Sermon Central
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One More Year
Contributed by John Gaston on Dec 24, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: Great New Year's message. The parable of the fruitless fig tree being given one more year to produce fruit probably parallels many Christians, who's lives are fruitless. Will we respond to God's reprieve by changing how we're living?
ONE MORE YEAR
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A Russian couple was walking down a Moscow street one night, when the man felt a drop hit his nose. “I think it’s raining,” he said to his wife.
2. “No, I think that would be snow,” she replied. “Look, I’m sure it was rain,” he said. The couple was about to begin a full-scale argument when they noticed a minor Communist party official walking toward them.
3. “Let’s not fight about it,” the man suggested. “Let’s ask Comrade Rudolph whether it’s officially raining or snowing.” As the official came near, the man said, “Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?”
4. “It’s raining, of course,” he replied and walked on. But the woman insisted, “I’m sure that was snow!” The man quietly replied, “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!”
B. TRADITIONS ABOUT NEW YEARS
1. “Whatever you do on January 1st you’ll do all year long.”
2. We all know this is true. NOT! If it was, we’d a. Sleep late, b. Not go to work, and c. Spend all year watching football games.
3. I do hope you’ll all eat some black-eyed peas for good luck. I won’t, because I don’t want to be eating them all year long!
4. I believe the Lord has given me a New Year’s message that will challenge us to a new effort for Christ.
C. TEXT & THESIS
1. 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Lk. 13:6-9.
2. This parable contains four principles about our responsibility to God and His examination of our lives. The title of this message is “One More Year.”
I. PRINCIPLE ONE: GOD EXPECTS FRUIT
A. NATURAL FRUIT A SYMBOL OF THE SPIRITUAL
1. God designed all life to reproduce after its own kind. Fruit is a product of a tree’s life, and the end for which it exists.
2. In the same way, God designed you and I, and predestinated (if we’re obedient), that we should bear fruit unto God (of godliness). If we don’t, we squander/ violate the order of nature God has put within us.
3. In the O.T., a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of godly living (see Ps. 1:3; Jer. 17:7-8). The comparison of a person to a tree and of human works to fruit is very common in Scripture.
B. WHAT DOES SPIRITUAL FRUIT LOOK LIKE?
1. God expects Christians, who absorb His divine life, to bring forth fruit of light in their lives and leave its mark on those around them. We bring light to all around us. We’re the fragrance of Christ that even those who reject Christ can smell.
2. The first fruit God looks for is repentance (Matt. 3:8) followed by steadfastly following Christ. As we yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Jesus to live in us, we’ll be transformed in character to be like Him (Mt. 12:33, John 15:5).
3. Paul said in Gal. 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” In Eph. 5:9, he said, “for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.”
4. Good deeds are considered as fruit (Col. 1:10) as well as soul-winning (Prov. 11:30).
5. God doesn’t want to discourage us, but give us hope – and does so through this parable.
II. PRINCIPLE 2: GOD PERIODICALLY EXAMINES US
A. PERIODIC EXAMINATION
1. The land owner used this occasion as a time to look back over the history of this tree.
2. Fruit-bearing plants have a natural measurement for their lives: the completion of the growing cycle. That’s when this inspection took place.
3. We humans also have definite markers in our lives. We establish artificial times to look at our lives and assess whether we have accomplished what we should. One of those markers is birthdays; another is the dawning of a new year.
4. The month of January is named for the Roman God Janus, who was pictured with two faces: one looking backwards and one looking forwards. New Year is a valuable time to ponder the past and anticipate the future.
B. THE LAND OWNER’S ASSESSMENT
