Well, I invite your attention to Matthew chapter 21, the gospel according to Matthew chapter 21. And let me say that I bring you greetings from your sister church in Richmond, Virginia, from Pastor McDiarmid. And personally, it's good to be back with you again. The last time I was here was for the Labor Day picnic and the interesting summary of the life of Oliver Cromwell. I appreciated that very much, and it has been something that I've thought on occasionally for the past while. I am glad to be able to be with you, to worship with you, and to worship our great God and King. And congratulations to Pastor Davis and his family. May God bless the marital union that was entered into yesterday. As I have in the past several times I've been here, I'm preaching from the Gospel of Matthew because that's what we're doing in our own studies in Richmond. And we're in chapter 22, so I did back up just a little bit. And we have considered already these verses in Matthew 21, verses 18 to 22. Matthew 21, verses 18 to 22. Now in the morning, when he was returning to the city, he became hungry. Seeing a long fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you. And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, how did the fig tree wither all at once? And Jesus answered and said to them, truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, it will happen. and all things you ask in prayer believing you will receive. Thus the reading of the Holy Word of God. Let us again ask for God's help. Father, we ask that you would exalt the Lord Jesus Christ before us, that you would speak to us through your word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask, our God, that you would transform our minds and our hearts, that we may think differently, that we may think according to your thoughts and according to your mind, that we may have your perspective on life. We pray that you would give help in opening up and helping us to understand and to rightly apply your word to our lives. We ask these mercies through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. In the gospels with regard to Jesus' teaching, but really throughout the scriptures, we have numerous references to agriculture, We have examples that are drawn from the science and knowledge of agriculture. We have imagery that is drawn from there. For instance, Jesus talks about the sower who went forth to sow, and that as he sowed, some of the seed fell on hard-packed soil, and some fell among thorns and thistles, some fell on the rocks, And none of these became productive ultimately, but some seed fell on the good soil and it produced 30, 50, and 100 fold. Our Lord tells a parable about tares being sown in a field of wheat. He speaks about the mustard seed being planted and how that it grows. And he tells here in this very chapter about a vineyard. And so, in most of these, the idea is the idea of bearing fruit, of growing, whether it's the kingdom or whether it has to do with us as individuals. And Spurgeon, in commenting on the verses that we just read, says that here we have both a miracle, Jesus curses the fig tree and it immediately withers, but he says also we have a parable. Jesus is telling us something, he is teaching, he is illustrating something for us in this cursing of the barren fig tree. or we might term it the folly of fruitlessness. What is Jesus demonstrating? He is demonstrating the folly, the foolishness of living a fruitless life, a barren life. And as we seek to open that up, I would ask you to consider these three things. First of all, we'll look at the simple narrative of the cursing of the fig tree. And then I want to say some things about the symbolic or figurative nature of the cursing of the fig tree. I want to seek to prove to you that it is indeed symbolic. And then finally, I want to note the significance, the warning of the cursing of the fig tree. We begin then with the story, the narrative of the cursing of the fig tree. The first thing we're told is that Jesus had expectations about this tree. We read that it was in the morning when Jesus was returning to the city And he becomes hungry. So Jesus has been staying at Bethany a little less than two miles across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem on Mount Zion. So Mount Zion's here. The valley of the Kidron goes up. And Bethany is on the other mountain. Jesus can look over and see into the city from that mountain. And he makes his way each day into the city, beginning with the triumphal entry. And then each evening, he goes back to stay with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus there in Bethany and his other friends there. And so when we read, it was in the morning, he was returning to the city, that's what it's referring to, on this last week of his life when he will be crucified. And so our Lord is returning to Jerusalem, and as he does so, we read that he became hungry. And seeing a long fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And so our Lord is hungry as he begins, heads out in the morning to make this almost two mile trek down across the Brook Kidron and up into Jerusalem. And as he is traveling along, we are told that he sees a fig tree. And both here and in Mark, we see that it has leaves on it, that it has foliage. And that foliage, those leaves, leads to the expectation that there may be fruit on this tree. But Mark tells us it was not yet the season for figs. And so there was a promise of fruit because it had borne these leaves. Was it because it just happened to be in a right spot where it got the right amount of sunlight or the right amount of water? Well, we're not told. But in God's providence, there is this tree that early in the season looks like it has come into fruit early. Now, a few weeks ago, someone gave us some figs. And they said that once they became ripe, they had to be eaten up fairly quickly, because they would go bad rapidly. So the season for figs apparently in Richmond, Virginia area was a few weeks ago. But there is a season when they bear and when that fruit is ripe and it is tasty and and it doesn't last very long. So Mark tells us it was not yet the season for figs, yet this tree, by its foliage, suggested that it could possibly have figs upon it already. So what does Jesus do? He makes his way out of the road. It was growing close by the road, we're told, in one of the other Gospels. And he examines that tree, he inspects it, looks it over, and he finds that it is devoid of figs, it has not borne any fruit, that the leaves were a false promise leading to a false expectation that it was fruitless. And so what does Jesus do? He eliminates that fig tree. Verse 19, no longer shall there ever be any fruit from you. And at once the fig tree withered. Mark tells us that Peter says to Jesus, actually on the next morning, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered. So the idea being that it happened rapidly, it happened suddenly, that the destruction was a result of Jesus' words and this tree died apparently from the root up. The whole thing died. Normally when we have a tree in our yard, a limb breaks, disease sets in, and little by little we see that tree dying. But that's not what the picture is here. It is that the words of Jesus that immediately the tree, the sap of that tree ceased, that it dried up, that it died, and it was obvious when they see the tree the next time that it had died immediately when Jesus had spoken. So That sets forth this story, this narrative of the barren fig tree. Now I want to talk about the symbolism of the cursing of the tree. Most commentators see the act of Jesus in cursing this tree as symbolic or figurative in meaning. Again, Spurgeon says we have here both a miracle and a parable. Not a spoken parable, but a parable by symbolism, a parable by figure when Jesus curses this tree. To quote someone else, this tree was an emblem of the Jews. Christ being hungry and very desirous of the salvation of men, what was Jesus' great desire? What was he really hungry for? his great overarching desire is that men may know his salvation. And so, Christ came to the Jews first, from whom, on account of their large profession of religion and great pretensions to holiness, and the many advantages they enjoyed, humanly speaking, they had the covenants of God, the word of God, miracles, the presence of God, et cetera, much fruit of righteousness might have been expected from them. But alas, he found nothing but mere words, empty boasts, an outward show of religion, an external profession, and a bare performance of trifling ceremonies and oral traditions. Wherefore, Christ rejected them, and then a little time after, The kingdom of God, the gospel, was taken away from them, that is, as a nation, and their temple, city, and nation entirely destroyed, a reference to the Roman siege and destruction, Jerusalem, 70 AD. So, that's an assertion, and as I used to be told, in the academy he who asserts must prove. So having asserted that Jesus is here giving us a parable about what's going to happen to the Jews and that this symbolizes his rejection of them as a nation, I would point out first of all the undeniable similarities with Israel. Given the biblical historical context of Matthew chapter 21, given the condition of this fig tree, its foliage, its promise of fruit and fruitfulness, And yet, its barrenness and Jesus' condemnation due to his expectation and examination of that, if we know our Bibles, it might naturally then lead us to think of the flourishing religion of the Jewish nation, of Judaism, and its sad lack of real fruitfulness at this time. given that Jesus made his way from the Mount of Olives across the Brook Kidron, the Kidron Valley, up to Jerusalem in the temple, he could see into Jerusalem and he could see the flourishing religious activity during this Passover week. On every hand there were pilgrims making their way from all over the world to Jerusalem. leading their animals of sacrifice with their bags of coins to pay the temple tax and to buy sacrifices in the city itself. He could see the bartering. In fact, when he enters the temple, that's exactly what he sees in the outer court of the Gentiles is the money changers changing their own Jewish brethren's money and making profit off of it because the coinage had to be the Jewish accepted coin, excuse me. Sorry. And so the money changers were there, but also Annas the high priest had set up and allowed to be set up in the outer Gentile court the selling of sacrificial animals, those that had already been inspected and accepted for sacrifice, and so those people leading their lambs along were being told, your lamb is not acceptable, you'll have to buy one of these, we can make a swap, and so they were making great profit, and thus Jesus drives the animals and the money changers out and overturns their tables and tells them that God intended for His Father's house to be a house of prayer, but that they had turned it into a den of robbers. They were robbing the people of God. That's what Jesus saw. That's why He had just cleansed the temple, and that is why He curses this fig tree as a symbol that this is what He saw in Israel, nothing but leaves. Religious activity, but no heart for God, no love for their fellow man. They were robbers and thieves, thus Jesus curses the fig tree. The second thing is this, the unusual use of a miracle to curse rather than bless. As mentioned above, even when Jesus cast out the demons from legion, when he permitted them to leave legion and enter the swine, which were then driven mad and drowned in the sea, it was still primarily a blessing to legion. But here, there's no blessing upon anyone, just the cursing of the fig tree. I say that is an unusual use of a miracle by Jesus. His miracles in the New Testament are always for the benefit of someone else. But here, it's not. We have this bare miracle which, if we know our Bibles, should make us say, what's going on here? Why would Jesus do that? It seems so arbitrary, so random. Why is he doing it? Why curse a fig tree? Is our Lord capricious? Is he given over to anger and following after his feelings like we? Well, we know that's not the case. He was made like us in every aspect except for sin. And so our Lord is not acting out of character here. He is making a parable for us. Why would Jesus curse a fig tree? It's not like the fig tree, I mean, it's an inanimate object. It's not a moral being. Why would he curse it? It's not rational. It's not moral. It can't be at fault for not producing figs. And it would be wrong then to think that he who knew no sin acted in sinful wrath or in an arbitrary, capricious way just to show his power. there must be some other explanation. And that explanation, I propose to you, is that he was using the fig tree as an object lesson, an object lesson that is to warn us, an object lesson that is a prophecy of what is about to come upon Israel for the rejection of God. That's what fits in the context. Thirdly, the use of the fig tree as an object lesson is in other places a symbol of Israel. Israel is likened to a fig tree. Hosea chapter nine in verse 10 says, I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit of the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal Peor and devoted themselves to shame, and they became as detestable as that which they loved. And so in that passage, Israel is likened to a fig tree in its first season of fruitfulness. And so God uses the symbol of figs on a fig tree to refer to the first fruitfulness he saw of Israel, though it was of short duration, and due to their idolatry was quickly brought to judgment. So the imagery of the fig tree is of judgment, And it is not without biblical precedent. We have it in Hosea chapter six. Fourthly, the critical statements of the surrounding context, I believe, tell us that this is clearly what Jesus is doing. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, as he's making his triumphal entry down from the Mount of Olives on the foal, the coat of a donkey across the Brook Kidron and rides into Jerusalem as they're crying out, Hail to Christ, the one sent from God, Hosanna, as they're welcoming him as the king of Israel. We read in Luke 19 verses 41 to 44 these words. And when he approached, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace, but now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the day shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, that is, they will lay siege against your walls. and your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you and hem you in on every side and will level you to the ground and your children within you and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. Jesus says this then at the beginning of that Passover week as he enters in the triumphal entry and he sees Jerusalem, that is what he prophesies, not one stone left upon another because of your fruitlessness. As Jesus then enters, drives out the money changers, Restores the outer court of the Gentiles and begins to teach in that outer court Jesus says in Matthew 21 and verse 43 Therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people Producing the fruit of it and he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces But on whomever it falls it will scatter him like dust. As Jesus leaves the temple later, he says this in Matthew 23, verses 37 to 39, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her, how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate, for I say to you, from now on you shall not see me until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And again, Matthew 24, verses 1 and 2, Jesus came out of the temple and was going away when his disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to him. And he answered and he said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone shall be left upon another which shall not be torn down. And so this impressive structure, which looked like it was a permanent fixture, the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, yet Jesus points to those great stones and says, not one stone will be left upon another. Judgment is coming. And I propose to you it is symbolized in the cursing of the fig tree. So what Jesus has said, what he will say is underscored and demonstrated, illustrated by the cursing of the fig tree. And then I would point out the parallel language used of Israel's unfruitfulness. Matthew 21 and verse 43, if you would look at that verse. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. There's no fruit on the fig tree. This nation is producing no fruit. You see the parallel imagery, the parallel language even. Likewise, 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10. Speaking of the church, he says this. Behold, you're a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. When Jesus says to the nation of Israel, you are no longer going to be the nation of God. It's being taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the fruit of it. What's he talking about? He's talking about the Church of Jesus Christ, which Peter says is a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that the Church, made up of Jew and Gentile, believing in Christ, that they are going to be the ones to produce the fruit of salvation and show forth the praises of God in His saving works. And finally, I would point out to you the verbal parable Jesus told about Israel. Notice Luke chapter 13. Luke 13, verses 6 to 9. And he began telling this parable. A man had a fig tree. which had been planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vine, or the vineyard keeper, behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. How long was Jesus ministering? Approximately three years. And he had not found fruit. I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground? They answered and said to him, let it alone, sir, for this year, too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer, and if it bears fruit next year, fine, but if not, cut it down. And so there clearly is a parable with regard to the nation of Israel, plain clear, he's speaking about Israel, that he comes, he has ministered for three years, they have not produced the fruit, and he has already told us that the kingdom is to be taken away and that they are to undergo the judgment by Rome. And so someone has said this, the idea that Jesus cursed a helpless fig tree for no fault of its own has bothered some people. However, Jesus also cast demons out of people and into pigs that drowned in the sea, Matthew 8, 28 and following. This really demonstrates Jesus' compassion for people as distinct from the animal and the vegetable forms of life. Humans were created in the image of God. We are not mere animals. We are in the image of God. higher than the vegetables and higher than the animals, and our lives are not of equal value in the eyes of God, nor should they be in the eyes of men. Humankind, it goes on to say, was God's special creation, and Jesus' recognition of this superior form of life shows that he did not regard all life as equally valuable. In the destruction of the swine, Jesus warned people of Satan's destructive power. In the cursing of the fig tree, he warned them of God's judgment for lack of fruit. Remember John, it makes a reference here to John the Baptist whenever the Pharisees and the Sadducees came and he said, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee the wrath to come? And then he tells them, produce fruit that is suitable to true repentance. And so, the axe, he says, is already laid at the root of the tree. That's what John the Baptist says. In Matthew 7, verses 16 to 20, concerning false prophets, Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits. Men do not gather figs from thistles, but they cut them down and burn them. Matthew 12, he makes references in Matthew 13 to the good soil and to fruitfulness. So the purpose of the tree, what was it? It was to bear fruit. It was a fruit tree, a fig tree. And what was the promise of this tree? It produced leaves and foliage. It looked like it was a healthy producing tree, but the problem was the tree was fruitless. The punishment of the tree then was that it was cursed. And death and destruction is brought upon it. The same thing that happened to the Jewish nation in 70 AD. So that's my argument as to why we should understand the cursing of the fig tree as being symbolic, the nation of Israel particularly. But what is the significance then of the cursing of the fig tree? Well, as it was a warning to Israel of the coming judgment upon Jerusalem and the Jews for their fruitlessness, so it is a warning to each and every one of us. There is here a universal warning of the folly of fruitfulness that it will be met with the judgment of God. Primarily, Jesus is here rebuking Israel. And the root of that fruitlessness lay in their failure to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to recognize Him as Christ, as the Messiah. They failed to repent and come to faith in Jesus as being the acceptable way to God. The only way of bearing real fruit that is pleasing to God, being found in Jesus Christ. Rejecting Jesus, then, was the pinnacle of their unfruitfulness, just as they had killed the other prophets and messengers who had been sent to them. Here, they kill the very son of God. Jesus tells a parable about the vineyard owner who sent his servants, and the ones who were supposed to be caring for and renting out the vineyard did not receive and give him their due, and so they killed those. And he finally said, well, I'll send my son. They'll respect him. But when they came to the vineyard, they said, let us kill the heir and seize the property. And thus, Jesus continues to speak about the rejection of him. And the same applies to any and all who will not bow to Jesus Christ. Israel had been planted by God. It had been cultivated. It had the Word of God, the sacrifices, the ceremonies, things picturing God's salvation and the coming of Christ. It had favored conditions, and it had produced all kinds of religion. But Jesus said their heart was far from God. They were religious. They had the Scriptures. They knew the Scriptures. They were as lost as the devil himself. They're rejected as a nation. It produced all kinds of religious activity, but it did not produce acceptable fruit to God. It was indeed great hypocrisy. Now I conclude by paraphrasing and sometimes quoting Spurgeon. and his applications of this text. Spurgeon has a sermon, you can read it if you'd like to, it's called Nothing But Leaves. And in it, he says, many are like this tree, in that many have the outward signs of Christianity, but not the substance, not the reality. They have baptism, they have church membership, they have all the badges and the honors They have a form of godliness, but they do not have spirit-wrought faith, spirit-wrought power, spirit-wrought virtues, spirit-wrought graces that come with true Christianity. Spurgeon then says, many have opinions, but not faith. That is to say, they're convinced of truth, of doctrine, Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Yes. Do you believe He was made incarnate, that He became a true man? Yes. Do you believe that He lived a sinless, perfect life? Yes. Do you believe that He was crucified, not only because of the wrath of man, but for the wrath of God, and God poured His wrath out upon Him? in the place of his people. Do you believe that? And that he died for sinners? Yes. Do you believe he was resurrected the third day and that he ascended into heaven and that he's coming again? Yes, I believe all of that. You can believe all of that and be as lost as the devil. Because it's not just about being convinced of truth. You can be convinced of truth without truly casting yourself upon Jesus Christ. in a living and lively faith. It is possible to believe something is true without living in dependence upon that truth, without conforming to that truth. So people sometimes have a type of faith. That's why James says, can that faith save him? The answer is, well, no, it can't, because it's dead faith. It's not a living faith. It doesn't produce fruit. So men can believe, but not to the saving of the soul. Not being genuinely converted, resulting in a saving trust in Jesus Christ. they believe about Jesus without believing into Jesus. So many have outward signs, many have opinions, but not faith. Many have talk, but not feeling. Maybe you've known some people who gladly discuss religion. They're glad to debate it. They're glad to argue even sound points of doctrine. I remember a man who was with us for a number of years who became a pretty good theologian who would argue with his fellow sinners about the Reformed faith, but his own testimony was it was unconverted. You see, it's one thing to have head knowledge and it's another thing to have heart knowledge. It's one thing to know that Jesus Christ is the Savior. It's another thing to own Him from the heart as your Savior. I mean, Reformed theology is logical. It's biblical. And that alone can be attractive. Men can recognize this must be true. And yet, It's not their heart's treasure. Christ is not the pearl of great price that they have sold everything to have. It's academic only. They're not prepared to live and to die for the truth. Fourthly, Spurgeon says, many have regrets but not repentance. You see, it's possible to be sorry for the wrong that you've done and still not have a true godly sorrow, that I have offended God, that I have disobeyed God. When I was a kid in grammar school, I used a lot of bad language. Sometimes I knew I was gonna get in trouble for it. And I can remember going to the restroom and praying, saying, God, if you'll just not let me get caught for doing that this time. And as soon as I didn't get caught, that was all gone. Was I sorry at the moment? Yes, I was. But it was not a godly sorry. I wasn't sorry that I had offended God, that I'd broken God's law, that I was a sinner and helpless and undone. I was afraid of a temporary judgment. You see, sorrow alone is not repentance. Repentance is sorrowing to the point of turning from our sin. It is in forsaking our sin. Fifthly, Spurgeon says that many people have resolves without actions. And here I quote Spurgeon. And he says, they will, they will, but as always in the future tense. They are hearers and they are even feelers, but they are not doers of the word. It never comes to that. They would be free, but they have not patience to file their fetters, or to use a file and cut through their bonds, nor grace to submit their manacles to the hammer. They see the right, but they permit the wrong to rule them. They are charmed with the beauties of holiness, and yet deluded with the wantonness of sin. They would run in the ways of God's commandments, but the road is too rough, and running is weary work. They would fight for God, but victory is hardly won. And so they turn back almost as soon as they have set out. They put their hand to the plow, and then prove utterly unworthy of the kingdom. And so, he says, many have outward signs of Christianity, but they don't have the power of it. Many have opinion, they are decided that this is true, but they don't have saving faith. Many have taught, they'll argue the points of religion, but they don't have heart religion, they don't have a feeling with that. Many have regrets, but not repentance. Many have resolves without actions. And then Spurgeon says that there is a word here for nations. Proverbs 14.34 says, righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. The wickedness of a nation, of a people, a culture, calls for the judgment of God. And the more abominable that sin is and that culture is, the more heinous the sin, the louder it calls for the wrath and the punishment of God. How much more than a nation like our own, who has had the scriptures, had the scriptures taught for decades, even hundreds of years, has heard the word of God preached, and yet has fallen away from Christianity, from the principles of morality that made it a once great and prosperous nation, and which claims to be a Christian nation, and upon whose money is written, in God we trust. Whose land is dotted with churches and flourishes in religion. but whose God is their belly and their appetite, whose love is money and pleasure and ease. How much more then does our nation call out for the judgment of God? And then Spurgeon says there's a word here that is appropriate to churches. And he says many churches are full of religious activity without real Christianity. There's many that are engaging in more of a social gospel and now of late we have churches that are called woke churches who are concerned about social justice to the point in many it is to be feared to the forsaking of the centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Religious activity may live on long after Christianity has been sacrificed, so that we too can have form without substance, leaves without real fruit. And there are some, it must be feared, who have fallen so far as to be referred to in Revelation 2.9, that they have become synagogues of Satan. It's true of churches and of denominations. And when churches have leaves but no fruit, it calls with the loudest voice with the judgment of God. And it may be true of us personally as well, especially those of us who profess to follow Christ, to be saved, to know God, to have experienced the saving grace of God. So brethren, let us not produce leaves only. but true spiritual fruit. Let us not be barren, for that is the worst kind of folly. Let us not be hypocrites, but those who have true heart religion and who bear fruit, who have vital living Christianity, a living faith and not a dead one. As Colossians 1.10 says, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Jesus came to this very end to make us acceptable to God and fruitful in serving God. For this end he came and for this end his broken body and shed blood were given on our behalf. Now there's two other applications that I pass over. I did a sermon on those applications in conjunction with this text. The very fact that Jesus hungered tells us about his true humanity, that he knew what it was to suffer hunger, and that he was no phantom, but he was a real man. And the fact that he, with a word, can bring death upon the fig tree, tells us of his real deity, that he was both God and man, and that we serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and man. Let us then be fruitful, brethren, lest we come under the curse of God. Let us pray. Father, we would pray for any outside of Christ that you might use the imagery of the cursed barren fig tree to awaken them to their need of Jesus Christ. That it is not enough to be religious. It is not enough to believe with the mind only. That it is not enough to talk religion. We pray, oh God, that each and every one under the sound of my voice may have heart religion, they may know Christ, that they may walk with Christ, that they may delight in Christ and bear fruit for the glory of Jesus Christ. Keep us from hypocrisy. Keep us from barrenness. Help us, our God, as churches and individuals and as a nation, that we may bear fruit unto you. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.