Repentance, Fruit Bearing and Nit Picking

Today we are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We call it “The Lord’s Supper”. I find that it is appropo at any point in the New Testament. That being true, we will continue with our next section of the Gospel of Luke and weave our communion experience into the text. One of the key factors is partaking of the Lord’s Supper is spiritual preparation. Paul noted in 1 Corinthians 11:27 “So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord.” Consequently it is vital that there is a time of introspection led by the Holy Spirit to see if there are unconfessed sins. In our opening text today Jesus highlighted the importance of repentance.

Examination: (What?)

Repentance is necessary

Luke 13:1–5 “At that time, some people came and reported to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And he responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.””

We do not have any corroborating evidence of the two events that Jesus mentioned in this text. However the point is this…we could all die in an instant. Jesus was emphasizing the necessity of always being ready to meet the LORD. The only way to be sure of our destiny when we die is repentance.

David Platt noted that Martin Luther said, “When Jesus said ‘Repent’ He meant repent and keep on repenting. We need to constantly turn from the brokenness of a sin-stricken world to our sin-atoning Lord. Suffering and tragedy invite us to come to the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing.” Once again looking at Paul’s teaching regarding the Lord’s Supper, we find in 1 Cor 11:28 “Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup.” Failure to do so invites judgment. In 1 Corinthians 11:29–30 Paul noted,“For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.” “Our deacons will now pass the Lord’s Supper elements among you. As they do, please take this time to ask God if there is any sin…thought, attitude, deed, disobedience or unforgiving spirit that you should acknowledge and repent of before you partake. (Partake of the elements)

2. Fruit-bearing is required

Many people in churches today think that once you walk an aisle, pray a pray and are baptized, that is all that is required for salvation. Jesus begs to differ.

Luke 13:6–9 “And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’ “But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ””

In particular Jesus was referring to Israel, but, as those grafted in to the root of Israel, this passage applies to us as well. Usually a fig tree takes three years to begin bearing fruit, giving time for maturing. The new believer will also need a period of time to become fruitful. After Paul’s Damascus Road experience, he went to Arabia for three years. Many commentators believe that this period, similar to the three years the 12 spent with Jesus, was a time of maturing in his faith. One commentator put it this way; “It has often been remarked that Paul clearly implied that he spent three years being taught by Jesus Himself (Gal 1:12), either directly or (perhaps more likely) through the study of the Word. Thus, like the other apostles, Paul studied with Christ for three years before beginning his ministry” However, after this period of “discipling” Paul went to Jerusalem and began his ministry to the Gentiles.

The point that Jesus made in this passage is that every believer is to be a fruit-bearer. John gave us much more of Jesus’s teaching on this matter in John 15:1–8““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”

The “fruit” that Jesus spoke of is the natural production of Christ-likeness that comes from being “attached” to Him. In John 15:4–5 “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” You “remain” in Jesus by obedience to His commands. Once again, it is not what you say,but what you do that is evidence of salvation.

3. There Will Always be Nit-Pickers

Luke 13:10–17 “As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free of your disability.” Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water? Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years—shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” When he had said these things, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.”

Finally Jesus gave a personal example of what you can expect from the world as you seek to live in obedience to His commands. When we read the first part of this text, we would think that everyone would be excited about the healing of this poor woman who had suffered greatly for most of her life. However, because the deliverance and healing took place on the Sabbath, the religious leaders rejected the healing because it violated THEIR Sabbath Laws. They considered the healing to be work that was prohibited by law. In the same way, there will be those who disparage your service for Christ because it doesn’t fit their pre-conceived notions of how a Christian should live and serve. I had a friend and prayer partner years ago who was very active in prison ministry. He thought that it was the only way to serve Jesus. Although we were friends and prayed together every week, he thought that because I didn’t go to the prisons with him, I was not an obedient Christian. In Romans 14:13–18 Paul addressed this issue of “nit-picking”“Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.”

Serve God by obeying His commands and don’t be discourgaged if someone opposes you.

Application: (What should I do in response to this message?)

Surrender to Christ

Attach to a more mature Christian and let them teach you what they have learned.

“Work out your salvaion by doing the “good works prepared for you ahead of time” (even before you were saved)

Related Media

Related Sermons