on this tragedy in Jerusalem. Isaiah 5:1–2, 7 (ESV): “My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill… and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes… The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel… and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!”

We have failed like Adam and Eve, and have produced useless sour grapes. But Isaiah saw a day when God would slay the dragon and have the vineyard, the people, and the world that he intended. “Israel shall… fill the whole world with fruit.” (Isa. 27:6 ESV) Jesus is the new Adam and we are his offspring being remade in God’s image so we can rule with him for God’s glory. Galatians 5 says we have been filled with God’s Spirit so that we would bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Hebrews 12 says God disciplines us so we would bear the fruit of righteousness. John 15 says God prunes us so that we will bear much fruit for his glory.

And so, let’s use our imaginations to consider ourselves as both a garden and as gardeners in it. Our purpose is to protect our garden and to cultivate good fruit within it so that our lives and our families bless the nations and bring glory to God as others see his love and truth blossoming in us. How do we do this? Cast a vision, set boundaries, and cultivate goodness.

1. Cast a Vision for Fruitfulness

The Eden model gives us the broad vision of who we are and our place in world. But we also need to have a specific vision for our lives and our families.

Let’s start with ourselves: What do I want to become as a Christian? What do I want said at my funeral? What do we want to be remembered for when we die? That’s our vision. Now, we all have limitations—circumstances that we work within. Paul says in 1 Cor 7:17, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him.” I may be married or I may be single, or I may have a family situation that restricts me, a physical limitation that isn’t going to change, or I may have opportunities that others do not have. We’re not talking about changing circumstances outside our control, but asking who we want to be within the life God has assigned us.

Do I want to be an elder, preacher, or deacon? A Titus 2 woman who mentors younger women because she is respected for her knowledge and maturity? Do I want to teach Bible classes? Or, give generously? Serve those in need? Foster or adopt children? Bring food to the hungry or babysit for overburdened families? Show hospitality to those who need a home and a family?

Now, let’s think about our kids and grandkids. What’s our vision for them in their various contexts? Imagine your son is 25, living on his own, what kind of young man is he? Solid in his faith, mature in his understanding of Scripture, involved with a local church, making wise choices in terms of spouse, job, etc.? Imagine your daughter at 40, what kind of woman, perhaps wife and mother, do I see? Able to teach kids the Bible, an asset of work and service in the church, skilled and strong like the Proverbs 31 woman? Imagine your son at 50. Is he equipped and qualified to be an elder in the church, or to reliably serve in other ways? Is he respected for his devotion and wisdom? Has he built a godly family of his own?

Let’s be bold and far-reaching in our vision casting. Within the limitations we may have, let’s not settle for what is expected, or what our history has been. Let’s imagine what God can do in our life and the lives of our kids.

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; But he that keeps the law, happy is he.” This is primarily talking about prophetic vision, the revelation of God that directs our paths. But there’s a point here that with no view of where we’re going, we wander aimlessly. But with a vision given by God’s law, we find happiness, blessedness. And notice the connection between vision and restraint. We cannot be or do everything. Once we know where we are going, we can use wise restraint — start ruling out other pathways that will distract us from our goals.

2. Establish and Protect Boundaries

On one hand, boundaries are necessary to avoid sin. Paul counsels us to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Rom 13:14). But we’re talking about making setting boundaries that help us bear God-honoring fruit. The thorny ground in Matthew 13:22 offers a helpful model here. (ESV) “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Thorny ground is one of the largest challenges facing families today. Success, money, screens, hobbies, sports, and school are not inherently wrong, but for most families in the U.S., they are invasive weeds that choke out a family’s energy and desire for God’s kingdom.

Jeremiah 35 offers a good example of a family that set solid boundaries. God tells Jeremiah to go to the Rechabites, descendants of a man name Jonadab (and from the line of Jethro the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law), and ask them to drink wine. Consider their response in Jer. 35:6-10 ESV, “But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,  and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.”

Notice that these prohibitions (no wine, no owning land, only live in tents) are not commands of God, but commitments made by the family. In particular, they are commitments to preserve the identity of the Kenites who were allowed to live in the land but didn’t inherit it themselves. We might be tempted to mock these Kenites as Pharisaical or legalistic, but God commends them.

Like Jonadab, fathers and grandfathers have the opportunity and responsibility to lead our family. We are to cast a vision that we hope will shape our family for generations.

Now, as we establish boundaries, spiritual infants will only ask: is it a sin? “All things are lawful for me.” But we want to ask mature questions: What is wise? best? How can we bear more fruit for God’s glory? Consider some examples. And they are simply examples, not mandates.

Example 1: We’re not going to miss worship or Bible class.

Vision: My family and I are going to be active, depended upon members of this local congregation of Christians, encouraging and encouraged by others.

Commitment: We will not miss an opportunity to gather with God’s people—Sunday, Wednesday, or other opportunities that come up. If the doors are open, we are here. (And, actually, Hebrews 10:24-25 tells to not habitually miss these gatherings, so this is an no-brainer to adopt)

Example 2: We’re going to strictly limit screen time.

Vision: I want to be at peace, to rest well, and to be thoughtful and focused, and I want to enjoy real life in the presence of my family.

Commitment(s): Screens have been dominating our lives (1 Cor. 6:12), so no TV in the main room of our home, all devices shut down at 9:30p, no screens in the kids’ bedroom (very common among tech executives), in the morning we will adopt the motto “Scripture before screens.”

Example 3: We’re not going to have debt.

Vision: I want to be in the financial position (especially as I get older) to be a generous giver, someone who in a moment can help a person in need.

Commitment: We may have a mortgage, but no other borrowing for anything. If we have debt, we are in a full-court press to pay it off so it does not dominate our lives (1 Cor. 6:12). As Dave Ramsey says, “live like no one else, so that you can give like no one else.”

Remember, we’re not making arbitrary rules. Hebrews 12:1 which urges us to not only set aside every sin, but also every weight. Why? So we can run the race. So we can bear fruit. And these boundaries will make us weird, different from others. And that’s okay.

Cultivate Goodness and Virtue

Our goal is not to merely have a field with no weeds, but to fill our lives and the world with fruit. With boundaries set, we fill up our lives with profitable, God-honoring things.

Jesus talks in Luke 11 about the man from whom one unclean spirit departs, but when it returns it finds a clean house and moves in with seven of his friends to terrorize the man worse than before.

So, we set boundaries to keep the demons out, but what are we going to replace those things with?But the same principle holds true with boundaries we set not to avoid sin but to maximize fruitfulness: Once we set boundaries to get away from, say, work or screens or cut out materialistic shopping — what are we going to do with our time and resources?

What should we fill our lives with? You know: the Word, prayer, God’s people—these are the pillars of the fruitful life. Consider Jesus. The Scriptures said nothing about celebrating Hanukkah, but he went to Jerusalem for it. The Scriptures said nothing about going to the synagogue on Sabbaths, but it was his custom to go every week. Why? To put himself in a place to hear God’s word and to kneel before God’s throne with God’s people.

But even beyond these, let’s make mature decisions to replace worldly, empty things with good, wholesome things that enrich our lives. Move from okay habits to good ones; from good habits to better ones.

Maybe we start with, instead of eating in our rooms, we eat together as a family. Then, instead of only eating together as a nuclear family, we regularly invite others into our home.

Or, we start by shifting from isolating ourselves on our phones with headphones to, if we’re going to watch something, doing that with the family. But, maybe we move away from screens towards walks together, or reading good books together, or to singing hymns together, or to learn a new skill that will better our lives and the lives of others.

So many fruitless things compete for our attention, let’s rise about the shallow noise of the world and fill our gardens with beauty, goodness, and truth rooted in God’s word, prayer, and Christian fellowship.

Conclusion—Not Easy, but Worth It

Proverbs 14:4 says, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” (or…the easiest way to have a clean kitchen is to always eat out…) Real life, and often the better way of doing things, is harder, less efficient.

We can take the easy way, with no mess and no hassle:

• Not stop to ask tough questions and make tough decisions.
• Fathers, just let the wife take care of it.
• Keep kids pacified on screens: no one argues or fights, and they leave me alone.

By contrast, the fruitful life is much more difficult.

• It means hard conversations and tough decisions.
• It means as fathers we step up and take responsibility for our garden.
• It means doing things that are sure to cause pushback (like family devotions)

But the more difficult way provides so much lasting value to our families and kids—value that will bear fruit for generations, as it did with the Rechabites.

Brothers and sisters, God has planted us like Israel on fertile ground. But we have all at times produced useless, sour grapes. But Jesus Christ has planted the seed of the good news of his kingdom. He has given us his Holy Spirit. And his vision of the future is one where he has empowered us to fill a new heavens and new earth with fruit for his glory. What a blessed hope. Where are we going to start today?