"There Are Goats in Your Orchard"

THERE ARE GOATS IN YOUR ORCHARD

Have you ever been to a fruit farm and picked fruit; apples, cherries, peaches or pears? You may have been in the southern states where you picked your own oranges or grapefruit. I’m sure you have noticed that not all the trees in the orchard bear fruit. Some trees appear to have dried up and died; others look perfectly healthy, but have no fruit. However, I have come across very old abandoned orchards that are still bearing fruit.

In the northern regions of our country there are thousands of apple orchards. It’s quite common to find deer feeding on the fruit. Farmers find it difficult to keep them out of their orchards and consequently thousands of dollars of profit are eaten up every year by the deer. However, it would be a rare sight to see goats feeding in the orchards. Goats are very destructive. They will eat anything in sight, so farmers try to keep them away from the trees. Generally, you will find fenced in pastures where the goats graze along with sheep and cows.

Like Christians around the world, we are much like orchards filled with fruit trees, and the goats are those who are lost in sin, but are desperately looking for fruit to fill their emptiness. There are a lot of fruit trees and many goats that need to be fed from them, but sadly, not all the trees are bearing fruit. When we confessed our sin and asked Christ into our heart, we were appointed, or commissioned, to bear fruit. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit; fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)

What is this fruit we must bear? It is so important that Jesus warned of the necessity of bearing fruit that was compatible with citizenship in the kingdom of God. “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matt. 21:43) As you can see it is of vital importance we bear fruit. If we don’t, the opportunity will be taken from us. What kinds of fruit are there? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5: 22) This fruit needs to be visible in the life of every believer. Why? There are goats in the orchard and they are watching to see what these trees are producing.

The lost are standing in the wings and keeping an eye on the Christians; the way they live, their attitudes, actions and reactions. Do they see the Christian reach out with love, or, with anger? Jesus was teaching his disciples about this very thing. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” This fruit we bear is so important, that Jesus went on to say in verse 19, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Listen! Bearing good fruit as a witness to the lost is the same as bearing fruit to God. “So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.” (Ro. 7:4)

                Have you ever taken a bite out of a big, red, juicy apple, only to find you bit right through a worm hole and you didn’t see the worm? You didn’t know whether to swallow what’s in your mouth or spit it out. This is what the lost (goats) are thinking when they see the Christian say one thing, but live in ungodly ways. You can witness to a sinner, from now until Jesus comes, but if you are not representing Christ with the fruit of the Spirit, they won’t know what to do with it. They’ll be thinking, “I don’t know if I should swallow this or spit it out.”

In Col 1:10, Paul tells the Christian, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work.” There are many people in this world who do good works. It gives them a feeling of self-worth and they use their good works as a way to show others how great they are. Good works are wonderful, but where is the fruit? Are these works done with the love of Jesus, with joy, peace, patience, kindness, or are they done grudgingly, out of guilt, or to make oneself look good.

Let me tell you this story about a king who had the richest kingdom in the world. He had a daughter, Princess Hope, who was not beautiful to look upon, but was of a sweet and gentle nature. She had reached the age to be wed, so the king sent invitations to several princes of the kingdoms, inviting them to visit his daughter. One after another they came from the four corners of the world. They brought wonderful gifts they were sure would please the princess. They bowed and scraped before her, trying to win her favor, whomever she chose to be her husband, would become the richest prince in the world. They kissed her hand and told her how beautiful she was. They promised to slay dragons, kill giants and do all sorts of great things for her, if she chose them.

However, none of these pleased the princess. She knew she was not beautiful and therefore was aware that they were trying to win her hand for wrong reasons. They bragged so much about their bravery and exploits, she tired of them all. Would she ever find a prince who was of a true heart and would love her for herself? In her despair she decided to dress herself as a poor servant girl and wander throughout the countryside looking for a prince with a true heart.

At the edge of the sea was a very small and poor kingdom, called “The Kingdom by the Sea”. It had once been lovely, but there had been a famine in the land. The kind and loving king sold all that he had to buy food for his people. Soon there was barely enough food for the king or his son, Trueheart.

One day, Trueheart decided that he would no longer be a burden to his father, but would make his own way in the world. He set off across the land and in time came to the great kingdom of the rich king. He was walking down a dusty road when he met the princess. She had become quite faint and was resting under a tree by the side of the road, looking tired and dirty; not at all like a princess. The prince stopped and asked if she was all right. She told him she was very hungry and tired and longed for a soft bed and a night’s rest. The prince took the last crust of bread from his bag and gave it to her to eat, even though he thought he would probably starve to death. When Princess Hope regained a little strength, he took her to a nearby village and with his last coin, paid for a room so she would have a place to spend the night.

Once settled in her room, she thanked the prince and told him how grateful she was for his kindness. She explained she had a place to go to nearby and would return there the next day. He bowed low before her and lightly touched his lips to her small delicate hand telling her how privileged he was to do anything he could for such a beautiful maiden. The prince looked beyond the dusty appearance of the plain little princess and could see her inner beauty. He fell in love with her, but as he had nothing to offer, he bade her good-by.

Alas, her heart was smitten with Trueheart and she grieved that he was just a poor traveler and not a prince, for a true princess could only marry a true prince. As she leaned from the window to watch him leave, a rider came galloping up to the prince, and shouted to him, “Your father, the king, has been searching for you. He would rather starve than to have you gone from his side and begs you to return home to The Kingdom by the Sea.

When the princess heard that Trueheart was a prince, she cried with joy and called to him from the window. She asked if he would wait but one day longer before he returned to his father and visit her at her home. Trueheart agreed at once, for his love was great for the princess and he hated to leave her.

The next day following the princess’ directions, Prince Trueheart went to visit her. He thought there was some mistake, for her directions led him to the greatest castle he had ever seen. Its richness and elegance were beyond description. As he turned to leave, a servant came running up and asked if he was the prince, Trueheart. He said he was and the servant invited inside the castle. He was taken to a room where a handsome suit of clothing awaited him. The servant helped him bathe and then dressed in the new suit.

He was confused and frightened when he was taken to the great throne room of the king of the castle. His heart beat quickly as he was led down the red carpet towards the throne where the king was seated.

Beside the king, a small figure sat quietly, her face covered with a veil, as was the custom. The prince bowed low before the king and was more than startled when the king stood, took him by the hand and said, “Welcome to the kingdom, my son”. The princess threw back her veil and with great joy bounded down the steps and told the stunned prince, she was Princess Hope and how at last she had found the prince of her dreams. Prince Trueheart declared his love for her, even if she was still the dusty maid by the side of the road.

The whole kingdom rejoiced as the princess and prince were married. The Kingdom by the Sea was in time restored to the lovely place it had once been, due to the generosity of Prince Trueheart and Princess Hope and they all lived happily ever after.

This may be a fairy tale, but a scriptural truth is revealed. “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”. (Mat. 7:20) The good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, will draw people to you. If they do not know the Jesus that lives within you, they will recognize the fruit, the true heart of one who bears good fruit. There was a time when you bore bad fruit, just like the lost now do. Rom 7:5 says that “when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.” Let us now bear fruit for life. Take care of your orchard and allow God to prune your tree, so you will produce not only good fruit, but abundant fruit.

You can have goats in your orchard; open the gates, let them come in and offer fruit so good and so pure; they’ll want to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11)