Planted on Sacred Ground

And if you like a title, I'll give that to you. The title of our study is, Planted on Sacred Ground. Planted on Sacred Ground. And if you have your Bibles, I invite you to open them with me, and we'll turn to Luke chapter 13. We're going to look at verses 6 through 9 today.

Luke 13 verses 6 through 9, as we will look together at a parable. A parable that Jesus Christ told. It's recorded for us here. And within this parable, specifically, what we find in a remarkable way is that we have all the major themes covered regarding the return of Jesus Christ. In this parable, we find themes of repentance and mercy. We find themes of today is the day for God's people and urgency.

We also find, ultimately, the theme of hope. It's all surrounding. These are all themes surrounding the return of Jesus Christ. And they have incredible implications for us. And this parable has incredible insight for us. So here it is. Let's begin with it. Luke 13 verses 6 through 9. Luke records, he, Jesus, also spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I've come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.

Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? But, verse 8, he answered and said to him, Sir, let it be alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well, or good. But if not, after that, you can cut it down. A stomp there. Well, it's quite a parable. You know, when coming to a parable, one of the most important aspects to consider can be summarized in one word, and that is context.

Context. Context, of course, is key in all the scripture, but particularly when you come to a story like this, you know, a story like this, as it's given to us, if you just come and land on verse 6, 7, 8, and 9, without operating within the controls of the Bible, within the controls of Scripture, you can sometimes come away with it and not have the proper interpretation of it, or come away with the improper takeaway.

So, with a quick glance in looking at this parable, what you will find is that the emphasis is primarily on that of the urgent need of repentance in light of impending judgment. Okay? This is the emphasis of this parable. The urgent need for repentance in light of impending judgment. You can begin to see these themes of the return of Jesus Christ coming forward.

In fact, we see this really jump out at us in the first five verses here. If you allow your eyes to go up a little bit, Luke 13, stay in here, but look at verse 1 through 5.

We see that individuals came to Jesus and were looking for interpretation. They had some questions. Let's read this, Luke 13. Let's stay here, but read verse 1 through 5. Here, just before this parable was given, Luke records, there were present at that season some who told him, told Jesus, about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

So Pilate spilled their blood. And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Verse 4, Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Shalom fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worse sinners than all of the men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Stop there. So again, leading up to this parable of the barren fig tree, his listeners had come.

They were seeking interpretation of these dreadful destruction of the Galileans. And in answering them, Jesus gives them another example of a dreadful destruction of that which happened where the tower fell on individuals in this region here. And he then challenged his listeners in light of these calamities to not to try to figure out so much, you know, the spiritual state of those individuals.

You know, don't try to figure out so much where those individuals were in their walk here on earth. But instead, give your attention to the implications that come from these tragedies. In particular, to apply the personal implications that come that need to be faced in light of these things.

You know, then, as well as today, it's so easy for us to hear a sermon and to immediately think, oh, this is going to be good. Because so and so, if five rows up and three over, you know, she needs to hear this. She needs to hear this sermon. Or, you know, he needs to hear this sermon. I'm so glad he's here. I'm going to see if he's listening, you know. It's so easy to do that. And that was the risk here with these individuals who were hearing Jesus speak and watching these calamities happen around them. They would have been tempted to regard others as more deserving of God's judgment than themselves. But Jesus is saying to them, listen, the fact that you have not perished yet is not on the account of your goodness or being better than those people. And the reason you're still here is solely because of God's mercy. And the reason you're here to hear me speak, Jesus says, is not because you're better than the Galileans. It's not because you're better than those to whom the tower fell, but it's only because of God's goodness to you, he says. And the fact that he has allowed you the opportunity in this moment to hear what I say, Jesus says, you need to take a personal implication from it. You need to take a personal takeaway from it. And unless you repent, you will likewise perish, he says. And then he says, now let me tell you a story. So that's the context, the parable of barren fig tree. So what I'd like to do this afternoon in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ is to search the depths of this parable. And I wanted to organize my thoughts around three areas. Perhaps it'll help you. The three areas are to look at the illustration. We're going to look at the illustration first. Then we're going to look at the explanation of the illustration. And then we'll look at the application. I like it because it all rhymes. Illustration, explanation, and then application. Okay, first to the illustration. You know, those listeners there that would have been hearing Jesus give this story, they would have very quickly latched on to this story. Where perhaps those of us in the 21st century, we need a little context here. A little bit more background we could say. This illustration of a man who had a fig tree planted in a vineyard with a little research, which I set myself to, you actually find it's quite remarkable. These vineyards are quite remarkable. And it was not unusual to find a fig tree or fig trees planted within vineyards. In fact, it was a choice location. A vineyard was precious ground, we could say. Some so cultivated it and dug it and fertilized it and put so much care into it. Very often, these vineyards were sacred ground. They were just sacred ground. And they treated them as much as such. And the trees which were planted into this vineyard were valuable. So valuable. So precious. According to Josephus, the Jewish historian, Josephus the Jewish historian, in these favored locations of a vineyard, the ripe fruit of a fig tree would hang around, sometimes for upwards of 10 out of the 12 months of the year. So very fruitful trees in these vineyards.

Probably around April or May, the first of the three crops would come. They would arrive. Again, they would anticipate three crops. First figs ripened at the end of June. Some earlier, but most at the end of June. The second crop, if you do a little research, the second crop are those that we most often see dried and imported and put into our delicatessens. They ripen around August. Third crop came in September. The third crop was smaller fruit. And they would sometimes even last all through winter. That third crop. And again, the listeners understood this. So for Jesus to say, there was a man who had a fig tree and planted it into a vineyard, they would know that that fig tree had value. And it was cultivated. And it was on favored. It was on a favored place here. And thus, it would be the kind of fig tree that was expected to to produce three crops of figs all throughout the course of the year. So therefore, there's a drama to it. There is an absolute drama when Jesus says, but the man came and went for three years looking for fruit on this fig tree and didn't find any. It's quite a drama to this story. You know, it'd been one thing if he came in June or something, you know, but three years in a row. So he came for the first year. No crop, no fruit, no produce. Second year, no fruit. The third year was looking the same here. And so, of course, this man, he says to the keeper, he would have been justified in saying this, we could say. I've been coming for three years looking for fruit. I haven't found any. And there at the end of verse seven, he says, he passes judgment, cut it down. It's a lost cause. And why keep it here? Using up all the precious soil, you see. So here's the illustration. You have a fig tree that's fruitless, taking up valuable space, and using up the ground, causing the soil around it to deteriorate.

Now, we don't get to application until later, but I'll just give you a little flavor of it now. You know, this comes to mind. Think about this as personal application. Fruitless, taking up space, causing the soil around it to deteriorate. You know, the classic description, perhaps, of the individual planted, the individual planted in the sacred vineyard of God's Church, year after year after year, remaining unrepentant, and therefore unconverted and fruitless.

So, while it would have been absolutely forbidden to destroy a fruit-bearing fig tree, it was absolutely within the line of judgment to cut down a barren fig tree. You know, judgment must come. The decision to cut it down, remove it from the vineyard. But we see mercy, mercy given to this little tree. Verse 8, well says the man, verse 8. This is the the keeper, the the vine dresser, if you will. Perhaps we could leave it alone for one more year. I'll dig around it. I'll fertilize it. It'll bear fruit next year, and that'll be good, he says. So, give it one more chance. Mercy. This is the mercy of the great gardener here. Again, someone would have said, are you kidding? It's been three years. You know, let me jump again to application here. The individual who says, who she's been coming, how many sermons has she heard, I wonder? And she remains unchanged by it. How many times conversations have I had with this individual, this young man, this this old man, whoever it may be? And no change. No change. I don't think he'll ever come. I don't think he'll ever, to faith, I don't think he'll ever be fruitful, you know. Why would she ever trust in Christ after all this time? Perhaps we should give up on her. Perhaps we should give up on him. No, says the gardener. Let's go one more time. Let's go one more time. Let's dig around her. Let's dig around him. Let's cultivate. Let's fertilize the soul here. So we got, so the illustration is the barrenness of the tree, the mercy of the gardener. However, also the ultimate finality of the judgment to come. If it doesn't produce after I put in this work, fine, we'll cut it down. So, within this little story, there is a warning, an absolute warning of judgment, yet hope, yet hope. It's, it just encompasses and encapsulates how God and Jesus Christ work with us, you know, so patient, but knows that it wouldn't be loving just to continue forever. A judgment needs to be made at some point. But for now, we'll go one more year, one more year. So that's the illustration. Explanation, next. Now, if you look at the context and you think about some of the people there that were hearing these words and in the crowd, perhaps there were some new members, new followers, that there probably would have been a lot of long-time followers. And no doubt they would have been looking at each other and nudging each other and saying, oh, well, we've heard this before. And some of the newers would have said, where have you heard this from? Oh, this is the message, actually, from the very beginning. I was there in the desert when that peculiar man came and began preaching. And I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember how he began. Boy, I came out to be baptized by him. And he started his sermon with, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee the coming wrath? I remember it like it was yesterday, they would have said. And it absolutely has the echo, the the essence of this very parable here. John the Baptist, from the very beginning, from introducing Jesus Christ, came with this message. Let's see it. If you want to put your marker here, let's stay in here in Luke, but we're going to see John the Baptist's words, these very words. It's found in Luke 3, verse 7 through 9. If you'd like to turn there. Luke 3, verse 7 through 9.

Sometimes I'm so tempted. Every time I come to it, this passage, I'm so tempted to start in this way, but I always think better of it. This brood of vipers introduction here. But Luke 3, beginning in verse 7, this is how John the Baptist prepares for the coming of Jesus Christ. Here's the parable of the barren fig tree, all wrapped up in John's message. Luke 3, verse 7, Then he, John, came to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him. brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, from the impending judgment. Continuing verse 8 and 9, here it is.

So there it is. Here's the parable of the barren fig tree here. Produce fruit keeping with repentance. Brethren and myself, this needs to be a year of repentance. If I don't repeat this in this message, let me say it now. This is a year of change. This is a year of producing tangible, visible fruit of change. It must be. We have one more year. We've been... we've given... begun in one more year. Perhaps God will give us another year. But this is the year the axe is laid at the root of the trees. And, you know, I think of myself and in these words of John here, don't be starting with all this Abraham is my father stuff, he says. You know, I was born and raised in this truth as we know it. I have the lineage. My father was an elder, you know. Am I coming simply out of routine? Am I coming because it's just what I've always done, you know? It is... am I producing plastic fruit? You know, it looks good on the table there in the bowl, but it's plastic. It's... it's not real, you know, and ultimately it's a form of fruit. It's a form of godliness. And I'm resting on my lineage, on my history. Don't start all that, you know. Don't depend on your background. I tell the young people, don't depend on your family. This is your calling. This is your calling. Claim it. Grab it. Live it. Today's the day. Because God can make children for Himself, you know. We're in precious, a sacred ground. Do we realize that here in God's vineyard, in God's church? And, of course, this conclusion, it's quite heart-wrenching. There at verse 9 there again, the axe is already laid at the root of the trees. Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you cannot say, I cannot say that I don't... I haven't heard this. You've heard it today. This is it. Produce good fruit. This was the expectation of preparing for Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. This is the expectation of Jesus Christ in giving this parable. There is a Judgment Day coming. And the Judgment Day, the return of Jesus Christ, is to move us to repentance. That's it.

When we see all these calamities around us, what can we do? What can we do? How can we be a brighter light, a brighter light, in this dark world?

Now, some in the crowd, the A students, would have been able to think of even another example. They would have been able to think back to when they were in the synagogues on the Sabbath and the scroll was open and being read by Isaiah. They would have said, oh, even the prophet Isaiah spoke of this very thing. Let's go there. I want to show you this. Isaiah 5, verse 1 through 7. We see this parable of the barren fig tree and the essence of it here in Isaiah 5, verse 1 through 7. Same urging. Again, they would have read this. They would have heard this as the scroll of the prophets were being read on the Sabbath day. Very powerful to read here from Isaiah here. Isaiah 5, we're going to read verses 1 through 7. Now, the title in my Bible here, God's Disappointing Vineyard. That's my title. Perhaps you have a title that's similar to that. Here it is. Isaiah 5, verse 1. The prophet Isaiah. Now, let me sing to my well beloved. Not just my beloved, my well beloved. We're here. We're considered well beloved. God has blessed us so much. A song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its mist and also made a winepress in it. So, he expected it to bring forth good grapes. But it brought forth wild grapes. Verse 3. And now, oh, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard. Verse 4. What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. This is heart-wrenching. I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned, and break down its walls, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste. It shall not be pruned or dug, and there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold oppression, for righteousness, but behold a cry for help. Let's stop there. You know, some there hearing Christ's parable would have remembered this here. So, when Jesus turns to them and he says, let me tell you a story about a man who planted a fig tree in the vineyard here, you know, those in the crowd would have been able to put the pieces together here. And they would have said, he's talking about us. He's talking about us, God's people here. He's speaking to us, this warning. And he speaks to those to whom he came to first, which is the Jew. And he speaks also to the Gentile, those who would be grafted in. He speaks to all those of us who have had the benefit of the prophets. We have had the wonder of God's electing love. We, as they, have been brought out of bondage to Egypt and redeemed with an outstretched hand. I gave you all the privileges. I gave you all the benefits. You were planted in the choicest of locations. You are planted on sacred ground, the sacred ground of my church, he says. And I have prepared this for you and I have dug around you and I have fertilized you all in my hands and knees. I have worked the soil around you, giving you every opportunity to bear good fruit.

I cultivated you. I gave my life for you. I sent to you helpers. And then Jesus comes and looks over Jerusalem and he says, oh, Jerusalem, you who kill my prophets and those who I sent to you, how often I longed to gather you children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. You were not willing. So, in going back to Luke 13, Jesus tells him, you know, what you saw in the Galileans, what you saw in those that the tower fell upon them, you know, within a short period of time, the the Russian soldiers came with all their crushing and vindictive power and those who had the benefits of such a choice location were scattered, scattered abroad. Despite the digging, the fertilizing, you know, Christ's crucifixion and his resurrection and his return to the Father and his sending of the helper, the Holy Spirit, his power to help us. Every opportunity to repent and produce fruit of repentance, every opportunity, he has every legitimate right to say, chop it down, but he says, no, let's give it one more try, one more time, let's go. I think I can still do something with her. I think I can still do something with him. He says, amazing. That's the explanation. And now the application. The application. I think we could all probably write on our notes or think in our minds some really personal convicting applications at this point. I think this parable moves us into two ways. It provokes us in two ways. First, it provokes us to simply self-examination. Self-examination. You know, this application to Israel, it was not unique to Israel. Repentance is demanded from all of God's elect, his people. The warning of final judgment on the unrepentant. It's a warning that we need to hear today. The fact that you've been called by God, you are planted on sacred ground here. This is a prick to our hearts. This is a postponement. It is giving us a little more time here. An opportunity to repent. It will not last forever. The sound of trumpets will come. And we have a calling. Some of us have remarkable stories of how God just opened their eyes in a remarkable way. Some of us have been born into the privilege of this incredible vineyard. Whatever it may be, we've had the Bible open to us, nurtured in His Word, opportunities to be a part of a fellowship here. So many great advantages. And I just think those the words from Isaiah is being cried out to us. What could I have done more? What else could I have done than I have not done for you? Put your name there. What else could I have done for you? I've given you hope. I've placed the hope of eternity in your heart. You know the truth. I've given you just enough to get through. I've intervened in your life. It's a dreadful position to be in. Maybe one of the most dreadful to be simply occupying space in the vineyard of God. Just occupying space. Having a form of godliness. You know, it's a dreadful predicament here. You don't have to stay there. I don't have to stay there. We have another year here. Perhaps more.

A day of decision, a day of judgment is coming. So let a man, let a woman, a called believer of God, examine themselves. It begins with repentance. You know, I think, man, sometimes I just don't even have the desire to change. I've been living with some of these worldly, sinful comforts. You know, I find it comfortable to to get angry quickly. You know, it's kind of comfortable. It's an odd feeling. It's a release. I'm comforting myself through sinful acts. How are you comforting yourself? We need change in this way. So pray for... sometimes you got to pray for the desire. Then you got to pray that God would make it clear what He wants you to change. And then pray for the ability, the ability to change. Those are the three requests from God. And God makes a way of escape from every temptation if we desire it in our faithful and persevere. He gives us the admonition, but He gives us the ability as well. He's a wonderful God. So self-examination. Secondly, number two, this story spurs us not only to self-examination, but I think it should also spur us to help others that they might be saved from being cut down. I think that's number two. This parable should spur us to help others so that they might be saved from being cut down. All right. Sir, the man said, let it alone from one more year. He intercedes on behalf of this fig tree planted in the vineyard here. So let me ask a series of questions here. Bring someone to mind. Are we genuinely interceding for barren fig trees of those who are not with us anymore? That's a good question. It's a heart question. Interceding for those fig trees that aren't with us anymore. Do we have a genuine empathetic interest concerning the lives of those around us who are barren or fruitless? And to follow that one up, are we prepared to go beyond simply prayers? So first and foremost, primary priority, pray. You know, we have to put these individuals in God's hands. After we put ourselves in God's hands for mercy, we have to put individuals into God's care and hands and for intervention. Pray. But also seek to provide your influence to share with clarity words of encouragement, to bring them back, to help them in their calling, to intercede. You know, when I read these words, there is a verbal prayer, we could say, request, leave it alone one more year. But then you'll notice it's followed up with the rolling up of sleeves, isn't it? Let me dig around it. Let me fertilize it here. So ask yourself whose life are you committed to digging around and fertilizing and cultivating at the moment? Bring, you know, whose life are you committed to helping bring fruit-bearing children of God so they can remain in this vineyard? You can remain together with them.

Is there a booklet you can mail with a prayer? One of our booklets. Is there an invitation to coffee? You know, the coffee is just the physical means by which to perhaps wake up someone who might be in a dangerous position. One more year, he says, here. You know, I was thinking about this. Jennifer knows, my wife knows, when it comes to our physical garden, she doesn't leave me alone in it because I like to chop everything down. Perhaps you're like this. You know, cleanliness, order, you know. So, yes, she does not leave me alone with hedge trimmers by any means. And if you ask me what I like in my garden, it's concrete. I'll tell you that. You know, it's tidy. It's clean. So, let's relate this spiritually. You know, here we are in this vineyard together.

Do we desire neatness over hard work? Over getting dirty? Do we desire being orderly, you know, and clean? Over sometimes the hard work of what a vineyard requires to produce fruit-bearing trees? You know, so this is a conviction here of our hearts. This is a, you know, God's vineyard. It is a working vineyard, if you will. It's a working vineyard. You know, think of what your clothes look like after you've been working in the garden for a while, you know. If you're like me, you're not even allowed to come into the house without shedding some part of them, you know, taking your shoes off. And you've been working hard, and there's evidence that you've been working in this sacred ground. So, you know, in this upcoming year, expect some messiness. Expect to get some dirt under your fingernails together. We're in this together. We have to be in this together. We have to be in this together. And we're working on ourselves, and we're helping others. And so when conflicts come, and when weeds spring up, you know, these are opportunities. These are opportunities. It's opportunities for ourselves to become more fruit-bearing. It's opportunities to help someone else become more fruit-bearing. This is how we should view these things. Optimistically, these are opportunities. We will roll our sleeves up and say, okay, here we go. We're in this together. I'm not letting you out of this vineyard, and don't let me out. You know, we're here. Let's work on this together. With God's grace, we can stay and produce fruit for Him, because we're so thankful to be here.

Well, as we conclude, I just think collectively at the end of a study like this, at the end of a parable like this, it just should produce gratefulness. I think, first and foremost, just how grateful we are, how thankful we are. Father, thank You for just letting me be here with these people, these beautiful people. I don't deserve to be here. Father, dig around me. Cultivate me. Prune me, whatever you need to be, whatever you need to do in my life, so I can be a fruitful member of your family. Help me be productive for other people. Help me to help my brothers and sisters, and not just for one more year, but ultimately, until the day of your Son's return, Father. That's our desire. That's our prayer. So may we produce fruit in a greater way this year, and may we be ready for the return of Jesus Christ, and never forget, may we never forget the sacred ground that we are planted on.