1
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Leave it alone for one more year
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2
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[Luke
13:8-9]
"'Sir,'
the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it
and fertilize it. If
it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
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3
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One
day, there was an incident in which Pilate, the governor,
killed
the Galilean people who had come to offer sacrifices with their sacrifices.
And when Jesus heard about the case,
taught people about the meaning of that incident.
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4
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Jesus
said to the people. "Do you think that these Galileans were slain by the
governor even though they sinned more than the
other Galileans?
Not like that. If you do not repent,
then you will perish."
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5
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Then
Jesus said that the Temple of Siloam collapsed and 18 people died.
"Those
eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them.
Do
you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in
Jerusalem?
No, I tell you, but unless you repent,
you will all likewise perish."
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6
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The
Jews had the idea that those who suffered or died suffer
much more sin than
others.
But
Jesus said that they were not particularly dead
because they were more
sinful.
Jesus taught them that anyone should
repent of their sins before God.
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7
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Then
he told people a parable. A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard.
He hoped to harvest good fruit from
the fig tree.
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8
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The
steward of this vineyard worked hard to make fruit on the fig tree.
It was the time when the fruit was
coming, and the owner came.
But no fruit could be obtained from
the fig tree.
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9
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The
steward worked hard on the fig tree again for a year.
In
the second year, did the fig tree bear fruit?
But even in that year the owner could
not get the fruit.
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10
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This
fig tree did not bear fruit even in the third year.
The
master said to the steward, "Let there be no fruit on this fig tree, so
let it
be taken away. How can this tree make the land of the
vineyard useless?"
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11
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The
steward of the vineyard sincerely asked his master again.
"Master,
let me leave this year alone. I will ditch and fertilize the trees.
Nevertheless,
if the fig tree cannot bear fruit next year, cut it off."
The owner lasted a year in the
vineyard's stewardship plea.
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12
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The
owner waited three years for the fruit of the fig tree.
The
fig tree, however, did not bear fruit for three years and occupied
only the
land. If the tree cannot bear fruit during
the newly given year
of opportunity, it will be cut off.
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13
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Today,
in this parable Jesus said, the Master is God.
The
steward of the vineyard, which strives to make the fig tree bear fruit,
means
Jesus.
And the fruitless fig tree is a
parable of God's people who do not live according to God's will.
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14
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In
Jesus' time, the Israelites did not live a life of obedience to God.
Despite
their disobedience, God persevered and waited
but
they did not listen to God's word stubbornly, but rather refused to live.
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15
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That
is why Jesus told them to abandon their evil deeds and to bear good fruit.
If they do not repent, they give a
terrible warning
that God will be forsaken as the fig
tree is cut off.
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16
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This
is the same word that God has given to us today.
We who believe in Jesus and become
children of God are fig trees that have to bear fruit worthy of God's will.
Jesus is always praying and helping us to bear good fruit.
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17
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Right
now, let us look back once in a while about how much
I
have lived the fruit of God's children for this year.
Let's
turn around and reflect on the fact that there was nothing happening
at a
glance while
we acted shamefully.
As
we look back on a year, we should repent before God if we have fruitless
or
poor fruit, like
the fig tree that Jesus spoke in parables.
And let's have a heart of faith that
fits into a new year with a new mind.
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(This
is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the
conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)
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