The God Of Another Chance

THE GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE

LUKE 13: 6-9

THE TREE REPRESENTS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, WHICH DID NOT GLORIFY GOD BY DEMONSTRATING FRUITFULNESS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE TREE IS ALSO INDICATIVE OF CHRISTIANS WHO ARE SAVED BUT ARE NOT PRODUCTIVE TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

FIG TREES USUALLY HAVE LARGE GREEN LEAVES, AND AROUND JERUSALEM THEY BEGAN TO LEAF IN MARCH AND APRIL, HOWEVER, THE FRUIT DOES NOT APPEAR UNTIL JUNE. THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF FOLK WHO ARE BEARING LEAVES BUT NO FRUIT! THEY MIGHT COME TO CHURCH BUT THAT IS ALL THAT THEY DO!

UNFRUITFUL TREES SOAK AND SUCK UP THE JUICES FROM THE EARTH, HINDERING THE NOURISHMENT FROM THOSE PRODUCTIVE TREES AROUND IT. MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, THERE ARE THOSE WHO SOAK AND SUCK UP THE JUICES FROM PRODUCTIVE CHRISTIANS, HINDERING THEIR SPIRITUAL GROWTH. THEY ARE PERNICIOUS (DESTRUCTIVE) TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

VINEYARDS ARE PLACES OF FERTILITY, SEPARATED FROM OTHER AREAS. THE CHURCH MUST BE A VINEYARD, OUR HOMES MUST BE VINEYARDS.

THE VINEYARD BELONGS TO GOD, THEREFORE, HE EXPECTS EVERY TREE TO PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT. THE TEXT TEACHES THAT “A CERTAIN MAN” (GOD) HAD A VINEYARD. HE HAD BEEN INSPECTING THE TREE FOR THREE YEARS BUT FOUND NO FRUIT. THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE CHURCH FOR YEARS, AND GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR SOME FRUIT.

THE MAN SAYS, “CUT IT DOWN.” WHENEVER GOD CANNOT FIND FRUIT IN A PERSON, HE IS JUSTIFIED IN ORDERING THEM TO BE CUT DOWN. MATT. 21:18 TEACHES THAT WHEN JESUS WAS HUNGRY, HE LOOKED TO A FIG TREE BUT FOUND NO FRUIT, CONSEQUENTLY, HE CURSED THE FIG FREE. ARE WE CURSED BECAUSE WE ARE NOT BEARING FRUIT?

THE DRESSER OF THE VINEYARD IS CHRIST. VERSE 8 REVEALS THAT HE INTERCEDES FOR THE TREE OR THE PEOPLE. HE SAYS, “LET IT ALONE THIS YEAR ALSO, TILL I DIG ABOUT IT, AND DUNG IT.” WHICH MEANS HE WAS WILLING TO DO SOME WORK. HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH JUST COMING TO THE VINEYARD, HE WAS WILLING TO WORK. WE MUST NOT BECOME JUST SATISFIED WITH COMING TO CHURCH WE MUST BE WILLING TO WORK. THANK GOD FOR THE INTERCESSION OF JESUS. IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. WE ARE EXPOSED TO GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY.

VERSE 9 TEACHES THAT IF THE TREE BEARS FRUIT WELL, BUT IF IT DOESN’T CUT IT DOWN. THANK GOD THAT HE IS A PATIENT GOD, ROM. 15: 5 TEACHES THAT GOD IS PATIENT. NUMBERS 14:18 TEACHES, THE LORD IS LONGSUFFERING, AND OF GREAT MERCY.”

THIS NARRATIVE TEACHES THAT THE TREE IS RESTING IN THE HANDS OF A JUDICIAL GOD, SO ARE WE. THE NARRATIVE TEACHES THAT GOD IS A GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE.

SO MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS WHAT KIND OF FRUIT ARE WE TO BEAR? GAL. 5:22, LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNES, AND TEMPERANCE.

AS WE COME TO THIS JUNCTURE IN OUR LIVES GOD WANTS US TO BEAR HIS FRUIT. AS WE CROSS OVER INTO THE YEAR 2002, WE OUGHT TO THANK GOD FOR ANOTHER CHANCE.