1. That some would be prepared & consequently blessed / others would be ignorantly unprepared & consequently JUDGED!!!
2. Last time we focused our attention on that latter group w/ whom Jesus chided for failing to see the OBVIOUS prophetic signs of his 1^st coming.
3. Although the context was in relation to his first coming – we saw that there was an application to us concerning his 2^nd & rapture of the church

1. That there are those today who are unprepared for our Lord’s coming who are saying today my master Delays His coming

1. So This was a Strong warning / wake up call to them & to us / It was an In your face kind of message that Jesus gave

1. seen in the Language He uses in v. 56 HYPOCRITES!!!

1. A scene that ended w/ a strong rebuke & warning! / wake up call
2. What we have here in Chapter 13 is the Reaction of some there to this word of rebuke & warning that Jesus gives

1. What we are going to find is that these guys react in the same way that we sometimes do when confronted by sin

1. We say – WHAT ABOUT HIM / WHAT ABOUT HER ? – Read v.1-5

B) Similar perhaps to the way some people who live in L.A. might view

those living in BAKERSFIELD / valley people / red necks

1. The Galileans were also considered to be a rough group – kind of hot heads .

C)Now the Tragedy that they are referring to is one that we don’t know a

whole lot about – best we can do is give some conjecture / speculate

It has been suggested that This tragedy may have taken place when Pilate "appropriated" money from the temple treasury to help finance an aqueduct.

1. A large crowd of angry Jews gathered in protest; so Pilate had soldiers in civilian clothes mingle with the mob.

1)Using concealed weapons, the soldiers killed a number of innocent and

unarmed Jews, / most of whom were Galileans

2. The point of the question was to Divert attention from themselves & their guilt / BY COMPARING THEMSELVES W/ OTHERS as if to say –

1. what about those Galileans they must have been really bad to have that happen to them.

A) Started in the Garden – Adam & Eve fell – God comes ADAM WHERE ARE YOU SON. - NAKED HIDING – WHO SAID NAKED- DID YOU EAT

1. What does Adam say ? It was the WOMEN – YOU GAVE TO ME

1. Still being practiced today – It is not my fault it this woman that you gave to me – her fault she provoked me

1. Eve did the same thing – It was the Serpent he deceived me / This is still being practiced as well .

1. A women was going shopping – at the Mall – Husband gave her strict orders You can look but don’t Buy anything

1. End of the day she comes home w/ a new Dress – Husband says I thought I told you not to buy anything –

1. She Responded THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT – I tried it on & he said you look so good in that dress you have to have it.

1. Husband interrupted you should have told him to GET BEHIND ME SATAN –

1. she responded – I did – but he said it looked even better from the back side

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING : This is a normal tendency to say – what about him / her – not my fault/ human nature compare ourselves w/ others

B) It is the repentant Heart that confesses I HAVE SINNED !!!!!!!!!

1. Those were Jews from Jerusalem – were they worse sinners than the

B) I tell you NO – BUT unless YOU REPENT …. PERISH

C)Listen - When we want to make it an us VS. them matter – Jesus always

makes it a You matter.

1. Guys when you want to complain about your wife / Ladies husband - Single people friends or married folks

D)The Lord will always say – WHAT ABOUT YOUR HEART ?-

In 2 Corinthians 10:12 Paul speaks of this tendency to want to compare ourselves w/ others –Listen: But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, ARE NOT WISE !

1. Real issue is not how I compare w/ others / I can always find someone worse than me – sin is greater than mine/ Compare w/ JESUS

B) We get a fender bender – start thinking – I must have really blown it

1) Satan attacks us with those kind of thoughts & accusations

"You are being punished for what you have done"

C)That is a COMMON feeling in the face of tragedy/ IF I had not done this

A) In the face of the tragedies of losing his children, his fortune, his health

B) "Come clean Job... Fess up to your sin... We don't know what you have

C)Job INSISTED that he had done nothing/ They then accused him of being

a liar

1. Many go through these type of mental gymnastics today & spiritual attack in the mist of a TRAGEDY –

1. Where They feel that they are being punished for some wrong they have done/ NOT SO Didn’t Jesus say in Mt 5:45

E)Hurricane George hit – Florida / Fort Lauderdale & Miami- Worse

sinners JUDGEMENT FOR SIN- (Friends there )

1. Bob Coy / Malcolm / John Randel / Tragedy is a part of Human life

1. Understand that There is a day when men will be PUNISHED for their

1. A FALLEN WORLD that is under Satan’s direction / that is why

there is suffering and death

B) And BECAUSE we live in this fallen world we are NOT immune from the corrupting effects of sin in the world/

C) It can happen to ANY of us and IF it does it is NOT because we are WORSE SINNERS than others

1. Paul suffered / other apostles / Beautiful brothers & sisters who suffer and it has nothing to do w/ any direct sin or rebellion in their lives

A) There can be INEVITABLE consequences to behavior because God has

established LAWS in HIS universe

1. God has established PHYSICAL LAWS/ IF you try to defy the law of gravity, there is a cause and effect

C) Now if you try to defy that Law and jump off of a building, THEN there will be PAINFUL consequences to trying to defy that law

1. IF you seek defy those spiritual laws, that God has put into place THEN there will be also be CERTAIN adverse and painful effects

C)EXAMPLE: Sexual immorality- sex out side of marriage / extramarital

affair - Possible Aids / Pregnancies / emotional attachment –

1. How many lives are shattered by pre-marital or extra-marital affairs

D) Drunkenness – drunk driver – kill someone – go to jail- reaped …sown

1. That is the point that Jesus is making in v. 4& 5 – You want to focus on the Galileans because you consider them to be worse sinners than you
2. What about the 18 who were killed there in Jerusalem when the tower fell on them.

1. WAS IT GOD’S FAULT ? 5 I TELL YOU NO ; but unless you repent

you will all likewise perish."

2. See the real question IS NOT why did that happen to them & not to me / the real questions are –

1. Why am I still alive & where am I at w/ God/ what would happen to me TODAY if a tragedy were to claim my life / where would I go

1. REPENTENCE = To have a Change of mind / thinking see my sin the way that God does – ( Sin / gross / reason why Jesus went to cross)

1. To turn from sin & to turn to God .

C) REPENT does NOT just mean REGRET or REMORSE, but rather a REVERSAL of moral purpose

But there is NO GODLY SORROW/ Godly sorrow works Repentance

A) There is a Change in Attitude / Actions / & Direction when it is real !

Donald Grey Barnhouse

A Sunday School teacher once asked a class what was meant by the word "repentance." A little boy put up his hand and said, "It is being sorry for your sins." A little girl also raised her hand and said, "It is being sorry enough to quit."

1. Now the fig tree in scripture is usually a ref. To ISRAEL - seen in many O.T. passages –
2. Now for 3 yrs during the Jesus earthly ministry of Jesus God had been waiting for fruit from his fig tree

1) But there was none to be found - / Luke 3 John said to religious leaders the AX IS LAID TO THE ROOT - BEAR FRUIT WORTHY OF REPENT.

3. True Repentance results in TRUE FRUIT !!!!
4. Now although this parable has a direct connotation to Israel it also has GREAT APPLICATION TO YOUR LIFE & MINE.

James 3:18 – Fruit of Righteousness - 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

1. Then of course there is the Fruit of Love – Gal. 5:22 – the Fruit of the Spirit is Love , Joy
2. So the Lord comes to inspect the fruit of our Lives – looking for the fruit of Righteousness & Holiness –

b) In Romans 7:4,5 Paul contrast the fruit of our lives before saved by the fruit

of our lives after saved – ( Before – death / Now it is LIFE

1) ROTTEN VS RIPE -

3. Are we producing life or death by our actions / by the way that we treat people / by our conduct around others

1. Is the Fruit of the Spirit / that AGAPE – unconditional love is it flowing out of our lives .

1. Romans 1:13 / Phil. 4:6 mention fruit in the context of winning souls
2. When we are involved in Evangelism / sharing our faith we are bearing fruit – that is pleasing to the Lord .
3. In 1 Corinthians 16 – Giving is seen as Bearing Fruit - Bringing our first fruits

A) And when we are serving & sharing our faith/ fruit to the Lord / LABOR

1. The time that we spend in Worship – bearing fruit - pleasing to God
2. John 4 God is spirit those who Worship ….. spirit & truth –

GOD IS SEEKIGN SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM

3. God comes Looking for Fruit – Hearts giving over to Praising His name – Hearts given over to Exalting Him !!!!

1. Hearts that are bent on expressing their Love to Him – Worship is Proscuno = TURN & KISS

1. ADDRESS PROBLEM OF LATENESS – Falling into a bad habit – for a while only 3^rd service – now – see it 2^nd & Wed. nights

1. Not saying , if late Don’t not come –– but try harder to get here early – take advantage on Wed. Pre – Worship /

1. In Doing so YOU ARE BEARING FRUIT & BLESSING THE FATHER

1. If I am continuing to study his word / Col.3:16 Letting the word of Christ dwelling in me RICHLY – Dwell = be at Home

1. If I am doing that the natural result is going to be Fruit in my life –
2. If I am following after – Christ & constantly taking in the WORD of Christ / the result is going to be the FRUIT OF CHRIST

1. What does He do - Here we see the Lord’s Patience in our lives –
2. H.S. comes and says – Let me Expose the Problem the Sin – What is meant by the idea of digging around the root of our lives

1. BELOW THE SURFACE : Gets to the root issue / that area of Compromise / that ATTITUDE of BITTERNESS – He Exposes it

1. See this? This needs to go – You need to repent - SO He seeks to Expose

Sin & He seeks to DISPOSE OF SELF .

2. That is the Fertilizer – Now follow me here – what is the Purpose of Fertilizer - enhance growth & Fruitfulness

1. In Philippians Chapter 3 Paul uses this word in ref. To how he viewed all of his accomplishments in his flesh /
2. Those things that would cause him to have CONFIDENCE in his flesh – Paul declared that they were DUNG!!!!

1. See Paul’s desire was to not be SELF DEPENDENT but GOD DEPENDENT

1. Paul desired not to be SELF SUFFICIENT but to experience the SUFFIECINCY OF CHRIST – at work in his life .
2. Now Paul learned such DEPENDENCY through the trials that He went through in his life

1. That was the FERTILIZER that brought forth the needed growth / that produced the Radical Fruit in his life .

1. It came through being emptied of self sufficiency & self Dependency

1. Resulting in a Confidence that was only in the Lord –a realization THAT W/OUT HIM I CAN DO NOTHING

1. That is how He DISPOSES OF SELF / SELF SUFF. / DEPEND.
2. Now Picture this – a 9yr. Old boy living in Rural Neb. Comes home from school one day & finds his day working in the Field .

1. RESPONDS – Dad what is that smell – Dad says - Fertilizer – I am spreading Fertilizer – why don’t you give me a hand .

1. So he puts down his books & rolls up his sleeves & gets out there w/ Dad & starts – working the field – working into soil w/ his hands

B)COW POOP – Dad you mean I had my hands out there all day – in Cow

C)Now some of you know where I am going w/ this / others of you have No

clue / grossed out right now -

1. Your Growth is going to be determined by your Perception of the trial that you are in.
2. If you see them as FERTILIZER / Lord although this situation stinks right now – I know that you are doing a work in growing me

1. Disposing of Self - & that this trial is going to be the instrument that brings forth fruit in my life

1. But on the other hand if I see the trial as merely COW POOP - so that it is just one big stinky MESS .

1. And all I do is grumble & complain then there is not going to be any fruit

1. Because instead of Disposing of Self – I am more focused on myself & why life stinks / why is this happening to me .

1. Here is something that we need to understand – our reaction to the pit

will DETERMINE whether it stays a pit or becomes part of the PROCESS

1. Listen what we are called to do as Believers is to RULE OVER THE TRIAL – rather than have the TRIAL RULE OVER YOU!!!!.

D) Turn to James 1: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

B) The TRIAL is meant to spiritually grow you up / meant to build up your

spiritual muscles / STRETCH you make you more DEPENDENT

C) But How you view that trial is a Key -

Picture this : A 9 yr. Old boy in RURAL Nebraska comes home school – What are you doing dad / spreading fertilizer / give me a hand

1. Boy gets down there in field – working in this fertilizer – ( Helping Dad

 

2. Later at dinner – Mom I helped dad spread fertilizer - help the crops grow – /

1. I am going to seek to get this to sink down into the soil – of my life – learn this lesson – once & for all – Rule over this – rule over me
2. But if I just see it as stinky smelly cow Poop - Complain – grumble & I am not going to grow .

1. And he says it is DUNG - MANURE -
2. It is stinky smelly & I don’t want to have anything to do w/ that –

C) How do we come to that REALITY - it is in the TRIALS