All Leaves And No Fruit

All Leaves And No Fruit

Text: Mark 11:12–17

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Introduction:

* Look with me if you will at our test in verse 12:

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon:

* The fig tree was a source of food.

* Normally, the fig tree bore its fruit twice a year.

* Jesus, seeing this tree full of green leaves, came to the fig tree fully expecting to see fruit on the tree. * The figs normally grew with the leaves. This tree had leaves but, strangely, this tree had no fruit.

* Look with me now a little closer at verse 13:

13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came,

* The Lord looks down on the average Christian and sees plenty of religious activity, but no fruit.

* As believers this morning, because Jesus expects fruit from everyone who He has saved, we have a great need to bear fruit for our savior!

II. This parable is primarily about how God had entrusted Israel with the Word of God.

* God had raised up Abraham and the nation if Israel to be a nation of priests that would show men the way to God, but instead the priesthood had become corrupted.

Look at the words of our text in verse 15:

Mark 11:15–17 (KJV 1900)

15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

* The fig tree is frequently used in the Scriptures to picture the nation of Israel.

* Just like the fig tree in our text, the nation of Israel had become a great religious empire. People from every nation came to the great temple there in Jerusalem to learn of God. When the people of all nations came to Jerusalem, what they really found were religious rulers who didn’t know God themselves.

* Jesus spoke of these religions rulers as the blind leading the blind.

* Listen to the words of Jesus concerning the religious rulers at Jerusalem:

Matthew 15:8–9 (KJV 1900)

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

* In another place Jesus spoke of the religious rulers at Jerusalem with the following words:

Matthew 23:13–16 (KJV 1900)

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Matthew 23:25–28 (KJV 1900)

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

* This nation of priests that God had raised up in the world had become like the fig tree in our text. It had all the appearance of a place where men could find God- it was full of leaves, but there was no spiritual fruit.

III. Like God expected fruit from Israel, God expects fruit from His churches.

Revelation 3:14–18 (KJV 1900)

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

* When the church fails to bear fruit, it is because its works are cold. No longer does the church go out into the highways and hedges, and from door to, seeking to save that which is lost like Jesus did.

* We are surrounded with churches with beautiful buildings and great parking lots filled with fine cars.

* Those beautiful church buildings are filled with religious people who have taken off their normal clothes and put on their fancy church clothes for Sunday morning.

* Just like their clothes, these fine religious folks have put on their church faces and are now talking in Christianese language such things as:

- “Love you brother!” - "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

Illustration: As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church, along with their English-language equivalents:

Christianese: "If it be God's will."

Translation: "I really don't think God is going to answer this one.

Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."

Translation: "I am going to pray for a long, long, long time."

Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."

Translation: "Find someone else."

Christianese: "Fellowship"

Translation: "Organized gluttony."

Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

Translation: "I'm totally clueless."

Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."

Translation: "You may think I'll be there, but I won't."

Christianese: "I don't feel led."

Translation: "Can't make me."

Christianese: "God led me to do something else."

Translation: I slept in instead of going to church.

Christianese: "God really helped me with this test."

Translation: "I didn't study but I guessed good, so I'm giving God credit in the hope that He helps me again."

Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"

Translation: "What an airhead!"

Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."

Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"

Christianese: "I'll be praying for you."

Translation: "There's an outside chance I'll remember this conversation later today."

Christianese: "Prayer concerns"

Translation: "Gossip"

Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "

Translation: "I'll be done in another hour or so."

Christianese: "Let us pray"

Translation: "I'm going to pretend to talk to God now, but I'm really preaching at you."

Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."

Translation: "Don't expect me to help you."

Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"

Translation: "Give me all your money." (Author Unknown)

* Our churches have a program for everything- we got churches going to theater productions, organizing visits to the museum, building family fitness centers, I even saw a church the other day that was advertising yoga classes!

* The average church of our day and time has become lukewarm! We are no longer hot for God! * It is not the passion of God that our churches present a social gospel!

* It is not the passion of God that the church feed all the poor and provide welfare relief, especially for those who refuse to work!

* It is not the passion of God and fight for social causes!

* It is the passion of God this morning that we go out and find people who are willing to hear the Gospel and be saved!

* The church that is like the tree in our text is has the appearance of leaves, it has many programs and causes, it has the appearance of fruit, but it has no real fruit- only leaves.

* Just as Jesus was disappointed with the fig tree in our text this morning, He is also disappointed with the churches here in these last days that we live in.

* But I want you to know that Jesus does not stop with being disappointed! Listen to the warning Jesus gave the church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:19 (KJV 1900)

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

IV. * God expected Israel to bear fruit. * God expected the Church to bear fruit. * God also expects each and every believer to bear fruit.

John 15:4–8 (KJV 1900)

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

* Our primary purpose on this earth as believers is to glorify God. This is the very reason God chose to save us.

* As individual believers, God has commanded us to bear fruit.

* Many times we, like the fig tree in our text, in our heart are like the tree full of leaves. * We think that we are ok with God because we are religious, but when God looks at our lives, many times He sees no fruit. –Only leaves.

* For many of us, when we walk out the doors of the church, that is the last time we honor God with our attention all week long, until the next Sunday when we walk back in those doors.

* My friend God is not pleased with this! No He is not pleased at all!

* When we neglect to abide in Christ by daily reading the Bible, God is not pleased!

* When we neglect to abide in Christ by fellowshipping with God in prayer each and every day, God is not pleased!

* When we do nothing in service for God when we leave these church doors God is not pleased!

* When we neglect to love our brothers and sisters of the church God is not pleased!

* Most of all when we fail to warn the unsaved that Hell is real and that Jesus came to deliver us from Hell, God is not pleased!

* When God, sent his own beloved son into the world, to suffer and die a bloody death for the sins of the world, and then we whogy are saved neglect to share this news with the world, God is not pleased!

* God wants some folks to get hot for him this morning! You have been a lukewarm Christian too long!

* Like Jesus warned the church at Laodicea, we need to repent before he has to chastise us as individuals also!

* In the Old Testament God would continuously have His prophets challenge His people to repent from being lukewarm.

* I think of Elijah as He stood on Mount Carmel and proclaimed:

1 Kings 18:21 (KJV 1900)

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

And the people answered him not a word.

* When Elijah made this great challenge to the people of God, the Bible says “they answered him not a word!” the people of God had become lukewarm! They were neither hot nor cold for God!

* When God caused the fire to fall down from Heaven the people repented and became hot for God once again! Listen to what the Bible says the people did:

1 Kings 18:36–39 (KJV 1900)

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

* It is time this morning for the fire of God to fall into the hearts of God’s people and stir up a revival! It’s time to get hot for God this morning!

* It is time for us to stop being like the fig tree in our text with only the appearance of fruit, but to get on fire for God and bear much fruit for God!

* This time is short! As we look at the world around us, we see the prophecies of the last days being fulfilled right before our very eyes! * It is time to get on fire for God and work for Him because the Bible says that the night is coming when no man can work!

* I think of the prophet Jeremiah, who when he had gather the people of God together said:

Joshua 24:14–15 (KJV 1900)

choose you this day whom ye will serve;… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

* Jeremiah said to the people of God- “Its time to stop being lukewarm and get hot for God!

Conclusion:

* As your pastor I stand before you this morning in the spirit of the Elijah, and the spirit of Joshua, the prophets of the living God and I cry out for every believer in this church to repent of our lukewarmnes and get on fire for God!

* Let not God look upon us, as Jesus looked upon the fig tree, and see only leaves, but no fruit!