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2:58Good morning. Turn with me to Luke chapter 13, starting in verse 5. There we go. All right. Luke chapter 13, starting in verse 5. Now, see, Pastor Tom made an error in letting me take this pulpit because I'm interrupting his wonderful series in Revelation to start my own series. So you might notice in your bulletins that I will be preaching again tonight on the exact same text, my own two-part series. Now, this might seem a bit strange. In fact, it perhaps is a bit strange, but not entirely unprecedented. You see, on 18 February 2001, Alistair Begg did exactly what I am doing today, a two-part series, morning and evening, on exactly this text. So if you want to know exactly how much he plagiarized what I'm about to say, you can go back and listen, and I would encourage you to do so. It's a wonderful couple sermons.

4:19But let's begin in reading verse 5. I tell you, no, but unless you repent, You will all likewise perish. Now, I stop there. I'm not going to read the entirety of our text yet. And there's a reason I start in verse 5. And many of your Bibles, not all, but many of them, have a very unfortunate heading break right there, after verse 5, between 5 and 6. I say unfortunate because in reality, verses 1 through 9, at the very least, if not more, are all one section with one thought progressing throughout. We have continuity.

5:11And as much as I would enjoy taking you back through the entirety of the context, which is where we will begin, is context. As much as I would enjoy taking you back through these previous verses, I'm going to stick as well as I can inside of 5 through 9. But 5 gives us the summary statement of everything that comes before. Now, for that reason, I'll give you my outline. It is very simply Luke chapter 13, verse 5.

5:50After which I will make the point to you, Luke chapter 13, verse 5. If you remember nothing else this morning, if you forget the entirety of everything that followed, If you forget every word that I say, remember the words of Jesus in Luke chapter 13, verse 5. Because 6 through 9 is explaining verse 5 in parable form. The point of the text is verse 5. The illustration is 6 through 9. And we're going to go through this illustration bit by bit. We're going to understand how he explains: unless you repent, you will all die.

6:37Now, a couple ground rules as we go through that. It takes Jesus six sentences, roughly, to explain the entirety of that meaning in this text. It's going to take me about 45 minutes this morning and again tonight, and I will have not begun to scratch the surface. I hope you will forgive me that point. Stay awake with me, and hopefully, by the end, we will all understand that unless you repent, you will all perish. But Jesus did give that entire explanation within this text, so we'll be staying in understanding mostly within this text. But then, the last ground rule, I'm going to be doing a lot of referencing. But we are not going to turn outside of this text. I will not ask you to turn with me. So, if I make any allusion to any other cross-references, take note of it. I'm going to be hitting them quickly.

7:30And it'll be on you to go back afterwards. So, with that, why would we possibly have trouble understanding unless you repent, you will all die? And I suggest to you that the only reason you might have trouble understanding this is in defining the words. What does it mean to die? What does it mean to repent? You see, the main point here is quite simple. Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 11, it talks about how simple it is to understand this. It is something that has been explained throughout the entirety of Scripture to us. It is something we are told over and over. It's not something new that Jesus just popped up with, some new gospel, some new idea. No, this is the gospel presented throughout Scripture in simple form to all people across all time. And in like manner, the reason we seem to struggle is because we nitpick at the words, which I also like to do. You see, in the Garden of Eden, Satan picked on the word die. You won't surely die, right?

8:58He questions the The veracity of God on this point. He also questions: what does it really mean to die? The word repent, that gets questioned as well. I was looking, and I won't name all of their names. Osteen stands out among them, but grace preachers, and that's not a title I came up with, perusing the internet. Grace preachers, self-espoused. Repentance is not really needed. You don't really need to repent. God is a God of grace and love, and He loves you so much. If you're sincere, it's fine. You are just fine. To repent just means to be sincere. And we question these and these words.

9:54We like to confound them with our thoughts, our temptation to do away with the very simple message: repent or you will perish. In fact, going through, again, we're not going to turn there, but going through Romans, Romans 1 through 3 outlines carefully, you have broken the law. All of us have broken the law. We deserve death. 3 through 5, faith and repentance, therefore, equals life. All broken the law, you all die, therefore we must have faith and repentance to life. Two parts of one thing, faith and repentance. And we'll talk about that some. But let's define these words, death and repentance, through the parable. How does Jesus, in his teaching, explain this concept to us? So let's look at the parable. First, looking at figs.

11:03In order to understand this parable, we have to look at figs. Let's read what he has to say about the fig tree, starting in verse 6. He also spoke this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and found none, and find none. Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it, and if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that, you can cut it down. Fig trees. He's going to answer about death and repentance through the illustration of a fig tree. Now, As you can see, fig trees have a purpose. They are not just a passing figment. They're not just a useless thing. They have purpose. And, in fact, all things have purpose and can be judged by their purpose.

12:24In this particular case, their purpose is, first of all, to produce fruit. Seems fairly self-evident. Notice where we are located. We're in a vineyard. A vineyard. I looked this Greek word up, by the way. I looked it up in Strong's, I looked it up in Liddell, I looked it up in Mounts, and all of them said that the Greek word for vineyard here means vineyard. It's a yard of vines, more specifically grapevines. It is a place where grapes are grown. It is commercial. Anybody might have a grape vine, but if you have a vineyard, a yard of grapes, you're doing this for commercial purposes. It has a reason. But notice, we're talking about fig trees. A fig tree is not a grape.

13:24I spent a good time trying to figure out. I'm not very good. With horticulture or agriculture or any of these types of things, why would you have a fig tree in a vineyard? And after long study, I'm not entirely sure. Some have suggested is perhaps for various reasons beneficial to the grapes. The fig tree is there to serve the grapes. Some have suggested this is the best place to put a fig tree because it's the place that the owner and the vinedresser is caring for on good soil. So if you want one, put it there.

14:08Lastly, it could just be personal. He's got the grapes for commercial purpose. He's got the fig tree for he and his family to enjoy figs. I'm not entirely sure. One thing I do know: nothing goes in that vineyard without a purpose, and everything in that vineyard has the purpose exclusively of producing fruit, either commercial or personal. It produces fruit. In fact, everything that does not produce fruit generally is going to be called a weed, and weeds are taken out. They are removed. So they have a reason to be there in the vineyard. This fig tree has a purpose. That is the purpose of the man, the owner, the person. But more than that, producing fruit is not just. A man's purpose, it is God's purpose. You see, in Genesis chapter 1, verse 12, again in Genesis 8, chapter 17, all plants are specifically made to produce. God did not make plants as a one-time, throwaway, disposable thing. They were meant to produce fruit, to continue, to produce, and grow and continue God's creation. And we see this, both of these in play here. Verses 6 and 7. The owner is not just a mind game, a reasoning game, but in the text, the owner is looking for this fruit. And God, by using this parable, is demonstrating the purpose of that fruit. But that's not the only purpose of the fig tree. I'll continue making my point. It's also to serve. The fig tree has the purpose to produce fruit, but it also has the purpose to serve.

16:12Specifically, we see in Nehemiah 9:6, Luke 19:40, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1.16, to name a few. All things, all creation serves. God. And God specifically, in Genesis 1:29, gave man the ability to dominate nature, to use plant life, to produce, to cultivate, and it now serves man. It serves man and it serves God. It does not exist merely for the sake of existence, does not exist merely to produce fruit, but to produce fruit for man and ultimately through what it does to produce fruit in glory of God and declaring his glory. You say this is a great deal about figs. This is a great deal about the purpose of a fig tree.

17:19So what? Well, it is a parable. So just as the fig tree has a purpose, just as the fig tree must produce and must serve, what do you think the next point is? You and I, we have a purpose. We have a purpose to serve God. We have this, and the parable does not make sense unless we have the same purpose behind us. God made us. Individually, knowing what we would do, what we should do. I'd point you to Psalm chapter 22.

18:08Spurgeon said: as fruit is the production of the tree's life, and the end of which the tree exists, so obedience to the divine will and holiness unto the Lord should be the product of man's life, and for it he was at first created. That is the case. And how, if we have a purpose, how should we understand our purpose? A couple very quick points here. First of all, we are not love receptacles. We are not merely created to sit around and be loved. Yes, God loves us. Yes, in a way we could say this is a part of our purpose to receive the love of God. But that is not it. That is not the end. You see, God loves all of creation. The sparrow comes to mind. The flowers arrayed in glory.

19:19If we were merely to sit around and receive love and nothing else, and it stops there, what would be unique or distinguishing about us from the rest of us? Creation because the rest of creation receives God's love. No, we are unique. Food is definitionally made for consumption. Definitionally. But different ingredients and spices do things to make the meal enjoyable. Creation has a purpose. All creation glorifies God. But all creation glorifies God in unique and certain ways. Just as humanity is not just loved, but also loves.

20:16God made us in His image, Genesis 1:27. God actively loves, and thus we mirror His active love of us. We are made to and expected to love. On this, I will make a note. Love is not a feeling. Love is not merely words. It is a manner of life. We were made to love. We live to love. Love is how we live or ought to. In Exodus 20, verse 6, and Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 5, 10, God shows, quote, steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. John 8, 42, Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me.

21:20John 14, 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 21, do you love me? Over and over in John 21, speaking to Peter, do you love me? You were created with love, out of love, as a loving being. How are you using your love? Do you love yourself or do you love God? We have a purpose. We have a role in life. We are not just clumps of cells walking through aimlessly. Let's not stop here. Let's continue again and look at the figs.

22:13Figs that fail in their purpose are the enemy. Figs that fail to do what they were meant to do, to do what they were created to do. To do are the enemy. The context, the problem is not external factors, it is the plant itself. Notice that the tree is full of leaves, it is not a dead tree, it's a very much a live tree. It's there, it's in a place with all these other, presumably grapes that are doing just fine. The vineyard is prospering.

23:03We see that it's getting good care and even greater care this next year. It's going to be dug around, the soil loosened, the fertilize placed, it's got everything it needs. The choicest place for a plant to produce fruit. There's no disease, there's no discernible external factor. Nobody is coming along and picking all of the fruit. There is no fruit. The problem is the tree itself. For whatever reasons, this particular tree, despite its nature, despite the way that it was designed, despite everything that should be going for it, it fails to produce fruit. It is an enemy.

24:00Why is it an enemy? Well, first of all, passively, it is an enemy. You see, a tree or a plant that fails to be healthy, that fails to do what it should do, that fails to live according to the way it was created, is going to be prone to be attacked by disease and a myriad of other issues. I'd like to give you an example of this. If you take vegetables, you take them from the grocery store and you put them on your shelf. Perfectly fine, perfectly good vegetables. Now you take, say, tomatoes. That's the best example. Take tomatoes and put it on your shelf. Now, you take one tomato that's just a little bit icky. You've got some mold on it. And you just set it on there in those perfectly nice tomatoes. What do you think is going to happen?

25:02Those nice, perfectly good tomatoes are going to look just like the one you just placed on there, totally icky. Ten times faster than the same tomatoes all by themselves. The Bible talks about this a good bit, but that's not it. Also, the space. We see here, why cumbereth it the ground? Look at the King James. Or why does it use up the ground? And the first idea here is space. Remember where we are. We're in a vineyard, a commercial property. And in this vineyard, every square inch is dedicated to making the owner money, to producing fruit in order to help the owner. And anything in that space which is not producing is wasting that space that could be used on another plant. It's wasting the space. So you have disease and waste of space just by its existence. It's not doing anything malicious just by existing. You have passive animosity against the vineyard. It is hurting the vineyard just by being there.

26:19But then there's the active sense. See, this word for using up the ground is not just talking about the space. It is talking about an active, purposeful using of the ground, sucking up all of the nutrients, the water, the sunlight, the resources, everything that otherwise would go towards the grapes. It is attacking purposely everything. Else in that vineyard. Not just being there and getting in the way. It is an enemy in every sense. That's a whole lot about figs.

27:15What about us? And what would you know? The same thing applies. We see it throughout Scripture. You see, there's only two sides. I've talked about this. I think I talked about this on Thursday. But there is no middle ground in God's kingdom. You are either one of God's children or you are not. The end. Black and white. Day and night. The end. No caveats, qualifications, or third categories. Everyone who is not a Christian is an enemy. That's strong language. Yes, it is. I'll put it like this: think about it this way.

28:07That very sweet Mormon couple down the road that lets you borrow a cup of sugar and comes and helps you with your chores and is oh, so nice. That wonderful uncle or sister or name the person who is an atheist. But has never seemingly done anything, they've never broken a law in their life. They're the most upstanding citizen. They are teaching, they are declaring a gospel of their own, a gospel that leads to hell. They are teaching that we do not need a Christ who saves, they are teaching that we do not depend on a Christ who forgives, that you can do it on your own. They are declaring against Scripture, and they are condemning not only themselves, but everyone in whom they come in contact. They are bringing them closer to a condemnation for all eternity in a war and a fight for our own souls and for the souls of those we love. They are the enemy. Bad company and pew warmers, passive.

29:38Those who fail to accomplish their purpose encourage the same in their associates. It was pointed out in my research, this unfortunately would probably include the vast majority of congregants in the vast majority of our churches. If you are sitting here this morning, you've been coming to church since you were two years old, for years and years you have come, and you have not declared for the Lord, you have not rejected yourself, repented, then you are with the enemy. It does not matter how closely you associate with Christians, how closely you associate with Christ himself. How many people, when Christ was preaching this very thing, were sitting right there, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, the so-called disciples, day in and day out listening, and they never, ever once made a decision to follow him.

30:58Bad company ruins good morals. 1 Corinthians 15, 33 through 34. Wake up from your drunken stupor. As is right, do not go on sinning, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. Proverbs 13:20. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. If you can be here week after week and hear the preaching of God's word, the Bible says, you are foolish. You are foolish. Hear it and repent. Do you not understand? You are corrupt. You need God's grace. You cannot continue the same as you've always continued.

32:08The definition of stupidity, as I've heard it, is doing the same thing and expecting different results. You continue and you continue and you continue to come, to come, to come, to hear God's word, to hear God's word, to hear God's word. But you refuse to make any changes and somehow you expect someday something's just going to happen without any repentance, without any faith in the God who has been warning you all along. But that's not it, and we've kind of brushed on it a little bit. The act of sins, the traitors, the saboteurs, the heretics.

32:49Many examples in scriptures, the Judaizers, example, many, but Galatians 2, sinners, 1 Corinthians 5, dealt with in accordance with Matthew 18. We see it as we saw beginning in the Revelation series, Revelation 2 through 3, the churches. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent. That's chapter 3, verse 19 of Revelation to the churches. So that's about fig trees. That's about us here today, understanding. So perhaps now we have the answer: death and repentance. What are these words? What does it mean when he says, repent, or you will likewise perish?

33:54First of all, death, in this case, is when you fail to produce the fruit and you are tossed out of the vineyard, separated from the owner. Notice here that you don't get second chances. A tree that has been chopped down doesn't get to get replanted. It's done. It's final. You get one chance. There is no purgatory. There is no chance after you die. It's appointed to us once to die. And then the judgment. Notice, second of all, this tree. It's not an external factor, it's the tree itself that, in rebellion against its own nature, against the way it was made and designed, refused to make fruit.

34:50It finally gets its wish. It's been, the whole time it was alive, it refused to make fruit. In death, it will not make fruit. Forever, it will never, ever make fruit. It's exactly what, for whatever reason, it wanted. So, what then is repentance? Well, if that is death, then repentance is the exact opposite to change in this parable. What is the only thing that will save this tree if it produces fruit? Now, don't hear wrong this morning. The message is not go out and do lots of great works, and then you'll be saved. It's tempting to make that conclusion. That is not the conclusion here. The conclusion is not work really, really hard. Remember, what is the principle this entire parable is explaining? Repent, or you'll perish.

36:00Repent. So the idea is: if you're going to produce fruit, if you are going to receive the blessing, receive it. The fertilize, the work of the vine dresser, receive that work. Stop rebelling against that work. Trust the work and the purposes and why you are in the vineyard to begin with. Trust the purposes for which you are given. Stop rebelling and refusing. The work of the vine dresser will suffice to bring the fruit. Everything about who you are and who you were made to be, your purpose, it will happen if you repent. If you stop rebelling against the ones who have placed you in the vineyard, death is to rebel, is to kick against God, is to be tossed out of his vineyard in the final judgment. Repentance is the opposite. To trust the one who is trying to demonstrate love to you.

37:16And therein, in understanding these words, we begin at understanding God through this parable. You see, the tree is under threat. The predisposition of the owner is to cut down the tree, as it is with anyone or anything that is going to harm or bring down the productivity of the vineyard, because he loves the vineyard. It is his vineyard. And if you are not part of his intended design for this vineyard, then you will not be part of the vineyard at all. And he is predisposed to get rid of you.

38:04God regularly offers intense grace right before destruction. There is one last chance given to this tree. The vine dresser has a limited amount of time, and his job is a vine dresser to care for the vines. But the vine dresser is going to take his time, take his fertilize, and give it to the fig tree. Notice this. The vine dresser, whose job is the vines, is going to give to the fig tree. He is going to give you grace when none is deserved.

38:59He is going to give grace. You have an abundance. He is going to give you his care. He is going to give you everything you need, as he has done for each of us in this room. You see, each of us is in the same boat of being undeserving. Each of us has sinned against our God. Each of us is guilty. And yet, God, while we were yet sinners, sent His Son to die for us. While we were undeserving, He lavished on us grace.

39:42Despite our lack of productivity, in spite of our lack of productivity, He has given us the riches of His wealth. He has given us His Word. He has given us Jesus Christ, who has revealed to us everything necessary for repentance. He has called us, as He is again in our text, verse 5. He is telling you, unless you repent, you will likewise perish. And it's oh, so easy. Repent. The tree is under threat. You are under threat. Jonathan Edwards, in preaching, said, There is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you arose this morning, but that God's hand has held you up. Sinners in the hands of an angry God. See, everybody likes to see that sermon. And they say, this is just such a mean, awful, ugly sermon. Do you realize what has happened for each of us?

41:05The image he gives, and I did not write down the entire quote, but in paraphrase, the image he gives of him holding a loathsome spider over a fire. And I add my own little flare in there. Think about it. Like, imagine, not only is he holding it, but it's biting him the whole time. He's just bite, bite, bite. Like, the only hope that we have, and we're biting him and fighting him and rebelling against him. And despite all of that, he is holding you. He won't hold you forever. But for now, every one of us in this room, if you are alive, you are being held. Everyone in this room, if you are alive, you are still in the vineyard. Every one of us in this room, if you are alive, we have lived another year.

42:01We have made it another trip around the sun. Congratulations. You are not guaranteed another one. You have made it another day. You woke up, as Jonathan Edwards said in this quote, another morning. You have not passed this morning. Next morning, who knows? God alone. See, we, if we are to take ourselves as this fig tree, I dare say we do not know which year we're on. Three years he came and checked for fruit. Three years. On the third, he said, cut it down, but then out of grace, he offered one more year.

42:56Which one are we on? I'll note here, by the way, fig trees produce on average within three to four years from planting. Now, was this three years he checked after maturity or as it was growing up? I don't know, but my point I'd like to make to you this morning is: there's no excuse for this tree. You can't say, and perhaps you could in other places, talking about fig trees out of season and such, but in this case, this fig tree. Four years are going to be granted to it. Any fig tree at this place in time should have produced in that time.

43:40There's no reasonable explanation for why it wouldn't. And there is no reasonable explanation if we're sitting here why we shouldn't. I'll also note, by way of application here, this is not just a note for the unsaved. It's not just a note for the unsaved. You see, there's a great many of us sitting in this room who have lived the Christian life. And you can call it many different words, some better, some worse. But for lack of better terminology, you're not producing fruit. You know you're not.

44:30You're Christian, but you're not living like it. You have faith. You know Christ. You know your sin and you have repented of it. But you're not living in repentance. You see, you are saved and justified by faith. And here we'll return to this idea: faith and repentance. See, I thought you said you're saved through faith alone, sola fide. Now you're To add this whole repentance bit. Well, here's the thing about this: it's two sides of the same coin. If you have faith, pistis, belief, if you believe what this says right here, the Bible, if you believe Luke chapter 13, verse 5, then you will believe that it says you need to repent. If you believe who Christ is, that he loves you, then you will by necessity turn your back on the enemies of the one you claim to love, including your past self, the old man, your sinful ways.

45:45And what business does a Christian have going back and trying to pick up those old things we have left behind? What business does a child of God have with the enemy? I think we talked about traitors just a little bit ago. Are you a traitor to yourself, to your king, to your fellow congregants in this church? You see, repentance, brought about by faith in a God who loves us, it happens for justification and it continues for sanctification all the way to the end. It perseveres. Love. Love is long suffering.

46:34Love is long suffering. So, this applies, lest we get too ready to point the finger at our neighbor. This applies to all of us. I'll point out faith, repentance leading to life. The lack of repentance, and you will perish. Tonight, what I'll be speaking about is the other half, staying in verse 5. We're going to look at unless you repent, you will perish, but what's the flipped version of that? If you repent, you will live. And we're going to look at this more carefully. But my appeal to us is very plain and simple.

47:28Do you want life outside of the vineyard on a garbage heap or inside the vineyard with one who cares for you? I'm going to close us with a poem from Mary Bridges Canada Schlade. She was a Congregationalist writing in 1826 through 1882. It was her life. And she wrote this poem. In the vineyard of the master, there was growing once a tree. Thither came he often hoping that some fruit thereon might be. Fruit, not blossom went he seeking, only leaves thereon he found. To his dresser, hear him speaking, lo, it cumbereth the ground.

48:28But the dresser then made answer, Leave it, Lord, another year. I will care, will tend, and keep it, till the bud and bloom appear. Then if we ripened fruit be showing, it is well, my Lord will own, but if leaves on it growing, after that, Lord, cut it down. In the vineyard of my master, oft my tree his patient tries. Seeking fruit he often cometh, finding only useless leaves. Let thy dews of grace fall on me, till some fruits divine appear.

49:18Let thy patience rest upon me. Try me, Lord, another year. During the scripture reading, I read Galatians chapter five, the fruits of the The Spirit. And this is juxtaposed with the fruits of the flesh. There's two choices: an enemy or a child, to bear fruit or not to bear fruit. That's it. My question for each of us: are you going to, when faced with your father, when he comes to you, are you yet again going to be forced to say to him, Try me, Lord, another year.

50:14I'm not ready. I have nothing now. Another year. Try me another year. I pray that none of us would say those words. Let us pray. Dear Lord, I pray that each of us in this room will repent of rebellion against who you are and who you've designed us to be. That if there's anyone in this room who has been putting this Off waiting for a future time that they will do so no longer. I pray that you will bring us all to repentance, that we will live lives humbled before you, that we will accept who we are, we will accept your purpose for us, and we will allow you, through your work as our vine dresser, to grow the fruit in us.

51:31I pray that you will forgive our sins, forgive our failures, and demonstrate your love and grace. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.