Disclaimer:
Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
GOD’S FIG TREES
Luke 13:6-9, "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
To begin this message this morning I want to welcome you to the Garden of God. The reason I say that is that each of us are planted in this place this morning by God to bring froth fruit in season. We are planted by the Blood of the Lamb, cultivated by the Holy Spirit, and fertilized by the Word of God. Each of us is represented in the parable above in one way or another. Let’s look at the parable to see where we are right now.
God’s greatest desire is that each of us makes the decision to become a fig tree in His garden that will bear fruit. We spoke a few weeks ago of the fact that our Father in Heaven is the Husbandman and it is He who watches over his garden and works with us to trim away the unnecessary parts and make us more fruitful.
The owner of the vineyard was passing by this fig tree for the 3rd time. Each time he came by he had hoped to find some ripened fruit that would show that this fig tree was productive but each time he came there was no fruit.
I think the point that Jesus is making to each of this morning is that He is passing by each us one more time. He has passed by most of us a number of times, seeking for the fruit that we are to bear for the Kingdom of God.
Perhaps on one of those occasions, Jesus may have found the that we were thirsty and dry so He watered us with the Word of God that we might obtain the water of life freely from its life giving flow. He has given us His own precious blood to wash us, cleanse us and give us life eternal, but now there must come the works of faith as fruit that we bear.
Time and time again we come together and God speaks to us through His word as the message goes forth from God’s appointed minister.
Sometimes a few of the fig trees respond and there breaks forth some green leaves of good works upon their branches. The fruit begins to form but before it can ripen, the Word that we received slips away through neglect of study and meditation upon it, then the fruit that once held great promise, the green leaves and the life that the water of the Word gave to us are cut off and the fig tree begins to wither and die as it lapses back into its dry and thirsty condition once more.
There have been times when Jesus would pass by and the Word of God would go forth and many of the fig trees in this garden would never receive the water that was offered for our thoughts and our minds were not open to the water that came forth. We are too caught up in our own circumstances. Our roots are all pulled up around us tightly so that no water can come in. Our focus is not on God or upon His Word, it is on the cares of this life. So, Jesus passes by once again and there is no fruit yet on your tree.
Perhaps Jesus came by once again and saw that the water of the Word had begun to flow into your life and that your tree of spirituality was putting forth the green leaves. You were showing signs of the springtime of your life when the blooms are bursting forth. The joy of the Lord has come upon you and you seem to be prospering. Then, Jesus notices that the fruit that you are to bring forth really isn’t producing as expected.
This happens because even though we hear the Word and meditate upon it, we must allow the Holy Spirit to change us and to conform us into the fig tree that God intends for us to be. We often place a limitation upon the effects of the Word within us because we fail to yield or obey its teaching. The Holy Spirit is a perfect gentleman. He will never push the Word into you. You must accept it freely. You must seek it out with a hungry heart.
Jesus made a point of this in the portion of scripture known as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6 when He said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
A fig tree in God’s garden that isn’t thirsty for the Word of God or hungry for the fertilizing power of the Holy Spirit won’t benefit at all from their provision.
Time after time, service after service, continually, Jesus is passing by to inspect the fig trees in His garden, looking for that ripened fruit of the Spirit. He searches for the fruits of righteousness including souls we may have won to the Lord, good works that we have done or a change in our nature and character for the better.
I wonder how many times He has passed by my fig tree and saw no fruit? I wonder how many times He has passed by each of us and was grieved because there was no fruit and we were still dead in our sin?
Genesis 6:3 says, "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."
God knows the limitations of our flesh, but He also knows that there are no limitations upon our Spirit unless we place them there ourselves. The scripture still says that with God all things are possible to him that believes.
In the parable of the fig tree there came a time when the owner of the vineyard said his gardener, “It’s time to cut that tree down and get another one planted for this one refuses to yield and bear fruit. We can’t allow it to remain lest it takes up space that can be used by another tree to bring forth fruit.”
My greatest fear is like that of Paul who says that even he was afraid that somehow he would miss the glories of eternal life because of his own failures even though he had led so many to Christ. If the Apostle Paul felt that he could miss God because his tree wasn’t bearing right, where does that leave us?
Matthew 3:10, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
We cannot continue being unfruitful trees in the Kingdom of God. There will come a time when the Father will say to us, “That’s enough, cut it down and throw it into the fire.” Those are not the words I want to hear! I want to hear my Father say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Thank God that we have a mediator in Jesus Christ. Thank Him for His great love and mercy. Thank Him for His wonderful grace.
It is Jesus who goes to the Father for us each time we cry out for mercy. If we are truly repentant and desire to bear fruit, He will once again pass by to bring us His Word, to send the Comforter and the Teacher through the Holy Spirit. He will once again intercede for us to give us chance after chance to be become fruitful
We must learn from Jesus’ example and intercede for one another as well. Lord, I know my brother is having trouble. I know that my sister is not bearing fruit meet for repentance. I know that they are faltering. God help me to help them. Help me to work with them, to show them love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and mercy. God, I have been there before and I may be there again someday. Help me not to condemn or cut them away but let me help them to grow again.
That’s the attitude that Jesus has toward us and that’s the attitude we have toward one another!
Beware though, for there will come a time when the Father will say, “That’s enough!”
There is coming a day when every unproductive fig tree will stand before God’s great judgment throne.
Every tree that doesn’t produce fruit will be cut down permanently. There will be no more room for repentance then. There will be no more opportunities to hear the Word of God as He attempts to water us. There will be no more fertilizing power of the Holy Spirit! The axe will fall and the tree will be cut down. Then the Father will say to his angels, “Cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
In John 15:5-7 Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
Jesus is passing by this morning. He is coming to see if we have borne any fruit for His Kingdom. He is coming to see if we are dry, thirsty or hungry. He is still coming to help us to be productive. Don’t miss this opportunity! We never know when the last one will come.
Are you productive this morning? Some of the fig trees in this sanctuary are productive. They are in full bloom and the fruit that they are bearing is ripe and ready for harvest. There are others who are dry and thirsty and have not brought forth any fruit at all. There are still others who are beginning to turn green again in a spiritual sense but the fruit still isn’t there.
Will we hear the Word of God today? Will its water bring us life or will we turn it away once again? Will we allow the Holy Spirit to fertilize us and change us into the image of Christ or will we refuse to allow Him to change us?
The choice is ours. We can either become bearers of much fruit or we can be cut down and cast into the fire – WHICH WILL IT BE FOR YOUR TREE THIS MORNING?
