DON'T DISAPPOINT GOD 

LUKE 13:1-9 

            The parable in verses 6-9 was spoken to illustrate a point associated with verses 1-5.  The Jews rigidly connected suffering and sin.  This means that they believed that all who suffered did so because they were sinners. (A POINT OF INTEREST - Jesus did not take time to correct their error.  He stuck to the point He wanted to make.  Many times in witnessing we spend more time trying to correct wrong thinking than we do sharing the plan of salvation.  Get them saved first then there will be plenty of time to correct errors.)  Because these two groups suffered tragic deaths, the Jews thought them to be great sinners.  Jesus speaking to those around Him said basically that those who died were no worse than His audience.  His point is that they too had been given time to repent and unless they did so they too would perish.  This morning God wants to illustrate the same point; that mankind, each individual has been given time to repent and unless we individually accept the opportunity we too will perish.  This is a parable that speaks of the salvation of God and His judgment for failure to receive His grace. 

LUKE 13:6-9 

            In looking at this parable there are 7 points or ideas on which we wish to focus.  The first thing we see in this parable is that a man plants a fig tree in the midst of his vineyard.  This in itself was not unusual.  But if we consider the care taken in preparing and planting a vineyard, we then will understand the privilege of the fig tree.  A description of this care is given in IS. 5:1-2. 

The first point is that the fig tree is privileged. 

ISAIAH 5:1-2 

            First of all the vineyard was planted on a fruitful hill.  The choicest soil was picked for the vineyard.  Rich soil, so that the grapes would grow large, sweet and plenteous.  The vineyard was fenced or hedged about, to give it protection.  No one could come in and destroy the vines or steal the grapes.  All the stones were removed from the soil, so that nothing could stand in the way of the root system of the vine.  The vineyard was cared for in such a way that nothing from without or within might obstruct its fruitfulness.  In the midst of such a vineyard a man planted a fig tree.  Though the preparation was made for the vineyard the fig tree benefited from the care and preparation.  It was privileged to be in the midst of such well cared for and protected soil. 
            Like the fig tree, sinners, those who have not committed their lives to Christ and to following after His will for them, are privileged to share in the care and protection of God.   They, just like the saints, share in the blessings of God.  They breathe God's air, eat God's food, use a body and mind given to him by God, etc.  Matt. 5:45 says, that God "makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust".  We often quote that it rains on the just as well as the unjust as if rain is negative.  But the context in which this scripture is given is positive.  Followers of Christ are being told that we should do good not only to those who are good to us but also to those who persecute, use and abuse us.  In some way, shape or form, God's blessings are given to all of us.  Like the fig tree, the sinner is privileged to share in God’s blessings too. 

Point two is also found in verse 6. 

    Second, the man came looking for fruit and found none.  A fig tree, like most fruit trees, requires some time before it actually produces fruit.  This man has come seeking fruit from the tree for three years after the allotted time.  In other words this tree should have began bearing fruit three years ago.  The tree has had its time to grow and now it should be producing fruit.  Its probation period is over.  It is now time for it to produce.  It would be easy to tell if it was time for the tree to bear fruit, esp. if the tree had leaves.  A fig tree is such that tiny green figs grow on the tree before or at the same time that the leaves appear.  A tree with leaves should have figs.   

MARK 11:12-14 

            Because the leaves were already on the tree, Jesus expected to find figs on the tree.  Leaves on a tree indicate that the tree has life.  But at this very moment Jesus was looking for more than life, He was looking for fruit.  For the Christian, we have been given the privilege of eternal life.  But with Jesus, salvation was not the end of His desire for us.  He desires that we bear fruit, and as John 15 says, He desires that we bring forth much fruit.  As Christians we too are given our time to grow, but there comes a time when the master expects to come to the tree and find fruit.  DON'T DISAPPOINT GOD.  Now some would say that leaves are fruit, and that may be true for some trees.  A leaf may be all some trees will grow.  But if you are meant to be an apple tree, then growing leaves only just will not do.  As Christians it is our responsibility to receive from God knowledge of the fruit that we must bear.

            For the unsaved, the first fruit that God desires to receive from you is obedience to His will and desire for you.  What is His will for you? 

I TIM. 2:4 

            God's will is to have all men be saved and understand the truth.  What is this truth?  Jesus Christ and the Gospel of the saving grace of God, is the truth.  There is a whole picture that is being hidden from those of you who are not saved.  You are involved in a war and you are on the team that has already lost.  2 Cor. 4:4 says,  that "the god of this world, who is the devil, has blinded your minds lest the light of the gospel should shine or be understood by you".  The fruit that God desires from you is the fruit of salvation.  If you are not saved, remember that you too have been privileged to share in God's blessings.  At some point in time God expects to reap fruit for the privilege.  DON'T DISAPPOINT GOD.  Nothing hurts more or makes us angrier than when we are really disappointed. 

HEBREWS 10:28-31 

Point 3 comes from verse 7. 

            Third, upon finding no fruit on the tree, look at the masters statement.  Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground.  The tree without fruit was useless.  Though a fig tree provided shade, harvesting of grapes occurred in late summer or early fall, when the need for shade was not that great.  The tree was not planted for its shade, but rather for its figs, and since it was bearing no figs it was useless to the master.  It was occupying valuable land and producing nothing of value to the master.  How many of us are using God's precious commodities, and producing nothing of value to Him?  The most precious of the gifts God has given to us is life itself and we use it up, day by day, moment by moment, in efforts that of no value to Him. 

Point 4 comes from verse 8.  Jesus pleads for us. 

            Fourth, the Lord of the vineyard wanted to cut the fig tree down, but look at what the keeper of the vineyard said.  He said "let it alone this year".  He is asking the master to be patient or long suffering with the tree.  He pleads the case for the tree.  Like the tree mankind has one who pleads our case before God. 

I JOHN 2:1-2 

            If any man sins, well we all have sinned.  (Romans 3:23)  We have all committed crimes against God.  Therefore we are in need of an attorney, and God has appointed Jesus, His only son, to plead our case.  Under what grounds can He plead our case?  His whole case is, yes they are guilty, but the payment for their sin has already been rendered.  I am the propitiation for their sins.  I am the appeasement for their sins.  Justice has been appeased or met by my death.  For those of us who have accepted Christ as our personal savior, having committed our lives to living in obedience to Him, He simply says to God, they are mine, I paid for their sins, please forgive them.  For those who have not accepted Him as Lord and Savior, He pleads with God to be long suffering or patient with you. 

II PETER 3:9 

            Among other things Jesus has promised to return.  God is not slack concerning this or any of His promised.  But He is long suffering because it is not His will that any man should perish.  He is waiting for others to accept His provision for their sins.  We are not promised or told however, how long He will wait. 

EXODUS 34:5-6 

            Look at how God describes Himself to Moses.  The Lord God merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.  This is how God describes Himself.  He is willing and desires to forgive man.  But He cannot overlook our wrongdoing.  Justice must be appeased for each of us and if you stand before God in your sin, He will by no means declare you innocent.  If you have not accepted Jesus as your savior, the sin for which you will be judged is rebellion, that of having rejected Jesus (John 16:9).  From this sin you cannot be excused.

            God is patiently waiting on you.  Don't wait until His patience runs out. 

The 5th point comes from verse 8.  God has done His part.   

            Fifth, look at what was to be done in that year.  The keeper was going to break up the dirt around the tree and add more fertilizer to it.  Now remember that the tree is already privileged to be planted in the best of soil, in a well kept vineyard.  In fact the tree to this point has already resisted all the efforts of the keeper to help it grow.  But the keeper in a last ditch effort was committing himself to special assistance for the tree.  In an effort to save the tree he is willing to go beyond the call of duty.  God has provided for mankind a remedy for sin, a means of appeasing justice and of being declared righteous again.  Now some would say that God created us so He should do something to help us out of this mess.  Okay well He has done something and He is under no further obligation, anything beyond providing a means of redeeming mankind and informing him of the means is beyond the call of duty.  Man also has a responsibility.  (My children belong to my husband and I.  We brought them into our family, for that reason we have a responsibility to take care of their needs, say food for example.  We must provide healthy nourishing food for them to consume.  It is our responsibility.  (But providing snacks and treats is beyond the call of duty.)   And for a while, when they first started eating table food I had to make sure the food was given to them in such a way that it could be digested, even if it meant chewing some things for them.  But now, it is their responsibility to chew for themselves and to eat.  I must provide the food and sometimes make them eat, but they must chew and swallow for themselves.  And as they get older, I will no longer take on the responsibility of making then eat, and later of providing food for them.  They must assume responsibility for themselves.)

            In sacrificing His only son to redeem mankind from sin, God has done His part.  There is no requirement that He bless us or be good to us.  His goodness to us is beyond the call of duty and is simply an expression of His love for us.  We expect a parent to be good to his own children, but to show the same love care and provision for every child in the neighborhood is far beyond our expectation.  Why is God good to the sinner who continues to rebel against Him?  

ROMANS 2:4-6 

            God is good to man in hopes that His goodness will draw man to Him.  But also when we know God to be good and yet will not come to Him, we are storing up wrath for the day when we stand before Him in judgment. 

God is good to man because he loves man.  Romans 5:8 says that God commends (or shows) His love toward in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  In an effort to save the fig tree the keeper committed himself to extra work.  In an effort to save sinners God continues to be good to man, providing and caring for him, wooing Him as a man would a woman he loves.  But many of you like the fig tree have resisted all that God has done to draw you unto Himself.  In fact many will not come to God while He is being good to them, but when trouble hits they quickly turn to God, if only for a season.  There is nothing more disappointing that to give someone your all and then have them to turn their back on you.  DON'T DISAPPOINT GOD. 

Point 6 comes from verse 9. 

            Sixth, there is a limitation on how long we have to begin bearing fruit.  The keeper was to work on the tree for a year, and if it bore fruit, good.  But after that year if it bore no fruit it period of grace would be over.  The period of grace for the tree was limited.  It was given an extra year.  The time for man to choose Christ is also limited.  We don't know for each individual what the time limit is, but we know that there is a limit and we know when the limit is over. 

HEBREWS 9:27 

            After death one must stand before God in judgment.  The time limit is then up.  How long is the limit.  Well when you die, your tombstone will read John Doe, January 1,1900 - January 1, 2000.  The day of birth begins the period in which you must make a decision about Christ and the day you die ends that time period.  How long is that period?  It is but a dash.  On that tombstone life is represented by a dash about two inches long.  Two inches is but a spot on an infinite line and life is but a moment when considering eternity.

            The tree was given a limit of one more year.  How long is your limit?  If you are unsaved, consider what you risk each day.  You cannot answer that simple question.  Yet you gamble every day with your soul as the stakes.  Each day you play Russian roulette with your soul.  The bullet may be in cylinder number six and you may have a long time to wait.  But it may be in number one or two and your limit is at hand.  

MARK 8:35-37 

What are you getting in exchange for your soul?  FUN

Let’s say that you

LIVE 100 YRS, and  ETERNITY IS 10000 so that your  TOTAL EXISTANCE = 10,100 

            FUN RATIO = 100/10100 = .0099 OR .01 

CHRISTIAN FUN RATIO = 10,000/10100 = 0.99 

I said earlier LIFE IS BUT A MOMENT IN ETERNITY. 

             Another thing that you should consider is that though you may have a long life, God may not always continue to wait on you to come to Him. 

ROMANS 1:21, 28 

            These people claimed to know God but would not serve Him.  Instead they worshiped idols made of stone and metals.  Mankind today worships the idol of self.  Man will not serve God because it is more important to gratify self, than to please God.  God turned these people over to a reprobate mind.  He allowed them to live the corrupt depraved lifestyle that they had chosen.  He let them go their own way.  There are people even now who see themselves as such sinners that they will not believe that God loves them and wants to save them. 

            The whole point here is that in some form there is a limit, whether by death or by life.  A limit that is unsure to each of us.  Why risk it? 

Point 7 also comes from verse 9.  Judgment is certain. 

            The seventh and final point is, that if the tree did not bear fruit at the end of that year, it was to be cut down.  Judgment was certain.  We looked earlier at 2 Peter 3:9 which said that the Lord was not slack concerning His promises.  Titus 1:2 says, that God cannot lie.  God, who cannot lie, has promised that judgment will come.  Let's read a few scriptures that speak of the coming judgment. 

John 5:28 - 29, Romans 14:10 - 11, 1 Peter 4:17 - 18, 2 Peter 2:4 - 9, Rev. 20:11-15  

And there are many other scriptures that speak of the coming judgment.  Jesus told the masses in Luke 13:3 that unless they repented they too would perish.  The parable of this barren fig tree illustrates the point that judgment comes on those who do not repent.  Also, there must be evidence of repentance, i.e. fruit.  In this parable the fig tree received a second chance.  Many of you who are not saved have received many chances.  The parable also makes it clear that there is a final chance.  How many more chances will you have? When will your year be over? 

God expects and desires fruit from all of mankind.  DON'T DISAPPOINT GOD.