.png)
Ps Leo T Mukumba
Title: Give it Another Year (Luke 13:7-9)
Introduction:
In the garden of our lives, many find themselves entangled, caught off guard, or even caught sleeping amidst life's overwhelming challenges.
As we cultivate the Garden of Faith we need to watchful of the Trap of Hypocrisy.
1. The Trap of Hypocrisy:
Recognize the tree of hypocrisy in our lives. A hypocrite, despite religious pretense, lacks true virtue and belief.
Challenge ourselves to inspect our hearts, seeking the Lord's grace to praise Him genuinely with both lips and hearts.
Many people don’t live life as they ought because they’re overwhelmed, surprised, or preoccupied with the things they face in life.
They get caught up, caught off guard, or caught sleeping.
This tree has got hypocrisy.
A hypocrite is someone who pretends to have religious belief and virtue but doesn’t.
There are a lot of professing Christians who claim to know God but can’t tell you much about Jesus or what he demands.
Our challenge is to avoid being one of them.
We must inspect our hearts for any measure of hypocrisy.
We should ask the Lord to prevent us from praising him with our lips while our hearts are far from him.
Let us ask him for grace to praise him with our hearts first and also with the fruit of our lips.
Martin Luther wrote that when Jesus said “Repent,” he meant repent and keep on repenting.
Acknowledge the need to continually work on ourselves, preventing harsh judgment and cultivating a spirit of repentance.
3. Time for Grace:
Understand the significance of not abusing the time for grace. Time is a gift; let's use it wisely to foster spiritual growth.
Commit to working the garden of our souls – watering, adding spiritual nutrients, and loosening the soil through prayer and devotion.
This probable reminds of the work that we need to keep on doing to ourselves to prevent harsh judgement on ourselves.
It reminds us not to abuse the time for grace.
It reminds us to keep on working the garden, watering it, adding manure and loosening soil to produce fruit.
When Christ comes, he will look for fruit in us.
4. The Fig Tree Symbolism:
The fig tree symbolizes religious people in Jesus’s day.
They were given opportunity to produce fruit.
They were only worth something if they did produce fruit.
A good tree produces good fruit, but if it doesn’t, it will be cut down.
Good tree produces good fruit, and fruitlessness may lead to spiritual consequences.
5. The Patience of the Lord:
The Lord is being patient. He gives more time.
He waits for his servants to bear fruit.
But he will not always wait.
He will not always be patient.
One day he will inspect us for fruit.
The question is: Will we be fruit bearing, or will we be fruitless?
The Lord is patient and allows time for His servants to bear fruit.
His patience will not last indefinitely; one day, when he inspect us.
The fruit needs be cultivated.
6. The Call for One More Year:
There are some trees that the Lord have send me for at our assembly.
I have asked that he give me one more year preaching and praying for you.
Recognize the specific trees the Lord has entrusted to our care in this assembly.
Embrace the plea for one more year – a call to preach, pray, and work together in the garden of faith.
7. Joint Efforts for Fruitfulness:
Some needs to say I will work on the garden.
We will see fruit because we are working the garden.
Commit to working collectively on the spiritual garden.
Understand that our joint efforts will yield fruit as we dedicate ourselves to the labor of love and devotion.
Let us respond to the call to give it another year, cultivating our faith, and producing the fruits that will stand as a testament to our genuine connection with the Lord.
Together, as we work the garden of our souls, we shall see abundant fruitfulness.
Comments