What kind of tree are you.
Good morening everyone. What kind of tree are you ? Kind of a strange question isn’t it. What kind of tree am I ? Have you ever looked back in your life and looked at the things that you have done and looked at what you could have done ? Some of you are saying “Yup if I would have only known this or that I would be a millionaire or I would still have that job” , or maybe your saying “Yup if I had only done this or that I would my life would have been different. “ Do you ever ask yourself were am I going? Do you ask God to lead you in the right path? I want to illustrate some for you here. God sees you as a tree . I don’t mean you are an oak or spruce tree but lets look at a tree for a minuet.
In the New Testament it is riddled with reference to trees . In Mathew 12 :33 it says “ make a tree good and it’s fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and the fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by it’s fruit.”NIV. Hum we are recognized by or fruit . What is meant by fruit . When we serve in the church that is fruit, when we minister to others that is fruit , when we do the will of God that is fruit . What is bad fruit ? Well that is going against the will of God . That’s doing the things that we shouldn’t do . When we do these things other people see us . When we do good they see the good in us when we sin and do the things against God , guess what they see that to. Yes that’s right when we sin and do the things the we know we shouldn’t others see it and say “... and they call themselves a Christin ?” What is bad though those that don’t know you that don’t know Jesus see you and find out you are a Christian what kind of message are you sending them .Have you caused them to not become a Christian because of what they seen you do or say? Has your interpretation of a Christian warped them to think all Christians are like this? Is your fruit good or bad?
In Mathew 7 :16-18 turn with me “ By there fruit you will recognize them . Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit , but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree can not bear bad fruit, and a bad tree can not bear good fruit.” NIV .Here is another one referring to us as a tree . Think about this for a minuet Why does Jesus refer to us as a tree so many times in the Bible? Roman 11:16-21 says ”If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. “ NIV .
Here Paul not only refers to us as a tree but also tells us how we are grafted into the root of God . When we become saved we are grafted into the Holy family , we are adopted into the family. The sap is Jesus who now dwells inside of us. He supports us and nourishes us .
Jesus also intercedes for us .Luke 13:6-9 “Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ’For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ’Sir,’ the man replied, ’leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ " NIV Who is the man , God, who is the caretaker , Jesus. When we are under the care of Jesus His grace and mercy is for us . Do we mess up ,yes , but Jesus sees the potential that’s in us . He sees that the “next year” we will be producing fruit . How does He see this ? Well what have we been talking about , a tree . He sees our life as a we see a tree . Let’s look at a tree . You have the root coming out of the earth just as when you were born from your mothers womb your roots start with your mom and dad. As the trunk grows and supports the tree just as we grow under the care of our parents . As we go up farther we start to see the branches sprouting out . These are the paths we will take or not take . This also answers the age old question is our life predestined or free will . It’s both . Just as we are looking at this tree bear with me.
As we go up farther in the tree we notice many branches coming out and leaves spouting on the limbs . As we fallow some of the limbs we see that the ones that have leaves also have some have fruit or seeds. This is the Life that we have when we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. He is the life and like the tree leaves bringing life into the tree He brings eternal life into us . As we see the fruits on the branches it is the fruits of our walk with Jesus . The life’s we touch , the service we do , the worship we do all are fruits to Him. But also on this tree of your life we see some dead branches in there . We see these just as God sees them as dead ,without life , not producing fruits.
These are the paths we would have gone down and never accepted Jesus into our lives. Just as in Luke3:8-9 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ’We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." NIV. Just as when we fallow that path and not accept Jesus into our life and die we will be cast into the fire, the eternal fire. Also just as we fallow the paths and accepted Jesus into our lives and yet produce no fruit he will prune off the branches that don’t produce because they rob nourishment that can go to the ones bearing fruits . So what path have you fallowed ?
Back to the point asked are we predestined or free will? Well like I said , both . Like that tree we have been talking about our life is predestined but we have the freewill to fallow any of the branches we choose . Some will lead to branches of fruits some will lead to just life with Jesus and still others will lead to a life with out Jesus , all branches come to an end just as all the paths we could have taken would have come to an end , just as the path you are on right now will come to an end. The question is , is the path you are on or the branch you are on now a branch with life in it , is it a branch with fruit bearing from it or is it a branch without life , dead. The guestion sometimes with this is well what about diseases and when someone is murdered ? Trees get diseases from bird that land on them also from bugs and parasites that get to them . Trees also get cut down and when storms come some are struck by lightning and destroyed. Just as these things happen to us . That is life . That is also why we should be on that branch that is in Jesus , that branch is producing fruit so if something like this does happen we are prepared. So what branch or you on ? What branch does He want you on ? We have the free will to accept Him at any time but just as that tree in the forest that gets struck by lightning or chopped down to make wood, we don’t know when that will be . I urge you to next time you look at tree , look at yourself and ask yourself “ What branch am I on?” To you that don’t know Jesus I ask that you simply say “Jesus I love you , I want you in my life, I want you to take my life and use it as you will. Forgive me Jesus of my sins as I give my all to you . In Jesus name I pray ,amen.” If you just said that you are now on the right branch in life. If you said that with your heart , Jesus will fill you life with everlasting love and life. Now go forth and produce. God Bless.
