We will turn please to Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13. Last Lord's Day we looked at the opening words of this chapter where we're aid of two calamities. One that the Lord was told about, of course, he was already absolutely familiar. Then the Lord referred to another. But in both cases, the great takeaway was, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. And so we saw that that is to be the chief response to calamity. The words that follow then, Now, are related, as we'll see in a moment or two, verse six. So Luke 13, verse six, he spake also this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree. and find none. Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it. If it bear well, sorry, if it bear fruit, well, and if not, then after that, thou shalt cut it down. And we know the Lord will again bless the reading of his word. We'll take the Lord's face together, please, in prayer. Our gracious Father, we do give thee thanks for help already today. And Lord, we pray as we come now and meditate upon thy holy truth that thou will give help from heaven. Oh Lord, we pray that there will be a word from thyself to every waiting soul And Lord, we do pray that in all of us, there will be that evident fruit. Oh Lord, grant that help of the Holy Spirit of God. We pray in our Lord's great name. Amen. Amen. One day, quite recently, when I was driving in the car, I was listening to the radio and it was one of the gardening programs where it's a phone in show and a caller telephoned about her citrus tree. It was full of thorny branches and on that tree, there was no fruit. And the gardening expert immediately told the caller to pull out that tree and to go and buy a new one. And so after a few questions, the expert explained that the old rootstock had taken over, the graft was dead, and that this tree would never produce good fruit. And so the advice was very simple, but clear. take out that tree and destroy it. It is of no use. And of course the expert was working on the well-grounded assumption that people that have fruit trees have them for the purpose of having fruit. You don't buy a fruit tree merely to have leaves. You buy a fruit tree that there might be fruit. The image of fruit trees, vineyards, vines is frequently used in various parts of scripture. And we saw earlier in Isaiah that Old Testament Israel is likened onto a vineyard set apart from the surrounding countryside, well cared for, And so Israel was uniquely blessed and chosen by God. And since they were so blessed, God rightly looked for fruit. We have similar illustrations used in Ezekiel and also in the book of Jeremiah. Again, it's used in the New Testament. In Matthew 21, we read of an actual fig tree, so not merely in a parable, but we read of a fig tree that on account of not having fruit, the Lord cursed it and it withered up and wilted away. And as we saw last time in Luke 13, there were large, there were large crowds here following the Lord. And there were some that had these prideful attitudes and they had this notion, those that died at the calamity at the temple, It was because of their own particular sin. There was some reason why the Lord providentially allowed that to happen to them. And the Lord said, the duty of every sinner is to repent. Now in moving into this parable of the fig tree, there is a continuation about the thought of repentance. These listeners you see, would have considered themselves to be part of the Lord's vineyard, part of the Lord's plantation. But the reality is so many of them were not actually converted. So many in this multitude had not actually repented. And the parable then is very clear that repentance is a matter of urgency. Repentance is a matter of urgency, that unless there is fruit, the tree will be cut down, taken away, burned, destroyed. Some consider this parable to a very special reference to the Jews at the time of our Lord's ministry. They had religion. There was a show of leaves, but there wasn't reality. And so during the ministries of John the Baptist and then our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord rightly was looking for fruit. But it was noticeably absent. And for the nation, time was running out. Some then see this parable as a warning that unless there was fruit, unless there was a turning to the Messiah that had come, there would be the destruction that happened in AD 70. Now, even if we take the parable in that way, it still has an abiding application. The Lord still has a vineyard. There is still a visible expression of God's work on earth. And it is still possible to be among God's people. In that way, to be in the vineyard and yet to lack fruit. And so it's important to recognize that this parable is not chiefly talking about the world outside. And we noticed that a few weeks back in another one of the parables. So it's not talking about out in the mountains wild and bare. It's talking about in the Lord's vineyard where there is a profession of Christianity and religion. It's possible to have a profession of religion and yet not be truly converted and therefore lack fruit. So it speaks of the owner of the vineyard. He came Seeking fruit, he found none. The Lord had a vineyard. It belongs to him. In verse six it says, a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. And so this is vineyard. It's the Lord's, he is the owner. And so we want to look at this from the perspective of the owner. I want to say first of all with you the owner's purpose. The owner's purpose. The owner had this vineyard. The owner had spent much money and much work had been done in this vineyard for one great purpose. that there would be fruit. And so the reason why the fig tree was put here was that it might be a fruitful fig tree. Now that then was a very reasonable expectation. As I've said already, the owner owns the vineyard. This tree was taking up space, ground in the vineyard. This tree had privileges and protections that other trees didn't have. So it's not a tree that's out in the rugged mountains. It's in the vineyard where the soil has been cared for, the soil has been nourished, and yet still there is no fruit. And so the spiritual parallel is very evident. The Lord does own his work on earth. The Lord is sovereign over his work on earth. And there are some then upon the earth that are more blessed in an outward sense than others. Just as Old Testament Israel had blessings that the other nations did not have, So those that have the privilege of sitting under the ministry of God's word, those that have the privilege of being part of what we call the visible church, they have great blessings. And it is an offense to a holy God when there are those that profess the Lord's name and yet there is no fruit. And God's purpose for his church is it would be a fruitful church. In the verse seven, it says, he said unto the dresser of his vineyard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit in this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why cumbereth it? Why cumbereth it to the ground? The word that's translated cumber there has this idea of being idle. It's an idol tree. It has also the idea of ineffective. It's not living out the purpose that it was designed for. And so you and I are created to live to the glory of God and all men everywhere have that in common. God owns every part of his creation if we look at it in that way. And God demands fruit from all men. And those that have the privilege of hearing God's word, they have privileges even greater still. And so we think about this tree. It's idle, it's ineffective. I think in a way we could say this tree was a liar. It was a liar. What I mean by that is, by not having fruit, the tree, as if the tree is saying, there's a problem with the soil that I'm planted in. There's a problem with this vineyard. Or there's a problem with the vine dresser. Those were the excuses off the tree. But they were all false. The problem was not with the vineyard or the vine dresser or the owner. The problem was with the tree itself. And so the tree could use every excuse it might think of. But the truth was the tree itself was at fault. And isn't it the case that when there are those who profess Christianity and lack fruit, they have many to blame. But the truth is, the fault lies with themselves. The fault lay with the tree. All of this expectation, the expectation of the owner, his purpose, it surely reminds us of the biblical teaching about the role of works in the life of the Christian. For we emphasize again and again that there is not one that is saved by works. Or if we put it this way, a fig tree does not become a fig tree by producing figs. We are not saved by our works. But in another way, If it is genuinely a fig tree, we expect figs. And so if someone is a Christian, they are not saved by their works, but we expect that there would be works. So it's not works that save us, but there's an expectation that there would be works. Ephesians 2 verse 8, which is of course the text perhaps that preaches most clearly that we're not saved by works, for by grace are you saved through faith. And that, not of yourselves, is the gift of God. Even the faith that has brought you into Christ, that's the gift of God. It's all of God. By grace are you saved. Not of works, lest any man should boast. It's not of us. Many stop there, but of course that's not where the Bible stops. The Bible says we are his workmanship. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus onto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. We're not saved by works, but we're saved onto them. We are saved that there might be fruit on the fig tree. James dealt with this issue in James chapter two. Some have presumed that there's a contradiction between what James says and what Paul says. There's actually not a contradiction. They're making a different emphasis. James in James two verse 18 says, a man may say, thou'st faith, I have works. And so James is describing how some say, It's only faith, faith alone. Some say works. James says, I will show thee my faith by my works. I will show thee my faith by my works. Was he saved by his works? No. But he shows it, he demonstrates the reality by his works. The fig tree demonstrates it's a fig tree by its fruit. And therefore this passage that's before us, this parable, it ought to concern the false professor. It ought to trouble greatly the false professor. Without Christ, you cannot produce the fruit the Lord is looking for. Another one of those passages that deals with this subject of fruitfulness is John chapter 15, I am the vine, ye are the branches. And in that passage, it talks about pruning for more fruit and so on, but the Lord says, without me, you can do nothing. John 15 verse 5. Without me, you can do nothing. Without the Lord, without the work of grace in your heart, you'll never produce the fruit. And so you can try to do it of your own strength and impress everybody else, but you'll never succeed. It'll be the fruit, the bad grapes that are described, in Isaiah chapter five. So then coming back to this thought, the great purpose, the great expectation of the owner was that there would be fruit. And what fruit does the Lord expect to see in us? Evidently the Lord is looking to see that fruit of the spirit, the fruit of his own work in us. Galatians 5.22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, or self-control. And before the Lord today, we have to ask this question, do I have this fruit? Do I have that aspect of the fruit that is love? Do I have love for my brethren? Remember, the Lord talked of the absolute necessity of love for our fellow disciples. John picked up that theme in 1 John 3, in verse 14, he says, we know that we have passed from death onto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. And so you can say from morning to night, I love the Lord. I'm a fig tree in the Lord's vineyard. But the Lord says, if you hate your brother, there's something wrong with your profession. What about love for your spouse? Do they see that evidence of Unconditional love? Joy? Is there joy in your life? Or every time a trial comes, does it appear that you're absolutely crushed? Do you live in that enjoyment of the peace of the gospel? What about temper and self-control? Is your life still full of angry outbursts? uncontrolled anger? Do we insist on always having things our own way, or do we show that meekness of the Holy Spirit of God? Wouldn't it be a tragic thing if the Lord came and examined us and said, I looked for fruit and found none, found none. God is right to look for fruit, the owner's purpose. But praise God, there is the owner's provision. And so today, perhaps there's some Christian and there's a little fruit. Would you say, oh, that there was more? Well, praise God for the owner's provision. For the owner's presence was not always evident in this vineyard. But the owner had left there the vinedresser. And so when the owner goes to inspect to see if there's fruit, he spoke to the vinedresser. And he explains to the vinedresser, three years I've come and looked at this fig tree. For three years I've been coming with the expectation that there would be fruit. And each year, disappointment. I have found none. And so the vine dresser, he appeals to the owner. The vine dresser says, allow me to aerate the soil around the tree. Allow me to dig it up. Allow me to fertilize the soil again, to put manure around the tree. Surely we can see in this then the figure of a mediator. There's one who is standing between the tree and the owner. There is one who is appealing on behalf of the tree to the owner. And so in that way, some have felt that the vinedresser in the parable is Christ. The Lord certainly is the true mediator. Our Lord Jesus is the one that truly grants the provision by the operation of the Holy Spirit. There's a risk in pressing that parallel too strongly because there is the possibility here, of course, that the tree remained without fruit and would be cut down and taken away. But the prayers of Christ, the mediator, never fail. So I think we can look at the vinedresser in a more general way. The preacher's role is that of a vinedresser. He is to bring God's word continually to the people. He is to be stirring up the soil, as it were. He is to be bringing those nutrients of the word of God, that there might be fruit in the life of the Christian and other Christians, of course, play a role too. As we seek to minister to each other, we urge upon each other the necessity of growth and grace. If you could turn with me, please, to second Peter and the chapter one and second Peter. and the chapter one. And so the fruit comes on account of grace, and yet this passage emphasizes that there is actually duty. The life of the Christian involves diligence. So I want you to notice the word add here. Second Peter chapter 1 and the verse 5, 2 Peter 1 verse 5, and beside this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge, so add to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, add to knowledge temperance, so the word add carries through this passage, and to temperance patience, and to patience, goodness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity. And so in the life of the Christian, there's this adding. The word actually also has the idea of supplying. Supply to this particular quality. this particular one. And so it actually has this idea of a two fold movement and a supply and adding. In verse eight it says, if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful. and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Lord does not want us to be barren or unfruitful. Rather, it's God's purpose that those that are in Christ, those that have this true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ would abound, that they would flourish. I'm thinking about those two words, barren and fruitful. In English, those words seem, as far as trees are concerned, pretty identical. There is actually a distinction in Greek. In Greek, the word barren has the idea of no work, no energy. And so it really corresponds back to what I said about the fruit tree, the fig tree, cumbering. It's idleness. Idleness. And with that then, there is unfruitfulness. The tree was wasting away its opportunity. And it's possible then that we can waste away our lives, that we can waste away our opportunities Peter is showing us here that we can be delivered from such. And so there is all of this adding, but I want to emphasize that ultimately, that the adding comes through a focus on the gospel itself. Because if you look in verse nine, he that lacketh these things, so the one that is barren and unfruitful, he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, so his focus is not on heaven, He is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. He's forgotten he was purged from his old sins. He hasn't got a gospel focus. He doesn't rise every day and stand in amazement that his sins have been purged, cleansed away by the work of Jesus Christ. It's as we focus on that glorious message of the gospel that we are enabled to add knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, and so on. So by the vine dresser, by the ministry and application of the word to us, there is the stimulation of fruit. I want to say with you then, finally, the owner's patience. The owner's patience. For the owner did initially say, and we could take this as a test, the owner did say to the vinedresser, go cut down that tree. And the vinedresser says, give me some more time. Allow me to dig around the tree and allow me to add some more manure. Allow me to fertilize the tree. But if after all of that, there's no change, then cut it down. And so that's what happens. The owner has the patience that the vine dresser appeals for. And the owner says, yes, we will give more time. But it is to be understood that the patience is not going to last forever. And this parable is making it very clear that the patience of the owner is not to be abused. And so the fig tree is not to say, I've been spared again. So no matter what the vine dresser does, there's no need for me to bear fruit. If the tree was to think in that way, it would be abusing the owner's patience. Rather the tree was to say, how gracious that the owner would grant me opportunity. I ought to have been cut down today. And so since the owner is patient, I desire a true work to be done in me that I might bring forth the fruit. And so the parallel is true. God is long suffering with sinners. God is patient with sinners. But sinners are not to presume upon the Lord's patience. Sinners are not to abuse the Lord's patience. They are not to say, since the Lord is patient, I'm going to delay even longer. Rather, they are to say that the Lord's patience is instructive to them of the urgency. The urgency. to be right with the Lord. So 2 Peter 3 verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us worth long suffering to us worth not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now in that chapter that speaks of the long-suffering of God, Peter in no way is saying sinner delay. He talks in that chapter about the scoffers. He doesn't say scoffers, scoff a little longer. The Lord is long-suffering. No, rather the longsuffering, the patience of God is preaching to the scoffer. It's time to stop. It's preaching to the procrastinator. It is time to get to Christ. Paul says something similar. Romans two verse four despises the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering. Do you take the long-suffering of God so for granted that you would even trample over it, as it were, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? The long-suffering of God is preaching to you, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. God has made it clear. His spirit will not always strive with man. It does strive with man, but it shall not always strive with man. And so the parable does emphasize patience, but it also emphasizes justice. There is nothing unjust about cutting down a barren, stubborn fig tree. This fig tree that had such blessings, such opportunities, there was nothing unjust for the owner to say, cut down that fig tree. And yet, praise God, there is mercy for the Lord. And the very fact that he tells this parable is a demonstration of his mercy. Remember he has said, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. And then he goes on and he tells this story of the vineyard and he is showing them that the owner is patient. And the owner has made great provision. And of course, the greatest provision of all is in our Lord Jesus Christ. For he in his death has met the demands of justice. As I've said, it would not be unjust to cut down the barren fig tree. But the Lord in his death was as a tree cut down. Scripture uses that language. He was cut down, cut off. He took the sinner's punishment. And therefore, if there's one here today or listening without Christ, I urge you, come to Christ. Don't remain a pretender or a hypocrite. Come and be saved. There is an application in this parable for the Lord's people too. The Lord comes to his church And the Lord would come to a local church looking for fruit. Going back to what I said earlier, it would not be unreasonable for the Lord to look at a local church and to demand fruit. Remember writing to the seven churches in Asia Minor in Revelation chapter two? And the Lord writing to the church at Ephesus said, I've somewhat against you. You've left your first love. Left your first love. What a tragedy that was. They ought to have been growing in love, but they'd even left their first love. The Lord challenged them to repent. He said if they would not, he would remove the candlestick out of his place. Accept, thou repent. It's really saying the very same thing as the parable. Ephesus, if you don't repent, I'm going to cut down the tree. I will remove that local witness. And how we ought to cry to the Lord then as a congregation and individually. Have me to bring forth fruit. This passage has often been preached, this parable has often been preached by ministers at the end of a year or the beginning of a new year. On account of this detail, I've come three years looking for fruit and I find none. And now we have just passed the middle of the year and so it's not the end of December or the beginning of January and yet Surely, as we've reached mid-year, it's right that we ask the question, is there more fruit in my life than there was in January? Is there more fruit in my life than there was this time last year? Am I growing in grace? The great preacher Philip Doddridge had a very traumatic upbringing. He was one of 20 siblings But out of that 20, he and only one other survived infancy. His mother died when he was eight. His father passed away four years later. And so it was, as I've said, a very traumatic upbringing. But he penned these beautiful words of prayer in reflecting upon this parable. And with this, I'm coming to a close. Oh, precious Jesus, may I no longer be unfruitful in your garden. Lord, as you have said, dig around me and pour on me all the sweet influences of your Holy Spirit, which like the rain and the sun and the dew of heaven may cause me to bring forth fruit to God. Let the coming year bring the same blessings to all your redeemed, even to my unawakened relatives, and to thousands who are still in darkness, may I be no longer unfruitful. May we as God's people make that the very prayer of our hearts today, that we will indeed set forth the great beauty of Christ.