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Hi, Pastor Mark
here in Jerusalem,

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actually on location
at the Church of the Ascension

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on the Mount of Olives,

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the place where
tradition records that

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Jesus ascended into heaven after
his resurrection from death.

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Surrounded by
the Muslim quarters,

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it was most interesting
and curious getting in here

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and as we were walking around
we noticed this barren,

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unhealthy, unfruitful,
unpleasant fig tree

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and it reminded me
of Luke 13 where Jesus says,

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beginning in verse 6,
"And he told this parable:

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"'A man had a fig tree
planted in his vineyard,

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"'and he came seeking fruit
on it and found none.

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"'And he said
to the vinedresser,

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"'"Look, for three years now
I have come seeking fruit

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"'"on this fig tree,
and I find none.

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"'"Cut it down.

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"'"Why should it use
up the ground?"

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"'And he answered him, "Sir,
let it alone this year also,

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"'"until I dig around it
and put on manure.

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"'"Then if it should bear fruit
next year, well and good;

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but if not,
you can cut it down."'"

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[music]

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Howdy Mars Hill.

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We are back
in Luke's gospel.

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We started it last fall.

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Actually, that would be now
a long time ago, two falls ago,

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and we'll finish it
the fall of this year.

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And we find ourselves in
about the middle of the book,

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Luke 13:6-9.

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As you're finding that place
in your Bible or on your app,

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we wanted to let you know that
the big theme for today

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is fruitfulness.

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And in light of that I wanted to
do a brief summary of last year,

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which was by God's grace
and your faithfulness

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the most fruitful year
we've ever had as a church.

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Under the leadership
of Pastor Jamie Munson

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and Pastor Tim Beltz, our annual
report will be forthcoming

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in about a month.

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Right now all of the MBAs
and CPAs at Mars Hill

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are back to work compiling all
of the year-end giving

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and attendance and details.

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That'll all be published
as an annual report.

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But the good news is,
kind of the snapshot is,

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it was the best
year we've ever had.

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We saw more church services,
over 1,300, on Sundays.

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We saw more people
attend Mars Hill,

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over 440,000 people in total
on Sundays alone.

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Our community groups grew
to the highest number ever,

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more than 400 groups,
now pushing 500 groups.

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We saw more addicts and abuse
victims by God's grace helped in

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Redemption Groups and the book
for that is finished and will be

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out within weeks by one of
our pastors, Mike Wilkerson.

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In addition, Justin Holcomb,
one of our elders,

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has finished along with his wife
their book for those who

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have been sexually abused.

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That is on its way out
any day now as well,

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and so we've been able to
help a lot of people there.

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We gave away more money than
ever to church planting.

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We gave away more money than
ever to the poor and those in

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need, including a large donation
to Haiti, and I'll be returning

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there very shortly for a return
visit to see how things

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are going with
our service there.

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Additionally, we have seen
more baptisms, I believe,

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than perhaps ever, almost
800 people meeting Jesus

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this year and getting baptized
as new Christians.

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And the good news is
that every single campus

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of Mars Hill Church
grew this year.

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Not one has plateaud,
not one is declining.

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Every single campus of
Mars Hill Church is growing

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and we beat budget
and brought in more money

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than we even needed.

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Praise God, thank you.

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Great year, great year.

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I took, I don't know what
it was, 5, 6 weeks off.

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I had a fantastic vacation and
break with my family to work on

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writing a book on marriage with
Gracie, got time with the kids.

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And while I was gone, attendance
was great, giving was up,

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so apparently that's the key to
all of our financial problems.

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And sometimes the accusation
against a big church is,

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"Well, it's all about one man."

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It is, his name's Jesus and when
I'm on vacation he's still here-

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everything's fine, and the other
elders did a great job

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and it makes me very glad
to be part of this team.

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So I want to publicly thank
all the elders who covered

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the pulpit while I was out
and just to let you know,

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it's a great team we've got and
it's a great church we've got.

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And some of you were incredibly
fruitful this year and we have

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been blessed by it, so thank
you very, very, very much.

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That being said, the theme of
our study today is fruitfulness,

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and Jesus is going to hit
this theme in a parable.

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So before we launch into Luke,

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let me do a little work
on parables.

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By definition I will say that
a parable is a small story

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that teaches a big idea.

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It's a small story that
teaches a big idea.

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Nearly if not all
cultures have parables.

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We have record of them going
back 4 1/2 thousand years

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in varying civilizations.

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And they're simple stories that
are memorable and they're built

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for the ear and they work for
the young and the simple but

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they also are complex enough
that they can even stun those

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who are gifted and profound.

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And so stories help to shape
our life and parables are small,

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brief stories that pack in
big, life-changing meaning.

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And when it comes
to parables in the Bible,

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the Bible uses
parables a great deal.

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The Bible uses parables in
the Old Testament primarily

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in the prophets, as well
as places like Proverbs,

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and Jesus uses parables
frequently.

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And they're not commonly used
in the epistles and letters

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following him.

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But they tend to serve
a prophetic function,

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meaning they tend
to point out people's sin,

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call them
to repentance and change.

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That's why in the Old Testament
the book with the most parables

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is Ezekiel.

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And Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish
philosopher who was a Christian,

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he had a great insight
regarding parables.

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He said that parables
sneak up on you.

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They're like ninja stories.

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All right, you don't
seem them coming.

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Because if you're confronted
with the truth--let's say

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for example you're in sin and
you're confronted in the truth,

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you may bristle and fight and
defend yourself, and a story,

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a good parable, sneaks up on you
because you don't see it coming.

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There's an example of this with
a guy in the Bible named David.

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He was a king and the Bible
says that he was a man

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after God's own heart.

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He was also a man
after another man's wife.

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And he committed adultery and
he stole another man's wife.

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And he was hard hearted,
stiff necked, rebellious.

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We can assume that people
had confronted him on his sin

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and the Holy Spirit had
convicted him of his sin

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and he still wasn't repentant,
so a friend came to him.

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And a friend told him
a story, a parable.

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He said, "Now, King David,
imagine that there's a very

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"powerful, mighty man who
has many, many, many sheep.

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"And there's another very poor
and powerless man

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"who has only one sheep.

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"And the mighty man steals the
one sheep from the poor man.

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What do you think of that?"

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David said,
"That's an atrocity."

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His friend said,
"That's you."

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And his heart was broken.

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He penned Psalm 51
in repentance of his sin.

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The story snuck up on him.

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The parable got him in a way
that face-to-face confrontation

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wasn't working.

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The parable was able to get his
heart, and that's the intention

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of the parables, to get our
heart, to expose our sin,

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that God might change our life.

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That's the purpose
and function of a parable.

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Now, talk a little bit
about Jesus' parables.

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Jesus' parables are
the most famous stories

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in the history of the world.

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Jesus is the perfect
storyteller.

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Even people who
don't know Jesus,

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don't know anything
of Christianity,

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they've heard about
the Good Samaritan,

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they've heard about
the Prodigal Son.

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These are parabolic
stories that Jesus told

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a few thousand years ago that
live on today.

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Jesus' parables are short,
anywhere from 1 to 22 verses.

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Depending upon which
scholar you read,

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there's between maybe 35 and 67
parables, depending upon

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how they define them.

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In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, what
is called the Synoptic Gospels,

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roughly 35% of Jesus'
teaching is in parable form.

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He's telling stories.

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So if you want to understand
who Jesus is and how he teaches,

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you and I really need
to understand parables.

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And I was thinking about this.

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In the history of my teaching,
which is now 15 years

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at Mars Hill Church since we
started the core group to launch

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this church, I've not really
ever taught on the parables

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and I haven't done a lot
of work in the parables.

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So I want to give you a little
bit of background on

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the parables so that as you're
reading ahead in your Bible,

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which I hope you would,
and discussing the parables

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in your community group
and with your family,

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you have an appreciation
and understanding of them.

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After all, it's about a third
of Jesus' teaching,

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so it's very significant
and important.

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And as we come to
study Jesus' parables,

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we find that Luke is filled
with parables from Jesus.

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In fact, two thirds of all of
Jesus' parables are in Luke.

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Eighteen parables of
Jesus are unique to Luke,

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meaning they're not recorded
anywhere else in the Bible.

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They're not recorded
anywhere else in the world.

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So if we didn't have the gift
of Luke's gospel,

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we'd be missing these great
stories that Jesus told.

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Life-changing, earth-shattering,
history-altering parables.

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And most of the parables happen
between chapters 10 and 20

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in Luke's gospel.

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That's exactly where
we find ourselves.

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Jesus has left the region
of Galilee--fishermen,

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country folk, rural
people, farmers.

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He is journeying over the course
of a few months to Jerusalem,

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where he's ultimately going to
suffer and die on the cross

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for our sins and rise
as our savior.

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And along the way you'll see
continually Jesus healing

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and teaching through
the medium of parables.

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So this is going to be something
that we study together

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in the ensuing months as we move
toward the crucifixion of Jesus

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later in Luke's gospel.

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That being said, I want to
give you a few principles for

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interpreting parables in general
and then we'll look

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at today's parable
in particular.

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Now, when it comes to
interpreting the parables,

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one thing I will say is that
they are frequently abused

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and misunderstood.

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They are mistreated,
misinterpreted, misapplied.

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So we have to be
careful with them.

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One way that this happens
is that people will use

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the parables to teach doctrine.

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The parables
are simple stories.

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They're not intended
to introduce new doctrines.

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They illustrate, illuminate
existing doctrines,

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they're extended analogies.

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So the Bible teaches
a propositional truth claim

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and the parable illustrates it.

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It helps to expand it,
illuminate it.

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It gives us
new perspective on it.

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And in that way, a parable
functions like a good film.

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If you're highly visual, if
you're artistic and creative,

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if you love story
and narrative and plot line,

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particularly in film, you'll
really appreciate the parables

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because they create another
universe, another world.

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And from that world we get
a new vantage point on our own.

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And we see ourselves and our
world in a different light.

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That's the purpose of a parable,
to help us to see our life

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in our world from another
perspective through story.

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Most of these stories
include people.

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Most of these people in
Jesus' parables are unnamed.

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00:11:48,833 --> 00:11:52,667
In fact, with the exception
of one parable in Luke 16,

238
00:11:52,733 --> 00:11:56,733
all of the parables have nothing
but anonymous characters.

239
00:11:56,833 --> 00:11:58,667
We don't know their name.

240
00:11:58,733 --> 00:12:02,833
These are fictitious stories of
fictitious people in ways that

241
00:12:02,867 --> 00:12:06,500
mirror reality, and so as we
come to the story

242
00:12:06,533 --> 00:12:09,000
we're not trying to learn
a new doctrine,

243
00:12:09,067 --> 00:12:10,667
but we
we're getting fresh insight

244
00:12:10,700 --> 00:12:14,500
and perspective on truth that
the Bible teaches elsewhere.

245
00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:17,667
And one of the ways we can
most be served by studying

246
00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:20,833
the parables is figuring out
in the story, "Who am I?

247
00:12:20,867 --> 00:12:23,867
Which character in
the story am I?"

248
00:12:23,933 --> 00:12:27,167
and inserting ourselves so that
we receive not just information

249
00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,100
but transformation, that we
don't enjoy just a good story,

250
00:12:31,167 --> 00:12:34,500
but we emotionally enter into
it to see how God would want

251
00:12:34,533 --> 00:12:37,500
to change us through
the telling of the story.

252
00:12:37,533 --> 00:12:40,033
And so we don't use the parables
to teach doctrine

253
00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:41,700
but to illustrate it.

254
00:12:41,767 --> 00:12:44,867
Number two, if you would,
consider a parable

255
00:12:44,933 --> 00:12:48,667
like a pitcher built
to hold, let's say, water.

256
00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:51,567
Jesus is the one who pours
the meaning into the parable

257
00:12:51,667 --> 00:12:54,767
and as we study the parables
we want to pour out

258
00:12:54,833 --> 00:12:57,267
the same meaning
that Jesus poured in.

259
00:12:57,333 --> 00:12:59,767
So we need to consider
the original hearers

260
00:12:59,833 --> 00:13:02,167
and the original audience,
and the original context,

261
00:13:02,233 --> 00:13:04,167
the fact that these
are simple stories for,

262
00:13:04,233 --> 00:13:07,033
what is commonly
the case, simple people.

263
00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,333
We don't want to pour our own
meaning into Jesus' story.

264
00:13:10,367 --> 00:13:13,167
Jesus pours in the meaning,
we just want to faithfully

265
00:13:13,233 --> 00:13:14,667
pour it out.

266
00:13:14,733 --> 00:13:16,867
I'll give you
a few ways to do that.

267
00:13:16,933 --> 00:13:19,367
There are a few questions as
we're studying these parables

268
00:13:19,433 --> 00:13:20,933
for the next few
months together.

269
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,433
The first is, what does this
parable teach about God

270
00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:25,000
and his kingdom?

271
00:13:25,033 --> 00:13:27,000
Jesus is King of Kings,
Lord of Lords.

272
00:13:27,033 --> 00:13:29,600
He is eternally
existed creator God.

273
00:13:29,667 --> 00:13:31,500
We have sinned against him.

274
00:13:31,567 --> 00:13:33,500
He came into history
on a rescue mission.

275
00:13:33,567 --> 00:13:35,500
He lived without sin.

276
00:13:35,567 --> 00:13:37,500
He died for our sin.

277
00:13:37,533 --> 00:13:39,767
He rose as our savior.

278
00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:42,233
He's ascended into heaven.

279
00:13:42,333 --> 00:13:45,267
He has a kingdom that never
ends where there's no death,

280
00:13:45,333 --> 00:13:48,900
where there is no sadness,
where there is no enemy,

281
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,333
and he ultimately will bring
his kingdom to reside forever,

282
00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,700
crushing his enemies,
blessing his friends.

283
00:13:56,767 --> 00:13:59,600
And sometimes we have a hard
time getting our mind around

284
00:13:59,667 --> 00:14:02,167
this big concept
of the kingdom of God,

285
00:14:02,233 --> 00:14:05,000
so Jesus comes and teaches
the big concept of the kingdom

286
00:14:05,033 --> 00:14:08,333
of God with little
parables and stories.

287
00:14:08,367 --> 00:14:10,833
So as we study the parables
we're learning about Jesus

288
00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:14,067
as king and we're learning
about Jesus' kingdom.

289
00:14:14,167 --> 00:14:18,033
Number two, what
question does it answer?

290
00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:21,500
Twenty-two of Jesus' parables
actually begin with

291
00:14:21,567 --> 00:14:24,200
or include a question.

292
00:14:24,267 --> 00:14:27,600
And then the story is
the answer to the question.

293
00:14:27,667 --> 00:14:30,400
So to understand a parable
we have to determine what

294
00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:33,700
the question is, either
expressly stated or inferred

295
00:14:33,767 --> 00:14:35,700
through the story itself.

296
00:14:35,767 --> 00:14:39,000
Number three, what is
the closing punch line?

297
00:14:39,067 --> 00:14:41,500
Every good joke has
a good punch line.

298
00:14:41,567 --> 00:14:44,167
Every good parable
has a good punch line.

299
00:14:44,233 --> 00:14:47,167
And that is the story goes on
and then there's a reveal

300
00:14:47,233 --> 00:14:51,033
at the end, just like a great
movie has an inexplicable close

301
00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:54,433
where it all makes sense and all
the lines of the story

302
00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:57,000
converge together into meaning.

303
00:14:57,067 --> 00:14:59,233
That's the way
the parables work.

304
00:14:59,333 --> 00:15:01,833
All right, if you're
into literature,

305
00:15:01,867 --> 00:15:04,833
if you're into creativity
and film and story,

306
00:15:04,867 --> 00:15:06,400
you're going to
love the parables.

307
00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:08,733
You creative types are
going to have a blast.

308
00:15:08,833 --> 00:15:11,733
Read ahead, read ahead,
read ahead, it's all good.

309
00:15:11,833 --> 00:15:15,100
And there's a closing punch
line and all but nine of Jesus'

310
00:15:15,167 --> 00:15:17,700
parables have a closing
punch line that gives you

311
00:15:17,767 --> 00:15:19,367
the point of the story.

312
00:15:19,433 --> 00:15:21,600
Some of them, like today's,
are left wide open.

313
00:15:21,667 --> 00:15:23,600
We don't know what happened,
there's no resolution.

314
00:15:23,667 --> 00:15:25,100
What happened to the characters?

315
00:15:25,167 --> 00:15:28,333
And the point is then we are to
insert ourselves in the story

316
00:15:28,367 --> 00:15:30,767
and say, "Well, I guess
the story of my life

317
00:15:30,833 --> 00:15:32,167
could go good or bad.

318
00:15:32,233 --> 00:15:35,067
"I have to write
the ending for myself.

319
00:15:35,167 --> 00:15:37,000
"What am I going to do?

320
00:15:37,033 --> 00:15:38,667
How will I respond?"

321
00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:42,567
And so it becomes very personal
when that punch line is omitted.

322
00:15:42,667 --> 00:15:46,100
Number four, what did Jesus want
the original hearers to learn?

323
00:15:46,167 --> 00:15:48,733
You can't just read the story
and begin in our world.

324
00:15:48,833 --> 00:15:51,833
You have to go all the way back
culturally to the fact

325
00:15:51,900 --> 00:15:54,733
that Jesus is walking
from one town to another.

326
00:15:54,833 --> 00:15:56,333
It's going to take months.

327
00:15:56,367 --> 00:15:58,233
People are traveling with him.

328
00:15:58,333 --> 00:16:00,667
Some are coming out
to see and hear them.

329
00:16:00,733 --> 00:16:02,033
Many of them are illiterate.

330
00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:03,767
Some of them are children.

331
00:16:03,833 --> 00:16:06,500
A handful are educated
religious people.

332
00:16:06,533 --> 00:16:09,700
We're talking about
a diverse, ancient audience.

333
00:16:09,767 --> 00:16:12,900
What would they have originally
and initially understood

334
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:14,900
Jesus' parable to mean?

335
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,867
And then we understand that
and we apply it principally

336
00:16:17,933 --> 00:16:19,500
to our own lives.

337
00:16:19,567 --> 00:16:22,033
Number five, lastly,
what action does Jesus expect

338
00:16:22,100 --> 00:16:24,700
from me or from us?

339
00:16:24,767 --> 00:16:28,000
It's not just about information,
it's about transformation.

340
00:16:28,033 --> 00:16:30,100
It's not just about
what we believe,

341
00:16:30,167 --> 00:16:32,167
it's about how we behave.

342
00:16:32,233 --> 00:16:36,433
"Jesus, what do you want
me to do, individually?

343
00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:40,167
"My family, my community
group, my campus, my church?

344
00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,167
"What do you want us to do?

345
00:16:42,233 --> 00:16:44,167
What's the call to action?"

346
00:16:44,233 --> 00:16:48,233
So, for those of you who live
a little too much in your mind,

347
00:16:48,333 --> 00:16:51,167
you would run down every
potential rabbit trail of what

348
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,200
the parable could mean and
maybe even fall into the area

349
00:16:54,267 --> 00:16:57,067
of allegorizing and taking
the simple story beyond its

350
00:16:57,167 --> 00:17:01,000
intention and trying to ascribe
meaning to every detail,

351
00:17:01,033 --> 00:17:04,667
know when to stop interpreting
and start obeying.

352
00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:08,000
At some point you stop trying to
figure out what he was trying

353
00:17:08,033 --> 00:17:11,533
to say and you realize it was
a simple statement to get you

354
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,667
to get up and go do something.

355
00:17:13,733 --> 00:17:15,700
So you need to get up and obey.

356
00:17:15,767 --> 00:17:18,667
Now, that being said,
let's look at the parable

357
00:17:18,733 --> 00:17:21,333
of the barren fig tree.

358
00:17:21,367 --> 00:17:25,600
Luke 13:6-9, "And he," Jesus,
"told this parable:

359
00:17:25,667 --> 00:17:28,433
"'A man had a fig tree
planted in his vineyard,

360
00:17:28,500 --> 00:17:31,167
"'and he came seeking fruit
on it and found none.

361
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,567
"'And he said to the
vinedresser,'" his gardener,

362
00:17:33,667 --> 00:17:36,000
"'"Look, for three years now
I have come seeking fruit

363
00:17:36,033 --> 00:17:38,867
"'"on this fig tree,
and I find none.

364
00:17:38,933 --> 00:17:40,833
"'"Cut it down.

365
00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:42,567
"'"Why should it use
up the ground?"

366
00:17:42,667 --> 00:17:45,333
"'And he answered him, "Sir,
let it alone this year also,

367
00:17:45,367 --> 00:17:47,667
"'"until I dig around it
and put on manure.

368
00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:50,367
"'"Then if it should bear fruit
next year, well and good;

369
00:17:50,433 --> 00:17:52,600
but if not,
you can cut it down."'"

370
00:17:52,667 --> 00:17:56,167
That's the simple story.
That's the whole story.

371
00:17:56,233 --> 00:17:59,233
Here's the question that is
seeking to be answered

372
00:17:59,333 --> 00:18:01,167
by the parable:

373
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:06,167
Does God care about
results, yes or no?

374
00:18:06,233 --> 00:18:10,367
Yes, God cares about results.

375
00:18:10,433 --> 00:18:12,067
God cares about effectiveness.

376
00:18:12,167 --> 00:18:14,933
God cares about performance.

377
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:20,167
Here the word that encompasses
all of that is "fruit," "fruit."

378
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,500
God cares about fruitfulness.

379
00:18:23,533 --> 00:18:26,733
Fruitfulness here is good works.

380
00:18:26,833 --> 00:18:30,833
Good works, obedience,
a changed life,

381
00:18:30,900 --> 00:18:34,533
living a kind of life
that makes a difference,

382
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,867
that when your life on the earth
is done, people miss you

383
00:18:37,933 --> 00:18:40,267
because you were a gift to them.

384
00:18:40,333 --> 00:18:42,833
You were a channel
of God's grace to them.

385
00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:46,167
You provided wisdom or
generosity or help or service

386
00:18:46,233 --> 00:18:48,267
or rebuke or encouragement.

387
00:18:48,333 --> 00:18:49,933
That you were giving.

388
00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,667
That you were fruitful.

389
00:18:51,733 --> 00:18:53,533
That your life counted.

390
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,500
That you weren't
just a consumer,

391
00:18:55,567 --> 00:18:56,900
you were a producer.

392
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,400
You didn't just take from
everyone and everything,

393
00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,600
but you gave and they
were blessed by you.

394
00:19:02,667 --> 00:19:04,933
And this is different
than religion.

395
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,000
Religion teaches that
we're saved by our fruit, that

396
00:19:08,067 --> 00:19:11,333
we're saved by our good works,
that if you live a moral life

397
00:19:11,367 --> 00:19:14,333
and you're a good decent person
that you will stand before God

398
00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,067
and he'll find you pleasing
in his sight in the end.

399
00:19:17,167 --> 00:19:19,267
Essentially the essence of
all religion is the same,

400
00:19:19,333 --> 00:19:22,033
that you work hard,
bear much fruit,

401
00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:25,267
God then judges on a curve and
if you were better than most

402
00:19:25,333 --> 00:19:27,333
he finds you pleasing
in his sight.

403
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,533
We don't believe that at all.

404
00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,100
We don't believe that
we're saved by our fruit,

405
00:19:32,167 --> 00:19:35,500
but rather we're the fruit
of the work of Jesus.

406
00:19:35,567 --> 00:19:37,867
Jesus lived
the perfect life, not us.

407
00:19:37,933 --> 00:19:40,500
Jesus paid the penalty for sin
on the cross

408
00:19:40,567 --> 00:19:42,200
so that we don't have to.

409
00:19:42,267 --> 00:19:45,167
Jesus rose to give the gift
we don't deserve: salvation,

410
00:19:45,233 --> 00:19:51,167
eternal life, citizenship, and
adoption into the family of God.

411
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,167
But some of you have
misunderstood Christianity.

412
00:19:55,233 --> 00:19:58,033
Some of you, particularly who
were raised in the church

413
00:19:58,100 --> 00:20:00,767
or maybe gave your life to
Jesus when you were young,

414
00:20:00,833 --> 00:20:03,167
you misunderstood the gospel.

415
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,600
And you thought, "Belong to
Jesus, give your life to Jesus,

416
00:20:06,667 --> 00:20:08,867
"give your heart to Jesus,
and when you die

417
00:20:08,933 --> 00:20:11,167
you get to go to heaven."

418
00:20:11,233 --> 00:20:16,333
That's almost true but it's
missing something called life.

419
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,167
It's not about just belonging
to Jesus and going to heaven.

420
00:20:19,233 --> 00:20:22,067
It's about belonging to
Jesus, living a fruitful life,

421
00:20:22,167 --> 00:20:25,167
and then going to heaven
for an eternal reward.

422
00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:30,900
Your life counts, your life
counts, your life matters.

423
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,400
God has fruit for you to bear.

424
00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:35,567
He has good works
for you to do.

425
00:20:35,667 --> 00:20:37,367
He has things
for you to accomplish.

426
00:20:37,433 --> 00:20:41,167
Not so that you can become a
Christian, but because you are.

427
00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,567
Not so that you'll become
pleasing in his sight,

428
00:20:43,667 --> 00:20:46,333
but because through
Christ you already are.

429
00:20:46,367 --> 00:20:48,500
Ephesians 2:8-10
says it this way,

430
00:20:48,533 --> 00:20:52,200
"We're saved by grace through
faith in Christ alone."

431
00:20:52,267 --> 00:20:54,167
It's a gift, we didn't earn it,

432
00:20:54,233 --> 00:20:56,833
there's nothing for us
to boast about.

433
00:20:56,867 --> 00:21:00,533
That's Ephesians 2:8-9, and it
goes on then in Ephesians 2:10

434
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,233
to say, "To do the good works
he prepared in advance

435
00:21:03,333 --> 00:21:05,367
for us to do."

436
00:21:05,433 --> 00:21:08,700
So we're not saved by good
works, or to use the parable,

437
00:21:08,767 --> 00:21:12,267
our fruit, but we're
saved to our good works,

438
00:21:12,333 --> 00:21:13,833
to our fruitfulness.

439
00:21:13,867 --> 00:21:17,933
Once you meet Jesus, you're
supposed to become increasingly

440
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,833
fruitful, a little more fruitful
every year throughout the course

441
00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:25,500
of your life, demonstrating
the character, love, affection,

442
00:21:25,533 --> 00:21:29,700
generosity of God
because you're in Christ.

443
00:21:29,767 --> 00:21:32,067
And Jesus says elsewhere,
"If you abide in me,

444
00:21:32,167 --> 00:21:34,833
I'll abide in you and
you'll bear much," what?

445
00:21:34,867 --> 00:21:38,333
"Fruit."
Fruit that will last.

446
00:21:38,367 --> 00:21:41,533
Now, we hit this time of year
and in the providence of God

447
00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,100
we hit this portion of Luke
and this is the time of year

448
00:21:45,167 --> 00:21:48,167
when everyone looks
back on their year.

449
00:21:48,233 --> 00:21:54,167
And we look and examine those
areas that we were not fruitful.

450
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,500
And so, to extend the analogy,
Mars Hill is a vineyard.

451
00:21:58,533 --> 00:22:01,500
He's a tree, she's a tree,
you're a tree, I'm a tree,

452
00:22:01,567 --> 00:22:03,167
we're all trees.

453
00:22:03,233 --> 00:22:04,833
This is God's vineyard.

454
00:22:04,867 --> 00:22:07,167
We're all fig trees.

455
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,667
And it's a good time for us to
look back on the previous year

456
00:22:10,733 --> 00:22:12,267
and celebrate and rejoice.

457
00:22:12,333 --> 00:22:13,667
Say, "You know what?

458
00:22:13,733 --> 00:22:17,367
"Insofar as a vineyard goes,
what a great vineyard

459
00:22:17,433 --> 00:22:19,100
"Mars Hill Church is.

460
00:22:19,167 --> 00:22:21,400
"So much to celebrate,
so much to rejoice in.

461
00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:23,900
"Biggest harvest
ever, praise God.

462
00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,033
Look at all the figs."

463
00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:28,867
And also then to look
at our own life and ask,

464
00:22:28,933 --> 00:22:31,267
"How many figs were
on my tree last year?

465
00:22:31,333 --> 00:22:34,100
"How many figs
were on my tree?

466
00:22:34,167 --> 00:22:36,500
"Was I fruitful?

467
00:22:36,533 --> 00:22:39,867
Did I bear
good fruit last year?"

468
00:22:39,933 --> 00:22:42,533
Some of you were very
fruitful, praise God,

469
00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,200
by the grace of God you'll be
more fruitful this year

470
00:22:45,267 --> 00:22:47,033
we hope and pray.

471
00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,033
Some of you would say, "Well,
there were areas of my life

472
00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:51,433
that were very fruitful."

473
00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:54,100
And we'd say, "Rejoice in those,
praise God for every fig."

474
00:22:54,167 --> 00:22:56,100
But my assumption is,
because we're all sinners

475
00:22:56,167 --> 00:23:00,033
in a fallen world, there are at
least a few branches on our tree

476
00:23:00,100 --> 00:23:01,767
that were not very fruitful
last year.

477
00:23:01,833 --> 00:23:04,500
And I've been praying for you
that the Holy Spirit would

478
00:23:04,567 --> 00:23:07,567
highlight for you one particular
part of your life

479
00:23:07,667 --> 00:23:11,033
that really needs to become
more fruitful this year.

480
00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:13,667
It's usually the place
we make a resolution.

481
00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:16,033
A resolution really
doesn't work.

482
00:23:16,100 --> 00:23:19,733
Statistically they last
2 weeks, all right?

483
00:23:19,833 --> 00:23:21,700
We're not talking
about a resolution.

484
00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:24,433
What we're talking about
is a life of fruitfulness.

485
00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:27,333
They're very different,
they're very different.

486
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,567
A life of fruitfulness is
in relationship with God

487
00:23:30,667 --> 00:23:34,500
out of love for God to bless and
benefit and help other people

488
00:23:34,567 --> 00:23:37,900
like Jesus loves,
blesses, and helps us.

489
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,867
So what is it for you?

490
00:23:39,933 --> 00:23:43,100
What is it for you that, with
the departure of last year

491
00:23:43,167 --> 00:23:45,833
and the entrance of this year,
that God the Holy Spirit

492
00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:47,267
is highlighting for you?

493
00:23:47,333 --> 00:23:49,000
Is it more fruit
in your marriage?

494
00:23:49,067 --> 00:23:51,267
Is it more fruit in
your studies in school?

495
00:23:51,333 --> 00:23:53,067
Is it more fruit
in your employment?

496
00:23:53,167 --> 00:23:54,667
More fruit in your finances?

497
00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:56,000
More fruit in your ministry?

498
00:23:56,067 --> 00:23:58,033
More fruit in your
Bible reading?

499
00:23:58,100 --> 00:24:02,767
More fruit in your difficult
relationships that are perhaps

500
00:24:02,833 --> 00:24:06,067
even strained with friends?

501
00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:09,367
Your health, your weight,
your wellness, what is it?

502
00:24:09,433 --> 00:24:10,700
I don't know.

503
00:24:10,767 --> 00:24:13,400
But for this to be
helpful for you,

504
00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:17,267
you need to determine where
fruitfulness should be

505
00:24:17,333 --> 00:24:21,500
increasing and take
the principles of this parable

506
00:24:21,567 --> 00:24:26,000
and apply them individually
to that aspect of your life.

507
00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,733
Now, as we come
back to the story,

508
00:24:28,833 --> 00:24:33,000
we're talking about
a figless fig tree.

509
00:24:33,033 --> 00:24:35,400
That's not very good.

510
00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,333
Fig trees--I've been in Israel.

511
00:24:37,367 --> 00:24:40,167
They grow pretty easily,
they're not hard to grow.

512
00:24:40,233 --> 00:24:41,833
They're not difficult to grow.

513
00:24:41,867 --> 00:24:43,167
They kind of just grow.

514
00:24:43,233 --> 00:24:46,500
Kind of like sticker bushes
in the Northwest, all right?

515
00:24:46,533 --> 00:24:48,833
Nobody says, "I'm a really
good sticker bush grower."

516
00:24:48,867 --> 00:24:51,033
We're all like, "You
know what, it's not hard.

517
00:24:51,100 --> 00:24:54,200
All you have to do is just
ignore your lawn and you'll have

518
00:24:54,267 --> 00:24:56,333
a lot of sticker bushes."

519
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,000
And they just produce
blackberries, right?

520
00:24:59,067 --> 00:25:02,333
I didn't know this, but
in a lot of places in the U.S.,

521
00:25:02,367 --> 00:25:04,333
they have a hard time
growing sticker bushes

522
00:25:04,367 --> 00:25:05,700
and obtaining blackberries.

523
00:25:05,767 --> 00:25:07,533
We had people come
into our neighborhood,

524
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,000
visiting from out of state
last year, and they said,

525
00:25:10,067 --> 00:25:12,200
"How did you do it?"
"What do you mean?"

526
00:25:12,267 --> 00:25:14,433
"How did you cause all
those blackberries to grow?"

527
00:25:14,500 --> 00:25:16,167
"We didn't cause those
blackberries to grow

528
00:25:16,233 --> 00:25:17,567
in the Northwest."

529
00:25:17,667 --> 00:25:20,233
"You could just pull over
on the side of the road

530
00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:21,667
and pick blackberries?"

531
00:25:21,700 --> 00:25:23,033
"Yes, they're everywhere.

532
00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:24,767
"All right, if we
don't do something

533
00:25:24,833 --> 00:25:26,267
"there won't be room for people.

534
00:25:26,333 --> 00:25:28,500
It'll just be all sticker
bushes, the whole state."

535
00:25:28,567 --> 00:25:31,000
"Oh, we can't get them
to grow in our area!"

536
00:25:31,033 --> 00:25:32,367
"Oh, really?

537
00:25:32,433 --> 00:25:34,567
We can't stop them from
growing in our area!"

538
00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:37,367
Fig trees are like sticker
bushes in and around Israel.

539
00:25:37,433 --> 00:25:39,700
They just grow.
They're kind of everywhere.

540
00:25:39,767 --> 00:25:41,167
They're not that difficult.

541
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,833
Once they take root, they don't
require a lot of maintenance.

542
00:25:44,900 --> 00:25:49,033
And this man owns a vineyard in
the parable and apparently he's

543
00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:51,700
got all of his trees numbered
and he keeps coming back,

544
00:25:51,767 --> 00:25:54,000
3 years in a row,
to the same tree.

545
00:25:54,033 --> 00:25:56,867
He says, "That tree
is 3 years fig free.

546
00:25:56,933 --> 00:25:59,700
What a worthless tree."

547
00:25:59,767 --> 00:26:01,833
Now some of you are like that.

548
00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:04,500
Some of you have been sitting
in Christianity or sitting

549
00:26:04,567 --> 00:26:08,233
in Mars Hill months, years,
no figs.

550
00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:09,667
There's no fruit at all.

551
00:26:09,733 --> 00:26:11,200
Say, "What have you done?"
"Nothing."

552
00:26:11,267 --> 00:26:12,833
"What have you given?"
"Nothing."

553
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:14,567
"How's it going?"

554
00:26:14,667 --> 00:26:16,033
"I don't know."

555
00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:18,333
You're fig free,
all right, you're fig free.

556
00:26:18,367 --> 00:26:21,500
And there's a guy in the story
who comes along and he says,

557
00:26:21,533 --> 00:26:23,200
"Cut it down!"
Right?

558
00:26:23,267 --> 00:26:26,700
Basically then, "It's worthless,
throw it in the fire." Okay?

559
00:26:26,767 --> 00:26:29,767
Now, as I read
the story, that's me.

560
00:26:29,833 --> 00:26:33,100
There's three things I like:
results, results, and results.

561
00:26:33,167 --> 00:26:35,767
Those are my three
favorite things, okay?

562
00:26:35,833 --> 00:26:38,600
So I read the story, if
the story would have read,

563
00:26:38,667 --> 00:26:40,767
"And the guy came
and said, 'Cut it down!

564
00:26:40,833 --> 00:26:43,033
"'Why should it use
up the ground?

565
00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:44,900
Why should we let
it take resources?'"

566
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,200
Some of you take resources,
you just sit there.

567
00:26:47,267 --> 00:26:51,267
See, my first inclination is,
"It's not working, shoot it!

568
00:26:51,333 --> 00:26:54,500
They're not working,
shoot them!" Right?

569
00:26:54,533 --> 00:26:56,900
If the story would have
stopped with, "Cut it down,"

570
00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,100
I would have said, "That's
a good story right there."

571
00:27:00,167 --> 00:27:02,600
But you know what?
God's not like me.

572
00:27:02,667 --> 00:27:05,600
God's not like--I mean,
we're all glad for that.

573
00:27:05,667 --> 00:27:08,167
I'm glad, too!
All right?

574
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,433
Otherwise I wouldn't be here.

575
00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:13,500
Instead of, "Cut it down,"
God comes and says,

576
00:27:13,533 --> 00:27:16,900
"No, let's give it more time."

577
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:18,400
Isn't that great?

578
00:27:18,500 --> 00:27:20,600
Some of you are here
today and you wonder,

579
00:27:20,667 --> 00:27:23,200
"Is God angry at me?
Is God mad at me?

580
00:27:23,267 --> 00:27:24,600
Is God done with me?"

581
00:27:24,667 --> 00:27:26,933
All right, your picture
of God, he's just got

582
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,333
an ax and a clipboard.

583
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:29,733
"No figs?

584
00:27:29,833 --> 00:27:32,333
Cut it down
and send them to hell!"

585
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,833
Like, "Ah!
Is it too late?"

586
00:27:34,867 --> 00:27:37,100
No, you're still breathing,
God's not done with you.

587
00:27:37,167 --> 00:27:39,500
He loves you,
there's hope for you.

588
00:27:39,533 --> 00:27:43,000
See, God's not like me.

589
00:27:43,033 --> 00:27:45,500
God's holy, that means
he's just different.

590
00:27:45,567 --> 00:27:49,567
He's good and he looks at some
of you who maybe whole areas

591
00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:53,833
of your life, it's
really been fruitless,

592
00:27:53,867 --> 00:27:56,000
I mean you really
haven't accomplished

593
00:27:56,067 --> 00:27:58,000
what you were supposed to.

594
00:27:58,067 --> 00:27:59,700
God wants to
encourage you today.

595
00:27:59,767 --> 00:28:02,767
God wants to love you today.
God wants to serve you today.

596
00:28:02,833 --> 00:28:04,433
God wants to help you today.

597
00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,933
God wants you to hear
the voice of Jesus saying,

598
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,933
"No, we're not going
to cut it down.

599
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,767
I'm going to put
more effort in."

600
00:28:10,833 --> 00:28:13,100
Isn't that amazing?
Isn't that amazing?

601
00:28:13,167 --> 00:28:16,667
This goes against prevailing
business wisdom, by the way.

602
00:28:16,700 --> 00:28:18,433
I subscribe to
the "Harvard Business Review"

603
00:28:18,500 --> 00:28:20,000
and I love business stuff.

604
00:28:20,033 --> 00:28:21,500
And usually it is, you know,

605
00:28:21,567 --> 00:28:23,333
"Hey, if it's not working,
cut it.

606
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,500
If it's working,
put more resources into it."

607
00:28:25,567 --> 00:28:27,833
Here's the kingdom of God,
it works upside down.

608
00:28:27,900 --> 00:28:30,000
God says,
"If they're not working,

609
00:28:30,067 --> 00:28:32,267
be more gracious to them."

610
00:28:32,333 --> 00:28:33,767
"What?"

611
00:28:33,833 --> 00:28:36,100
"Yeah, they're going to
need extra help, extra love,

612
00:28:36,167 --> 00:28:39,100
extra attention, extra
affection, extra patience."

613
00:28:39,167 --> 00:28:41,867
Now God does have a long
wick, he's slow to anger.

614
00:28:41,933 --> 00:28:44,500
God's not going to put
up with us all forever.

615
00:28:44,567 --> 00:28:47,600
Right, we're supposed to hustle
up and be about his business.

616
00:28:47,667 --> 00:28:50,600
But you're getting a word of
hope and encouragement here,

617
00:28:50,667 --> 00:28:53,567
that God--God's
hope, God's heart,

618
00:28:53,667 --> 00:28:57,000
is not to cut you down
and throw you in the fire.

619
00:28:57,033 --> 00:29:00,400
God's heart is to give you more
time and to work on you

620
00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:03,333
and to work with you and to work
through you because God

621
00:29:03,367 --> 00:29:08,167
wants you to share
in the joy of being fruitful.

622
00:29:08,233 --> 00:29:14,767
Be encouraged,
be hopeful, God is good.

623
00:29:14,833 --> 00:29:16,733
That's why I love this story.

624
00:29:16,833 --> 00:29:18,533
It's not what I was expecting.

625
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,033
Now, let me say this as well,
I want to give you a few

626
00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:25,167
principles for being fruitful,
and I hope and I trust

627
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,833
and I pray that your desire
would be fruitfulness.

628
00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:33,667
Don't be ashamed of the areas
that you are not bearing fruit.

629
00:29:33,733 --> 00:29:35,500
Be honest about them.

630
00:29:35,533 --> 00:29:37,433
Don't bristle
and defend yourselves.

631
00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:39,000
Don't blame other people.

632
00:29:39,067 --> 00:29:43,500
Don't make excuses and don't
settle for fruitlessness.

633
00:29:43,533 --> 00:29:46,667
By the grace of God,
we can be fruitful.

634
00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:49,200
I'll give you some principles
for how to do that.

635
00:29:49,267 --> 00:29:53,067
How to be fruitful, number one,
cultivate your relationship

636
00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:55,333
with the Holy Spirit.

637
00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,767
In Galatians 5:22 it speaks
of the what of the Spirit?

638
00:29:59,833 --> 00:30:02,367
The fruit of the Spirit.

639
00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:03,900
How do you get fruit?

640
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,667
Fruit--good works, changed
character, new life,

641
00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:11,933
helpfulness to other people--
comes out of the power

642
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,767
and presence of the Holy Spirit.

643
00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:17,000
Friends, fruitfulness is
not what we do for God.

644
00:30:17,067 --> 00:30:18,733
It's what God does for us.

645
00:30:18,833 --> 00:30:22,233
It's what he does in us and, by
the power of the Holy Spirit,

646
00:30:22,333 --> 00:30:24,167
it's what he does through us.

647
00:30:24,233 --> 00:30:27,400
So, again, don't look at God
as a middle manager with

648
00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:31,067
a clipboard saying, "What have
you done for me this year?"

649
00:30:31,167 --> 00:30:33,567
Look at God as a friend
who's there to help,

650
00:30:33,667 --> 00:30:37,600
as a gardener who's willing
to prune and serve and aid.

651
00:30:37,667 --> 00:30:41,400
And the seed of new life,
and the seed of fruitfulness,

652
00:30:41,500 --> 00:30:44,600
is the indwelling presence
and power of the Holy Spirit.

653
00:30:44,667 --> 00:30:48,667
That's the seed from which new
life and fruitfulness come.

654
00:30:48,700 --> 00:30:51,867
The Holy Spirit takes up
residence in every Christian.

655
00:30:51,933 --> 00:30:54,567
See, the non-Christian lives
a natural life by their own

656
00:30:54,667 --> 00:30:56,367
willpower and strength.

657
00:30:56,433 --> 00:30:59,667
That's why their
resolutions don't work.

658
00:30:59,733 --> 00:31:03,367
Willpower only lasts so long.

659
00:31:03,433 --> 00:31:06,733
Instead, Christians live
a supernatural life not by

660
00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:12,100
their own power but by the power
of the Holy Spirit, that God,

661
00:31:12,167 --> 00:31:15,767
that God is at work in us, that
God is in--that God is at work

662
00:31:15,833 --> 00:31:18,267
through us so that
we can be fruitful.

663
00:31:18,333 --> 00:31:20,000
So you want to cultivate
your relationship

664
00:31:20,067 --> 00:31:21,567
with the Holy Spirit.

665
00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:25,000
Get to know and love
and enjoy the Holy Spirit.

666
00:31:25,033 --> 00:31:27,600
A couple simple ways to do this.

667
00:31:27,667 --> 00:31:32,700
Number one is regular Bible
reading, regular Bible reading.

668
00:31:32,767 --> 00:31:36,200
Something that basically
all Christians believe

669
00:31:36,267 --> 00:31:39,033
but not all Christians obey.

670
00:31:39,100 --> 00:31:41,567
God the Holy Spirit,
through human authors,

671
00:31:41,667 --> 00:31:45,000
he wrote
the 66 books of the Bible.

672
00:31:45,033 --> 00:31:48,233
And through the Scriptures,
this is the primary means

673
00:31:48,333 --> 00:31:51,267
by which God speaks to us.

674
00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:55,167
And so when you pick up your
Bible and you pray and ask

675
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,667
God the Holy Spirit to meet
you, you'll learn Scripture.

676
00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:00,667
You can read the whole Bible,
and this is a great time

677
00:32:00,700 --> 00:32:03,333
to commit yourself to it,
15 to 20 minutes a day,

678
00:32:03,367 --> 00:32:05,333
you read the whole
Bible in a year.

679
00:32:05,367 --> 00:32:06,700
You can do it.

680
00:32:06,767 --> 00:32:08,900
Some of you have,
do it again, praise God.

681
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:10,667
Some of you haven't,
you need to.

682
00:32:10,700 --> 00:32:12,167
This last year
my 11-year-old son

683
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:13,833
and my 13-year-old daughter
both did.

684
00:32:13,867 --> 00:32:17,067
They both did,
my 13-year-old daughter,

685
00:32:17,167 --> 00:32:19,533
the year before she read the
whole English Standard Version

686
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:23,167
of the Bible, this year she read
the whole ESV translation of

687
00:32:23,233 --> 00:32:28,000
the Bible in the study Bible
format with all the notes.

688
00:32:28,033 --> 00:32:29,400
With all the notes.

689
00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:31,400
She reads a little
bit in the morning,

690
00:32:31,500 --> 00:32:32,900
a little bit in the evening.

691
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:34,900
She read through
the whole Bible this year.

692
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,400
My 11-year-old son read through
the New International Version

693
00:32:37,500 --> 00:32:39,667
of the Bible this year.

694
00:32:39,733 --> 00:32:41,500
I really want you to read

695
00:32:41,567 --> 00:32:43,500
through the whole Bible
this year.

696
00:32:43,567 --> 00:32:46,700
Get an app that will do it,
mark it out in your Bible,

697
00:32:46,767 --> 00:32:48,667
go old school, use
something called a bookmark,

698
00:32:48,733 --> 00:32:52,067
the second half
of which is fantastic word.

699
00:32:52,167 --> 00:32:56,833
You can use something like
that--you can use something

700
00:32:56,900 --> 00:32:59,667
like that to just get
you reading, right?

701
00:32:59,733 --> 00:33:02,267
So, through Scripture we
cultivate our relationship with

702
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:04,333
the Holy Spirit by listening
to God,

703
00:33:04,367 --> 00:33:06,333
and we talk to God
through prayer.

704
00:33:06,367 --> 00:33:08,667
So praying to God, beginning
your day in prayer,

705
00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:11,433
praying over your decisions,
asking God for wisdom,

706
00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:14,833
asking God for help, and then
seeing God answer prayers.

707
00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:18,367
One of the things we do at the
Driscoll dinner table is we have

708
00:33:18,433 --> 00:33:20,900
a notebook and we write in
prayer requests for family,

709
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,667
friends, neighbors,
coworkers, classmates.

710
00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:26,233
And when prayers are answered
we check them off

711
00:33:26,333 --> 00:33:28,567
and we recount how God hears
and answers prayers.

712
00:33:28,667 --> 00:33:30,867
We have pages and pages
and pages of prayers

713
00:33:30,933 --> 00:33:34,067
and one of the things we love
to do when we have people

714
00:33:34,167 --> 00:33:36,567
over for dinner, sometimes
when we start our prayer time,

715
00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:39,233
if they're in the book we'll
pull it out and say,

716
00:33:39,333 --> 00:33:40,667
"Look, here you are.

717
00:33:40,700 --> 00:33:42,833
We prayed for you and God
answered that prayer."

718
00:33:42,900 --> 00:33:44,833
We've seen people cry
at our dinner table.

719
00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:47,500
Pray, pray for people, pray for
yourself, pray for your needs.

720
00:33:47,567 --> 00:33:50,167
That's how we communicate with
God and that's how you cultivate

721
00:33:50,233 --> 00:33:52,367
your relationship with the
Holy Spirit, listening to God,

722
00:33:52,433 --> 00:33:53,767
talking to God.

723
00:33:53,833 --> 00:33:55,600
That could be plugging
into Mars Hill,

724
00:33:55,667 --> 00:33:57,033
joining a community group,

725
00:33:57,100 --> 00:33:58,733
getting involved
with God's people,

726
00:33:58,833 --> 00:34:01,333
having the Holy Spirit minister
to you through the community

727
00:34:01,367 --> 00:34:03,067
of God's people.

728
00:34:03,167 --> 00:34:05,067
All right, what
do you need to do,

729
00:34:05,167 --> 00:34:07,567
how do you need to reorganize
and reorient your life

730
00:34:07,667 --> 00:34:09,333
to be filled with
the Holy Spirit?

731
00:34:09,367 --> 00:34:11,500
And this includes being
sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

732
00:34:11,567 --> 00:34:13,700
When he convicts you
of sin, stop and listen.

733
00:34:13,767 --> 00:34:15,100
Don't quench, grieve,
resist, fight.

734
00:34:15,167 --> 00:34:18,367
When he lays something
on your heart, go with it.

735
00:34:18,433 --> 00:34:22,833
All right, be led, filled,
directed by the Holy Spirit.

736
00:34:22,867 --> 00:34:25,533
That will cultivate
fruitfulness in your life.

737
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:29,533
Number two, repent of sins
of commission and omission.

738
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,867
Sins of commission are
the occasions when we do

739
00:34:32,933 --> 00:34:34,833
what we're not supposed to do.

740
00:34:34,867 --> 00:34:38,767
Omission is when we don't do
what we're supposed to do.

741
00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:42,667
Much of our fruitlessness or
our lack of fruitfulness is

742
00:34:42,700 --> 00:34:45,667
the result of sins of omission.

743
00:34:45,700 --> 00:34:47,500
So repent of your
sins of commission,

744
00:34:47,567 --> 00:34:49,600
meaning if you're doing
something you're not supposed

745
00:34:49,667 --> 00:34:52,400
to be doing, stop doing
it by the grace of God.

746
00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:53,933
Stop doing it.

747
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,500
But what about those things
that you should be doing

748
00:34:56,533 --> 00:34:57,867
that you're not?

749
00:34:57,933 --> 00:34:59,433
I'll give you an example.

750
00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:02,000
You may say, "I didn't
steal any money last year."

751
00:35:02,067 --> 00:35:03,867
That would be
a sin of commission,

752
00:35:03,933 --> 00:35:05,267
you're not supposed to steal.

753
00:35:05,333 --> 00:35:06,833
What about your sin of omission?

754
00:35:06,867 --> 00:35:08,367
Were you generous?
"No."

755
00:35:08,433 --> 00:35:09,767
Okay.

756
00:35:09,833 --> 00:35:11,167
"Well, I didn't hurt anybody!"

757
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,033
Yeah, but did you help anybody?

758
00:35:13,100 --> 00:35:14,600
"Oh yeah."

759
00:35:14,667 --> 00:35:17,433
See, our goal is not just
to abstain from evil,

760
00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:19,933
but to be fruitful.

761
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,433
So it's looking at those areas
of your life, saying,

762
00:35:22,500 --> 00:35:25,100
"Yeah, last year I didn't do
this, I didn't do this,

763
00:35:25,167 --> 00:35:26,500
"I didn't do this.

764
00:35:26,567 --> 00:35:28,000
"There were some
things that, yeah,

765
00:35:28,067 --> 00:35:30,500
I was supposed to do
and I didn't do them."

766
00:35:30,567 --> 00:35:32,333
All right, those things
that you neglected,

767
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,167
they reduced your fruitfulness.

768
00:35:34,233 --> 00:35:38,167
So repent of what you weren't
supposed to do and did do

769
00:35:38,233 --> 00:35:42,033
and what you were supposed
to do and didn't do.

770
00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:45,767
Additionally, another principle
for fruitfulness, number three,

771
00:35:45,833 --> 00:35:48,900
count your figs,
count your figs.

772
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,033
Now, I'll extend the analogy.

773
00:35:51,100 --> 00:35:53,433
This guy owns a vineyard,
apparently he's got all

774
00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:55,700
the trees numbered and he
keeps an annual accounting

775
00:35:55,767 --> 00:35:57,100
of all of the trees.

776
00:35:57,167 --> 00:35:59,333
And he goes to tree
number 27 and says,

777
00:35:59,367 --> 00:36:04,267
"Tree number 27 has had
0 figs 3 years running."

778
00:36:04,333 --> 00:36:07,267
Some of you, your big problem
is you don't count your figs.

779
00:36:07,333 --> 00:36:08,700
You've got to measure, count.

780
00:36:08,767 --> 00:36:10,533
Some of you are naturally
administratively

781
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,267
gifted and organized.

782
00:36:12,333 --> 00:36:14,000
You're so freakishly tidy,

783
00:36:14,067 --> 00:36:16,000
you actually need
to calm down, okay?

784
00:36:16,067 --> 00:36:19,200
But some of you need to get
a label maker and you need

785
00:36:19,267 --> 00:36:20,600
to get a plan, right?

786
00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:22,500
You need to put
some plans together.

787
00:36:22,533 --> 00:36:25,333
Let's say, for example, you
want to lose weight this year

788
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:27,067
and you want to be healthy.

789
00:36:27,167 --> 00:36:29,367
First thing you need is a scale.

790
00:36:29,433 --> 00:36:31,833
"How many figs do I weigh?

791
00:36:31,900 --> 00:36:33,667
"Okay, how many figs do I weigh?

792
00:36:33,733 --> 00:36:35,333
I got to count my figs."

793
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,833
And then you got to read
the boxes and labels.

794
00:36:37,900 --> 00:36:40,167
"How many calories, how
many figs am I eating?"

795
00:36:40,233 --> 00:36:42,533
You've got to track it.
How about time?

796
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,333
How many of you are
perennially late?

797
00:36:44,367 --> 00:36:47,400
You're always, or often, late?

798
00:36:47,500 --> 00:36:48,900
You know what you need?

799
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,400
You need to track time.
You need to count it.

800
00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:52,833
You need to measure it.

801
00:36:52,867 --> 00:36:54,833
"How long does it
take to go somewhere?

802
00:36:54,867 --> 00:36:56,200
Why am I always late?"

803
00:36:56,267 --> 00:36:57,933
And I'll tell you
what won't work,

804
00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,433
setting all your clocks
to different times.

805
00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:00,900
I married that girl.

806
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,600
I love her but I
don't understand this.

807
00:37:03,667 --> 00:37:05,267
She's like,
"Well, I'm always late

808
00:37:05,333 --> 00:37:06,833
so I changed all the clocks."

809
00:37:06,867 --> 00:37:09,167
Well, now you're
late and confused.

810
00:37:09,233 --> 00:37:11,100
Like that, that
didn't fix anything.

811
00:37:11,167 --> 00:37:14,867
Set all the clocks to the same
time and then count time

812
00:37:14,933 --> 00:37:17,367
and show up on time, or early.

813
00:37:17,433 --> 00:37:20,167
All right, how many of you,
the issue really is money,

814
00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:22,400
where you're like,
"I exceed my budget.

815
00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:24,100
"I get upside down.

816
00:37:24,167 --> 00:37:27,500
"I'm in debt, then I'm not
generous, everything's--"

817
00:37:27,567 --> 00:37:29,000
You know what you need?

818
00:37:29,033 --> 00:37:32,000
Some sort of accounting
software and a budget.

819
00:37:32,033 --> 00:37:33,433
You got to count your figs.

820
00:37:33,500 --> 00:37:35,433
"How many figs do
I have coming in?

821
00:37:35,500 --> 00:37:37,433
"How many figs do
I have going out?

822
00:37:37,500 --> 00:37:39,000
"How many figs go to God?

823
00:37:39,033 --> 00:37:40,700
"How many figs go to the poor?

824
00:37:40,767 --> 00:37:43,700
"All right, how many figs go to,
you know, the cable company.

825
00:37:43,767 --> 00:37:46,033
What am I doing with
all of my figs?"

826
00:37:46,100 --> 00:37:48,033
You got to learn
to count your figs.

827
00:37:48,100 --> 00:37:50,033
Some of you say,
"I don't like numbers.

828
00:37:50,100 --> 00:37:51,433
I'm not good with numbers."

829
00:37:51,500 --> 00:37:53,433
You got to learn
to count your figs.

830
00:37:53,500 --> 00:37:56,100
You won't make changes in your
life unless you're tracking it,

831
00:37:56,167 --> 00:37:58,233
keeping an accounting
and a reckoning of it.

832
00:37:58,333 --> 00:37:59,767
That's the point of the parable.

833
00:37:59,833 --> 00:38:02,500
He's got an idea of where his
figs are coming from

834
00:38:02,567 --> 00:38:04,433
and where there is
fruitlessness.

835
00:38:04,500 --> 00:38:08,167
Number four, measure
fruitfulness, not busyness.

836
00:38:08,233 --> 00:38:09,900
This one's huge.

837
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,267
Some of you say, "I'm busy!
I'm active!

838
00:38:12,333 --> 00:38:17,200
I'm so busy, I'm committed to
every--" but are you fruitful?

839
00:38:17,267 --> 00:38:21,900
There's a big difference between
busyness and fruitfulness.

840
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,367
Some people, they are
filled with coffee.

841
00:38:24,433 --> 00:38:26,400
They're returning e-mails,
talking on the phone,

842
00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:28,333
texting while they're driving,
doing their make-up

843
00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:31,700
and their hair while doing
Pilates on their way to work.

844
00:38:31,767 --> 00:38:35,000
I mean, they're multi-taskers,
they're busy,

845
00:38:35,067 --> 00:38:36,867
they're active,
they're rushed.

846
00:38:36,933 --> 00:38:39,100
They're always late, they're not
emotionally present

847
00:38:39,167 --> 00:38:40,667
when they're there with you.

848
00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:42,433
They're taking
calls over dinner,

849
00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:44,767
I mean they--stuffs
falling through the cracks.

850
00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:46,200
They're not sleeping enough,

851
00:38:46,267 --> 00:38:47,667
they're stressed out
and shaking.

852
00:38:47,733 --> 00:38:49,033
"I'm so busy!"

853
00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:50,533
And what they want
is compassion.

854
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:52,867
What they need
is fruitfulness.

855
00:38:52,933 --> 00:38:55,767
Some of you need to learn
to say, "I can't do that,

856
00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:57,767
"I can't do that,
I can't do that.

857
00:38:57,833 --> 00:39:00,167
"I need to see three things
through to completion

858
00:39:00,233 --> 00:39:02,500
"rather than seven things
through to incompletion.

859
00:39:02,533 --> 00:39:05,000
I need to be fruitful
not just busy."

860
00:39:05,033 --> 00:39:08,600
I'll give you an
illustration from a cage fight.

861
00:39:08,667 --> 00:39:10,833
Back in the old
pride fighting days,

862
00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:12,400
which cage fighting
was in Japan.

863
00:39:12,500 --> 00:39:13,733
It was a big deal.

864
00:39:13,833 --> 00:39:15,833
And they had the most
magnificent epic entrances

865
00:39:15,867 --> 00:39:17,167
for the fighters.

866
00:39:17,233 --> 00:39:20,167
The fireworks would go off and
this huge screen would go up

867
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,333
and the fighters would come down
this walkway toward the cage

868
00:39:23,367 --> 00:39:27,867
and they'd have a whole posse
and hip-hop dancers and music

869
00:39:27,933 --> 00:39:31,000
and costumes and it was awesome.

870
00:39:31,033 --> 00:39:32,867
And this--I remember
this one fight,

871
00:39:32,933 --> 00:39:35,733
this guy's coming down
the ramp and he is busy.

872
00:39:35,833 --> 00:39:38,200
He is dancing.
He's screaming.

873
00:39:38,267 --> 00:39:40,867
He's banging his chest.
He's very active.

874
00:39:40,933 --> 00:39:42,367
I mean,
this guy's just shaking.

875
00:39:42,433 --> 00:39:45,700
He gets in the cage, he's
running laps in the cage.

876
00:39:45,767 --> 00:39:48,833
And then his opponent comes out
and it looks like somebody woke

877
00:39:48,900 --> 00:39:52,167
this guy up from a nap
and he needed a cup of coffee

878
00:39:52,233 --> 00:39:54,267
and he didn't even
want to be there.

879
00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:57,100
He just walked,
no fly girls, no posse.

880
00:39:57,167 --> 00:39:59,000
Nothing with rims, nothing.

881
00:39:59,067 --> 00:40:03,433
Just him walking
down this walkway,

882
00:40:03,500 --> 00:40:05,100
this ramp toward the ring.

883
00:40:05,167 --> 00:40:07,600
And he's like, "Ah,"
he's just kind of--

884
00:40:07,667 --> 00:40:09,600
the guy is barely awake.

885
00:40:09,667 --> 00:40:13,033
And he gets into the ring and he
sort of meanders to the middle

886
00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:16,333
and the other guy's running
around the ring, "Argh!"

887
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,000
And then they finally come
together and the one guy's

888
00:40:19,033 --> 00:40:21,400
shaking and looking him in
the eye and talking trash.

889
00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:23,900
And the one guy who's kind of
asleep, he's like,

890
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,333
"Mm-hmm, whatever."

891
00:40:25,367 --> 00:40:27,333
And then they come
out, they touch gloves,

892
00:40:27,367 --> 00:40:29,333
and this one guy dances
and he's screaming

893
00:40:29,367 --> 00:40:31,000
and he's, "Argh!" yelling.

894
00:40:31,033 --> 00:40:33,500
And the other guy punches
him and knocks him out.

895
00:40:33,533 --> 00:40:35,200
I remember watching
the fight thinking,

896
00:40:35,267 --> 00:40:38,333
"I want to be that guy.

897
00:40:38,367 --> 00:40:40,033
I want to be that guy."

898
00:40:40,100 --> 00:40:43,033
Because the one guy, if his
family asked him, "How'd it go?"

899
00:40:43,100 --> 00:40:44,667
"I was really busy today."

900
00:40:44,700 --> 00:40:46,333
The other guy would be like,

901
00:40:46,367 --> 00:40:49,100
"I threw a punch
and then I went home.

902
00:40:49,167 --> 00:40:51,400
And I knocked
the other guy out."

903
00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:54,367
And the truth is, so many of
you keep getting knocked out

904
00:40:54,433 --> 00:40:57,167
but it--you're not focused.

905
00:40:57,200 --> 00:40:59,433
You're not present.
You don't have a plan.

906
00:40:59,500 --> 00:41:02,567
You don't have a budget.
You don't have a schedule.

907
00:41:02,667 --> 00:41:04,867
You don't have priorities.
You're just busy.

908
00:41:04,933 --> 00:41:07,200
Busyness and fruitfulness
are two different things.

909
00:41:07,267 --> 00:41:10,767
Some of the most fruitful people
I know are also some of the most

910
00:41:10,833 --> 00:41:14,333
present, focused,
relaxed people I know.

911
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,333
They don't waste their energy on
things that they shouldn't

912
00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:18,733
waste their energy on.

913
00:41:18,833 --> 00:41:20,367
They focus it.

914
00:41:20,433 --> 00:41:22,733
"Need to love Jesus,
need to love my spouse,

915
00:41:22,833 --> 00:41:25,200
"need to love my kids,
need to help the poor,

916
00:41:25,267 --> 00:41:26,867
"need to serve those in need.

917
00:41:26,933 --> 00:41:29,167
"Going to do that
and not going to waste

918
00:41:29,233 --> 00:41:31,500
all my time and energy
on everything else."

919
00:41:31,533 --> 00:41:34,533
Don't exchange busyness
for fruitfulness.

920
00:41:35,267 --> 00:41:38,233
Don't exchange busyness
for fruitfulness.

921
00:41:38,333 --> 00:41:40,867
Number five, learn
from fruitful people.

922
00:41:40,933 --> 00:41:44,200
Mars Hill, what a gift some of
the people in this church are.

923
00:41:44,267 --> 00:41:46,667
Some of the people in this
church are incredibly fruitful,

924
00:41:46,700 --> 00:41:50,600
wise, gifted, skilled,
talented, competent, and able.

925
00:41:50,667 --> 00:41:53,433
There are some amazing
people in our church.

926
00:41:53,500 --> 00:41:56,033
They have some skills in areas

927
00:41:56,100 --> 00:41:59,067
that would
tremendously benefit you.

928
00:41:59,167 --> 00:42:02,500
This is where community
and community groups are huge.

929
00:42:02,533 --> 00:42:04,333
So here's what you need to do.

930
00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,167
Find people who are fruitful
where you're not very fruitful.

931
00:42:07,233 --> 00:42:10,167
And don't call them up and
say, "I would like a mentor.

932
00:42:10,233 --> 00:42:13,333
Can we meet every Tuesday
for the rest of my life?"

933
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,833
Because they'll say,
"I'm busy. I'm busy."

934
00:42:16,867 --> 00:42:20,000
What you need to do is figure
out where you lack fruit,

935
00:42:20,067 --> 00:42:23,767
find someone who is fruitful,
and then start recording.

936
00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:26,100
And I'm someone who takes
notes on everything.

937
00:42:26,167 --> 00:42:27,567
I try to be ever present,

938
00:42:27,667 --> 00:42:29,400
paying attention in my life
making notes.

939
00:42:29,500 --> 00:42:31,600
Say, "You know if I
could meet with them."

940
00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:33,167
Maybe they've got
a great marriage.

941
00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:34,833
They've been married
for years.

942
00:42:34,867 --> 00:42:38,333
And you say, "Man, I would like
to have a marriage like theirs.

943
00:42:38,367 --> 00:42:40,500
"I bet you they could
teach me a lot.

944
00:42:40,567 --> 00:42:42,033
"What questions
would I ask them?

945
00:42:42,100 --> 00:42:44,033
"What things in our marriage
would I want

946
00:42:44,100 --> 00:42:45,433
their perspective on?"

947
00:42:45,500 --> 00:42:47,433
They raised amazing kids who
totally love them

948
00:42:47,500 --> 00:42:48,833
and love Jesus.

949
00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:50,233
How do you do that?

950
00:42:50,333 --> 00:42:52,433
You meet a mom, she's
got her act together.

951
00:42:52,500 --> 00:42:54,267
House is organized,
everything's got a system,

952
00:42:54,333 --> 00:42:58,600
kids are always wearing
pants, it's amazing.

953
00:42:58,667 --> 00:43:01,000
And you say,
"How does she do that?

954
00:43:01,067 --> 00:43:04,700
How does she keep all of
her complex life in order?"

955
00:43:04,767 --> 00:43:08,000
You meet someone who's good with
investments and they know how to

956
00:43:08,033 --> 00:43:10,367
make it through tough economic
times, whatever it is.

957
00:43:10,433 --> 00:43:13,167
Somebody who really knows their
Bible and is really wise

958
00:43:13,233 --> 00:43:16,033
and reads the right books
and listens to good teaching

959
00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:17,767
and they have lots of
biblical wisdom.

960
00:43:17,833 --> 00:43:20,667
You say, "Man, if I could
get a little time with them,

961
00:43:20,733 --> 00:43:23,333
"what would I ask them?

962
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,333
What would I want
to know from them?"

963
00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:27,567
See, wisdom is in the Bible
first and foremost.

964
00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:29,000
It's also in books.

965
00:43:29,033 --> 00:43:30,667
And it's also in God's people.

966
00:43:30,700 --> 00:43:32,167
So you go to those people

967
00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:34,167
and you extract that wisdom
as a gift.

968
00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:37,533
But to do so, number one,
prayerfully consider what

969
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:39,333
questions you'll ask in advance.

970
00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,167
Write those questions down.

971
00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,667
Don't waste their
time, it's a treasure.

972
00:43:44,733 --> 00:43:48,000
Number two, humbly ask them.

973
00:43:48,067 --> 00:43:50,067
"Could I get
30 minutes of your time?"

974
00:43:50,167 --> 00:43:52,067
"Could I get
60 minutes of your time?

975
00:43:52,167 --> 00:43:53,533
"I won't waste it.

976
00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,533
"I've got a couple questions I
would really like your help on

977
00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,033
"so that I could become
more fruitful in my life.

978
00:43:59,100 --> 00:44:02,100
"And I promise you if you
tell me things I'll do them.

979
00:44:02,167 --> 00:44:04,100
I will not be a waste of time."

980
00:44:04,167 --> 00:44:08,067
And then, if you ask them, what
do you think they will say?

981
00:44:08,167 --> 00:44:10,667
"Sure."

982
00:44:10,733 --> 00:44:15,333
Fruitful people love to help
make other people fruitful.

983
00:44:15,367 --> 00:44:18,333
The most fruitful person that I
have personally ever met

984
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:21,867
in my life goes to Mars Hill.

985
00:44:21,933 --> 00:44:25,067
And a few years ago I hit
the wall, I wasn't doing well,

986
00:44:25,167 --> 00:44:26,667
things weren't working.

987
00:44:26,700 --> 00:44:29,233
And I didn't know how
to become more fruitful.

988
00:44:29,333 --> 00:44:31,900
And this person who's very
fruitful and very godly and very

989
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,933
generous and I really love him,
they're more fruitful than me

990
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,333
and more calm and relaxed
and easy going and happy.

991
00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:41,500
And I thought,
"How do you do both?"

992
00:44:41,567 --> 00:44:43,433
Because that was
a mystery to me.

993
00:44:43,500 --> 00:44:46,367
So I met with him and I
had a list of questions,

994
00:44:46,433 --> 00:44:49,033
and I don't know, maybe
it was an hour or two.

995
00:44:49,100 --> 00:44:50,433
I didn't track time.

996
00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:52,933
I would take as much
as they would give me.

997
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:54,933
They just told me,
"Here's what I do.

998
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:56,933
"Here's how I think.
Here's what I've learned.

999
00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:58,433
"Here's mistakes I've made.

1000
00:44:58,500 --> 00:45:00,233
"Here's how I put
my life together.

1001
00:45:00,333 --> 00:45:02,733
"You know, here's parts of
Scripture that have helped me.

1002
00:45:02,833 --> 00:45:04,233
"Here's books that
have helped me.

1003
00:45:04,333 --> 00:45:05,667
Here's systems."

1004
00:45:05,700 --> 00:45:07,833
I just took notes, page
after page after page.

1005
00:45:07,900 --> 00:45:09,233
I typed all those up.

1006
00:45:09,333 --> 00:45:11,733
To be honest with you,
that's a file I go

1007
00:45:11,833 --> 00:45:13,500
back to over and over and over.

1008
00:45:13,533 --> 00:45:15,667
I have for, I don't
know, 4, 5 years.

1009
00:45:15,733 --> 00:45:17,067
It's been life changing.

1010
00:45:17,167 --> 00:45:19,567
One hour with the right person
asking the right questions

1011
00:45:19,667 --> 00:45:23,433
can actually change
a whole course of life.

1012
00:45:23,500 --> 00:45:26,867
So, learn from fruitful people.

1013
00:45:26,933 --> 00:45:29,500
Learn from fruitful people.

1014
00:45:29,533 --> 00:45:32,500
Number six, be
an activist, not a fatalist.

1015
00:45:32,533 --> 00:45:34,533
Some of you have
a theology of fatalism.

1016
00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:35,933
"God's sovereign!

1017
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,433
"God does whatever he wants!

1018
00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:40,533
It's unavoidable, there's
nothing we can do!"

1019
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:44,867
And you use that as
an excuse to be unfruitful.

1020
00:45:44,933 --> 00:45:47,167
You're not trying hard.
You're not doing your best.

1021
00:45:47,233 --> 00:45:49,667
You're not making plans.
You're not giving generously.

1022
00:45:49,700 --> 00:45:52,933
You're not staying busy.

1023
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,600
God's sovereignty and human
responsibility are like

1024
00:45:55,667 --> 00:45:58,233
two pedals on a bike,
they work together.

1025
00:45:58,333 --> 00:46:00,167
God initiates, we respond.

1026
00:46:00,233 --> 00:46:06,833
God gets his work done
through his people.

1027
00:46:06,867 --> 00:46:09,600
He's sovereign over the ends,
what happens, and the means,

1028
00:46:09,667 --> 00:46:12,267
how it gets done.

1029
00:46:12,333 --> 00:46:14,900
If you only have one
pedal, "It's all me!"

1030
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,600
Well, you forgot about God and
you're starting to act like God.

1031
00:46:18,667 --> 00:46:20,500
If, "It's all God!"

1032
00:46:20,567 --> 00:46:24,567
then you forget the fact
that God works through us.

1033
00:46:24,667 --> 00:46:26,833
Yeah, God's going
to get all his figs.

1034
00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:29,833
And some of them are
going to be on our tree.

1035
00:46:29,900 --> 00:46:32,600
Don't have
a theology of fatalism.

1036
00:46:32,667 --> 00:46:34,733
Have a theology of activism.

1037
00:46:34,833 --> 00:46:38,700
Stay busy, be fruitful,
do good works.

1038
00:46:38,767 --> 00:46:40,500
Make your life count.

1039
00:46:40,567 --> 00:46:42,733
Don't waste your days.

1040
00:46:42,833 --> 00:46:47,600
And, number seven, turn
your pains into plans.

1041
00:46:47,667 --> 00:46:49,233
I am a furious note taker.

1042
00:46:49,333 --> 00:46:53,900
I always carry a little notepad
with me and I try to take notes.

1043
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,100
And when something
doesn't work or it hurts,

1044
00:46:56,167 --> 00:46:58,433
I want to make a plan to fix it.

1045
00:46:58,500 --> 00:47:01,500
Now let me say this, some
pain in life you can't avoid.

1046
00:47:01,567 --> 00:47:02,900
It is what it is.

1047
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,100
A lot of pain in life,
a lot of pain in your life,

1048
00:47:06,167 --> 00:47:07,767
you can fix it.

1049
00:47:07,833 --> 00:47:10,167
You can fix it.

1050
00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,500
And so it's turning your
pain into your plan.

1051
00:47:13,533 --> 00:47:16,333
So for me, when we go
on vacation as a family,

1052
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:17,833
I'm taking notes.

1053
00:47:17,867 --> 00:47:19,600
Not continually,
but I'll jot things down.

1054
00:47:19,667 --> 00:47:21,100
"This really worked!

1055
00:47:21,167 --> 00:47:22,767
This did not work at all."

1056
00:47:22,833 --> 00:47:25,767
And I put them together as
a file on my laptop under

1057
00:47:25,833 --> 00:47:28,433
"vacations" so when it comes
time to plan a family vacation

1058
00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:31,000
I pull it up and I've
got years of learning.

1059
00:47:31,033 --> 00:47:32,367
Because you know what happens?

1060
00:47:32,433 --> 00:47:35,033
You go on vacation, something
doesn't work, it's a total bomb,

1061
00:47:35,100 --> 00:47:37,033
you forget about it,
the next year, oh,

1062
00:47:37,100 --> 00:47:40,100
you didn't have the right plan,
it's a bad vacation again.

1063
00:47:40,167 --> 00:47:42,833
You come home more tired from
vacation than before you went.

1064
00:47:42,900 --> 00:47:47,433
Some of you just came through
the holidays and it was painful.

1065
00:47:47,500 --> 00:47:49,933
It didn't work.
You say, "It didn't work."

1066
00:47:50,000 --> 00:47:52,233
What are you going to do?
"I don't know."

1067
00:47:52,333 --> 00:47:53,667
I'll tell you what,

1068
00:47:53,733 --> 00:47:56,500
within 2 weeks you won't even
remember why it didn't work.

1069
00:47:56,567 --> 00:47:57,900
So write it down now.

1070
00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,900
Christmas 2009 didn't work.

1071
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:02,667
It didn't work.

1072
00:48:02,700 --> 00:48:06,167
My daddy dates with my
daughters got rushed.

1073
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:09,067
I didn't get an away night with
my wife to really connect

1074
00:48:09,167 --> 00:48:11,167
with her and make some
great memories.

1075
00:48:11,233 --> 00:48:12,933
We didn't have our
schedule put together

1076
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:14,367
and it didn't really work.

1077
00:48:14,433 --> 00:48:18,500
And at the end of the holidays
I felt like I missed it.

1078
00:48:18,567 --> 00:48:22,167
It wasn't horrible,
but it wasn't wonderful.

1079
00:48:22,233 --> 00:48:27,567
I missed the opportunity to make
memories with my wife and kids.

1080
00:48:27,667 --> 00:48:30,033
And so I made notes
and I made a plan.

1081
00:48:30,100 --> 00:48:33,867
I put it in my laptop, and this
year I pulled it up a couple

1082
00:48:33,933 --> 00:48:36,200
of months before Christmas.

1083
00:48:36,267 --> 00:48:38,733
And we put it all
together, Gracie and I did.

1084
00:48:38,833 --> 00:48:40,667
And honestly, 2010,

1085
00:48:40,733 --> 00:48:42,600
best Christmas season
of my whole life.

1086
00:48:42,667 --> 00:48:45,333
I got a whole daddy date
with Ashley, a whole day,

1087
00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:46,900
it was fantastic.

1088
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,900
I got a whole daddy date day
with Alexie, it was great.

1089
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:51,600
I got guy time with the boys,

1090
00:48:51,667 --> 00:48:54,333
I got away in the snow with
Grace for an overnight.

1091
00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:57,167
It was amazing,
it was amazing.

1092
00:48:57,200 --> 00:48:59,000
Christmas worked.

1093
00:48:59,067 --> 00:49:01,867
It wasn't painful,
it was wonderful.

1094
00:49:01,933 --> 00:49:05,367
I feel encouraged, I feel
refreshed, I feel hopeful.

1095
00:49:05,433 --> 00:49:09,000
So I spent a little time working
on my life, not just in it,

1096
00:49:09,033 --> 00:49:11,167
putting together my
schedule for this year,

1097
00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:13,233
my travel schedule
for the next 18 months,

1098
00:49:13,333 --> 00:49:17,867
my preaching schedule
for the next 24 months.

1099
00:49:17,933 --> 00:49:19,867
Plans for Mars Hill,
plans for my family,

1100
00:49:19,933 --> 00:49:21,500
trying to tee it all up.

1101
00:49:21,567 --> 00:49:23,833
Yeah, there will be
adjustments, nothing's perfect.

1102
00:49:23,867 --> 00:49:26,933
I sat down with Gracie
and we took a whole day,

1103
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:30,500
just her and I, laptops,
paperwork, put it all together.

1104
00:49:30,533 --> 00:49:32,167
What's an ideal week look like?

1105
00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:34,167
What do you need from me?
What's working?

1106
00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:36,000
What's not working?
How can we help?

1107
00:49:36,067 --> 00:49:38,200
How do we need to
adjust the kids' chores?

1108
00:49:38,267 --> 00:49:39,600
How did the holidays work?

1109
00:49:39,667 --> 00:49:41,600
What do we need for
vacations this year?

1110
00:49:41,667 --> 00:49:44,100
What are we going to do
for the kids' birthdays?

1111
00:49:44,167 --> 00:49:45,500
What about sports?

1112
00:49:45,567 --> 00:49:47,333
You know the complexity of life.

1113
00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:50,600
And Gracie and I spent a whole
day putting the year together.

1114
00:49:50,667 --> 00:49:54,933
We made a plan.
We made a plan.

1115
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:58,267
And by the grace of God, we'll
take notes along the way

1116
00:49:58,333 --> 00:50:01,267
and we'll make adjustments
and next year will be better

1117
00:50:01,333 --> 00:50:03,767
than the year that we're
looking forward to right now,

1118
00:50:03,833 --> 00:50:05,933
I hope and pray,
by the grace of God.

1119
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:07,833
Turn your pains into plans.

1120
00:50:07,867 --> 00:50:10,600
Learn from it,
do something different.

1121
00:50:10,667 --> 00:50:13,733
If your thing's not
working, try something else.

1122
00:50:13,833 --> 00:50:15,733
We do this with
our kids as well.

1123
00:50:15,833 --> 00:50:17,267
What worked for you
on vacation?

1124
00:50:17,333 --> 00:50:18,767
What are you learning
in school?

1125
00:50:18,833 --> 00:50:20,333
How could we serve you better?

1126
00:50:20,367 --> 00:50:22,667
Who do we need to
serve as a family?

1127
00:50:22,700 --> 00:50:25,333
We set goals like how much
can we give this year,

1128
00:50:25,367 --> 00:50:28,833
because for 20 years Grace and
I have set a goal to give more

1129
00:50:28,867 --> 00:50:30,833
every year than we
did the year before,

1130
00:50:30,867 --> 00:50:32,333
and God's always
answered that prayer.

1131
00:50:32,367 --> 00:50:34,033
But you got to have a plan.

1132
00:50:34,100 --> 00:50:35,533
I didn't know this for years.

1133
00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:38,533
It hurt my wife, it hurt
my kids, it hurt my health,

1134
00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:39,933
it hurt our church.

1135
00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:41,667
All right, I want
to be fruitful.

1136
00:50:41,733 --> 00:50:43,367
I want my family
to be fruitful.

1137
00:50:43,433 --> 00:50:45,067
I want our church
to be fruitful.

1138
00:50:45,167 --> 00:50:46,533
I want you to be fruitful.

1139
00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:49,500
And one big helpful idea is
to turn your pains into plans.

1140
00:50:49,533 --> 00:50:51,667
This is the time
of year to do that.

1141
00:50:51,733 --> 00:50:54,933
A resolution doesn't accomplish
anything without a plan

1142
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,000
and the power
of the Holy Spirit.

1143
00:50:57,033 --> 00:51:01,700
Lastly, my favorite point
of all, use your manure.

1144
00:51:01,767 --> 00:51:03,600
This is the best point of all.

1145
00:51:03,667 --> 00:51:06,667
All right, I will use a--make
sure I get the right ones,

1146
00:51:06,700 --> 00:51:08,600
okay, here we go.

1147
00:51:08,667 --> 00:51:10,533
What are these?

1148
00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:12,100
These are Fig Newtons.

1149
00:51:12,167 --> 00:51:14,033
Did you get one
on the way in?

1150
00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:17,233
How many of you walked in like,
"What kind of weird cookie cult

1151
00:51:17,333 --> 00:51:18,667
"have I walked into?

1152
00:51:18,700 --> 00:51:21,000
They're handing out
Fig Newtons in the foyer."

1153
00:51:21,033 --> 00:51:22,367
I love Fig Newtons.

1154
00:51:22,433 --> 00:51:24,833
I have since I was a little boy.

1155
00:51:24,867 --> 00:51:29,933
Eat them by
the sleeve, fantastic.

1156
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:31,500
Love Fig Newtons.

1157
00:51:31,567 --> 00:51:34,000
Jesus' parable's about what?

1158
00:51:34,067 --> 00:51:35,867
Figs.

1159
00:51:35,933 --> 00:51:39,033
Every time you eat a Fig Newton,
and I would recommend fairly

1160
00:51:39,100 --> 00:51:43,700
frequently, think about
Luke 13:6-9, the parable.

1161
00:51:43,767 --> 00:51:46,200
And every time you see
Fig Newtons at the store,

1162
00:51:46,267 --> 00:51:47,600
remember Jesus.

1163
00:51:47,667 --> 00:51:49,600
And, "Yeah, Jesus wants
me to be fruitful,

1164
00:51:49,667 --> 00:51:52,367
and he uses
the analogy of a fig."

1165
00:51:52,433 --> 00:51:58,200
Now, this could be a while.
I might eat a few more figs.

1166
00:51:58,267 --> 00:52:00,500
In the analogy
and in the parable,

1167
00:52:00,567 --> 00:52:07,333
Jesus says to get figs,
first you need manure.

1168
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:10,167
Now if I came to you
today and I said,

1169
00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:11,667
"Would you like
some Fig Newtons?"

1170
00:52:11,733 --> 00:52:14,233
You would say, "Why yes."

1171
00:52:14,333 --> 00:52:17,267
"Oh, and by the way,
it comes with manure."

1172
00:52:17,333 --> 00:52:21,600
You'd say, "Can I just--can
I just get the Fig Newtons?

1173
00:52:21,667 --> 00:52:23,833
I would like the Fig Newtons
without the manure."

1174
00:52:23,900 --> 00:52:27,400
But here's the point of the
simple analogy and the parable.

1175
00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:31,100
It takes manure
to get a fig.

1176
00:52:31,167 --> 00:52:32,767
Amen?

1177
00:52:32,833 --> 00:52:36,000
Okay, now let me tell you
how this applies to your life.

1178
00:52:36,067 --> 00:52:39,600
You look at your life right
now, where's the manure?

1179
00:52:39,667 --> 00:52:41,267
Where's the manure?

1180
00:52:41,333 --> 00:52:42,833
Is it in your marriage?

1181
00:52:42,867 --> 00:52:44,833
You say, "Yeah, my
marriage is a pile.

1182
00:52:44,867 --> 00:52:47,367
"I got a lot of manure there.
Yeah."

1183
00:52:47,433 --> 00:52:49,367
Is it your finances?
"Oh, yeah, my finances.

1184
00:52:49,433 --> 00:52:51,900
"I go to the ATM,
and I hit the button

1185
00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:54,167
"and manure comes out,
not money.

1186
00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:55,867
I just--that's all
that's going on."

1187
00:52:55,933 --> 00:52:57,400
How about your walk with God?

1188
00:52:57,500 --> 00:52:59,167
You say, "Yeah, this
last year, woo-hoo.

1189
00:52:59,233 --> 00:53:02,767
Yeah, way--I--a lot
more manure than figs."

1190
00:53:02,833 --> 00:53:06,000
All right, and some of you,
when you get a lot of manure

1191
00:53:06,033 --> 00:53:08,167
in your life, and sometimes it's
suffering, it's hardship,

1192
00:53:08,233 --> 00:53:10,367
it's pain, it's loss,
it's failure,

1193
00:53:10,433 --> 00:53:12,033
it's trauma, it's trial.

1194
00:53:12,100 --> 00:53:13,933
You know what?
It just stinks.

1195
00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:15,600
That's what it--it just stinks.

1196
00:53:15,667 --> 00:53:18,267
And some of you will look at it
and you'll say,

1197
00:53:18,333 --> 00:53:20,933
"You know what, God?
How come you don't love me?

1198
00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:22,667
"How come you're not good to me?

1199
00:53:22,733 --> 00:53:24,433
"How come you don't
care about me?

1200
00:53:24,500 --> 00:53:26,000
"How come you're not helping me?

1201
00:53:26,033 --> 00:53:29,000
"You know, this part of my
life, or maybe my whole life,

1202
00:53:29,033 --> 00:53:30,367
it's just manure!"

1203
00:53:30,433 --> 00:53:32,700
God would say, "I love you
so much that

1204
00:53:32,767 --> 00:53:35,067
"I gave you that manure.

1205
00:53:35,167 --> 00:53:37,433
"And I'm digging
around the roots

1206
00:53:37,500 --> 00:53:40,400
"and I'm putting the manure
on your roots because I have

1207
00:53:40,500 --> 00:53:43,667
a whole lot of figs
in your future."

1208
00:53:43,700 --> 00:53:47,433
So it takes a while
to go from manure to fruit.

1209
00:53:47,500 --> 00:53:49,667
It takes a little while.

1210
00:53:49,733 --> 00:53:52,500
Do you know who the best
counselors are we have found

1211
00:53:52,533 --> 00:53:55,433
in Redemption Groups
for rape victims?

1212
00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:58,500
Who do you think the best
counselors are for rape victims?

1213
00:53:58,533 --> 00:54:01,267
Those who have been raped.

1214
00:54:01,333 --> 00:54:06,100
Those people who have the best
insight to help someone dying

1215
00:54:06,167 --> 00:54:10,333
of cancer is someone who
has battled cancer.

1216
00:54:10,367 --> 00:54:15,167
Those people who have the
greatest insights on marriage

1217
00:54:15,233 --> 00:54:21,833
are those whose marriage has
endured some really rough water.

1218
00:54:21,867 --> 00:54:24,833
Those people who have
tremendous insights,

1219
00:54:24,867 --> 00:54:29,267
wisdom, gifts to give,
generally speaking,

1220
00:54:29,333 --> 00:54:33,533
it started for them with
a lot of manure in their life.

1221
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:38,200
Something painful, stinky,
hard, difficult, disappointing,

1222
00:54:38,267 --> 00:54:40,600
maybe even embarrassing.

1223
00:54:40,667 --> 00:54:44,433
But by the grace of God,
you don't waste your manure.

1224
00:54:44,500 --> 00:54:47,933
You use your manure and
eventually there's a harvest.

1225
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:50,900
There's fruitfulness.

1226
00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,933
I want you to be encouraged.

1227
00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:56,333
I want you to be hopeful.

1228
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:59,000
I want you not to give up.

1229
00:54:59,067 --> 00:55:01,500
I do want you to turn your pain
into plan

1230
00:55:01,567 --> 00:55:04,667
and I do want you to use
your manure.

1231
00:55:04,733 --> 00:55:07,733
Whatever right now stinks
the most in your life could be

1232
00:55:07,833 --> 00:55:11,200
something that God uses
for an enormous harvest.

1233
00:55:11,267 --> 00:55:14,767
And some of you say, "You have
no idea how much manure I have."

1234
00:55:14,833 --> 00:55:18,067
Well then you have no idea how
many figs are going to come.

1235
00:55:18,167 --> 00:55:21,667
God apparently has a big harvest
for you in fruitfulness

1236
00:55:21,733 --> 00:55:26,900
and righteousness and ministry
and testimony and service.

1237
00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:28,933
He does.

1238
00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:30,833
He does!

1239
00:55:30,867 --> 00:55:33,100
He's not angry and looking
at you today saying,

1240
00:55:33,167 --> 00:55:35,700
"I'm here to cut you down."

1241
00:55:35,767 --> 00:55:40,067
He's here to say, "I have great
hope for that little tree

1242
00:55:40,167 --> 00:55:44,267
"and what stinks today will be
joy tomorrow and fruitfulness

1243
00:55:44,333 --> 00:55:48,067
if you will use it."

1244
00:55:48,167 --> 00:55:49,833
And we want to help you.

1245
00:55:49,900 --> 00:55:52,233
We do want to help you.

1246
00:55:52,333 --> 00:55:54,233
Community groups, get connected.

1247
00:55:54,333 --> 00:55:56,900
Redemption Groups for those of
you who are addicted or abused,

1248
00:55:57,000 --> 00:55:59,033
get connected.

1249
00:55:59,100 --> 00:56:01,667
Be reading your Bible, praying.

1250
00:56:01,733 --> 00:56:03,333
Work on your plans.

1251
00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:05,933
Fill out a visitor card
when we take the offering.

1252
00:56:06,000 --> 00:56:08,600
Let us know who you are,
how we can help you.

1253
00:56:08,667 --> 00:56:11,433
And let us know what
gifts you have to give us.

1254
00:56:11,500 --> 00:56:13,933
Some of you are fruitful,
and say, "I play drums.

1255
00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:16,167
I'm a financial coach.
I can help people out."

1256
00:56:16,200 --> 00:56:19,533
Great, let us know how we can
serve you, how you can serve us.

1257
00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:22,933
Number two, you can also drop by
the connect desk on the way out.

1258
00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:26,100
Say, "You know what, I want to
plant my tree in this vineyard.

1259
00:56:26,167 --> 00:56:27,533
Get me plugged in."

1260
00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:30,533
Number three, you can register
on The City on your way out,

1261
00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:32,267
which is our online
social networking tool.

1262
00:56:32,333 --> 00:56:33,833
Plant your tree in our vineyard.

1263
00:56:33,867 --> 00:56:36,333
Give us the fruit of your life.

1264
00:56:36,367 --> 00:56:39,667
Let us give you the fruit of
our life and together this next

1265
00:56:39,733 --> 00:56:42,500
year, by the grace of God,
will be the biggest harvest

1266
00:56:42,567 --> 00:56:44,033
we've ever seen.

1267
00:56:44,100 --> 00:56:45,567
I hope you're encouraged.

1268
00:56:45,667 --> 00:56:48,700
I come with tremendous
hope for us as a people.

1269
00:56:48,767 --> 00:56:50,533
This has been a great vineyard.

1270
00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:53,500
It's produced a lot of figs.

1271
00:56:53,533 --> 00:56:56,433
And some of you God has
wonderful things in store

1272
00:56:56,500 --> 00:56:58,067
for your future.

1273
00:56:58,167 --> 00:57:01,333
I don't want you to lose hope
because you've not been fruitful

1274
00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:04,733
in the past and I don't want you
to lose hope because right now

1275
00:57:04,833 --> 00:57:06,933
it just smells like
manure on your roots.

1276
00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:08,500
Amen?

1277
00:57:08,533 --> 00:57:10,500
I hope you're encouraged.
I'm encouraged for you.

1278
00:57:10,533 --> 00:57:12,500
Jesus loves you and so do we.

1279
00:57:12,533 --> 00:57:14,667
Father God, I pray against
the enemy, his servants,

1280
00:57:14,733 --> 00:57:16,500
their works and effects.

1281
00:57:16,567 --> 00:57:18,033
Jesus, we thank you.

1282
00:57:18,100 --> 00:57:20,500
You're the master
perfect storyteller.

1283
00:57:20,533 --> 00:57:24,167
Thank you for this simple little
story and thank you for the rest

1284
00:57:24,200 --> 00:57:26,167
of the stories we'll
be studying in Luke.

1285
00:57:26,233 --> 00:57:29,567
I pray for those, Lord God, who
would look back on the year and

1286
00:57:29,667 --> 00:57:32,233
say, "It was fruitful, there
is a lot to rejoice in."

1287
00:57:32,333 --> 00:57:33,733
Wonderful, we rejoice with them.

1288
00:57:33,833 --> 00:57:35,733
For those who would
look back, Lord God,

1289
00:57:35,833 --> 00:57:38,933
and there was a part of their
life or maybe the majority of

1290
00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:41,000
their life that was
not very fruitful,

1291
00:57:41,033 --> 00:57:46,500
God, I pray that they wouldn't
be condemned but convicted,

1292
00:57:46,533 --> 00:57:49,500
that they wouldn't lose hope,
that they'd borrow the hope

1293
00:57:49,567 --> 00:57:52,667
that we have for them,
that I have for them.

1294
00:57:52,700 --> 00:57:54,867
And God, I pray for us
individually and corporately

1295
00:57:54,933 --> 00:57:57,067
that this would be
a fruitful year for us.

1296
00:57:57,167 --> 00:57:59,900
Not just a busy year,
but a fruitful year.

1297
00:58:00,033 --> 00:58:03,533
So Holy Spirit, we invite
you to make us like Jesus,

1298
00:58:03,600 --> 00:58:05,933
in whose name we pray, amen.