Every time I hear of a new poll taken by some polling organization like Gallop, I hear of how religious America is. Yet where is the fruit? For all the religion and all the church going that still takes place in this country, where is the influence on the culture? Where are the changed lives? Why is honesty and honor in such short supply? Why do good economic conditions mitigate the lack of honor in the highest office of the land? Where can you find people of real integrity?

Introduction

Benjamin Franklin, ever the curious innovator, discovered that plaster, the substance commonly used for coating walls and ceilings in his day would make things grow. Of course we know today that the main ingredient of such compounds - lime or gypsum - is indeed an excellent addition to certain kinds of soils. Franklin told his neighbors of his discovery, but they did not believe him. "Plaster - spread in a field? We've never heard anything so ridiculous!"

After awhile he allowed the matter to drop and said no more about it. But he went into the field early the next spring and sowed some grain. Close by the path, where men would walk, he traced some letters with his finger and put plaster into them and then sowed his seed in the field.

After a week or two the seed sprouted. His neighbors, as they passed that way, were very much surprised to see, in brighter green than all the rest of the field, the writing in large letters, "This has been plastered."

Franklin didn't need to argue with his neighbors any more about the benefit of plaster for their fields. As the season went on and the grain grew, these bright green letters just rose up above all the rest until they were a kind of relief-plate in the field, advertising to all who looked: "This has been plastered."

In much the same way as Ben Franklin's plastered field was evident to those who passed by, when we genuinely repent and begin living for God, fruit will be born in our lives that will soon be evident to all that pass by. Likewise, a failure to repent and live for God will show a lack of fruit, equally evident.

The presence or absence of fruit in the lives of those who claim to be God's people is an important issue in God's word.

"Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance," said John the Baptizer in Matthew 3:8.

John records Jesus as saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit." (John 15:5)

"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit..." said Jesus in John 15:8.

"Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire," said John in Matthew 3:10.

Fruit - real and visible spiritual fruit - is a necessary concern for anyone who loves God and desires to go to heaven.

I want to talk to you in this message about fruit in the life of the believer. Please join me in Luke 13:1-9.

(Read it)

I want to focus particularly on verses 6-9 in this passage - the parable of the barren fig tree.

In Jesus' day, this was a parable about the Jewish nation but it also contains some important lessons for us.

Jesus' ministry came very near the end of the Jewish dispensation. In fact, His death on the cross would render the law of the Jews, the Law of Moses, and the covenant it represented, obsolete.⁽¹⁾ God was ready to reject His chosen nation because they had not born the fruit of repentance. In a very real way they were the barren fig tree in the story. Yet He wanted to give them one more chance to bear fruit so He sent His Son into the world. Of course, they rejected Him, just as they had rejected all of God's prophets before Him. Forty years after His death, Jerusalem would be trampled under the feet of the Gentiles. The fig tree would indeed be cut down. The Kingdom of God, the New Covenant age, the age of the church would be ushered in.

But lest we make this simply a history lesson, I want you to know that the Biblical issue of fruit bearing and the principles put forth in this parable also apply to the church. They concern you and me.

Let's examine this parable more closely. There are at least seven aspects to consider.

I. First is the Matter of Possession.

Verse 6 says that "a certain man had a fig tree." There are actually two men mentioned in this parable: The owner of the vineyard (it says that he planted the tree in "his vineyard") and the vineyard keeper who was probably an employee of the owner in charge of doing the actual work.

Cutting down the fig tree was a drastic action, but it was well within the rights of the owner. It was his vineyard. It was his tree. He could do with it as he pleased.

You say, "That's obvious. Why are you pointing it out?"

I'm pointing it out because many Christians live like they don't understand it.

Suppose you decided to paint your car a certain color and I came to you and objected, telling you I liked another color better and that you'd better paint it my color. You would probably tell me to take hike. Why? Because it's your car, not mine. The right of ownership carries the right of determination.

Likewise, since God owns the world and everything in it and He also owns each one of us, it is simply not right for us to object to His dealings with us or claim that He has "no right" to do this or expect that in our lives. He has every right to expect anything He chooses in our lives. He is the owner.

Paul asks in Romans 9:20-21:

Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" (NIV)

We live in a day when people "talk back to God" all the time. Having long forgotten that they are His creation, they think they are autonomous and that God has no right to tell them what to do or expect anything from them. Though they are in His vineyard and are, indeed, His possession, they don't act like it.

I think we can expect unbelievers to be this way, but surely such an attitude should not be found in the church! Yet it is seen far too often.

One of the first things we need to teach every new Christian is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?"

This is basic Christianity 101, folks. God has the right to tell us what He expects and the right to expect it and the right to deal with us as He pleases if we don't do what He expects. He is the owner.

We are going to learn from this parable that God expects you and me to produce fruit in our lives for Him. I just want you to remember that such an expectation is well within the realm of what is right because we belong to Him.

II. Second in this Parable is the Matter of Location.

Verse 6 says, "a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard."

This fig tree enjoyed certain advantages not possessed by all fig trees. In Palestine, many fig trees grew along the roadsides. They were, in essence, wild. No one fertilized them. No one cared for them. They had to survive in rocky, shallow soil with sparse nutrients. But this fig tree was different. It was purposely planted in a vineyard. It enjoyed better soil. The vineyard keeper watched over it and took care of it. He fertilized it and perhaps even watered it during the hottest months of the year.

As I've already mentioned, the parallel Jesus had in mind was Israel. God had put His chosen nation in a favored position. He had lavished special care on it. He had taken special pains with it. He sent prophets to put in regular fertilizations of His word. Doesn't it seem rather obvious that He would expect a return on His investment? Yet for all these advantages, the chosen nation turned away from Him. Ultimately, when He did not find fruit, their favored status was removed.

But what about us? Hasn't God lavished even more favor upon His church today - especially in certain parts of the world? Here in the U.S.A. we have the Word of God in abundance - radio, television, print, cassette, CD, computer. It's all around us. We are not yet persecuted physically. We have indeed been planted in a privileged place! Yet have we produced appropriate fruit?

William Barclay quotes C.E.M. Joad in a comment about our age. Joad said, "We have the powers of gods and we use them like irresponsible schoolboys."⁽²⁾

We living in this country in this age have access to things that, only a few hundred years ago, would have been attributed to gods. Yet how many use these things to promote God's cause and bear fruit for Him?

Doesn't it follow that when the Owner of the vineyard invests so much in us, that there should be much fruit?

III. We Look Thirdly at the Matter of Expectation.