Dig Around it. God’s not done yet! (Unity Outreach Church)

Parable of the Fig Tree (The Manure Parable)

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Chapter 13)

Then Jesus told them this story:

“A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’

8–9  “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year [Let it be - aphiemi]. I’ll dig around it and fertilize (pour manure over it), and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’ ”

Message: Dig Around it. God’s not done yet!

We live in an instant gratification culture…we don’t like when things take time.

Quitters Day: The second Friday in January, Jan. 10 this year, is called “Quitter’s Day,” because research shows that many people abandon their resolutions by then.

For as much as we like to shout about miracles, signs, wonders, and breakthroughs…the reality is that much of following Jesus can be frustrating and disheartening because he doesn’t seems to work on our timeline!!

The same Bible that says, 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.”

— Also says… —

Isaiah 40:31 “but those who wait (say wait!) in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 64:4 The Lord “acts on behalf of the one who waits (say wait!) for him.”

Psalm 37:7 “Be silent before the Lord and wait (say wait!) expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.”

Psalm 27:14 “Wait (say wait!) for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 37:9 “For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who wait (say wait!) on the Lord will inherit the land.”

(If you’re like me) We are more like the owner of the vineyard in this parable, than we are the gardener…(CHOP IT DOWN!!) [Axe Illustration]

We get a prophetic word…we have a “Holy Ghost” move in a service…

All of the sudden we think, all I have to do now is just see the blessings of the lord fall down from heaven!

We wait…we pray…but the promise doesn’t come.

[Pentecostals love a good “Holy Ghost” time!!! We should…I do too…but following Jesus is about A LOT MORE than just a worship service on Sunday!]

Principle: The prophetic promise of God is not a turn key operation…it’s an invitation into the process that leads to the promise.

How many times has our frustration with the Holy Spirit’s processing in our lives caused us to “chop down” our tree of promise?

[Pause and talk to the church here….]

4 Reasons why we don’t like waiting:

(write these down…)

We don’t like God’s timing.

We don’t like God’s answer.

Some things we already know what God has said…we just don’t want to listen!!!

Too many times we are unwilling to UNLEARN some things so that we can begin the NEW THINGS that will make God’s promise possible.

The noise in our mind is too loud to hear God whisper to our heart.

We pray from a place of anxiousness and impatience, rather than from a place of confident rest.

i.e. prodigal son, “give me what is mine

Giving Anna (13yrs the keys to my Truck!

Little Bird Caught in the Winter Snow

A little bird was flying during a cold snow storm. It was so cold that the bird couldn’t fly anymore and fell down and landed on a farm near the barn. While lying down helpless on the ground, a cow came by and dropped a big poop on top of him.

The bird was initially enraged, thinking how bad can my life get!

But the manure was so warm that the little freezing bird started warming up and feeling better. The bird was so happy to feel warm that he started to sing. A cat heard the bird singing and followed his chirping voice until he found the bird. He dug him out of the poop and ate him.

Morals of the story:

Not everybody who poops on you is your enemy.

Not everybody who digs you out of the poop is your friend.

sometimes, when you’re in deep poop, the best thing you can do is keep quiet.

“The more you keep your mouth shut, the more fertile you become.”

-Saul Bellows

4 Observations from this Parable I want to offer you today:

God’s promise over your life takes longer to mature than you think.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

Keep this Principle in mind: The size of the promise is relative to the duration of the process.

Praying 10 years for God to break off the power of alcohol addiction off my brother…This Christmas he is 8 months sober, was restored to his sons and wife…

Faith is the invisible life-force on the inside of you.

No one can see it, but it’s alive and it’s hovering over the promises of God in your heart.

Jesus called the invisible kingdom on the inside SALT and LEAVEN…

Matthew 13:31–33 “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.””

Faithfulness is the key to Fruitfulness

It’s the nurturing of the environment around you through prayer that creates the conditions for the life of God to burst through the soil!

Principle: The voice you let into your life and the places you spend your time will shape the direction of your life!

Gardening the soil of your soul requires a shovel and some manure, not an axe.

[SHOVEL Illustration]

Several years ago I was frustrated with a young staff member…seemed like no matter how many times I explained it, no matter how many times I gave direction, the fruit of ministry just wasn’t there…I was ready to to “chop it down”…

Then at the height of my frustration one day, I heard the Holy Spirit remind me:

Just like in your own life, some fruit take time to mature. Instead of chopping it down, why don’t you Dig Around It!

Dig Around It in PRAYER

I believe God is calling us back to the place of prayer (come to the altar and “dig” around the promises of God…the place where the Spirit “hovers/broods” over the formation of our lives for his Glory!

[Call the church to the altar]

Gardener: “Leave it alone.” (aphiemi)

The same word the gardener in the parable uses to say “let it be” is the word Jesus uses on the cross just a week later when he says “Father, forgive them.”

Whatever has been holding you prisoner…whatever cycle…whatever unforgiveness…whatever disappointment…

Let it alone and give it to Jesus today.