at the end of the year, many places have year-end reviews - where workers’ performances are judged

their contributions, productivity, how they follow policies and procedures . . . … all that is reviewed

Those reviews can lead to promotions or demotions . . . bonuses . . . or getting fired

God reviews our work, God does an assessment on us

How do you think God would assess you for 2023?

Where would you be placed on a scale of 1 – 10 in . . .

obedience

spiritual growth

giving

fellowship among other believers

treating people right

faith

patience

kindness

caring

church attendance

paying attention while in church

health choices

prayer life

finances

increase in Bible knowledge and understanding

demonstrations of love

with that in mind, and As we stand on the threshold of another year, let’s look at a parable of Jesus

Luke 13:6–9 NASB95

And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”

The fig tree - you

The man who planted the fig tree - God the Father

vineyard keeper - Jesus, God the son, our intercessor

What kind of fruit? - Fruit of repentance

why repentance? Context!

in the preceding verses, verses 1-5 of chapter 13, Jesus talks about the need for all to repent. . . . and thus this parable is an illustration of repentance

What is repentance?

Greek definition - to change one’s mind

change from doing things this way to doing things that way

A change in motivation

A change in purpose,

A change in priorities

A change in purpose

a change in direction

When you accept Jesus as Lord, repentance is changing from living for yourself to living for Jesus

When John the Baptist preached, as he prepared the way for Jesus, he always spoke of repentance, that was his ministry . . .and he describe it this way

Matthew 3:8 NASB95

“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

in other words, when you truly change your mind for God, there is fruit from that change. There is evidence of that change.

something is seen on the outside that shows that something has changed on the inside

When you make Jesus your choice, you don’t become perfect, but there will be a change . . . you will notice some fruit

The fig tree - you

The man who planted the fig tree - God the Father

vineyard keeper - Jesus, God the son, our intercessor

fruit - repentance

Luke 13:6 NASB95

And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.

a man had a fig tree - God owns

it’s his fig tree, the man owns the fig tree, God created you, you are his creation, God owns you

we are such a marvellous creation, that we often forget that we are owned . . .but we belong to God, we are his possessions

which had been planted in his vineyard - God plants

God owns the whole world, so the whole world is his vineyard, and God has planted you in it

he planned it this way, laid it out this way, you are not just a seed that happen to fall on a particular piece of ground like a weed . . . .you have been planted . . . that means there’s purpose, there are designs for you

and he came looking for fruit on it - God owns, God plants, and God examines

notice that the man was not passing by, he came looking

God set aside time to examine the tree

God is not a passive God

he’s not like a substitute teacher who doesn’t care what the students do as long as they don’t get to rowdy

he is not like the owner who the employees never see

he is active, involved, aware, on top of the situation, hands on . . . God examines

Too often we are worried about others who examine our lives

the opinions of family, friends, co-workers, church members . . . but it is of utmost importance to remember that God examines

God will come a looking, and his findings are the only that truly matter

what was he looking for

for fruit - God expects

God came looking for fruit on this tree that he had planted in his vineyard

God expects you to produce fruit where has planted you

in that family

in the neighborhood

in that city

in that church

in that situation . . . produce fruit there

it doesn’t matter if you don’t like where you have been planted . . . .

in that family

in the neighborhood

in that city

in that church

in that situation . . . produce fruit there

that’s what God expects

and he did not find any - God owns, plants, examines, expects, and God keeps it real

the findings are the findings . . . God doesn’t say you did a good job if you didn’t do a good job

God doesn’t say it’s ok, when it’s not ok

His findings tell it like it is - this is important to remember in today’s world

we live in a society of telling people what they WANT to hear

but God keeps it real, keeps it simple . . . in the Bible you will find words like . . .

the fool says in his heart

you evil doers, you workers of iniquity

the prophet Nathan told king David, you are the man who did evil and deserves to die

in Daniel, A king was told, you have been weighed on the balances and come up short

God keeps it real, God keeps it simple, direct, he tell it like it is . . . ain’t no fruit on this tree

it would be good to remember that God keeps it real

Luke 13:7 NASB95

“And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’

Behold for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree - God is patient

the owner came year after year, for three years, examining this tree for fruit - that’s that’s a total of 36 months, 156 weeks, 1095 days, 26,280 hours. . . that’s patience!

but too many people think they are “getting by”,

I am getting by without doing the things God wants me to do

I am getting by without living the life God wants me to live

but you are not getting by, you are actually experiencing God’s patience

and God says . . .

without finding any - I said God is patient

remember, there is no fruit on the tree

not just some fruit but they’re too small

or one fruit, but I just want more

but no fruit at all, for three years . . . God is patient

in what area of your life, is there no fruit, and it’s been that way for a while?

how has God been patient with you?

in obedience

spiritual growth

giving

fellowship among other believers

faith

patience

kindness

church attendance

paying attention while in church

health choices

prayer life

finances

how you treat people

increase in Bible knowledge and understanding

demonstrations of love

praise

evangelism

God is patient! . . . but

Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground? - God is patient, but God also has a clock

God is patient, But his patience will run out, and he says to cut it down . . . it’s opportunity to produce fruit is over

no use of this tree taking of good space in my vineyard

Ex. You fail a test in school, the teacher gives you another chance to pass it

so you DON’T study, and fail again

teacher gives you another chance, and you don’t study and fail again

teacher gives you another chance, and you don’t study and fail again

teacher will say

why am I wasting my mental energy coming up with new versions of the test

why am I wasting this paper printing up these new tests

why am I wasting my time grading another test that you didn’t study for

it would be different, if I saw some progress . . . if I saw some fruit . . . so just forget it and take this failing grade

God is patient, but God has a clock

Luke 13:8 NASB95

“And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;

but the vineyard keeper says, let it alone sir, for this year too - God is merciful

the keeper says even though you have given this tree three years, give it another year . . . God is merciful

what makes God’s mercy so awesome, is that his mercy follows patience . . . God will be patient with you and then he will be merciful with you

as we stand at the end of 2023, we should be thankful that God has given us another year

we should be thankful that God has been patient and merciful

if we are honest with ourselves, we have been unfruitful is some area of our lives and even though God has been patient with us, by his mercy we were given another year

and as we look into 2024, my prayer, my appeal is to God’s mercy . . . Lord, I know you have been patient, but give me another chance

be better

do better

live better

love better

serve better

praise better

go higher

produce more fruit

Lord, have mercy on me! . . . for you ARE merciful

until I dig around it and put in fertilizer - God will work with you

the vineyard keeper says I’ll work on it . . . I’ll work with it

dig around it, breaking up the soil around it

gardeners do so to allow the roots of the plant to penetrate deeper into the soil

they disturb the ground around it

they breakup the ground around it

some disturbances in your life are God trying to get you to bear fruit

God says, “your roots are shallow, let me break this soil around you”

dig around it and put in fertilizer

fertilizers are full of nutrients, but they are made of decomposed stuff, decaying stuff, waste, manure (literal translation is “cast it in dung” . . .

if you are not bearing fruit, God might surround you with some things you might not like

or surround you with some things you rather not be surrounded with . . . but those things will help you produce fruit

So God is patient, God is merciful, but he is going to work on us . . .and when he does, it probably won’t be comfortable

Ex. it’s like that same teacher that was patient and gave you all those chances to pass the test, and then is merciful and gives you one more chance . . . but this time

I’m going to call your parents

I’m going to call your coach

you will stay in with me at lunch and study

I am going to work with you! It will be some things you won’t like, but I will do everything possible to help you produce fruit!

Sometimes troubles, and uncomfortable situations are not a sign that God is not with your, or a sign that God doesn’t care . . . they are a sign that God has not given up on you, and is working with you!

and some of those people whose soil, whose life seems so undisturbed . . . they are simply waiting on the ax and don’t know it

be careful what you complain about

Luke 13:9 NASB95

and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”

and if it bears fruit next year, fine, but if not cut it down - God give final judgment

after patience, mercy, and working with it . . . it’s now on the plant to do what it was made to do

hopefully it bears fruit

but if patience won’t help

but if mercy won’t help

if working with it won’t help

then cut it down

Year End Review

Unsaved

you man not believe in God

you may believe, but don’t want to follow him

you may being trying to ignore him

but God still owns you, God planted you, examines you, expects fruit for you, keeps is real with you, is patient with you, but a clock on you, is merciful to you, is working with you, and will provide a final judgment on you

so give your life to Christ

Christ has done everything he can do, so that you can produce fruit!

came to earth

lived as an example

suffered, bled, an died to pay for your sins

rose again

now it’s up to you to accept him by faith

Repent from living your way, and decided to live God’s way!

or you will be cut down

one day you will breath your last . . . and you don’t know that cut down date . . . 5 days or 50 years

or it might not death to your body, but death to your conscious . . . bible calls is a reprobate mind

so determined to ignore God and do what you want to do

that you have no more conscious

right and wrong mean nothing anymore

common sense disappears

God doesn’t speak to you any more

left alone to let your evil desires take over completely

you lose your spiritual sanity

ex. you see it in cold blooded murderer, no remorse, not even when facing a sentence in court . . . conscious is so gone that they can’t even fake being remorseful to try to get a lighter sentence

ex. you see a reprobate culture in society

you ask the question, “What is a woman?”

they say a person who says they are a woman

but what IS a woman? . . . and they will respond, “I can’t say what a woman is” (people with doctor in front of their name)

where just a few years ago, everyone knew, even kids in elementary school . . . person born with these chromosones, these body parts

but a reprobate society says, if you say you are a woman, you are one, it’s whatever you say, however you feel

so if I say I am a nine year old white girl, then I am a nine year old white girl?

right now they say, “no that’s ridiculous!”

I respond, exactly!

but eventually they answer will be yes

reprobate mind . . . determined to ignore how God . . . and you lose all sense of truth and morality

that’s why the bible says seek him while he may be found

if you are unsaved the clock is ticking

on your life

or on your spiritual sanity

Repent and bear the fruit of that repentance

for the Christian

you are saved, yet God still expects continual fruit of repentance, every season, every year

he won’t cut you down because you have some fruit, or you had fruit last year (the tree that gets cut down is the one that never bore fruit . . . never saved)

but it’s time to bear more fruit, bigger fruit, new fruit, or start bearing fruit again

this Christian walk is a growth process . . . after the Big Repentance that brings us salvation, there are a lot of little repentances, deciding to change our ways to follow God,, that cause us to grow and be productive

Repent and change your mind on things God has been speaking to you about . . . just a partial list

obedience

spiritual growth

giving

how you treat people

faith

patience

kindness

church attendance

paying attention while in church

health choices

prayer life

finances

purpose

increase in Bible knowledge and understanding

demonstrations of love

Again, God won’t cut you down as in losing your salvation, but he can cut down your life . . . might as well go up to heaven, because you are not producing the desired fruit on earth

or he can cut down an area of your life . . . and opportunities to be a blessing are lost, and opportunities to be blessed are lost

or he will keep working with you, digging up the soil around you, casting in dung around you

2024

Let me produce fruit in keeping with repentance

I am changing for the better

let our church produce fruit in keeping with repentance

level up has been the call

each one reach one has been the call

have you changed your mind and said, I will level up?

have you changed your mind and said, I will invite?

THis has been your year end review!