A Promising Sight ends in a Disappointing Discovery

Let's begin our worship now, beginning first of all today by singing to God's praise from Psalm 105.

Psalm 105, that's in the Scottish Psalter version. The page number is 374.

We're singing verses 1 to 6.

Give thanks to God, call on his name to men his deeds make known.

Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.

See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.

If you're able to stand, please stand. We'll sing verses 1 to 6.

Give thanks to God, call on his name.

Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.

See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord,

And let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.

The Lord almighty and his strength with steadfast hearts seek ye.

His blessed and his gracious face seek ye continually.

Think on the works that he hath done, which admiration breathe.

His wonders and the judgments of which from his mouth proceed.

For ye that are of Abraham's race, his servant will approve.

And he that is of Jacob's children, whom he chose for his own.

Let us join again now briefly in prayer.

We're going to pray particularly for the children and the young folks.

Lord, our God, we thank you that these words you have given us to sing,

That we have sung in your praise, do remind us again of the many benefits we receive from you.

And among the many benefits we receive, Lord, we place so high the benefit of the gospel.

The benefit of that teaching we have in your word that comes to instruct our mind of whatever age we're at,

In regard to God and his ways, in regard to ourselves and our need.

We pray today, Lord, for our young people.

We pray for the younger ones.

We pray for the Sunday school.

We pray for the creche.

We pray for the youth fellowship.

We pray for the Bible class.

We pray for our young folks, Lord, of all ages.

And we pray that you would bless them today, whether here or not.

We crave your blessing for them.

And we ask, Lord, again, that you would bless your word to them.

And make them today, O Lord, to think upon those things that are taught.

So that they may receive them into their hearts.

That they may live by them.

That they may glorify your great name.

And live in such a way as seeks to love you with all their heart and with all their soul.

Bless them then, we pray today.

Bless their teachers as well.

Bless those who look after them in creche and also in the tweenies.

We pray that you would bless them.

And bless the Sunday school teachers and the Bible class teachers themselves.

Be with them, Lord, we pray.

As they come to the end of this current term, we give thanks for their contribution.

We give thanks for the encouragement it gives us as a congregation to see so many of them.

And to see the dedication of those who give of their time and of their talents to teach the young folk.

Bless them, we pray.

And be with us today as we further wait upon you now.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Hands up.

How many would like a Roscoe story today?

Oh, how many of the older ones would like a Roscoe story today?

Wow, what a popular lad he is.

Okay, well, I've got a Roscoe story for you today.

I haven't had one for quite a long time.

Nothing much has happened other than what I've been telling you previously in Roscoe stories.

But I've got another one for you today.

About two weeks ago, guess what?

He managed to escape again.

And I'll tell you a bit about the background of it.

I had a Zoom meeting with some other ministers throughout the country that were involved in training.

Training ministers such as Scott, a trainee minister.

So we had a meeting on Zoom.

And I said quickly to Donna, when I was going up to the meeting, quickly said to her,

I'm going to start a Zoom meeting.

I'll be there for a wee while.

Roscoe's in the garage.

So like I said, I'd rushed off to the meeting.

What I meant was Roscoe's in the garage and the door is open.

So I can get in and out the back garden.

Be safe there.

The side gates were closed.

Donna had to go out.

Her car was in the back.

And she thought that I'd said he was in the cage.

So off she went with the car.

Left the gates open.

She was only going to be away a few minutes.

And she came back.

Closed the gates.

Thinking Roscoe was either with me or in the cage.

Got a chair out.

Sat out in the nice sunshine.

And I was busy at the Zoom meeting.

And then a phone call came through.

And I picked up the phone so as not to disturb the meeting.

And a lovely young lady said, hello, this is the vet.

Are you missing a dog?

I said, I don't think so, but let me go and check.

So I went downstairs quickly, rushed off, opened the back door.

And there's Donna sunning herself in the sun, oblivious to any emergencies.

And I said, where's the dog?

She said, is he not with you?

No, I said, he's not.

The vet have just phoned.

You've got to go and pick him up because they've still got a meeting.

So off she went.

And once she got to the vet, there was Roscoe.

And the girls in the vet's office there in the vet's reception area, absolutely enthralled with him.

They said, oh, he's just so lovely.

And saying that he'd just been wagging his tail all the time since he arrived.

Anyway, he got back home.

So what's the message in Roscoe's story today?

Well, it's about communication.

Communication is important.

Speaking and listening, in other words.

When I rushed off to my meeting, I should have taken a bit more time to explain to Donna where Roscoe actually was.

And I'll maybe get around for it afterwards, but she should have taken a wee bit more time to ask more details as to where he was.

So the communication works both ways.

And if it's not the way it should be, if it's not really detailed enough, then something's going to go wrong.

Now, that's important for you yourselves as young people.

When you come to speak to God, take time in telling God what you see your needs to be, asking for his forgiveness, asking for his guidance, asking for his help.

And you can bring anything to God that you feel you need to have help with.

God will always listen to our prayers.

And we don't need to be afraid that somehow it's just too trivial or not important enough.

God knows everything about us already, but he wants us to come and tell us what's on our heart.

And to do that, we need to take time.

Sometimes we do have to rush about, but we need to try at all times, as far as possible, make time to speak with God, to pray to God, to set out your heart before the Lord.

That's what I didn't do.

And that's why Roscoe escaped.

But on the other hand, you have to make time as well to listen to God.

How do we listen to God?

Well, you listen to God, especially when you read his word, when you hear his word preached.

That is God speaking to you and to the older ones as well.

Every time we come to the Bible, we're coming to the word of God.

We call it the word of God because that's what it is.

And we should think every time I come to read my Bible, I'm hearing God's voice because this is God's word.

And I need to prepare to listen to it properly.

And to listen carefully, to listen in such a way as seize this message that God has for me as so important.

So there you go, Roscoe still teaching us things.

And today I want you to think about speaking to God, taking time to pray, and listening to God, taking time to read your Bible, to listen to what he's saying there, and then try and apply that in your own lives as well.

Okay, so may God bless these thoughts to us.

Let's say the Lord's Prayer now together.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise this time.

We're singing Psalm 61.

Psalm number 61.

That's in the Sing Psalms version on page 78.

We're going to sing verses 1 to 5.

O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.

From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.

O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I.

For you're my refuge from the foe, my tower of strength on high.

Here is the psalmist speaking to God and taking time to ask God for these important things that he's asking in prayer.

So, we'll sing verses 1 to 5 to his praise.

O hear my urgent cry, my God, and listen to my plea.

From earth's remotest bounds I call when my heart faints in me.

O God, conduct me to the rock that's higher far than I.

For you're my refuge from the foe, my tower of strength on high.

O let me dwell within your tent, forever there to live.

O for the shelter of your wings, the refuge which they give.

For you have heard my verse, O God.

And you have given me the heritage of those who fear.

Your name continually.

Let's turn now to read God's Word.

Reading today is from Mark's Gospel.

Gospel according to Mark and chapter 11.

Reading from the beginning down as far as verse 26.

Matthew 11, from Mark 11 at the beginning.

Now they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives.

Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them,

Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied,

on which no one has ever sat.

Untie it and bring it.

If anyone says to you, Why are you doing this?

Say, The Lord has need of it, and will send it back here immediately.

And they went away and found a colt tied at the door outside in the street, and they untied it.

And some of those standing there said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt?

And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.

And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches

that they had cut from the fields.

And those who went before, and those who followed, were shouting,

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!

And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple.

And when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late,

he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it.

When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

And he said to them,

He said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again.

And his disciples heard it.

And they came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple,

and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple.

And he overturned the tables of the money changers,

and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.

And he was teaching them, and saying to them,

Is it not written,

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?

But you have made it a den of robbers.

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it,

and were seeking a way to destroy him.

For they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

And when evening was come, they went out of the city.

As they passed by in the morning,

they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

And Peter remembered and said to him,

Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered.

And Jesus answered them,

Have faith in God.

Truly I say to you,

Whoever says to this mountain,

Be taken up and thrown into the sea,

And does not doubt in his heart,

But believes that what he says will come to pass,

It will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you,

Whatever you ask in prayer,

Believe that you have received it,

And it will be yours.

And whenever you stand praying,

Forgive,

If you have anything against anyone,

So that your Father,

Who is in heaven,

Your Father also,

Who is in heaven,

May forgive you your trespasses.

Amen.

May God follow with this blessing our reading of his word.

Let's again call upon his name in prayer.

Lord, our gracious God,

We thank you for the privilege of being gathered here today in your name.

The privilege of having your word open before us.

The privilege of being able to speak to you in prayer,

And call upon you for your blessing.

We have so many privileges,

O Lord,

In the course of life,

And we acknowledge,

That today we experience one of the greatest you give us.

The privilege of the gospel,

And our relationship with the gospel,

And with you through it.

We thank you,

Lord,

Today for every prospect of your blessing.

You promise your blessing to your people,

As they gather together in your name.

You tell us that even where two or three are gathered together,

In your name you are there in the midst.

And we bless you,

O Lord,

Today that we know your blessing,

That we have known your blessing in the past.

And we pray that from that,

Lord,

We may confidently ask that your blessing will be with us today.

That you would take up your word and show us,

Lord,

Its meaning,

Its importance,

Its relevance to our own lives.

We ask,

Gracious one,

That your blessing may truly give us the desire to hold forth your word,

As the word of life,

Before the world in which we live.

We thank you,

Lord,

For every opportunity,

You give us,

To speak of you,

To the people that surround us.

And we thank you,

Thank you especially,

That you have promised that the witness of your people will not be in vain.

And today we pray that you would further prepare our hearts,

Prepare our minds,

Give us,

We pray,

That desire inwardly to make Christ known to the people around us.

We ask that we may know this individually for ourselves.

Lord,

Help us,

Help us,

Help us,

Help us,

Christ in our manner of life to the world in which you have placed us. Be merciful to us, Lord, we pray

as a generation. Once again, we bring before you the needs of our day. And while we cannot, Lord,

adequately describe them before you, we thank you that you know them in detail and in perfection.

And we bring before you especially, Lord, our concern over the way in which so many have turned

from your ways, the way in which so many have taken up teaching and opinions and ideologies

that are in conflict with your word, in conflict with the gospel. And we know, Lord, that this has

come to infiltrate our schools, our places of education, so many other avenues in our society,

Lord, that people frequent. We ask, O God, that you would turn us into your ways, that we may know

the breath and the spirit of revival and of power, coming to empower ourselves as a people, first of

all, and spreading out, Lord, into our districts and communities. We ask that your blessing today will

be with those who face challenges in the education of their children, challenges in the teaching of

children. We thank you for all, Lord, who teach in our schools that fear your name. We thank you for

all parents who desire to bring up their children in the ways of the Lord. We ask that you bless them

in their homes, bless them in the testimony they bear to their children. Bless our teachers, bless our

schools. Lord, our God, we pray that through all of these challenges and challenging times, we may know

the guidance of your spirit, the blessing of your word in our lives. We ask your blessing for our young

people themselves. And we ask that you would be with them today, Lord, those of them here in church,

those of them who are not able to be here, those of them who attend Sunday school, tweenies,

the other older age groups and youth fellowship and Bible class. Be with them all, we pray.

Encourage our hearts, Lord, we pray, and enable us today to further contribute to your cause in

whatever way we can. We thank you for the support that we receive, Lord, from your people here,

as those who preach the gospel, as those who are in the leadership of the congregation as elders and

as deacons. We thank you for the many prayers that are set up for us, Lord, from day to day.

We pray that you would hear us as we cry to you for your blessing further to be evident among us.

We pray today, Lord, for your people not only here but throughout the world. Remember those who face

real difficulty and trauma today, those who are seeking to recover from natural disasters,

from disease, from poverty, from war, from conflict, from persecution,

from many things, Lord, that blight human lives throughout the world.

O gracious one, have mercy upon us, we pray, as a generation. Deliver us, Lord, we pray,

from darkness, from the powers of darkness, from the ways in which the evil one seeks to

carry people's minds away from the gospel and persuade them that alternatives are equally valid.

O Lord God, be with those who carry your word into different parts of the world,

not only people in your churches throughout the world, but people also who serve in various agencies.

We pray for our own Muriel. We ask that you bless her, Lord, during these days. We thank you for her,

for her place in Cambodia. Pray that you'd continue to encourage her and all who are with her, Lord,

in the work there, and all the young ones that she has contact with. Lord, we pray that you would

protect her and keep her and be mindful of her during these times.

Bless those who mourn the passing of loved ones. Lord, we know that our bulletin sheet today bears

evidence of the passing of those that were well-known amongst us and those that came so faithfully to

church when they were able. Bless them, we pray, and bless those who mourn over their passing.

Be with those too who are seriously ill in the congregation. Lord, be with them and with their families

today. Lay your good hand upon them, and if it is not your will, that they be healed from whatever

is afflicting them at this time. Lord, prepare them, we pray, to take that step out of time into eternity

so they may do so safely in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so receive us now. Hear us in our prayer and

continue with us. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

Let's sing some more verses before we turn to Mark chapter 11. Singing the whole of Psalm 1 in the

Mark 11 · chapter mention

Singed Psalms version on page 1.

Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners' paths

or sit with those who mock. Instead, he finds God's holy law, his joy and great delight. He makes the

precepts of the Lord his study day and night. The whole of Psalm 1a to God's praise.

Christ.

Paul's verse 2.

Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners'

paths

or sit

with those

who mope.

Instead

he

finds

God's holy

law,

his joy

and great

delight.

He

makes

the precepts

of

the Lord,

his study

day

and night.

He

prospers

ever

like

a tree

that's

planted

by a

stream.

And

in

due

season

yields

its fruit,

its leaves

are

always

green.

Not

so

the

wicked

they

are

like

the

chaff

that's

blown

away.

They

will

not

stand

when

judgment

comes

or

with

the

righteous

day.

the

righteous

day.

It

is

the

Lord

who

sees

and

knows

the

way

the

righteous

go.

but

those

who

live

an

evil

life

the

Lord

will

overthrow.

Now please turn with me to Mark chapter 11 where we read earlier.

Mark 11 · chapter mention

And there are two sections of that chapter or the passage read I want to look at this morning with you.

First of all from verse 12 down to verse 14.

And then the related verses to that from verse 20 down to verse 26.

So verse 12 to 14 and then verses 20 to 26.

What you find really in these verses verses 12 to 14 is at one and the same time a miracle and a parable.

It's an unusual miracle because a lot of Jesus' miracles were to do with life and with giving life and with healing.

This is one that really cursed this fig tree. It's normally called the fig, the parable of the fig tree.

And when he Jesus cursed the fig tree so that it would not bear fruit again, it proves to be a most unusual parable.

And it's not the kind of thing you would expect Jesus normally to do.

But it's a miracle because the fig tree withered and died within a short time following the Lord's announcement to it.

So both things are important for us to bear in mind as we look at these two passages today.

There is both a miracle and a parable in what it represents and what Jesus taught by it we'll see in the second passage.

First of all, let's look at the promising appearance of the fig tree.

Here we have in verse 13a there,

So we'll look at the promising appearance of the fig tree.

And then from verse 20 to 26, the application which Jesus made of it, which really is in regard to two things especially that he mentions there.

First of all, have faith in God, which he then relates to prayer, but also the need to forgive others when there is a need to forgive them.

And that's also in relation to prayer, as you see from verse 25.

So faith and forgiveness following our view of the previous passage, the promising appearance of the fig tree.

Now you can see here in the following day, when they came from Bethany, following the story through as we did, Jesus was hungry.

And he saw in the distance a fig tree in leaf.

He went to see if he could find anything on it.

He found nothing but leaves.

And then it says, for it was not the season for figs.

Then why would Jesus expect to find figs on this fig tree if he knew it was not yet the season for figs?

And expositors and commentators take different views as to what is really meant by these references there.

Some will say that fig trees actually bear fruit before it comes to bear leaves.

Others disagree with that.

Some will say some fig trees are not fruit bearing anyway.

They just bear leaves.

Whatever you actually say of the actuality of that in terms of its agriculture and so on,

what is important is that despite it not being the season for figs,

this fig tree seemed to be an exception.

And it seemed to be an exception so that Jesus had every right to expect that he would find figs on it.

It was very promising in its appearance.

What he saw there from a distance really led him to expect and others to expect fruit on this tree,

given its situation, given its appearance.

That's an important point in the message that Jesus actually then brings from it.

It was very promising in appearance.

There was every reason to expect fruit from it.

And yet it only had leaves.

There was no fruit, just leaves.

And then look at the placement of that passage.

Because the placement is important to understand its meaning.

It's placed in between verses 9 and 10,

and I'm especially referring to the content of these verses rather than just these verses in number.

verses 9 and 10,

which have to do with the praises that were being wrung out,

the exclamations that were being made as Jesus came towards Jerusalem.

All of these hosannas.

Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.

Hosanna in the highest.

There, you might say,

is exclamations,

soundings of praise,

that look very promising.

But there's no fruit.

Because as he then comes to the temple,

Jesus proceeds to cleanse the temple,

to overturn the tables of the money changers,

to drive out those who are misusing the temple for profitable gain, financial gain.

That's not, he says,

the purpose of the temple.

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.

There's the evidence of the lack of fruit.

The hosannas are the very promising leaves.

The cleansing of the temple is the evidence of the lack of fruit.

Now, this was particularly something that referred to Israel at the time

and the disciples having heard it.

It's important that we see in verse 14,

his disciples heard this when he spoke to the fig tree.

In other words,

he's drawing our minds firstly to its application to the people of Israel,

to the Jewish people at the time.

Because what it's saying is that these people were promising

because they had so many advantages,

they had so many benefits,

so many privileges.

Here were the people to whom God had actually given himself

in his revelation down through the years of the Old Testament.

Here were the people to whom God had spoken so,

so frequently,

who had seen the miracles,

and indeed people who had seen the miracles

that Jesus himself had been doing up to this stage.

This was a people who had all the advantages

and you would expect them

as God had given them everything necessary

to produce spiritual fruit,

yet they were not of that caliber.

Their history,

God's covenant promises to them,

the prophecies that God had given them

regarding their future,

regarding their relationship to himself,

regarding the intake of the Gentiles

into the kingdom of God.

So when Jesus,

in verse 14,

speaks so condemningly

to the fig tree,

he's really,

in a sense,

doing what the Old Testament itself

did at many times,

pronouncing

over the people who were fruitless,

pronouncing

God's condemnation.

Pronouncing over them,

why have you not produced fruit?

I mean,

there are two passages especially

that come to mind.

First of all,

Isaiah chapter 5,

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

which speaks about a vineyard.

And Israel is his vineyard,

and there's a lot of labor

being expended on that vineyard,

and yet it kept

on just being fruitless.

It produced no fruit.

And Israel,

God says through the prophet Isaiah,

you are my vineyard.

I've taken such labor with you.

I've given you so many advantages.

Why are you still fruitless?

Why,

when I come looking for grapes,

do I find nothing but sour grapes?

The other chapter is Jeremiah chapter 24,

Jeremiah 24 · chapter mention

which speaks about two types of figs,

two baskets of figs.

One is ripe and beautiful and luscious.

The other is rotten.

And God through Jeremiah is saying to the people,

the fruit that you're seeing,

the luscious fruit,

is what I would expect you to be like.

But instead I'm finding

you're like the rotten figs,

like the rotten fruit,

which really have not lived up

to the expectation

and the advantages

that I've given you.

So you can see that's why

this passage is so important

in its context

to the people that Jesus

was speaking to directly

at that time,

to his own people,

to the Jewish people.

Here they were making

all of these exclamations,

these hosannas

as he came riding on the colt,

as he came to enter Jerusalem.

And all looked very promising.

It all looked very much

as if they were going to receive him gladly

and just welcome him

with open arms as their Messiah,

that this was indeed the case.

But then he came to the temple

and it was obvious then

that that's not what the case was.

They were fruitless by and large.

And so he drove out

in a condemning way

those who had misused

their privileges.

Now Jesus looks for fruit

on our lives today.

There's no use leaving this

and just saying,

well, that was for that age.

That was for the context

Jesus was directly working in.

We have to actually remember

this is the word of God

to us today.

We try and put these things together

in such a way

that draws from it

lessons for ourselves today.

Things which apply

in our own context

here today

in Stornway Free Church.

Jesus expects you

and I to bear fruit.

Why does he expect you

and I to bear fruit?

Because he's placed us

in such a favorable environment,

hasn't he?

Where could you be placed

more favorably

than under the gospel

for your life

to develop spiritually

and morally?

Where more advantageously

could Jesus have placed you,

could God have placed you

than where you are today

as you belong

to a gospel congregation,

as you belong

to a gospel fellowship?

You have his word,

you have his worship,

you have his teaching,

you have his encouragement,

you have prayer

and here is Jesus

coming today

to you and to me

and he's looking for fruit.

He's seeing the very promising lives

that we are outwardly

but he's coming to look

for ripe spiritual figs.

and he's looking for things

like faith

and love

and hope

but he's looking for real faith

and real love

and real hope.

He's not looking for

the kind of faith

in your life

and my faith

that might indeed be the case

but it's not primarily

the greatest faith

that exists,

it's not primarily

the greatest love

that exists

that he looks for,

it's not that you

would be able to say

or he'd be able to say of you,

you're the best Christian

in the world today,

you're the best Christian

in the congregation,

you're the best Christian

in the district.

What he's looking for

is real faith,

real love,

real grace.

And even if you think today

it's really such

a small thing,

never mind is it real,

that's the important thing.

God is looking

for real fruit

in your life.

You might think

it's hardly worth noticing,

hardly worth mentioning.

You see it yourself

as so small

when you compare yourself

to others

which really is not advisable

for us to do anyway.

But you might say,

well my faith is tiny,

I can hardly see it

and I don't really believe

my love for other people

is really to any extent

the way it should be.

And God is saying,

fine,

but is it real?

You see,

a lot of people come

to this passage

and it scares them.

And there's an element

of why understandably

that should be the case

because it is a very solemn thing

to have people

with so many advantages,

to have the leaves

that are promising

about their lives

and yet there's no fruit.

And you might be saying

today of yourself,

well I think that's me.

If it is you

and if this is me,

then God is kindly

showing us today,

well I'm showing you this

so that you can actually

do something about it.

so that you will not be

just a pile of leaves

but you'll have

the real fruit

that I desire to see

in your life.

But if you're saying today,

well I'm just,

I just don't see myself

hardly as a Christian at all.

Do you pray?

Yes.

Well you're a believer then.

Do you read your Bible

faithfully,

knowing it to be

the word of God?

Yes.

Well,

will a believer,

will an unbeliever

just do that regularly?

Do you love the gospel?

Yes,

of course I love the gospel.

That's why I'm here today,

you're saying.

Well isn't that

itself

an evidence of fruit

in your life?

Isn't it more than

just leaves

that you actually

have a love for the Lord,

that you would never

speak disparagingly of Him,

that you love to be

with His people,

that you love to be

under the gospel,

that you pray to God

for yourself,

that you seek His forgiveness,

that you want His guidance

in your life,

that you bring

these concerns to Him,

that maybe you can't

put into words adequately,

but you still actually

say them as the desire

of your heart?

Isn't that fruit?

Don't actually

dismiss things like that

as if that's not

really fruit at all.

But whatever fruit

there is,

seek the Lord's help

for it to increase.

It's not that long

since we had

the Lord's Supper,

and the Lord's Supper

is one of the primary ways

by which God

provides for us

a situation

by which we will come

to bear more fruit.

Sadly,

some people,

maybe you're one of them,

and our heart is with you.

We want to see

as many people

as possible,

all of you indeed,

coming to the Lord's Supper

to benefit from

the Lord's Table,

to profess your faith,

but it's not primarily

a means of professing

your faith,

it's primarily a means

of advancing

your life spiritually.

And so many people

come and say

about the Lord's Supper,

however much we encourage

people to come

that are real believers,

well, I'm not,

my faith is not

at that stage yet.

I've not reached

that level of fruit yet

that I see in other people,

so I can't go

to the Lord's Supper,

I can't go

to the Lord's Table,

I've not yet reached

that level.

Well, you see,

the Lord is saying

to you today,

if that's your situation,

if that's your conviction,

the Lord is saying,

but that's what

the Lord's Supper

is for.

It's not so that

you can conclude now,

I don't have enough fruit

to warrant my going

to take communion,

it's so that you'll say,

well, my fruit is so small,

I need the Lord's Supper

to bring it on.

Isn't that how it is?

We're all reluctant

to speak of ourselves,

to acknowledge truthfully,

openly,

the work that God

has done in our lives,

the fact that there are

elements of fruit

in our lives,

and sometimes we feel

that if we were just

going to confess that,

well, you know,

we're just getting

into a situation of pride,

and we're just afraid

to elevate ourselves.

Never be afraid

to confess

to yourself

or to others

what you see

as a real work

of grace in your life.

It's dishonoring to God

if we're reluctant

to confess that,

to follow that through.

So lovingly,

I say to you today,

don't be afraid

of using

the means God

has given you

to produce more fruit

in your life

compared to what

you may see now.

That's what

this passage

is really about too.

It's not there

to discourage anyone.

It's not there

to reach wrong conclusions

about yourself.

It's there so that

you'll say,

well,

God has been good to me.

God has placed me

so advantageously

in the gospel.

I must make sure

now that I go

and produce more fruit

than I've got,

and I must use

every advantage

God gives me

so that that

will be the case.

There's the

promising appearance

of the fig tree.

But you might be here today

and genuinely

not be bearing

any fruit yet.

And we mustn't

just pass over this

as if everybody here

was bearing

so much fruit

that just needed

to be

multiplied.

There are some people

who are familiar

with the gospel,

who know the gospel,

who are planted,

if you like,

in the ground

in which God

places people

advantageously

under the gospel,

but who don't

bear fruit,

who have not yet

come to repent

of their sin,

who have not yet

come to embrace

Christ by faith

and thankfully.

Please,

if that is you today,

if you know that

that is the case

with you today,

you have the advantage

today of doing

something about

that too,

of coming to say

to God,

Lord,

whatever's gone

past in my life,

I would like

to start today

in a way that

would bear fruit

to your glory,

in a way that

would actually bring

honor to your name.

In other words,

you would come to God

and say,

Lord,

please,

please don't leave

me fruitless.

don't leave me

just at a show

of leaves.

Don't leave it

just as an outward

promising life.

Give me fruit.

Give me real life.

Give me real faith.

Give me the hope

of eternal life

in Jesus Christ.

But then you see

the application

which followed.

We'll just finish

with the second point

which is the application

followed from

verse 20 to 26.

As they passed by

in the morning,

they saw the fig tree

withered away

to its roots.

And Peter remembered

and said,

Rabbi,

look,

the fig tree

that you cursed

has withered.

And Jesus answered them,

Have faith in God.

Truly I say to you,

whoever says

to this mountain

be taken up

and thrown into the sea

and does not doubt

in his heart

but believes

that what he says

will come to pass,

it will be done

for him.

Then he mentions that

in relation to prayer.

Whatever you ask

in prayer,

believe that you have

received or that

you are receiving it

and it will be yours.

Whatever you stand

praying,

forgive

if you have anything

against anyone.

So two things in that.

Have faith in God.

Peter is amazed.

He's obviously

taken up with the fact

that this fig tree

has withered away

to its roots.

It's died

virtually overnight.

And that's really striking

as far as Peter is concerned

and he remembers

the words the Lord spoke.

But the Lord turns

what you might say

is that negative

comment of Peter

into a very positive one.

He is saying

effectively

whoever says

to this mountain

be taken up

and does not doubt

in his heart

it will be done for him.

Now what is he saying

really there?

Because this is a perplexing

thing for many people

as well

and a lot of people

face this

false teaching

in the world today

in the church today

that says

you know

if things are not

really advancing

as they should

in your life

if you're not able

to do this

or to do that

it's your fault

you don't have enough faith.

What Jesus is saying

here is

look at this mountain

think of it being

moved from here

to the depth of the sea.

In other words

Jesus is saying

think of what appears

to you

to be impossible

and then think of God

and for God

it's possible.

What appears

impossible to us

it's not impossible

with God.

It's not about

what to pray

but the mindset

that we need

to have in prayer.

The mindset

that is absolutely

convinced

that God

is able to do

what we will bring

before him

and even sometimes

that he will do

when he gives us

that conviction

that he will do

what we're asking

him to do.

It's really all

about himself

and your view

of himself.

It's about his

capability

and his power

that he is able

to do the things

which we think

are impossible.

You're praying

for someone today.

You've been praying

for them for a long time.

They're still not converted

as far as you know.

You may be saying

in your heart

when you go to pray

for them

time after time

and think this is

just impossible.

It's not going to happen.

Well here is God

saying to you

that's your opinion.

How do you see me?

What do you think

I'm able to do

for them?

Have you lost

your vision

of what I can do?

Are you just looking

at it from your own

perspective?

Friends, today

whatever we're praying

for and we're praying

for the congregation

and we're praying

for the blessing

of the Lord

and the congregation

and we pray

for the individuals.

We're praying

for the work

with the young folks.

We're praying

for so many things.

Catch this vision

of God

that is before you

in the passage

and say

don't doubt God.

Have faith in God.

Have faith in God.

But when we're praying

he says in verse 25

whenever you stand

praying forgive.

If you have anything

against anyone

so that your Father

who is in heaven

may forgive you

your trespasses.

Very like what you find

in the Sermon on the Mount

in Matthew's Gospel.

Remember there in chapter 6

of Matthew's Gospel

at verse 14

where Jesus said

if you forgive others

this is after the Lord's Prayer

which we've said together earlier

if you forgive others

their trespasses

your heavenly Father

will also forgive you.

But if you do not

forgive others

their trespasses

neither will your Father

forgive your trespasses.

If you take that

along with Mark

he's not saying

that God's forgiveness

is conditional

or that the ground

of God forgiving us

is our forgiving others.

In other words

that we constrain God

or persuade God

to forgive others

by our forgiveness

of them

or forgive ourselves.

What he's saying is

when you come to pray

and ask God's forgiveness

search your heart.

And if you have

in your heart

something there

and then against

someone that you're

conscious of

in your heart

then deal with that.

Because

that will actually

blight your prayer.

it will

if you like

shrivel your prayer.

If you come before God

and you know

that there's

something you need

to forgive someone about.

If you have anything

against anyone

just stop.

Before you ask

anything of God

come and

forgive that person

first.

That person

may not be willing

to confess

their fault

between you

and themselves.

And forgiveness

in a sense

is always

consequent

upon

confession.

It's the same

for ourselves.

We come to God

and don't automatically

receive forgiveness.

We need to come

and confess

our sins

and then we

have the warrant

of God's word

that he will

hear our prayer

and forgive our sins.

But sometimes

you'll find someone

not prepared

to confess

that they've done

anything wrong

even if in

your heart of hearts

and maybe in theirs

they know they have.

It might be the other way

about it.

It might be that

something we've done

has hurt others

and we're not

prepared to confess

that we're at fault

with it.

Either way

we need to be

seriously honest

with the issue.

And if the person

we go to says

look

if I've done anything

forgive me

and you go to them

and say

well look

you've done this

and I think it's wrong

so we're here

to be reconciled

to each other

maybe the person

will say

I don't want to be

forget it

I don't want to speak

to you.

What do you then do?

Well you're still

in your heart

come say to the Lord

Lord

they're not prepared

to confess

I confess

if I've done wrong

that I need

your forgiveness

Lord

and even if they

never confess

to have done wrong

Lord help me

in my heart

to forgive them

in my thoughts

as if they had

confessed.

Because

it's so vital

to our ongoing

spiritual relationship

to God

that we don't

hold anything

against anyone

when we come

to prayer

at any time

indeed

but he's confining

it here

to the issue

of prayer.

And that's why

in Matthew 18

remember Matthew 18

where Peter said

to Jesus

Lord

how often

will my brother

sin against me

and I forgive him

will it be up to

seven times

and Peter thought

seven times

surely that's enough

because the law

of the rabbis

at that time

the regulation

of the rabbis

was well

four times

is quite sufficient

and Peter was thinking

well if I go to seven

surely that's going

to be enough.

What did the Lord

say to him?

No he said

I don't say to you

seven times

but I do say

seventy times seven.

What did Jesus mean?

He meant that

however many times

you have to forgive

then you forgive.

There are no limits

to it.

You don't actually

put something

around it

so that you say

within a certain time

or after a certain

number of times

we forgive somebody

then it's okay

not to forgive

and then hold it

against them.

No.

We always have

to forgive

whenever there's

something

that we know

needs to be forgiven.

something we need

to confess

that we've done

or that's been

done against us.

Jesus replied

you can't impose

limits

on confession

or forgiveness.

It's open ended.

It's there

throughout the whole

of life.

So many

personal relationships

and personal

relationships

developing

to spread

the influence

into a congregation

or community

or family

have all started

with a reluctance

to forgive.

A reluctance

to confess

faults

a reluctance

to forgive

when we're

asked to forgive.

Let's be

fruitful Christians.

Take from

today

three words

easy to remember

three words

that begin

with F.

fruit

faith

forgiveness

because

each of them

and together

are the essence

of the life

of Christ's people.

Let's pray.

Lord we thank you

that we can come

to you

and confess

our sins

to you

and that we

can be

people who

show that

our desire

is to forgive

whenever there

is a need

to forgive.

We thank you

for the advantages

you give us

that are all

designed

that we should

bear fruit

to your glory

and we pray

especially

under the gospel

that our lives

may be such.

hear us we pray

and accept

our worship

now.

Continue with us

throughout this day

be with us

in the evening

bless Reverend

Calmurdo

as he preaches

this evening

and help us

Lord as we

spend this

Lord's day

in relation

to your word

and to your

worship

help us

we pray

to further

advance

our relationship

with you

all for Jesus

sake

Amen.

We're going

to now

conclude

our worship

today

this morning

singing

to God's

praise

in Psalm

92

and that's

from the

Scottish

Psalter

singing

verses 12

to 15

that's

on page

353

But like

the palm tree

flourishing

shall be

the righteous

one

he shall

like to

the cedar

grow

that is

in Lebanon

those that

within the

house of

God

are planted

by his

grace

they shall

grow up

and flourish

all in

our God's

holy place

and in

old age

when others

fade

they fruit

still forth

shall bring

they shall

be fat

and full

of sap

and a

be flourishing

to show

that upright

is the Lord

he is a rock

to me

and he

from all

unrighteousness

is altogether

free

these four

verses

in conclusion

but like

the palm tree

flourishing

shall be

the righteous

one

he shall

like to

the cedar

grow up

that is

in Lebanon

those that

within

the house

of God

are planted

by his

grace

they shall

grow up

and flourish

all in

our God's

holy place

and in

old age

when others

fade

they fruit

still forth

shall

bring

they

shall

be

fat

and full

of sap

and

they

be

flourishing

to

show

that

upright

is

the

Lord

he

is

a

rock

to

me

and

he

from

all

unrighteousness

is

altogether

free

I'll go to the door

to my left

this morning

now may grace

and mercy

and peace

from God

the Father

Son

and Holy Spirit

be your portion

now and evermore

Amen

her

Thank you.