Scripture Portraits of the Church (6) - The Fig Tree in the Vineyard

Let's begin our singing first of all in Psalm 105, Psalm 105, and that's in the Scottish

Psalter, page 374.

The tune is Peterson.

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.

We're singing verses 1 to 7 to the tune Peterson.

Give thanks to God.

Sing ye to them, sing Psalms, proclaim His wondrous works each one.

Sing to Him, sing Psalms, proclaim His holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of

everyone rejoice that speaks the Lord.

The Lord Almighty and His friend, with steadfast heart seek He.

His blessed and His gracious face, seek He contendially.

Think on the works that He hath done, which admiration we.

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

He that are of Abraham's race, His servant dwelleth full.

And He that Jacob's children are, whom He chose for His own.

Because He and He only is the mighty Lord our God.

And His most righteous judgments are in all the earth above.

Let's join together now in prayer.

Let's briefly pray.

Our gracious God, we give thanks that You have given us that knowledge of You, so that

we confess that You are the only Lord God Almighty.

And that we come before You today, Lord, to claim You by faith as our God.

We thank You for the way that Your Word reveals Yourself to us.

And the ways in which You are revealed to us, Lord, are all revealed for our good and for

our benefit.

And we thank You today that we are planted within Your church, and thereby that we have

access to those things You have given to Your church, so that we might progress spiritually

in our lives.

And we thank You today for the Bible that we possess, and for the way that You have given

us, Lord, the freedom to gather together today to worship You.

We ask Your blessing to be upon all our gatherings today.

We pray that You bless this Lord's day to us.

Help us, we pray, to appreciate the holiness that belongs to Your day, that ought to mark it

in our own observance of it as well.

Bless our children today.

We thank You for all who are here, and we pray for them and for all who are away at

this time, for those who are on holiday, and grant to them, Lord, Your blessing and protective

care.

And we ask that You bless our children.

Bless them, Lord, in their own families.

Bless them in their schoolwork.

Bless them in their recreations.

Bless and protect them in the world from all that is harmful and evil in the world.

Lord, we ask that Your own truth might truly be their guardian, and that they might use

Your Word each day they live, so as to know that God Himself is their God and protects them

each step of the way through life.

Bless them now and bless us here together.

And pardon our sin for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Okay, children, it's good to see so many children out today.

There's some not just here with the twinnies, but also I can see throughout the church, and

it's great to see you all here during a time of holiday.

I wonder what your favourite food is.

You all have different favourites, I'm sure, when it comes to eating stuff.

Hands up all those who like pizza.

Anybody like pizza?

Yeah, there's one or two hands going up there for pizza.

Yeah, okay.

Well, pizza's not my favourite, but a lot of people like pizza.

And we'll all have different kinds of food that we like.

What about chips?

Who likes chips?

Yeah?

Who of the oldies likes chips?

Oh yes, lots of hands going up for chips.

Okay, so, now, there's a verse in the Bible that I want you to learn.

It's in Psalm 34.

Psalm 34 and verse 8.

And it goes like this.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

How do you know whether or not you like food?

Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it?

You know whether or not you like food because you've tasted it.

You need to taste the food in order to know whether you like it or not.

There are some foods that people say I don't like them, but they've never really tasted them properly.

You need to taste the food in order to then say, I like this or I don't like that.

Why do I not like mushrooms?

Sorry for those who do like mushrooms.

Why do I not like mushrooms?

Because I've tasted them.

And personally, I don't like the taste of them.

Other people love them, which is absolutely fine.

That's how it should be.

But that's how we know we have a liking or disliking for food.

Unless we taste it, we can't really see, can we?

Now, here's a verse that tells us, taste and see that the Lord is good.

How do we know that the Lord is good?

Well, because we come to know Himself.

We come to taste Him.

That means really we come to know Him for ourselves.

We come to know what He's like.

We come in prayer to Him and reading the Bible.

We come to find out about Him.

But especially we come to know Him in a relationship with Him.

Just like we are related one to another.

Just like you relate to parents or grandparents.

Spiritually, we have a relationship with God.

And it's through that relationship with God that we come every day to taste

and to see that He is good.

To find out that He is good for us.

That He's always good in Himself in everything that He does.

Now, you might have a book at home where your mums, dads even,

and grandparents might have a book with recipes.

Pictures, usually in these books, of the food that you can prepare following the directions in the book.

But if you look at a picture there, let's say it was a plate of mushrooms,

and I had never tasted mushrooms before.

And you looked at that plate of mushrooms and they're beautifully presented,

you would say, oh, that looks really good.

Or else you might have a picture there that say, hmm, not so sure about that.

I don't think that would really be very nice, very tasty.

But how will I know unless I've tasted it?

And so it's like that with God as well.

The Bible gives us a description of God.

In other words, you get pictures of God from what you find in the Bible.

But you need to taste and to see that He is good.

It's the same for all of us as adults as for you children as well.

When you come to know Him yourself, when you come to trust in Him, to taste what He's like,

then you'll know that He's really good.

And that's what you're learning, isn't it?

In Sunday school and at tweenies and at home or in church services like this,

we're trying to present what the Bible says about God

so that you and I will come to say for ourselves to other people, oh, taste and see that God is good.

So today, taste and see that God is good.

Let's take what the Bible says and let's take that into our souls and we'll find that God is really good.

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

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Now let's sing again to God's praise.

This time we're singing in Psalm 80 and that's on page 107.

The tune is Stuttgart and it's verses 7 to 15.

Stuttgart and it's verses 7 to 15.

Look on us, O God Almighty, let us see your glory bright.

Turn us once again toward you, come and save us, give us light.

Once you brought a vine from Egypt, drove out kings with mighty hand.

Set the vine and ground made ready, it took root and filled the land.

So that's 7 to 15 to the tune Stuttgart to God's praise.

Stuttgart and it's verses 7 to 15.

Let us see your glory bright.

Let us see your glory bright.

Turn us once again toward you, come and save us, give us light.

Won't you brought a vine from Egypt,

Let us see your glory bright.

Turn us once again toward you, come and save us, give us light.

Won't you brought a vine from Egypt,

Come and save us, give us light.

Won't you brought a vine from Egypt,

Throw our kings with mighty hand.

Won't you brought a vine from Egypt,

Throw our kings with mighty hand.

Set the vine and ground made ready,

Here to root and fill the land.

So when branches o'er the mountains,

Shining every cedar tree,

Spreading from the great Euphrates

Through the mighty western sea.

Why did you break down its fences,

So that all made buckets grew,

Creatures of the field devoured,

Wild boars traded from the root.

Turn to us, O God Almighty,

Look and see from heaven above.

Tend this vine you hand us planted,

And the sun you raised in love.

Now let's read a passage of God's Word from the Gospel of Luke,

Luke 13 · chapter mention

Chapter 13.

Luke 13, we're going to read verses 1 to 17.

There were some present at that very time

Who told him about the Galileans

Whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

And he answered them,

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners

Than all the other Galileans,

Because they suffered in this way?

No, I tell you,

But unless you repent,

You will all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell

And killed them,

Do you think that they were worse offenders

Than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?

No, I tell you,

But unless you repent,

You will all likewise perish.

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 have come seeking fruit on this fig tree,

And I find none.

Cut it down.

Why should it use up the ground?

And he answered him,

Sir, let it alone this year also,

Until I dig round 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 he was teaching in one of the synagogues

On the Sabbath.

And there was a woman who had a disabling spirit

For eighteen years.

She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

When Jesus saw her,

He called her over and said to her,

Woman, you are freed from your disability.

And he laid his hands on her

And immediately she was made straight,

And she glorified God.

But the ruler of the synagogue,

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,

Said to the people,

There are six days in which work ought to be done.

Come on those days and be healed,

But not on the Sabbath day.

Then the Lord answered him,

You hypocrites!

Does not each of you on the Sabbath

Untie his ox or his donkey from the manger

And lead it away to water it?

And ought not this woman,

A daughter of Abraham,

Whom Satan has bound for eighteen years,

Be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

As he said these things,

All his adversaries were put to shame,

And all the people rejoiced

At all the glorious things that were done by him.

Amen.

May God follow with his blessing that reading of his own word.

Let's again pray.

O Lord, our gracious God,

As we worship you today,

We pray that your Holy Spirit may be active within us.

We pray that our minds may be open to further understand your word.

We pray that you would apply it to us, O Lord,

So that spiritually and morally we may advance in our relationship with you,

And in our journey through life.

We thank you that your word contains all we need to know for our salvation.

We thank you that you have not revealed everything to us that is true about yourself,

Or other truths that you have chosen, Lord, to keep hidden from us.

And we thank you that we are not in a position to understand all your doings.

For you are God, and Lord, we cannot expect to understand every aspect of your being or of your works.

And so we thank you for that greatness that belongs to you,

That greatness that makes you unique.

The greatness, Lord, that you revealed to us in your word,

Brought the world and all that is in it into being.

We thank you for the grace, Lord, that you have revealed,

The grace that you use in the salvation of your people.

And we come before you today, Lord, as part of our worship,

To give thanks for that grace.

And to give thanks for all the good things that you give to us from day to day.

As we have been thinking earlier, Lord, with the children,

Of the way that we taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, help us, we pray now, to do so during this time of worship.

And help us throughout this day to taste and see that you are good.

Help us to reflect, oh Lord, seriously and meaningfully on the ways in which your goodness reaches us each day we live.

Enable us, we pray, to take that goodness to heart.

And to realize, oh Lord, that we are undeserving of any of it.

To realize that we are deserving of everything opposite to it.

And yet, oh Lord, you have dealt with us in this rich way.

So as to reveal to us the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

To reveal to us our own sinfulness.

And thereby bring to our notice our need of this Savior.

And Lord, oh, we pray today that all of us may reach out in faith and claim him for ourselves.

And if we have already done this, oh Lord, we pray that today, once again, we may be conscious of receiving the grace of Christ into our souls.

And thereby being empowered to continue with that life of faith and hope and love.

We ask today that your blessing will rest with us, oh Lord, as a congregation of your people.

We give thanks as we reflect on your goodness to us as a people.

We give thanks for the ways in which you have continued to bless us.

And for the ways in which, Lord, you have overlooked our sin.

We come together today to not only give thanks to your name, but to confess our sin together.

But we know that each of us has sinned to confess every day we live.

And we have used these words, oh Lord, already that you taught your disciples to forgive our trespasses, our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And we ask today, oh Lord, that you would hide your face from our iniquities.

And that you would teach us, oh Lord, the ways and the seriousness and the deceitfulness of sin.

Help us, oh God, to take to heart the teaching of your word in regard to this also.

Lest we should see ourselves as better than we are.

Lest we should imagine, oh Lord, that we have some claim upon you through our own goodness.

And yet we give thanks today that you offer life to us.

Sinful as you see us and sinful as we are.

And undeserving of any mercy from you, you extend to us, Lord, today that salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.

And we pray, oh Lord, today that each of us here together with all God's people everywhere

we may know for ourselves that goodness of God in our hearts.

We ask you blessing to be with those who cannot gather with us today.

Oh God, we think especially of those who have particular needs at this time and are confined to their homes or to hospital beds or to care homes.

We ask that you would bless them, those who belong to us as families and as a congregation especially.

We commit them to you.

We ask that they may know your good hand upon them, your goodness surrounding them and providing for them.

We pray that you would draw them near to yourself, oh Lord.

For every time we come to be ill, especially with serious illness, we know that we are conscious of eternity drawing near to us.

We pray that you would make us wise unto salvation.

Teach us, we pray daily, to number our days and apply our hearts unto wisdom.

We pray for those today whose hearts are heavy with sorrow and with grief.

Those who have lost loved ones in this week gone by.

Those who reflect also on times gone by where bereavement came to their experience and to their lives personally in the removing of those they loved.

Bless them all, we pray.

Extend to them today your comfort.

And we pray that any who in these times, oh Lord, have lost loved ones but have not yet reckoned with the reality and with the seriousness of death and with eternal issues that they may do so.

Using, oh Lord, even the providence of death in their experience to draw near to God and to seek to draw their strength and their comfort and life from you.

We pray your blessing to be extended, Lord, to us as a people in our communities.

Bless us in all the activities we are conscious of from day to day, in our day schools, in our Sunday school, in everything to do with the education of our children.

Bless the teachers in our schools, the head teachers, those who have responsibility, Lord, to teach our children.

We thank you for them.

We thank you for their dedication.

And we pray that you would grant your blessing to them, especially at times when so much is asked of them.

And when there may be materials as there are that they themselves are not satisfied with and yet are promoted by government.

Lord, we ask that you would give wisdom to those concerned.

We pray that you bless our local authority.

Bless them in all the ways in which, Lord, they seek to do good to our society, to our people.

Bless them, we pray, in all their activities and in all the ways in which they engage with society as it is.

We pray that you bless our government at this time.

Remember those in Westminster, Lord, amongst the turmoil that exist there at the present time.

Oh, Lord, our God, we pray for days of peace, for days of stability.

We pray for days when there will be set over us those who will honor you, those who will be characterized by truth and by order and by all that would make for good government.

We pray that your blessing, Lord, will be at this time with them in Parliament.

We pray also for the Scottish Parliament.

We pray that you would grant blessing to all the ministers, to the presiding government and all who assist with it.

We ask, oh Lord, that the first minister and our government, our cabinet, will be blessed.

We pray that you would give them the resolve by which to govern in the fear of God and an acknowledgement of your ways.

Bless those of them who do know you and who do commend you to their fellow members of Parliament.

We ask that you would continue to bless them and support them, Lord, by your own strength and give them of your own blessed spirit so that they may be guided in all their ways by you.

Now, bless, we pray, all those who around us are in particular need today.

We pray for those who suffer from various addictions, from those, Lord, who find themselves in prison throughout our land.

We pray for those ministering to them, those who are seeking to bring them help and relief and guidance and stability.

We ask for all of these efforts, oh Lord, that they may be blessed by you.

We pray that we may see days when the gospel and the influence of the gospel will come to pervade our homes and our communities more than it does.

And to that end, we pray for your own spirit, oh Lord.

We know that we look to a God who is able to do more than we are able to ask or think.

You are able to do so exceeding abundantly.

And so we pray to you today, oh Lord, as the one we know created the heavens and the earth, sustains all things by the power of your word.

And we ask that that power may be used for our good as a people.

Hear us now, we pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Before we turn to the word of God, let's sing once again, this time in Psalm number one.

Singing Psalm 1 from the Scottish Psalter, page 200, the tune this time is Paisley.

That man hath perfect blessedness, who walketh not astray in counsel of ungodly men, nor stands in sinner's way, nor sitteth in the scornish chair, but placeth his delight upon God's law, and meditates on his law day and night.

The whole of Psalm number one, again we stand to sing.

God.

I ask that men hath perfect blessedness, who walketh not astray in counsel of ungodly men, nor stands in sinner's way, nor sitteth him the same.

The storm is yet but place of this delight.

Upon God's law and meditate on his law day and night.

He shall be like a tree that rose here planted by a river.

Which in his season yields his fruit and his leaf fadeth never.

And all the angels shall prosper well.

The wicked are not so.

But like thee are unto the chaff which with right to and fro.

And judgment therefore shall not stand such as the sanctuary.

Nor in the assembly of the just shall wicked men appear.

For why the way of godly men unto the Lord is known.

Whereas the way of wicked men shall white be overthrown.

Let's turn together for a short time to Luke chapter 13.

Luke 13 · chapter mention

And today we're looking at verses 6 to 9 of this chapter.

This parable that Jesus told the people at that time.

The parable as it says in the title there of the barren fig tree.

Scripture as you know frequently uses images drawn from agriculture.

Here it's viniculture or vineculture.

Respecting a vineyard.

That's the kind of imagery the Bible often uses to present to us spiritual truth.

Images of spiritual life in different ways.

Think of Isaiah chapter 5.

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

God is saying that Israel is his vineyard.

And he goes there through to teach about their need to turn back to himself.

Jeremiah chapter 4 calling upon Israel to plow up their fallow ground.

Jeremiah 4 · chapter mention

A ground that's been left unused for some time.

Spiritually that's a neglect of course.

And they're being asked to or demanded God demands them to plow up that fallow ground.

See to it that they repent of their sins.

Proverbs chapter 20.

Proverbs 20 · chapter mention

A picture there of a vineyard that's been abandoned.

Or certainly been badly neglected.

All overgrown and full of weeds and so on.

And that makes its own point of course with regard to our life too.

John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

Well known words of Jesus.

Jesus I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser.

And then he goes on to speak about the relationship of the branches to the vine as he teaches the disciples there.

And the passage we have here is a passage about a fig tree.

It's not about the vineyard as such.

It's about the fig tree that was planted in this vineyard.

It's obviously fertile soil because otherwise they wouldn't have planted vines there for the culture, for the viniculture, for the production of grapes.

But in this vineyard, as very often was and still is the case, the owner of the vineyard had planted a fig tree.

Making use of all the space possible in the vineyard and between the rows of vines planting this fig tree.

And that had immediate application of course to the Jews in Jesus' time as Jesus was speaking to them or teaching them about the privileges that they had had as a people.

And that's really the essence of the lesson from this passage today.

Spiritual privileges and advantages and the use or not use that we have in relation to those in our own lives too.

Here is Israel being addressed, the people of Israel, the Jews.

Obviously it's an image of them in the immediate context.

They had been so favored by God.

They had been blessed above all other nations of the earth.

They had come to know God, this God of the covenant.

They had come to know this God who had created the heavens and the earth.

This God who had entered into covenant with them.

This God who had taught them through the prophets, through the days of the Old Testament, all into the New Testament.

They were the vineyard of the Lord.

And as they were the vineyard of the Lord,

So the Lord was looking for them to be productive in their lives spiritually,

to bring forth the kind of fruit that honored Him,

the kind of fruit that showed they had made proper use of their advantages and privileges.

And we're applying that today to ourselves because that's really what the passage is about.

It's not there just to teach us a history lesson about what Jesus said to the Jews and about the Jews.

We have to translate this into our own present experience, our own present situation.

It's a portrait, really.

We're following through with our series of Scripture portraits of the church.

And this is really one of those portraits, if you like,

where you find the Lord actually giving us this imagery, this portrait of the church

and the gospel privileges that you and I have as belonging to that church visibly.

The gospel advantages that He has given you.

In other words, we've been planted so favorably in our lives in relation to the gospel,

in relation to the church of God, that today God is saying to us,

You are essentially my vineyard.

This is where I have planted you.

But especially we're focusing on this fig tree,

because this is really what Jesus set before the people of the day.

Here is this fig tree in this fertile ground,

surrounded by vines bearing grapes.

And yet this fig tree is fruitless.

It is barren.

It's not making the use of the ground that it ought to.

It doesn't have any figs.

And so the Lord is using that of an imagery,

just solemnly telling us today that it's possible

to actually enjoy many advantages and many privileges in the gospel

and not bear the fruit that God is looking for,

not bear the fruit that God Himself requires of us as human beings.

So here are our two headings today.

First of all, God has planted us in fertile soil.

Secondly, therefore, God expects us to bear fruit for Him.

God has planted us in fertile soil.

Therefore, secondly, God expects us to bear fruit for Him.

Let's look at these two as we follow the teaching of the parable.

God has planted us in fertile soil.

As we said earlier, this fig tree had all the advantages.

It had the fertile soil.

There was evidence around it that the soil could produce a good crop.

And that's how you are as well than I am.

We have been planted very favorably by God.

We've been planted in the vineyard of God's church.

This is what's leaving you here today.

This is what is true about you all here today,

and myself as well as individuals, as a congregation.

This is where God has planted us.

He's planted us in the vineyard of the church.

If you like, in the soil of the gospel.

You know, it's something that we really sometimes don't really think seriously enough about,

although it sounds almost too simple to really follow out in any detail.

But it is a very important point that God has planted us as human beings in the soil of the gospel.

We have access to the pure water and the nourishment and the nutrients that we find in God's Word.

They're channeled into our lives, into our minds, into our hearts, into our consciences.

As we're rooted in the soil of the gospel.

As we come to know these nutrients of the gospel.

These nutrients from God's Word.

The watering of our souls by the Word of God.

By the Spirit of God persuading us of our need.

We're also sheltered to a great extent compared to others in the world.

We're not persecuted because we gather here today.

We don't come through these streets or drive to church fearing that somehow or other there will be a bomb or a missile

or a group of people waiting to just take it out on us because we're Christians.

That's our advantage.

That's where God has placed us.

And we have the warm sun of God's favor, therefore, shining upon us.

We could have been.

Had God chosen it, we could have been where others are today.

We could have been in places where the gospel isn't faithfully preached.

We could have been out there in the wilderness of secularism.

We could be out there sharing with those who are atheists who reject God, who don't believe in God.

We could be amongst them instead of being here in church.

God, in His providence, could have planted us somewhere else.

But He hasn't.

He's planted us in His church.

He's planted us here in the soil of the gospel.

He's planted us where we receive so many benefits,

where we're surrounded by fellow believers, fellow people who worship God.

What a great thing that is.

And you know, Jesus was very much intending that His listeners at this time would really take to heart the truth of what He was saying.

You are a fig tree planted in the most favorable conditions.

Now think about that today.

Think how God has favored your life.

Think how God has given you all these advantages.

Think of what it might be like today if you were out there amongst those people who don't care to go to church,

who even some of them despise the church.

But that's not true of you.

God has placed you in His church,

in the soil of the gospel,

under the favor

that He has shown to you

throughout your life.

God has planted us

in fertile soil.

Therefore,

God expects us

to bear fruit.

See the way the parable goes?

Let's just follow the terms of it there.

The man who had the fig tree planted in his vineyard,

this is the owner of the vineyard,

and he's obviously employed

this vine dresser,

this manager,

to look after his vineyard

when he himself or he himself is away somewhere else,

the owner.

And so he's given

this task to the vine dresser

to look after this vineyard for him.

And the owner has returned

seeking fruit

on this fig tree.

This is what God is doing right now.

This is what God's doing with me

and with you.

God is saying to me,

look, you've been in this pulpit

for well over 30 years.

What fruit are you showing

in your life?

And here he is saying to you as well,

you've been planted

in the soil of the gospel.

He has a right.

This man had a right

to expect fruit

of this fig tree.

You see what he's saying?

Look,

for three years now,

I've come seeking fruit

on this fig tree

and I find none.

And he had a right

to expect fruit

of this fig tree.

He'd had it planted there

for three whole years

and that's enough time

for a fig tree to bear fruit.

A fig tree usually bears fruit

within two to three years.

It starts bearing figs.

So he had a right

to expect this fig tree

would bear fruit.

So God is saying,

I have a right, you know,

to come today

to look at your life

and to expect

that you're bearing fruit

for me.

He has a right to come

and find in your life

the growth of faith,

the growth of love

for himself

and for his cause,

the growth of repentance,

turning from sin,

leaving that sin,

following a holy life

as far as possible.

All the things the Bible tells you

are true of a Christian life.

Well, he's expecting that

of you and me

having actually rooted us

and planted us

in such fertile soil.

You can relate this passage

to the previous one

because Scripture is

very closely tied together

as you follow

the various parts of it.

Here is Jesus saying

to those who were present

at that time

who told him about

whatever had happened there.

We're not told the details of it.

The Galileans whose blood

Pilate had mingled

with their sacrifice,

some outrage or other

under Pilate's direction.

And Jesus said,

Do you think that these Galileans

were worse sinners

than all the other Galileans

because they suffered

in this way?

No, he said,

I tell you.

But unless you repent,

you will all likewise perish.

Same in the following verses

with the Tower of Siloam.

No, I tell you,

but unless you repent,

you will all likewise perish.

You find the same thing

elsewhere in the Bible.

You find Romans chapter 2

Romans 2 · chapter mention

and verse 4, for example.

Let me just read that to you.

It's very much in keeping

with what you find

in this passage in Luke.

Here's Romans chapter 2.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

Here's Paul writing these terms

to those who are making something

of the fact that they have

had a background

where God has blessed them

as a people,

where they belong to people,

with Abraham and so on

as their ancestor.

Here is God saying to them there

in verse 4,

Do you not realize?

Do you presume on the riches

of His kindness

and forbearance and patience,

not knowing that God's kindness

is meant to lead you to repentance?

That's a wonderful verse.

That's a great powerful verse

that God's kindness,

God's kindness to you

and planting you where you are,

God's kindness in making you

familiar with the gospel

and giving you to have your life

rooted and grounded

in the soil of the gospel.

The goodness of God.

The goodness of God

is intended to lead you

to repentance,

to repent of your sin,

to accept Christ.

I hope we're not presenting this,

and I hope I'm not presenting this

in a way that sounds terribly negative

and certainly not condemnatory.

I have to say this to myself

as much as to anyone else,

but this is God's word to us today,

friends.

This is our place of advantage.

This is our place of privilege.

This is where God has placed us,

and now He's come looking for His fruit.

And you have to answer to that

like I have to.

None of us can say to God,

well, I have all the fruit

that I really am,

that you really require of me.

I've always had this fruit in my life,

so I know that you will not

actually accuse me

of not bearing fruit.

None of us can say that

to the extent

that we would say

we have so much fruit

that everything that God looks for

is there in place in my life.

I can't say that.

Neither can you say that.

But what I'm asking is,

are you bearing the fruit

of repentance

and of faith

and of love

and of all the things

that are associated

with being saved?

That's really what it amounts to.

These people

who are listening to Jesus

weren't saved.

They weren't taking,

they weren't making use

of the advantages they have.

And this is what God

is impressing on us today.

This is our advantage.

This is God's kindness.

That's meant to lead us

to repentance.

Now you see what he says.

Look, he says,

for three years now

I have come seeking fruit

on this fig tree

and I find none.

None cut it down.

Why should it use up the ground?

These are certainly powerful,

solemn, challenging words,

aren't they?

Here is something

that's very understandable

in crop management.

This is a very sensible thing.

In terms of crop management,

in terms of looking after

this piece of ground

and this fig tree

and these vines,

it makes sense.

This is how those

who manage such things

go about the business.

I mean, if you had a fig tree

set in a vineyard

with all the advantages

and all the care

lavished upon it

that you had lavished upon it

and it didn't actually

produce any fruit,

what would you say?

You'd say exactly the same

as this man said.

Well, that's no use

leaving that there.

It's just taking up

a bit of ground

that could be used

for something else.

So, take it out

and put something else

in its place.

That's crop management for you.

That's how we would

actually deal with things

in the ordinary sense

in the natural world

in terms of crop management.

But of course,

this is not crop management

that's meant by this.

It's soul management.

It's human people,

that is to human beings

he's talking to.

And what he's saying really

is that we will take to heart

what it is that ought

to be done with us

if we don't produce fruit

to God's glory.

That sounds very severe,

but it is Christ's own word.

The space of this fig tree

could be reused.

And the words that he uses here,

why should it use up the ground?

If you remember the old AV,

the old AV translation

has the word cumbereth.

Why cumbereth it the ground?

Why does it cumber the ground?

And the literal meaning

of these words in Greek,

whatever we translate them,

the literal meaning is

it's really rendering useless.

It's rendering something useless

or of no effect.

In other words,

that fig tree,

because it wasn't bearing fruit,

it was to,

well, it was to

all intents and purposes

really rendering

that piece of ground ineffective

when it was being used

and there was no production

of figs on it.

And I think that's saying

something to us

that's also solemn,

but we need to bear it in mind,

and it's this.

This fruitless fig tree

was making it seem

as if that ground

was very little use,

was infertile,

as if there weren't really enough

of the good conditions

and the fertile soil there

that this tree would really need

to make it grow.

That's what it seemed like

when you take account of the fact

it didn't bear fruit.

Now, you apply that

to yourself and myself,

and what's it saying?

Well, it means that

if we haven't come

to turn to the Lord,

if we're not yet saved,

if we haven't put our trust

in Christ,

if we haven't received

Christ for ourselves,

then to all intents

and purposes,

it seems like the soil

of the church

and the gospel

in which God has placed us

is not really very fertile,

not very good soil.

That's the impression

it gives, doesn't it?

And of course,

we know that that's not

the case with this ground.

There's nothing wrong

with this ground.

The vines are growing there.

There's nothing wrong

with the ground

of the gospel.

Many people are growing

successfully.

They're growing fruit there

to the glory of God.

But if you and I are not,

if we've not yet made

the use of that piece of ground,

if you like,

in this church

that God intends,

that's the impression

we're giving.

That's the impression

we're giving both to God

and to others

and ourselves.

In other words,

to remain,

how can I put it,

to remain unsaved,

if you're here today

and you're still not saved,

you haven't turned to Christ,

you haven't put your trust

in Him,

you haven't given yourself

to Him

in your own individual life,

it's really giving the impression

that God hasn't really

been kind to you at all,

that God hasn't given you

the proper conditions,

that the soil

in which you're placed

is not very fertile.

Now, you don't want that

to be the case.

You don't want God's name

to be doubted.

You don't want people

to actually get the impression

that actually the church

is little good after all,

or that the gospel

doesn't really do much

for a person after all.

That's not what you want

to have in your own life,

that's not what you want

the impression of the world

of your life to be,

because that reflects upon God.

And it reflects upon God

in such a way

that does not give the glory

to God that you and I

were created for.

We were created

to produce spiritual fruit,

the fruit of faith,

of love,

of repentance,

of righteousness,

of holiness,

to the glory of God.

That's why we exist.

That is our chief end

as the catechism begins,

to glorify God

and to enjoy Him forever.

And so here is,

in God's kindness,

in God's goodness,

He's impressing upon you

and impressing upon me today

the meaning of this passage.

He's doing this

so that you can attend

to the need of your soul

if you haven't meaningfully

and fully done so already.

There are many of you here

who are already bearing fruit.

It's obvious in your lives.

There may be others of you

who have the genuine desire

to produce these fruits

spiritually that will glorify God,

but you've not yet seen to it

that your life is fully rooted

in Christ.

You haven't given yourself

to Him

as the Bible requires of you,

as God requires of you.

So here today,

lovingly,

tactfully,

patiently,

God is saying to you,

why is this?

Why have you not yet come

to accept me,

to turn to me,

to receive me,

to put your trust in me?

Is there something wrong

with what I've provided for you?

Are the conditions

not exactly what you need?

So God is urging you

through the gospel today

to look at your life

and me to look at my life.

What evidence is there of fruit?

And I know a lot of the Lord's people

will say,

well, I don't find much evidence

of fruit in my life.

But you wouldn't say

you're not rooted in the Lord

or not delighting in His ways.

Here is the challenge.

Cut it down.

Why should it cumber up the ground?

Why should it use up the ground?

But then you see this appeal,

thirdly.

He answered him,

Sir,

let it alone this year also

until I dig round it

and put manure on it.

Then if it should bear fruit

next year,

well and good.

If not,

you can cut it down.

You see,

the person who's looking

after this tree

for the owner of the vineyard

is really concerned

to give it every opportunity

to bear fruit.

So he doesn't want

to cut it down right now.

He appeals to the owner,

give it another year.

Let it alone.

And during this year to come,

I will make sure

that it has even more

by way of advantage

and privilege.

I will give it all

that it requires of manure.

I'll dig around it,

make sure its roots

are freed up

so that the nutrients

get into the roots properly.

I'll make sure

that everything

that needs to be done

on my part,

I will do for this fruit tree.

So leave it alone

for another year,

he says.

Now,

doesn't that show you

the amazing

patience

and kindness

of God?

the amazing

patience

of God.

How patient

God is with me

and with you.

When our life

is not as it should be,

he doesn't just

immediately cut us off.

He doesn't say,

well, that's it,

you've had enough time,

you've had enough privilege,

you've had enough opportunity.

No, he says,

I'm giving you

another chance,

I've given you

another year,

I'm giving you

every opportunity

to bear fruit

in your life

as you ought.

God, you see,

is always reluctant

to condemn.

You'll find that

throughout the Bible.

1 Timothy chapter 2,

1 Timothy 2:4

verse 4,

talks about God

as not willing

that any should perish,

but that all

should come to repentance,

to know the truth.

There is nobody

here today

over whom God

is saying,

I am willing

to condemn you,

I'm willing,

and I would love

just to condemn you.

He's not willing

that any should perish,

but that all

should come.

That's all of us today

planted in the soil

of the gospel,

in the favorable conditions

of God's church,

God's vineyard.

He's saying to you today,

I'm going to give you

some more opportunity

to get some more

spiritual nourishment

from the gospel.

I'm not going

to cut you down

immediately.

Hasn't God

been patient

with yourself?

Hasn't He given you

ever the opportunity

up to now

to know Him,

to turn to Him,

to love Him,

to put your trust in Him,

to believe in Him?

I'm sure everybody

here will say,

yes, of course He has.

You're not going

to deny

the patience

and the goodness

of God.

But why was this

given,

why was this said

to the owner

of the vineyard,

let it alone

until I dig round it

and put on my new?

You notice the purpose

of this further year

was so that this

tree would actually

come to produce

figs,

produce fruit,

fruit.

It's not

so that

we could take

from this

the false impression

that we can relax,

that if He's giving us

another year,

well, that's fine,

we'll just see to it

somehow or other

during that time

that we'll come

to know Him

and come to love Him

and come to place

our life in His hands.

Every application,

if you like,

of the manure

or the nutrients

of the gospel

in your life

and in my life

are intended

to make us

produce fruit,

it's not so

that we can delay.

It's not so

that you can say,

well, okay,

then if I'm not

going to be cut down

immediately,

it's now,

that's fine,

just leave it

as it is,

just now,

then I'll think

about it.

No, it's so

that you can

actually say

the goodness

of God

as it continues

to be lavished

upon you

is so that

you will come

to attend

to this

immediately

and turn

to himself

and know Him

and love Him

and trust in Him.

He says,

I'll do this.

I'll dig

round it,

I'll put on my new,

and then,

he says,

if it should bear

fruit next year,

well and good.

He's going to give it

every opportunity.

There'll be no excuse

for this tree

if it doesn't bear fruit.

Everything's been done

for it that could

have been done.

If it bears fruit,

then well and good.

But if not,

you can cut it down.

The mercy,

the patience

of God

are beautiful

and precious.

What is more precious

to you

than to know

that God is merciful

and forgiving

when you take account

of your sinfulness

and mine

and what we deserve?

Yes,

the mercy

and the patience

of God

are so beautiful

and so precious.

But be careful

that you don't

take a false assurance

from that.

Be careful

that you don't

draw from this parable

and the teaching

of this parable

something along

the lines of

God will never

condemn me.

Because that's

a misuse

of the passage.

God does

condemn.

God does

possess

wrath

and anger.

God will

bring judgment,

His own judgment

upon those

who have not

responded to the

gospel

and borne fruit

to His glory.

Because mercy

and patience,

while beautiful

and precious

in themselves,

if you spurn

them and if I

spurn them,

if we don't

make the use

of them

that God

intends,

then we'll

find out,

sadly,

the words of

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:31

verse 31,

it is a fearful

thing to fall

into the hands

of the living

God.

See,

it would be

easy for me

today,

relatively easy,

to come to the

pulpit and say,

well,

I don't think I

should choose a

passage or

have a sermon

that includes

such things as

God condemning

people,

or God's

judgment

bringing that

rejection or

condemnation of

people.

Because I

wouldn't be true

to the Bible

if I did,

and you know

that.

I know these

passages,

if I can speak

personally,

are actually

very difficult

to preach.

They're difficult

to preach

to people

that you know

and love.

Because God

is bringing

to you

a truth

which is really

unpalatable

to ourselves,

naturally speaking.

So,

we're not doing

this just

because we

want ourselves

simply to be

orthodox,

or in a

reformed theology

just to keep

strictly and

tactlessly,

if you like,

to the things

of God's

Word.

I'm doing

this today,

friends,

because I love

you.

Because I don't

want you to

perish.

Because God

has placed you

on my heart.

Because God

has brought us

together as

congregation

and people.

Because I

believe this

truth.

Because I

have to face

God

if I don't

preach it.

Now,

we're not

told the

outcome.

You see,

it's just

such a brilliant

parable in the

way it's

constructed in

the teaching

of the Lord.

Because you

and I would

probably prefer

to know,

well,

what happened

to this fig

tree?

did it

actually bear

fruit?

Was it

actually cut

down after

the year?

We're not

told.

Why are we

not told?

Well,

for this

reason at

least,

that you

and I

can make

this passage

relevant to

ourselves.

So that

you and I

can conclude,

well,

my life,

with all

that God

lavishes

upon it

of His

care

and of

His

patience

and the

placement

that He

has given

me so

favorably,

my life

is not

going to

be fruitless.

That's

why it

doesn't

have an

outcome

specified.

So that you

and I can

say,

well,

whatever

happened

to that

fig tree,

I am

not going

to be

rejected.

I am

going to

bear fruit

as God

enables me

to His

glory,

to His

praise,

and to

my eternal

advantage.

May it

be so

for all

of us.

Let's

pray.

Lord,

we give

thanks today

for the

solemn passages

of Your

Word,

as well as

those that

are so

encouraging.

Yet even

in the

solemn ones,

O Lord,

we,

give thanks

that we

find much

to encourage

our souls,

even as we

do in this

passage today

that You

have given

us.

We thank

You for

Your care,

for Your

patience,

for Your

dealings with

us.

We thank

You for

the gospel,

for the

richness of

it, for

the soil in

which You

have placed

us, for

the church

we belong

to.

Lord,

our God,

we give

You the

thanks for

Your favor

toward us

in all of

these things.

Forgive

us, we

pray,

when we

don't bear

the fruit

that we

ought,

or to

the extent

that we

ought.

Give us

today, Lord,

that resolve

through the

aid of Your

Spirit to

come to

produce that

fruit of

righteousness

to the

glory of

Your name.

Hear us,

we pray,

for Jesus'

sake.

Amen.

Let's sing

now in

conclusion in

Psalm 67.

67, that's

in the

Sing

Psalms version,

page 84,

the tune

is Nettleton.

God, be

merciful and

bless us,

shine upon

us with

Your face,

that the

earth may

know Your

actions and

all lands

Your saving

grace.

O God,

may the

peoples praise

You, may

all peoples

sing Your

praise,

for You

judge the

nations

justly,

ruling over

every race.

and so

on,

the

whole of

the

psalm,

psalm 67,

to God's

praise.

Amen.

God, be

merciful and

blessed,

shine upon

us with

Your face,

that the

earth may

know Your

actions,

and all

lands

Your

saving

grace.

O God,

may the

people

taste You,

may all

people

sing Your

praise,

for You

judge the

nations

justly,

ruling over

every race.

may they

sing with

joy and

gladness,

may they

all rejoice

as one.

O God,

may the

peoples

praise You,

as they

all unite

in song,

come.

Then the

land

will

yield

its

harvest,

God

will

pour

its

gifts

abroad.

God,

our God,

will

surely

bless us,

all the

earth

will

fear

our

God.

I'll go to

the door to my

left this

morning.

Now may the

grace of the

Lord Jesus

Christ, the

love of God

the Father, and

the communion of

the Holy Spirit

be with you now

and evermore.

Amen.

Amen.