Sermon Notes

Introduction

Welcome to our new series entitled “Life-changing stories”, a fresh look at some of the parables in the Gospels. Jesus used short stories to engage the hearts and minds of his disciples, the crowds and religious leaders, and emphasise key principles about the kingdom of God.

John 15:2

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.

The Situation ~ We are accountable to the owner – v6

• The man & The tree are used as illustrations to demonstrate our relationship with God

• The owner of the garden (God) came to inspect the fig tree (humans), to see how much fruit the tree had produced

– Just like the man who owned the vineyard, God is the author of creation and owner of all things. (Psalm 24)

Application

One thing we all share as humans is that we are accountable to God. Even unbelievers are accountable to God. Do we live our lives each day with humble recognition that God is in charge? He is the ultimate judge of all things. (See Romans 14:11-12, 2 Cor 5:10 & Rev 20:11-15)

The Complication ~ Where’s the fruit? – v6-7

• Three years have elapsed, and the fig tree has produced no fruit.

• The owner was expecting to find what the tree was created to produce

Application

Just like the tree, we have been created to produce fruit in our lives that glorifies God. The owner was frustrated to see that after three years, the tree had produced nothing. Have you ever felt stagnant in your walk with God? Have you ever felt spiritually dry and unproductive? If you notice it, believe God knows it too.

The Celebration ~ What will you do with more time to grow? – v8-9

• Despite three years of stagnation and no fruit, the gardener was willing to give the tree more time to grow

• Yes, time had been wasted, but the gardener wanted to give the tree another opportunity to grow and produce fruit

Application

Thank God for Grace and Mercy when we fall or become weary on the journey. Like the fig tree, we may have unproductive spiritual periods, but God is rich in mercy, and, like the gardener, Grace gives us another opportunity to grow.

The question is, what will we do with God’s grace to grow again?

Should we continue to produce no fruit?

Should we continue in Sin because Grace will give us more time?

See Romans 6:1-2

Questions

1. Have you ever invested a lot of time and effort into something that produced little or no results? How did you feel?
2. Why do you think Jesus tells this parable immediately after His teaching on repentance earlier in Luke 13:1-5
3. Who do you think the different characters might represent (the owner, the gardener, the fig tree)?
4. How do God’s patience and His judgment fit together in this passage?
5. In what areas of your life do you sense God cultivating, digging around, or fertilising growth right now?
6. What spiritual fruit would you most like to see develop more in your life this year?
7. What dangers are there in presuming upon God’s patience and Grace?