The Parable Of The Barren Fig Tree.

Mr. Hall and Seth did well, too. That was very enjoyable. Well, brethren, how much spiritual fruit have you been bearing lately? I guess that's the question of the sermon today. How much spiritual fruit have you been bearing lately? I think it's a good question to ask ourselves from time to time. It's an important topic. Are we bearing fruit? Are we bearing spiritual fruit? Are we pleasing to God? We know the Bible teaches that we are created for good works.

In fact, let's go to Ephesians 2 and read that for a moment. Ephesians 2, verse 8, it says, For by grace are you saved. And we certainly are saved by grace. And I was so happy to see the new booklet out. I hope you've had an opportunity to read the new booklet. If not, I hope you will take the time to read the new booklet.

I think it's a well-balanced approach toward the topic. For by grace are you saved through faith. And that, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship.

You know, God works in us. We're His workmanship. If we have the right relationship, if we understand what's happening here, God works in us. We're His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus under good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. Now, we are told to walk in good works, which would mean we're walking in the Spirit. Right? Not walking in the flesh, but walking in the Spirit. And producing spiritual fruit as we go throughout life. So it is important that we realize we were called to do good works, to be involved, and to produce spiritual fruit.

Jesus Christ used a parable to show the vital importance of producing a harvest, of producing good fruit. Just what lessons should we learn from the parable of the barren fig tree? Today we're going to focus on the parable of the barren fig tree. In fact, you might want to title this the parable of the barren fig tree.

How familiar are you with this parable? It's easy to read right over this parable without really considering the powerful implications that this parable has for all of us. Some believe that this parable has to do mainly with God's dealings with the nation of Israel. As a whole, anciently, in how the nation of Israel would be destroyed if it did not receive Jesus Christ as a Messiah.

That may be true to some respect, of course, but this parable also has much to do with individual repentance. It's written for our benefit as well, individually, as well as national repentance, the nation of Israel. But also, I believe we should consider repentance as the body of Christ as well.

As I mentioned in the Sermonette, we haven't always done so well as the body of Christ. We couldn't do better. So perhaps we need to repent as a body as well as the body of Christ, that we might be more pleasing again to our Father in heaven and to His Son, Jesus Christ. So specifically, those of us in the United Church of God, how can we also bear more fruit and be more pleasing to God? In order to bear much fruit, we do obviously have to have a repentant attitude.

Now, repentance is important for us all. I hope we understand what repentance is. It is actually turning from those works that lead to death. It's turning from the works of the flesh that lead to death to the works of the Spirit that lead to eternal life. Not that we earn eternal life by our works. We don't. I already read that we're saved by grace. Look, we've all blown it, haven't we? I've blown it. I've sinned. I deserve death. The wages of sin is death. This is what I deserve.

But we have a merciful, loving God. And there is a plan of salvation so that our sins may be forgiven, so that we might be given the gift of eternal life. To me, that's very, very exciting to realize that we can be changed to Spirit, no longer shackled by the flesh, no longer capable of sinning as we enter fully the God family. God does not sin. God cannot lie. To me, that's an amazing potential that we all have. And again, it's not something we should ever take lightly. And we must not take sin lightly. Yes, we are saved by grace, but we are accountable.

And we must be repentant. When we sin, we must admit that we've sinned. We must own the fact that we've sinned. And we must pray that God will grant us repentance. That we might be forgiven. That we might be renewed. That we might have a clean heart and a pure heart before God. So let's read the parable. Again, what can we learn about repentance from the parable of the barren fig tree? What can we learn about producing spiritual fruit? So first of all, we're going to read the context before we actually read the parable, because it's so important to have the context. So let's go to Luke 13, where we'll read this parable. Luke 13, verse 1.

There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Suppose you that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? This is a question Christ is asking them. Do you think they were that much worse than you?

That's really what he's asking. I tell you no, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Now that's pretty plain speaking from our Savior Jesus Christ. Unless you repent, you shall also perish. Verse 4. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower and silo fell and slew them, think you that you were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem.

I tell you no, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. So this is a double meaning here, emphasizing it doubly, that if we don't repent, then we will likewise perish, just as those people perished. And I don't believe Christ is just talking about physically.

I believe he's speaking spiritually here. We have to repent of our sins in order to be given the gift of eternal life. We're not going to be allowed in his kingdom if we continue in our sins and we're unrepentant. So let's now pick up the parable. He spoke also this parable. He said a certain man had a fig tree and planted it in his vineyard.

And he came and he sought fruit thereon, and he found none. There was no fruit on the fig tree. Then said he, under the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. So for three years he'd been seeking fruit. So this could have been bearing fruit for the last three years. It wasn't bearing fruit. He was patient. He was giving it time. He came back year after year, and it was not bearing fruit.

He says, I find none, so cut it down. Why cumbereth hit the ground? This is old King James. I happen to have a Gideon Bible with me today. I'm preaching from good old Gideon today. I forgot my Bible. I thought I had it in my backpack that I often bring on these trips, and I left it in my briefcase back home. So I don't normally preach out of old King James.

I usually use a new King James, but I think you get the idea what it's saying here. Verse 8, And he answered and said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also. This is the keeper of the vineyard. So the owner, we have the owner, and of course the owner is symbolic of God the Father, right? This is the Father's vineyard. The keeper is symbolic of Christ, our elder brother, the head of this church, the church of God, the body of Christ.

So the keeper says, He answered unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it. Now Christ uses people, doesn't He? I believe this is talking about all of us getting involved and being a part of the solution. We're here to help each other. Now if someone isn't bearing fruit, we need to bolster them, we need to encourage them, we need to do what we can to make sure that we're not holding them back in some way.

We need to be a light to everyone around us. We need to help each other enter the kingdom of God. So we need to be keepers as well. We need to follow Christ's example. He's doing His part as the head of the church. He sends people, He sends shepherds to show us the way. And then it's up to us whether or not we listen and we apply these things. And then we have our own personal Bible study as well. And we're taught by reading the Scriptures.

God speaks to us. God's real. He speaks to us. He wants a relationship with each and every one of us. He wants us to take it personally. A small child can learn to develop a relationship with God very early. And that relationship should continue to grow. So we're all in this together again. So the keeper is going to take some time to give some special attention to this fig tree that's not bearing fruit. He's going to put some good fertilizer on it.

He's going to try to get it activated, get it growing, get it moving in the right direction. And if it bears fruit, well, that'll be awesome. If it bears fruit, we can benefit from the fruit that comes. And if not, then we'll cut it down. Verse 10, and he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. Okay, so this is the context that a person needs to repent. Otherwise, they're going to perish. And if we're not bearing fruit, as this fig tree was not bearing fruit, then we're going to perish.

We're going to be cut down and cast in the lake of fire. Is God serious? Yeah, I think he's pretty serious. You know, he's called us, as I've said already, this is a high and a holy calling. We're called to be a part of the first fruits, a part of the better resurrection. And along with that comes responsibility.

This is our day of salvation. This is our time to take it seriously and to do what we can. Again, we don't earn our salvation. Look, we always have to fall back on the mercy of God. I know that. I've had to do it so many times. But I know God is gracious and He will forgive me if I'm willing to admit that I've sinned. You know, the Bible talks about, come boldly before the throne of grace in time of need.

Well, when you sin, you really need to go boldly before that throne and ask God to forgive you if you've already sinned. Now, it's better to go before you've sinned and ask God to give you the strength not to sin. Right? Isn't that far better? I think too often we forget that step. You know, we're being tempted by the tempter. Satan's tempting us to sin. And a part of us wants to do that which Satan is tempting us.

You know, obviously, he's going to tempt us where we're weakest. He's going to tempt us where he can get some progress as he looks at it. So he's going to tempt us to sin. Because that's the time to get on your knees when you know you're being tempted. Get on your knees and pray for strength. Too often I've waited after I've sinned. Because I'm weak. I'm fleshly. And sometimes we follow through on the weakness of the flesh.

The lust of the flesh, the pride of life. Am I right? Are you with me? Are we all kind of in this together? That's right. We're all in this together. We're all flesh. So, let's talk about three things. I've probably covered them to some degree already. But three basic elements of this parable.

Number one, the owner of the vineyard, God the Father, is disappointed that a fig tree in his vineyard is unfruitful. Got that? He's disappointed when we're unfruitful. If God calls us, he expects us to live up to that calling. And if we don't, he's disappointed. Just like a good parent would be disappointed if they've taught their child and the child goes contrary to that good teaching. So, that's the first point here. The owner is symbolic of the Father, and he is disappointed when we aren't producing fruit. When we're not following him.

Secondly, he does listen to his son. And what is the son's role right now? He's our high priest, right? He's our intercessor. He's at the right hand of the Father. He intercedes on our behalf. He knows what it's like to be flesh. He's been there. He's done that. He knows what it's like. So, he pleads...he's our advocate. He pleads our case before God. You know, Satan is the accuser of the brethren.

Satan will accuse a person, and then he'll go tattletale and say, look at what your boy's doing now. That's the accuser of the brethren. Look, you know, he tempts a person to sin. The person sins. And then he's tattletaling and accusing the brethren before God. And then Christ gets involved and say, wait a minute, you didn't see what happened afterwards?

Yes, he sinned. But now he's on his knees, and he's begging for forgiveness. He's praying that you'll forgive him. You know, that's what Christ does for us. He's our advocate. He intercedes on our behalf. He knows our heart. He sees our heart. God sees all things.

So, the Father listens to his Son, who is our advocate. He's the keeper of the vineyard. He wants us to give us more time.

Now, God's very merciful. You know, thankfully, it's not one year, two year, three years. This is just a parable. You know, I mean, as long as we're still alive, we have time. Now, we have time to repent, as long as we're still alive.

But, do we want to take that for granted?

If we're not producing fruit, do we want to take that for granted? I don't think so.

Thirdly, the keeper who is Jesus Christ suggests the tree should be given more time to produce fruit. But if not, then it should be cut down.

I and my Father are one.

Now, they're of the same mind.

Neither one wants someone who's going to be bad for the kingdom, right?

We don't want anyone bad for the kingdom to go into the kingdom. They're going to live forever.

So, the central lesson of Christ's teaching in verses 1 through 5 is clear.

Repent or die.

Repent or die.

You know, that's essentially the message I think God wants us to get. Repent or die.

And that's how we should live our lives. A life of repentance.

The parable of the barren fig tree goes a step further and says, repent now before it's too late. We don't know how long too late is, do we?

We don't know.

What tomorrow will bring. So, if there's anything we need to repent of, now's the best time to do it.

Repent of it. Get right with God. Again, God is very, very merciful. He's very gracious. He looks at the heart. He knows our heart. And look, I think well of you. You're here.

You're here. You know, that means something. You know, there aren't many people assembling on the Sabbath today. God hasn't... Well, it says many are called, but few are chosen.

Right?

Perhaps many have been called in this greater area, but there aren't many that have been chosen. There aren't many that have responded. There aren't many that are following through.

You know, as I understand the Scriptures, at this time, you know, God's going to call everyone in His own order. In His own time, everyone will have an opportunity. But right now, it says only those who are called, chosen, and faithful.

Only they will be in the first resurrection. You have to be called. You have to be chosen because you've responded, and you're beginning to live righteously and faithfully. Not perfectly, because none of us are perfect, but in a repentant way.

And then, as long as we stay faithful, you know, as long as we keep coming back, and striving to overcome and grow, and, you know, we get down on our knees, and we go to God, we ask for help, we pray for forgiveness, we admit our sins.

You know, that's really all that God expects.

You just want someone who's faithful.

Someone who's faithful. When He comes back to the earth, will He find faith on the earth? Will He find faithful people? So, what other lessons can we learn from this parable? I guess I've got three or four more lessons that we can discuss.

One is, when God extends privileges, He does expect returns.

When God extends privileges, He does expect returns.

You know, and parents are usually like that, right? You know, we often open up certain privileges to our children. But we also expect something in return.

Not always. Sometimes we might just be a gift, a privilege, but oftentimes we expect something from them. And that's okay. You know, that's one way to train and to teach someone, to help them learn to be accountable.

So, the owner of the vineyard expected the fig tree to bear fruit. That's what he expected. You know, you plant a tree. When I go out and buy a tree, I want it to produce fruit. If I spend 100 bucks or 200 bucks on a tree, you know, I want to be eating some apples. I want to be eating something from that tree, if it's a fruit tree.

That's why it's planted in the first place. You know, that's why God called you, you know, to produce fruit now. This is your day of salvation. This is your day to produce good fruit. So, God gave this fig tree good soil.

Right? It was planted in good soil. It was given good care.

He was going to be given special care for another year, even though it hadn't produced.

God was gracious in that sense.

The owner was gracious. The keeper was gracious. Give it a little more time to produce some fruit.

So, that's an important thing to recall. That, you know, God does expect something in return. No, He wants us to respond to Him. In Isaiah chapter 5, I'm going to tie in some other scriptures that talk about producing fruit and vineyards and that sort of thing.

So, let's go to Isaiah chapter 5.

We don't have a clock in here, do we?

Well, I have one on.

I have no idea when I started, so I'm not sure when I'm supposed to quit today.

So, stay with me. I'll try not to, you know, go too long. Isaiah chapter 5 verse 1. Isaiah 5 verse 1. Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard.

My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. This is the father who has this vineyard.

And he fenced it and he gathered out the stones thereof, and he planted it with the choicest vine. And he built a tower in the midst of it and also made a winepress therein.

And he looked that it should bring forth grapes.

And it brought forth wild grapes. It brought forth something that was not expected.

He was supposed to be good grapes.

You know, these vines were supposed to produce good fruit, proper fruit. Instead, it was wild. It was not good.

And now, oh, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? It was good soil. You know, they were good vines. Supposed to be good vines.

Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.

And now go to it. I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up. I don't know if there's deer. That deer are going to get in there and eat it up? Or what? The deer will eat stuff like this up. You know, they like brambles and things like that.

And it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down, and I will lay it waste. It shall not be pruned nor digged, but there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

Clearly speaking of God here, that there'll be no rain. For the vineyard of the eternal of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. And he looked for judgment, but behold oppression. He looked for righteousness, but behold a cry. They weren't really interested in producing godly fruit, and in being righteous, and we know that God allowed them to go into captivity. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah. If you are a Bible student, then you know the history.

If you don't know the history, you should become a Bible student.

Read the Bible. Study the Bible. You know, learn what the Bible says. There are many, many life lessons from God's Word.

So the house of Israel and the house of Judah went into captivity, because of their sins, because of their sinful ways. God was expecting more of them.

They were not delivering. God gave them many chances to repent, and to begin doing that which was right, and good, and pleasing to him. But they refused. You know, I could go to many, many scriptures and bear this out. The history of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. God was extremely patient, but eventually, his patience was worth it.

And he allowed them to go into captivity. It was a horrible captivity. It was not an easy thing. Jacob's trouble is talked about in the future, that it's coming upon the earth.

A similar type of thing. Many prophecies are dual. There were prophecies saying that Israel and Judah would go into captivity. There is a latter fulfillment of that as well, yet to come.

And so, it is important that we learn the lessons of the Bible.

Now, let's go to John chapter 15, which, you know, we read this every year at the Passover.

So, we're pretty well acquainted, those of us who are baptized, and go to the Passover service.

John chapter 15.

Let's go ahead and start in verse 1. I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandment. Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away.

And every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Obviously, speaking of spiritual fruit, now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you, abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. So, again, we're all in this together. Christ lives in us. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Christ lives in me. What did Paul say? It's not I that live, but Christ lives in me.

No, Christ lives in us. We're to walk as He walked. We are to abide in the vine.

I'm the vine. You are the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Not a little tiny bit of fruit. Notice that.

We're supposed to bring forth good fruit. And listen, if you're causing discord in this congregation, if you're sowing discord, if you're causing a rift between people, if you're doing something other than making peace, then you are in jeopardy. Let me just say that quite plainly.

God hates discord, and I have no history whatsoever of this congregation. So I'm not implying anything about anyone, but I've been around the church a long enough time to know that in a group this size, there might be someone who's sown some discord in the past.

That's not good fruit.

That is not something God is pleased with.

So if there is such a person here, I strongly urge you to repent of sowing discord. That's one of the things God hates most.

So I am the vine, you are the branches. To see that it abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me, you can do nothing.

If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. So I think we see the implication, right?

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Ask and you shall receive. You know, God is again very, very gracious. You know, he answers our prayers. You know, he partners with us. We can count on him. We can trust him. He will provide.

He will bless us. It doesn't mean that everything is going to be rosy all the time, because sometimes he tests us to see whether or not we are long suffering. That's also a fruit of God's Holy Spirit, is that we are long suffering, and that we don't lose faith.

And that we trust God during the hardest times of our lives.

You know, God will never leave us. God will never forsake us, no matter what he's allowing to go on in our life.

It's human to doubt that, you know, to wonder where has God gone? You know, why isn't he... You know, David asked these questions. You know, the Bible is a real book. You know, it talks about that sort of thing. Yes, it's human. To doubt God, to wonder where he is during a trial, at the same time, God will never leave you, and he will never forsake you. And you have to believe that promise.

You have to know that that's an ironclad promise. Some of you have gone through a lot of trials. You know, it hasn't been easy. It's been very, very difficult for you. And, you know, we're all... Again, we're all in this together. We should pray for one another. When one of us suffers, we all suffer.

So, herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. So continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Okay, we are to be helpers of your joy. You know, this is not intended to be a downer sermon.

You know, if you look at this as a downer sermon, you know, you're not really understanding what I'm trying to get across here. You know, I commend you because you're here, and you're trying to do that which is right. You're striving to be faithful. But I can't speak smooth things and just say, God doesn't expect anything.

God does expect things.

God is loving and merciful, but He does expect things. And we should not look at that as any kind of a problem. It's a reality.

And so we should encourage each other. We should rise to the challenge. You know, it's not easy to be a true Christian.

It's a difficult road. It's a narrow path that leads to eternal life.

It's a difficult path.

And so, you know, we have to be careful that we don't make excuses for ourselves and why we're not growing, why we're not overcoming, why we're not putting sin out of our lives.

We have to be very careful that we're not too easy on ourselves. Now, some people beat themselves up all the time, and others take the opposite approach.

They're not hard enough on themselves.

We need to have a godly balance. You know, that's what I hope I'm getting across in this sermon, is a godly balance. You know, the right type of balance.

God is a God of balance.

And we need to be people who are balanced, who understand what God is doing.

So again, what kind of return is God getting on His investment in you? No, what kind of a return is He getting? Is He getting 30-fold?

50-fold? 60-fold? Is He getting 100-fold?

In you? He's invested in you, right?

You are His workmanship. We read that earlier.

Have you ever looked at it that way? God's invested in you, and that He's looking for a return on His investment.

Remember that pearl of great price?

You know, God has for each of us a pearl of great price.

But along with that comes a responsibility to use that in a godly way, to serve others, to help others, to be a part of the solution.

Not a part of the problem.

That's what God wants for each of us.

So what kind of return is God getting in His investment on you? He wants to see an abundance of fruit being produced, right? And what is fruit? The fruit of God's Holy Spirit, Galatians 5.

Love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, meekness, humility, faithfulness, self-control. These are all the fruits of God's Holy Spirit. That's what you should be known by.

You should be known as a person of faith. You should be known as a person of self-control, a person who's kind.

Not the church grouch.

That's not how you should be known.

I mean, no one should be known as the church grouch, right? Is that a red badge of courage? That someone should...

No, no, we should be known... The children should love us all.

We need to be nice to our children.

We need to be kind to our children, not that we don't tell them to slow down, not that we don't maybe even take them to their parent and say, you know, little Johnny was getting into something you probably need to know about.

But, you know, they should feel the love from all of us. The children in this congregation should feel very loved. All of our children should feel very loved.

And they shouldn't look at us as the church grouch.

And if they do, then we need to try to change that somewhat. We need to show a different side, at times at least, so our children feel the love. They need to feel the love.

We all need to feel the love.

All right, so let's... Well, before I go on to the next point, Abraham Lincoln once said, Die when I may.

I want instead of me that I pluck the weed and I planted a flower wherever I thought a flower would grow.

So be looking for places where flowers will grow.

Make sure you plant those flowers. It'll make the world a more beautiful place.

Pluck the weeds.

Be sure to plant the flowers. All right, secondly, God is extremely patient, but He does expect results.

He's extremely patient, but He does expect results. We don't have forever to repent and change.

We don't have forever to repent and change. Now is our day of salvation. That's not forever.

Now is our day of salvation. We don't have forever to repent and change.

We have our time, whatever that time is, whatever God gives us, we have our time to repent and to change.

If we repent and change, if we produce good fruit, we will live forever. You know, we are going to live forever if we repent and we change and we produce good fruit.

But we don't have forever to produce good fruit unless we respond during our day of salvation.

Does that make sense?

Does that make sense? We have to respond during our day of salvation if we're going to live forever and continue to produce good fruit forever.

As the parable, there's a limited amount of time that we all have. And unfortunately, maybe it's a good thing, we don't know when that is.

So maybe we take it more seriously since we don't know when that is. And it wouldn't mean as much to God either, I don't think, if He told you exactly when you were going to die.

And so you sow wild oats until a week before you're going to die? Yeah, that doesn't make sense. So, all right.

The fig tree had only taken of the nutrients in the soil. It was a taker.

That was the problem with the fig tree.

It was a taker. It was taking all the nutrients. It was taking the sunshine, the rain, but it was producing nothing of real value.

Now, we know Mr. Armstrong talked about the give way of life. And we need to have that as our way of life.

Need to be givers, not takers. Givers are the ones that are producing fruit.

God was patient with His children in the wilderness. You know, if we go back to ancient Israel, when they had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness, there was a consequence, right, for the rebellion?

Yeah, there was a consequence, but He was patient.

I mean, those who were in rebellion did die in the wilderness. The children were the ones that came out. Only Joshua and Caleb, who were not in rebellion, they were the ones who had faith. They were the ones that said, God's on our side. We're well, you know, we're strong enough. We can go take care of all the giants in the land because God is the one and only giant that really matters. And He's on our side. So God was patient with the children in the wilderness. He was patient during the period of the Judges. Remember the Judges, how they would cycle through? You know, they were unfaithful.

Finally, they'd call out to God because things got bad, because when you sow bad fruit, you reap a bad harvest. And they were paying the consequences. We reap what we sow. You know, there's biblical principles throughout all this. So God would send a deliverer.

And for a while, they would repent.

But then they would fall right back into it. And they would end up in dire straits again. And then God would send another deliverer.

You know the history, or many of you do.

So God, you know, God has never been the problem, right? The problem's always been the people.

It's always been the people. It's still the people. We're the problem.

But thankfully, God has given us a way. And it's through His Son, Jesus Christ. You know, Christ died for you. Christ died for me.

We're saved by grace through the sacrifice, through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have to claim the promise.

And we have to live a life that God's pleased with. God does expect us to bear fruit, right?

There's quite a bit more that I could go into, but what time is it? Eh, we don't need to go too long.

I will just give you a few other references. You might want to go to Matthew 21, where it talks about the parable of the wicked bindressers. It applies with this sermon. The parable of the wicked bindressers. It's another parable. Matthew 21, verses 33 through 43.

You can learn from that. Take some time to look through that later on.

In Matthew 21, it talks about a fig tree that withers and dies.

There are a couple of verses that talk about a fig tree that does wither and die.

I think we will go to 2 Peter chapter 3 and look at verse 9 for a moment. 2 Peter chapter 3.

2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9. 2 Peter chapter 9.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness.

Some men don't always see it the way God does.

It's important that we see it the way God does. Not the way men see it. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. But He's long suffering. He's patient to us. We're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's really what God wants, isn't it? He wants every single human being to come to repentance. God doesn't want to lose any of His children.

That's not His desire, but God is not going to force us to obey Him.

God has given us true liberty.

He's given us freedom. Freedom to choose. It's the only way that we could be born into His family.

You have to be given free choice.

You are the one that decides primarily whether you'll be in the Kingdom of God.

You decide by the way you live your life. It's your decision.

God only casts into the lake of fire those who decide they don't want to live in God's way. You know, those are the ones that get cast into the lake of fire.

The ones that choose to live by God's ways, you know, they're fine.

They have nothing to fear.

You know, the Bible is clear about not fearing men. You know, we should not fear what men can do to us. Matthew 10.

Only fear what God can do.

If you have to lose a job because of the Sabbath, big deal. God can provide another job just like that. He's done it countless times with other people. I got fired for keeping the Sabbath from my own church back in 1995.

That's right.

Actually, I ended up resigning. I got suspended twice because of the Sabbath.

Because I said the Sabbath is holy, and I really didn't care what anyone else said. That the Sabbath is a day that was sanctified and set apart, made holy. It's a sign between God and His people.

And, you know, if we have to be fired because we stand up for the truth of God, you know, God will take care of us.

And many of you have had to do that. You've had to stand up. You've had to be counted. That's a good thing.

All right, so dropping down... Let's see, I want to drop down to... See, I've read verse 9.

Well, verse 10 talks about, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Comes quickly when Christ returns.

Mr. Armstrong used to say, It'll make your head spin. Some of us who were still alive, in the church when Mr. Armstrong was alive, I know he's been dead a long time. I understand that.

He was a man, but God used that man. And many of us are here because he was faithful to a large degree, with what God had given him to do.

Reading a little bit more here. Let's go down to verse 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Okay, that's what this is all about. God is righteous. He's developing a righteous family. People who do the right thing. People who desire to do the right thing, who want to do the right thing, right thing, and bring themselves into subjection so they learn to do the right thing. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. We are to be a church without wrinkle, right? Without blemish, without spot. That's the church we are to become. So the only way we are ever going to get there is if we take this very seriously. If we are to be a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, is God going to have to reduce us to such a small number before that can actually happen?

I wonder about that.

You know, we've gotten smaller and smaller and smaller.

Why is that? Where to become without spot, without wrinkle, where to become blameless, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation.

It's salvation. That's why we hang in there, because salvation is waiting for us. Eternal life is waiting for us. It's worth it. It's worth whatever we have to do to remain faithful and to be pleasing to God, whatever it is, whatever we have to give up, whatever we have to surrender, whatever it is, it's worth it, because salvation is what God has in store for us.

The last point, which I'm sure I've already covered to a large degree, those who remain unfruitful are going to be cut off. They will be cut off. We have to produce fruit. There's no other way around it. The fruit of God's Spirit is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and meekness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control. And that's what we should be known by.

We should be known by these virtues.

This is the kind of person God wants in his family.

So we have to do our part.

We mustn't take sin lightly when we sin. We have to admit our sin. We have to ask God to forgive us and help us overcome. Help us do better. Help us produce more fruit. And get more involved and make this the most important part of your life.

It shouldn't be secondary.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God. No, not your job.

Yes, you have to work. I get that, but it shouldn't be your top priority. We all have to work. We all have hobbies. We all have things we enjoy doing. But those should not be number one. No, God and his truth and his way of life needs to be number one in our lives. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And then you have nothing to fear or worry about. All these things will be added to you. That's the promise that God has for us. So we just need to humble ourselves and do what we need to do. I could go through a lot more scriptures about weeping and gnashing of teeth and things like that. But I don't think I need to do that.

God is a loving. He's a merciful God.

Let's go to Hebrews 6 as we wrap things up here. Hebrews 6, verse 4.

Hebrews 6, verse 4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come.

If you get it, if you understand what it's about, I mean, I feel like I've tasted of this. This is my day of salvation. You know, there's no doubt in my mind that this is my day of salvation.

I've tasted of the heavenly gift. God's given me a spirit.

If they shall fall away, it's impossible to renew them again unto repentance.

Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame. If we take it lightly, if we continue to go on without bearing fruit, if we're stagnant, if we're not bearing fruit, if we're asleep, if we're asleep, if we've fallen asleep, if we're no longer stirring up the Spirit of God within us, we are in jeopardy. We're in danger. For the earth, which drinks in the rain that comes often upon it and brings forth herbs, meat for them by whom it is dressed, receives blessing from God. In other words, producing fruit here, as God intended.

But that which bears thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. But notice verse 9, But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you.

We are persuaded. I am persuaded. Better things of all of you.

We shall go into God's kingdom together.

That's what we have in store for us.

Let us remember this day, and let's go into God's kingdom together. All of us. Everyone in this room. And many offspring, perhaps, to happen in the future. Let's all go in together.

Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. In other words, we have to speak the truth. We have to talk about it, but we do believe that God will give you eternal life.

We believe that you will stay faithful, that you will stay true, that if you're asleep, you'll wake up, and that you'll be in the kingdom, that we all go in together. That's my desire.

Well, brethren, it's been wonderful to be here with all of you. I do have a conclusion, though, so I should probably give it.

Now is the time to repent, brethren. Now is the time. Now is the time to repent. Now is the time to change.

Now is the time to produce good fruits. Those who take lessons lightly and put off their spiritual growth may find themselves in dire straits in the years ahead. You know, if you don't take these words seriously, we are the first fruits. You know, those whom God is calling out, we're the first fruits, and we must be producing good spiritual fruit.

So let us be wise. Let us be faithful.

And let us take to heart and learn the lessons of the parable of the barren fig tree.

All right. It has been really wonderful to be here with all of you. I'm looking forward to many more hours of fellowshiping and eating good food, potlucks, dancing. My wife told me I could dance with anyone between 6 and 86 years of age.

So I look forward to that.