Perils of a Fruitless Life
Luke 13:6-9
INTRODUCTION
A. Disappointments and unmet expectations are a regular part of life.
1. Women who just cannot get pregnant.
2. Continue to have miscarriages.
3. Bright children whose parents don’t have money to send them to college (child has great aspirations that go unfulfilled).
4. Keep getting laid off from jobs.
5. Physical illness just keeps coming.
6. Parents whose grown children just keep disappointing them.
7. Just can’t get ahead financially (more outgo than income).
8. New vehicle that breaks down 1 week after you purchase it.
B. Man was disappointed that his fig tree was not producing.
1. Decided to do something.
2. After three years, he decides to cut it down.
3. Decided to give it one more year.
C. Larry Walters, the truck driver with a dream to fly.
1. After high school, joined the Air Force hoping to be a pilot.
2. Bad eyesight disqualified him but still had the dream after leaving service.
3. Went to army-navy surplus store and bought tank of helium and 45 weather balloons.
4. Used straps to attach balloons to lawn chair, packed some sandwiches, beer and a pellet gun.
5. Cut the anchoring chord and shot up like a canon.
6. Leveled off at 15,000 feet.
7. Sailed for 14 hours not knowing how to get down.
8. Drifted into approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport.
9. Pan Am pilot radioed the tower about a guy in a lawn chair with a gun in his lap.
10. At dusk, Larry began drifting out to sea.
11. Navy dispatched a helicopter to rescue him but draft from propellers kept pushing Larry away but they were finally successful.
12. Another report said he begin to shoot balloons, got caught in a power line and climbed down.
13. Larry was arrested and led away in handcuffs.
14. Reporter asked him why and he said, “A man just can’t sit around.”
D. Subject of Jesus’ parable is that we better not sit around as believers.
WE DON’T KNOW OUR IDENTITY
A. What the elements of the story represent.
1. The tree is Israel but then all believers.
2. Fruitful tree symbolic of godly living.
3. Man who planted the tree is God or Jesus.
4. Cutting the tree down speaks of judgment now and later.
5. The one more year represents God’s patience.
B. In one sense Israel did not have an identity problem.
1. They knew they were God’s people but they became too proud of that.
2. Thought they deserved special treatment because they were God’s people and he had done some marvelous things in their history.
3. Led them out of Egyptian slavery-40 years in the wilderness led by a cloud and pillar of fire, clothes or shoes didn’t wear out, provided food and water for them.
4. Led them out of Babylonian slavery after 70 years and used a pagan ruler to return them to their land.
5. They had a rich history but this parable is an indictment against them.
C. Who does the Bible say believers are now?
1. We are God’s people if we have accepted Christ as Savior.
2. We are forgiven of all our sins-past, present and future.
3. We are given abundant life now and eternal life in the future.
4. We are saints not sinners because God looks at us based on what his Son has done and that we have accepted that.
5. John 1:12; “But to all who believed him (Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
6. Galatians 4:7; “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.”
7. Let go of the mindset that you are just a dirty sinner that has to grovel in the dust before God-that was the picture before we came to Christ.
D. It is important-and God expects, for us to know who we are.
1. Knowing our identity is directly related to being productive for God.
2. If we don’t know our position and the ammunition God has given us, we will end up like Israel-not doing much for God.
3. Our identity as his child means we have gifts to use in his service.
4. We are not like the person who says, “It’s no use to apply for that job because I don’t have the skills they are looking for.”
5. Sometimes that’s true-Person applying for a job that is 95 percent computer work but who is computer illiterate.
6. God never moves us to do anything he has not already or will not prepare us for-that is a message repeated throughout the Bible.
E. Many in our world have identity problems.
1. Typical of the teenage years (a time when they establish their identity as they begin to become independent of their parents).
2. Some never solve that and carry it over into adult years.
3. Not knowing who you are can lead to difficulties in life (depression, low self-esteem, low energy level, little enthusiasm, low motivation).
4. Some go for psychological and psychiatric care to help.
WE DON’T PRODUCE FRUIT
A. Just a natural outflow of a fruitless life.
1. For three years the fig tree had produced no fruit.
2. The man was willing to give it one more year-one more chance.
3. It is a warning to Israel (who Jesus was ministering to) and us as the church.
4. If we don’t know who we are and what we are supposed to be doing, we won’t do it.
B. Israel’s example
1. Read the Old Testament and listen to Jesus’ words in the New.
2. Israel’s pattern was rebellion and God sent many prophets to warn them.
3. God would bless and they would rebel and the pattern would repeat.
C. The Church’s Example
1. The same generally speaking.
2. God blesses and we rebel.
3. There are many examples of corruption in the established church in its history.
4. Think of your own individual example.
5. How many of us are all God wants us to be?
6. How many times have we failed and rebelled-went our own stubborn way?
D. Knowing our connection is vitally important.
1. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15:5ff)
2. We have to know and nurture the connection.
3. The connection comes at salvation but the nurture is thereafter (prayer, Bible study, meditation, using gifts, growing spiritually).
4. Coals go out when separated .
5. Electricity is wonderful but things don’t work unless they are connected to the source.
E. Fruit comes from the Holy Spirit.
1. Become familiar with the fruits of the Spirit.
2. Look at your personality and opportunities and see which gifts you have and use them.
3. We serve Jesus by serving others.
F. Cobbler who lived in Marseilles many years ago.
1. Loved and honored by neighbors who called him “Father Martin.”
2. One Christmas he sat alone in his shop reading the Christmas story.
3. Thought to himself that if had been there when Jesus was born he would have given him two shoes.
4. Heard a voice after going to sleep, “Martin, you have longed to see me. Tomorrow I shall pass by your window. If you see me and bid me enter, I shall be your guest and sit at your table.”
5. Couldn’t sleep and rose before dawn to tidy up the shop.
6. Sat at the window, looking at the driving sleet and rain, sure that he would recognize his Master.
7. Street sweeper came by blowing on his hands, called him in and gave him something to drink.
8. Saw a poor woman with a baby, gave milk to the child and a pair of shoes.
9. Many needy souls were cared for as he saw them pass his window.
10. When night came he retired with a heavy heart, “It was only a dream. I did hope and believe, but he has not come.”
11. Room flooded with light and all he helped appeared before him, “Have you not seen me? Did I not sit at your table?”
12. Then the words of his Master, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”
WE FACE GOD’S DISAPPROVAL
A. Man who planted the fig tree.
1. Cut it down.
2. Gardener persuaded him to give it one more year.
B. Speaks to the end of time.
1. Stand before God to give account of our life.
2. Separation will take place-believers and unbelievers.
3. No condemnation for believers but we can hear God’s disapproval for not producing fruit.
4. Judgment for unbelievers.
5. Want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
6. Don’t want to disappoint the Savior who has done so much for us.
CONCLUSION
A. We don’t know our identity, we don’t produce fruit and we face God’s disapproval.
B. From a Confederate soldier:
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for-
But everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my
Unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men,
Most richly blessed.
C. God has blessed us, so let us bless others by serving our God by serving others.
