OAK GROVE

Repent or Perish

 ⁶Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. ⁷So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

 ⁸" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

SERMON SUMMARY 

Through out history there have been disasters much as we have today.  In the last 6 moths we have seen a number of events that have taken the lives of the innoncent.

The questions that arise following these times of crisis revolve around God's punishing people for their sins or perhaps that of their ancestors.

We also frequently ask " How can bad things happen to good people?"

Jesus clears up this mystery in stating that the Galileans in this scripture passage were no more guilty that any other.  But, he then goes on to say that if we do not repent we will perish just as they did.

This statement would lead us to believe that we all need to repent and get right with God if we want to be with our Father in Heaven.

In the latter part of this passage it tells us that we are expected to bear fruit that will usher in the kingdom of God.  With the love that comes only from Christ the offer is made to work with the fig tree that it might bear fruit and avoid being destroyed.

We are like the fig tree and the time will come when we may perish due to lack of obedience in yeilding the fruit we were designed to produce.

In this way Jesus offers us a time of grace to follow our calling as obedient servants before the time of final judgement.