Luke 12:49-13:9, What Time Is It?

Luke chapter 12 will be reading from verse 29 to chapter 13 verse 9 hear the word of the

Lord I Came to cast fire on the earth and would there were already kindled I have a baptism to be baptized with and how great is my distress until it is accomplished

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you but rather division For from now on in one house, there will be five divided three against two and two against three

They will be divided father against son and son against father mother against daughter and daughter against mother mother -in -law against her daughter -in -law

And daughter -in -law against her mother -in -law He also said to the crowds when you see a cloud

Rising in the West you say at once a shower is coming And so what happens and when you see the south wind blowing you say there will be scorching heat and it happens

You hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky but why do you not know how to interpret the present time and Why do you not judge for yourselves?

What is right as you go with your accuser before the magistrate make it an effort to settle with him on the way?

Lest he drag you to the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer put you in prison I tell you you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices and he

Answered them. Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way?

No, I tell you but unless you repent you will all likewise perish Or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them

Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? no,

I tell you but unless you repent you will all likewise perish and He told this parable a man had a fig tree and planted it

Plant a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none and he said to the

Vine dresser look for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none cut it down Why should it use up the ground and he answered him sir?

Let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure then well

If it should bear fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down May the

Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word Well, what time is it? Take our watches

Daylight savings times right a little confused. I don't know if anyone suspected to come for Sunday school and showed up at some anger service

I Don't mean that though. I don't mean exactly exactly what time Ecclesiastes says

I'm talking about a kind of time like Ecclesiastes talks about there's a time for every matter under heaven a time to be born and a time to die a

Time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted a time to kill and a time to heal Time to break down and a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh

Time to mourn and a time to dance What time is it in your life?

Is it the time to study? Is it mail -in time to study spring break? Maybe? There's a time to work a time to save or invest or spend

Maybe you're having the time of your life and you do it all over again This is the best time you think college or independence or a young family or the children

Now they're finally reaching independence that are out of the house or retirement. It's the good years

The time to enjoy what you've worked hard for those fleeting moments Is that what time it is?

Well, what time is it? really in 1992 American scholar

Francis Fukuyama wrote a much -discussed book entitled the end of history in the last man He argued that now that the

Cold War was over and Western democracy had decisively prevailed that we had reached the end or the goal of history that that is humanity's battles of ideas or it's just literal battles with monarchies and theocracies and communisms and fascisms and Fighting and debating which is the best?

Which which would preside over this time of this era? That that was all over now.

We had reached the end Liberal democracy had prevailed and it was though almost everyone recognized that now in 19 there in the 1990s

This was the time of the dominance of democracies there and he said there would be no more bloody battles

No more people would be fighting to try to introduce something else It was peace and freedom forever

And it's sort of what they say Now but in the so -called the culture wars, you know, you one of the phrases you don't want to be on the wrong side of history

Right that time that time when people believe that is over with they'll say this time they say is a time of equality or the full legitimacy of Whatever they are proposing usually something about sex or sexual identity old ideas about natural law, you know the created order

Even that there are objective facts about the biological purposes for sex or one's sexual identity

Those ideas are now Not for this time They say and if you cling to them

Certainly if you cling to what your your Bible says about sex you you'll find, you know, you're out of sync with the times

This is isn't the time for that anymore But I wonder though How good they are people talking about what time it is now how good they are really at knowing this knowing the times

About what the time it is Because after all just about three weeks ago

Mary and I stood at the base of the World Trade Center towers

Now two waterfalls sunk into the ground Where the dream of the end of history remember no more bloody battles they said

That went up in ashes So what time is it really? Well still the idea persists despite all those ashes that we've entered a new time a time of freedom to To be whatever it is you self -identify as and and God is there that now they are saying to support you

However, you use your freewill God's there behind you or maybe he's trying to gently encourage you to use a little differently

But he's not gonna interfere with that. He is a judgment -free God Don't you know like we have in the recently released movie the shack the shack declare in the shack

God declares quote This is God speaking according to the shack. I don't need to punish people for sin

Sin is its own punishment devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose.

There's a purpose statement to punish sin It's my joy to cure it

He says now we've just been looking over the last two weeks at the passage in Luke chapter 12 verse 32

Where Jesus says it's the father's good pleasure his joy to give you

Jesus said remember the kingdom says pleasure to give you the kingdom now that would be curing sin the kingdom will cure sin

But who is you? Jesus says it's my father's good pleasure to give you

Who are the people to whom the father is the father's good pleasure? to give us the kingdom and Can he cure sin without punishing it will he cure sin without punishing it

Now in the shack Jesus says there are many Buddhists and Mormons and Muslims who love him and all roads all roads might not lead to heaven, but The God there says that he'll travel any road to find anyone including

You know to a shack in the in the woods to talk to a guy like Mac who's the main character in the book?

Who is distraught that one of his children has been murdered. So what what time is it then in the shack?

Well, it's a time to forgive for peace for tranquility all sweetness and light like apparently

God forgives and seeks everyone even if They don't repent

Because he doesn't judge sin. He said right. Is that what time it really is?

Well, we can hope that the people who are reading and watching the shack are interested in knowing Jesus I Suggest that the best way to do that Not by reading a fiction book, but by reading about him in the non -fiction book the perfect book

About him and in here and part of that book we see What time it really is in five parts?

First it's time to choose Then it's time to be aware It's time to settle

It's time to repent and it's time to produce So choose be aware

Settle repent and produce first it's time to choose and Jesus begins in verse 49 declaring

I came Here's a purpose statement what a purpose statement from Jesus himself for why he came to cast fire on the earth

Probably not what we might expect Jesus would say but that's what he said fire is for judgment

Like earlier in Luke where John the Baptist said that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire

Here, I think not only a fire that will consume and destroy all the fruitless trees That you know that those that don't produce a life of good works, but also a fire

That separates, you know gold silver and jewels From the dead wood.

It's it's a fire that divides by fire does fire divides things. It's fire separates

What is flammable? like wood When what is not? like gold and Jesus's desire is that it were already kindled Right flyer fire separates ever seen a house is completely burned down.

What's probably the one thing that's left standing Smokestack right chimney because it's made of brick and the bricks don't burn it separates and Jesus's desire is that it were already kindled it was it was kindled He kindled that fire at the cross and the resurrection when

Jesus became not not first a conqueror Who would put the nation Israel back on top again?

but there he became a suffering servant who would bear the cost for our sins and then rise for our

Justification so that we can be right with God now he has to do that because Unlike in the shack.

God is holy and just and as such must punish his rebellious creatures for their sins

Sin is not just excused You know kind of winked at by an indulgent

Papa. I let it slide But it is an offense Against a holy sovereign

Lord that must be dealt with if we're to be right with him Now Psalm 53 which we read today describes scribes us

Before this fire describes what what we're like, we're not just all these lovable creatures that God can't resist

He says there were foolish were corrupt were Abominable, which is just a fancy way of saying disgusting.

There's something just repugnant to God We are by nature denying and deep our parts of our hearts and left to ourselves

We deny God himself if not our words, maybe we're taught to say we believe in God But this is the way we think and the way we live we live as as if there were no

God You know that there is no judgment for how we'll live You're saying that there's no

God when you live like that that there is not one of us left to ourselves who does good We are indeed totally depraved

That's how we start but the good news is that the that this fire and God could just leave us all like that and have us all flammable and burn us all up in his fire

But the fire isn't just for destroying us all as we deserve Because we're all exactly what

Psalm 53 says we're like, but the fire amazingly is to say Some those that he has called in this chapter in Luke chapter 12 and verse 4 his friends my friends

Jesus said or whom he called it verse 32 my little flock for them

He will save them now here. He wishes the fire was already kindled so that that separating judgment would already begin

Remember remember this whole context chapter 12 begins with how crowds are just flocking to Jesus He's still he's at the pinnacle of his popularity.

There's so many coming to him there. They get out of control sometimes they're stampeding each other and you know, there are a lot of people at this time who look like they

They believe in Jesus, you know, like the man coming wanting him to mediate between him and his brother about an inheritance

They look like they believe in Jesus, but when this that fire is kindled You know when he finally makes it to Jerusalem and there is arrested and beaten and crucified

Then we'll find out how many of those followers were for real Well, Jesus actually looks forward to this.

This is an amazing thing about this Don't say he says that how I wish it were kindled. I'm waiting.

I'm pressed. I'm an anguish until it happens He's driven for that. And so as horrible as it sounds he's looking forward to the crucifixion

And of course the resurrection getting that through but for the and he's does it as well as a book of Hebrews says for the joy

Set before him not because of the pain and the shame that he'll have to suffer but because it was through that Pain and shame but it's through that that he bought his friends his little flock

And so he says in verse 50. I have a baptism to be baptized with And baptism literally just means to be to immerse

So Jesus is saying I have something I have to be immersed in I'm gonna be dipped into I'm gonna be soaked into something

Jesus saying that he has to be immersed into God's wrath His ministry began with the baptism when

John the Baptist immersed him in the Jordan River and now his earthly ministry Will conclude with a baptism in God's judgment on sin as he who knew no sin

Became sin for us so that we could be right with God and then he says at the end of verse 50

How great is my distress and literally the word is there help. I feel so pressed

Like you ever felt just everything in you is is Pressing you to do one particular thing.

That's what he's saying here How great is my distress until it is accomplished and by saying accomplished?

He showed that his baptism into God's wrath the crucifixion his death on a cross. That wasn't just an accident

So it's something that was kind of totally out of control or you know He left it all up to human free will so God couldn't he didn't want it to happen

But he had to let it happen It wasn't just letting the hatreds of politicians and mobs get out of hand.

It was what he came to do It was his goal He just accomplished just destiny to be fulfilled

He's already set his face says in chapter 9 as Luke takes his turn Down this road that we've been following Said his face to go to Jerusalem and to kindle this fire and now he tells us that he's nearly impatient

For it to happen to get there his death and resurrection will instigate a crisis of division on earth

That will separate his friends his little flock from the nations You know who seek

Money and food and clothes and stuff and he is now driven to ignite that fire

Now how people respond to the death and the resurrection of Jesus is what separates all of humanity all people

It's the dividing line That separates people now Muslims they deny that Jesus was they deny actually

Jesus was even crucified that because for them, you know for people who think that that God's righteousness comes by human work and by Human wrath that it can be forced by the sword the idea of a

Crucified Savior makes no sense. This is foolish Now Buddhists don't think our problem is sin

That cuts us off from the Holy God. They don't really believe in sin. They don't really believe in a holy God God who is distinct from us who is over us who judges us?

And so if that's the case, you don't believe in that so Jesus didn't need to die for our sins He's just kind of a guru out there.

They may say he's another God Today people like like I guess like fans of the

Shaq probably most of them are just confused though But they don't believe that God is holy and that he judges sin

Do they he's kind of like our friend The cross then from their view they believe in it, but it's it's a kind of a sentimental

Demonstration of love. It's just a way of saying I love you this much But why did you do that for me?

I didn't need I didn't really need it I would rather you give me a million dollars, you know, that would be the way people should think it's a sentimental thing

It's not a necessary sacrifice to reconcile God to corrupt abominable sinners

They think but the true Jesus here says that he is pressed by his mission to reconcile his friends his little flock

To the father Now perhaps his disciples were shocked by this, you know My purpose cast fire on the earth and he asked and he's asking in verse 51 do you think that I have come to give peace on earth and They probably would have thought yeah, of course

You're the Messiah and you'll give you'll give peace on earth because you'll vanquish your enemies and you'll lead us to a new

Golden Age a time of Peace and prosperity as we put down the Romans we put down all our enemies and we'll put the

Israel back on top again It's a time of what time is it now time of conquest? or maybe

Probably not but maybe they were they believe like in a Messiah like the one in the shack You know the

New Age maybe like a hippie Messiah The New Age astrologers who think that Jesus is the guru to bring a time of peace harmony and understanding

Sympathy and trust abounding no more falsehoods or divisions Golden living dreams of visions mystic crystal revelation and the minds true liberation anywhere and recognize that song

Yeah, right the age of Aquarius. I thought he would be the one he probably the only one the age of Aquarius That's the vision right that's why we're entering now peace tranquility for everybody

God above all and again in this view God above all You know, not only not just the hippies want it

But God himself above all is trying to broker that harmony and that understanding

He's trying to bring it on the earth If you'll just adjust your thoughts so we can all have it get the right crystals on your net

Whatever you got to do and to that Jesus answers with it though. You think I come to bring peace on the earth? He says

No Just emphatically Clearly no, and then emphasizes

I tell you Right. He's saying pay attention. I'm telling you this

This is this is important and in contrast to what you thought but rather the opposite Division What time is it?

It's time for division in verse 52 From now on from the time the

Lord Jesus said this to this day 2017 in one house there will be five

Divided against each other three against two two against three doesn't matter, you know, maybe two or four Jesus Maybe three are for Jesus, but they're often divided and those who choose him

His friends his little flock They will because of that choice

Be divided from those who don't choose him and I'll go right through families often that division

Jesus here is eager to spark We'll cut right through the middle of families now,

I mean are they Hardly, you hardly ever hear Christian leaders telling us that we might have to choose between Christ and family

I I don't know if I've hardly ever heard it I've heard Christian leaders tell us we got to choose Christ over our pets or over our sports or over our whatever our money

Go down the line almost anything But you hardly ever hear him say you might have to choose between Christ and your family if it comes to it

It's just it's like we're not supposed to say that but indeed You know

In fact most of the time Jesus is presented as someone who will add to your family life if you get saved you'll be have a better family and they say

There's so much there's some Christians seem to believe that whatever is good for the family is therefore good you know, that's being for the family and being

Christian the same thing they and You know, that's not what Jesus here says though He says he'll divide sometimes often families and what they're talking about is what is called family ism

It's the cult of the family and that's not what Jesus came to bring Jesus came to bring a choice

Between him and every other loyalty every other love

Even family now, it's great. If you never have to make that choice that if everyone in your family is is truly

Christian But in deep in your heart you still have to choose which you will love and serve you love your family as a way of Loving and serving the

Lord Or is your family a competitor? to the Lord an idol

Now your decision for Jesus will set you apart and those who don't choose him, you know, they're not just gonna accept that choice casually

You're like you might imagine, you know, okay, you like Duke and you like the Tar Heels and we some

I like state But we can all get along right despite these differences Of course,

Virginia, I'm gonna forget Virginia. Sorry Yeah, but for this choice for Christ It's not gonna be like that They may say it for a while.

You may get along for a while. But if you think they do Really wait until something happens until you come to a real conflict until they decide

Until until you decide to follow the Lord maybe into baptism and they object They don't want you to do that or until your following of Jesus means you you love his little flock

Which means that you don't support them separating that flock by race that tearing of the flock or you?

Are you won't participate in family functions that regularly take you away from the church Jesus a little flock see what happens then

Or until you really show that you're a disciple See what happens and they're really not one

Maybe when you're laying up treasure in heaven While they want you to sacrifice

Church laying up treasure in heaven for business or maybe they're infected with hypocrisy and they're doing their religion to be seen and Notice what happens when your sincerity when you're doing yours just to be seen by the father and that exposes their fraudulence when your faithfulness exposes their

Self -serving rhetoric or maybe when a family member dies maybe that this is from for some in a culture here in this in this church a family member dies and you won't stand with a

Taoist priest and burn jawsticks to your ancestors Christians face that right now or when your friends don't understand why you won't mix

Intoxication when you will go along with intoxication or with sex outside of marriage see the division that opens up then

That's the fire That Jesus kindled at the cross and it's still blazing today

And so now is the time what time is it now is the time when you have to choose?

Which side of that divide? You'll be on Now many aren't aware of that Many think that kind of religion, you know a little mild

Jesus. Well, it helps them adjust as Good members of families are

As neighbors as citizens it helps them get along Helps them be better family members better citizens and being a follower of Jesus should give us a meekness

That so far as is it up to us that we can live at peace

But it's not always up to us society Family sometimes governments will

Others whatever they would try to force us to make decisions for or against Jesus and if we aren't aware of that We're not aware of what time it is

You know what time it is People in Israel could usually easily predict the weather

Nice things about Israel if the clouds were coming off the West off the Mediterranean Sea. It's time for rain

If the wind is blowing from the south off the desert, it's gonna get hot They could know what times are coming

We all want to know what times are coming. Don't you so you can You could plan ahead. Will it be cold tomorrow?

Will I need a coat? Will it rain to bring it get an umbrella? Farmers and others like the others who work outside would like to know long -term weather so they can plan

What's the season gonna be like? The farmer farmers almanac Predicted for this winter this this winter works almost at the very end of right now that it would be in the southeast quote

This is what this was supposed to be Penetrating cold and very wet Okay, they got that completely wrong

We had a very mild winter so much for knowing the natural times now here

Jesus at least at least you know that at least you people know how to predict the weather We can't even say that about us

Here scolds them for knowing in Israel how to predict the weather, but they didn't know how to interpret the present time

They can discern the signs of the weather but not the signs of the times What time is it?

They thought it was the time coming. It's almost here soon To overthrow the

Romans to rebel and impose God's kingdom by force They couldn't see the obvious signs of what kind of Messiah Jesus was now today

We're a little different over and over again. People think it's a time of tranquility You know a piece of everybody getting along the end of history the age of Aquarius harmony and understanding of a

God Accepting everybody and judging no one. So we're all just one big happy family All right.

That's what time many people think it is now and the result of that is That people think it's not a time of urgent decision

There's no judgment coming soon. So you nothing to have to really agonize over to decide You don't have to choose which side of a crucial divide you're going to be on.

It's a time of laxity most people think now Since God is a judging and certainly is it cutting a sword to divide then?

We have no crucial decisions to make do we no matter what you decide God's gonna accept you Anyway, we have plenty of time.

There's no deadline C .s. Lewis wrote in the screwtape letters that it's you know

Satan and his demons were planning their strategy for attacking the world that was hearing the message of salvation

You know Satan's got his demons all together and they're looking for ideas. How are we gonna counter the gospel and One demon, you know suggested.

Hey, I got an idea. Mr. Devil the the devil, you know The suggestion comes from the demon

Tell but I'll tell people there's no heaven And it was the John Lennon song imagine there's no heaven and the devil response.

Oh, they'll never believe that This book of truth is full of messages about the hope of heaven through sins forgiven.

They won't believe that they know There's a glory yet future To another demon raises his hand and says

I'll tell people there's no hell No good the devil response Jesus while he was on earth taught more of hell than of heaven.

It's true They they know in their hearts that they're wrong will have to be taken care of in some way

And they deserve nothing more than hell So another demon stands up has an idea.

I'll tell people there's no hurry He's the one

Satan chose The signs of the times are that this is the time to choose and we need to be aware of that to urgently

Come just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot

What time is it It's time to settle To settle the accusations against you

Verses 57 to 59 Jesus says it is common sense You should know what's right is you're being brought before a judge you want to settle with your accuser settle it

Don't wait for the judge to send you to prison and then you have to pay the debt Settle it now

It's now time to settle your debts everything you owe Every last penny every offense and that day people could be sent to prison for not for being in debt

We're not paying their debts every shortcoming here Everything that you've done wrong or right thing that you fail to do better.

That was better settle it Before you come to God Don't let the false teachers fool you

God is the judge He does indeed punish people for their sins

For the death they owe him So and you need now then in this time to confess your sins to plead for the blood of Christ to pay

For the debt you owe God and seek mercy Don't think like so many do today

You know God isn't offended by our sins. He doesn't care about the debt. He's gonna forgive her the debt We owe him.

There's no judgment. There's no prison There's no payment necessary that God's gonna just let it all slide in the end because he's just so sweet like that.

No No, he is holy and he is just It's now time in right now to settle

What time is it? Time to repent That's such an old -fashioned word, isn't it?

Hardly anyone use the word repent anymore kind of crude because it sounds it's not like a hick say talk about repent

Hardly anyone uses it anymore as if now in our more enlightened time. We think that we don't need to we don't need repentance

That's that's the old -fashioned way of thinking now. All we need is therapy, right Sympathetic ear maybe some friendly visitors in a shack to talk us out of our pain into forgiveness

That's fine, I guess if it leads us to repent as Jesus was teaching some visitors brought news that Pontius Pilate had some

Galileans killed with their sacrifices And now maybe they were hoping that this because they're Galileans this would really get

Jesus Get him angry and it'd be enough to instigate him to finally get him off of all this teaching and healing

Campaign that he's been doing it. He'll finally start organizing that army that we need to kick out the Romans Or maybe they wanted to comment on how bad those

Galileans must have been To deserve a death like that and so we've responds in chapter 13 verse 2

Do you think? That these Galileans the ones killed by Pilate that they were worse sinners

Than all the other Galileans Because they suffered in this way

I Must have been what they thought asking like that. Let's like Job's friends People believe that a death as bad as the men of Galilee had surely had experience meant that that that meant they must have been very bad people because people get what they deserve and they must have been

Particularly evil to deserve a fate like that not unlike me, of course, I'm fine

You can tell I'm fine by the fact. I'm not getting killed by by with my sacrifices, right? I'm fine

No, Jesus says emphatically again strong. No, I tell you Again, he said let's pay attention.

This is what I say in contrast of what you think unless you repent

There's that word You know repentance is not an optional extra. I don't want to go the extra mile with God He'll accept you no matter what whether you repent, but if you really want to be first -class you can repent

It's not that way unless you repent there's no other way that repentance It's the bare minimum if you don't repent you will all likewise perish now pilots victims weren't unusually evil

You're just as evil as they were Jesus is saying to them They're suffering was it because they were worse than you people bringing in the news you spectators or worse

They weren't worse than you or me They're suffering they suffered their suffering was because They were sinners

Like you and me and so unless we repent We will like them face a

God who can kill our bodies and throw our souls into hell Then he recalls another recent tragedy or those 18 on whom the

Tower of Siloam fell and killed them Do you think that they were worse offenders and the word there for offenders is literally debtors

With literally debtors, you know, like in the previous story. We owe a debt to God a

Debt caused by our sin that we must now settle Do you think they are worse debtors?

They were they deeper in debt to God? Than all the others who lived in Jerusalem Is that what you think?

That's why they got it God had to pay him back for their debt. That's why some of the people thought that they must have got what's coming to them

That doesn't happen to me because I'm not so much in debt to God. I try to be religious and moral I pay my debts to God Jesus says no unless you repent and You better do it now

Because those 18 who were crushed to death by the tower collapsing Didn't have any time to repent came on them suddenly unless you repent

You too will all perish Jesus says Now the theology today is that bad things like that bad things happen to good people

Because God has given us free will and he will not infringe on our free will for anything And so the murderer of your children has has free will and you have to accept that because otherwise

God might take away your free Will he's given you free will you got to let your murderers have it too The terrorists have free will and so 9 -11 happens the free will defense that sounds solid

But sometimes it doesn't really work if you think about it carefully You know, what about okay, the terrorists have free will but what about the free will of the 3 ,000 people they killed?

What about the free will of the murder victims? They didn't choose to die. What about the free will of the people killed by the tower here?

You know, they didn't do anything that caused their deaths except that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time You know free will make sense if you're talking about hey someone smoked for 50 years.

It got lung cancer. Okay, I understand that How does it work with a tower falling on somebody? In the

Bible, it's because the whole way of thinking is wrong in the Bible It's not that bad things happen to good people.

Think of the assumptions just imported into that We saw how many good people there are in Psalm 53

It's it the Bible. It's not that bad things happen to good people It's that we're all bad people and bad things happen to us

Because we deserve it. Oh But there was one good person there was one good person and Bad things happened to him

So the good things could happen to us bad people. What time is it?

It's time to repent You know, there are actually some professed Christian today who claim that repentance

There's just a change of ideas kind of an exchange of some doctrines few basic ones Even if it produces no no change of life

We simply have to agree with a few claims about who Jesus is and even if those claims don't make us any different They have no effect on us our life at all

That's what some people think But Jesus says it's time to produce

Unless you repent you will all likewise perish and then in verse 6 Jesus tells us a parable a man had a fig tree in his vineyard.

He came to it expecting fruit on it What what the big that's what the tree was there for in his vineyard to produce fruit

It's been there for three years and that's when healthy fig trees are supposed to start producing fruit

Give him three years to start he's expecting some but this one had none and so he tells his gardener the keeper the vineyard or the other words are

Vine dresser in other words cut down that tree It's just taking up good soil in my vineyard.

It's worthless Now the vine dresser says let's give it one more year I'll loosen the soil around it.

I add manure to it fertilize it And if that doesn't do the trick if it still doesn't produce fruit

Then we'll cut it down It's time To produce fruit, you know

John the Baptist told the people to produce fruit in keeping with repentance if you really repent it shows in your life being different You produce fruit

You lay up treasure in heaven You forgive sure you serve as far as it is as it is up to you.

You live at peace with everyone But you do choose Christ and that puts you on his side of the great divide

You don't go along with racism you keep your word you seek first the kingdom You really want to know and to live by his word and so your sincerity exposes their hypocrisy

You don't bow before idols either old -fashioned ones at family funerals are new are now new

Fashionable ones and movie theaters you won't go along with intoxication or sex outside of marriage

You want to love the Lord with all your heart? And so you love his Little flock his church his friends are your friends

You're producing fruit If you don't do that You just said a prayer

Maybe even got baptized because you were told that's the thing to do, but your life is really no different You're not really interested in God.

You're just honest with yourself. If you look at your life You don't read his word because you just bored you you don't really care to hear sermons about it

Church is a social club that consists of people that you want to socialize with Not others who are just so different from you that you don't know what to talk about The church religion the gospel is about assurance.

It's about giving you a feeling that no matter what you do. You'll always be accepted

You don't have to repent because that means repentance means change. It means turning your life around You don't have to do that.

You can stay as you are and that'll be fine Jesus told his story for people this story about the big tree for people like that Hopefully none here

You must repent and that will show in producing fruit. It is right now

What time is it? It's fruit season Now sure, he's patient as part of the parable.

He's patient. He'll give you a second chance He'll work to enable you to produce fruit

He'll give you the word you need the spirit you need the field the church you need But judgment will not be put off forever

He might postpone for a while As he graciously allows you more time to produce fruit.

Some people take a while to start to flourish sure but if you've had time you've had every advantage and it's fruit season and You're still not producing fruit

The problem may not be that you haven't had enough time or enough cultivation

The problem may be that you're dead. You need not fertilizer, but new life

So it's time For new life not old lies

Remember the fictional God of the shack It said Fictional God there says it's not my purpose to punish sin.

It's my joy to cure it This is how lies get spread first is tied to a truth.

The truth is it is indeed the father's joy It's good pleasure to cure

Sin to give us the kingdom Jesus's words then attached to that truth is a lie

It's snuck in it's not snuck in as an assumption a Fundamental belief that's undefended that is unexamined in in here then in that lie

It that sin is what alienates us from God That it can be cured without being punished

If that's true Then we don't really need to choose between sin and the Lord do we?

Because he doesn't since he doesn't punish it. He's not really offended by it So you can have both can't you?

There's no time of urgent decision that you need to be aware of There's no debt with God that needs to be settled

We don't need to repent Unless maybe you're one of those old -fashioned Christians out of sync with the times

That still thinks that God is holy and will punish sins. Maybe you need to repent of that But we're told now no, you don't need to do that.

You don't need to repent just relax We don't need to produce anything even if it's nice sure it's nice if you're more forgiving

But you don't really have to be do you? No, that won't do at all.

It's time we put away God's made to suit our Sentimentality the good news is it's the father's joy.

That is true to cure our sin To give us the kingdom

Where we have no sin and He's done that by punishing sin by seeing

Jesus as our Sin and punishing him on the cross and there was no other way to cure our sins other than to punish it for Christ to be baptized into God's wrath against sin and Jesus was eager think of that He's eager he's nearly impatient for that to happen so great is the joy set before him of redeeming his friends his little flock our sin is either punished in the past time when

Jesus kindled that fire on the cross and in the resurrection creating a division that will forever separate humanity or Or it will be paid for in future times by the unrepentant sinner

Now for this time we're in now this this time between the times we look back at what

Jesus did for us and See, yes Now we must choose

We must be aware of the urgent decision we make now. We must settle our debts with the

Lord we must repent and bear fruit now the good news is The good news is that a sense that it's the father's good pleasure to cure our sin even though our hearts left to ourselves are desperately sick and beyond cure

It is the good news that he can and that he will for his for his friends for his flock for his children

He'll give him give us a new heart a living spirit that says yes to God that turns to him and bears much fruit