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11 May:  

Fruitless Fig Tree:   Luke 13:6-9

Luke 13:6-9 “And He began telling this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And the landowner said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground? And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer If it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.”   Typically, this parable is used to illustrate the importance of being fruitful and productive in our Christian walk here on this earth. But I think there is also an important message here about how much God has provided and how much He wants to provide for us. He has done many things to take care of His people. In the same way that the fig tree was planted in His vineyard Adam and Eve was placed in the Garden of Eden. Then Moses, working through the miracles of God, brought Israel out of slavery and into Canaan, the promised land, flowing with milk and honey. When Israel strayed from God’s path and worshipped false idols God would send calamities upon them until they repented and cried out. God would then deliver them and bless them as if nothing happened. God watched over them and cared for them and desired the best for them:

Jer 29:11,12  “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  The degree to which God took care of His people is clearly expressed by the 23^rd Psalm:   Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want….”   And many other passages and Psalm as well. Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to Her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”   

God truly loves and cares for each and everyone of us. God has put His umbrella of love and care over us by bringing us into His family so that He might be a Father to us:       Eph 1:5 “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”   Gal 4:4,5 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, . . . . that we might receive the adoption as sons.     Rom 8:15 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father!”    Eph 1:3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”    

I am not sure what Paul has in mind when he speaks of spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm nor did any of the commentaries I read clear this up. But regardless of what Paul is specifically referring to – he definitely believes that God is watching over us and blesses us in ways that only He could. God has enriched us with the Holy Spirit which brings the life-giving fruit we see in Gal 5:22.  In THIS fruit we find the fulfillment of the abundant life we have been promised.

And then there is the critical and clear blessing which we have been given in our adoption into God’s family. He has brought us into His family so that He might bless and protect us. And as His children we will receive an inheritance which He has planned for us:

1 Peter 1:3-4  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”  

Luke 6:23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. . . . “

John 14:2,3 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

So clearly God blesses us here on earth as we receive that “abundant life” where His yoke is easy and His burden is light and then we leave this life to spend eternity with the Father in heaven.

But there is another side to this coin. Being in the family of God enables us to come to Him in our struggles but it also brings with it responsibilities. Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we must keep His commandments. Adam and Eve in the perfect place of harmony and well-being had to keep God’s laws even then. And when they did not, they were cast out into a broken world of weeds and pain and death – spiritual and physical.

During the years in Canaan God was continually bringing pestilence, invasions and other forms of punishment because of their sinful ways of living. Similarly, there awaits for us punishment and consequences for the “Prodigal Son” actions which we engage in during our lives.  

Heb 10:26,27 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgement and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”    1 Cor 6:9 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?”    Rev 2:4,5 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ...”        Rom 2:3ff “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? . . .  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. ...”

Those of us who are sitting here this day are living in God’s vineyard. The question which should arise is “are we bearing fruit?” The great news is if we are then there awaits for us a place prepared by the Lord in heaven, at God’s right hand. There is a crown of life waiting for us. But if we, like the scribe and Pharisee pass by on the other side of the road – if we are like the goats failing to cloth the naked and feed the hungry then we will also stand condemned.   Mtt 25:41-46 (paraphrased) “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, naked and thirsty to which you did not respond. To the extent that you did not do it to one of these you did not do it to Me! These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The good news is that in the parable the vineyard-keeper is given one more year to dig around and fertilize the tree to see if it can begin to produce. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is patient and long-suffering, not wanting any to perish. But we need to realize that like with all of Jesus’s parables, if we do not allow the Spirit of God to work in our lives – we will be cut off from His presence.

 

 

4 May:   Why Do We Give?

Tithing in the Old Testament:       1) Tithing Given in Response to Blessings:

A) Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils of war to Melchizedek, “a priest of God Most High”.  (Gen. 14:20),

B) Jacob at Bethel promised God a tenth of everything granted him if He would bless and protect him.  (Gen. 28:22).

C) A tenth of Israel’s seed, fruit, and flocks were given to the Lord (Lev. 27:30–32; Deut. 14:22–24; 2 Chron. 31:5,6; Neh. 13:5, 12).

Here we can see that giving was an action that occurred as a result of God blessing them. When we look at our lives today, when we consider situations that have caused us to struggle in years past – do we have reason to be thankful??? If we are following the lessons shown us in Scripture – is there reason to respond to God in appreciation of what we have???

2) Tithing Given in Response to Commands:

A) The people gave a tenth to the Levites to support them (Num. 18:21–24; cf. Neh. 10:38; 12:44).

B) Levites, in turn, were to give a tenth to the chief priest (Num. 18:25–28).

C) Those who didn’t tithe were threatened with a curse, while those who did tithe were promised blessing (Mal. 3:8–10).

You can see here that the Israelites were commanded to tithe to the priesthood because that is how God was providing for them. The other eleven tribes were given an inheritance and given provisions from the land – the Levites were being given provisions from the people. This is the people’s expression of thankfulness to the Levite’s for being an intermediary between them and God.

3) Why Tithing Is Not Required Today

A) Believers are no longer under the Mosaic covenant (Rom. 6:14–15; 7:5–6; Gal. 3:15–4:7; 2 Cor. 3:4–18). 

B)  The examples of Abraham and Jacob are not in response to a “rule” given them to follow.      voluntary

1) Both Abraham and Jacob gave a tenth in those proscribed instances and they both lived before the Mosaic covenant was in place. There are no verses dictating follow on behavior.

2) Abraham’s gift to Melchizedek was a one-time event; there is no evidence he regularly gave God a tenth. 

3) Jacob’s giving of a tenth signified his gratefulness to God for promising to be with him and to protect him. His gratefulness and generosity still speak to us today, but a historical description of what Jacob gave doesn’t support the idea that all believers must give God a tenth of their income.

C. Tithes were given to the Levites and priests, but there are no Levites and priests in the new covenant. Levites and priests were tied to the sacrificial system of the old covenant. Their sustenance required the giving of the other eleven tribes. Now, all believers are priests (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6), with Jesus as our Melchizedekian high priest (Heb. 7).   

Rebuttal: in our system of worship today there are debt requirements that must be met. We have staff members, electric bills / mortgage payments, etc. that requires an income for the church. WE are not responsible free! Just like Israel had to give to sustain their religious system today we have to give to sustain our system of worshipping.

D. When Jesus affirmed the tithe, it was before the dawn of the new covenant. 

Some defend tithing by saying Jesus praised tithing (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). Jesus also mentioned offering sacrifices in the temple (Matt. 5:23–24), but we don’t find a “need” to do that! Our Lord’s words are understandable when we think about His location and time in redemptive history.

Jesus spoke about sacrifices and tithing before the cross and resurrection, before the dawn of the new covenant before the Holy Spirit led Paul to write that the Old Testament decrees have been nailed to the cross. He kept the law since He was “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4). But we can no more take His words as a commendation for tithing today than we can His words about offering sacrifices.

5. Nowhere is tithing mentioned when commands to give generously are found in the New Testament.    When Christians are instructed to give to the poor, they aren’t commanded to give “the poor tithe.” Instead, they are instructed to be generous in helping those in need (Acts 2:43–47; 4:32–37; 11:27–30; Gal. 2:10; 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Cor. 8:1–9:15). For example, 1 Cor 16:1–4 – a passage often cited in popular circles in support of tithing – doesn’t mention tithing; it relates to a one-time gift to be given for the struggling saints in Jerusalem.

So ARE we to Give?

Even though tithing isn’t required today, it does not follow that believers should hoard their possessions. We are commanded to support those who preach the gospel (Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:6–14; 1 Tim. 5:17,18). And while we should enjoy the good things God gives us, we are also called to be generous to those in need (1 Tim. 6:17–19; 2 Cor. 8–9). Wealth can so easily become an idol, leading us to abandon the Lord. And what kind of person is the Holy Spirit guiding us to be?  5/8

In recent lessons we have looked at the kind of person – the kind of qualities that are supposed to be alive within us and guiding us in our daily life.     Gal 5:22,23 speaks of 8 qualities which are to be in our lives and of those 8 – 5 of them are qualities which speak to the type of relationship we are to have with others. If these kind of qualities are alive and well within us then there should be no resistance to the idea of sharing financially with those around us who are in need. When we do so, we are following the example found at the end of Acts 4 where the saints were selling what they had to support those who were staying in Jerusalem rather than go back to their homes and businesses.  

So “Why” and “Where” does giving occur in our lives???

Someone has aptly phrased “put your money where your mouth is”   AND  “where your treasure is – there will be your heart”. In most of our lives, where we spend our money is where our priorities lie.

“HOW” are we to give??? I am going to leave that for you to figure out. The Good Samaritan gave in a variety of ways when he stopped and offered assistance to the beaten/robbed man. In the parable of the sheep “some” gave food, “some”  gave clothes, “some” gave water and “some” gave time for visiting. The important thing I want to do today is to convince you that “some” sacrifice is called for in our Christian Walk. What does Luke 9:23 tell us? Luke 9:23 “Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.”           NOW, what in that COMMAND catches your attention???

1) “Whoever wants to be My disciple/follower:   that means following Him is following His example. What example stands out to you regarding Jesus’ life? How giving and sacrificial was Christ during His life here on earth?    Rom 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  

2). Our giving reflects the character of God that is or is NOT living within us. Now you might ask what is the godly characteristic of God that I am referring to and that would be the relationship qualities that the Holy Spirit is trying to develop within us. That would be the quality found in God which caused Him to sacrifice His Son to restore our relationship with Him. Our giving reflects the attitude and compassion that we have for God’s other children. If He was wiling to give His Son – we should ask ourselves what and how much are we willing to give – remembering the parable of the Good Samaritan – told in response to the question “how do we show love to our neighbor.”                   Consider: Titus 2:14 “. . . to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.” Sheep/Acts 4       This recalls to my mind, again, the giving the sheep did to others around them. I am reminded again of how the early church sold their possessions and gave to their new Family as we saw in Acts 4:37.

How we give illustrates the heart of compassion that we have for others. Just as God loved us and gave His Son for us we must love others and give to their needs.

 

3) “must deny themselves and take up their cross  daily: to do this properly we must have the desire to do so. We must also have the trust that God will take care of us.  That is what Jesus promised in His Sermon on the Mount – that God knows what we need and will provide.

It is also what God’s Holy Words tells us:    Malachi 5:8 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”       Jer 17:7 “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”  Isn't the point of digging down to the rock to build our house is that we are going to trust Him in the storms which will come into our lives?

 

4) What are some Scriptural support for the importance of our being giving followers of Christ?     Deut 15:7,8,10,11 “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be open-handed and freely lend them whatever they need." "Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”    

1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us no love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”      2 Cor 9:6,7 “Now I say this, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion (guilt), for God loves a cheerful giver.”    And if God loves us and appreciates what we have done in our lives – do you have any doubt that He will reward?

Gal 6:7,8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”    Actions do speak louder than words. That includes God as well. If we bless other lives with our blessings then we will reap even more in our future.

5) Blessings and good things are going to come to us if we are following Christ and bringing honor to His name. Col 3:23,24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”           2 Corinthians 9:13 “Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others.”   Mt 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”     1 Peter 2:12 “keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles so that they may, because of your good deeds, glorify God in the day of visitation.”   Wrap-up

I want to wrap up our lesson today with this verse:       Luke 14:12-14 “He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’”

So is there a verse in the New Testament commanding us to give?  Tithe, no. Give, Yes. There are simply  TOO MANY  verses teaching us to give to share them all. And honestly, I believe you will be rewarded and blessed in this life because of your generosity and the love you show others. 

 

 

27April: 

How is Your ‘Spirit’ Fruit Doing?

A couple of weeks back we took a look at the first three Spiritual fruit – love, joy and peace.

A couple of New Testament passages which teach us something about love are:

LOVE:  John 13:34,35   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”       In this we see that lives which have love as the cornerstone of their life are being the ambassador which we have been called to.     1 John 4:18,19,21 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . . We love, because He first loved us. . . . And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”  Here we can see that God set the example for us to follow. Isn't that what John 3:16 illustrates to us. That God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son, and our appreciation for that brings us to live a life of love to those around us. We FOLLOW His example in our lives.

The instructions we find in Scripture about joy tell us this - JOY:   Phil 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”         1 Thess 5:16,17 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 John told us that love casts out fear. If we are living our lives with confidence and trust then what we see about our lives is not a cup half empty but a cup half full. As a matter of a fact, we should be able to copy one of the Psalm and say that our cup runneth over. The Lord is our Sheperd, and we shall want!!! Therefore we have a life which celebrates joy and contentment are our lot in this life.  

Scripturally, that joy is possible because we have found peace in our lives.

PEACE:       Rom 5:1,3,4,5  “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, … Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”    ….  John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

With these three foundational characteristics in our life we should be able to develop the remainder of spiritual qualities that Paul lists in Galatians 5:

The next fruit mentioned is  Longsuffering / patient forbearance – Eph 4:1,2,3,32 “Therefore implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. . . . Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”    Forgiveness 70 x 7; parables     

1 Peter 2:20,21 “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.”   2 Tim 3:12 “All who desire to live a godly life in Jesus Christ will be persecuted”.    Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.     We know how Christ suffered at the hands of the very ones who should have been first in line to worship Him.  Just as He suffered, we should expect the same and portray the same attitude and response, knowing there awaits for us the same heavenly reward that Christ received – sitting at the right hand of God.

Kind: 1 Cor 13:4 “Love suffers long and is kind”     Eph 4:32 “Be kind to one another,  tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  

Do you see a theme here? love, forgiveness, kindness. It seems that God has a certain expectation for people who are His children. And this theme continues -

Goodness:        Rom 12;21 “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”                   Luke 6:33,35 “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. . . . But love your enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”

Gentleness:    Phil 4:5 “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”                   2 Tim 2:24 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient”.

The last two qualities are faithfulness and self-control.

Faithfulness (obedience/trust):     Obedience -  Rom 10:17  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”    Acts 8:35,36 “Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water (and he was baptized).    Acts 16:32,33 “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him (jailor) together with all who were in his house (and they were baptized). When the Lord brings blessings, such as the message of salvation, into our lives, He expects us to respond appropriately.

Faith - “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”