Sermon 3 May 2015 By Bruce McCallum

2. Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)
6 Then 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. 7 So 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. 9
If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it
down.'"

3. Matthew 3:10 (NIV)
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and
every tree that does not produce good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire.

4. Mark 11:12-14 (NIV)
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany,
Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig
tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any
fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but
leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14
Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat
fruit from you again." And his disciples heard
him say it.

5. Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)
6 Then 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. 7 So 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. 9
If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it
down.'"

7. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the
Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be
like a tree planted by the water that sends out
its roots by the stream. It does not fear when
heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has
no worries in a year of drought and never fails
to bear fruit."

8. Zechariah 7:9-10 (ESV)
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true
judgments, show kindness and mercy to one
another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the
fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let
none of you devise evil against another in your
heart.”

9. Exodus 22:21 (ESV)
21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress
him, for you were sojourners in the land of
Egypt.
Leviticus 19:33-34 (ESV)
33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your
land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall
treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the
native among you, and you shall love him as
yourself, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

10. Numbers 15:15-16 (ESV)
15 …. You and the sojourner shall be alike before
the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for
you and for the stranger who sojourns with
you.”

13. ‘just because something isn’t
bearing fruit today, doesn’t mean it
shouldn’t get another chance.’