April 5th 2009 Sunday Message
Message  by Joshua Jung Myung Soek
Summary by Will Yeh and Shaun McMillan

In today’s scripture, the owner wanted to cut down the fruit tree that didn’t bear fruit, but the worker begged the master to leave it alone for just one more year. Why did Jesus give this parable? It’s because this time period is like this.

The owner of the fig tree is God, and the worker of the field is Jesus. Miniaturize that down and the master is Jesus, and the worker is the person Jesus is working through. The worker pleads because that’s the only way he can change the master’s mind. The master already made up his mind, but the worker pleads with the owner.

The fruits of the fig tree refers to fruits of faith. Jesus preached for 3 years, and people still didn’t believe and bear fruits of faith. God and Jesus wants fruits of the Holy Spirit and also fruits of thanksgiving, praise, giving Glory to God and Jesus, putting only God and Jesus first, repentance, preparing and readying oneself for the Lord, faith in action, prayer, reading the word of God, evangelism, spirits being born again and changed, teaching, delivering sermons, forgiveness, service, various fruits of mission. People should have produced ALL these fruits, but they didn’t.

The worker asking the master to wait 1 year more for the tree to bear fruit is the extended time like we are living in right now. 1 year is not a lot of time, but it is enough time for those who are willing. This time is enough for those who want to bear fruit to bear fruit quickly before the second coming comes.

Pray that God doesn’t get angry when he sees the world. Repent for the sins of the world as if they were your own sins. Jesus is holding back God’s hands of wrath. Jesus is asking us to comfort him. People who are awake and preparing and doing everything they must do, they are the people who liberate the Lord from pain. They serve him, care for him, and bring him joy.

If you want to know really well about the resurrection, you must read all the verses in the bible about resurrection. Then you will understand fundamentally about the word the Lord gave. When you read it, you must read carefully while taking notes.

People who deliver the words deeply in ways that touch people down to their bones, these are the ones that become one with the Lord’s heart. They feel and know what the Lord is preaching to this time period. Paul too, preached desperately because he was indignant, because he suffered, and because he saw what the people were doing.

2 Cor. 11:23-31. This was Paul’s mission. He’s lived such an extreme life for the sake of the gospel. Despite all the beatings he’s received, every single day he’s concerned about the churches, the people. Because of this, Paul received deep word when he was in prison.

A tree withers because there are too many branches, and because the tree is not balanced. Same is true for people. We came to Providence cutting off the branches of the world, which is why we at least have withering faith.

Prepare and take action at each time. The sermons are not repeated. Listen well.