And then so we'll be back there in Matthew twenty one a couple times this morning for the fairly early on in the sermon obviously it's a parallel passage with where we've been in Mark chapter eleven which is what I want to focus in on this morning and really mark eleven it's just those eleven verses beginning in verse eleven through twenty one and just getting into it there and a lot of this you'll recognize what we just read but it says in verse eleven Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple.
Of course this is taking over from last week where we had the triumphal entry of Christ we looked at that last week and now he's entering into the into Jerusalem and into the temple and it says he looked about round about on all things and now when even Ty was come he went out on to Bethany with the twelve verse twelve and on the morrow when they were come from Bethany he was hungry and seeing a fig tree afar off and having leaves he came if happily he might find any figs there on.
And when he came to it he found nothing but leaves for the time of the figs was not yet so Jesus here is using this picture I believe to illustrate to us the nation of Israel right because again it's not catching Jesus off guard that there are no figs here it says that the time of the figs was not yet but he's going to this victory in and I believe to kind of use it as an example for us to read about later and also to his disciples at that time that the nation of Israel had the appearance of righteousness.
But had lost the power of God gave a they had a form of godliness but they denied the power thereof and of course we understand that manifested the fact that rejecting the Messiah the rejecting Christ and this victory here is illustrative of the nation at that time and I don't want to get a whole lot into the everything that's that's said about this victory in the re blossoming and all things like that.
Because the fact that Jesus makes it very clear that that this tree is is withered away forever that no fruit is ever going to grow there on again the children of Israel have been replaced by the New Testament believer we are the children of God by faith we are the children of Abraham through Christ we are that chosen generation that royal priesthood that the killer people through our faith in Christ and we should not you know hand that over to people who quite frankly reject and hate the Lord.
And if you would go back to Matthew twenty one perhaps you're still there and we'll look again at this parallel passage in verse eighteen it says now in the morning as he returned into the city he hungered and when he saw a fig tree in the way he came to it and found nothing there on but leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on the henceforward forever and presently the fig tree withered away so it's not just that you know Jesus is a poor.
You know husband man or horticulturist or whatever he's not a good farmer doesn't realize that you know it's the time the figs is not yet that's not supposed to be bringing forth fruit as it naturally would but I believe what he's doing here is using this again as an illustration of that nation right over everything that has taken place thus far in his ministry all the rejection that's taken place and of course ultimately he's you know moments days away from.
You know his ultimate rejection and the fact they're going to have him arrested and crucified so I believe he's taking this moment to teachable moment to illustrate to us and to his disciples that the nation of Israel has been done away that has been rejected by God and this you know if you've read your Bibles you would know that this is not a new phenomenon this is something that God did throughout several times in the Old Testament.
When the nation of Israel would get away from God God would you know scatter them and then they would get right with God and God brought them back.
So this isn't a new thing that when a nation rejects God when they get away from the Lord especially when it's a nation such as Israel that is called the people of God that has been called out and chosen by God that God will eventually in his wrath reject them.
And that's why he says here you know letting let no fruit grow on the hence forward forever does it sound like he's going to you know cause that fig tree to bloom again and bring it all back and and there's going to be fruit no he said when he cursed this hate no fruits going to grow on you forever and the reason why he gives this curse is because when he went there he found no fruit there on and of course the fact that it's not the time of the fig trees is not surprising him again it's just an illustration of Israel.
That when Christ came when he came to the nation of Israel rather than finding the fruits of righteousness rather than finding a people whose heart was prepared to receive Christ to believe on him he found and obviously there are many people that did get saved many Jews that did get saved but he found that there were also many that rejected him and then rather than bearing the fruits of righteousness they had other fruit growing out of them they had the fruits of bitter envying and strife in their hearts.
Okay now if you would go to Matthew well we're still in Matthew we'll look at it again here in a second but I'll read to you again from Luke chapter 13 and verse 6 where we get this parallel passage with the parable right it says in verse 6 and he spake also a parable a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit there on and found no one now this is Luke 13 a separate parable about the the the the the vineyard and the fig tree right he's he's finding a fig tree he's coming to it.
And it's no coincidence that I believe that Jesus is using parables about the fig tree and then he's actually cursing literally that physically this fig tree it's all tied together it's all illustrative of the fact that God has rejected Old Testament Israel in favor of in place of.
God's chosen people in the New Testament the New Testament believer he's saying a certain man found had a fig tree planted in his video and he came and sought fruit there on and found none he's showing up saying hey this is my fig tree this is what I planted this is my ground I've claimed it I know that I am the husband man I'm the rightful owner I should be getting my due reward I should be getting what I'm expecting out of this but instead he shows up and there's nothing there there is no fruit there is nothing there for him to.
Take in and profit from right and this is again illustrates the nation of Israel Israel spiritually at that time they were not you know they were especially amongst the Pharisees and the Sadducees the religious people that were in power at that time there was no fruit of righteousness there they were rejecting Christ they were opposed to Christ and the reason was because they wanted to hang on to the power that they had they were actually envious of Christ and we'll see that here in a minute.
But in the illustration again he's showing up to a vineyard that's rightfully his and he says in verse seven then said he unto the dresser of the vineyard behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none what does he say cut it down why cumber with it the ground so he's saying let's get rid of this fig tree this fig tree you know has has no fruit on it it's not doing anything it's worthless it's just taking up space it's covering the ground.
Cut it down let's plant something else let's grow something new let's get a fig tree in here that's actually going to bear fruit right you know that's what God wants from his people he wants his people the husband just like the husband in the story to bear fruit in their lives not to be barren nor unfruitful in the Lord Christ they he wants us to bear spiritual fruit he wants us to bear yay even physical fruit God has commandments for us he wants us to take these things on and be a productive member of the body of Christ.
And this kind of gives us a glimpse into God's attitude towards those that choose not to bear fruit for whatever reason God's not pleased with it God is upset by it God says it's a waste of space God says let's grow something else let's focus our attention on something that's actually going to be productive and actually produce something to the glory of God that's kind of you know his what we can get out of this story.
God is upset with the fact that this victory that he owns is not bearing fruit.
And of course it's no coincidence that he says three years right you can see the time with Christ's own ministry I've been here three years preaching these people doing miracles and you know what there's some people here that just aren't getting it they're not bearing fruit they're not getting on board with the program he's like let's go ahead and take it from Israel and give it on to the Gentiles it's a it's a great picture of that.
And he answering said unto him the keeper right.
Lord let it alone this year also till it I shall dig about it and dung it and if it bear fruit well and if not then after that it shall cut it down so this guy's interjecting you know he's stepping up on behalf of the victory say let's not to be too hasty here let's give it one more chance.
Right and you can kind of see how that's what Christ even did in his ministry he sent John the Baptist he's spending all this time with them he's giving them a chance to repent to get on board to make straight the path for the Lord to you know get their hearts right to repent and believe on Christ and yet there's some that refuse to do it they were actually opposed to him.
OK now if you're still there in Matthew twenty one look at verse thirty three and yet we'll look at another parable work where Christ is using these earthly examples.
Of you know husbandry of keeping a vineyard right here another parable he said there was a certain householder which planted a vineyard.
And hedged it round about he protected it and take the wine press in it he's expecting there to be fruit and built a tower and let it out the husband men and went into a far country.
And when he and when the time of the fruit junior he sent his servants to the husband men that they might receive the fruits thereof and the husband took the servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another again he sent other servants more than the first and they did unto them likewise.
But last of all he sent unto them saying they will reverence my son so you know this illustration this parable is pretty on the nose this is a very cryptic right even though Jesus does kind of give a little bit of an explanation here you know we can put the pieces together here.
You know those people that are being sent unto Israel or excuse me under the visit of the year those servants that are coming to receive the fruits those are obviously likened unto the prophets that came before Christ that came.
And preached Christ and preach the Bible and preach the commandments of God to Old Testament Israel and that's exactly what they did to a lot of them you know they were persecuted stone killed you know they were they were not received right and again the vineyard represents Israel.
And obviously the husband is God right because he's the one who owns it he's the one that planted it hedged about built the tower sent the prophets the you know the husband to it.
And and he's not receiving what he has do reward and then of course you know he says they will reverence my son so he sends his son down to him I mean it's pretty obvious what Jesus is alluding to here in fact it's so obvious in the story that the Pharisees actually understand it.
And yet today you have so many Christians so many even independent fundamental Baptist this just goes right over their head or it's like or they choose not to see it they choose not to understand it.
Where Christ is using this illustration to to show them that Israel has been rejected by God that they are no longer the people of God even the Pharisees in Christ's day understood this.
He says in verse 38 when the husband saw the son they said among themselves this is the air come let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance so what's the problem here the problem is is that they want this for themselves they want the power they're envious of Christ.
Verse 40 when the Lord therefore the vineyard cometh what will he do unto those husband men they say it unto him he will miserably destroy those wicked men a lot of vineyard unto other husband men which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Right this is another of another tactic that they use in like detecting deception and lie detection a lot of times if you think somebody is guilty of something you know you'll you'll hear people say well what do you think should be done to the person that committed this crime and a lot of times guilty people will say.
Throw the book at him you know just get you know bury them beneath the prison you know because they just want to come off as so just indignant that anybody even dream of doing whatever it is right.
And it's kind of funny to see these these things play out even in Christ's ministry in the Bible he's saying hey what what what's he going to do oh he's going to miserably destroy those husband men it's like yep.
And then it slowly dawns on me like wait a minute this is a parable I mean what does this all represent.
And he said he and Jesus brings it home right after they've kind of condemned themselves with their own words in verse 42 then Jesus said unto them did you never read the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected the same has become the head of the corner this is the Lord's doing and as marvelous in our eyes verse 43 and in case he just couldn't be any clearer case you're just not getting it right.
And it's just to make sure that everybody you know in twenty twenty four can read their King James Bible and understand what Jesus is getting at here therefore I say unto you the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
I mean it sounds pretty obvious that Christ even in his day rejected Israel and give it to a different nation right and that nation is the believer right then the people of God those that make up the kingdom of God those that have been born again those that are in Christ and whosoever shall fall in the stone shall be broken but whosoever it shall follow grind and power and when the chief priests the Pharisees will come and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a nation and give it unto a
nation and give it unto a nation and
give it unto
a nation
and
you
really
adopted Judaism centuries ago and started calling themselves Jews then go over there and take that land occupy that land and claim to be the
physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob they're allowed to do it but anybody else
You're racist
Right, it's it's hypocrisy
And it's it's just funny to me because the Pharisees got it they're they're not even saved and they're understanding purpose
This is not some cryptic thing
This is right on the surface, this is plain as the nose on your face
It's as clear as day even in cry out of his own mouth in Christ's own day
He said we're gonna take the nation from you and give it unto somebody that brings forth the fruit thereof
You know and that's again in the illustration that he's using with this fig tree and it's not only is he you know
Condemning that he's like literally cursing the fig tree. He it's you know, he curses it and
Jesus answered and said unto it. This is back in mark of chapter 11. You can go to John 15
He said no, no, man eat fruit of the hereafter forever
forever
You know not until you know, let no man eat no fruit of thee until
1948 when the people be in Israel became a nation again by the glory of God by the power of God
You know, oh did they all did they all accept Christ in 1940?
Is that what happened or was it, you know some giant conspiracy with a bunch of you know
The Rothschilds and Zionists and a bunch of you know, political maneuvering to get people into that land. Hmm
It's the latter folks
Because they did not accept Christ. Okay, and look they can accept Christ anytime they want
They can they can renounce that wicked
blasphemous
Religion of Judaism and get right with God anytime they want just like anybody else
But Jesus said let no man group let let no man eat fruit hereafter forever
Meaning he's done. You're finished. You're cursed
You know and that's even in Jesus even that is like another prophecy within the prophecy
Because they ended up in just short time later at cursing themselves when they took him to be crucified and said let his blood
Be upon us and upon our children forever, you know Christ cursed them. They brought the curse of God upon themselves
They cursed them own selves
And yet we're supposed to believe today that you know, the people that profess this religion aren't cursed. They are
They're the synagogue of Satan. They say they're a lie. They say they are Jews and do lie
Your
Luke Luke chapter 3 I'll just read to you again
This is John the Baptist preaching then said he and the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him Oh generation of vipers. I
Don't like the way you're talking this morning Deacon. I don't like this kind of preaching
I don't think you should you know use words like cursed and and damned and you know
Blasphemers and and it's like oh, sorry. Well, you know, I didn't call anybody a viper this morning
No, I know some of the the younger children the boys perhaps are probably like man. It'd be cool to be a viper, right?
They're into snakes and stuff
That's typically not you know, something you want to be called right because what's it saying about you when you call you a viper?
You know, you're just this sneaky
venomous, you know
Creature that just is harmful and dangerous
It's a that's a mean thing to call somebody you viper and if you really mean it, right?
If you're not saying it like the cool way like the kids would like right you viper you den of vipers Oh
Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance
So again, if you notice there's the theme here this morning of bringing forth fruit, right?
And when there's a lack of fruit, there's a problem
Okay, and obviously the immediate application this morning is to that nation of Israel, right?
They were not bringing forth fruits. They were not bringing forth fruits mean worthy of repentance
Jesus is coming unto them in his time and finding no fruit there
He's saying this is not what I expected that the husband is coming to the vineyard and he's saying let's tear this thing down and
Start over, right?
There's a theme of fruit here this morning
Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance to begin to say within yourselves
Excuse me begin not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father. Isn't that exactly what they're saying today?
And it's not just them that are saying it it's independent fundamental King James Baptists that are getting upset
Well, they have Abraham to their father
It's like hey idiot. Have you even read you know, just the opening of the Gospels
Have you even just read you know with the baptisms of John?
Have you read that far?
You know, are you just that ignorant and that blind to what's being said in the New Testament
Think not to say within yourselves. We have Abraham to our do your our father. It doesn't matter
Who your daddy was it doesn't matter
For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children under Abraham
And now the axe is laid to the root of the trees you can see this all tied in
Every tree therefore which bringeth forth not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire
You know there and obviously
The immediate application this morning or interpretation is applying it
To the physical nation of Israel in that time in that day
You know that nation has come and gone you say no Israel still in it. No, that's that's an imposter
That's not that's not the same thing over there today that Israel and look I'm not trying to get political
So what do you it's like, you know this false dichotomy? Well, you must be for the Palestinians then I
Don't have a dog in that fight
I'm not I'm not really interested what and a conflict that's taking place on the other side of the planet that has no effect
on me
Other than you know my being part of my tax dollars are going over to Israel in the form of aid in the tune
Of billions of dollars every year. I mean, okay
Well, you know, what am I gonna do about it not much
Obviously the immediate application is to Old Testament Israel, okay
But you know, there's also the great this theme that we need to apply to ourselves to Christians today and
What the message the lesson that we can learn here is that God expects fruit from his people
God wants Christians to bear fruit
We need to be fruitful and not just you know, as he said throughout the Old Testament be fruitful multiply when it comes to
Multiplying having children, but you know, we ought to as God's people bear the fruits of the Spirit in our lives
We ought to bear spiritual fruit in the form of getting other people saved
Through you know, the things that are in our heart the things that are coming in our mouth
Those things are how we bear fruit in the Christian life today
We ought to be useful to the kingdom of God
Okay, because again Jesus told them I'm gonna take that the kingdom from you and give it unto a nation
Bringing forth the fruits thereof, right? We can't have this attitude of just like well, we're better than them
Because you know, you know, God is spiting them through us that that's not how what's going on there
You know, we're not just like the revenge girlfriend or something like that to the Old Testament Israel
You know, we're we're we are the people of God, but we're supposed to bring forth the fruits thereof
You know God is expecting us now to be fruitful as Christians and
Obviously he were talking about a physical nation that was rejected
We as saved believers will never be rejected by God. No man will be able to pluck us out of his hand
He will never leave us or forsake us will always be saved
But you know God could still have a reaction and will have a reaction if we as that
Nation which is expected to bring forth fruits fails to do so, okay
You know God expects us to bring forth fruit and a lesson from Old Testament Israel is
As Jesus said in Luke 8 take heed how you hear for what's whosoever hath to him shall be given
And whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have
You know if we're given something and given responsibility given opportunity and we do nothing with it
Don't be surprised if God says well, you're not getting anything with that
Well, I'll take that away and give it to somebody else and look this can manifest so many different ways in our lives
You know, obviously, you know, you can make that immediate application to the fact that that's exactly what happened to Old Testament Israel
The unto them were given the oracles of God, right? They had the Old Testament
They had the temple the worship of God
They were the children of Abraham even physically they understood these things that had passed down through generations
They were to be a light unto the Gentiles, but they failed to do that
They did they were given and they seem to have but when Christ showed up and did a fruit inspection
They had not and what happened
That which even they seem to have was taken away from them and given to somebody else
Okay
Look the same thing can happen in our lives if we don't do what anything with what God has given us
God just might take it away and give it to somebody else that will do something with it
You know if we don't take advantage of the opportunity we have to serve God in a local church
God just might take that church away
You know, and I'm not this isn't like, you know, we're just in mark 11 and I this morning
Okay, I got to make application. All right
You're like man, what's deep? What's going through deacon said nothing? Okay, we're good
Right. There are people thankfully praise God that take advantage of this church and do bring forth fruit
I mean, I don't remember what the bolt numbers were but it's like
We're almost it's like almost 200 salvation. We're on a well on our way to having 200 salvation this year, which is great
You know, this church is bringing forth fruit
But that doesn't mean everybody in this church bring is bringing forth fruit
You know, we all need to get on board
If we want the blessing of God in our life, you know, let's give them a reason to bless us
You know what? God isn't blessing me. Well, are you doing anything with the opportunity is given you?
I mean, why would God invest in something that's not going to return anything
Right. I mean that just think about that in terms of you know
Finances, you know investment which I know very little of and practically nothing when it comes to investing money
But my understanding is if and correct me if I'm wrong
You could talk tell me after the service
But I'm pretty sure the way it works is if you invest money
You're doing in hopes of getting money back like more than you invested. Is that how it works?
Right, you don't give them money and say, you know, I don't I don't ever want to see this again
You're not just you know, that'd be called charity
Right. Well, it's the same way in our lives
I mean, why would God want to invest in us if there's not where he's not going to be any return
You know, I don't have the peace of God on the blessing of God life's not going well
It's just that everything's a struggle just is God even there is God why isn't he helping me?
Well, well, what have you done for him lately?
Well, you know, I got saved well, here's the thing he did that for you
Well, I believed on Jesus. What else does he want from me? It's like well, wait a minute
I'm gonna gave my life to Jesus. No, you didn't
He gave himself a ransom for us to be testified in due time
He did that for you
You know that was him investing in you and saying oh, I'm gonna make you a new creature in Christ
I'm gonna give you the Holy Spirit. I'm gonna give you the opportunity to walk in the spirit
I'm gonna put a King James Bible in your hand
Hey, let me just go ahead and say if you got a church like this in your town
You know, you have a great opportunity that a lot of other people would love to have
that's a fact and
Again, I'm not saying this is like some kind of threatening way like well
I'm gonna pull up stakes and get out and that's not what I'm saying at all
But I'm just saying like if you're somebody in this room and I just kind of this morning
Just kind of takes this church forget doesn't think it's any big deal
You know, there's people all over this country gay this world that would love to go to a church
It says faithful word Baptist Church on the front of the door
And again, it's and it's not I'm not trying to say that to big myself up or anything like that
But they just love to be a part of a church that actually just wants to preach the Bible go soul-winning
Have fellowship and not have to put up with a bunch of the nonsense that's out there today
Go to a church where they're told all the Jews, you know, they're God's chosen people. Let's get that flag up here
Let's say we're gonna take up an offering we're gonna send it over to Israel
You know instead of having a missions trip to some Indian reservation
They want to pack up and pull and go over to you know
Israel somewhere one of the most least receptive places in the world
And try to preach it to a bunch of people that hate Christ
You have to put up with so much and we're in this bubble here
Like we're in this, you know, we're just sheltered in this church from all this just nonsense that's out there
Look I'm not saying that nobody else is ever doing anything, right?
All I'm saying is because I've been in it. I've been out there. I've waited in those waters
I know that there's a lot of nonsense that goes on in Baptist churches today
Unbiblical nonsense, you know just or just the just the fluff that's out there
Hey, look if people like fluff, that's fine. Okay
I'm not a big fan of fluff
Right, I like let's just get in here. Let's get the service going. Let's get the preaching the Word of God
That's what we're here for this morning. Let's let's get it in right? Let's let's you know preach and let's go home
and let's go serve God and
We don't need a lot of filler and fluff here
Look, some people love flu and fluff great. It's out there, you know, go enjoy it not against it
Maybe I could have a stand have a little more fluff in this church
I don't know
Maybe we could maybe we could soften things up a little bit with a little bit just a little bit of fluff
You know instead of you know, it's like put a little bit of padding in the mattress
You know, everyone's kind of sleeping on a board here
If you get the illustration that's even making sense to anybody I don't know
But you know if you have an opportunity to be a part of this church this church in Tucson
Okay, not just faithful word in general. I mean god bless faithful word Tempe
You know, I love that church that's why I moved my family there and attended for many years
But if you have an opportunity to be part of this church, you know, don't don't squander that
Don't don't don't count that as just like meh, whatever like you have an opportunity to do great works for God
You have an opportunity to do things a lot of other churches just don't do
Take advantage of it. Good night
The missions trips that go on
You know all the things that they're doing there it's stuff we try to do here, too
I mean, it's just like you have such a great opportunity to serve God in ways that other people will never get
There'll be people that go to other churches that try to just do some of the basic things that we do here
Just almost on a near daily basis. They just want to go out and just knock doors and preach the gospel
They'll go to other Baptist churches and be discouraged from doing it
They'll say oh you can't do that there
Don't knock on that door. Just leave the hangar
We'll preach the gospel if they come to church
Well, here's the problem is that most people aren't going to come to church
You know, let me just break it to everybody right now
I know we just kind of I'm firing up the follow-up program
You know brother Fabian's been out there with me and no it's not just an excuse for us to
Go to Sonoran delights afterwards. I don't need an excuse for that
But it does sweeten the deal pun intended
But
You know, we've been out there last couple weeks knocking the doors going to people that are safe
You know, they're either not home or they're not answering
You know, and I kind of expect that's that's just kind of that's probably gonna be like 99% of the case most of the time
There's a lot of these people get saved
We're either another gonna
There we're just gonna miss them or not
They're gonna see us and go it's those guys again and they're just because they know we're there to tell them they need to go
To church or something and they don't want to do most people they love salvation
They'll take that all day long. You know what they're not interested in bearing fruit in their lives
They're not interested in getting right with God getting in a church learning the Bible obeying the Bible serving God
They don't want to bear fruit
And all I'm saying is you know that that's probably gonna well
We're gonna see a lot of that because that's just the way people are
but God forbid that anybody that actually is taking the time to come to this church and knows what it's about and knows what
They should be doing and seize the opportunity and then just says no. Thank you
That's gonna be a sad day in heaven
and that's a reality folks that people need to think about that's a sad day in heaven I
Gave you your preacher. I gave you the Bible. I gave you the Holy Spirit put a church in that town. What do with it?
Nothing
Well shame on you then
next no reward and
Then you know, it's someone else from this church who's been faithful
So service though, they're just gonna be we'll have this crown and this jewel and this gem
They're gonna go be walking by you with a big just wheelbarrow full rewards
You know and they and their mansions like butt up real close to you know that to Jesus
And you're weighing that you're in the back 40 buddy
You're you're way out there
You better hope you have 20 20 vision in heaven
Because you're gonna have to be looking way out you're gonna be squinting to see Jesus
You know, it's you know, don't let these these ecumenical types and these you know
These lovey-dovey doing evangelical types make you think because I don't believe it's gonna be the case where everyone's just gonna get to sit
with Jesus every day
One, you know heavens a physical place you can't all occupy that same
You know, that'd be pretty crowded if we all got to get get at the feet of Jesus
I mean that's billions of people that have been saved down through the millennia
Right. So I think the people that actually get to get close to God the closer
They are are the people that actually did something with the opportunity that they had on earth
Be it this church or some other church or wherever they are. They actually said hey
I'm not gonna live a barren and fruitless life and it's easy to get up and rip on you know
Old Testament Jews from 2,000 years ago that that blew their opportunity on Christ, but what are we doing with it today?
What fruit are we bearing for Christ today? Let's bring it home
Because you know what the warning is that if we have if we seem to have and half not it's gonna be taken away
And given to him that half already
God will just find somebody else to make up the difference and they'll get the reward
So, how do you bear fruit are you John 15
So hopefully, you know, I've kind of primed the pump this morning
To get you thinking about well, man, it sounds like it's pretty important to bear fruit in the Christian life. How do I do it?
Verse 1 John 15 verse 1. I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman
every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and
Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit
You know you start bearing fruit in the Christian life. God's gonna say well, there's someone with potential. Let me purge it
Right, let me go in there and clip and get rid of these dead branches, you know, that's that's living the Christian life
You know, you start coming to church God say oh this person's showing up pretty regular at church
Let's let now let's convict him about showing up to church at every service
You know, let's cut that dead limb of laziness off this person
Let's cut that dead branch that little twig of you know of wasting time and procrastination
And let's see if we can get him in all three services, right? That's God purging
And if you go through that purging if you make it through that you started bearing a little more fruit because now you're in church
More often now God's gonna go. Let's let's see if we can get him out soul winning
Let's get him out there preach the gospel as he commanded, you know, it's not just a hobby like well
What are we gonna do? What are we gonna spend our time? How are we gonna justify our existence as a Baptist Church?
I know let's go knock on a bunch of strangers doors and confront them with the gospel
You think we just you think we just thought that up? I just thought that's a Baptist tradition
Jesus said go ye to all the world and preach the gospel every creature
That's why we do it because we're obeying God, you know, the Christian life is not complicated, right?
It's not complicated. It's it's simple, but so often people in life. They think simple equals easy. It doesn't
Simple can be hard. It's just not complicated
Right get him in church, you know, you know cut that a little bit more fruit off get him in more church
Okay, now they're in church. Let's let's cut a little more off now. They're in church
They're hearing the Word of God now, they're inspired to read the Bible
Because as I heard recently and I agree with this statement if you're not in church, you're probably not reading your Bible either
Because going to church is like the easiest thing in the Christian life
It actually takes, you know discipline because I look I'm not gonna follow you home and and stand over your shoulder
Can you read the Bible day? You're gonna read the Bible day, you know
You got to do that on your own. You got to choose to do that
You know, but you get in church. God's gonna purge you you're gonna go to more church
You're gonna purge you some more you start reading your Bible. You're gonna get in the Bible
You're gonna find out what an amazing book it is how great it is how much you love it
You're gonna you know, it's gonna be sweet as a honeycomb to you. You're gonna love God's law
You're gonna read more God's gonna keep purging and purging and purging next thing you're gonna be out there
You know knocking your soul winning partner over saying I got this door
I'm gonna knock this one and you're gonna be preaching the gospel to people and you're gonna get people saved
You know and then we're gonna start. Hey, let's start getting me in. Let's get you know, let's get him baptized
Let's get some people in church. We're gonna do more and more and more but you know, it's a progress. It's it takes time
But if you don't do anything with what you already have there won't be anything don't expect anything else
You have to start somewhere
He says hey if you bear more fruit, he's gonna purge you they may bring forth more fruit
Verse four abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
Look you're not gonna bear fruit the Christian life if you're not walking with God
You know if you're not if you're not a disciple of Christ, what did Jesus say why calling me Lord
Lord and do not the things which I command you. How do I know if I'm walking with Jesus? You're obeying the Bible
You're doing what he says
You
Know he said you call me Lord master and you say ye well for so I am
Right. Yeah, that's you know, if we're gonna call Jesus Lord
That means we're calling him boss. And when he says do this we say yes, sir
Whatever it is
You know, we read something in the Bible we're convicted about it
We need to change and get on board. That's how you abide in Christ
Bible says we should be praying. We should be reading our Bibles. We should be going to church
We should be telling other people about Jesus. We should be instructing our families
We should be raising our children and the nurtured admonition of the Lord, you know again not complicated. I
Am the vine here the branches if he he that abideth me and I and him the same bringeth forth much fruit
Without me ye can do nothing
You
Can't have the blessing and fruitfulness in your life without Christ without his blessing without me. He could do nothing
You know, I want to be a branch that's just like near breaking point I want to just be weighted down with fruit
We're from the cherry capital of the world
Traverse City, Michigan just a little town seventy thousand people produces more cherries than anywhere else in the world
He said was for one time to have to have the national cherry festival
For over a hundred years now in that little town, you know, we're surrounded by cherry trees
We were
Now we're surrounded by cactus
And hey, they're cool too, right they don't grow anywhere else Saguaro is pretty cool
But man, whatever grows out of those things
hard to eat
Because they're needles but um
But when you were up there, you know when the cherries would come in man, you'd see those branches just go
They would just be bowing down and you'd have to go get that fruit off
Man, that's what I want to be like spiritually
Let's bear some fruit. That's what I want this church to be, you know branch in the body of Christ
That's just weighed down with fruit
You know, but it takes strength, doesn't it?
It's got to have roots in order to and to do to do that
It's got to have roots that go down in order to bear fruit. You got to have the root
You got to abide in the vine
He said in verse 6 if a man abide it not in me
He is cast forth as a branch and is withered a man of the gathering cast in the fire and they are burned and look
It's a parable. So don't try to make too much out of it. He's just basically saying it's useless
If we as God's people aren't gonna abide in Christ, we're not gonna do the things that God commands of us
Then we're useless to him
That's what I mean. That's what you do with the useless branch
I
Mean we speak going back. I mean, I got so many illustrations from those cherry trees, you know, we worked at a place
you know an excavating place or I worked at a place and
You know part of sometimes we would have to go out and just the cherry
Farmers would hire us to just come out with bulldozers and just take out whole swaths of trees at a time
I mean there would just be a pile like that would fill like like this this area right here at least this way
Just huge just tall massive things of cherry trees. Well, what was the problem with them? Oh nothing, you know, just
Know that the problem was is that they stopped bearing fruit
They weren't as productive. They got old they got wore out the branches were breaking off. They couldn't do anything. They were youth useless
so that's why we gathered them all up and we burned them and
They were alive when you burned them. So you had to put gas inside a couple of rubber tires and throw them on there
Which is don't tell anybody we did that
I'm pretty sure it's illegal
You ain't seen a fire till you see the tire fire
Yeah, I remember we first moved up there to Michigan
Like we literally went on like a 30-minute road trip to go see the landfill where the fire all the tires had caught on fire
It was like mom mom, you know, we got all got in the car. Let's go watch the tires burn
We
Were hard up for amusement there
Now you can see what I got out of there. What'd you do this weekend? What went to the tire fire?
Really? Where's that at the landfill?
You've never because those things just burn forever, right
But we would that's how you'd burn up just these all these old groves of cherry trees. Why were we doing that?
Why was some farmer paying some excavating firm to come out there with expensive equipment and pay for that and pay for the labor
And pay for everything that went around that, you know hauling that thing out there manning it
You know, I had to sit there and watch that fire for overnight
Make sure didn't get out of hand and pay a guy around the clock to sit there and make sure that it keeps
Getting fed and doesn't go out or spread words. Why would you do that? Because he wants more fruit
He wants it to bear fruit and if it doesn't bear fruit it's taken away and cast in the fire and burned it's useless
You know, that's not let let's not make that the defining theme of our Christian lives useless
fruitless
You know, that's a sad sad state any know what there's a lot of Christians that fall right into that category
Never read their Bible
Never want a soul to Christ
Barely, go to church have nothing to do with the king the things of God want nothing. They're they're useless to him
And look it's not they're not gonna lose their salvation
But you know what?
They're God's gonna treat them like some exactly like that like the useless branch not gonna give a lot of tension to it
Is he it's not gonna purge it
and
Purging is not fun. But you know what if it makes us bear more fruit, let's go through it
You know his commandments are not grievous
His commandments are not grievous Paul told the Corinthians you're not straightening us. You're straightened in your own bowels
The problem with so many Christians is that they're carnal
They don't want to serve God. They just want to please the flesh. They just want to their envy at the wicked today
Let's move on through here if you abide in me in verse 7 and my words abide in you
You shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you
If you abide in me and my words abide in you, how do I know what the will of God is?
It's right here. It's being preached three times a week. It's on your you know, it's at your house every day of the week
It's there to be read. It's there to be heard. It's there to abide in you and it will make you fruitful
You shall ask what you will it shall be done unto you wouldn't that be great
If I know the will of God and I pray anything according to as well
I know I have the petition that I ask of him
And I was like, well man, I prayed for that new Cadillac and it never showed up
Well, we're not that's not what we're preaching here
You know a person who's abiding in the vine. They're gonna pray according to God's will you say well
It sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yeah, but here's the thing. It's fulfilled
Yeah, but here's the thing you actually have those things that you have need of you ask and you receive oh
What's the big deal about that? Oh, I don't know it's just a God working in your life. I'm
kind of exciting
It's just a little bit of a thrill to actually pray something for the will of God God say okay and watch God move
And do things in your life. It's amazing
You know, we've seen it in our lives. I hear it about the lives of other people
People come to me and they just say it's like God just did this and I'm like, I'm sure he did
You know and God does those things for those people that are what abiding in him and his words are abiding and not perfect
but fruitful
Have you know, we all have purging to go through
Look at verse 8. Well, what's what you know, what's the big deal?
You know I can do without all the fruit, you know, I could do without the blessing of God
I don't I'm not concerned about asking a court of God's will having those things that I ask of him
I'm not really interested in all that
Well, look at verse 8 here. It is. My father glorified that ye bear much fruit
That's pretty amazing
our lives glorify God
Our lives are testimony to the glory of God
You know you go out and preach the gospel
You know, they're not going to bring you on a bunch of daytime talk shows that you know
The morning show to talk about how you got someone saved. It's not gonna make headlines
Well, you know there's angels and rejoice in heaven rejoicing over one sinner that repenteth
You know, there's angels which are the ministers to them which should believe
Which are the heirs of eternal life that have you know have been maybe watching over that lost sinner
The Holy Spirit's been ministering to them and then you come along and preach the gospel you and ambassador of Christ
They get saved and God's glorified
And that's just one example
Of how we can glorify God in our lives by doing what by bearing much fruit
And look you say well who's gonna glorify God you will you
You know if you bear much fruit in your life, you know what you're gonna do
You're gonna go you're gonna be praising God
Here is my father glorified when you bear much fruit. I
Mean when was the last time you just truly sincerely just
glorified God out of your own mouth and out of your own heart and
Just praised God for all the good things that he's done in your life and thanked him
It's probably you know it that the degree to that which is that happened is is directly related to the degree which you've been
You know bearing fruit in your life
So shall I be my disciples look at verse 16 you have not chosen me
But I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit
Hmm go what else what are we supposed to go and do go preach the gospel go preach the gospel go preach the gospel
That your fruits remain that whatsoever you shall ask my father my name he may give it you these are great promises to those
That would bear fruit in their lives. I
Know I got to hurry up
Let me get through this very quickly go to second Peter chapter number one
So again, you know we're seeing this morning the importance of bearing fruit
God takes this very seriously in the lives of his people. He rejected an entire nation for not doing so
You know that poor fig tree didn't do anything it wasn't even in season they had the leaves it was alive
Jesus walks up and says well. You know I gotta make an illustration. I gotta make my point and
Curses this this poor little fig tree
Cuz it it why cuz it didn't bear any fruit
God takes it serious like hey
Let me make this illustration make this perfectly clear that if you don't bear fruit you're of no use to me
That's what he said
He says you don't bear fruit. You know you're like a branch that is withered and should just be taken and burned
You know that's a very important thing
To God to bear fruit
You know that's that's one way we can kind of flesh this out
Manifest this in our lives is by going and bearing fruit preach the gospel doing those things that are commanded of us
Look at second Peter chapter 1 verse 5 beside this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue and a very true knowledge and knowledge
Temperance and the temperance patience the patience godliness and the godliness brotherly kindness and a brotherly kindness charity
That's
Love for if these things be in you and abound they make you these shall neither be barren nor unfruitful
In the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
How do I bear fruit? I don't want to be unfruitful. I don't I you know I'm willing to be purged
I'm willing to go through that. I'm I don't want to be like some useless dead branch that profits
No one. What do I do?
Add these things to your faith
Add to your virtue at your faith virtue
You know, you got the faith you believed on Christ great. Now, let's let's add some virtue to it
Add to virtue knowledge, you know, learn your Bible read your Bible know the Word of God
Look there's people they literally you and you'll hear people unsaved people who've
Contemplated and read and studied the Bible and they start talking about it
They get some things right and some things are just so far off base and it's just so it's so obvious
They're just and but they're just to get it completely wrong
Why because they don't have the Spirit of God
The Bible tells us that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither
Can he know them for they are foolish to son to him for they are spiritually discerned
Meaning this you have to have the Holy Spirit meaning this that's what you have
You have such a huge leg up on so many other people out there all these
psychiatrists and philosophers and you know these these professors and things like that who want to just you know
Pontificate about the Old Testament in the New Testament and try to twist it and interpret it and it means something
It doesn't mean they all and they're so educated and they're intelligent people
But they don't even get some of the most basic things of the Bible
They can't even understand the sacrifice of Cain and Abel
They can't they don't even get that that Abel's sacrifice was more excellent because it was representative of the blood of Christ
It just goes whoop right over their head. They don't get it
but you do
Is it because of your pedigree because you got some you know, a piece of paper tacked up on the wall somewhere in a frame
And look, I'm not I'm not saying you know, there's anything wrong with people being educated
But I'm saying this like you don't need to have that to understand the Bible
What you need is the one thing they don't have the Spirit of God
And you have that don't waste it add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge
because you can understand and know and and even get to a place where you can teach and
Explain the Bible in a way that they can't which is the right way
correctly
interpret the scriptures
Add to knowledge temperance
Look you get in the Word of God. You're gonna you're gonna be convicted about some things
It's gonna tell you to mortify the deeds of the flesh to bring your body into subjection to not you know
envy the foolish
It's gonna tell you to have some temperance self-control, right? That's what that means and
To temperance patience
Keep you know keep continuing to do the will of God be not weary and well-doing
just patiently do the will of God once you know what that is and have temperance be patience and
a patience godliness
brotherly kindness charity, which is love
You know, that's what should compel us to go and get people saved just love
Well, I'm not interested in preaching gospel, well, don't you love people
And sometimes you scratch your head you go on we wonder why people are so and so only it's because they love people
Why would anyone sign up to get up and preach a preach behind a pulpit three times a week
Why don't you get up here and do all this because they love people?
And when you lose sight of that, you know, you should probably step down. You should probably get out from behind the pulpit
And if you lose sight of that that's when your love is gonna roll cold and you're not gonna go out there and you're not
Gonna preach the gospel and you know what you're not gonna be fruitful
We got to add these things and if we add these things the Bible says that makes us mean neither barren nor
Unfruitful the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ you want to bear fruit start adding these things to your life
Add the virtue add the knowledge add the godliness add the kindness add the charity
It's work, but you got to do it
So
What you know what where does the fact why is it that some people aren't fruitful and other people aren't
Why is it some people?
You know unto them which have is more is going to be given
Why is it some people that seem to have from then is going to be taken away? Why is that?
What causes people to go down that path?
envy
Envy and I believe it's the same thing even for the Christian
You look go back to mark 11
mark chapter number 11
I'll begin reading a verse 15
So he curses the victory and it says and they came to Jerusalem Jesus went in the temple
and he began to cast them out that sold and bought in the temple and
He overthrew the tables of the money changers and and the seats of them that sold doves
You know, it's so funny me when I hear Christians say, oh gee, you're so mean that's so on Christ
Like oh, you're such an angry person. It's a Jesus goes the temple
He's literally flipping tables over
Take these things hence
And suffered no man to go through the temple. I mean, he's angry. He's upset
This is the second time he's doing that and elsewhere with the first time. He doesn't he sits down and makes a whip
He sits down and braids a core a bullwhip
Patiently, you know that I'm not I've never braided a whip, but I'm sure that's not you know
I can I don't know it takes me to tie my shoes in the morning
You know, that's kind of a braiding, you know that I struggle with that
That
Takes patience for me, you know, something's in the way right now, but we're working on it
You know, but he sat down and took I mean
I gotta imagine it takes hour two hours and it goes in there and just drives people out of temple like
That's intense
You know, that's a problem you just read over this and you over through the tables the money changers the seats of those
Like put yourself there
Be the money changer
You know, I
Don't I won't even bend over any for anything less than a quarter these days
You know now you know how frustrating it is when you know, you drop something you want to pick it up
You young people have no idea what I'm talking about
You know, you'll bend over to pick up a your the gum that fell out of your mouth
Which you should but you should throw it away. Okay, you pick it up
But imagine being the money changer and just all your money is just scattered on the floor
There's a crowd of people around
Right, then. It's just like everyone's gonna die on it, right? It could go bad your doves
You're overthrowing does and the doves are flying around going everywhere. I mean, it's just going in there just chaos
This disorder he's and he's pissed
He's mad. He's upset
It has nothing to do with the
The point I'm trying to make right now, right?
Well, actually it does it should show us
You know when we're not doing things the way the court the gods what the wants them done
We're not being fruitful. We're not abiding in the vine. God doesn't go. Okay, that's not for you. God gets mad
God gets upset God makes changes
God gets involved, right?
verse 16 and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple and he taught them saying is it not
Written my house should be called
Of all nations the house of prayer
But she had men in a day of thieves and the scribes and Pharisees heard it and saw how they might destroy him
For they feared him
Because all the people was astonished at his doctrine, what is that? That's envy
Now they're listening to him and not us. All the people are astonished at him, but they're not astonished at us
Now he's setting things straight. He's correcting us with the Bible. We don't like that
We want people to do things that's envy
Only when even it was come come he went out of the city in the morning as they passed by they saw the
fig tree dried up from the brutes and
Peter calling to remembrance saith unto master behold the fig tree which thou cursed cursest it is with wither away
And then Jesus goes into you know, a teaching on prayer, which we'll cover in a later sermon
But you know these people here when Jesus is showing up and cleaning the temple and correcting things and you know
Preaching the Bible saying is it not written? You know, it is is it not written?
My house should be called of all nations a house of prayer
Right quoting Bible preaching Bible straightening people out
You know rather some people obviously got right
I'm sure but there was a group of people who just were afraid of the people and they were mad at Jesus
They weren't seeing that they needed to make some changes
Right, and this is what leads us to being unfruitful
When rather insect, you know rather as it said in second Peter add into our faith. We don't
We say well, I'm not adding anything
God should just be happy with the fact that I believed on Christ
God should just be glad that I accepted the free gift of salvation. I
Mean that's such a stupid way to look at life. That's just that I mean that's ridiculous
And I'm sure no one's actually said those words, but you know what? Sometimes I think that's the attitude people have
Well, I mean I got saved
But don't expect me to add anything to my faith
Don't expect me to straighten anything out or change anything in my life
Well, you know what? There's another group of people in this story that were like that
the Pharisees and
They had which they seem to have taken away from them
And obviously that's a very as I said multiple times already a very
realistic practical part of the sermon when it comes to the physical nation of Israel
But the warning to us to New Testament believers is that God will treat us the same way not in terms of salvation
But God is say oh you don't want to do any of that. Well, we'll just try it somewhere else
Oh, you don't do that. Well, don't expect any help. Oh you don't want to add your faith
You don't want to know my will then when you pray your prayers won't get past the ceiling
Or I'll hear him and say no and I won't do anything because you're not asking quarter
My will because you haven't added to your faith knowledge. You're not being fruitful. I
Know I got to wrap up but go to James 3
Remember that the Pharisees delivered the chief priests delivered Christ on the pilot
They delivered him the Bible says explicitly for envy
The biggest problem they had is that they envied what Christ had the power of God the knowledge of God
He had the hearts of the people
And people were calling a posanna. We just read that last week. I mean they're calling the Messiah
They're embracing him and they rather than getting right with God and actually bearing fruit
They just get mad they get upset because they're envious
And the Bible warns us about this in verse 13 of James chapter 3 who was a wise man and a dude with knowledge
Let's back up because again
I just love how many times and fruit and specifically figs were brought are brought up in the scripture
You know and I just had my first fig like last I think last week. I
Actually had my an actual like raw fig off of a tree. Do they don't they grow on palm trees here?
Those are dates right that's what I thought I'm like words if is it a fig tree
It's like that. Well, yeah, it's what's in the story. See if you get anything else you got that
Right, but I'm like, where did these things come from? Well, it's a tree, right? I
Thought they grew in palm trees, but those are dates. Hey, I know cherries. Okay, I can tell you about cherries
The cherry capital not the fig capital or I cut me some slack this morning
Right, but my supervisor came in and she had she's like hey
Do you want a fig and I instantly thought of like?
Like it was rolled in coconut or something or or like it was like some kind of a sweet treat
But it was just like a raw cut open fig. It is actually pretty good
Yeah, just raw fig was that it was like that's pretty good. I
Was thinking like a fig Newton was like, where's the milk? Yeah
Anyway, which is interesting how many times figs are brought up this morning
Look at verse 11 doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet and bitter and James, you know
If you want to read it yourself, he's talking about you know
verse 8 the tongue and how in verse 9 we bless God and we curse man and
It's how you know out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursings and these things ought not to be so
Right and he uses the example. He says does a fountain send forth the same place sweet water and bitter, right?
Either a well is good or a well is bad
It's kind of like John told the Pharisees a good tree cannot bring forth good fruit
Okay, a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit neither can a good tree bring forth evil fruit
It's not going to produce the same thing
Can the fig tree my brethren bear all of the berries
Apparently I thought this morning that a date palm could bear figs right which is not the case, right?
So the answer is obviously no it's hypothetical can the fig tree my brethren bear all of berries either a vine figs
So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh
Who is a good wise man and a dude with knowledge among you let him show out of a good conversation
His works with meekness of wisdom
right not the guy who proclaims himself to be a wise man, but a man who out of a
Good conversation the way he conducts himself
Not you know his ability to articulate himself in a conversation as we understand that word today
Conversation meaning his behavior the way he conducts himself in the world. It should be good
It should that's how it should manifest
If we're wise if we have the wisdom of God, it'll show up in the way we live our lives. That's what he's saying
Who is a wise man and a dude with knowledge right who is a wise man
Who is that guy that has added to his faith virtue and a virtue knowledge temperance patience godliness
Brotherly kindness and charity who is that guy that has that knowledge who's added to that?
Well, whoever it is, it's gonna show up in his life. It's gonna be in a good conversation
He's going to bear the fruit of righteousness in his life
with meekness of wisdom
It's out of a good conversation his works
You just look at what people are doing you just look at people how they spend their time that tells you where they're at
spiritually
That tells you whether they have a spiritual bone in their body or not
That tells you whether they're walking in the spirit or not that tells you where they've been adding to their faith or not
It doesn't matter what they say it's it doesn't matter, you know what they say when they're at church or wherever
It's what they're doing with their lives their conversation that testifies whether or not they're bearing fruit or not in the Christian life
And we don't like to think about that because it that's it's obvious and yet it sometimes it just needs to be said
People can just look at one another's lives and just say
Bearing fruit not bearing fruit bearing fruit not bearing fruit bearing fruit not bearing fruit. It's really that obvious
Because it's his good conversation
His works out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom
But notice verse 14 if you have bitter what envying and strife in your hearts glory
Not and lie not against the truth. So what's the enemy of the good conversation?
What's the enemy of the fruit that we're supposed to be bearing the envying and the strife that's in our hearts
Look at verse 16 for we're envying and strife is there's confusion and every evil good evil work
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle
easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy and
The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace
Say what's verse 18 mean? I well, I think soul-witting immediately when I read that
Yeah, you can talk about making peace, you know not being a conflict letting things go
Not repeating a matter not, you know forgiving and which we were supposed to do I get that we've preached about that even recently
but the fruit of righteousness is sown and then
It's sown in peace of them that make peace and that's literally what we're doing as soul owners as
Ambassadors we beseech you in Christ dead be he reconciled to God
Be reconciled, you know, you probably all heard that term reconciliation
Meaning put your differences aside, right? Don't be at odds with one another. That's what we're telling the sinner
We're saying hey be reconciled make peace with God through Christ, right?
We're making peace we're sowing peace and then that make peace, okay
But you know the Bible says and I'll just read Proverbs 10 that the labor of the righteous tendeth to life
But the fruit of the wicked to sin
You know bearing fruit in your life is labor. It's work. You have to add to it
You have to be purged you have to go through that process. You have to do things
Right, you have to obey the Bible you have to know the Bible you have to bear fruit
You have to go sow the peace in order to make the peace you have to sow that
You have to sow the fruit of righteousness
That's why the labor of righteousness of the righteous tendeth to life
Yeah, you know what? There's a lot about the Christian life. It can be hard. It can be difficult
You know, there can be difficult things that come with it's it's it can be difficult
You know, especially if we're not walking in the spirit
In fact, it's it's impossible to live a Christian life when you're not walking in the spirit
And if you're sitting there think well, I don't know if I really want to do that
Well, you know what just understand this that those that are
sowing to the spirit those that are
Laboring and bearing fruit, you know, they're their fruit tends to life
You know the labor that we're doing as soul winners as people in this church, you know, it's gonna add up in heaven
It's gonna be it's gonna get real obvious there real quick who sowed and who didn't
Who who's whose labor tended to life? I
Mean, that's amazing never lose sight of that
Someone gets saved man. It's like
You just pull a soul out of hell
You got somebody in heaven forever that tends to life
You know the labor of the righteous tendeth to life
That's what you're gonna have as a result of sowing to the spirit you're gonna reap of the spirit life everlasting
You know if we have the fruit of righteousness in our lives if we're have the fruit of God our lives
It's it's the end result is life
Right. I mean that's that that's the parable Christ has been using I go to the tree. There's no fruit. There's no life
That's the fruit where all our fruit it tends to life
This is life eternal life a better life a changed life a godly life a blessed life
it's life the labor that we put in and sowing to spirit is life and
the fruit of the wicked is sin, that's all they have and
Don't so don't be one of these Christians that that cashes in and trades, you know, the labor that tends to life for sin
I
Think we're all gonna have sin, but it's like man. I want the balances to be tipped heavily in the favor of righteousness
There's always gonna be that sin
But you know
I hope I can get to heaven and say well the the works of my my works on earth
Tended to life more than they did to sin
But you know if you sit there and you envy the foolish
You're you're gonna that you're gonna go after what they're after
You know part of the fruit we're supposed to do is add to our faith what godliness
Meaning we're supposed to be separating from these these worldly things these wicked things not envying it
Is it worth it? Well, it's the fruit of righteousness
The fruit of righteousness is sown it glorifies God, I think that's worth it. Let's go and close the word of prayer