The Sermon Illustration Mark 11:12-25

Everybody loves a good sermon illustration and every good preacher or teacher uses them. In the first church that I pastored, I had a lady that got really bent out of shape about my use of illustrations. She finally got frustrated and told me: “I don’t come here for story time, I come here for preaching!” She wasn’t completely wrong, but she also missed the point. A great illustration goes along way towards reinforcing the point in the life of your listeners. Jesus seemed to understand that better than anybody!

-Faithless worship yields a fruitless life.

I. A Prophecy of a Fruitless Tree vv. 12-14

In our passage this evening, we see Jesus on His way into Jerusalem during the last week of His earthly ministry

He passes a fig tree while hungry and he goes expecting to find food

However, when He comes close to the tree, there is no fruit at all

There is a good reason for this, however. It is not the season for figs

What will Jesus do with the fruitless fig tree?

He uses this image to make a prophetic statement to His disciples

Think about the nature of this fig tree:

It is clearly alive, bearing leaves

Yet it is not reproducing, fulfilling its purpose. There are no figs on the fig tree

As a result, Jesus, who inspects and expects fruit curses the tree so that it will wither

There is a powerful lesson here:

Jesus expects His people to be fruitful

This is true for us organizationally and individually

We must demonstrate the character of Christ and pursue the competencies of Christ, living as He lived

If He does not find fruitfulness, there will be a time of accountability

Some branches He prunes- these were once fruitful

Others He burns-these have never been fruitful

300 Illustrations for Preachers Mark Sanford’s Lack of Accountability

On June 24, 2009, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford confessed: “I’ve been unfaithful to my wife.” Sanford, a professing Christian, and some of his closest friends attribute the unfaithfulness to a lack of accountability. Governor Sanford held himself aloof from accountability to those who could have helped him. Warren Culbertson, who was one of the governor’s best friends, repeatedly warned him about the necessity of accountability. After Sanford was elected governor, Culbertson got together a group of six Christian men to meet regularly with him. The governor never let the group get started. Now Sanford agrees that it would have been a smart thing to do. Sanford also avoided involvement in a local church. During his tenure in the capital, he rarely attended church and had no local home church.

Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship and former Special Counsel to Richard Nixon, said spiritually accountability in public office is rare. This probably accounts for the increasing number of high profile officials who stumble in the area of morality.

II. A Picture of a Faithless Temple vv. 15-19

Keep the lesson of the fig tree in mind as Jesus moves towards Jerusalem. What will He find when He enters the Temple?

He comes, looking for fruit

What should Jesus expect?

Prayer

Genuine worship

Godly character

Invitation to the nations

What does He find instead?

Commerce- the activity of the Temple is self-enriching rather than God-exalting

Swindling- the activity of the Temple is carried out with dishonesty rather than integrity

Exclusion- the activity of the Temple is designed to keep people from God’s presence rather than to invite them into it

The participants in this fruitless action have a faith problem that becomes a faithfulness problem

They do not worship God with a whole-hearted integrity; they do not believe that He is who He says He is and they do not reverence Him in their hearts

Since they do not fear God, their actions become faithless and their worship becomes increasingly hollow or even counterproductive

This faithless lifestyle cannot bear the good fruit that the Lord intends

Jesus’s response is swift and certain:

He drives out the merchants

He turns over their tables

He condemns their actions

Jesus exposes the reality of the faithless Temple and it comes as a shock to both the religious leaders and to the people; Jesus has the authority to judge!

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Authority

The captain on the bridge of a large naval vessel saw a light ahead on a collision course. He signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south.” The reply came back, “Alter your course ten degrees north.”

The captain then signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south. I am a captain.” The reply: “Alter your course 10 degrees north. I am a seaman third-class.”

The furious captain signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south. I am a battleship.” The reply: “Alter your course ten degrees north. I am a lighthouse.”46

III. A Promise for a Faithful People vv. 20-25

Finally, we see Jesus and his disciples pass the fig tree again, but it is now withered

What Jesus commanded has been fulfilled

Now, they have the opportunity to learn the lesson of the fig tree

This lesson has a prophetic warning, but also a prophetic promise

If we have faith in God, we can trust Him to:

Act on our behalf v. 23

Supply the things we need v. 24

Forgive our sins v. 25

We must remember that faith is central to the life of a disciple of Jesus

Faith leads to faithfulness= being in Christ

Faithfulness leads to fruitfulness= doing the work of Christ

The question before us is simple: What will Jesus find when He examines my life?

My Favorite Illustrations The Test Is in the Life

Billy Graham held a one-month crusade in Oklahoma City in 1956. In 1983 he was back in the city for a one-week crusade.

Someone asked me if the results of Dr. Graham’s crusades really lasted. My reply was that a man who was saved in the 1956 crusade was the general chairman of the 1983 crusade. I could tell of many similar cases.

The test of any crusade or revival meeting is not determined at its conclusion. The test is in the ongoing commitment expressed in the lives of those who were spiritually touched.