Don't Let The Lord Have To Cut You Down

Last Week we spoke about the parable of the weeds. This week we will be talking about the parable of fig tree. How many of you remember what we said a parable was last week? A parable is a earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The reason Jesus spoke in parables so that we might get a better understand of the message that he is trying to convey to us.

When I preach God’s word, I try to make it relevant to what’s happening today. I want it to be simple that even a child can understand it. There is no need of me trying to show you what happened in Israel, when you can’t see what’s happening in Compton. It serves no purpose for me to try and make you shout if I don’t first tell you how you should walk. There is no need of me trying to tell you what’s going to happen when you die, and you haven’t been taught how to live. So, here again Jesus speaks in a parable.

This parable was addressed mainly to the Jews. God chose the Jews for his own. He made the Jews a people near to him. He gave them advantages for knowing and serving him above any other people and expected in return duty, praise and honor.

But these people disappointed God’s expectations. They did do their duty. God even let them build a great temple to worship him in but they still did not want to obey God.

As long as they were out there in the wilderness, they would cry out to God. But as soon as God allowed them to build a temple to worship him in they began to become disobedient. They began to get discouraged. The began to get dissatisfied. The begin to get disappointed.

As soon as God blessed them, you couldn’t count on them to be at choir rehersal any longer. You couldn’t find them at prayer meeting and bible study. Sunday School was out of the question, it was too early. The bible says that they had left their first love.

This sounds like another church I once knew. God blessed that church tremendously. It started out in a living room. But it began to grow. At one location they were at they had to move the chairs out the way to shout. They had a choir that couldn’t fit in the choir stand, it was full every Sunday morning. When youth night came the youth showed up. In bible study and Sunday School they had 2,3,4,5, classes. The church was packed every Sunday and the Spirit of the Lord was present at every meeting.

But God blessd them with some pews. God blessed them with a fine building. God blessed them with enough seating capacity to be comfortable. They had an air condition buildin.

After God Blessed them, they forgot about God. They began to focus on the building. They began to focus on the choir. They began to focus on Big I’s and little U’s. And the last time I heard from them they had taken down the sign and went out of business.

Sometimes God allows us to struggle to keep us humble. God knows that the minute he blesses some folk they will forget about God. Sometimes we find ourselves loving the stuff that God gives us instead of loving God. We talked about Tues night in bible study. If God took away all your stuff would you still serve him. Job said, though you slay me, yet will I trust in thee.

This text before us reveals anger and frustration on the part of the owner of the vineyard. It is apparent that this vineyard owner had become extremely tired. He had grown weary as evidenced in the conclusion reached when he said, cut it down. He had not received any return on his investment. He was fed up.

I know I’m talking to someone in this room who have invested in something or someone and did not receive any return from your investment. You invested in your children and now they won’t even speak to you. You invested in your job and they laid you off. You invested in your spouse and they ran out on you. This man says I’m not going to take this any longer, no longer will I tolerate business as usual.

How often have I heard people in relationships say I can’t take this business any longer. If I’m gonna stay here, some things have got to change. I want to suggest to us today that there is danger in going back to “business as usual.”

Parents with tough love, have said to their disobedient children that you can’t stay here and do your own thing. They say that every grown person ought to have their own house. The school board says that some things have got to change. They say that if you want to make the grade, you got to earn the credit. In other words, you can stay here, providing that there is no more “business as ususal.”