Today’s Scripture: “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. [19] Seeing 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. [20] When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.
[21] Jesus 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. [22] If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:18-22 (NIV)
The Scripture says it was in the morning, in verse 18. As he went into the city He was hungry. Evidently the Lord Jesus Christ had spent early morning hours in prayer. He had been alone with the heavenly Father and had not taken time to eat a morning meal. He is on His way into Jerusalem, being hungry, and the Bible says that He saw a fig tree in the way. On that fig tree He saw leaves. Before he got there He could see the leaves and He had a right to expect that there would be fruit on the fig tree. In that particular part of the world, the fruit would often come when the leaves came on the tree. Sometimes even the fruit would appear before the leaves would appear. So, here is a fig tree that is advertising itself. It is making an outward show of fruit. It is pretending something that it does not possess.
So, the Lord Jesus comes to the fig tree and the Bible says that when Jesus gets there He doesn't find any fruit. He finds nothing on the tree except leaves. So, you have here a pretending tree. You have a fig tree that is pretending something that is not. So, Jesus does something that absolutely stuns His disciples. He speaks a word to the fig tree. He says to the fig tree, "Nothing will ever grow on you anymore." The Bible says that immediately the fig tree withered away.
To have leaves is a pretense of something that it does not possess. It is making an outward statement that is not consistent with inward reality. That was exactly the way the nation of Israel was. If you had gone to Jerusalem at the time of the Lord Jesus Christ you would have seen all of the outward trappings of religion. You would have seen magnificent buildings. The temple buildings and all of the adjacent buildings were magnificent buildings. They were extremely elaborate and expensive to construct. Many, many decades of time were taken to construct those magnificent buildings. Of course, you know that buildings are wonderful things, but buildings are only valuable as they are used as a tool and an instrument to reach people for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is dangerous when any group of religious people get more attached to the buildings than they do to the reasons why the buildings are constructed. [I will talk more about that tomorrow.]
There is a tremendous lesson for us in this passage of scripture. There's a message that God wants to speak to us through this cursing of the fig tree that Jesus did. What Jesus is trying to say to us is that mere profession is not enough. There has to be possession. Now, I know that I’ve gone long on this one but here a very valuable lesson I’ve learned in the mist of this transition in our church history….There are many people who go through the motions of religion and they have all of the leaves of outward profession, but the reality of the matter is not in their hearts. [Let me share this especially to my Pastor Friends make sure as you make that transition that you aren’t fooled by the leaves!!! You are going to inadvertently you’re going to run into something and you’re going to need people who are around you with fruit not just leaves. Personally, I suffered a great deal because when you’re leading a church through a transition you need others who you can count on to hold up your arms.] People can bring their Bible and carry it around, but if they don't know Jesus it is nothing but leaves. People can jump the highest and scream “Amen” the loudest but it they don’t know Jesus it is nothing but leaves.
So, how do I know whether those around me have fruit or leaves? The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7, by their fruits you will know them. You just hang around long enough and just look at the fruit of the life of an individual and you will find out what kind of person that person is. Test the fruit. As Pastor, I don't know anybody's heart. I don't know whether they are saved. On Sunday everybody looks saved on Sunday morning. But I don't know your heart. I don't know whether a person is saved or lost. Only God knows that. Only that individual knows their relationship with God. Yet, I remember what Jesus said. By their fruits you shall know them. I read through the Bible and see some of the fruit that is supposed to be a part of the life of a truly saved individual.
In Philippians 1:11, talks about the fruits of righteousness. It means the fruit of right living.
In Philippians 4 it talks about the fruit of our giving, and the fact that when we're saved one of the evidences of our life is that now instead of becoming a getter we are interested in becoming a giver.
In Hebrews13:15 the Bible says we are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. What you say is evidence of the fruit in your life. What's down in your heart, when you shake up your heart, is what's going to come out. It's just like a glass. You slam that glass on the table and whatever is in that glass will come out. If it's water in there, water will come out. If it's tea in there, tea will come out. If it's Kool-Aid in there, Kool-Aid will come out. You aren't what you are when life is smooth. You aren't what you are when things are going your way. When things don't go your way and when you spew off at your mouth, that's when you find out what you really, really are. Sometimes we don't like what we really, really are when we see some of the things we say, and see the way we act, and see the inconsistency of our lifestyle. Jesus talked about nothing but leaves when fruit ought to be there.
Let me share what blesses me the most – verse 22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22 (NIV) God wants us to participate in our deliverance by being fruitful by living out our purpose to his Glory and Honor, then He promises to deliver on His promise.
[21] Jesus 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. [22] If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:18-22 (NIV)
The Scripture says it was in the morning, in verse 18. As he went into the city He was hungry. Evidently the Lord Jesus Christ had spent early morning hours in prayer. He had been alone with the heavenly Father and had not taken time to eat a morning meal. He is on His way into Jerusalem, being hungry, and the Bible says that He saw a fig tree in the way. On that fig tree He saw leaves. Before he got there He could see the leaves and He had a right to expect that there would be fruit on the fig tree. In that particular part of the world, the fruit would often come when the leaves came on the tree. Sometimes even the fruit would appear before the leaves would appear. So, here is a fig tree that is advertising itself. It is making an outward show of fruit. It is pretending something that it does not possess.
So, the Lord Jesus comes to the fig tree and the Bible says that when Jesus gets there He doesn't find any fruit. He finds nothing on the tree except leaves. So, you have here a pretending tree. You have a fig tree that is pretending something that is not. So, Jesus does something that absolutely stuns His disciples. He speaks a word to the fig tree. He says to the fig tree, "Nothing will ever grow on you anymore." The Bible says that immediately the fig tree withered away.
To have leaves is a pretense of something that it does not possess. It is making an outward statement that is not consistent with inward reality. That was exactly the way the nation of Israel was. If you had gone to Jerusalem at the time of the Lord Jesus Christ you would have seen all of the outward trappings of religion. You would have seen magnificent buildings. The temple buildings and all of the adjacent buildings were magnificent buildings. They were extremely elaborate and expensive to construct. Many, many decades of time were taken to construct those magnificent buildings. Of course, you know that buildings are wonderful things, but buildings are only valuable as they are used as a tool and an instrument to reach people for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is dangerous when any group of religious people get more attached to the buildings than they do to the reasons why the buildings are constructed. [I will talk more about that tomorrow.]
There is a tremendous lesson for us in this passage of scripture. There's a message that God wants to speak to us through this cursing of the fig tree that Jesus did. What Jesus is trying to say to us is that mere profession is not enough. There has to be possession. Now, I know that I’ve gone long on this one but here a very valuable lesson I’ve learned in the mist of this transition in our church history….There are many people who go through the motions of religion and they have all of the leaves of outward profession, but the reality of the matter is not in their hearts. [Let me share this especially to my Pastor Friends make sure as you make that transition that you aren’t fooled by the leaves!!! You are going to inadvertently you’re going to run into something and you’re going to need people who are around you with fruit not just leaves. Personally, I suffered a great deal because when you’re leading a church through a transition you need others who you can count on to hold up your arms.] People can bring their Bible and carry it around, but if they don't know Jesus it is nothing but leaves. People can jump the highest and scream “Amen” the loudest but it they don’t know Jesus it is nothing but leaves.
So, how do I know whether those around me have fruit or leaves? The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7, by their fruits you will know them. You just hang around long enough and just look at the fruit of the life of an individual and you will find out what kind of person that person is. Test the fruit. As Pastor, I don't know anybody's heart. I don't know whether they are saved. On Sunday everybody looks saved on Sunday morning. But I don't know your heart. I don't know whether a person is saved or lost. Only God knows that. Only that individual knows their relationship with God. Yet, I remember what Jesus said. By their fruits you shall know them. I read through the Bible and see some of the fruit that is supposed to be a part of the life of a truly saved individual.
In Philippians 1:11, talks about the fruits of righteousness. It means the fruit of right living.
In Philippians 4 it talks about the fruit of our giving, and the fact that when we're saved one of the evidences of our life is that now instead of becoming a getter we are interested in becoming a giver.
In Hebrews13:15 the Bible says we are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto His name. What you say is evidence of the fruit in your life. What's down in your heart, when you shake up your heart, is what's going to come out. It's just like a glass. You slam that glass on the table and whatever is in that glass will come out. If it's water in there, water will come out. If it's tea in there, tea will come out. If it's Kool-Aid in there, Kool-Aid will come out. You aren't what you are when life is smooth. You aren't what you are when things are going your way. When things don't go your way and when you spew off at your mouth, that's when you find out what you really, really are. Sometimes we don't like what we really, really are when we see some of the things we say, and see the way we act, and see the inconsistency of our lifestyle. Jesus talked about nothing but leaves when fruit ought to be there.
Let me share what blesses me the most – verse 22 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22 (NIV) God wants us to participate in our deliverance by being fruitful by living out our purpose to his Glory and Honor, then He promises to deliver on His promise.
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