Luke 13:6 (ESV) And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

In this parable, the owner of the vineyard represents God. The fig tree represents someone who claims to be a believer in Jesus. Every fig tree is expected to bear fruit and every believer is also expected to bear fruit. What is fruit? Simply put, fruit is the good works that God has planned for you to do in your life. The owner came to inspect his fig tree, expecting to find fruit, but found none.

Luke 13:7 (ESV) And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’

Now we find that God had looking for fruit from this fig tree for three years, but had found none. God is thinking about cutting down the fig tree, as it was using up ground in the vineyard. Surely, another fig three could be planted that would bear fruit.

Luke 13:8-9 (ESV) And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

The vinedresser, representing God’ mercy, asks for patience, giving the fig tree a fourth chance in the fourth year to bear fruit. If it finally bears the fruit it should have in the fourth year, then God’s patience will be rewarded. If it bears no fruit after the fourth year, then it will be cut down. Cutting down the fig tree represents a person being cast into hell and perishing. Let’s talk some more about how this parable warns us against presuming on God’s patience.

The sin, as it were, of the fig tree is that it did not produce fruit, it did not do the good works that God had created it to do. Oftentimes, people think of sin as only things they are not to do. Yet, not doing the good things that God planned for you to do is just as wrong as doing bad things. God is very patient with people and their sins, either of commission or omission as in this story. God’s patience, waiting for people to repent, often causes people to think that judgement will never come. God is very patient, not wanting any to perish, but there will be a time when His patience runs out.

When God’s patience with sin runs out, one of two things will happen. The first possibility will be that His Spirit stops convicting the person of sin and the person will never repent. The second possibility which can precede or follow the first is that the person will die and pass into eternity without repenting and so perish. We must not presume on God’s patience, for it does not last forever. Today is the time to repent and choose to bear good fruit for the Lord in our lives. 

Behind violence, disasters and failing to bear fruit is our enemy Satan. The next section will enlighten us to what demons can do to people and show us how …

Luke 13:1-2 (ESV) There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

Pontius Pilate was a brutal Roman prefect who slaughtered some Jews as they worshipped and sacrificed at the temple. Jesus asked the people the question whether those who died were worse sinners that others? There was a popular belief in Jesus’ day and today, that disaster tends to fall on the worst sinners.

Luke 13:3 (ESV) No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Jesus tells the people, that no, those who died were not worse sinners than others who were spared. When there is a disaster, Jesus says, don’t think about those who died as worse than you. Examine your own life and repent of your sin or you will perish eternally as well.

Luke 13:4-5 (ESV) Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus now speaks of another disaster, not caused by murder but by an accident. A brick tower collapsed and fell on eighteen people and killed them. Was that because those eighteen were the worse sinners in Jerusalem? No, that’s not why they perished. Rather than thinking about how bad these sinners were, Jesus was instructing them to look at their own lives. Unless they repented before they died, they would perish eternally. Each person must repent in this life or perish in hell forever.

Are violence, natural disasters or illnesses God’s judgement on the victim’s sins? No necessarily and not in these cases. Sometimes, illness, death, violence and disaster are God’s judgement. But that is in God’s hands, not for us to speculate and think of ourselves as better. Rather, whenever someone dies and goes into eternity, we should examine our own lives. Have we repented? Are we living for God? Are we ready to meet our maker?

Are those around us that we have influence over ready for eternity? Every person on earth must repent before they pass on or they will eternally perish. Repentance is turning away from sin and putting God first in your life.

Our message today is entitled “What Does Repentance Mean?” Repentance is one of the most important words in the Bible. Why is repentance so important? Without repentance a person cannot be saved. Hell is populated with people who have not repented. Repentance is not just something that you do once is life. Repentance is meant to be practiced daily, that’s what believers do.

So, what does repentance mean? In the Greek language, the word for repent is metanoew, which means to change one’s thinking, to turn around. John the Baptist’s ministry was a call to repentance. Jesus’ ministry is summarized in …

Mark 1:15 (ESV) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

So, in Jesus’ call, one must repent, turn away from sin and believe in the gospel of Jesus. Let’s look more closely at what it means to repent. The Bible teaches that everyone worships something or someone. There are no exceptions. God’s Word tells us that God has revealed Himself to everyone on the planet.

Romans 1:21-23 (ESV) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

You see, there are only two options to worship. You can worship the one and only true God, the creator. Or you can worship created things, images, people, pleasure, power, money, etc. The Bible calls anything you worship other than God an idol and all idols are empowered by demons.

Let’s define what it means to worship someone or something. To worship is to bow down to, to follow, to submit to, to put first, to love. You cannot worship God and idols at the same time, you must worship God alone. To repent is to change what your worship, to turn away from worshipping idols and choose to worship God alone. You put God first in your life. Every sin is an act of worship to an idol, that’s why it’s sin.

Every day, Jesus taught us to repent and ask for forgiveness. Let’s make clear what true repentance is not. True repentance is not admitting or confessing you’ve sinned and then continuing in that sin. True repentance is not saying, sorry, forgive me, but I’m going to keep on sinning. True repentance is changing your mind about your sin. True repentance means that if you had a do over in the situation in which you sinned, you would not sin again. That’s what repentance means.

Luke 12:54-55 (ESV) He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens.

Jesus is talking about how people forecast the weather by signs they see in the sky. Clouds of a certain color coming from a direction meant rain is coming in the future. Winds from the south desert in Jesus’ day meant that hot days were coming in the future. When we understand the times, there are signs that point to what is going to happen in the future.

Luke 12:56 (ESV) You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

God desires for us to be able to interpret the spiritual signs of the present age. To understand what is going to happen in the future, as we compare the Bible with the signs that we see all around us. The crowds that Jesus was talking to had seen many signs and miracles that Jesus had performed. Yet, many still did not understand the times, that the Messiah had come. That they must believe in Him in order to be saved.

Luke 12:57-58 (ESV) “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

In this short parable, Jesus talks about a person who is accused of a crime and is compelled to go before the judge. Jesus is saying that you know you’re in trouble, you need to settle with your accuser before you get before the judge and end up in prison. In this story, the person is meant to represent us. Going to the judge is the final judgement. Prison is hell.

What Jesus is saying is that we need to get our lives in order before the final judgement. While we are alive on earth is our only opportunity to be forgiven of our sins and crimes by God. Make sure that you are forgiven and no longer guilty before facing judgement. When you understand the times, you understand the time is short.

People have a great tendency to somehow think they’re going to live forever. Now, we all know that that’s not true, but many people live like they’re going to live forever. Many people say that they’re putting off getting right with God until the near the end of their lives. They want to enjoy of life of sin and living for themselves and then get things right just before the end. Rarely works that way. 

Others have bought into the increasing amount of false teaching with respect to eternity these days. The teaching that hell is not eternal, you ultimately will get out, is false. The teaching that there is something called purgatory that doesn’t last very long, is false. There is nothing like purgatory in the Bible. The teaching that just being a good person will get you to heaven is false. Realize the time is short, get right with God today, don’t put it off.

God wants us to be people who understand and correctly interpret the times. You are living in a time when Jesus’ return is closer than ever before. You need to be ready to meet Jesus at any time. Live as though He could appear any second and life as we know it would be over. When Jesus appears, everyone’s eternal destiny is sealed.

You must realize that Jesus brings division between people, between believers and unbelievers. Division is not bad. The difference can be used by God to draw unbelievers to  himself. Understand that time is short. Don’t assume that you have all the time in world to do what God has asked you to do or to get right with him. The time is short. Get right with Jesus today. Get busy doing the things that He is calling you to. Ask God to help you understand the times and know what to do with your life.

Luke 12:49-50 (ESV) “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

This is meek and mild Jesus who was all about love and would never say anything offensive according to some who haven’t read their Bibles. The fire that Jesus is going to cast on the earth is the fire of God’s judgement at his coming. God’s judgement will remove all evil and evil people from this world and Jesus looks forward to it, as should we. The baptism Jesus mentions is the baptism of suffering and death that He will undergo on the cross, dying for our sins. What will determine who is affected by this judgement fire that is coming?

Luke 12:51-52 (ESV) Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.

Jesus is surprisingly saying that he did not come to bring peace on earth, but rather division between people. He speaks of a household of people, possibly parents and children, two parents and three children. The household he speaks of will not be  united, but divided, two against three. What is Jesus talking about?

Luke 12:53 (ESV) They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

So, what is this division that Jesus brings into the world? The division is simply the division between believers in Jesus and unbelievers. A believer is a child of God and an unbeliever is basically a child of Satan. There can be no real peace, not real unity between a believer and an unbeliever. For the believers, Jesus brings peace into their lives, peace between them and God. However, there will always be division between believers living for God and unbelieving friends and relatives. When you understand the times, you realize that Jesus brings division.

Sometimes believers tend to beat themselves up, thinking that they are at fault for the division in their relationships. Now, believers can cause problems by not being loving to unbelievers. But Jesus wants you to know, that even if you are loving, Jesus still brings division. And that division is not a bad thing, it’s a sign that you are a true believer. And over time, God can use that division to draw the unbeliever to himself.

As a believer, you should live life very differently than an unbeliever. If there seems to be no difference between your life as a believer and the lives of unbelievers around you, something is wrong. We should be different, in how we think, how we act, how we believe. When you understand the times, you realize Jesus brings division.

Luke 12:42-43 (ESV) And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

In this story that Jesus tells, the master is Jesus and believers are like the manager. The manager is supposed to server the master when he is away. He serves by helping others, here illustrated by feeding the household. When the master, Jesus returns and find the manager doing what he as instructed to do, the manager will be blessed.

Luke 12:45-46 (ESV) But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

But if the manager, who is a servant of the master, treats others violently, gets drunk and does not fulfill his duties, something else will happen when the master returns. You see the master, that is Jesus, will return on a day and hour in which he is not expected. Jesus’ return will be a surprise visit for everyone. When Jesus returns, there will be no time to repent. What Jesus finds will determine a person’s eternity. In the story, the punishment of the servant is cutting into pieces and putting with the other unbelievers. This is simply another description of being sent to hell. Two other scenarios and described by Jesus.

Luke 12:47 (ESV) And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.

What’s this all about? This verse describes the different levels of punishment in hell. Hell is eternal for everyone, an existence apart from God forever. Yet, within hell, there are different levels of torment. Those believers who knew what they should do, but don’t do it, receive a severe punishment, less than being cut to pieces. Those who didn’t know what they should do but did wrong will receive a lesser punishment. When you understand the times, you will be ready for Jesus’ return.

Do you understand the gravity of what Jesus is saying here? You could serve God well in life for awhile, but then you decide it’s too much bother. Maybe, you’ll just take a break for awhile and enjoy some sin. And when Jesus returns and discovers you in sin, it’s too late to repent. All the good you did in life was forfeited by not being ready for Jesus’ return.

And the same could happen if you meet Jesus through death. Not everyone has a chance to repent before dying, so you must be ready to meet Jesus. One day everyone will face God’s judgement. Those believers who continued to serve Jesus throughout life, will be judged for their degree of reward in heaven. Those unbelievers who didn’t serve Jesus will be judged for their degree of punishment in hell. Be ready for Jesus’ return every day.