Just Dung It!

Let's turn to Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 13, there's CDs and t-shirts and all that will be for sale there in the Vestibule.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Man, I'm telling you, I'm going to get them a bus because they'll be gone.

That's great.

Thank you so much for leading us in worship.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I mean, it don't seem right.

It's not fair.

And it's one of those things that we don't understand.

And when you begin to try to deal with why bad things happen to good people,

somebody always says, well, if bad things happen to seemingly good people,

were the people really bad?

I mean, was there something there that would cause something like that to happen to them

that we didn't know about them?

I mean, are they paying for something they did wrong?

That's the kind of questions that people ask, and that's the kind of questions that they ask Jesus.

The beginning of Luke chapter 13 speaks of the Galileans.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Now, let me tell you about the Galileans.

The Galileans were a spirited, high-strung, excited people that sometimes did too much at the wrong time.

To explain myself, Peter was a Galilean.

And when they came to arrest Jesus, he took a dagger or sword and cut off a man's ear.

Now, I will tell you the reason why he cut the man's ear off was because the Roman helmet did not protect the ears.

He wasn't aiming at the ear, folks.

Okay?

He was taking the dude out.

That's what he was doing.

And, of course, Jesus put the ear back on,

and Peter claimed absolute allegiance to Christ without compromise,

and then he folded like a man in the ring with Mike Tyson in his heyday when the pressure got put on.

He was a zealot in every way.

That's the Galilean spirit.

I will tell you if you go to the Holy Land and you go into Galilee,

there's a different flavor about those folks.

I like them, you know.

They got a little spunk to them, like some of y'all do this morning.

And they are excited.

And so Pilate didn't like them, apparently,

because this speaks of a historical circumstance where

Pilate had Roman soldiers interrupt the time of sacrifice of the Galileans

by killing the Galileans and then mixing their blood with the blood sacrifices

that the Galileans had made.

And these people are asking Jesus,

why did that happen to them?

They're grabbing headline news

and saying, why in the world is this happening to these people?

So Jesus

gave them

another thought.

See, the Pharisees

taught and believed that every tragedy

was seen as a divine penalty

for somebody's sin.

That's why they asked him when

someone was sick,

who sinned?

Was it the boy or was it his parents?

I mean, what caused this problem to happen?

They brought up things like that.

And when they asked Jesus about this Galilean circumstance,

Jesus responded and said,

don't concern,

this is my translation of this,

don't concern yourself with

why it happened to them.

There's a lot of bad things happening.

And he gave another instance.

The first incident that they brought up

was deliberate.

The second

seemed to be an accident.

And Jesus is saying,

either way,

you ought to be concerned

not about why things are happening

to different people.

You ought to be concerned

about the state of your heart.

And then Jesus responds

by telling them to be ready.

And he tells them through a story

that we call a parable.

It means a side story.

One of those stories

that come alongside

to help us understand

the truth better.

And it's found in Luke chapter 13,

Luke 13 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 6,

and he says this.

And he told this parable.

A man had a fig tree

planted in his vineyard

and he came seeking fruit on it

and found none.

And he said to the vine dresser,

look, for three years now,

I've come seeking fruit

on this fig tree

and I've found none.

Cut it down.

Why should it use up the ground?

And he answered him

and said,

Sir, let it alone this year also

until I dig around it

and put on manure.

Then if it should bear fruit next year,

well and good.

But if not,

you can cut it down.

Now,

some of y'all will recognize

right off the bat

that we're talking about a fig tree

and you'll begin to talk about

the symbolism in Scripture

and those type things

that the fig tree

does often represent

the nation of Israel.

It does.

We see it in the Old Testament.

It's carried over

into the New Testament.

And it mentions,

it's talking about Israel

many times over.

Not to say it isn't here,

but that nation,

any nation,

is made up of people

and the people

that make up the nation

is who Jesus is speaking to.

He's talking to individuals.

He's talking to those individuals

that were standing there

with Him that day.

And by the inspiration

of the Holy Spirit

and the way that

the Holy Spirit

breathes life into Scripture

and brings it all intact to us

where we are

through the inspiration

of the Holy Spirit,

He's talking to us

as individuals.

If anyone is not fruitful,

they could be cut down.

The story is,

the truth is,

to be clear about it,

judgment is coming.

That's what Jesus says.

Judgment's coming.

But aren't you glad

that He gives us

a little more time?

Now, it may not be

much more time,

but if you don't believe

that God's been patient with us,

well, you're wrong.

Because He has been.

And if you were to sit down

and be honest with each other,

you'd quickly understand

why I believe

that we have a lot

to be thankful for.

But instead of the sit down,

let me just tell you,

I believe that we ought

to be thankful

for the patience of God

because, for instance,

Romans 3.23 states

that we're all sinners.

sinners.

And we all fall short

of the glory of God.

We've all messed up.

And Romans 6.23 tells us

that the cost of that sin

is death.

And when it speaks

of death there,

it's not really talking

about the heart dying,

it's talking instead

about an eternal separation

from God.

The sadness of a believer

passing from this life

into the next,

we're not sad

because they now

have received the reward

and in heaven,

we're sad because

they're not with us anymore.

It's the separation.

And when it speaks

of the death

that comes

to the cost of sin,

it's talking about

the eternal separation

from God.

And to fit the story

that Jesus tells here,

you will be chopped down

and may I add,

be burned.

That's what Jesus says.

And you will see

as we continue

to talk about the stories

that Jesus told,

he didn't just say it

once or twice.

He said it a lot.

Jesus gets to the heart

of the matter

and the sin

of unfruitfulness

is serious to God

because the word

tells us how

to bear fruit.

John 15, 5,

Jesus said,

I am the vine,

you're the branches,

whoever abides in me

and I in him,

he, it is,

that bears much fruit

from apart from me,

you can do nothing.

there ought to be evidence

in your life

that you are in Christ

if you're a Christian.

If there is no evidence,

you're not in Christ.

Scripture's clear about that.

John goes on and on about it

in the gospel of John

as well as in 1 John.

There is no such thing

as a fruitless Christian.

There is such a thing

as a fruitless person

who thinks

that he or she is a Christian.

And that person

in due time,

in the next season,

in the next moment,

whatever the timetable is,

it could be a second,

it could be decades,

will be cut down.

So how do we respond to that?

I think that's,

that's not nice on Sunday morning.

How do we respond to that?

What do we take from this story?

Well,

because I'm a Baptist preacher,

three things, okay?

One is be patient with others.

Be patient with others.

As a man who's leaving

this afternoon

to drive through Atlanta

to get to Mississippi,

this don't apply to me.

Be patient with others.

When I was a college kid,

God called me to ministry.

I went and got

probably the first commentary set

that anybody gets

back in that day.

That was the Matthew Henry

commentary set.

Now they've got a,

a bridged one volume version

now that you can read.

But this was the old font

in the six volumes.

I like what Matthew Henry says

about the patience of God.

He says that had it not been

for Christ intercession,

the whole world would be cut down.

We owe a lot

to God's mercy.

We owe a lot

to Christ intercession.

I mean, let's be clean,

we owe it all.

We owe our lives.

And we ought to be patient

with each other.

If you go home

and eat a peach

and take that pit outside

and plant it in the ground,

you will not get fruit immediately.

It will take years

to grow

a tree

out of that pit

that will grow,

that will make its own peach.

And

that is if you're successful.

I grew up with a peach tree

in my backyard.

The bugs loved it

a lot more than we did,

apparently.

Got a whole lot quicker.

Young trees

do not grow early.

early.

And if Jesus

is comparing us

to trees,

we need to expect fruit,

but it takes time.

And we need to be patient.

Hear me.

We have children

around here

that need the nurture

of God.

That takes time.

It takes willingness.

It takes patience.

We have new Christians

that may be grown,

but are new Christians.

Maybe they're not grown.

We baptized several children recently.

They've never brought fruit

and it takes time.

We have some

that's supposed to be

seasoned Christians,

but where's the fruit?

God is

patient.

Thank God

He's patient

with them

and He's patient

with us.

And as

everybody likes to say

these days,

we have to pay it forward.

We need to be patient

with others

as well.

So don't rush me

this morning.

Be patient.

The second thing

is this.

Fertilize

the unfruitful.

Where there is

unfruitfulness

around us

or

in us,

we need to

dig around

and throw

some manure

on it

or just

dung it.

Okay?

That's not exactly

what Nike said.

It's a little better.

So let me ask you,

how are you doing

when you walk

with God?

You don't grow

fruit trees

for ornamentation

or at least

God doesn't.

What kind

of priority

is your

walk with God?

Now I will tell you

it's much easier

to point at somebody

else and say,

boy,

I'll tell you

what they need

to be doing

in their life.

Well,

let's get past

that this morning

because we're

being patient

with them.

Let's not be

so patient

with ourselves.

Let's instead

look at

where we are.

What kind

of priority

is your walk

with God?

We're not saved

to look good,

folks.

We're saved

and given

a responsibility

and thank God

in enabling

and empowerment

to bear fruit.

And if we

don't,

God will choose

to use someone

that will bear fruit.

And the only way

you're going to bear fruit,

let me take you

back to 715.5.

The only way

you're going to bear

John,

excuse me,

John 15.5,

the only way

you're going to bear

fruit is

to abide

with the Lord.

And

you need time

with God

in His Word

daily.

We can put out

all the bookmarks

on every offering

box that we got.

We can encourage it

and put it in the

newsletter

and put it before you

all we want.

But if you don't

commit yourself

to spend time

with the Lord

daily,

I'm not talking

about a ritual.

Forget rituals.

I'm talking

about a relationship.

I'm talking

about a quiet

spot

to let God

speak

to your heart.

You need

to talk

to Him.

That's prayer.

You need

Him to talk

to you.

That's His Word.

that's the way

the conversation

happens.

It's when we

allow Him

to speak to us

through the Holy Spirit

of God

through His Word

and we talk

to Him too.

We need

to talk

to others.

That's what

the church

is about.

That's a formula

and it works.

It works.

I will tell

you

that if the

only part

of First Baptist

Church

that you're

a part of

is to walk

in the doors

somewhere between

1020 and

1035

and sit down

in here,

I am glad

you're here.

I am.

I prayed

for you

before you

got here.

I'll pray

for you

after I leave

here.

and I'm

glad you're

here.

But I will

tell you

this is not

enough.

It's not

enough.

You won't

know this

church

just from

that.

You won't

build

relationships

with folks

in this

room

just from

that.

And Christ

came to

establish the

church and

it's very

clear in the

book of Acts

how you do

that properly

and that is

to spend

time together.

We have

Sunday school

classes for

that.

We have

Bible

study groups

for that.

We have

prayer groups

for that.

We're

providing as

many avenues

as we

possibly can

and looking

to provide

more for

you to get

engaged and

get connected

to other

folks that

are going

through common

things that

you're going

through and

help us as

iron sharpens

iron so let

one sharpen

another.

To work

each other.

To maybe

prune one

another from

time to

time.

to compliment

the fruit of

another.

To help

one another

along because

we don't want

to look like it

on Sunday

morning at

all.

None of us

do.

Okay?

But we all

need help.

It's not that we

necessarily want

anybody to tell us

what they think.

I don't mean that.

But I'm just

telling you folks,

you need the

camaraderie around

the word of God.

You need that.

And if you

don't have it,

it is more

difficult to

abide with

the Lord.

He established

the church for

those purposes

because he knew

we needed it.

He knows what

you're facing on

Monday morning.

And you probably

know what it is

too, but if you

don't, he's already

there by the way.

He knows what the

circumstances are.

And you need

that kind of

abiding with each

other.

And let me go

ahead and make a

commercial while I'm

here.

You say,

Preacher, I don't

know how to get

engaged in that.

I mean, it's just

intimidating to walk

in the doors and try

to find where to go

and I can't find my

way around the

building.

I understand.

I'm new.

You know, I'm new.

The first time that I

came here, the first

Sunday I was here as

your pastor, okay, on

May the 1st, the first

guy that welcomed me

was not in this

church.

Did not have a home

in Pickens.

He just came in off

the street and said,

Y'all have any

coffee?

I said, that's a

great question.

Man, I hope so.

You know, I don't

know, but man, you're

early.

Do you know the

Lord?

And he said, yeah.

I said, good.

Come back in 30

minutes, okay?

Because you're too

early, you know.

And listen, on

September 11th, I can

tell you where the

coffee's going to be,

all right?

Because the coffee

bar's opening.

Amen?

So anyway, it's

going to be in the

Welcome Center, which

is the middle door

between the sanctuary

and the fellowship

hall.

And everybody

don't know that,

folks.

We need each other.

Christ knew that.

Don't take that joy

away from others,

mingling in and mixing

in your lives and

helping us all to

become stronger.

We need that.

God's established

that.

And without that,

something's missing.

And it shows.

It shows.

Be clear.

Apathy, lack of

production, fruitlessness,

they're all forms of

disobedience.

So fortify your

spiritual life with

prayer.

Fortify your spiritual

life with the Word of

God.

If you don't know how

to do that properly,

come see me on

September the 11th.

Well, you can see me

before then, but

September the 11th

begins that class in

the fellowship hall.

Those are some of the

very things that I'm

going to be talking

about.

It's a great opportunity

for that.

Don't let the evil

one deceive you,

separate you, and

deplete you.

COVID has been

awful.

The losses that

people have suffered

have been tragic.

In the midst of all

of that, I buried

two 42-year-olds that

died with COVID.

I've seen the pain

that went into that

dilemma and that

difficulty.

And I know how tough

it is to preach to an

empty sanctuary in front

of a camera that they'll

watch the next day.

It ain't the same as the

fellowship of believers,

I promise you.

It's different from that.

COVID has been awful.

But I'm telling you, the

worst part of it, not

taking away from any of

the physical pandemic

part of it, but the

worst part of it has been

the spiritual pandemic

that took place.

Because we all withdrew and

we all got to ourself.

And just like so many

people died of other

health concerns because

they couldn't treat them

because everybody was

focused on COVID and so

they didn't take care of

their bad heart and they

didn't take care of the

cancer they were fighting

because they couldn't

get in to see the doctor

because of all those

circumstances and they

suffered with other

matters.

In the same kind of way,

in the midst of that, we

pulled away from

everything, never bothered

to re-engage and come

back and it's been a

spiritual pandemic upon

the church of Jesus

Christ.

And it's time to

relaunch and change that,

folks.

It's time to get engaged.

It's time to grow in the

Lord and allow God to do

that.

And if I'm digging a bit,

that is exactly what

Jesus was doing and

that's exactly what he

said we need to do.

Dig around the roots.

Dig around the roots.

Throw some manure on.

Just dung it.

Remain faithful to the

people of God.

Let God work in us and

through us.

But it's not just about

us.

A lack of unfruitfulness,

excuse me, a lot of

unfruitfulness is caused

by people not being

believers.

believers.

People need the Lord.

They need him today.

There's people in this

room.

I don't know who you

are, but there's people

in this room who've never

given his or her heart to

the Lord Jesus Christ.

Everybody may think you

have.

You may have thought that

aligning with the church

and going along for some

time is enough.

But the reality is, and I

shared this midweek this

past week, the greatest

burden I have as a pastor,

whether it's wrong or

right, the greatest burden

I have as a pastor is the

people that I preach to

each week and look at and

wonder, God, do they know

you?

Has their life been changed

by you?

Has there been a difference

in them, oh God?

Please don't let them walk

out of here knowing the

gospel, knowing what it

means to surrender your life

to the Lord, and then walk

out of here unchanged, not

committed.

When the ax hits the root,

it will forever be too

late.

And God has placed people in

our lives to help us change,

and God has placed us in

other people's lives to share

our faith with them.

God has given us neighbors,

the neighbors you don't like,

the neighbors you wish would

go away with all the moving

going on, let them move,

Lord, let them move.

God's put them there.

And all their junk in the

yard, he's put them there.

God's given you your work

mates, the ones that you

avoid.

God put them there.

God give you your fellow team

players.

God give you your team moms and

your team dads to share your

faith with, to make an example

of, to show.

Dig around a little bit.

Poke at it.

Throw some manure on it.

Just dung it.

You are not responsible for

their response to you.

You're responsible for giving

them an opportunity to

personally hear an invitation to

come to Christ and don't let your

true friendship with them come in

the way of giving them an

opportunity at eternal life.

Fertilize the unfruitful.

And lastly, prepare for the coming

day.

If there's not fruitfulness after the

effort, the tree is, the tree is

axed down and replaced and there's a

day coming.

Thank God it's not too late.

I don't know when it will be too

late.

I'm not selling any books on it.

Okay.

I'm just telling you, Jesus was

clear.

It will be.

And those who refuse to come to the

Lord, God is patient.

Thank God for that.

But time's running out.

And those who waste that time and

fail to faithfully serve the Lord,

time runs out.

Now I understand what people are

waiting on.

I get it.

I get it.

But I want you to watch what

happens.

When you're young, you don't have

your own family.

You think, well, I'll wait until I

get a family.

When I get a family, I'll get fully

engaged and faithful.

And then you get a family.

And then having kids is always make

or break, one or the other.

It's either too much trouble to go or

you're going because you want the

kids there.

That's what happens.

The decision that comes with that.

But when you get a family, you kind of

wait until the kids are older.

And then the kids get older and life

gets busier.

And you've got to make decisions,

tough decisions about how you're going

to prioritize your life because they

just want the most of it.

And our life kind of revolves around

that.

And then the kids are gone and it's

time for a break.

And then the grandkids come and you

want time with them instead.

And then you get older and then you

think, well, it's not my time.

It's somebody else's time now.

Now, 80 years later, there's a life

that proclaimed to have a relationship

with God, but has never faithfully

served and never bore fruit.

Just hanging around, but never

bearing fruit.

And I challenge you today, quit making

the life stage excuses that cause you

not to be everything that God would

have you to be.

Make today be the day that God digs

around at your roots.

Throw some manure on it.

I want you to know I prayed for you.

In preparing this sermon, I prayed for

you.

And then what about other Christians

who have a burden for others?

You know, you want to keep them your

friends, but you want them to know

Jesus and there's a fine line with

being patient with them and feeling a

deadline coming and Jesus tells us again

and again, you're going to see it in

coming days.

The day is coming.

Many of the parables that he shares

has to do with the door shutting,

the master returning, the judgment

that's coming.

I don't like talking about looming

judgment.

That's not my thing.

I'm a positive person.

Jesus wanted you to feel the looming

judgment of the Lord.

Why?

Because we need to get our lives right.

Because we need to bear fruit in this

season.

Because if you're a Christian today, you

have a faith that needs to be shared.

One thing they never prepared me for.

In seminary, in watching preachers growing up,

watching my pastors growing up,

I never was prepared for what I call the

sacred closets of people's lives that God has

allowed me to be in.

When you walk in with a family besides someone

dying, I think I don't belong here.

But that dear family wants their pastor to be a part of

that.

I know it's a sacred time.

I know it's a personal time.

I know it's a private time.

I get it.

And Fred, you know, you never get used to that.

I've seen them breathe their last.

And I've never had one say,

boy, I wish I'd wasted more time.

Never had somebody facing death tell me in my final visits with

them.

Boy, if I wouldn't have,

if I wouldn't have spent my time so wisely,

I wish I'd wasted more time.

But I've had more than a handful tell me.

I wish I would have taken advantage of my time and the

opportunity that I had.

And I'm simply saying this morning,

wish no longer.

Dig around.

Dig deep.

Throw some manure on your life.

Just dung it.

Just allow your life to be changed by the ever abiding presence of

the sweet Holy Spirit of God and the promise of Jesus.

With every head bowed and every eye closed,

I want to ask you this morning.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you've surrendered your

life to follow the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm not asking you if everybody thinks you have.

I'm asking you,

have you ever given your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I want you to know we're going to stand and we're going to sing in

just a moment.

But more important than that,

we do this for you to have the opportunity to respond in obedience.

And we will take the time to share with you what that means.

We're not going to rush that deal for you.

But as the Holy Spirit convicts your heart and speaks to you,

you respond to him today.

And we'll guide you in that.

Maybe God's drawing you to be a part of this church.

You feel led to join us in the journey.

We're not perfect,

nor are you.

We'll work out great.

You just come down and let us know that.

We'll be happy to help you in that process.

We may begin the process for that,

but you come.

Maybe you have been saved and you know you're a Christian,

but you've never been baptized by mercy.

You've never publicly proclaimed your faith in obedience to the way

Christ not only showed us,

but instructed us.

So I encourage you to be obedient in that.

Or maybe you're just here this morning and you just need some digging

around to take place in your roots.

I mean,

you just want to be honest with God.

You need some work.

There's not enough fruit.

And I want you to know the steps down here behind me are a makeshift

altar for you to lay it down before the Lord.

I realize you can do that where you are.

You can do it up here.

I just,

I just want you to be obedient.

I just know the spirit of God is stirring today.

He's moving in hearts and lives and I don't want you to be disobedient.

I just want you to do what he tells you to do.

I'll be happy to pray with you,

guide you in any way in any of that or anything else on your heart and life.

Lord Jesus,

lead us right now.

I pray your blessings,

your leadership,

your guidance upon every person in this place and every person watching online.

God,

God,

you move and work and help us to be obedient to follow you right now.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen.