Bro. Ed Deaton delivered another wonderful sermon Sunday on Matthew 21: 17 - 19. Let us start this journey through these verses by discussing our need to read the Bible. Did you know that about 75% of the church body today doesn't read the Bible more than 5 minutes a week? And we wonder what is wrong with our world today.....it's like anything else that breaks....read the owner's manual! Something we don't do with life today. Our owner's manuals sit by our beds and collect dust. Some of us don't even have one and we just go through life trying to patch everything ourselves. What is wrong with us? Why can't we see how badly we need to rely on God's word? Now that we know that statistic, perhaps you want to now pick that Bible up, blow the dust off, and begin reading it....but not so fast! There are a few things all of us should understand about this owner's manual.....there are 4 different ways in which to read it. The first is to read it word for word physically. The second is to read it with an understanding of the historical side of it so that you can understand why things occur in the Bible as they do. The third is to read it prophetically and to look to it to make decisions and solve problems in our lives. The fourth is to read it spiritually and to be able to read a verse and understand how it was meant to be read. This particular message from Bro. Deaton did just that!
If you (physically) read Matthew 21:17 - 19 you will read this...
17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
But let's read this now spiritually....
Let's say that Bethany is representing Heaven. We know that God the Father is there. Just as you and I hunger for food throughout each day, God is also hungry. God is not hungry for food, but hungry for us to accept Him, to be spreading His word and doing good works in His name.
Now, physically the verse says "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it." The fig tree represents "us". When those Eastern skies split and the Father returns, you will either walk with God or go to Hell. He is coming back....that is guaranteed. No man knows when the Lord will return. Not even the Lord himself. But again, it is a GUARANTEE that He is coming back for his church.
The next part of the verse is the most profound...physically it says, "and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." He found nothing on that tree but leaves. From a distance that fig tree was lush and green. It looked good but it didn't bear fruit. What good is a fig tree if it bears no fruit? What good are we if we also bear no fruit? But read on...."Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." Wow....what does that say to us? We pray he finds something more on us than just leaves. It is one thing to do good things but unless you believe in Christ and work for His glory, we are only lush green trees without fruit. We see this every day. Look at some churches. On the outside, they look big and lush. They have all the physical things any church would want, cushions in every pew, paved parking lots, ornate architecture...and the list goes on and on...but where is their fruit? Today, too many mortal men stand where God himself should be. If we are going to be a non-bearing tree we will wither away.
What does it take to bear fruit? A lot of people claim they just don't have the time to plant the seeds and tend to their own trees. There won't be time to change your mind when those eastern skies part and Lord returns. We believe, as humans, we have all the time in the world.....we live in the "someday" era. But we MUST make the time, because though we don't know exactly when He will return for us, we know He will. It could be in the next 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 years, 5 decades....but He is coming and your time is now. Let's say, you have a new neighbor. You peer daily over into their yard. "Sure, I should really go and invite them to church. I should witness to them and share God's love with them. But this week is too busy for me. I'll do it someday soon." Someday. The enemy of risky love is a snake whose tongue has mastered the talk of deception. "Someday" he hisses. Then we try to make ourselves feel better (here comes that "lushness" we have been talking about)...."I'll just pray for them or add them to our prayer list at church." But you know the truth don't you . Some days never come. There is always something else around the corner to do.
The rewards of risky love, though, are greater than the time it took. Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write a note, bake cookies, call them, knock on their door, invite them over to dinner, take every opportunity to reach them for His kingdom. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret. What will you say when you are standing next to the Lord on judgement day? What will you say when He looks you in eye as He turns that neighbor away? Along with every other person, you promised "someday" to? Your time is now. Win someone to Christ. Begin to bear fruit on your tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment