January 31, 2010

 

Judgment Day: Inspecting Fig Trees

The Fig Tree

Matthew 21:18-22

 

Opening Words: Western Reserve will develop disciples who reflect Christ’s love through worship, fellowship and deed. I hope those words are familiar because they are our mission statement. We adopted them in 1999 and sense that time we have been in the disciple making business. Let me ask you two questions this morning. First, how many disciples do you think we have made in the past forty years? Second, are you making any progress in the faith?

 

Last week I began a four part sermon series called Judgment Day. We are looking at four judgment parables. These are things Jesus wants you to know as we anticipate the end. Last week Jesus told us it is impossible to earn your salvation. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. Today, Jesus tells us we are to be living in faith. We are to be making some progress in the faith. We are to be little more like Jesus everyday. We are instructed today from the twenty-first chapter of Matthew, verses eighteen through twenty-two. This parable is different then most. Most parables are a story told by words. The parable of the fig tree is acted out. Let me call this message Inspecting Fig Trees. May God give you ears to hear.

 

Matthew 21:18-22 18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. 20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

 

Several years ago Chuck Swindoll told this story from Long Beach, California. A man walked into a fried chicken fast food restaurant and bought a couple of dinners to go. One was for him and the other was for his date. It was at that moment the young woman behind the counter made a horrible mistake. Instead of giving him a bag of chicken dinners, she accidentally gave him a bag filled with that day’s deposit, over $800. When the couple sat down to eat their chicken dinners they discovered the mistake. The couple got in their car and returned to the fried chicken fast food restaurant. Obviously, the manager was overjoyed. He looked at the man and said, “Thank-you! You maybe the most honest person I have ever met. We need more people like you in our society. You are a role model on how everyone should live. I am going to call the newspaper so they can tell the world of you and your wife’s honesty.” The honest man looked at the fast food manager and said, “I wish you wouldn‘t do that. You see we are married but she isn’t wife and I am not her husband.” Sometimes things aren’t always as they appear.

 

That is what happened in the scripture text for today. Look at the story with me. We find ourselves this morning in the twenty-first chapter of Matthew. According to the text, verse eighteen, it is early in the morning and Jesus is walking into the city of Jerusalem. The Master is hungry and looks for something to eat. According to verse nineteen, he spots a fig tree that is full of leaves. That fact is important because it means that there should be figs on the tree. The leaves signaled the fruit. However, upon inspection no fruit is found. Don’t run by this point too fast. It is important that you get it. The tree is communicating one thing but doing something completely different. The next verse is a little out of character for Jesus. According to verse nineteen Jesus curses the fig tree for it’s lack of production. The tree dies in a matter of seconds. Jesus curses the tree to make a divine point. The point that Jesus is trying to make in this living parable is difficult for our generation to see but it was clearly understood by his generation.

 

The gospel of Matthew is written to a Jewish audience and they understood this living parable. Like the eagle represents the United States of America, the bull dogs represents Britain, the dragon represents China and the bear represents Russia, the fig tree represented Israel (Hosea 9:10; Nahum 3:12). Jesus isn’t just cursing an innocent tree, Jesus is cursing a nation because the nation failed to be genuine. They said they were one thing but they did something completely different. They said they were a nation that had a living relationship with God but they had just become a mountain of rules and regulations. The truth is their relationship with God was dead. The parable of the fig tree is a parable of judgment. Jesus expects us to more then a pile of rules and regulations. God expects us have a living relationship with Him. It is true today as it was in Jesus’ day.

 

I said it in my opening words and I will say it again. We are in the disciple making business. What is a disciple? A disciple is one who truly worships Jesus because they know that Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus won their salvation! In gratitude a disciple wants to learn about Jesus, it is one who wants to be like Jesus. Are you becoming more like Jesus daily? Or are you happy with yourself, just the way you are? If you are disciple then the faith should be making a difference in your life. The faith should alter your behavior. It should alter your beliefs. It should alter your opinions about the world. It is those three things I am going to look at today? Are you a fig tree that looks good or are you disciple who is a little more like Jesus everyday? So if you are ready to begin say, Amen!”

 

Your Behavior

If Jesus were to inspect your behavior what would he find? It is extremely easy to change your beliefs, without changing your behavior. Patrick Morley in his book, I Surrender, says it is like revival without reformation. Is your behavior being altered by your relationship with God? Do you act the same way on Thursday afternoon as you do on Sunday morning?

 

I don’t know if you have ever noticed this but I am not a big believer in rules. I really don’t like rules when they are created to protect property or institutions. They are a complete waste of time. I used to serve a church that locked up the toilet paper so it wouldn’t be stolen. (I figured if you had to steal toilet paper, then you really needed it.) The only set of rules I really believe in are rules that protect people. All other rules are secondary. Let me give you a few examples.

 

1. I am against drunk driving because innocent people could be killed.

2. I am against smoking because science has proven there is a direct connection between smoking and cancer.

3. I am against adultery because innocent people always get hurt.

4. I am against gambling because it hurts more people then it helps.

5. I am against housing wild animals in your home because there is a reason they are called “Wild Animals.”

6. I am against abortion because life begins at conception.

 

The only set of rules I believe in are those rules that protect people. All other rules are secondary. I am a people oriented person.

 

Jesus was a people oriented person. The only thing that mattered to Jesus was people. In Matthew 12 Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, breaking the law. The only thing that mattered to Jesus was people. I am not just talking about the people that he knew. I am talking about people, everyone! If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ then you should want to be like Jesus. Are people the most important thing in your life or just the people you know? If Jesus were to inspect your behavior what would he find? Are you like the leafy fig tree, who has no fruit? Or are you becoming like Jesus, who cared about everyone? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Your Beliefs

If Jesus were to inspect your beliefs what would he find? The faith does not give you a license to believe whatever you desire. Through the generations the church has studied the Bible and created a set theology. There is a strict list of things that we believe.

 

Every Sunday during the 11:00 service we recite the Apostle’s Creed. Do you know why it is called the Apostle’s Creed? The reason is it was written by the Apostles. In the fifth century it was a common belief that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and inspired each one to write one section of the creed Yes, there are twelve sections of the creed. They compiled those inspirations into one creed, the Apostle’s Creed. Do you remember those words? Say them with me:

 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty.
from thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

We say them every week for two reasons. First, we are telling the world what we believe. Second, we are reminding ourselves what we believe. Don’t ever take your theology lightly. Theology is nothing more then the study of God.

 

The primary reason you hire me is to teach you about God. I am not employed to be your friend. I am not employed to baptize you when you are young, confirm you when you are a teenager, to officiate at your wedding, bury you when you are old, visit you when you are in the hospital when you are sick or raise money for the stewardship drive. I am not here field your complaints, concerns or wisdom. In the big picture I am here to teach you about God. The only reason I hold a Master’s of Divinity is to teach you about God, correctly.

 

If Jesus were to inspect your beliefs what would he find? What kind of a job am I doing? Are you a leafy fig tree who bears no fruit? Are your beliefs based on some television show or some book on the New York Times best sellers list? Or are your core beliefs based on the inspired word of God, the Bible? Are you becoming more like Jesus everyday? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Your Opinions

If Jesus were to inspect your opinions what would he find? It is extremely difficult to separate ones beliefs from ones opinions. It is extremely difficult to separate ones opinions from ones behavior. They stand side by side by side. You know it is true. If you listen to ones opinions, then you can learn their beliefs and understand their behavior. How many examples do you need?

 

When I was in seminary I had a classmate from the state of Tennessee. I don’t remember her name. I don’t remember if she ever had a date. I do remember she was a big strong girl. She could break me like a twig. I remember she had a wonderful heart and a constant companion in her dog. I took a systematic theology class taught by William Arnett. One day Dr. Arnett was lecturing on what the Bible says about heaven. At the end of the lecture the professor asked if there were any questions. The girl with the big heart asked if dogs went to heaven. Without any thought Dr. Arnett said, “No!” Dogs don’t have souls. That is the classic Protestant response. Dogs and cats only exist to make us happy in this world. When the big strong girl heard his answer, she didn’t like it. She responded, “If my dog isn’t in heaven, then I don’t want to go.” Dr. Arnett replied, “Well, I will miss you.”

 

Can I ask you a question? Are you more upset that dogs don’t go to heaven or more upset that every seven seconds someone in our world dies from starvation? Are you more upset that your cat won’t go to heaven or that fact that people slept out in the cold last night? Don’t get me wrong. I have always had a dog and I tolerate two cats in my home. They are part of God’s gifts to us but Jesus cares more about people. If Jesus were to inspect your opinions what would he find? How passionate are you about people? Are you a leafy fig tree or are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? I hope you are becoming more like Jesus everyday. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

On Wednesday morning I drove to Conneaut, Ohio. I wanted to visit Bud and Ann Price. I don’t know if you know Bud and Ann. They called the Mahoning Valley home for decades. They have relocated to extreme northeastern Ohio to be near their son, David. Did you know Bud and Ann are the oldest living couple in this congregation? They are 93 and 94 years young and have been married for 68 years. I really enjoy their company and didn’t mind spending several hours with them. We ate lunch together and visited with them in their apartment. Their story is a true love story. That are two completely different individuals but they act like one person. They are living out the words, “And the two shall become one.“ I am confident that they would sign up for another 68 years of marriage. The only fear they have is one dieing and leaving the other alone. How can anyone question their love for each other? They are the embodiment of genuine love.

 

Are you the embodiment of genuine faith? Are you making any progress in the faith? Or are you happy just the way you are? Are you becoming a little more like Jesus everyday? Are you holding fast to your old behavior or are you acting more like Jesus? Who cared more about people then things. Are you holding fast to your old beliefs or are believing more like Jesus? Who had a perfect understanding of God because he was God. Are you holding fast to your old opinions or are your opinions sounding more like Jesus’ opinions? Are you more like Jesus or an old fig tree? Will you please pray with me?