you
And let us go through our announcements here today.
Our verse of the week is
Psalm 52 verse 8. The Bible reads
But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God. I trust in the mercy
of God forever and ever. And that's a great verse
there. We are a family integrated church.
Many children and infants are welcome during the
services. We do have a mother baby room back
there for your convenience as well as the ladies
restroom. As I mentioned in the group chat
if it's too packed in here
the moms with young kids if you could utilize
the mother baby room would probably add extra space.
Right now it seems like we have just enough
room but you never know if Filipino time
is going to be coming here a little bit.
So we'll see on that. And of course the
men's restroom is up here in front. Remember
no eating during the service. Maintain a professional
atmosphere and keep the children from running and
making noise during the church service.
On the next page are service times listed.
First service is at 10 a.m.
Second service, well
today we only have one service. Normally
first service 10, second service 11
15. So one sermon
but it's probably going to be a bit longer.
So one sermon here, one service
at 10 a.m. so it gives us more time
for fellowship. Wednesday evening Bible study
at 7 p.m. Official soul winning times
listed. Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
meeting at the church building. Saturdays
at Case on Memorial Circle 10 to 12
lunch provided by church and then an
afternoon session. Sunday
afternoon, so today's soul winning
is going to start at 2 p.m.
So we're going to move it back a little bit.
So at 2 p.m. there's not going to be
a soul winning tip today but 2 p.m. is going to be
the time. It will give us extra time for the
games and fellowship that we have here today.
Since we only have one service
let's count up any salvations that
we have that are unreported. So
any salvations in the back section that are
unreported, any salvations
to report.
Anybody, one, two,
so I've got three back there, one
four. It's getting harder and harder to
count on because of that pillar right there.
Anybody in this section here?
Five,
two. Anybody else?
How about this section? Salvation to report
one, one. Anybody
I missed? Great
work everybody. That's 13 salvations to
add to our bulletin.
Let's see, our salvations and baptisms are
listed there for all of our churches for the year
as well as the month. Birthdays
and anniversaries for December as well as
for the end of November here. Next
page, our Bible memorization challenge.
One chapter to get the prize if you're ages 11
and above. Memorizing seven verses
if you're ages 8 to 10.
And memorizing one verse if you're below the age
of 8. Upcoming activities. So today
is our anniversary so we do have a lot of
announcements before we get into
this. And so we have
the candies to count on that table
over here. And so don't worry
Brother Raji's family
was not able to come so he's
not going to win. I mean we did this in Pampanga
and Brother Raji
won two out of the three candies. We
couldn't give him both but he guessed
correctly on two out of three was the closest
so since he's not able to come here today
it will open it up for other people.
So everybody's got hidden talents
right? And so
we have the candies over there.
Also we have the coffee mugs
underneath the table. Many of you
have already gotten your coffee mug. It's
one per family. I
think we have enough. Obviously it's hard to
predict how many people are going to come and how many
families. So if you do not get a
coffee mug and we run out
and you want one then just let me know.
We'll get a list of names after the
service and that's fine. But the coffee mugs are
there. One per family.
And also just an announcement for the
food. So the food is preparing just basically
right downstairs. After
this service, after the final
song, first thing is a
picture. Okay I always forget
that. So we're going to come up here, get
the picture. They're going to set up the food
in the back so we're going to need the men to move the chairs
out of the way so they can set up the food.
And for the food, make sure
everybody gets their firsts
before you get your seconds.
It should go without saying
but in the past we've had issues.
So we want to make sure because obviously it's hard
to predict how many people are going to come on an anniversary
service. Depending on what catering
company you use, 80 to 100
or I think we planned for 125.
It could mean like 80 or it could mean like
150. You never really know. So make
sure everybody gets to eat some food
before you go in for seconds.
And we also have ice cream coming at
11 am I believe
so basically right toward the
end of the service. Even before the end of the service we'll
have ice cream set up as well.
Let's see.
What other announcements do we have? So
that's it for today. The big things.
Obviously I said one service.
Tomorrow we have a soul winning marathon. It is
Bonifacio Day so we're going to have a soul winning
marathon tomorrow
at Kaysom Memorial Circle. Then on
Friday December 8th we also have
I think it's a feast of the Immaculate Conception
and so
we have a soul winning marathon on that day
Friday December 8th. Then
Sunday December 10th is going to be our
annual dessert competition.
And this is going to be a special
dessert competition because
we're only going to have one judge this year. It's going to be
Brother Mateus and this
is going to be their final service here before
they go to Poland to start the church which we're
all very excited about. So we
encourage you try to make it a point to be here on
December 10th. We want to wish them well
as they go because obviously they're going to be doing a
great work and it's a
difficult, it's a stressful work. We want to wish them
well on their final Sunday. They'll be
flying out on that Tuesday just a couple days later.
So December 10th will be their final Sunday with us.
Monthly prayer
meeting is on Sunday December
17th. Then on December
24th Sunday is our Christmas service
and we have our annual Pink Elephant Gift
Exchange. If you have no idea
what I'm talking about because you're kind of new
to the church I'll talk more about that as we
get a little bit closer what the Pink Elephant Gift
Exchange is. But under
current and upcoming series we are in the alphabet of
characteristics in the book of Matthew. We're going to
start both of those next week. We'll have a sermon
in those series. Information on our group
chat. And then on the back there's a place
for the notes for the sermon
here today. And
of course we're going to have our choir performing
for us. So at this time we're going to have the
choir come up and perform for us. After
that we'll take the offering and have the
Scripture reading.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I shall know him.
By the praise of the
nails in his hands.
When I
can read
my title
clear to mansions
in the
skies
I'll give farewells
to every
fear.
And
like my
weeping eyes
and
like my
weeping eyes
and
Now put this off Eddie.
Sorry, first, get your hands up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up,
get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up,
get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get
up, get up, get up, get up, get up.
Get up, get up, get up.
Get up, get up, get up, get up.
Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up.
What is the Bible trying to say?
On a side point, since, I think it's 1967,
it said that Israel has destroyed 800 plus thousand
olive trees of the Palestinian people,
and that is their source of wealth.
So basically, they've destroyed the finances of Palestine,
which is one of the reasons why you have this war going on
between Palestine and Israel,
because they're destroying their source of income
of how they can make money.
Obviously, olive oil is a very, very, very expensive thing,
and so if that's the way a country makes money
and you destroy their ability to make money that way,
they're gonna be in trouble, and of course,
you have endless wars going back and forth.
Now, let me say this about this verse.
When it says like a green olive tree,
you might be thinking, okay, what's the difference
between a green olive tree and a black olive tree?
But it's not stating that the olive is green,
it's stating the tree is green,
because all olives start off green.
And so we think of green or black,
but they all start from the same root on an olive tree,
and eventually the olive goes from green to a dark purple
to eventually a black.
When you get a black olive at a store,
it's actually picked when it's around the purplish color,
and then eventually the way they process it,
it becomes black, but it's actually not picked
when it is black off the tree.
Most olive oils, and the best olive oil
is gonna come when the olive is green.
But eventually it becomes dark purple,
and then it becomes black.
But what it's stating in this verse
is the tree itself is green,
it's not stating the color of the olive is green, okay?
But what exactly does he mean by,
I am like a green olive tree?
Go in your Bible to Psalm 23, Psalm 23.
One thing I believe the psalmist is saying
is that olive trees are perpetual,
meaning they basically never end.
Meaning decade after decade, century after century,
millennium after millennium, there is the olive tree
still there like it was thousands of years before.
From an article on olive trees here it says,
olive trees can get very old.
The average age of an olive tree is 300 to 600 years.
Now let me say this, the reason the average age
of an olive tree is 300 to 600 years,
it's not because it ends at that point,
it's because they're producing a lot more olive trees.
So when you produce a new olive tree,
the age of it is like zero, so it brings down
the average age, but the original olive trees,
they will continue to exist unless somebody uproots
that olive tree like the Israelis have done
to the Palestinians.
Otherwise, the olive tree just basically continues.
And then it says, but the oldest certified olive tree
is more than 2,000 years old.
It can be found in the small town of Anovoves
on the island of Crete in Greece.
Who's heard of the island of Crete?
It's a pretty famous place in the Bible, right?
For this cause left ID in Crete,
that thou shouldest set in order the things
that are wanting and ordain elders in every city.
That is the same place that's being mentioned,
and that is where the oldest certified olive tree is,
more than 2,000 years old.
So basically, before the time of Jesus Christ,
that olive tree existed, and guess what?
It still exists today.
And it says here, it can be found in the small town
of Anovoves on the island, or Valvos on the island
of Crete in Greece, and it still bears fruit.
The tree is visited by more than 20,000 people every year.
Its trunk has a perimeter of 12.5 meters,
so this is a very thick tree,
and a diameter of 4.7 meters.
The oldest trees on our olive grove
are estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
So here's somebody who is familiar with trees.
He's saying, our trees are only 1,000 years old.
But this tree is more than 2,000 years old.
From another article on this olive tree,
it says it is located on Crete,
the largest island in Greece.
This tree has been estimated by scientists
to be 4,000 years old.
When this tree was just a seedling,
humans of the late Bronze Age were developing new tools
like axes and plows to aid in the growth of agriculture.
So basically, the most conservative estimates of this tree
is that it's more than 2,000 years old.
But it is likely to be up to 4,000 years old.
And in fact, there are a lot of olive trees in this world
that are thousands of years old, according to scientists.
Why?
Because the olive tree is basically perpetual.
So what exactly is David trying to say?
He's saying, in the house of God, I want to be perpetual.
I'm not just here for five years or 10 years or 20 years.
But I grew up in this church.
I got married in this church.
I had kids, and now I'm a grandfather or a grandmother
raising my grandkids in this church.
My family's here.
We've been here for decade after decade
after decade after decade.
I believe one thing he's saying is this.
Hey, just like the olive tree is perpetual,
it really doesn't end.
I am going to be in the house of God until the day I die.
Psalm 23, verse six.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Look, you know, a lot of people,
their goal in life is to make a lot of money.
A lot of people, in their life,
they want to get promoted at work,
be famous, have a reputation.
But what the psalmist is saying, David,
the man that killed Goliath,
the man that does have a reputation,
he's saying, what matters to me
is that I'm dwelling in God's house forever.
And here's the thing.
If you want goodness and mercy to follow you,
guess what's required?
To dwell in God's house forever.
And look, if you last five years
and then get out of church, guess what?
You're gonna start to backside.
Your life's gonna be so magulo and messed up
because you forsook the house of God.
Look, I understand maybe life is gonna lead you
to another church, you move somewhere or whatever.
Obviously, Brother Matthias is gonna be going
to another country in his family.
Maybe you help start with a new church plan or whatever.
What I'm saying is, be a part of a great church
and stay there forever.
Go to Psalm 27, Psalm 27.
Psalm 27, verse four.
One thing have I desired of the Lord,
that will I seek after, that I may have a lot of money.
Isn't that the truth in most people's hearts?
That I can be successful financially.
It says, one thing have I desired of the Lord,
that will I seek after,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
And look, as I've said before,
this is the most beautiful place in the Philippines.
Inside the house of God, around God's people,
hearing the preaching of God's word, singing the hymns,
fellowshiping with God's people, going out soul winning,
regardless of how things look by the world's standards,
being in a place where they're serving God
and preaching the truth and going soul winning,
that is the most beautiful place that you can find.
And he said, the one thing I desire in my life
is to be in God's house all the days of my life.
Meaning until the day I die, I'll be in God's house
and I'll raise my family in this church.
So you know what?
When I'm gone, the legacy will continue.
Go to the Bible to Hebrews 10, Hebrews chapter 10.
I think that it would be pretty cool
if you lived in that part of the world.
You know, you walk into church and beside your church
you have an olive tree.
And then people ask about this olive tree.
Oh, how long has this been here?
It's like about 3,000 years, right?
My great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great,
great, great grandfather planted this like 3,000 years ago
and here it is today, right?
Because the olive tree doesn't end.
But is that really true of most Christians?
How long do most Christians last in church?
You know, it's said that most Christians
fade out after a couple of years.
And look, we've had people,
obviously our church has grown quite a bit,
but we've had people that joined our church,
they're excited, they last for a little while
and then they're gone.
Why?
Because they're not like an olive tree.
An olive tree is basically perpetual.
It doesn't end, it stays consistent
year after year after year after year, decade after decade,
regardless of the outside circumstances,
there is the good old olive tree.
But that can't be said of most Christians.
You know, one thing I like is looking at old pictures
of our church in the early days and all of us look young.
And it's nice for me to look back at pictures and see,
hey, I've been here since I was that age
and now I've gotten older.
And I hope I can look back decades from now and say,
man, here I was as a young person and now look at me.
My kids are grown, I have grandkids.
I mean, praise the Lord for people that last in church
for decade after decade after decade after decade.
When I think of the church in Sacramento,
Verity Baptist has grown quite a bit as a church,
but when we first started going to that church,
it already had more than a hundred people.
But honestly, most of the people that were in the church
at that time are no longer with the church.
I mean, a lot stuck around, but a lot ended up leaving.
You say, why?
Because of the fact people come and people go.
And look, this might seem harsh,
but do not get too overly attached to people at church.
Be friends with people, care about those people,
but realize some of your best friends
might end up leaving church one day.
So what about you?
Are you gonna be like the olive tree
when your friend leaves church?
Or are you gonna go with your friend?
Because what David says is regardless
of what anybody else does,
I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24.
Hebrews 10, verse 24.
The Bible says, and let us consider one another
to provoke unto love and to good works,
not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together
as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another
and so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Now look, I realize there are people here today
that are just visiting, they're not from this area,
they're here for our anniversary, and we're excited.
We're happy to have you here today.
But let me explain something to you.
Your reason to come to church on a weekly basis
is not because you feel like coming to church.
What does verse 24 say?
Let us consider one another.
Your number one reason to come to church is not about you,
it's because people want you at church.
That's what the Bible teaches.
Let us consider one another.
So it's not like, well, I wake up in the morning,
I don't feel like going to church.
It's well, wait a minute,
do people at church want me there?
And I promise the answer to that
is always gonna be a big resounding yes.
And look, if most people at church
don't want you to be here,
then you got a lot of problems
that we'll eventually have to deal with.
But look, I mean, people want you at church.
And the Bible says, let us consider one another.
It's not about what I want,
it's about what other people want.
Why?
Because Christianity is not about you,
it's about other people.
Your lives should not be about what you want,
it should be about what do other people want.
And he says, let us now forsake
the assembling of ourselves together
as the manner of some people is.
Turn in the Bible to Psalm 92.
Psalm 92.
Psalm chapter 92.
Let me give you some average lifespans
by different fruit trees.
The almond tree lasts about 40 to 50 years.
The apple tree, 35 years.
The apricot tree, 20 to 30 years.
The sour cherry tree, 15 to 30 years.
The citrus tree, 30 to 35.
The fig tree, 50 to 75 years.
The guava tree, 30 to 40 years.
The mango tree, 200 years.
Good job, mango tree, right?
The mulberry, 100 years.
The pear, 35 to 45 years.
The peach, 15 to 20.
The plum tree, 15 to 20.
The pomegranate, also 200 years.
The olive tree, more than 500 years.
It's not even close.
God created the olive tree to let us know,
this is a tree that lasts.
It's not just there for, you know,
35 years like the apple tree.
That was there for over 500 years.
And that's generation after generation
after generation after generation.
Imagine if you lived in the same, you know, family farm
and you could say, you know what,
our family from a thousand years ago had this olive tree
and we have the same olive tree here today.
Number one, one point I think the psalmist was making
is that olive trees are perpetual.
Let me give you an example of another olive tree.
And this olive tree is in Bethlehem, Israel.
And so this is said to be the second oldest olive tree
in the world.
And look, truly the song is accurate,
oh little town of Bethlehem.
And yet a lot of famous things happen in Bethlehem.
Of course, you got the Lord Jesus Christ.
You got King David.
You got the world's second oldest olive tree.
And this goes by the name the Al-Badawi Bloom Olive Tree.
Okay, if I'm pronouncing that correct.
In Al-Walaajir or Al-Walaaha, Bethlehem, Israel.
It's said to be 4,000 to 5,000 years old.
The Al-Badawi Bloom is one of the oldest olive trees
on the planet.
It's a massive tree that grows in a region
where such ancient trees are not that uncommon.
So what I'm saying is in this part of the world
in Bethlehem, you see trees everywhere.
But I mean, honestly, this past several weeks
I've watched documentaries on olive trees.
I've watched videos over in Jordan and Palestine and Syria.
And they'll just talk about the olive tree
because that is their source of income.
They say this has kept our family afloat
through generation after generation after generation.
They have a great love and affection for the olive tree.
And David, as he's going through the wilderness,
I'm sure he's seeing olive trees all over the place.
It's not really what we see here
in Metro Manila though, is it?
It's not what I saw growing up in the U.S.,
but David would have been very familiar
because as it says here, they're not uncommon
in that part of the world.
In nearby cities such as Der Hana and Areba,
you will be able to see other trees
that are upwards of 3,000 years old.
So basically you've got this olive tree
that's 4,000 to 5,000 years old,
but there's plenty of olive trees
that are over 3,000 years old in this part of the world.
So number one, I think one thing
the psalmist is saying very clearly is
I am gonna be perpetual in the house of God.
And that oughta be your goal.
One thing of a desire of the Lord
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
But here's the thing, it's not actually
that impressive to be perpetual in the house of God.
Unless you're also productive.
Unless you are a fruit-bearing tree.
Unless you are a soul winner getting people saved.
And see, the thing about the olive tree,
it's not just perpetual where it doesn't end.
It's not that it's just taking up space.
You can look at these trees, watch videos,
look at pictures online, trees that are 3,000 years old
and they are still producing olives today.
They are still making olive oil from those trees
3,000 years later.
It says about the tree in Crete,
it says it is believed to be
the oldest olive tree in the world.
It is estimated to be over 2,000 years old
and up to 4,000 years old
and even more incredibly, still produces olives.
So after 4,000 years, you can watch videos online
and they're still getting olives off of that tree.
Psalm 92, verse 12.
Bible reads, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age.
They shall be fat and flourishing.
Look, one thing David is saying is,
I'm not just gonna be perpetual in the house of God,
but year after year after year,
decade after decade after decade,
I am still going to be producing fruit.
I'm still going to be a soul winner.
Not just when I'm 20, but when I'm 30, 40, 50, 60,
decade after decade, still producing fruit.
And look, that oughta be your goal in life.
You're not just serving God for a few years,
not even just for 10 years,
but decade after decade after decade after decade,
still producing fruit, just like that old olive tree.
4,000 years old, and you can still get olives on it today.
Look, other fruit trees don't last that long.
The mango tree was impressive to last 200 years.
That's nothing compared to 4,000 years.
It's nothing.
But the olive tree, thousands and thousands of years later,
it is still producing fruit.
Don't give your Bible to Psalm 1.
Psalm 1.
Look, that oughta be encouraging and exciting to us
because as you get older,
there's some things you can no longer do.
Right, I mean, your athletic prime hits
probably in your late 20s is what I would say,
and it's pretty much all downhill there.
Right, you know, your ability to jump
and try to hit the rim in a basketball,
it just gets a little bit lower
with each and every passing year as you get older.
Your mental prime comes at a younger age,
and then it will slowly go down.
As the Bible says, the evil days come upon you.
But here's the thing, if you are a pro athlete,
you don't have to retire at the age of 30.
You don't have to retire from being
a sole winner at the age of 30.
In fact, some people start at the age of 30.
Right, I mean, it's not too late to get in the game.
You can be a sole winner until the day you die.
And forget about the years you lost
because you weren't saved or you didn't know
or you were living worldly or whatever,
but serve God now.
Because if you do it year after year after year after year,
and just every week, two salvations,
times by 50 weeks, 100 salvations in a year.
10 years later, 1,000 salvations.
25 years later, 2,500 salvations.
It's incredible what you can produce
if you are consistent, if you are like the olive tree.
That is not just perpetual, but it is also productive.
Psalm 1, verse one.
The Bible reads, blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water
that bringeth forth his fruit in a season.
His leaf also shall not wither,
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
See, the Bible says that you're gonna be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water,
and you bring forth your fruit in your season.
What does that mean?
It means every single season, year after year,
decade after decade, producing fruit,
producing fruit, producing fruit.
You're producing olives year after year after year
after year after year.
Meaning, you don't take a break some years
because you're too busy with work,
but you still stay consistent with getting people saved.
And every single season,
you're just consistently getting people saved.
Look, we have a lot of salvations in our bulletin.
But it shouldn't be shocking,
because last Sunday we had 60 people soul-winning.
And we have soul-winning marathons
pretty much every single holiday.
And consistently, you get a few saved,
somebody else gets a few people saved,
and eventually you reach 7,957 salvations.
Why?
Because you're consistently like the olive tree.
Season after season after season after season producing fruit.
Go to the Bible to Psalm 126, Psalm 126.
Psalm chapter 126.
Psalm 126.
And the Bible says in Psalm 126, verse five,
they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.
See, the Bible says the person that is sowing in tears
is gonna reap in joy at the salvations that they get.
You know what the problem is with Christianity in 2023?
Very few people have enough compassion in their heart
to win the lost.
I think a lot of Christians look at themselves
as if they're better.
People that are saved, well, I mean,
they're just a Catholic, they oughta know better.
How are they gonna know
if you don't preach the gospel to them?
How did you get saved?
Look, what you believed before you were saved
was also stupid.
I was raised with false beliefs in a church,
just like most of us were.
And the only reason why that veil of darkness
was removed from our eyes was why?
Because somebody opened their mouth boldly
to preach the gospel to you.
That is how people get saved.
Almost everybody's born in a false religion,
and they have no hope if it is not for us.
But here's the thing,
people don't have a lot of compassion.
They don't.
They're too concerned about their own lives.
The Bible says, those that sow in tears.
What does that mean?
It means the person that thinks about the lost,
and it makes them sad.
They mourn over it.
They see neighbors that are unsaved,
coworkers that are unsaved.
You walk down the street,
the vast majority of people are gonna die and go to hell.
And look, if you don't have enough compassion,
then save with fear.
Of some have compassion making a difference,
if compassion doesn't drive you,
others save with fear,
that you are scared to death of them dying
and going to hell.
And here's the thing,
the person that sows in tears,
that has compassion,
you know what?
They're the ones that get to really rejoice in life.
They're the ones that have the most exciting times in life.
But unfortunately,
most people are so caught up with their lives,
they're not gonna spend time
going out preaching the gospel.
They don't care that much.
You say, why is it people don't go sowing?
Because they care about themselves more than other people.
Ah, how dare you say that?
The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Don't expect to come to an anniversary sermon
with a soft, watered down sermon.
It's like the reason why we don't go sowing anymore
is because we don't care enough.
You know why Paul the Apostle did more sowing
than any of us?
Because he cared more and had more compassion.
Because he was a better person than us.
Well, my life's still busy.
No, you just don't care as much as Paul the Apostle.
Everybody's life is busy.
But have some compassion in your heart to win the lost.
Why?
Because we only have 70 to 80 years on earth anyway.
We're not an olive tree physically on earth.
We're gonna be gone in 70, 80 years.
That's what the Bible says.
But here's the thing,
the only thing that you can have that's gonna last
is the souls that you led to the Lord.
The legacy that you left behind from your soul winning.
And the impact you had on your family.
Go to your Bible to Proverbs 11.
Proverbs 11.
I mean, think about this.
A pro athlete that's really good,
they get to have excitement when they win a gold medal
at the age of 30.
And then after that,
they're never gonna have the same excitement
ever again in life.
That's the highlight of their life in general, right?
Their whole life is about winning that gold medal
and then they win it
and then after that they can no longer do it.
They never have that excitement again.
But here's the thing.
You can be a soul winner when you're 20 years old
and see the most exciting thing in the world.
And you can do the same thing when you're 70 years old.
Now obviously we understand that some people,
they don't necessarily have the same health as other people.
Obviously things get more difficult as you get older.
Obviously there's stages of life.
You know, if you're a mom that just gives birth
and things like that might not be able, we get that.
But here's the thing.
I don't want to retire from serving God.
I want to be on the front line of battle my whole life.
And make no mistake about it,
don't think the front line of battle is right here.
The front line of battle is out soul winning.
All of us are enlisted in God's army.
God wants all of us involved in the work.
He wants all of us to be a soul winner.
Every single person is commanded to preach the gospel.
And look, I don't want to retire from that.
I don't want my life to basically be over
because I can no longer do it.
No, I want to be a soul winner until the day I die.
Not just perpetual in the house of God,
but also productive in the house of God,
bringing forth fruit and rejoicing
for the salvation that I win.
Proverbs 11 verse 30.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
And he that winneth souls is wise.
The person that does not spend their life
being a soul winner is a fool.
Isn't that what the Bible says?
People look at us like we're fools.
All of our free time is spent on serving God.
You're a fool.
I mean, do something with your life, have some fun.
And what does the Bible say?
Actually, they're the ones that are fools.
Especially the saved people that do not spend their lives
being a soul winner, you're a fool.
Because I remember when I first got saved,
because I used to wonder before I was saved,
what's the meaning of life?
You know, I'm in college, I'm going to get a degree,
I'm going to make money.
Of course, I wanted to have a family and things like that,
but I felt like there was something missing.
And then I got saved and I instantly knew,
okay, obviously God's purpose for me
is now I need to help other people get to heaven.
I didn't really know what that meant at the time.
I didn't know what to say.
I didn't have any verses memorized.
But I realized on the inside after I got saved,
you know what, my life is about
helping other people learn this.
It's not about making money.
It's not about having fame or success
by the world's standards.
You know, God has me here to be a soul winner.
Anyway, that's what I believe when I first got saved.
I have never changed my opinion
in the 20 years I've been saved.
I still believe that is the purpose God has for me
and for all of us to help other people get to heaven.
That is God's number one purpose for you.
Not just perpetual in the house of God,
also productive, also being a soul winner,
also bringing forth fruit.
Go to Bible to Luke 8, Luke 8, Luke 8.
And look, don't strive to be a tree
that just has a few pieces of fruit on it.
Where you can count, oh, I see three apples on that tree.
Strive to be a tree where you lose count.
It's like you gotta pull back the leaves and everything.
Man, there's another piece of fruit.
There's another, there's another, there's another.
Strive to be a tree that is really producing fruit.
That you look at and say, man, that is a successful tree.
That's a tree that is really producing a lot.
Strive to be like that tree.
Not to do the minimum where, well, you know what?
I got one salvation for 2023.
I'll try to get one more in 2024.
Strive to do as much as you can for God.
And especially, take advantage of a receptive country
by going all in for God.
Because you live in other countries,
you're not gonna get as many people saved.
We're excited for the Pleveniak family
to go to Poland and start a church, but here's a newsflash.
He's not gonna get as many people saved as he's getting now.
You say, why?
Because Poland's not the same as the Philippines.
They both start with the letter P
and that's where the comparison ends.
It's just not as receptive.
Of course, we believe that God has led them to that area,
but what I'm saying is, you are in an area
that maybe Metro Manila is not what the world would say
is the greatest place to live,
but considering how many people can get saved,
it seems like a pretty great place to me.
To go and preach the gospel
and win the multitudes to the Lord.
Luke chapter eight, verse 15.
Luke eight, verse 15.
And of course, Luke chapter eight
is the famous parable of the sower.
So in the parable of the sower,
you've got four groups of people mentioned.
We preach the gospel and group one is an example
of people that do not get saved.
And of course, some people you preach to don't get saved.
A lot of people we preach to,
they hear it, they're just Hinduic culture, right?
That's what they'll say to us.
But then group two is someone who gets saved
and group three is someone who gets saved
and they start to serve God,
but they just don't really last zealously.
Group four is the one that lasts.
That still brings forth fruit.
See, the reason people are confused about this parable,
they think everything in the Bible is a salvation thing.
It's not a salvation parable.
It is a soul winning parable.
Jesus is teaching on soul winning.
He's not teaching on salvation.
He's teaching how to serve God your entire life,
which is group four.
And he says in this verse,
but that in the good ground, verse 15,
but that on the good ground are they
which in an honest and good heart,
having heard the word,
keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.
Look, I don't have the goal to receive the word with joy
and then just fade out due to the cares
and riches and pleasures or the temptations
and trials and persecutions of life.
I have the goal to receive the word of God.
And basically when it says an honest and a good heart,
every time you hear the word of God,
you apply it to your life.
You make the changes, you keep doing right.
And then just year after year after year,
you stay in church, bringing forth fruits.
You're like that olive tree in Greece
that is 4,000 years old.
That olive tree in Bethlehem
that they say might be 5,000 years old.
The olive tree that's just last year after year,
century after century, millennium after millennium.
Point number one,
one thing I believe the Psalmist is saying is,
I'm gonna be perpetual in the house of God.
You ought to have that olive tree.
I will never quit on serving God.
I will be dedicated to church my whole life.
But number two, don't just be a branch
that takes up space from the rest of the tree.
But be productive.
Now don't misunderstand me.
We are happy for each and every person at this church.
But here's also the truth.
We want each and every person
to be productive at this church.
We want everybody involved in the work.
Everybody to be a soul winner.
Everybody to serve God.
You know, you go to a lot of Baptist churches,
and you have a very small percentage of people
that are actually serving God.
Is that not true?
Many people at this church,
at your own churches it was like that.
At so many times, three people show up.
Four people show up.
Here at so many times,
it's getting very hard to pair people.
I mean, we're trying to come up with ideas
because it's difficult.
It's not easy to pair everybody up for soul winning.
And look, that is a great problem to have.
Praise God that our church,
the vast majority of people are soul winners.
And even people that cannot go every week
still go sometimes.
Pretty much everybody at our church.
And look, that is the goal,
that you're gonna be productive in the house of God.
And that's what David is saying.
Because you gotta realize,
he makes this statement in Psalm 52.
The chapter before is when he talks
about getting right with God,
and he said, restore to me the joy of thy salvation.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways,
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
What is David saying in that verse?
He's saying, if I get my joy back,
I will be a soul winner again.
Look, King David was a soul winner.
I get it, we read the exciting story of Goliath,
but you gotta realize, those people in the Old Testament
that were serving God, they were also soul winners.
As the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 17,
they went out with the book of the law
of the Lord with them.
Wow, they didn't have the word of God
until a few hundred years ago.
Then why is it in 2 Chronicles 17 verse nine,
they went out with the book of the law
of the Lord with them?
I'm not saying every single person
had the entire Bible in their house,
but people certainly wrote down portions
of the word of God, and the word was spoken,
they knew salvation, and they could have repeated that
to the people they knew.
And those soul winners in 2 Chronicles,
they were going out with God's law with them,
going out preaching the gospel.
And look, make no mistake about it,
David was a soul winner.
He says then sinners are gonna be converted unto thee again.
But here's the thing, in order to be perpetual
in the house of God, and in order to be productive,
it kind of implies something.
Because it's easy to say be perpetual in God's house.
It's easy to say be productive in God's house.
But you know what that means?
That you've gotta persevere through difficulties
in your life.
You see, if you go off of emotion,
you say, man, amen, I'm impacted by that sermon.
It's like, I wanna be productive and perpetual,
but you go merely off of emotion, you're not gonna last.
You're not.
You'll be excited today,
but you'll forget about it a few days later.
It's just the way we are.
We need to be reminded of things.
And the reality is you will go through difficulties
in storms of life,
and you must be able to persevere through them.
And if you cannot persevere,
you are not gonna be productive until the day you die.
You must persevere through difficulties.
And in fact, does not Luke 8 verse 15 imply this?
Doesn't it say bring forth fruit with patience?
What do you think that means?
Because the context of this verse
is about being a soul winner your whole life.
So what is the Bible saying?
Saying you've gotta patiently endure through difficulties
if you are gonna be a soul winner until the day you die.
It's not gonna be easy.
I'm not standing up here telling you
the Christian life is easy.
It's not.
It's hard.
We don't always feel like going soul winning.
We don't always feel like reading the Bible.
We don't always feel like serving God.
But you must be able to persevere.
As it says, bring forth fruit with patience in your life.
Look at verse number 11.
You say patience from what?
Look at verse 11.
Patience from what?
Now the parable is this.
The seed is the word of God.
Verse 12.
Those by the wayside are they that hear.
Then cometh the devil and taketh away the word
out of their hearts,
and they should believe and be saved.
So in verse 12 we've got a group of people
that did not get saved, right?
They did not believe and get saved.
Verse 13.
They on the rock are they which when they hear
receive the word with joy.
Let me ask you a question.
Did these people get saved?
Absolutely.
You say, wow, what's your proof?
They received the word.
What do you have to do to be saved?
As many as received him.
And they didn't just receive the word.
They received it with joy.
Remember when those that got baptized,
what did it say?
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.
See, a lot of people get saved.
Hey, would you like to come to church on Sunday?
Yeah, I'm busy, I can't make it.
They start making every excuse.
They don't receive the word with joy.
Because receiving it with joy or gladness,
what that means is you actually have real love
and care as a result of what God did for you.
You're actually thankful as we talked about last week.
And the reality is a lot of people get saved,
but they're not that thankful.
They're like those nine lepers
that didn't come back to give God thanks.
A lot of people just aren't that thankful.
And it's hard for us to understand this
because if you're in this room
and you're a weekly soul winner and reading your Bible,
you are thankful.
You are happy to be saved.
And in your head you're thinking,
why would any saved person not be thankful to God?
But here's the reality,
most saved people are not that thankful to God.
They're not.
I mean, a secular example,
a lot of kids are very ungrateful toward their parents
even though those parents put in hours and hours
on a daily basis taking care of them
and yet they don't have that much thanks for it.
And there's a lot of saved people that are children of God
and they are not that thankful for what God did for them.
Now look, praise God we're gonna see them in heaven.
And praise God they are in our spiritual family,
but unfortunately they're not in our spiritual
body of Christ here at Verity Baptist Church Manila.
Because they're just not that thankful.
But these people, they do receive the word with joy.
They just started serving God, but notice this,
and these have no root,
which for a while believe and in time of temptation
fall away.
They're not rooted and grounded in the things of God.
Now, I want you to realize it does not say
which for a while believe the gospel.
People reading into that when they say that.
No, no, no, it's talking about being a soul
in your whole life and here's the thing,
if you're part of this church and you join this church,
there's probably a lot of new doctrines and new standards
that you have after being at this church.
But if you fade out of this church,
you're gonna kind of think, well, you know,
Pastor Stuckey was too rough on Vice Pangit.
Pastor Stuckey was a little bit overboard,
he was too extreme.
And you're gonna believe these things for a while
and then in time of persecution you just
kind of give up on them.
When your Catholic relatives mock you,
you'll just kind of give up.
When your Baptist relatives and old Baptist churchmates
make fun of you for this church,
you'll kind of just, you know, fade out
and make excuses, say, yeah, you know, you're right,
he's a little bit overboard.
You'll believe for a while until the persecution comes.
Isn't that true for a lot of people?
When they're excited and then persecution comes.
Look, I've had people call me before and message me
at this church and also in Sacramento
and they message me saying that, hey, you know what,
I'm not gonna come to church anymore.
And you know, of course I'm like, why, you know,
what's wrong, you know, can I help you out?
And they say, man, my family is giving me a rough time.
Now look, I have no doubt that what they're saying
was true.
But isn't it also true that many of you,
your family gave you a rough time?
Isn't it true that many of you, your family,
is still giving you a rough time?
Right?
Isn't it true that all of us, yay, all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
All of us go through persecution.
And here's the thing, if you're like the average person,
you're just gonna fade out.
But if you are like the olive tree, you say, you know what,
I'm not gonna fade out.
I'm gonna be like that green olive tree
that is still productive, still producing olives.
Right?
But persecution causes a lot to fade out.
So here's what I'm saying.
You bring forth fruit with patience.
Meaning, you're gonna have times
you get the persecution in life.
Verse 14.
And that which fell among thorns are they
which when they have heard, go forth and are choked
with cares and riches and pleasures of this life
and bring no fruit to perfection.
You see, there's a lot of people, they go forth,
they start trying to serve God, but then all of a sudden,
the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.
Because there's a lot of things that are very
tempting to the flesh here in this life.
A lot of temptations.
A lot of things that can draw us out of church.
Maybe, you know, you first join this church,
you get excited.
You're serving God.
This is great!
And then after six months,
doesn't that excitement fade away?
And a lot of people, when the excitement fades, they fade.
Look, don't live your life just merely off excitement.
Live your life on what's right.
Well, I don't feel like reading the Bible today,
so I don't read the Bible.
Really, does your feelings change what the Bible says
about read therein all the days of thy life?
Well, I don't feel like going to church.
Really, does that change when the Bible says
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together?
Well, I don't feel like doing this.
Look, God's word doesn't change.
The Bible says, I am the Lord, I change not.
God doesn't change.
It doesn't matter what we feel like.
What does God want us to do?
And you serve God whether you feel like it or not.
You're in the house of God
whether you feel like it or not.
You're productive whether you feel like it or not.
You stay consistent to the things of God.
You don't live your life on emotion.
You live your life on what's right.
And you know what that means?
It means you're gonna have to
persevere through difficulties.
The persecutions, the cares, the riches, the pleasures.
Look, I don't know what everyone in this room
is going through right now,
but I'm sure, you know, our church is not a small church.
There's probably a lot of people right now
that are going through persecution.
A lot of people are going through difficulties.
A lot of people right now, they're just like,
man, I just don't feel like serving God right now.
My life is just so messed up.
There's so many things going on.
I just don't feel like it right now.
But here's the thing, you don't serve God
because you feel like it.
You serve God because it's right.
You're like that olive tree that just consistently,
regardless of the outside circumstances,
still produces fruit.
Go to your Bible to Genesis 8, Genesis chapter 8.
Genesis chapter 8.
Let me read to you from a couple articles
to prove to you that the olive tree
perseveres through a lot of problems.
It says here, olive trees are extremely resilient.
They survive long droughts,
meaning they can go a long time without water.
And even when a wildfire has burnt large parts of the tree,
the tree is very likely to recover.
So a wildfire can destroy everything in a field.
Then all of a sudden, a couple weeks later,
there's the olive tree again.
It starts to regrow itself.
Of course, it takes time for it to get back to where it was.
Just as symbolically, if you majorly backslide,
you're not gonna be back at where you were a week later.
It's gonna take time to retread that same ground.
But the idea is this, that a wildfire takes place
and then the olive tree is still going.
In fact, let me read to you from an olive tree
over in Montenegro, over in the former Yugoslavia.
It says, Star Maslina is a beautiful olive tree
that grows in Montenegro.
It's located near the city of Staribar.
Its name means old olive tree.
And old it is.
It is estimated to have been planted over 2,000 years ago.
One side of Star Maslina is completely burnt.
But the tree continues to grow
and produce olives despite that.
So half the tree is burnt to shreds
and the other half is producing olives.
And one thing the psalmist is saying,
you can go through every storm
and every problem in your life.
The storms of life, the floods of life,
everything is just hitting you, your life is a mess,
and yet you're still producing fruit every week.
Fight through it.
Well, I'm going through a storm
so I'm gonna quit on church for a couple months.
Yeah, you're never coming back then.
That's the way it works, my friend.
See, this olive tree in Montenegro,
it is like half burnt and yet it still produces fruit.
And your life can go through all kinds of problems,
persevere and still bring forth fruit.
Bring forth fruit with patience.
Now, you might say, well, pastor, I mean,
that's interesting, but those are secular articles.
I have trouble believing an olive tree
can go through that much problems and persecution
and still be consistently bearing forth fruits.
Well, let me just prove it to you
from the Word of God.
Genesis chapter eight, verse six.
And it came to pass at the end of 40 days
that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made,
and he sent forth a raven which went forth to and fro
until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also, he sent forth a dove for him
to see if the waters were abated
from off the face of the ground.
So Noah is sending out a raven and a dove,
because obviously there was a worldwide flood,
and he's trying to see if there's any sign of life,
because otherwise they stay inside of the ark.
Verse number nine, but the dove found no rest
for the sole of her foot,
and she returned onto him into the ark,
for the waters were on the face of the whole earth.
Then he put forth his hand and took her
and pulled her in onto him into the ark,
and he stayed yet other seven days,
and again he sent forth a dove out of the ark.
And the dove came into him in the evening,
and notice this, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf
plucked off, so Noah knew that the waters
were abated from off the earth.
I mean, a wildfire, and the olive tree's like,
is that the best you got?
A just man falls seven times and rises up again.
A worldwide flood, it's like, okay,
you got me down for a little while,
the water's blown out, I'm back.
I mean, literally, it's the most indestructible plant,
the plants on the planet.
A wildfire doesn't destroy it.
The wild, wild flood.
And then the olive tree is just back.
I mean, isn't that remarkable?
It's like the worldwide flood,
and yet there's the olive tree.
Look, I mean, literally, the average age of the olive tree
is like 500 years because of the fact
they're planting a lot of new olive trees,
or because people will uproot an olive tree
to steal it because it's so valuable.
But here's the thing, olive trees never really end.
A worldwide flood, a wildfire,
and yet they still keep coming.
Turn your Bible to Psalm 92.
Psalm 92.
And let me read you about an olive tree over in Lebanon,
or actually two olive trees over in Lebanon.
They're called the sisters,
or the other name is Sisters Olive Trees of Noah.
And it says here, the alternate name
of this grove of olive trees is not a coincidence.
They are dubbed the Sisters Olive Trees of Noah
because of local legends.
These legends claim that the biblical olive branch,
which was returned to Noah's ark
at the end of the biblical flood, came from these trees.
So people say that these trees in Lebanon,
they are the trees where that olive leaf came from.
You say, pastor, is that true?
I have no idea, but what a smart marketing ploy for tourism.
I want to visit these trees, right?
I don't know whether it's true or not.
And so here's the thing,
when you look at the oldest olive trees,
it depends on what metrics they're using.
The oldest by the most conservative estimates
is the one in Crete.
But some sources say these other olive trees
might be even older.
Look, but here's the thing,
I don't find it hard to believe
that there's trees that are around from before the flood,
because if the worldwide flood didn't take it out,
what's gonna take it out?
And unless an enemy comes and destroys your land,
why would you get rid of an olive tree?
Because olive oil is so valuable.
It's worth so much money, right?
And so look, I would actually be surprised
if there were not a lot of olive trees
that were around from before the flood.
I think many probably survived the flood.
I could be wrong, but there might be trees
that are older than this and we're just not
really aware of it.
I mean, who knows what the metrics are.
I'm not an expert at science or trees
or anything like that.
But I'm just saying, it's quite remarkable
that these olive trees just thousands of years later
are still around and still bring forth fruit.
What is the psalmist trying to say in Psalm 52?
He's saying, your life can go through every storm
and problem imaginable,
but you can still be like Job, right?
Now look, it's easy to preach this,
because right now I'm not going through major storms
in my life.
But here's what I know, you might not be going
through a storm now, but you're going to one day.
That worldwide flood's gonna come one day on you,
symbolically speaking.
That wildfire's gonna come someday.
The question is, what are you gonna do
when you go through the problems of life?
Are you gonna be like the green olive tree
that's been there for thousands of years?
Or are you just gonna fade out of church like most people?
Psalm 92, verse 13.
What is the key to an olive tree lasting?
Well, Psalm 92, verse 13.
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
See, the Bible talks about being planted,
being rooted, being firmly in the ground.
Now, an olive tree does not dig its roots particularly low,
but what it does is it digs them wide and very strong.
I mean, the olive tree is very thick.
But basically, when the storms come on the outside,
the olive tree is still firmly in the ground.
It cannot be uprooted very easily.
The reason why they've been able to loot olive trees
in places like Palestine is because it's not extremely deep,
they're able to dig around the entire olive tree.
Because if a tree is very deep in the ground,
it's really hard to dig past a certain point.
Whereas with an olive tree,
it doesn't go particularly low, but it spreads out.
But unless you just dig the whole thing out,
I mean, a flood doesn't destroy it,
a wildfire doesn't destroy it, it just lasts.
And look, the Bible's saying we ought to be planted
in the house of God like that olive tree,
that all the days of our life
were consistently in the house of God.
Go to Matthew 7, Matthew 7, Matthew chapter 7.
Matthew chapter 7.
Let me show you an example of this.
We are starting next week, we're gonna start back up
into the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5
in our Matthew series.
And there's a lot of interesting things
about the Sermon on the Mount.
Obviously, it's the most famous sermon ever preached.
But really, the key are these four verses I'm about to read.
Because notice what it says in verses 24 through 27,
just kind of the end of the Sermon on the Mount, verse 24.
Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man
which built his house upon a rock.
And the rain descended and the floods came
and the winds blew and beat upon that house
and it fell not, for it is founded upon a rock.
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine
and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man
which built his house upon the sand.
And the rain descended and the floods came
and the winds blew and beat upon that house
and it fell and great was the fall of it.
He gives an example of two types of people,
two houses.
For both examples, you see that the rain is descending
and the floods are coming and the winds are blowing.
The rain comes from above, the floods come from the bottom
and the winds come on the sides.
And the storms of life will come,
I mean, when it rains, it pours.
That's the expression.
And what that's actually biblically true.
The storms come at the same time in a variety of ways,
all at the same time from different areas, different angles.
And look, when one thing hits you, a lot of things hit you.
And isn't it true, when it seems like we have
one problem in life, we have like 50?
Well, here's the thing.
Whether or not you do what God says or not,
the storms are coming.
You're not gonna stop the storms.
Well, I mean, I got out of church
because I went through all these problems.
Well, other people go through the same problems.
You're gonna go through the storms
whether you're in church or not.
The key is, are you founded upon a rock
or founded on the sand?
And here's the thing, whether or not you last in church,
it's not about right now when things are going well
and you're excited.
It's when you go through the difficulties of life.
When you go through the storms of life,
that will then reveal what you were founded upon.
When you go through the storms of life,
that will reveal how dedicated you are to God.
See, I don't even know that about myself right now.
Do you understand this?
I can be excited and feel like I'll never quit church,
but the thing is, once the storms come,
you start finding out how deep your roots are,
how strong your roots are.
And look, don't develop this attitude,
well, I'm kind of serving God,
but some things the pastor says I don't really listen to.
Well, here's the thing.
What happens when the storms come
and you didn't prepare yourself?
It's too late when the storms come to get spiritual.
You get spiritual before the storms.
And look, you don't know when the storms are coming.
You don't know when the wildfire's coming.
You don't know when the worldwide flood
is coming upon your life.
You better be founded upon a rock.
Go in your Bible to John 15, John 15.
One thing I believe that David was saying
about the olive tree, which as I said at the beginning,
people from that part of the world,
they would have understood
because they see olive trees everywhere.
And they would have been aware of these things.
We just, we're not really familiar with olive trees,
at least I'm not, until I really started studying
this sermon, because you don't really
have olive trees around this area.
One thing I think the psalmist was saying is this,
that I'm gonna be perpetual in the house of God.
I'm not gonna quit on being in God's house.
But number two, I think he's also saying
I'm gonna be productive.
But here's the thing, if you're gonna be productive
and perpetual, that means you must persevere
through difficulties, right?
Three things we mentioned so far.
Positive, positive, positive.
If you're someone that's perpetual, that's positive.
If you're someone that's productive, that's positive.
If you're someone that perseveres, that's positive.
Number four is actually negative, though.
Here's the thing, though an olive tree
is very productive and perpetual and perseveres,
they actually require quite a bit of pruning
or purging in order to be productive.
You don't just plant an olive tree
and then just magically you have all this fruit.
Actually, they require a lot of maintenance
to be productive.
John 15, actually, let me read you from this article
before we look at John 15.
Olive trees need regular pruning,
because the olive fruit requires strong sunlight
at every stage from fruit set to oil production.
Olive flowers that are in deep shade
will not set in large numbers.
So what it's saying there is the olive tree,
it requires a lot of sunlight,
so you cannot allow the olive tree to go
week after week after week without getting sun.
It's gonna destroy its level of production.
It's gonna destroy the quality of the olives
and the olive oil that's produced.
Those that are will not produce good levels of oil.
Pruning is therefore needed to reduce the density
of the foliage and allow sunlight to penetrate
into every part of the olive tree.
You say, what are you trying to say, Pastor?
Here's what I'm saying.
You need to be regularly in the sunlight of God.
What does that mean?
Regularly in the sunlight of God's preaching.
Doesn't the Bible say that being near God is near light?
You need to daily be reading your Bible.
Daily in the sunlight of God's word.
Look, you're not just gonna produce a lot of fruit
unless the work is done,
the regular pruning and purging in your life.
You need the daily Bible reading.
Look, plants generally, they're not gonna grow well
without sunlight and water.
You need the regularly watering or the refreshing
of God's word in your life on a daily basis.
Read the Bible every day.
Come to church every week.
Memorize the Bible.
Spend as much time in the sunlight of God
and being watered by God's word as possible.
As much time as possible.
And look, I get it.
Depending on what your age is and your situation in life,
you might not be able to read as much as other people.
But I say that if you're raising kids,
you know, start them at a young age.
My son came to me a couple of weeks ago.
Zeph is still five years old.
And he said, dad, I need to read the Bible every day.
I was excited about that.
I mean, that's one of the most exciting things
you can hear as a pastor when your son says,
dad, I need to read the Bible.
I said, you're right.
I mean, how did you know that?
I said, the sermon you preached on children's day
and the sermon you preached yesterday.
He said this a few weeks ago.
He said, I realize I need to read the Bible every day.
So, you know, we made a Bible reading chart.
And of course, for him, it's 10 verses a day, right?
My son can read, but obviously, you know what,
kids, it takes time to get used to reading for a long time.
And of course, I'm not trying to push him or anything,
but I'm just saying at a young age,
it's like five years old.
It's like, amen.
Whatever your age is, read the Bible.
And look, it's amazing.
Look, if you look at a plant or a flower
that is not getting sunlight
and is not getting the watering that it needs,
it's usually a pretty ugly plant, right?
It's pretty obvious it's dying.
It's there, and unfortunately,
that's basically a lot of people's salvation.
They're dead.
Well, what's James 2 talking about?
There you go.
It's dead, it's producing nothing
because it's not getting the sunlight and the watering.
But here's the thing, and of course,
look, you're saved forever.
But we're talking about being productive.
We're talking about being a soul winner.
And here's what I'm saying.
It doesn't come just magically or accidentally.
It comes when you regularly put aside time to say,
you know what, I need the refreshing of God's Word.
Maybe you have a day where you're losing your temper,
you're yelling at your kids, you're in a bad mood.
It's like, okay, I need to get some watering.
Because that ain't the new man that's coming out.
That's the old man, my friend.
And look, we regularly, every single person,
including me and my family,
we need the daily Bible reading in our lives.
We need that watering.
It could be the most beautiful plant in the world.
If it's not getting water and getting sunlight,
it's going to die.
And the olive tree is no exception.
It requires a lot of sunlight.
Despite the fact it's very productive
and it perseveres through whatever,
it's not going to actually, here's the thing.
The olive tree will be perpetual
if it doesn't get the sunlight,
but it's not going to be productive.
It's not going to produce olives.
It's not going to produce quality olives
and quality olive oil.
Unless it's getting that regular sunlight.
John 15, verse one,
I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruity taketh away,
and every branch that beareth fruity purgeth it
that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now, once again, this is a soul winning example
that Jesus is giving.
It's not a salvation example
because people look at this and say,
well, if a branch is taken away,
that means they went to hell.
No, the Bible's speaking about someone who's saved.
And here's the thing, it's talking about
if someone's not producing fruit, they're taken away.
What's he saying?
Look, if you have a tree and there's a dead branch
that's not producing anything, do you know what you do?
You cut down that branch and get it out of the way
of the rest of the branches that are producing fruit.
That's the example he's giving.
It makes common sense.
And the Bible's saying, if you're not actually producing,
if you're not productive,
you're kind of just getting in the way.
And then he says this,
every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it,
that it may bring forth more fruit.
Well, pastor, at my old church, I went to church,
I heard the sermons, I always felt great,
I never felt guilty, I miss that feeling.
Yeah, but you didn't bear fruit at your old church.
Look, you are not meant to leave church
and always feel great.
You're not meant to leave church
and think you're the greatest Christian in the world
and that you're very spiritual.
You know why?
Because you're not that spiritual and neither am I.
Because we have a lot of work left to do in our lives.
Don't be surprised if you hear God's preaching
and you read the Bible on a daily basis,
if all of a sudden you have parts of the Bible,
man, God's purging this out.
I got to make this change and this change and this change.
Why do I have to make all these changes?
That you can bring forth more fruit.
Because your life is about being a productive olive tree,
getting people safe.
Your life is not about you.
It's about other people.
It's what you do for God.
And God wants to purge and prune the areas of your life.
Why?
So you can bring forth more fruits.
Now you are clean through the words I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
except that abide in the vine,
no more can ye accept ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches.
He that abideth in me and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit,
for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me,
he is cast forth as a branch and is withered,
and men gather them and cast them in the fire
and they are burned.
If ye abide in me and my words abide in you,
ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.
Here it is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.
So shall ye be my disciples.
You know what God's goal is for you in your life?
Not that you bear fruit,
but that you bear much fruit.
You're that fruit tree that is very bountiful,
that's flourishing as the Bible says,
that's full of fruit.
And here's the thing,
if you're gonna be a tree that's full of fruit,
you know what that means?
God's gonna have to cut out the parts in you
that are not right with him.
You're gonna have to make changes
if you wanna be that sort of fruit bearing tree.
Go to the bottom of Philippians three, we'll close up.
Philippians chapter three, Philippians chapter three.
Philippians chapter three.
And I'm gonna read you quickly from another olive tree
and then we'll go to Philippians three and close up.
And this one is called Plato's sacred olive tree.
I don't have the location in front of me,
my best guess would be Greece.
I think it says Athens here, that makes sense
since it says Plato.
But it says the story of Plato's sacred olive tree
is a sad one.
It is one of the oldest olive trees in the planet.
Unfortunately, it is now no more.
The massive tree was alive and well up until 1976
when a bus ran into it.
The impact fractured the trunk of the tree,
damaging it severely.
You say, man, the tree was destroyed by a bus.
Of course not, it's an olive tree.
It wounded it, didn't destroy it.
That's not why it's sad.
It says the remaining parts of the tree lived on
and were looked after by experts.
After careful treatment, the tree had taken root again,
proving just how formidable nature is.
No, not how formidable nature is,
but how formidable the olive tree is
that God created to be this example to us.
The reason why they say it's sad
is eventually people stole the olive tree.
They looted it, they uprooted it,
because obviously it's very valuable.
But here's what I'm saying, it required careful treatment.
And you have to realize if you are gonna be very productive
and be a fruit-bearing tree
and accomplish something in your life,
it's gonna require the work.
It would be great to plant an olive tree in the backyard
and just, you get tons of olives,
the olive oil produces itself.
But look, if you're gonna have a fruit tree
that produces something, you've gotta do the work
to make it successful.
And the olive tree especially is a tree
that requires a lot of work,
a lot of pruning and purging to be productive.
And it's the same thing in your life and in my life.
We need a lot of pruning and purging.
Don't ever think, wow, I've reached this point,
I'm good enough because I'm better than 99% of people.
You're not.
Neither am I.
All of us, if we're honest with ourselves,
we still have a lot of work that we need to do.
I'll close up here in Philippians chapter three.
And it says here in verse 14,
I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.
What he's saying there is as many of us have this mindset
to be complete, serving God,
let us have that mindset
that we're pressing toward that mark.
And if in anything ye be otherwise minded,
God shall reveal even this unto you.
I remember when I was in my 20s
and I was a regular soul winner,
I read the Bible, I was serving God.
And I would just have these new areas of my life
where I started to feel guilty about stuff.
I was like, man, I've been doing this for a long time,
I never felt guilty.
And you say, what was it that was happening?
God was purging a little bit more.
He's saying, okay, now you're a little bit close to me
and if anything ye be otherwise minded,
meaning I'm not pressing toward the mark,
here's another area of our life
we kind of need to cut out in order to be closer to God.
And here's the thing, this should be the goal of our life
that we drop closer to God each and every single day.
There are areas of our lives we are not thus minded,
pressing toward the mark,
and then God needs to purge or prune us,
make those changes so we drop closer to Him.
And it says, and by the way,
it says God shall reveal even this unto you.
Here's the thing, if you just learn something
after being saved for years,
you have to realize somebody new at church,
they don't yet fully comprehend that.
Some things you just have to drop close to God
to understand, I don't really think
God would approve of this.
So just kind of let people grow on their own
from the preaching of God's Word
and from the reading of God's Word.
Because for me, 10 years after I got saved
I started making changes I never had before.
I never really realized it was really wrong,
but as you drop closer to God, God starts revealing it.
But here's the thing, why is God doing this?
So you bring forth more fruit?
Let's get rid of that branch in your life.
Let's get rid of that branch and that branch, why?
Because I want it to be a tree that's filled full of fruit.
That's why.
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained,
let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Meaning, the levels you've already reached in your life
never fall back from that.
You know this is true, keep that standard,
but keep drawing a little bit closer to God.
So what did we learn about the olive tree?
What is David trying to say?
Well, olive trees are basically perpetual.
Worldwide flood, doesn't destroy it.
Wildfires, doesn't destroy it.
A long time without rain, doesn't destroy it.
A bus hitting it, doesn't destroy it.
I mean, they're perpetual.
Show me another tree that is like this.
But it's not just that they're perpetual
and they take up space, they are still productive.
They still produce olives thousands of years later.
But see, if you're gonna do that, you do have to persevere.
You have to go through storms and difficulties in your life.
And also realize, God is gonna have to do
some regular purging or pruning in your life
in order for you to bring forth more fruit.
Let's go to some word prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us
to be here today and just getting to see what the Bible says
about this amazing tree you've created,
the olive tree, God, and just all the application things
we can learn in our life, God.
Help all of us to strive to be like the olive tree.
Help us to be perpetual, to just stay in church
and stay dedicated to God our whole lives.
Help us to be productive, bring forth fruit,
even in our old age, God.
Help us to persevere through the difficulties in life,
but help us to be humble to realize
that we do need the pruning and the purging
that you're gonna provide in our lives
in order to bring forth more fruit.
We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.
Amen for our last song.
Let's turn to hymn number 471, 471.
Let's sing the song, Let's Speak.
On the first, search me, O God.
And know my heart today.
Try me, O Savior.
Know my thoughts I pray.
See after me, something can wait in me.
Fence me from every sin and set me free.
I praise the Lord for cleansing me from sin.
O feel thy worth and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame,
and my desire to magnify.
On the third, o'er take my life and make it holy night.
Feel my poor heart fail, dying of the light.
Speak, O my will, my passion, self, and pride.
I now surrender, Lord, in Thee.
All that, O Holy Ghost, we by all have struck Thee.
Set my revival, strike the work in me.
By burning fear, Thou wilt supply our need.
For death seeks now, O Lord, my holy King.
I pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy One, and of the Holy One,
and of the Holy One, and of the Holy One.
I think we need to come up front for the picture taking.