Today, dear church family, we'll be considering that parable of the barren fruit tree, or the fruitless fruit tree. Ironically, our family at home has a barren fruit tree, which we've had for three years now. And I've got it, and planted it in the garden, and for three years now, I've had this fig tree. And every week, I kind of go out and I see the green shoots coming up and seeds, and I don't see any figs for three years now. There's no fence. It's frustrating me immensely. And I've actually come to realize it later. Why? Why there isn't any fence on this tree. I know exactly the reason why. I've sought to dung it, to dig around it, to prune it, to purge it, to water it. I've done all these things and yet, every year. But the problem I had, really, was that I was relying mostly upon me getting everything right with this tree, getting the dung right, getting the pruning right, getting all these things. And really, and these things are good, bear in mind, you're supposed to do these things. But the one thing I was missing, which is only God can provide, And that, of course, is the sun of righteousness. I planted it in a shady spot in the garden, you see. And it needs, fig trees need sun. But more importantly than that, they need to retain that sun. They need to retain that sun. And especially in hot countries, they need to retain everything that comes from heaven. They need to retain the sun. And also, very importantly, the moisture as well. There needs to be well-drained, the soil needs to be constricted, walled in as it were. And it was the basics, the vital things, The Lord, before the parable, mentions the great hypocrisy, does he not? In verses one through five of the Jewish nation. They had all the means of grace, did they not? For many years, they were given the law and the prophets. They were given the great and godly men of faith of old. They were given all They appeased over and over God's goodness, these vital things that God gave them to be a fruitful people. And they became an unfruitful people, unlike their forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. They became unfruitful in their superior thinking. I'm not gonna go into the detail of those particular verses. I think we all get the gist of them. and that the Galileans, as it were, these things happened to the Galileans because of their sin. And the Lord really says, well, you need to repent. These things happened in Jerusalem as well. You need to repent of your sins. You see, they thought, they thought that they were okay already with the Lord God. And it is the Son of God himself here, is it not? The Lord Jesus Christ. to them and to us, to relay to us these eternal truths. And the Lord doesn't complicate it. He speaks very simply, doesn't he? These parables that really last the test of time. Anyone throughout history can understand these simple plain truths of a barren fig tree. So he speaks very simply, but yet very profoundly. these eternal truths, so that our hearts might be softened and humbled and ultimately changed for His glory. Christ here begins in verse six, doesn't he? Where he says, a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit thereof and found none. It is plain to me that the certain man in this parable, of course, is the Lord God himself, the maker of the universe, the creator of all that we have, the great husbandman, the great benefactor behind all goodness here upon the earth, and of course, the only savior of sinners. It is clear that he is a certain man here. God in Holy Scripture a certain man, or a certain husbandman, or a certain king, isn't he? So we can be very, very clear that this indeed is referring, this certain man is referring to God himself. It is also very clear to us, and plain to us, that his vineyard here is describing his churches, the true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. Notice there, this fig tree was, he didn't say he planted it in his vineyard, it just says this fig tree was planted in his vineyard. But the vineyard, his vineyard, are the true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. A vineyard, of course, first starts off, doesn't it? Like any ordinary part of land, doesn't it? And we think upon that place in the Middle East, barren, barren wilderness, as it were, dry and arid country, and the ground would have been full of weeds, it would have been full of bramble and bushes, rocks and stones, wild trees, it would have been a harsh ground, wouldn't it, dear friends? And then really, at great cost, He would have separated this ground. He would have walled it and hedged it, as it were. He would have built a tower within it to look out, as it were, for those who would come and thieve it. And so at great cost, and at great pain, trees, the trees that perhaps have been affected by cankers and diseases, he would have, at great cost and pain, made this common ground into a very special ground for his good use and for his pleasure. And even so, dear friends, this is true of the one true and eternal God, this certain man, who takes his church, of mankind, who before lay waste as a barren wilderness. And he transforms it, doesn't he? He transforms it into a vineyard of peculiar use, special use, fruitful use, for his glory. And so it is clear to me, friends, that the fig tree he had described as well, described in the parable, of the church of Jesus Christ. And I'll say that we're professing, all professing Christians of the church of Jesus Christ. The visible church, as it were. It is also very clear to me that not all professors are planted by the Lord Jesus Christ, as it were, into his visible church. Or rather, in his invisible church. Everyone that says they're a Christian born again, and how often have we borne that truth? With days out in evangelism, speaking to people, and they don't even know the term born again. By the simple fact that they are not fruitful, dear friends, because God in himself, you see, this certain man who has the special vineyard It's within them, you see, to bring forth fruit. They cannot help bring forth fruit. And this is what the certain man is looking for in his true churches. He is looking for fruit, spiritual fruits. Those who truly have a precious fruit of the gospel and of Christ in their hearts. And we are told, aren't we, in no uncertain terms in verse six, God seeks fruits from every single tree. Every single tree. Why? Well, because that ground were the true churches of Christ. That special ground taken from the world and made into a church of And would we not reason with this? I'm getting in my wits end, as it were, with that fig tree in the garden. I'm getting close, as it were, to, I've already actually with an apple tree, and the children will tell you, I've already cut one apple tree down because of the infected with the disease. I've literally just cut it down. But I'm getting to my wits end with that fig tree in the garden now. But this is me speaking here. I'm thinking about potentially either digging it up or repositioning it. But you see, God seeks fruit, dear friends, from those who profess to be in Christ, to profess to be true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit tree in today's parable is talking about all of God, who have all the advantages of the visible Church of Jesus Christ, have all the means of grace given to them, but they abuse it week in, week out. They may be brought up in a Christian home. They may be under faithful They're not convinced that they need the vital sap of the Holy Spirit. They're not convinced, really, that they need a renewed will. They're playing games, as it were, with God. There's no true turning or forsaking here of sin and the world, and looking to Christ, the Son of Righteousness, alone. You see, the Jews The God was so long-suffering and patient with them. They had those mighty men of faith, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Caleb and Joshua and David and so on. These great men of faith that lived by faith in the Saviour and in His promises. They showed Him, as it were, that they were trusting in the Redeemer, but they abused it. They abused it all in the land of Canaan, this prosperous land. They continued, as it were, to abuse God's kindness. They became fruitless, didn't they? Their religion became nominal. And they became as white as sepulchres. It was a fall. There was no true forsaking of sin, leaving sin with all your heart and cleaving to Christ by faith and trusting in Him alone. into the vineyard, which was not God's way. It was a man's way of salvation. And that's what we see all around us, don't we? In the worldly and nominal Christianity. But alas, dear friends, in the sentiments of Romans 11, let us not boast ourselves here. over the branches that have been broken off, as it were, from the Holy Lamb of that nation of Israel. Dear friends, when the same is absolutely true of us here in the West, with much of our fruitless, worldly, and faithless Christianity, which is on display here at the West, and no wonder why God's judgment is upon us. fig trees fruitful. It's interesting to know. What does make a fig tree fruitful? Well, of course, like I mentioned a little bit earlier, fig trees thrive, don't they, in the sunshine. They need the sunshine and the heat. Some fig trees, you know, can fruit all year round. Literally, they are one of the most They fruit bountiful fruit, and the fruit are so beautiful, because the fruit are like a flower, but they are inverted, so the flower, when you open it up, the flower is with inside the fruit. Isn't that beautiful? And I think God teaches us a very important lesson, that he wants the beauty to be from within, doesn't he? He wants us to have a heart and a mind for him. It doesn't matter on how we present ourselves, We can, on the Lord's day, talk very well and do all these things, but during the week, our hearts and our minds can be in the world again. No true love for the Lord, not loving Him, not walking by faith, just walking as a worldling, as it were. The beauty, you see, the love of the Lord is not there in our hearts. And, you see, we need the sunshine, but the sunshine, you see, The sunshine of the Word of God, it needs to be retained, you see. That's the important thing. And those things which come from heaven, like just like a fig tree upon earth, or all trees, unless they retain that sunshine, if they're diseased, of course, they might not retain it. If they're in the wrong position in the garden, like I've done, they're not gonna retain enough. If, in a hot country, if they don't retain enough moisture, if it's not in a free-draining soil, a restricted soil, a walled and separated, as it were, put aside, save it for God's use. If these things are, well, these things are like things, I don't have to separate myself unto God. I don't have to frame my life around the Lord God. I can still do what I want in life. These are, there's a great danger here, isn't there? There's a great danger because we need the retention of the sun, of righteousness. Though the sun be a great gulf away, and though the living water be a great gulf away, it makes its way to earth, doesn't it? And it brings, raises things up to newness of life. Now we see it so clearly here, don't we? You know, fig trees also flourish. when the soil is constricted. When the soil is constricted. When they're separated, as it were, and constricted. You don't need an abundance of soil for fig trees. If you constrict the soil, and actually you put them against a wall or something like that, they can flourish. Because they've got this, they're hedged in, as it were, they're walled in. And that's what God wants. That's what true believers do. But it's from within the heart, isn't it? And so true Christians, dear brethren, flourish when they are biblically separated. And often it's the contrast that makes them all fervent for the Lord. David said, it's a good thing that I've been afflicted. It's good. It's good that I'm hated for living for you from my heart and loving you. People hate me and despise me for wanting to talk about the things of God and live the things of God. It's a good thing that I'm inflected, that I'm being taught of the things of God. Are these things true of us? Why have we become fruitless in our Christianity? Fig trees also can thrive and be incredibly fruitful in poor soil. You see, you don't need rich soil, compost, although it's good, don't get me wrong, to dump it about and to take away the soil and enrich it Dear friends, as long as they got that which is from heaven, as long as they retain the sun, and the moisture, and it goes down to the root, as it were, and they're rooted in Christ, then they'll be raised up to newness of life, then they'll all bear forth fruit. Dear friends, as long as the soil retains the things that come from heaven, from God, dear friends, that's what matters. So Christians who retain the Word of God heartily, sincerely, they're not a forgetter of God's Word. They take the words in as a Word. They savour them like our food. It does our bodies good. Well, the same does a true seeker of the Lord. To love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their mind, with all their soul. To, by faith, hold upon these words and live them. Take note, friends, that professors can enjoy, as we see so clearly in this parable, the benefits of the visible church. They can have sunshine within their families. They can be raised by parents who love them and who train them up in God's ways and who are under faithful ministry. And we're not saying that all parents cannot make mistakes. Of course they can. We're not saying that ministers cannot sometimes make mistakes, of course we can. But by and large, if people are brought up, and then God has so favoured them, and so hedged them in, and so given them all the opportunities, and all the means of grace to save them, and over and over again, they do not retain these precious words, the toil that God has laid upon ministers' hearts, parents' hearts, and many other things, if they do not retain them, And they just keep on appeasing God's goodness to them. Being born within a Christian family, going to a true Bible-believing church. And they make light of the message, and they murmur, and they complain. And they, you know, I don't have to go to church this week, I'll pick and choose. And then, suddenly, why cumber in this? Cut it down. Cut it down. Their heart continues to resist the grace they need. And so, friends, the question that maybe arises here for all of us, doesn't it? Am I bringing forth fruit, spiritual fruit, as a Christian? If I call myself a Christian, I may have even been baptised, am I bringing forth spiritual fruit? Has there been a change, a real change of heart, a new desire to love God more than anything? And it doesn't matter how we appear to other people. The Lord, you know, the Pharisees, you know, they looked great to other people. They looked white, white in sepulchres, but they were dead within. It doesn't matter. Do you have a changed heart? Do you sincerely want to live for Christ and Him alone? For the matters of heaven, the matters of eternity? Has there been a renewed will? Is there a new desire for you to live for the Lord? The Lord said himself, didn't he? Unless we hate wife, brother, brethren, all these things, that's not saying we should hate those things. What he's saying is that Christ has to be first. If he's not first, he is not second or third, he's last. Because the thing, even good things that God People, good things, can take us away from God. Because we can abuse them, and we can raise them up so much in our lives that we put them before God. Now that's idolatry, isn't it? Has our hearts been genuinely changed so that fear is first? Have we got a renewed will, a new desire, new principles in life? Have we truly forsaken sin? That's the key, isn't it? being convinced of sin. You see, much of the Christianity now, it hasn't forsaken us. It is an absolute forsaking. It doesn't mean that we're never going to fall into sin. But our aim, by the Holy Spirit of God and by God's grace, is to leave it all behind and to live for Christ. I never want to go back there again. I never want to be governed by my sin again. I've got to forsake it and turn and live and retain these words. You see, to love God, to be fruitful, means that you've got to love God more than yourself. I've got to love God more than myself. It has to be, no Christian can ever love God unless he loves God more than himself. That's what David said in the Psalms, didn't he? My word is better than life and my salvation is better than life. Forgive me, I can't remember the exact words, but that's true. God is better than life, isn't he? He's better than my life. It doesn't matter what happens to me now. I'm all in. I'm all in for Christ because of his love for me, because of what he has done for me. Christ said in Matthew 7, 20, didn't he? Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. You will know true Christians by their fruits. Their spiritual fruits, you see. If there is a true humbled heart, a true repenting heart, that you see that in their life. They're not conceited, as it were. Even with theology and things, they're not lifted up. But there's a broken heart there. You see that in their hearts. They're humble before the Lord. They trust in heaven, not themselves. Wherefore by the fruits ye shall know them. The fruits of repentance. The fruits of faith and love. Truly saved Christians are known by the fruits, aren't they? There has been a divine They now retain the sun, don't they? They now retain the living water, don't they? It goes to the root of their hearts. That's in Christ. And we are told very much so, don't we, in verse seven of this situation. Then said he unto the dresser, Cut it down. Why come from the ground? We see here, look at that word behold here. As if God is saying, behold, look in wonder, be astoned. Look in amazement at this person, at this fruitless believer. They're brought up in a Christian home. They're under faithful ministry. They are under many of God's true fruitful people. who love the Lord, who are walking by faith, who have forsaken the world. Behold, there be a stone, look at it, this fruitless tree, look in wonder, dear friends, at why they continue to trust in themselves and love the world and secretly despise God's Word. Behold, it's a wonder, it's a wonder, isn't it? Now friends, God has appointed His Son, hasn't He? to be the chief dresser of his vineyard. And all those undershepherds and labourers are under the chief dresser. And ultimately, it is the chief dresser that will cut off those branches and dig up, as it were, those fruitless trees that are fruitless. Cut it down! Why come with the ground? Cut it down! It continues to abuse God's goodness, week in, week out, week out. The heart is still not changed. There's a facade, isn't there? Oh, just going to church, being on one's best behavior at church, or doing certain things, brownie points, seen by other people, but no real turning in the heart. No real change deep down within the heart and the desire. No true love for the Lord, really. by fate taking hold upon him and pleading with him to be saved and to be truly converted here. It's just a show, as it were. Behold, cut it down, cut it down. Why come from the ground? You see, friends, God in himself is fruitful, and so naturally he expects to find the fruits of the Spirit from all those who are born of him. He wants the precious fruit. of the vineyard from every single one of us fruit, does he not? And that's true of us. We cannot say God is unfair. I'm getting to my wits end of that fig tree in the garden. And we want that space, because space is valuable, and time is valuable. I want that space and that time to be used, Are we living solely by faith for the Lord? It doesn't mean that we don't have a nice leisure time, a recreational time, but has there really been a change, a true change in our hearts to living for the Lord? That's the question, isn't it? What are the fruits that God is seeking for from us? What's the fruits? Because we're told here, he is seeking for fruits. Then said he unto the dress of his vineyard, on this fig tree, on this fig tree. You see, He knows every single one of His fig trees. Not one of His trees goes amiss. He is a God of truth, you see. He knows the heart, intimately. These three years, and we seek in the patience of the Lord, don't we? He is so patient and kind and long-suffering. These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground? Cut it down. We can almost see it like the Lord wept over Jerusalem, as it were. They won't listen to me. Cut it down, as it were. And then they keep on resisting the grace they need. Cut it down. Why cumbereth the ground? I've been with them for these years, as it were. They still won't hearken to me. They still will not treat my salvation seriously and believe upon me. Have one foot in the world, one foot in Christ. Why come, Brethren? I've shown them so much love. We can almost see the Lord with tears in His eyes, weeping over them. Cut it down. Why come? If I've tried so long and hard, my spirit will not want to strive with man as it would. And so what are the fruits that God is seeking for? Well, one of the main fruits, of course, is saving faith. Saving faith. Some people claim to have faith, but it must be faith that is given of God. Saving faith, which is more precious than gold and that perishable. For without it, no man can please the Lord God. By faith, we believe unto salvation. We believe Christ is who he is. And the claims that he has made, we believe the record truly. And after today's service, we can have real communion with him by faith. He is present with us, isn't he? And we partake of his body and his flesh by faith, remembering and being sanctified through it, friends. Saving faith makes every bitter trial sweet for the believer, doesn't it? All things work together for good, those that love God, those who are called according to his will. and comforts the poor fainting Christian, the backsliding Christian. It brings them back again, as it were. Saving faith in Christ gives us peace, which this world cannot afford, dear friends. This world's never, ever gonna give us lasting peace and happiness. Without saving faith, there is no change of heart, real change of heart. There's no renewed will. There's no true desire, is there, to love the Lord, to be spent for Him without saving faith. We can claim all sorts of things. We can claim to prophesy in his name, to speak in tongues. We can claim to give to charity, to be upright, and to do all these things. And that dreadful, that dreadful announcement will be made on that day of judgment when the Lord comes back. I never need you. But Lord, Lord, I've done all these things. I never need you. Depart from me, ye that work in me. Cast into the fire. broken up, dug them out on the church. Yes, you were in church. Yes, you did all these things. But you never really loved me, did you? I was never really first by faith in your hearts. You put other things, people, before me. You see, you could do lots of things, but not have saving faith. That's a fruit, as we tend to know, a wonderful fruit on the loved and died for them. And by faith every day, a believer takes hold upon the Lamb and says, God, be merciful to me as a sinner. It's not a one-off. Yes, when you are truly saved, you are saved. But it's not like a one-off. Some people assume, yeah, I can save back and along. But it's a daily thing, depending upon the Lord. Saving faith's a daily thing. We fight, we've got enemies that are far greater than us. And so we need this space, this gift, this supernatural fruit of the Spirit. We need it, don't we? We need to retain it. So that we can overcome our sin and the devil and the world and all these battles that lay before us. True faith believes fully that Christ has loved them to the end for all their sins and that he died for them, yea, he's risen. Why have saving prayer? Am I living exclusively for Christ? What about the other fruits God is seeking? Because he wants fruits. That space in the vineyard, that space, that ground in his true churches, and the labourers he puts, ministers, other people who spend time, he's not gonna want them labouring in vain, and that's why I believe that God don't want to be in the researching ministry, don't want to be challenged, they just want tickling ears. And the Lord takes them away, doesn't he? Cut it down, why come from the ground? It's taking up space, as it were, in my vineyard, in my true churches. So what are the fruits of God seeking in his vineyard? Well, saving faith and love. Love. Do we have God's love, I'm not talking about the love of this world. The world, the Hollywood type of phony love, the virtually significant love, that's not love. Most people and professors within Christianity will tell you that they are good people. You say, how do you know you're a Christian? Just ask them a very simple question. How do you know you're a Christian? And we've said that many times, haven't we? Oh, because I do this good thing, because I give to charity, because I was raised as a Christian, and because I don't steal, I don't swear, I'm very good to my employer. I do all these things, I'm an outstanding citizen. Even people tell me how good a person I am. And these things, of course, are to be praised. They're good, aren't they? But this is not God's love. This is not totally God's love. Horizontal commandments. That's our responsibility towards man, isn't it? But what about our responsibility towards God? The vertical commandments. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. I need to be first. Don't I? Doesn't it? To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Everything in. I'm not my own anymore. My body is not my own. I'm civic now. I'm hedged in, I'm walled now for Christ. I'm all in, aren't I? That's the love that God wants. To love Him with everything that we've got, and to seek that love, and to know of that love, and to retain it and believe in it. To believe that Christ has loved you, especially when He had your name written upon His heart. When He was suffering all those years, when He was mocked and derided, when he had his nails pierced in his hands, when he suffered the wrath of Almighty God, that has to punish sin because he's a God of justice. He had you upon his heart because he loves you. That love, friends, if we truly believe it and take it to our hearts personally, will radically change us from within. Like the fig, the flower will be within our hearts. It will change. And figs are one of the most, from what I've learned, are one of the most healthiest fruits in terms of benefits for people. They've got amazing health benefits apparently, but that's not the point I'm making. It's the spiritual point here. There's beauty from within. There's Christ's love from within, isn't there? That's what he wants, isn't it? The love which is on Christ is love in God more than anything. Dying to self, daily. Mortifying self, daily. I'm mortifying these things. I dare not, again, touch the accursed thing in the camp, as it were. I dare not go out of the camp, as it were, and live like a world living. No, no. I'm upset, but for Him, now. I'm His, I want to love Him. And if I do fall, If I am tempted, as it were, I'm grieved because I've got the Holy Spirit. I'm grieved because I've abused His love. There's true repentance. There's tears. There's partying. There's pleading with God for forgiveness and reinstatement, as it were. I know I'll never lose my salvation, but still it grieves me. because my father has loved me, I'm in his vineyard, he tends to me, he loves me, he sends me ministers, he sends me parents, he sends me all these things, he hedges me about, he pours blessing upon blessing. How can I not be grieved over these things? Those who have this wonderful fruit of love, friends, God's love, love the brethren, don't they? How does the world know? Love of the Brethren. Do you love God's people? Or is it more about yourself? That's how the world knows that we love God. Love of the Brethren. A fervent love for the Brethren. A fervent love for wanting to see God's true churches prosper and be blessed and to thrive. But are you secretly thinking, well, I don't want this church to thrive, actually. I don't want these things. I'll actually, I want to be away from these things. Well, these things are of the devil, aren't they? Do we love the Lord? Do we love his people? And yes, of course, we're all different fig trees, aren't we? We all come from different backgrounds. We all graft an innocent word from different places. But do we find that common thread that runs through all of us? God's love, God's love, his mercy to us. We see beyond the other. The merciful believer, dear friends. The love of righteousness. The hating of evil. Love that works humility, isn't it? Patience, temperance. For such things, dear friends, there is no law, is there? Such love, God's love. Love for the lost. Even love for one's enemies who deride you, mock you, gossip about you, hate you. Even love for them. What love Christ gives to us. How can we resist this? And hence the words here. Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why come, brother? They're resisting this love. They're resisting this grace, this salvation that I fully give to them. They're resisting it because they love their sin. They love their own way. more than me, cut it down. Behold, it's a wonder, be astoned, as it were, that they carry on in such a way. Do you know the fruits, dear friends, of God's love and saving faith? That's what he's looking for. Doesn't matter how you look on the outward, well it does to an extent. It does matter on what you do outwardly, but what God's looking for is the fruits from within, because there will be established In your heart, do I? Remember the man in Matthew's Gospel who had no wedding garments, yet he tried to enter in, didn't he? And to the wedding feast, and what happened? He was found out, wasn't he? Tried to go another way, didn't he? Into Christ's kingdom, into heaven. And they found him out. You don't have a wedding garment. You're not trusting in Christ's righteousness alone by faith. You're not receiving God's love. God desires fruits, spiritual fruits. And we are told in today's parable that he patiently sought it for three years. God is so long-suffering and patient, giving us plenty of time and space to repent, isn't he? Not willing that any should perish, that all should come to the knowledge of Him in true salvation. We can all be a stiff-necked people, can't we, friends? We can all be unfruitful. But if we continue, dear friends, Now we are unfruitful by nature. If we continue to kick against the threats of conscience, that branch will be broken off. That tree will be plucked up from the roots, won't it? And be cast in the fire. Because it's taking up space. It's taking up time, as it were. This ground is special ground, it's holy ground. This is the fruitful trees. God wants fruit, special fruit, spiritual fruit. He sees the heart, doesn't he? He sees what's in the heart. I see thine heart, as it were. He saw David's heart, didn't he? That's what he wants, he wants to see, fruit within the heart, true repentance. That's why he's convincing them before the parable today, verses one through five, unless ye repent, unless you truly turn from your own self-worth, He's a God of truth, dear friends. He's there all the time. He will not accept a bare profession of faith. He will not accept if you've got all the theology and knowledge in the world, nor have great acts of charity, nor prophecy. None of these things matter with Him. Many will come to the Lord that day and say, Lord, I've done all these things, look at me. Depart from me, you that work iniquity. You never had a heart for me. It was all about yourself, wasn't it? You're Christian, it was all about you. Not about me. You didn't love me. You didn't serve me from your heart. It was just about you and what people thought of you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity. Cut it down. Why can't we break the ground? It's a waste. It's a waste of ground in my vineyard. You're not being fruitful. If those under the means of grace continue to resist the vital sack God has a number of ways of cutting it down, doesn't he? Cutting down the stiff-necked, fruitless trees. He can give that person up to a reprobate heart, to their own heart's lust. That's what we see around us, don't we? That's what we see with the nominal Christianity. All around us, he can withdraw those influences of the Holy Spirit, can't he? Faithful ministers, take them away in some narrow line. They can watch some video on YouTube, come up with some little schism, and take them away. Or they can do something like this, take them away. God can do that. Why? Because the canker, the disease, the fruitlessness, as it were, can spread to other fruitful trees. Those who are truly committed, living for the Lord, it can spread, you see, dear friends, because He wants fruitful trees. He wants those to pay for fruit. And so he has a number of ways, it has to do with cutting down these trees, these fruitless trees, by giving people over to their own hearts' lust. What a terrible thing. I can tell you this on me. For many years I was this way. I had my brother, Jason, speaking to me about the Lord. My mum, giving me things of the Lord. I resisted to them, and I was given over to Until, really, that person asked me a relationship. Do you have a relationship with God? That Irishman said, do you have a relationship with God? I said I did. I said I did, but I didn't. It wasn't a real one, you see. It's got to be a real relationship, I think. What a terrible thing. I wouldn't want my worst enemy to be given over to their own heart, dear friends. You know, he's got other ways as well of cutting it down. Why come to the ground? He can send strong delusions into people's hearts and people's lives, can't he? He can lead that person to strong temptations. Give that person's heart over. Well, I'll just give myself to the flesh, calm things. sexual sin, many other things, strong temptations, strong delusions, powerful delusions, too powerful. Well, if I just give my heart to these things, even man's sense of salvation, what a terrible thing to be at the gates of the kingdom and not in. With death, as it were, with a slayer coming at you and thinking I'm a Christian because I'm doing these things, a strong delusion, as it were. but not yet in the Lord's, not yet truly loving Him and living by faith with Him. A man-centered way of salvation, well, cut it down. Why come to the ground? He's got many ways of cutting it down, hasn't he? If the fruitless tree seeks to infect other fruitful trees, dear friends, God can suddenly cut down that tree to death in the midst of the illness. And I know sickness. And death can happen to us all because of a common curse, that's very true, we should never ever claim other ones. But really, if we're not living for the Lord, and actually, if we're saying we're Christians and we are massively influencing other Christians to say, and a worldly example, and teaching them unholy things, we're unfruitful and we're making other Christians unfruitful, cut it down. Why come from the Christ? No, we have a terrible influence. on other people. They're taking other believers away from the Lord. They're dividing God's people, as it were. They're spreading as a canker. Cut it down. Why come from the ground? He's got many ways, doesn't he, of cutting, cutting it down. You see, dearly beloved, the Lord, a fruitless tree takes up time and space within the Lord God's true vineyard, within the Lord God's true churches, which can be put to Why cast your pearls to slime, as it were, those who continually fight against you, gossip against you, have an attitude against you, seek to draw people away? Why? Why do it? These fruitless trees, if they're not bearing fruit, they're going to want to corrupt you and take others with them. Into hell, drag them down, as it were. Why cover them in the ground? Why endanger the food? They are one person on the Lord's day, and then during the week, they're a completely different worldly person. On the Lord's day, yes, I'll speak of the Lord, but during the week, I'm just back at the world again. No truly living for the Lord, no true heart and attitude to Christ, cut it down, wipe under the ground. Such continually come and grieve the Holy Spirit, don't they? They come and grieve the Holy Spirit, but dear friends, Verses 8 and 9. Praise be to the Lord, dear friends, that he is a God of mercy and longsuffering and patience. Verse 8. And the answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig it about and dung it. And if it bear fruits well, and if it not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Take note, dear friends. Christ interceding for barren trees, fruitless trees. It's not too late. You may be one sat here today, you may have a profession of faith, and you've done all, you do all the things aptly, but deep down in your heart, you know that you're not yet right with the Lord. You know really that there hasn't been a true turning to the Lord, a true pleading with the Lord until you know with assurance that you're His. and that you have the vital sack of the Holy Spirit, and that Christ is first in your life, and you're living for him, and you love him, and you love his causes, and you hate sin. As it says in Isaiah 53, 12, he bared a sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. God bare long, didn't he, dear friends, of Israel's unfaithfulness, Israel's unfruitfulness, God bears long He is slow to anger, slow to wrath, not willing that any should perish but all should be saved. Christ, of course, himself, has spared no cost and no pains for you to be fully and soundly converted in order that you may be a fruitful tree. He has given his own life as a sacrifice for sin. He is loved unto death. His heart was broken. God's heart was broken for you, so that you may be made fruitful. Christ, of course, as the dresser, isn't he here, dear friends? But dear friends, after all that's been said, after all God's means of grace to you, to believe and truly take hold upon Christ and his love for you, you continue to remain unmoved by the gospel, unmoved in your heart, still unpenitent, still unrepentant as it was, still resisting God's word, God's salvation, then sadly justice, God's justice, at the last must cut down the fruitless tree. It's very small, isn't it? But it's true. It must, God's justice has to, Because God's trees must bear forth fruit. They have to. Because they're born of God. And they're taking up space in the vineyard. And God desires precious fruit. You need the Son of Righteousness. Christ. You need Him with everything. And you need to retain Him within your heart. You need Him to be rooted in your heart. And savoured. day to day, His compassion and kindness, yet again to death. Will you listen, dear friends? Will you listen with your heart and with your mind and give yourself utterly to Him? Will you be raised to newness of life in your heart and in your mind? The acts of God's justice is being prepared, isn't it? Friends, in Christ's teaching, once again, from His Word, turn, turn from your sin. Why will you die? Turn and live! Live! Live in me! Why will you die? And just in closing, friends, I just want to encourage those who are truly trusting in the Saviour. If you're truly trusting in Christ alone for his salvation, yet like me at times, you still are appalled with the wretchedness of the old nature as it looms. in your own hearts, your own failings, as it were, like me, don't despair, dear friends, because the dresser, Christ himself, comes to the fig tree. And like all fig trees, you can't really see the fruit on the fig tree, can you? It's very hard to spot figs on the fig tree. Christ comes, as it were, he seeks that fruit, he lifts up those leaves, as it were, which are covered, which cover all the fruits, from the naked eye of the world. He lifts it up, and he looks within, and he digs within, he lifts up the fig tree, goes within it, and he says, ah, ah, see all the fruit? I couldn't see that from there, but inside, you see, there's plenty of fruit from within, because I've seen thine heart. I've seen what's in thine heart, that you're truly trusting in me, and truly love me and sought me, and know of me. are seen like hearts. And so be of good courage, dear brethren, if this is speaking to you. God will strengthen your heart. Amen. ♪ Mary, born with the Lord ♪ ♪ In the light of His Word ♪ What glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who ♪ To trust and obey ♪ ♪ Trust and obey ♪ ♪ For there's no other way ♪ ♪ To be happy in Jesus' eyes ♪ ♪ But to trust and obey ♪ ♪ Not a shadow can rise ♪ ♪ Not a cloud in the skies ♪ ♪ Not a star with each light fades away ♪ ♪ Not a doubt nor a fear ♪ ♪ Not a sign or a deal ♪ ♪ Heaven or hell, we just can't obey ♪ ♪ Just can't obey ♪ ♪ Oh, there's no other way ♪ ♪ To be happy in Jesus ♪ ♪ Unto Christ and all men ♪ ♪ Not the pain we bear ♪ ♪ Not the sorrow we share ♪ I don't believe that which ye believe. Not a ring or a loss, not a crown or a cross, but as best they may trust and obey. ♪ Just stand away ♪ ♪ For it's no other way ♪ ♪ To be happy in Jesus' eyes ♪ ♪ But you must stand away ♪ ♪ But you never can pray ♪ ♪ And the lights of His love ♪ ♪ Until all of the altar remains ♪ ♪ All the favor He shows ♪ ♪ And the joy He bestows ♪ ♪ On the lovers too ♪ You just make the way, just make the way, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus' name. ♪ We consented his deeds ♪ ♪ O'er a warm, quiet, silent night ♪ ♪ Wondrous as it was then ♪ ♪ When Christ died the world begun ♪ Never fear, only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for it's the right way. To be happy in Jesus, and to trust Him,