CMLC 2024-03-24 Sermon

Now, I have to check for a moment. Does anybody remember, is Pastor Jason good at growing

plants or not so great at growing plants? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You've seen the little

potted lavender. That thing never had a chance. It was just sad. But you know, I did actually

go a few months ago, I think it was, and I decided, you know what, I'm going to try

to go get something easy. I'm going to go buy some trees. So, I went ahead and bought

two avocado trees and a fig tree. I know, right? That, yeah, that Linn is already like this

is going to end in tears. But you know, though, I did have some pretty good help. Maybe the

vultures helped me out a little bit here is to find out what you're supposed to actually

do with plants, especially trees. So, they're doing really well. They're both doing great.

I've kept them in the pots not because I'm lazy, but I've been putting them in, taking

them out with the weather, making sure they're being watered and everything, move them over

to make sure there's only indirect sunlight on them for the time being because the stems,

the actual future trunk is not ready for all the stuff. Man, and they look beautiful. But

you know, there's no fruits. There's no figs. There's no avocados. Oh, my word. How have

I done such a terrible job with these trees? I haven't gotten any avocados or figs off

of them, but probably because, yeah, it's not ready yet. It takes a few years for them

to get to that point. So, what would it be if I were to come up to these trees and start

getting upset? Hey, you know, LSU purple, where's my figs? What's wrong with you? What

have I done to offend you, Mr. Fig Tree? That probably doesn't make a lot of sense, right?

And avocado trees, I mean, come on, all right, if there's any place that we should be used

to them. But you see, the idea of bearing fruit, we spend a lot of time wondering about

that poor little fig tree. And at the same time, missing out on what it is that Jesus

is trying to get across to us. Was Jesus just being too harsh on that little tree? Or is

there something deeper going on? Now, let me make sure that I paint the picture and remind

you about this. We talked about the story of Jesus going to the temple and flipping over

the tables with the moneylenders. Okay, what we see here is a larger framework. Okay, we

talked about the John passage previously, but this is where the Mark passage sits in,

is in the middle of Jesus going to the temple in Jerusalem. And what is he writing? He's

writing on a donkey. Now, the thing is, is that usually, whenever someone kingly is coming

in, they're going to ride on either a horse or a mule, not usually a donkey, but this

is very specific, because this is being spoken to and prophesied by Zechariah. Because if

you're looking for the one who is to come and to bring salvation to the people, Hosanna,

God save us, then look for the one that's riding on the full of a donkey. And isn't

it fascinating that all they have to do is they're going up and they're taking this donkey

off of this post and they're just like, oh, well, the master needs it. Oh, well, okay,

yeah, go ahead and take it. But at this moment in time is that people see Jesus coming and

they're excited. And they're waving their palms and they're putting cloaks on the ground

and on the donkey. And they're excited and they want to see what he's going to do. They

want to see him coming in to the city and they want to see what is Jesus going to be

up to. And what does he spend his time doing? He's upset at the fig tree. Man, Jesus, in

a little OCD over here, are you? I mean, come on, leave it to all the ADHD of us to be

distracted. I mean, come on, why is it that this ends up being so important? But you see,

I want to remind you about why it was that going to the temple was such a thing for Jesus

is that as he goes outside of the temple, there is a court and inside of that court

is where the Gentiles would go. So imagine you've never known who God is and you want

to come to this place that you've heard about this temple, this place in Jerusalem and you

want to know who God is. You're not a part of that original Jewish community. You're

not going into the temple, the inner portions of it. You're not even going to the main,

but you need to go somewhere to hear about who God is. Where are you going to go? The

courts. But now imagine you're sitting there ready to hear about God and all you can hear

are people haggling over the money and bringing the cattle in and making sure that all the

animals are set to go and everything else. And you're just kind of like, I just want

somebody to tell me about who God is. And nobody seems to have the time for me. Jesus

comes to the one place that you should be able to see fruit. And there is none. Is it

any wonder he was so upset at that moment with that fig tree? And if I may, is it quite

possible that that's where we as the church are struggling? I was over at karaoke this

last week with some friends or people who call me their friend. I don't know. They're

a little weird, but I like them. Okay. And with it is that as we're over there, don't

worry. I sang Piano Man by Billy Joel. Don't worry. I made sure I got that one in there.

I also got somebody told me, I did not get around to you've lost that love and feeling,

but next time, next time, yeah, it is on the list. I swear. I swear. I'm pretty good at

it if I might just say it. But one of the things that came up was the question. It was

like this thing of, okay, can you talk to so and so about making sure that they come

over to church? And it was kind of like, well, yes, of course, I'd be happy to. But what

it started getting in my head is this thought, this question. We sometimes wonder why it

is that not as many people go to church these days as they used to. But there's a part of

me that also wondered, is it something that we complain about just to complain? Or should

we slow down and ask? Is there a reason? Is it possible that people are less likely to

be in church today because they don't see a place that's bearing fruit? Is it possible

that the church itself has lost its purpose? And I think that that's really what it is

that we're supposed to get about this fig tree. You see, it talks about that Jesus can see

the fig tree from a distance, and he sees the leaves that are on that tree. And when you

see the leaves, it's pretty, it's vibrant, it's got life. And yet when you get there,

where's the fruit? Is it possible that in many ways we have spent so much time trying

to look alive, but we haven't slowed down to make sure we're bearing any fruit? I find

it interesting about that poor little fig tree. But you know, I also find it interesting

that Jesus was able to take a storm out on a sea and get it to quiet down. God is able

to grow plants out of just the desert out of nowhere, and they spring up immediately.

We know that there are so many ways that Jesus could take five loaves and two fish and just

feed thousands of people with it. How amazing would it have been if at that moment, if out

of season, there shouldn't be any figs on this tree. But Jesus were to come up and were

to find figs because he's there. How amazing would it have been that the Lord is here,

and even the very plants bear fruit because of him? And yet in a world where serpents

can be cursed, in the world as opposed to bow at his feet, mountains can crumble and

valleys can be filled, what does the fig tree do? Absolutely nothing. But isn't that also

something that we find ourselves looking for excuses to? In many ways is that we keep finding

reasons for why this is not the season. This is the wrong time. We're only a few years

away out of COVID, if even that. Everybody's struggling. Everybody is having issues getting

back into their habits, and you know, people are trying to identify what matters. And the

world around us, the world around us has lost sight of who God is and what it is that matters.

Of course it makes sense that the church struggles today because the whole rest of the world

is struggling. This is not the season in which God's Word is being proclaimed and people's

lives are being changed. This is the wrong season for that pastor, Jason. What are you

expecting of us? But that's the thing about who God is, is that God doesn't wait for things

to be in season to do his will. God isn't waiting for the day when we're comfortable. The day

whenever we feel like we're ready. God's not waiting for the day whenever we think we've

got it all figured out. God's not waiting for the day whenever we've got all of our

teas crossed and our eyes dotted. God's not waiting for the day whenever we get to a point

of saying, you know what, we've got it all figured out. Okay, now we're going to be living

for the Lord and we're going to make everything, make straight the path of the Lord. He's saying,

I'm here now. Because the reality is that that's the only time and place that we truly

find life is because Jesus is with us. See, that's the thing about this is that being

rooted in this ground is that the living water of Christ Jesus and his light coming to us

is all we need. So then what is keeping us from growing in his presence? That's a challenge

for you today. You see, as we're going forward, as we're moving toward what we're going to

see with Jesus going to the cross is that he is going to do everything that is needed.

He is there to sacrifice of himself for us. And yet, is it possible that we've lost sight

of bringing people to know Christ Jesus and then asking what is it that God is doing in

our lives today? So as much as I'm really glad for all the things that have been going on

and great work that happens all around us and frankly, music is beautiful and I'm just

really glad to get to know a lot of you all and I'm really glad for a lot of the program

that we have. But if we look between the leaves, do we see God's spirit moving in your life?

Are you being changed by God's spirit? What is God doing in your life right here right

now? And if right now at this moment in time, you can honestly look at yourself and say,

I feel like something's missing. Then you come bang on my door as fast as you can and

all of us because that needs to change today. Because today is the day of the Lord. Today

is where we are at his temple. So whatever you may be seeing around you, it is not meant

to distract from the ultimate purpose. So fig trees aside, and yeah, I know that's not

a fig tree. It was what I had. Just go with it, all of you, arborists and everything else.

But the thing is, is that today we come back to who God is because he's the one giving

us life and light and hope. And with that is that he is the one to bear fruit in our

lives. So may this day and every day hereafter be another opportunity for God to do his work

in us. And may we now take those fruits and go out into a world that needs to know his

spirit. And if you need some ideas for that, please come find me. Nothing else at all that

we do ever takes precedence over what God is going to do in your life. Thanks be to God.