The Message Today – 3/23/2025
Our Fruitful Servant
A Sermon on Repentance, Renewal, and Bearing Fruit
Introduction: The Call to be Fruitful
Greetings All, we gather in this sacred season of Lent, a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. Today, our Scriptures remind us of God’s patience, His invitation to return to Him, and the expectation that our faith will bear fruit.
It seems like we live in a world where productivity is measured by results—our work, our goals, and our success. But what about in God’s kingdom? What does it mean to be fruitful in faith? In Luke 13:1-9, Jesus presents a parable of a barren fig tree, reminding us that God is both patient and expectant. In Isaiah 55:1-9, we hear an invitation to return to God, to feast on what truly satisfies. And in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul warns us not to be complacent, for even those whom God led through the wilderness were not immune to failure. Together, these passages paint a picture of what it means to be a fruitful servant—one who receives God’s mercy, repents sincerely, and responds with faithful obedience.
Our servant Jesus begins with a sobering reality check. People ask Him about a tragic event—Pilate’s massacre of Galileans. Instead of offering simple comfort, Jesus turns the question back on them: "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." (Luke 13:2-3)
Jesus refuses to let His listeners deflect blame onto others. Instead, He shifts their focus to the universal need for repentance. It is not about comparing ourselves to others but recognizing that we all stand in need of renewal.
Then He tells a parable:
A fig tree has been planted in a vineyard.
The owner has waited three years for fruit but has found none.
The verdict? Cut it down. Why let it waste the soil?
But the gardener intercedes: "Leave it alone for one more year. I will dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down."
The fig tree represents each of us—planted with purpose, given time, and expected to bear fruit. The owner’s patience echoes God’s mercy, yet the expectation remains: Fruitfulness must follow repentance.
This connects directly to Isaiah 55, where God calls us to "seek the Lord while He may be found" (Isaiah 55:6). God's invitation is urgent. Just as the fig tree is given one more chance, so are we.
Theology: God's Mercy and Expectation
This passage raises an important theological tension:
1. God is merciful – He does not immediately cut down the barren tree. He gives it time, just as He gives us grace to repent.
2. God expects growth – The gardener’s work (digging and fertilizing) represents the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. We are not called to stagnation but to transformation.
3. Time is not unlimited – The warning remains: If the tree remains barren, it will be removed. This is not to instill fear, but urgency.
Paul reinforces this urgency in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, drawing from Israel’s history:
They were rescued by God, fed by manna, and yet they fell into idolatry.
Paul warns, "These things happened as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did." (1 Cor. 10:6)
Spiritual privilege does not guarantee faithfulness—like the barren fig tree, we must respond to God’s grace by bearing fruit.
Jesus Himself says in John 15:5-8, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Fruitfulness is not optional—it is the natural outgrowth of true faith.
What Does It Mean to Bear Fruit?
If we are called to be fruitful servants, what does that look like?
1. Fruit of Repentance – True repentance is more than words; it leads to change. "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8)
2. Fruit of the Spirit – Paul describes the evidence of a transformed life: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)
3. Fruit of Service – A fruitful servant does not live for themselves. "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
Bearing fruit is not about striving in our own strength—it is about abiding in Christ and allowing His grace to work in us.
Good News: The Gardener’s Grace
Friends, there is hope as we journey in our season of lent. Even when we have been unfruitful, even when we have failed, there is still time. Jesus, the Good Gardener, pleads for us. He is willing to dig around the soil of our hearts, to fertilize us with His Word, His Spirit, and His grace. His desire is not to condemn but to cultivate.
We see this throughout Scripture:
Jonah and Nineveh – When Nineveh repented, God relented. (Jonah 3:10)
The Prodigal Son – The Father ran to embrace the son who returned. (Luke 15:20)
Peter’s Restoration – After denying Jesus, Peter was still chosen to lead. (John 21:15-17)
Today, Christ calls each of us: Come, return to me. Let me make you fruitful.
So, what is our response?
Will we repent of the things that hinder our fruitfulness?
Will we seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6)?
Will we trust that God is faithful and always provides a way forward (1 Corinthians 10:13)?
The good news is this: God has not given up on you. The Gardener still intercedes. The soil is still being prepared. May we answer the call to be fruitful servants, walking in repentance, renewal, and the abundant grace of Christ.
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