God is Patient and looking for fruit Luke 13:6-9
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God is patient
God is patient
INTRO-
Story- my wife unplugging the coffee maker mid stream
tried my patience
I made a snap judgment and pulled the plug out of the wall
When I tell you I pulled the plug, Im suprised I didnt break it.
We can all get agitated very easily
Especially if someone wrongs us
Who has any brothers and sisters?
How many times have you unleashed your wrath on them after they wronged you?
Think about anyone who wrongs you.
its hard to act patiently
we want to see justice done swiftly
but thats not how God operates
God is very patient with sinners
and we are going to hone in on this aspect
Of Jesus parable today.
open up your bibles to Luke 13:6-9
He 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 have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
Lets Pray
parable- story that makes a point
there is a man who owned a vineyard
planted a fig tree
synonomous with the nation Israel
Israel - - teach (How israel came to be and who they are)
God chose Abraham to make a nation for himself
from this nation He would bring about salvation through the messiah
This messiah is Jesus
Israel has been notorious for turning their back on God
prophets sent -ignore- destruction- repent-God saves- go wayward
In this passage Jesus is speaking this to mainly Jewish people
The fig tree represents Israel
God the father - is like the owner of the vineyard
seeking for fruit from the nation of Israel
He is finding that the nation is far from Him
They have no fruit and have had no fruit for a long time
He is ready to cut it down
but the keeper of the vineyard pleaded
Give the tree one more year.
let me work with it and fertelize it
This paints the picture of Gods patience
God gives the keeper one more year
Jesus - acts as the keeper
He intercedes for us on behalf of the father
he works the ground and fertilize the tree
does this by
bringing the good news of the kingdom to the nation of Israel
He is giving the warning.
You still have time to repent and follow me.
this is the same message for us
turn away from sin and follow Jesus.
and this brings us to our first point
God is patient with sinners
God is patient with sinners
it has been said
patience is a virtue.
possess it if you can .
found rarely in a woman.
but never in a man.
God is patient and we are not
We see the owner waited 3 years for fruit to show up
the keeper of the field interceeds and the owner gives another year
This illustrates Gods patience
Q. What is patience?
The ability to endure circumstances without getting irritated or angry
S. Have you ever been waiting in line
Most of the time at publix sub line
And they take sweet time....
lack of patience
on a small scale
Q. What if someone killed the person you love the most?
Q. Would you have patience with them?
Would you seek that they got the electric chair.
Or would you write them letters in Jail telling them about Jesus.
Story- Summer
Kid hit by car
She had every right to chew the kid out.
her son died.
She built a relationship with the kid.
She was a picture of Jesus to him
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
do you know what the word all means in the greek?
It means all.
That includes your friends, family, and even the people in jail, and on the streets.
Many expected Jesus to come back quickly after His ascension
But He is patient in coming back
He is giving sinners more time to repent.
His desire is that the world would be saved
so
instead of giving sinners what they deserve when they disobey a holy God,
He instead witholds His anger
Giving men and women more time to repent.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
And He is longing for all to come to know Him
Because He loves to save.
Thats who He is.
He is a savior.
I think of Noah when talking about Gods Patience
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
explain - Gods patience in time of noah - preacher of righteousness
120 years of preaching
time for repentance.
God is patient with sinners
Giving them opportunity to repent
our 2nd point
2. God looks for fruit
2. God looks for fruit
3 years the owner of the field came looking for fruit on the tree.
fruit - is used to describe a persons outward actions that result from the condition of the heart.
Identifying good fruit starts with the character of God
His Character traits are listed as fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
longsuffering is patience.
These are the character of the holy spirit who is God.
We see in the parable The owner came looking for good fruit but found none.
Q. What kind of fruit will he find if he comes looking at your tree?
we all have good and bad fruit in our life.
Nobodies tree is perfect except for Jesus
Because Jesus has no sin
but as christians we should be producing good fruit
its like any healthy fruit tree
there should be mostly good fruit coming from it
but every tree will still get bad fruit.
Take an inventory of your tree.
Q. What do you do if you notice that your tree has bad fruit?
you need to ask God to work the soil of your life.
God will do that for you
but you do know what Word is used for fertilizer in this passage?
poop. .....He fertilized the tree with animal manure.
God is going to grow you through trials.
we see the vineyard keeper put manure around the tree and dug around it
Story of ben.
I had a stepdad when I was in high school
got on my nerves.
He was the type of guy that would
snoop around my room,
make fun of me, super embarrassing
I was talking to my mentor and he told me God was using ben to teach me patience.
At that moment I said I will never pray for patience again....
But thats what God does He puts you through the dung hill to break you from your sin.
This is a good thing.
Because it produces fruit.
God is going to grow you through trials
Now heres is the most important part of bearing good fruit.
The only way you can possess good fruit is through faith in God.
The reason the nation of Israel had no fruit is because they had no faith in the son of God.
Any good fruit you possess must stem from faith.
When you are walking in close relationship to Jesus
He will produce the fruit in you.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If you want Christ to find fruit on your tree,
Spend time with Him
Your tree will produce more fruit through love
A. When you come to know how much God loves you
B. Then resting in it.
Through your genuine relationship with Him, You will naturally bear good fruit.
3 God is patient with us
3 God is patient with us
The fig tree had absolutely no fruit on it at all.
and God was patient with it waiting for it to produce.
how much more patient will he be with a tree that has the fruit of faith.
God is perfectly patient
it is in His nature
It is not in ours
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
In the esv it says slow to anger.
This is who God is.
His attributes.
first mercy and grace-
mercy-not giving what you deserve- not punishing you for your sin
grace- giving you what you dont deserve- giving you the righteousness of Christ
we see that the owner of the vineyard had mercy on the fig tree.
3 years,
keeper asks 1 more year
mercy on the tree
We see in that verse that God is also, by nature longsuffering.
other translations communicate that greek word, slow to anger
This is a key attribute in God.
slow to anger ---brings out his patience.
He is slow to anger with you.
Take for example That verse in Exodus
Israel had been freed from slavery
and they exchanged the glory of God
and made a gold cow to worship.
picture of this parable- God came to chop down the tree
moses interceeded.
If God was slow to anger with them
He will certainly be slow to anger when you sin.
His heart is never to condemn his people for their sin
It is always that you would repent for your good and His glory
let His patience draw you to His feet when you sin
outro
outro
Now look what happens at the end of the parable
And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
In light of Gods patience we still see His justice.
Just because He is patient -
does not mean he will let sin go unpunished.
Think…God will judge every person in this room.
punishment for sin will go on Jesus through faith
or you will pay the penalty for sin your self.
Gods justice demands a righteous judgment.
Think about a man who steals a diamond neckelace.
Q. Is the judge a good judge if he lets him go
No. ---a just punishment.
say its 5 years in prison, 2million dollars , and 500 hrs of community service
The judges son offers to be his lawyer
walks in and tells His dad
I will sit in prison, pay the fine, and do the community service for him
this is the gospel
He does this because He loves you.
God is offering this to all people
But
the time of His patience will come to an end
and when it does the tree will be cut down.
Gods patience is so great because His heart desires that sinners would come to Him.
He is looking for sinners to repent and to bear fruit through faith in Him.
and as christians, He is even patient with us as we mature in the faith.
He is never pushing us away but always trying to pull us closer.
Let your shortcomings draw you to Him
so He can change you.
When you realize God is a patient God and slow to anger,
You realize that He is approachable.
This week, get real with Him.
Lay your troubles before Him.
lay your struggles before Him in prayer.
Maybe you have never got real with God before
maybe you have always thought that he was angry with you?
you can start getting real with Him today.
because He is patient with you.
waiting with His arms stretched out to you.
lets pray,