A Promise To All

There is an attitude in the mind of the Christian that needs to be dealt with. It's an 'us' and 'them' that divides the church into two groups - the clergy and the laity/the professionals and the amateurs (or producers and consumers!). 

It isn't a healthy or biblical way to think and not 'killing it' disables us from living an effective Christian life and it robs the church of its power. 

Jesus said 'my sheep hear my voice and they follow me'. All of us in the same camp/category, all of us 'sheep'.

In John 15, speaking to his disciples, he said:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 
Every Christian is a disciple and every disciple is called to 'abide' in Jesus. Abiding (some translations use the word remain) is an ongoing and conscious relating to Jesus, fellowshipping with him and drawing from him as your life source everyday. 

The promise we're given is that as we do this, we will bear much fruit and not only a high quantity of fruit but quality fruit - fruit that will last. Here, from the mouth of Jesus, is a statement affirming that we have all been called ('taken hold of' by Christ) in order that we would all produce good fruit - fruit being Christian character and behaviour that results in the kingdom of God being more fully present on earth.

Every disciple of Jesus is a fruit-bearing disciple. There is no favouritism in God's family, all of us occupy the position of branch in the vine, all of us need to remain attached to the vine if we're to do what we want to do and have been commissioned by Jesus to do.