Latest / Journey Elgin / Sunday Message 6/21/26- Stand Firm and Bear Fruit

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Sunday Message 6/21/26- Stand Firm and Bear Fruit · Journey Elgin

• Phillip Thomas: Well, we are ⁓ kind of wrapping up our going through some of the different parables. We've seen a lot of parables of Jesus. ⁓ they the parables teach us a a lot of different things about the kingdom of God. there's a whole lot of parables that talk about heaven and hell and a s separation, right? These parables are really getting to the heart of the gospel message. ⁓ they also talk about How we should live, you know, how we should ⁓ approach other people. We especially talked about that last week, ⁓ you know, with ⁓ the Good Samaritan. ⁓ so there's there's lessons to be learned from all the parables. And ⁓ and I'm gonna use two that are both in Luke today, ⁓ in Luke thirteen and then in Luke six. And ⁓ they're not necessarily directly connected, but Jesus did not connect these. These weren't like a series. ⁓ but I I I'm hoping that this'll it'll make sense kind of ⁓ as we're closing out the parables and ⁓ the the importance ⁓ of them. The the first parable ⁓ is the parable of the fig tree. And and it's important to recognize the the the full context of this. So this is in Luke chapter thirteen. And ⁓ and ⁓ we wanna wanna read this and it's it's a it's a pretty pretty in your face parable. ⁓ and so it starts off this way. It says There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, Do you think that these Galileans ⁓ were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way. No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Saloon fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And then he told this parable A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit ⁓ on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should I use up ⁓ why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put it on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down. Alright, so that let's stop stop there and then we'll be in Luke chapter six. So what what is what is going on here? This starts off with two tragedies. one, ⁓ it appears that Pilate, ⁓ there was some sort of ⁓ of ⁓ killing of Galileans who were going to the temple. Well we don't know if this was a you know part of ⁓ a revolt, part of, you know, what happened exactly. ⁓ but they were they they were killed while they were going trying to to take part in sacrifices. This is one of the reasons that the Romans and the Jews did not get along. They did not like each other, right? ⁓ is because things like this would happen. Sometimes it would be the Jews revolting, trying to push back. Other times, you know, the the Romans, you know, they they kept the peace by any means necessary. Right. And sometimes they would overstep. those bounds, right? We we can't imagine governments overstepping and killing people. No, I you know. All for the days of Caesar, you know. No, no. But but we we so we see this this issue and people are very upset about it. And ⁓ and you can tell that they're probably trying to trap Jesus. They do this a lot, right? They're trying to get him to say something That's going to put him on Pilate's hit list, right? Like, hey, if we can get Rome to go ahead and shut this guy up for us, this is earlier in the ministry as things are obviously going to escalate. ⁓ but Jesus, as he always does, ⁓ handles it perfectly, right? ⁓ He he actually brings in another ⁓ sad ⁓ case where there was a tower ⁓ that fell over and killed eighteen people, right? ⁓ we don't again, we don't know ⁓ many details, but clearly it was a big enough event that people recognized it and and knew knew about it. And so Jesus is making some different points and you can actually go very, very deep ⁓ into this. You know, he's ⁓ back then especially they believed that if something bad happened to you, it's because you had been bad, right? And ⁓ and Jesus is teaching, no, that's that's not how it works, you Some poor guy was just walking past a tower and it fell on him. Right. It wasn't because he was doing anything wrong. So so Jesus, in many of his teaching, he's kind of ⁓ pushing against that stereotype, ⁓ that and that that tragedy is not always a sign of God's judgment. Right. He's pushing back against that. But what what does he use it ⁓ to reinforce? He says, all of you need to repent, right? Because that could have been you. Right? You need to be right with the Lord. We all good? All right. We we've all been there as parents. And you're like, okay, one more little breath. Come on out. So but but we we ⁓ have Jesus is is pushing them and he's saying, okay, let's not talk about those circumstances. But that that should get you thinking, right? You you never know when that day is going to come. And so repent. And that includes you. Remember, he's talking to a group of people, kind of like I'm talking in in a in a way. He's talking to a group of people who believed they were God's chosen people. Right? He believed they they were the elect. That's how they referred to themselves. Right. And and and here he is telling them, yeah, but you need to repent in order to be saved. Right. Just because you were born into this group of people, just because you were going up and doing the sacrifices, no, you as an individual need to repent. And and then that's where he goes right into the ⁓ parable, the parable of the fig tree. The fig tree is is has a strong connection to the people of Israel, to the nation of Israel. We see it in the old testament, ⁓ whenever Jesus talks about that that there are The Gentiles will be grafted in. He's he's using that. He's using it about bearing fruit, all of those those things. They would have known exactly what Jesus is talking about. But what what does so the the image is pretty pretty easy? You have the owner, who is is God, he comes up and he sees the that his ⁓ fig tree is not producing ⁓ fruit, and he's kind of done with it. He's like, you know what? Just tear it up and burn it and let's be done. Right. Well, the vine dresser who is there says, Hold off just a little bit. Well, who is that representative of? That's that's who Jesus is, right? He's he he's there to to give another opportunity. Right. He says, So now I'm going to I'm gonna I'm gonna work on this vine. I'm gonna try to get it to where it will bear fruit. Right. I think it's really funny that then it says, I'm going to put manure all over it. Right. And And you could go down lots of different roads with that, right? But but the the the Christ, what he has done, he has given us an opportunity to bear fruit. But it is only going to be through repentance. It's only going to be through him. And and remember, he is telling this to a group of people who thought, Hey, everything's done. We're on the right side of this. we're God's people. That's all we've got to do. And Jesus is saying, ⁓ no, no, that that whole tree deserves to be uprooted and burned. But you're given one more chance. Now, do we know how long that is? No, we don't. And we still don't know today how long that is. But eventually, and listen to how that parable ⁓ ends. It says, after tending it, after trying to give it another chance, right? Says then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good. But if not, what you can cut it down. Right? See, there eventually there is that ending place. And that is important for us to recognize. And that is becoming that wasn't a popular message there. Right? Because most people they just wanted to hear, hey, I go to the temple, I'm born into the right ⁓ family line, I'm good. Those boxes are checked. That's the easy way. Jesus is saying, No, there's there's more to it than that. You actually have to acknowledge who Christ is. You have to start bearing fruit. Now, listen, it's not, it's not the fruit that saves you, right? It's that whenever you have now given your life to Christ, you should be bearing fruit. And if you are not, that's a sign that something's wrong with the root system. And again, bearing fruit doesn't mean that you're converting every person that you come in contact with. It doesn't mean that you're super Christian, you know, walking around with your Bible, reading scripture to everyone that you come in contact with. No, it just means that you have now put Christ at the center of your life, and you are going to strive to live for him each and every day. That it is going to impact the way that you think about things, the way that you see the world, the way that you engage with other people, that you're going to strive to do that as Christ would. And guess what? There's going to be some spells in your life. Where it's kind of a drought and your fruit is kind of withered. You know what? Well, pay attention to that and say, Wait, you know what? I Christ, Christ has has done all of this for me. I think I can do a little bit better. Not in order to get his love, but because he loves you and he wants what is best for you. Right? And if we do not do that, the really brutal truth is eventually we get uprooted. And cast out, that we are separated from the love of God. And it is important that we recognize that. Now, so how do we how do we keep that mentality? How do we how do we strive to continue to bear the fruit throughout our whole life? Because we're all human, all of us, we start to take things for granted, just like the Jewish people back then. They thought, hey, you know what? God called us, we're all good. Right? They they they were missing what Christ was doing for them, what God was doing through them, that He was bringing the Messiah. And yeah, now that the Messiah is here, you better believe in him. Right? And and so how do we not fall into that same trap? That, you know what, I've been going to church for 30 years, then, you know, go go going, I've Checked all the boxes, all of that. You know what? I'm I'm really tired of serving others. It's time for me to serve myself. I hear that a lot. Not necessarily in that way, but man, our culture is all about serving ourselves. Right? It's time for me. I need to, you know, and and how do we make sure that we continue to bear fruit every day of our life? Well, it starts With the foundation. It starts with where our foundation is. And I want to look at Luke chapter six. This is also at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. ⁓ But ⁓ it is ⁓ very, very familiar. Luke chapter six, starting in verse 46. Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them. I will show you what he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock, and when a flood arose the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the rain of that house was great. It's a very simple parable, but so important. That foundation that you have established in your relationship with Christ has to be at the center of everything. It has to be at the center of your marriage. Right? If if not, there can still be joy found in marriages, but if Christ is not at the center, If you're one flood away. Right. If Christ is not the center of your family, you're one flood away. And guess what? We live in a world that is not fair where towers fall on people. So things can go bad anyway, even if your foundation is in Christ. But if if your foundation is not there, man, be careful. Because those floods are are coming. And I love the illustration here of of that of building that foundation. Because yes, this is important to to to help you when you when those big storms of life hit, right? Like ⁓ whenever the the loss of a child or the loss of a spouse or the loss of a parent, right? Th those big things that that we all know can happen, but when they all of a sudden hit You better have a firm foundation, right? When that when those floodwaters hit in a hurry. You better have a firm foundation when when y you have these major life changes that are unexpected. Right. But there's also another reason that you need a foundation. See, when we built our house, I know they had to do soil samples, right? And ⁓ and they they talk about ⁓ you know, our soil is not great because it has a lot of clay in it. ⁓ and and I don't know exactly what's going on under there, but like that clay it contracts and it expands this and it and it's it's constantly attacking that foundation. Right? So so that our foundation, you know, hop hopefully they said they put all these rods and tension wires and all that stuff. And so it's supposed to help that over time. Right. But that foundation has to be strong enough not just to weather the flash flood that just hits, but the day in and day out of pressure that is constantly, constantly attacking underneath. Right? Because if we don't have that foundation, what we start to see is we will start to drift. will start to drift in our relationship with Christ. We will start to take it for granted. And it's not like one big thing. It's not like something really big happened and we're like, okay, fine, God. If that's how you're going to be, I'm done. No, it's just we just kind of slowly we we we used to at least think about God every day. Well now, you know what? I got lots of things to do. Right? You know, there's some really cool things on Netflix now. Actually, that's not true. There's no cool things on that. There's some decent things on Amazon Prime video. I've got that. Man, I I've got to take care of my my financial situation. I've got to make sure that I'm working. I've got to do all of these stuff. And all of a sudden, it's not that God is gone. It's just, ⁓ man, I I thought about him last Sunday. But then if you don't, if you don't recognize that. Then all of a sudden it's, ⁓ I well, I thought about him four Sundays ago. And then it's like, you know what? God never said that you have to go to church every week to be a good Christian. You're right. But you can easily start to keep moving, and all of a sudden you're disconnected from God. And I'm not talking about salvation issue here, but all of a sudden you're not bearing fruit. Right? And Christ wants more from us than that. Another thing that can happen, and we're the next few weeks, ⁓ it's starting July fifth, we're starting an another series, ⁓ looking at some of the things that are going on around the world. Things that are happening in our culture. If you don't have a firm foundation, it's going to be easy to get swept away in the coming days. And this is a silly example, except that I I actually think that there there's going to be major issues. If you've been paying attention, all of a sudden there is a an a a re excitement on aliens and the existence of other life. Right. Yeah, I mean, there's been government documents now that are that are being released that supposedly prove this. The scary thing is, is like most people don't even care. But then connected with that, there's a Steven Spielberg re releases a movie, and he hadn't released a movie in a long time. He releases a movie, Age of Disclosure. And ⁓ and I've seen clips, I have not watched it because I can't go pay that kind of money to watch a horrible movie. But I do want to watch the movie. I've I've read enough reviews about it from a Christian perspective. Like there's literally scenes ⁓ where a a former nun who had already kind of started giving up on her faith, but then was kind of holding on to God, ⁓ you know, by holding on to the rosary, and now by the end, she's bowing down before the aliens. Right? Like it sounds like the movie is an overt challenge to Christianity, trying to cause that. Now listen, I just real quick, I could care less about any kind of alien. It doesn't believe it's not going to impact my faith one bit. They're more than likely they can be a demonic distraction. Right? Or they can be freaking aliens. And guess what? If they are, God created them too. Right? And and I'm not going to worry about it. But your faith is going to be attacked. It is going to be attacked. Tested. We are seeing this right now. We are seeing divisions within Christianity on how we are supposed to view the geopolitical things in the world. Are we supposed to support the Jews or are we not supposed to support the Jews? Are the Jews the cause of every problem in the whole world, or are they not? Right. And there's Christians on both sides of this. And some get really passionate about it. If you're not careful, if you're foundation is not secure. All of that stuff can start to add up. And I believe that we are entering in to challenging times. Times that are going to to stretch your faith. And because it's hard to find what is true right now. It really is. And and and that's ⁓ but we are called to be engaged in this world. So we need to find What's true in this world, but it has to be based on what is true from here first. And we're not going to have all the answers, but ⁓ your faith will be tested. So where is that foundation? That foundation has to be firm and solid. It doesn't mean life will be easy. It doesn't mean the storms aren't going to come. They are going to come. That's why you need the firm foundation. And one of the ways that you can tell if your foundation is is intact is are you producing some fruit? Are you striving? Are you trying? You know what, God, I want to live my life for you. Even if you're stuck in some patterns of sin, AA, you you're you're at that point that you you're you you know that you need that help, right? Are you at least taking that step? To get the help. Right? Those are signs. That's a sign of fruit that, whoa, I'm recognizing there's an issue in my life that I need to allow God to change. So you know what? I'm going to start doing it. ⁓ That's at least ⁓ a green leaf that's going to turn into fruit. ⁓ So make sure that you are looking at your life. Are you striving to live for him? Not so that you will get into heaven, but no, because he has already changed you. He has given you new life. And now he's calling you to bear fruit. Because as the craziness in this world comes and it's it's here and it's going to continue to come, we're not going back to any kind of normal. We're not going back to what people have in their mind of what the nineteen fifties were. That's gone. We're in a different world. We're in a we're in a nearly a post-Christian world. Our society, rather than moving towards Christ, has now started moving the other way. That's going to bring challenges. You better have your faith on a firm foundation. And that is rooted in what Jesus Christ has done for you. That He has given you new life. And he will walk with you through the fires. He will walk with you through the floods. And not only that, he will be there in the day-to-day subtle little things that are trying to pull you away from him. Allow him to give you strength each and every day. Don't go one day without thinking about him, without thanking him for what he has done for you, without choosing to To live your life for him each and every day. Let's go to him and pray.