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morning everyone welcome to free grace baptist church welcome back to all our regular folk in a warm welcome to any visitors with us this morning it's always a joy to have new faces in the in the pew so we welcome you with Christian warmth and we do hope that it would be a blessing for you to have gathered with us for the worship of our triune God this morning one announcement before we begin worship this morning and that is that an announcement is well before prayer but one announcement is that the back table has the directories for phone numbers and email addresses this is the last Sunday for you to either initial or check that the information is correct or to scratch it out and make a change if in two months somebody calls you at a number that you don't want to be called at you only have yourselves to blame so please make a change to the sheet weather phone number or email either indicate that it's correct or indicate a new one by scratching out the old and putting the new let's turn in our Bibles then as we begin worship to Psalm 110 our call to worship this Lord's Day morning will be Psalm 110 psalm 110 the word of the living and true God a psalm of David the Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool the Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion rule in the midst of your enemies your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning you have the dew of your youth the Lord has sworn and will not relent you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek the Lord is at your right hand he shall execute kings and the day of his wrath he shall judge among the nations he shall fill the places with dead bodies he shall execute the heads of many countries he shall drink of the brook by the wayside therefore he shall lift up the head amen well if you'll stand with me we're going to sing our first him it's in the larger Trinity hymnal in front of you it's him number 105 let's stand and sing 105 together you you please be seated we'll go to the Lord God in prayer and just before we do we have another mother and baby to add to the list of mothers and babies to pray for we can congratulate Melissa corollas she is pregnant and we can congratulate Mike so that brings our list now 25 we didn't have enough babies already we're going to have more it's always a joy to to see young babies gifts from God brought into this world so we can continue to pray for Deb le Marie Leah and now Melissa as well so let's go to the God in prayer not only for those things those mothers and babies but as well for many other things that we ought to bring before our great triune God so let us go to the Lord in prayer our righteous and our holy God we rejoice that we can now gather together in the name of Christ Jesus the Lord by the spirit to worship our triune God and truly we do worship You Father Son and Holy Spirit we thank you that we have this day we thank you first that you have caused us to arise on a new day we draw breath in our lungs that we enjoy the benefits that you give us in food and drink and many other freedoms and liberties and physical benefits we thank you for these things that you give to us from on high we rejoice in this lord's day Sabbath we thank you that we can come in from out of the world that we can gather in this place as the Saints of Christ on this day where we cease from our labors and from our worldly concerns to come in for the public worship of the triune God we do pray that you would help us now to rightly hello your name that we would give you all honor and that we would give you all praise we know Lord God that we are gathered together as the Saints of Christ and that we are Saints that we are Christians not by virtue of deeds of holiness which we have done not by works of righteousness which we have performed but Lord we know that salvation from first to last midst and throughout is of a triune God who saves without a helper we have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we rejoice in gospel truth we thank you that you did send Christ in the fullness of the times born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those who are under the law and we rejoice again in that blessed statement by the Apostle Paul this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world sinners to save we thank you that he lived a perfect life of obedience unto your law in the stead of all those who believe we thank you that he died a perfect substitution airy and sacrificial death upon Calvary's tree for the sins of all those who believe we thank you that he rose again on the third day in great victory and great power and that he has ascended to your right hand where he ever lives to make intercession for us we rejoice in the gospel of saving grace and saving perfection and we do pray that you would wash us a fresh this day in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for the perfection of his sacrifice knowing that his atonement was not one of perhaps and not an atonement of maybe but rather upon Calvary's tree he so perfectly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number all those whom you have given to him and we rejoice that we can by grace be counted among that number and we do pray that you would cause us to now worship you're right that we would worship you in spirit and in truth and that our worship our spiritual sacrifices would come except ibly to you through Jesus Christ our precious mediator we do pray God that you would be with those who need prayer for physical things first we rejoice along with all of these mothers we rejoice Lord with Deb with Ellie with Marie with Leah as well as with Melissa we would pray that you'd watch over these mothers and watch over babies in the wombs we know that these that babies are a gift from on high a God of grace and mercy and loving-kindness giving good gifts to men and we do pray that you would watch over mother and child mothers and children we do pray that in due time you would bring all forth without issue without problem you would bring them forth health and Lord we pray that in due time at a young age you would bring them forth unto spiritual life in Christ Jesus the Lord that you would conquer their hearts in due time by spirit and word and cause them to come forth to own the Savior the king of kings and the Lord of lords we do pray this as well for those gathered here today that you would save young and old we pray that you would save sinners unto the glory of the triune God that by grace you would comment you would cause sinners to rejoice in the Savior we do pray for those who are unwell we think of many such as dawn neufeld John and Sue Proctor we think of we think of Marilyn that we think of surely many others Lord God who were struggling physically we know that your people can be beset by injury by disease by sickness and by all these things Lord and we do pray that you would strengthen each and every one of your Saints we as well think of John cruel and we think of dawn and Sandra we would just pray Lord that you would be with many who do struggle daily with affliction that you would strengthen them in body that you would uplift them and and cause them to know gains in strength but we do pray as we always do pray that in the inner man you would gird them up and strengthen them that in the midst of physical affliction they would nevertheless be wholly resigned unto the will of the triune God and resigned unto the fact that the judge of all the earth does right by his Saints and for his own glory we do pray that you would be with your persecuted Saints Lord God we rejoice that the gospel has gone out throughout the earth we would pray that you'd be with those who are who undergo persecution for their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ we know we don't see that much here but certainly in other places of the world there is much violence and anger and even unto death the persecution of your people and we do pray that you would gird them up and strengthen them you would cause them to remain steadfast in the face of persecution and opposition and that you would cause them to speak the good confession even unto the very end we do pray that you would deal with their persecutors God we would ask that you would even save some by your spirit and word for your glory sake that those who are presently the enemies of God they would be conquered by you that you would remove hearts of stone replace them with hearts of flesh that beat for the Savior and for the blessings of your statutes that you would just save Lord among those who persecute and turn them like Saul so long ago turn them from the madness of their idolatry and persecution onto the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ do save Lord for your glory say we do pray that you would deal with those who will remain in opposition those who continue in rebellion who do not believe who will not believe and who will not bend a knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords we do pray that you would dash them to pieces like a Potter's vessel that you would take them out of the way that you would cause them to incur temporal judgment that they might no longer bring violence upon the saints of Christ we do pray for the governments of the world that you would deal with them as well we long to see those in power who uphold righteousness justice and equity we do pray that you would raise up those who would so do we do pray that you would cast down those who exalt wickedness and who exalt vicen who would cast down virtue we think of the abominations of abortion and sodomy in homosexuality and all things that are perpetrated and propagated in the name of Liberty in the name of progress we do pray that you would raise up those who would see evil as evil and who would see virtue is virtue and we pray Lord God that you would cause righteousness justice and equity to reign in the land that your name might be vindicated and that your Saints might rejoice we do pray now that you would be with us as we worship we long to worship you a right biblically in good order but joyfully and in earnest and we pray for your spirit in such a measure that we might do so we do pray that you would cause your gathered Saints to be edified and strengthened by the preached word and by the exercises of worship we pray Lord God that by the preaching of the word sinners would be saved as well that you would buy that same spirit and word cause sinners to rejoice in Christ and to leave this place singing hallelujah what a savior so unto that end Lord we do pray that you would be with the preacher be with Pastor Butler as he opens up his Bible to proclaim the Word of God we would pray as we know he needs this we would pray that you would give unto Him aid from on high strength from on high to rightly and with great courage proclaim the Word of God that he would do so by your spirit with precision with great clarity Lord God and might he know in this pulpit your strength and your comfort we pray that you would be with us now that all that is done this morning would be done unto the praise of your glorious grace and we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord amen let's stand and sing then our next team will be 580 if you'll all stand with me that's 580 let's stand and sing that together you you let's be seated in turn in your Bibles to Revelation 12 Revelation chapter 12 that will be our new testament scripture reading this morning they are not random as you know we can Sekulow read through the New Testament beginning at Matthew and moving forward in the morning services in the evening we do the same with the Old Testament in our new testament reading then we find ourselves in Revelation 12 so let's read that chapter once again as Psalm 110 was this is the word of the living and true God now a great sign appeared in heaven a woman clothed with the Sun with the moon under her feet and on her head a garland of twelve stars then being with child she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth and another sign appeared in heaven behold a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadem's on his head on his heads his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them down and threw them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born she bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God and his throne then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1260 days and war broke out in heaven Michael and his angels fought with the Dragon and the dragon and his angels fought but they did not prevail nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer so the old it so the Great Dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the death therefore rejoice o heavens and you who dwell in them woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the seal for the excuse me uh woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the seal for the devil has come and excuse me my eyes are blurring here woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child but the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent so the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood but the earth helped the woman and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth and the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ amen well just very briefly hopefully you understand as we've moved through the book of Revelation that there is much symbology and much metaphor and much language that has undergirding it real things that the text is describing there are times where this symbology is interpreted where the things these symbols and metaphors such as the fiery dragon having seven heads and ten horns and and such things where this is interpreted for us for example in that case we have it interpreted as the devil and Satan not with not really with ten heads and ten horns and seven diadem's but this vision that John sees describing this deceiver this devil this Satan this serpent of old but there's a lot of symbol gian when we read this and when we boil it down to the essence of instruction for the church hopefully we see that though the devil rails against the church that those Satan seeks to bring her to an end nevertheless through Christ through our victorious Christ she will be triumphant just like Christ himself was over the devil you see the devil seeks to bring an end to Christ think we have the account of Herod seeking to kill the the male child Christ there and verses 3 through 6 we have the fact that the devil tried to bring an end to Christ at his birth thought he might bring an end to Christ at his crucifixion but Christ was victorious rising again the third day ascending to the right hand of the Majesty on I Satan then goes after the church but you see he still doesn't win because our victorious Christ promised to build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it we have this blessed reality that those that the the Christ himself and his church will be have been and will be victorious we have this statement as well just to close out the section here the end of chapter 12 that describes Christians a a two-part phrase if you will that describes Christians notice verse 17 and the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring speaking of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and now notice who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ you see as Christians we are not saved by the commandments of God but having been saved by amazing in victorious grace with cheerful compliance we obey the Blessed commands of God in view no doubt is the Decalogue the Ten Commandments we keep the commandments of God again not as a Covenant of works but having been saved by amazing grace we with cheerful compliance obey the Blessed commands of our God and we have the testimony of Jesus Christ gospel law and the testimony of christ we come to the scriptures and we see Christians described as those who love the law and who love the gospel of our Blessed Lord might this be the case with us here today in coming before our God of amazing grace that we would love his law that it would be our meditation day and night but knowing that we have not been saved by law but rather by the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ that we would likewise rejoice in the sweetness of the gospel salvation by grace alone through faith alone in our King and Savior Jesus Christ alone let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in your word we thank you for what we're able to read here with regards to Jesus Christ his victory and the victory of the church through him and by him we do pray that you would keep us confident and hopeful in this lower world though the devil seeks to assail us though the world around us opposed to Christ seeks to assail us and to put us down we know that we have one who has been raised who has been ascended exalted to your right hand given Dominion and glory in a kingdom one who presently rains we read in revelation that the nations of this world are the nations of our God and of his Christ and we take much peace much solace in that blessed truth we pray that we would rejoice in you and the gospel of saving an amazing grace and that we would seek to live our lives in this lower world in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ we pray in his name amen well let's stand and sing that our last him before the preaching is 492 let's stand and sing 492 together turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 21 we continue our exposition of Matthew's Gospel we find ourselves in the section dealing with our Lord's passion so when Jesus enters into Jerusalem and the triumphal entry in chapter 21 to the point that he dies on the cross all of that takes place in the space of one week and we find ourselves specifically on Tuesday of that passion week the triumphal entry took place on Sunday the cleansing of the temple took place on Monday and now Jesus is in route from Bethany to Jerusalem on Tuesday in the passage that we're going to consider this morning specifically verses 18 to 22 but I want to back up and just read the larger context beginning in verse 12 then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves and he said to them it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and He healed them when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple and saying Hosanna to the son of David they were indignant and said to him do you hear what these are saying and Jesus said to them yes have you never read out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany and he lodged there now in the morning as he returned to the city he was hungry and seeing a fig tree by the road he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves and said to it let no fruit grow on you ever again immediately the fig tree withered away and when the disciples saw it they marveled saying how did the fig tree wither away so soon so jesus answered and said to them assuredly I say to you if if you have faith and do not doubt you will not only do what was done to this to the fig tree but also if you say to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea it will be done and whatever things you ask in prayer believing you will receive amen let us pray or blessed God and our Holy Father we thank you for the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments we thank you that they are God breathed and profitable for doctrine for correction for reproof for instruction in righteousness we pray that even now god you would guide our thoughts and help us to understand our Lord's meaning in this particular passage to that end we pray for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit we pray that he would come in power and that he would be present among us and that you would guide us and lead us as well God we confess our sin in our transgression those things that darken our understanding we pray that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and for any and all who have come near this morning outside of Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation the gospel would come powerfully by the spirit that these things would be applied and that sin would be shown for what it is that sinners would see the glory and the majesty and the excellence of our Lord Jesus Christ who laid his life down sinners to save and who rose again and who ascended on high and sits enthroned at the right hand of God most high and father we pray that you would be pleased to do this work for your glory and for your honor and for your praise and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well as we saw Jesus entered into Jerusalem and he did so in accordance with the Prophet Zechariah when he went into Jerusalem on that Colt it was indicative or it was an active parable it was symbolic of the reality that what Zechariah had spoken had come to fruition or fulfillment in our Lord Jesus and remember after Christ does this the people cry out Hosanna to the son of David and then the people that didn't get it asked who is this man they weren't asking what's his name but they were asking what kind of a man is this or what nature of the of the case is this particular man and so the galilean said this is Jesus the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee and then Jesus like a profit goes into the temple and he sees that it had become a place of money it had become a place of economics it had been become a place of extortion a den of thieves itself so he turns the tables over and he drives the money changers out again this is in accordance with the scripture he acts as a prophet and then he combats briefly with these men that having their indignant against him and then as we saw in verse 17 he departs from them and he went out of the city to Bethany and he lodged there to Christ two parts probably typical or probably an act of judgment he essentially turns his back upon them and leaves from them and so as I said we pick up on Tuesday morning and it's early in the morning jesus is coming back from Bethany to Jerusalem remember it's the Passover Feast that's why Galileans and that's why Israel as a whole is gathered together in the city for that Passover Feast so Jesus early in the morning comes back from Bethany and he goes to Jerusalem and he continues to act in a prophetic manner what he does in this particular section is most significant and most important for what follows during the rest of the day that takes place here in Matthew's Gospel there's two things essentially going on first and verses 18 that 19 we see the cursing of the fig tree and then in the second place the lesson concerning believing prayer verses 22 22 so essentially there's two lessons something that has to do with this fig tree and then something that has to do with prayer and the disciple so let's look first of all at the cursing of the fig tree in verses 18 and 19 returning to the city and notice in verse 18 it says he was hungry now this is according to the form of a servant this is according to his humanity the Lord Jesus doesn't hunger as God there's no divine food there's no divine repast there's no divine smorgasbord Jesus is functioning in his capacity as the form of a servant he is a man and as a man he is affected by hunger as God he is not affected by hunger John Gill says with reference to this statement that he is hungry it proves the truth of his human nature which was in all respects light two hours accepting sin so early in the morning he leaves Bethany we might ask the question why didn't he get some breakfast from his host family the Bible doesn't tell us but he gets back to the city or he's on his way to the city and he sees this fig tree because he's hungry he goes over to it notice specifically in seeing a fig tree by the road Matthew indicates it was by the road it didn't belong to somebody in particular Jesus isn't an enviro meanie Jesus isn't against personal property Jesus isn't going to come and curse your fig tree it is by the road it is on its own it's a it's a it's a lonely specimen there but notes specifically what the tax it says and seeing a fig tree by the road he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves and said to it we must ask the question what's happening here is Jesus aunty fig tree is Jesus got a problem with flora and the fauna on the way to Jerusalem does Jesus have a particular ax to grind against this lonely tree no he's functioning in the capacity of a prophet as I said it's an acted parable it is symbolized and as a symbolic meaning that he is describing to this particular thing you see in the prophets Isaiah you see in the prophet Ezekiel you see it in Hosea Hosea was commanded to marry a woman of harlotry why because God is teaching Israel something why does Jesus first this fig tree because Jesus is teaching Israel something and I suggest or I submit or I believe that what he is doing is that he is showing the curse that is going to come upon Jerusalem and it's temple there are several reasons why I believe this this is the book report concerning the commentators as well but this is what's in view seeing a fig tree by the road he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves and said to it so we have this fig tree it's got leaves when we see a tree with leaves it gives the evidence of fruit doesn't it if we see a tree and it has no leaves we conclude there are no fruits I mean I'm not that agriculturally minded but I know enough to realize that if it's blank of leaves it's probably not going to have any fruit this is an apt description of Jerusalem isn't it don't forget the context Jesus just cleansed the temple there are several reasons why i believe and others with me believe that what's in view is jesus symbolic parable concerning the destruction of jerusalem and her temple in the first place the old testament oftentimes refer to the Baron fig tree as a sign of God's judgment it's used positively as well a tree that is fruitful and a tree this bearing frig offense is an evidence of God's mercy and kindness but there are several statements applied in the scriptures of the Old Testament where a barren fig tree is a mark a signet symbol of God's judgment upon a people in the second place the emphasis in Matthew's Gospel on Israel's unfaithfulness brethren we've been at this for a couple of years now and one thing we ought to appreciate is that the people to whom Jesus came did not receive him they rejected him they were fruitless they had the leaves of a temple they had the leaves of a priesthood they had the leaves of sacrificial system but they didn't have the fruit of vital religion they were a fruit less people in the third place in Luke's Gospel Jesus teaches a particular parable that uses the same symbol in Luke 13-6 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 I find done 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 as well fourthly why do we think that this is a reference to Israel generically Jerusalem specifically and the temple the immediate context when he said he's just cleansed the temple the day before he has shown his displeasure he has shown his disfavor I mean when he's turning those tables and he's driving money changers out is that a sign that he's happy that he's thrilled that he's content that he is delighted in the fact that the people of Israel are using the temple for the reason for which it was given no he is angry he is not prissy Jesus he is not effeminate Jesus he is a man that is consumed with the zeal of his father and he drives these persons out but as well in the immediate context in Matthew 21 notice specifically in verses 33 and following Jesus uses another symbol concerning Israel that of a vineyard this right out of the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 5 the parable of the wicked vying dressers and note what the conclusion is concerning this particular parable verse 43 therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it he's talking to the religious leadership of Israel he says the kingdom of God is being taken from you it's giving to up being given to a nation that's bearing the fruits of it who is that nation Peter tells us the Church of Jesus Christ we are a holy nation we are the fulfillment in terms of God's promises with reference to his people because of Jesus the Israel of God he unites Jews and Gentiles as the Israel of God so that we may glorify and honor him forever and then another significant piece of evidence that confirms the interpretation that the fig tree specifically represents Jerusalem in the temple is the Olivet discourse see we read our Bibles and we preach through our Bibles and it takes a great deal of time do what Jesus does on Tuesday morning he curses the fig tree you know how he ends tuesday when he goes back to bethany he gives the Olivet discourse what is the focus of the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 it is the destruction of the temple Jesus is telling the disciples they come out of the temple complex the disciples say wow isn't this a beautiful thing and Jesus says is surely I say to you not one stone that you see here is going to remain all of these things are in a crumble they get over to Bethany they go up to the Mount of Olives in Jesus in prophetic manner is then asked tell us about this Lord so he describes in vivid detail the destruction of the temple now there are several different interpretations of Matthew 24 to be sure but I hope that every one of them and confirms the reality that at least in some measure the temple standing in Jerusalem is what Jesus is talking about that's the particular emphasis of Christ in Matthew 24 I just want to summarize these lines of evidence by reading a good quote from JC ryle now when I work through sections of Scripture I do rely on several commentators and that's not to stand up here and say wow aren't I great I read a lot of commentators rather than you should want novel preaching you shouldn't want new things you shouldn't want departures from the historic Christian faith and when we quote whether it's me or pastor cam it is showing that preaching and exposition does not happen as a private exercise it is not a cultic expression of one man to his minions but it's done ecclesiastically not only in the context of a local church but in the context of the Catholic Church we are connected to these brethren in the same and common end that's why we quote it's to show this isn't something i hatched in my office this week but of all the men that i read and again most of them agree to exceptions wolver dispensationalists says i didn't read him somebody that i read referenced him vulvar to diss pensation allah says the fig tree doesn't represent jerusalem to the temple i understand what drives that because jesus works here are final no fruit will ever grow on you again I don't know how you could be a dispensationalist in light of Jesus statement in this particular passage da carson as well is on a bit unwilling to say that it deals specifically with Jerusalem and it's temple he says it does but just the hypocrites with in Jerusalem and Israel John MacArthur a dispensationalist says it represents Israel it represents Jerusalem and the Temple I think again he's going to have some inconsistencies because Jesus says concerning the tree that no fruit will ever grow on you again not until the Millennial Kingdom not until after the rapture not until God's prophetic clock star he says never again as a body politic as the old covenant people now Matthew 21 Jesus words concerning this victory puts the death knell as far as I'm concerned this separate Jew Gentile people group now there is one people group it is the Church of the Lord Jesus and this is what the Old Testament always was driving toward the temple wasn't the end Jesus is the end the temple stood and existed to point us to Christ now that Christ is here we don't rebuild temples just so they can be destroyed we don't redo things just so they can fall into this prophetic narrative what was done was done by Christ at the right end of his father via the Roman armies in AD 70 and the Jews went into the ranks of every other people group every other nation God's favor is upon the Israel of God which is Christ and in him all the elect in him all believers from all ages we are the Israel of God according to Paul in Galatians 660 it's really beautiful we don't need to cut up and carve up biblical prophecy we need to understand Old Testament prophecy finds its fruition and fulfillment in the person and in the work of our Redeemer and as a result of that the church benefits and is blessed richly as a results all that to say here's royal Spurgeon is good Gill is good royal just nails it when he explains the symbol a symbol is amused here he says that fig tree full of leaves but Baron of fruit was a striking emblem of the Jewish Church when our Lord was up on the earth he says the Jewish Church had everything to make an outward show it had the temple the priesthood the daily service the yearly feasts the Old Testament Scriptures the rituals of the Levites the morning and evening sacrifice but beneath these goodly leaves the Jewish Church was utterly destitute of fruit it had no grace no faith no love no humility no spirituality no real holiness no willingness to receive its Messiah and hence light the fig tree the Jewish Church was soon to wither away it was to be stripped of all its outward ornaments and its members scattered over the face of the earth Jerusalem was to be destroyed that temple was to be burned the daily sacrifice was to be taken away the tree was to wither away to the very ground and so it came to pass never was there a type so literally fulfilled it's absolutely accurate brethren again there's differing views on the Olivet discourse but to a man unless there's some odd doc trying to posit a difference between Matthews version and Luke's version they all agree that what's in view at least is the destruction of the temple that Jesus and His disciples were looking at so it argued that's the bulk of the emphasis is on that that well that's the emphasis so talking about a rebuilt temple in our future it's not talking about a rebuilt people of God or Israel of God in our future they asked him about the temple they see and he underscores it using the word generation now some have said well that means the people that are living when Jesus comes it never means that in Matthew Matthew always uses g'day up the same way it is that generation do any speaking that can be consistently demonstrated from every youths and in Matthew's Gospel the point of the active parable brethren is that Jesus in the morning when he saw Murray curses the fig tree Jesus in the evening when he returns from Jerusalem curses the fig tree by giving prophetic explanation to what he had done in the morning he tells his disciples concerning the destruction of Jerusalem the destruction of the temple and the sign of his coming at the end of the age Jesus does that all on Tuesday in fact I would say Tuesday was a busy day for our Blessed Lord so we've identified the symbol notice the command he says let no fruit grow on you ever again immediately the fig tree withered away now the nature of the command may you never bear fruit again at forever I mean he really underscores this the death of the tree is in view not a temporary secession of its privilege the death of the tree is in view that's what is necessary to yield this particular fruit or result shouldn't say fruit in that context that result another has said it's never not at all never again Jesus is condemning this particular tree now there is an objection to this command that is out there that doesn't seem consistent with our Lord Nene's gentle Jesus Jake and the meek and mild why in the world would he curse helpless fig trees magic if Jesus did this today the fig tree preservation society would chain themselves to trees don't you come near it Jesus it's a tree it's one tree you ever noticed that people that champion the environment like trees and pigs what does Jesus do with pigs and Matthew 8 he sends demons into them and those demon filled pigs run violently down the slope and drown themselves in the sea he's against pigs he's against trees he's a bad man persons who worship the creature rather than the Creator and go to that length to chain themselves into to fight for the rights of these you know poor defenseless pigs i'm not saying just go out club pigs or you know just out go butcher trees but brethren typically they're people that have no problem with babies being murdered in their mothers wombs you've got big problems if you're more concerned about a fig tree and its health then you are about an image bearer of the Living God in utero you got big problems and I don't want to in deal I have to deal with these sorts of things but because we live in a culture that is so sensitive and so delicate when it comes to such things we should at least have some understanding of what's going on it's one tree who cares why would somebody get worked up about that's of Jesus that's a tree that shows vindictive is Jesus that shows callousness Jesus that shows you know a mean spirit it's one tree that Christ uses to teach a most excellent lesson I think Spurgeon's a better guide here he says to foul a whole forest has never been considered cruel and to use a single barren tree as an object lesson can only seem unkind to those who are sentimental and idiotic Thank You Charles for saying the obvious he says it was kindness to the ages to use a worthless tree to teach a salutary lesson isn't that right praise God he'd rather cursed that tree and according to the parable in Luke 13 and according to the timeline give them opportunity for repentance you see generation was fulfilled literally after Jesus ascends on high and leads captivity captive and gives gifts to men when does the siege of Jerusalem occur it's about 40 years later this is 40 year period in there where the Jews should respond to the preaching of the gospel it was a dead tree designed by Christ to teach a salutary lesson to people I think there's some significant things that we ought to surmise before we move on with reference to the cursing of the fig tree well note the result immediately the fig tree withered away immediately the fig tree withered away if you compare Mark's Gospel you see a little bit of a different order you see mark give us the statement concerning Jesus cursing the tree then the statement of the section dealing with the cleansing of the temple and then the statement from the disciples about the withered tree see market is even more conspicuous that what we're supposed to understand the fig tree in light of the temple cleansing you're supposed to get that you're supposed to internalize it you're not supposed to say what does he mean by this fig tree could it have anything to do with the the fact that he just drove out people from the temple in Israel yeah yeah that that's it that's what we should get the Brethren there are several things that we ought to see immediately the fig tree withered away in the first place the nation of Israel has an ethnic people would cease as the visible representation of the kingdom of God it's just going to happen or that according to Jesus it has happened according to the rest of Scripture Matthew 2143 again therefore I say to the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it secondly the earthly temple would cease as the visible dwelling place of the Living God you see Solomon prophesied this in his prayer of dedication fuse McShane's calendar you're in seconds second chronicles six if you read on to chapter 7 and 8 you'll see that his prayer of dedication says that if the people of Israel are faithful to the Lord and their covenant keeping if they're faithful to Yahweh God will bless them he will bless them richly but if they are unfaithful what's going to happen God is going to drive them out of their land and that is coming to pass in this particular sad the earthly temple would ultimately fall and it would cease as the visible dwelling place of the people of God in the third place the nation in the temple would not be set aside only temporarily but forever if words have meaning brethren and verse 21 verse 19 means anything let no fruit grow on you ever again means let new fruit grow on you ever again I'm going to happen no never forever died on Iona you've heard the word I on it's where oftentimes we get the word eternal from that's what Jesus is saying here fourthly what the symbol portends is the destruction of jerusalem and the temple which christ will expound on in Matthew 24 specifically it's a symbolic act it's going to be explained Tuesday night to the disciples but that brings us to consider in the second place the lesson concerning believing prayer seems the disciples understood the lesson of the fig tree look at the text verse 20 and when the disciples saw it this brings us to the lesson concerning believing prayer when the disciples saw it they marveled saying how did the fig tree wither away so soon no they don't ask what does it mean they want to know how it was done so soon their focus is on Christ's authority not on his meaning i suggest we can't infer by their response that they were tracking because remember they just saw him drive out the money changers and the the sellers of animals from the temple compound they just witnessed this show of strength by our Lord to be consumed with zeal for the house of his father the disciples don't ask what do you mean by cursing that poor fig tree don't you know that particular grain group is going to be very upset about that no that's not what they do how did it happen they marvel just like they've marveled before just like persons throughout Matthew's Gospel Marvel in the presence of the authority of Christ we saw one of the most consistent ones are one closest rather to this in Matthew chapter 8 after Jesus calms the sea and he calms the win and they're afraid and they say what kind of a man is this kind of a man is this we see the sorts of men that get wet in the rain we see the sorts of men that that float boats and waves like this and they capsized we have never seen the kind of man that can speak to waves and can speak to win and can make them be silent a kind of a man is this you see that where their question focuses notice verse 20 when the disciples saw a marvel how'd the fig tree withered away so soon how'd it happen ward they questioned his authority which interestingly is what the religious leaders going to question in verse 23 Christ doing the things that Christ does is an issue of provocation for the religious leaders by what authority you come into our temple and drive people out by what authority are you teaching these things by what authority are you receiving the hosannas of Jerusalem the hosannas of Galileans and you're receiving the hosannas of these little bit these little children that have the ability to list praise to God why is it or who gave you this authority so you see it's an issue of authority ultimately that comes to pass with reference to Jesus and the religious leaders but you even see that here the disciples who had been with Christ this long are still marveling brethren as a sideline application as disciples of Christ in the 21st century shouldn't we still Marvel how many times do we read our Bibles an amazing amazing things happen and you know we just go on to another cup of coffee yeah ponder yeah reflect do you contemplate urea reflect upon the reality that Christ can speak to a tree and kill it see what I quite like tree so I don't want to reflect on that the authority of Jesus over the created order certainly the Creator has the power over the creature brethren we ought to marvel as well when we read the glorious accounts of our of our Lord's authority and power when he heals blind people when he raises the dead when he cures lepers when he shows that sort of omnipotent compassion to those in need may it be the cause for rejoicing in the presence of God may we think wow this Christ has power and authority over nature such that he can still the still the waves and still the wind and he can and he can curse barren fig trees as Christ is worthy of our worship and praise and adoration and of our marveling in our amazement I think we've lost something of that the church today we've lost something of the marveling and the amazement in the presence of God I think Solomon had that in his prayer dedication the earth can't contain God this temple can't contain God the very creation itself can't contain God he is the Lord God most high when we come to the church of christ for instance audit always to be hyper casual and just horizontal and just about me and my shot the arm now we're coming into the presence of the king of kings and the Lord of lords let there be a reverence and a fear and a marvel and an amazement that infects our heart or infests rather our hearts so that we respond properly and when we sang 105 this morning which is essentially Psalm 148 what is the psalm is telling us that all the creation of the earth is to praise God sea creatures fig trees men angels the entirety of God's created order ought to praise and worship and glorify Him brethren the honor of God trumps our personal happiness our personal satisfaction or our personal fulfillment it's God's glory Jesus teaches us to pray for in the first place in the Lord's Prayer our Father which art in heaven hallowed be your name we talked about this on Wednesday night because Jesus lesser son David praise or eulogizes Saul and Jonathan in a similar manner we start with God there's a theological priority and order to everything the saint of Christ does and prayer is certainly one of that and so is the worship of God in the public place you know churches are treated like you know is it McDonald's or as a Burger King or is it Wendy's you know they got good pickles over here like the way they do their meat over here like it brethren that's not how the church is supposed to be treated to church faithfully doing what the church is supposed to be doing isn't a Wendy's it's not a McDonald's it is the Church of the Living God and the fact that some men in leadership market churches that way shame on them and shame on us the consumer for buying that dreck hat tip to my daughter for the word Drac she used it last night and it just fit right there beautifully there's a marvel there's an amazement there is a a sobriety in the pit in the presence of God it's a frivolity it's not casualness it's not sipping lattes with Jesus it's worshipping in praise and adoration with a holy fear and reverence deep down to our bones because we're in the presence of a man looking curse fig trees a man who can talk to wind and waves a man who can still those things and a man who ultimately laid his life down for us and took it up again to save us from our sin certainly in the presence of such a man we marvel in the presence of such a man we stand amazed in the presence of such a man we focus upon the worship of our Living God notice they asked the question they marvel how did the fig tree wither away so soon no Christ's response and I think it's intriguing if we're following the narrative how does Jesus refer to the Old Covenant temple via Isaiah 56 7 it is a house of prayer right now that's synecdoche a synecdoche a synecdoche is when you have something that stands for the whole so in that particular instance house of prayer means everything divinely authorized in the worship of God certainly you preach in the House of Prayer certainly pray in the house of prayer certainly chanter sing psalms in the House of Prayer certainly given the house oppression it's a synecdoche the part stands for the whole we say this with reference to people on aircraft we say there were two hundred souls on board well the soul stands for the whole it's a part that stands for the hall but it is intriguing the prophet Isaiah says this and the Lord Jesus quotes it is a house of prayer perhaps we're supposed to understand this connection the Old Covenant House of Prayer is about to be destroyed because it hasn't been faithful hasn't done what it's supposed to do but in the new covenant prayer is emphasized prayer is a priority and Jesus goes down this path to instruct them concerning prayer and I love what he says he stresses to particulars in the first place he highlights the necessity of faith and secondly there is an implication for prayer notice they ask how did the fig tree wither away so soon so jesus answered and said to them assuredly I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt see brethren when you pray you're supposed to believe that God is and that is a reward of them that diligently seek Him you're so you're really supposed to believe God when you pray I know that may sound radical I may sound just you know mind-blowing but if you're not believing god you're probably not pretty and if you are / hanging you're not believing god you're not praying right you need to believe him you need to believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him but notice he says surely I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt what's a problem in prayer doubt what's an enemy to genuine believing earnest prayer doubt your people say today well you no doubt this has its place in the Christian life yeah wretched place we have a God who cannot lie who has given us 66 books divinely inspired and we still doubt I know I still do too so I'm not picking on you all there is that within the heart of man that's sort of doubtful default for doubting dennis's and we have that disposition in our hearts Jesus says don't have that disposition assuredly he underscores it with this on men truly truly I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt notice he gives to exploits of faith faithful prayer you will not only do it was done to this fig tree but also if you say to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea it will be done those are the exploits of faithful prayer you'll not only do what was done to the fig drink now remember the disciples had an authority in a power to work signs and miracles given them by Jesus in Matthew chapter 10 that we don't necessarily have and I'm not sure that he's suggesting that they actually go out curse fig trees I'm not sure that he's actually saying they should go talk to mountains and ask him to jump into the sea he is using hyperbole to tell them something concerning faith at the throne of grace there may be an echo of Zechariah the Prophet 14 for though in terms of an eschatological focus when the Lord comes down upon the Mount of Olives it it splits open the Greek Septuagint renders it then it goes to the sea that might be involved here I don't want to pursue that but I simply suggest that that it might be that particular the mountain associated with the people of God is going to go into the sea another maybe at least allusion to the reality of the fall of Jerusalem and her temple but again sideline note you can put that out of your head the point is as Calvin says it is a hyper hyper bollocky mode of expression it was used in 1720 as well same sort of convention what does Jesus underscoring to his disciples you need to believe God you need to have faith in God remember the disciples in their unique position specifically as the Twelve Apostles they are going to go and turn the world upside down you know we look at our society we said wow it's so messed up and I'm right there with you saying wow it's so mad stuff sodomy abortion euthanasia I mean just crazy foolish responses to tragedy I mean things that are that are to use the language of spurs are just idiotic brethren there is nothing new Under the Sun do you think the early church living in the Roman Empire had nothing but joy and happiness and daily bliss they had abortion in the Roman Empire they just didn't do it in state sanctioned clinics getting funded by the federal government they would simply take their child and put it on the trash heap if it got eaten by dogs that's the way it went if the child got taken or kidnapped not kidnapped taken and turned into a prostitute or a slave that's just the way it was but you see it's this idea that wow if only we had it like they did they face Nero ultimately they faced a regime that was oppressive and harsh politically then they had the religious element in terms of unbelieving Israel Paul's chief enemies in the very first part of this truck of his career in the book of Acts wasn't wrong it was unbelieving Israel they're the ones that arrested him they're the ones that turned him over to the Roman government the first chief enemy of the church of jesus christ was unbelieving Israel and then of course the Roman Empire you know what one tax though they continually went back to pastor Tim read it at the outset of worship I'd love to give everybody a quiz right now to see who actually gets it Psalm 110 the Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool consider that confession of faith in the mouth of the early church in a debauch stage with homosexuality to see we've developed and we've made technological advances in how to do wake yes but all the wickedness has always been there you see I mean we are working hard to perfect wickedness but that's not to suggest there wasn't wickedness in the first century and so these disciples going about their task after Christ returns to have it to go and preach the gospel to make disciples of all the nations to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach them all things that Christ had commanded yeah and he gives that promise alow I'm with you even to the end of the age in order to do that they have to believe God who's a great expression of that sort of faith we see in Romans 4 concerning Abraham Luke contrary to hope did what cried whined went and sought therapy blamed his mother who contrary to hope in Hope believed that the God who promised was able you see we don't want to become prosperity you know prosperity preachers or Christians when it comes to passages like these that are large with the promises of God but on the other hand we don't want to add me them of the promises of God if Christ commands believing without doubting prayer and says that we can do mighty exploits in such manner then we ought to seize upon it by the grace of God and pray with that man lord I believe help thou mine unbelief so that when I pray that you'll save my children or I pray that you'll save my family or a pred you'll save the person next to me at work God when I pray that I don't want to doubt but I don't want to put your arm behind your back because all teaching on prayer ultimately must find its place in the will of God you see this isn't the first rodeo for our Lord in terms of teaching on prayer he's already taught us the Lord's Prayer when you pray our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come Thy will be done he doesn't say that so that we can come to Matthew 21 and go join Benny Hinn raised and said whatever it is you want you get it you cannot read the Bible that way you cannot divorce text from texts you cannot land on a passage like this and say I'm going to pray for mount champ to wander down to the Pacific and to throw itself in and I'm sure the Lord's going to deliver will you let me know how that goes you just let me know email me not every day because that's going to get tedious emailed me about every 10 years let me know how it goes for you is it the will of God that mount Cham actually go to the Pacific and throw it no Christ is underscoring something about faith brethren what's more difficult to see Mount Shan run down in Pacific and throw itself in or to see a sinner dead in trespasses and sin saved apart from God's grace will see Mount shams and other mountains like them running to the sea to throw themselves in before will see dead sinners raised we pray according to the will of god most high notice he underscores he ends verse 22 an implication for prayer and whatever things you ask in prayer believing you will receive I hope I've sufficiently answered the thought I want to be an astronaut I'm going to pray to God to be an astronaut I'm going to become an astronaut you may be you know you may be that one in a million that's going to be an astronaut but don't blame God if you end up not being an astronaut but whatever there is qualified I want to be the most gorgeous specimen of a human being that's not going to work probably one of the most successful / why is it that we pray like that typically we pray for what we got don't we maybe you don't but you know the typical response of Psalm when they pray you'll bless me give me help me do me do for me this we want stuff from God we don't go into God's present and hallow his glorious name pray for the coming of this kingdom and say though will be done on earth not as it as it is in heaven see that's the context for how we understand and whatever things you ask in prayer believing you will receive this isn't a health wealth and prosperity text they're wrong they are simply wrong well that concludes our exposition a final few thoughts before we move to clothes in the first place we've sufficiently dealt with the authority of Christ he has the power to speak to fig trees and to cause them to wither in the second place the power of prayer the emphasis on faith and prayer the corrosive influence of doubt on prayer doesn't James underscore this doesn't James highlight this for us in James chapter 1 specifically in verse 6 he says but let him let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind for let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord he as a double-minded man unstable in all his ways now I realize that we all have doubts the idea is is to identify it pray to God asking to forgive us and help us Lord increase our faith you do know you can pray that right lord increase my faith you can say with that man lord I believe help thou mine unbelief none of us have the faith capacity that we could as well the promise of Christ to believing prayer knocks chamblin quoted somebody didn't know or it is just kind of mentioned it prayer is impotence grasping hold of omnipotence that's beautiful isn't it prayer is impotence grasping hold of omnipotence that's what Jesus wants us to understand here as well the implications of this cursed fig tree in the first place three sections and it will be quick first place nation of Israel secondly the Church of Jesus Christ thirdly for the individual terms of the nation of this in the first place under that sub point we see there is a coven ental transformation in the Old Covenant Israel as a people were the covenant people of god most high it was never ever expressed always and forever be that way the promise to Abraham was that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed all the nations of the earth would be blessed it would never be focused solely and alone upon the nation of Israel even in old common in Israel there were proselytes Ruth's came in there were others that came in but by and large it was confined to that body of people well there was a coven ental transformation that occurred at the death of Jesus when Jesus in Matthew 26 6 says this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you for the remission of sins what does he say he's saying that the Old Covenant has passed away this is expounded on in Hebrew seven and eight Hebrew seven and eight tells us that the New Covenant ratified by Jesus is a covenant that has a better hope it has better promises because it is a better covenant there was a covenantal transformation that's why when we get to the all of it discourse and I apply it the first century Israel into the destruction that took place in AD 70 there's always going to be those who say but the body count was higher at another particular time in other words say there was however many Jews killed in the first century well there was a lot more killed in the Second World War therefore you're wrong the significance in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 is a public attestation of the reality that the New Covenant is here you can see that Hebrews 813 very specifically as well it's coven dental transformations a body count that's in view in that particular section as well we need to appreciate as we've seen from 2143 Jesus tells us specifically the kingdom of God will be taken from Israel and get into the church he said well it doesn't say that will show you that it says that when we get there that's the point of his statement as well this occurred as a result of covenantal unfaithfulness on the part of Israel if we had time if I like when preachers say that don't you because if we you know if he turns there then that means even read this block of text Deuteronomy 28 49 257 Deuteronomy 28 49 257 what does God promise if they're unfaithful i will send foreign invaders and they will drive you from your land in temple in the siege to a women will eat their own children this occurred not only in the Babylonian captivity or in the siege of Babylon over Jerusalem Josephus tells us it happened at 80 70 women hate their babies because they were starving to death Klein says Old Testament history this is a commentary on Deuteronomy 28 49 257 Old Testament history witnessed successive executions of this curse and it was the finally exhausted in the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 in the fourth place we ought to see in this statement concerning Jesus in the fig tree the finality of Christ's words to locate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in a reconfigured Israel in the future is to miss covenantal trajectory in the Bible the prophecies of the Old Testament find their fruition in fulfillment in Jesus and him all the promises of God are gay and amen and the appended to us because we're attached to him by faith so I Paul in Romans 30 I Romans for specifically in verse 13 can universalize the promise given to Abraham Abraham was told to look north to looks out to look east to look west sometimes people say well he saw is Paul tells us he inherited the whole world why is that the case because the seed of Abraham is the Lord Jesus Christ and he has all authority in heaven and on earth he has the power and he has in his hand the entirety of the creation it is a final statement it is wrong to see this suspended until the Millennial Kingdom if that doesn't sound like anything to you you've never heard that then stick around you'll probably hear more when we get to Matthew 24 the place of Israel today some would charge me with anti-semetic well you're an anti-semite your wretched your anti-semite that's not anti-semitism it's a respect for the biblical covenants the biblical covenants lead us to the conclusion that the people of Israel as the people of Israel have been cut off and that the church is the people of God then that's where we go no anti-semitism involved here's my language to the Jews today believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved you see that will provide more impetus to go to Jews and call them to repentance and faith than some delusion that there's going to be this reconvening in the State of Israel according to God's prophetic time clock brethren they do not have a biblical warrant for being a geopolitical power today now again that's not anti-semite a Semitism 1948 god is sovereign the decree of God certainly included that but there's no biblical prophecy that said in 1948 the Jews are going to return to their land everything's going to be great magical and 40 years later there's going to be this rapture and then the millennium k that's not the point because it happens under the decree of God doesn't mean it's connected specifically to biblical prophecy they are a geopolitical power today I understand that but not because of a text in Scripture people need to understand that so we preached it at Romans 11 talks about Jews and Gentiles it thoughts about you know certain things concerning the Jews and their their inclusion and with the Gentiles as the people God I would say though send me to Israel preach the gospel send me with a Glock 9 to but that's what pastor Baruch Mayo said that he carried with him whenever he walked around the city in Israel there as well with reference to the Church of Christ the church must exercise caution Paul tells us this in he and Romans 11 specifically in the context of 19 to 24 he's essentially saying that the Jews were cut off so that the Gentiles could be engrafted this wild olive tree is going to be engrafted into the olive tree of God and then Paul tells the the Gentiles don't be haughty but fear if God was not remiss to cut off them in their unbelief he's not going to be remiss to cut off you in your unbelief we need to understand brethren we must exercise caution as the Church of Jesus Christ we must bear fruit doesn't Jesus say this is what the church will do in 2143 the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it we have a building we have in books we have a piano we have a pulpit we have the leads in place we have the leaves in place you look at this place it looks like a victory their fruit is their faith is their repentance is their charity their love their deference is there preferring others above ourselves is there the biblical fruit that God calls upon us to bear as the Church of Jesus Christ let us not fall prey to the same sort of thing that first century Israel fell prey to they had the temple they had the priesthood but they didn't have any vital godliness we have the structure in place and we should have structure regular principle of worship makes me happy all those things should be in there but we need the heart of the matter we need to express those things that are fruits and we need to understand that the church who continues or persists in unfruitful Nass runs the risk of being spat from the mouths of our holy Lord so this what happened in the Old Covenant too isn't this what you always said would happen to Israel of all the land will vomit you out of its mouth in the book of Revelation Jesus says I will vomit you out of my mouth and in the final place with reference to the individual you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation you don't find a fig tree that's got leaves alone and then tape or nail figs to it without faith there's no fruit without faith in the risen Christ there's no life without faith and the gospel belief in the gospel a looking and a living with reference to Jesus you will not bear fruit you must have Christ as individuals you may look like fig trees as individuals you may have the leaves but do you have the fruit you will never have the fruit apart from the Lord Jesus our confession summarizes as well faith thoughts receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness is the alone instrument of justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but as ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is note no dead faith don't work as bar lives if we look at the church and say wow the structures in place but there's no heart for true godliness there's no biblical religion going on in the soul we could say the same for individuals young people children adults consider this reality what do people see when they look at you do they see fig leaves do they see what appears to be a verdant piece of agricultural bliss and in side there's no food inside there's no love for Christ there's no love for men there's no love for church there's no love for Scripture there's no love for the world around us in terms of some compassion and evangelism and prayer for mission brethren what is it that you are displaying if the leaves are present and the fruit is absent the responses to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ come to the Savior you must be content rather must not be content to possess the leaves of a profession without the fruit of possession and yet so many more how many people would call themselves born-again Christians but never think twice about abortion everything twice about euthanasia everything twice about you know vote for this person will vote fit that person's about killing babies you shouldn't do that as a believer things don't do that how many people would name themselves as of angelical Christians in Canada and an America so there's a lot of apparent fig trees out there there's a lot of leaves you know flowing in the wind but is the fruit of the matter their royal says is not every fruitless professor of Christianity and awful danger of becoming a withered fig tree he says as long as a man is content with the leaves of religion with a name to live while he is dad in a form of godliness without the power so long his soul is in great peril it may be the case that that describes you this morning it may be the case that whether you're young or old you want people to think you're a Christian you go through the particular motions that the speed Christianity but there's no fruit in your heart again the answer is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and if by the grace of God you have believed then produce fruit be about bearing fruit there's no greater joy than serving God most high in the world that he has placed us let's not have a laziness or a callousness or a coldness or a hard heartedness about that if we are actually God's people we ought to be bearing fruit we ought to be producing figs we ought to be a benefit to people around us and to help to those with whom we come into contact will let us close in prayer and ask God to seal these truths to our heart to make us a fruitful people our Father we thank you for the word of God we thank you for its consistency we thank you for what it sets forth in all its parts and the whole the end of the whole is the glory of God and we give you praise and thanks for this we thank you for making us partakers of sovereign grace or by Sovereign Grace of saving interest in the Lord Jesus and our hearts desire as others would be leave on him that they would come out of darkness into marvelous light enabled by the power of your Holy Spirit go with us now we pray and we ask through Christ our Lord amen the close with a brief time of meditation then be dismissed you