THE FIG TREE

TOPIC: THE FIG TREE

TEXT: MATTHEW 21:18-22

PREACHER: PASTOR J.T. KALEJAIYE

Six important lessons were extracted from the above passage;

    LESSON 1- Beware of a hungry man. According to the passage, Jesus was hungry and he needed food. A hungry man is an angry man. Hunger can provoke the unimaginable, for example

  Ø  Hunger for sex can lead to rape. In II Samuel 13, it was hunger for sex that made Ammon rape Tamar, his sister. They were David’s children. After two years, Absalom ordered his men to kill Ammon.

Ø  Hunger for food can lead to losses and regrets. In Genesis 25:29-34, hunger for food made Esau despise and sell his birthright to Jacob. Esau lost his number one position and his blessings were diverted because of food.

Ø  Hunger for position can lead to shame and early death. In II Samuel 17 and 18, hunger for position made Absalom drive David, his father away from the throne.

Ø  Hunger for Power. Many people have compromised because they desire power. Many of them have joined evil societies because they desired political power.

Ø  Hunger for money. I Timothy 6:10. This is very dangerous. It can lead to killing, kidnapping, selling of human parts, selling of fake drugs, stealing, etc.

LESSON 2- Beware of powerful men and women. With spiritual power, Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered. In II Kings 1, Elijah commanded fire to roast those who were assigned to arrest him. Fire descended and roasted them immediately. In Acts 5, Peter spoke; Ananias and his wife fell down and died. In II Kings 2:23&24, Elisha pronounced a curse and 42 children became food for the bears. In Acts 12, King Herod ordered his men to kill James, the brother of John. The king wanted to kill Peter also but God rescued him. King Herod ordered his men to behead John the Baptist and John was killed just to satisfy the request of Herodias’ daughter (Mark6:21-28). Beware of those that have physical power. “Prevention is better than cure”

LESSON 3- Beware of fruitlessness. Whatever is not growing is dead. You must be productive, it is a divine expectation. Jesus was expecting fruits from the fig tree not just leaves. Jesus desires fruits (souls) from you not leaves, not titles. Jesus made declarations in both John 15:1-2 and Matthew 3:10.

LESSON 4- Beware of your utterances. Jesus said to the fig tree, “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever and presently the fig tree withered away”. God did not create you to be an echo, He created you to be a voice, therefore, watch what you say and what people say about you. Be careful of your utterances – Proverbs 18:21, Numbers 14:28, Proverbs 6:2.

LESSON 5- Beware of doubt. Embrace faith because faith provokes the miraculous. Mathew 21:21 Mark 9:23. If you can see the invisible, then you can do the impossible.

LESSON 6- Do not be a lesson, be a blessing. Everyone we come across in life is either a lesson or a blessing to us. The fig tree wasn’t a blessing but a lesson. It would have been a blessing if it had produced fruits to benefit others. The fig tree was a disappointment. The fig tree was unproductive, if you’ve not been winning souls; you are the same as the fig tree. The fig tree is below divine expectation.

Good news: The difference between the fig tree and many of us is that the fig tree had no second chance. By the grace of God, you and I can still make amends.

a.      We can still win souls/bear fruits

b.      We can still meet up with divine expectations

c.       We can still be a blessing and not a lesson to others.

PRAYER POINTS

1.       Father, by your grace I will not wither in Jesus’ name

2.       Father, please reverse every curse or any negative statements made against me in Jesus’ name

3.       Father, please make me a blessing to my generation and generations unborn in Jesus’ name

4.       Father, please give me the grace and the ability to win souls for you in Jesus’ name.

God bless you and may your payers be answered in Jesus’ name. You can drop your prayer requests in the comment box below. See you next week. SHALOM!!