Now turn with me again to that passage that we read earlier, the Gospel of Mark. Mark chapter 11. And I want to read again those verses 12 to 14. 12 to 14 of Mark chapter 11. There in God's Word we read. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came if haply he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. Let's come and seek the Lord together in a word of prayer. Our father in heaven, we are reminded by thy word that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And Lord, how we do recognize, just like Elijah, though in a sense he received that physical bread, but on the strength of it, he could run 40 days. Lord, we recognize for the many trials and temptations that lie for God's people, Lord, how we need that bread, that word of God, that we may run in the strength of it, not only for 40 days, but all the days of our life. We thank the Lord for the most happy times in our life when we've come to God's word and we've profited from it. We thank the Lord for those joyful experiences when the word of God was expounded to us. And Lord, in the midst of its explanation, we thank the Lord for the Lord Jesus Christ who came down into that meeting. The Lord speaking to us most personally, with his own words from scripture. Lord, how it revived our hearts and strengthened us. Lord, to go out and to face the troubles and the trials of time. Repent, Lord, that your word will be a word and season to us today. that, Lord, it would come and perfect that which God has purposed here amongst us. The Lord's word would not return unto his void, but, Lord, everyone here would receive of the word gladly. And, Lord, they would find its life-giving influence within them and perfecting them in the image of God. So, Lord, come, speak to us. Lord, we're hungry here not for sermons, but Lord, we're hungry for the message and the voice of God Almighty. So Lord, come, speak, be that personal aid within this meeting, for we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Now, as we break into this passage of Scripture, we find our attention being immediately grasped by a fig tree, It had a fig tree being twenty feet tall by twenty feet wide. It was no small obstacle to ignore. Having leaves the size of a man's hand and fruit as sweet as a strawberry, it often attracted the weary traveller for refreshment. And he producing two crops of fruit during the harvest season, it was extremely profitable. And these trees being as plenty as the sand on the seashore, it made the nation of Israel extremely wealthy. And God seeing this tree's prominence in the land of Israel, he often used this tree as an apt metaphor for the nation of Israel. For example, in Jeremiah chapter 8 and verse 13 he says, Again in Hosea chapter 9 and verse 10 we find The great God Almighty saying again, I find Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at our first time. But they went to Beal-peor and separate themselves on the shame and their abominations were according as they loved. And therefore time and time again, God seeing the significance of the fig tree in Israel, He often used it as a metaphor for the nation of Israel. Indeed, this was not lost on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ seeing the similarity of the fig tree with the nation of Israel, he went on in Mark chapter 11 to use the fig tree to depict the nation of Israel at his time. Indeed, using a fig tree that was full of leaves but barren of fruit, he was seeking to highlight to us by an example that though the nation of Israel in his day was full of spiritual activity, Remember this was the Passover season. Many comedians speculated that three million people would be in the city of Jerusalem to worship God. And yet though it was full of worship, full of spiritual activity, It was just like this tree. It was only leaves. All their worship was only pretense and show because having no real love for God and his son and no love for their neighbor, all their activity was empty and vain. It brought forth no real fruit for God to delight in at the temple. And Christ seeing that similarity here with the fig tree with Israel, he cursed it. Seeing that this fig tree, just like Israel, yes, it had much activity. It had much prayer. In fact, Christ said you would often find them in the street corners praying publicly and long. And yet though for all their activity and worship, They were empty with no spiritual fruit. And Christ seeing that he had afforded them many spiritual advantages, this was the nation that had the prophet Moses. This was the nation that had Elijah and Elisha ministering amongst them. This was the nation that received the canon of scripture. And yet for all its advantages, it was like that barren tree. It only had leaves and pretense. It had no real fruit of love for God and His Son. And while we may enjoy spiritual advantages of the church for a season, we will not enjoy it forever. While we may sing with the saints and laugh with the saints and pray with the saints for a time, God will eventually remove the barren fig tree from amongst us to purify his church here on earth. In fact, do you not remember that parable of the wheat and the tares? Christ going out and sowing the wheat in the field. The angels came to the next day with shock and horror. Christ, there seems to be tares amongst the wheat. But Christ, seeing all things, he knew that the evil one had sown the tares in the night season. And when the angels came to him and asked him, what should we do? Should we remove the tares from the field? Christ said in that gospel in verse 29 and 30, nay, lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest." In other words, Christ not wanting to harm the new young believer in Christ. He said, let those false believers grow up in the church until the time of harvest. And when that great day of judgment will come, I will then send you forth to separate the wheat from the tares. And the time of harvest is a time of sifting. It's a time where Christ will send forth his angels to lift the tares from his church. It's a time when Christ will come on his great seat of judgment to bring and expose all those false believers in Christ. You see, the time of harvest is a worrying time. The farmer's patience finally waning and wanting to bring in the good wheat, lest the rain would come in the winter and a harsh environment would spoil the good wheat. The farmer finally goes out and he brings in the crop, lest any of that wheat would perish. And remember in that time of harvest, There'll be a great sifting. When the farmer brings in that wheat into his barns, it's the wheat that is brought into the barns, not the chaff, not the tares, not the weeds. In that time of harvest, the Lord will sift his church. See, Israel here being cursed by God and destroyed by God and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is a picture of what Christ will do again in his second coming. He will come again to his church, just like he did here in the temple, and turned over the money changers and chased out those false professors from his temple. Christ will come again in power and in judgment. And ever this morning to impress this truth upon us, to make sure that we are of the true household of Abraham, that we have a true faith in his son, truly bought of his blood, I want to impress us by considering this tree, this tree of the fig tree, the fig tree in Mark chapter 11. And notice first of all, it was examined. It was examined because Christ seeking to illustrate the examination of God at the last day. Notice in verse 13, he came to it because in verse 13 we read, and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves for the time of the figs was not. Yet, and even the verses before. We find the Lord Jesus Christ inspecting the temple. In fact, he had arrived on Monday in a great triumphant procession. There riding upon a donkey into the city, the people cried out in the street, Hosanna, Hosanna. There we saw the palm branches being laid before the Savior. And there in verse 11, just like Ezekiel, when he found there was a hole in the wall of the temple, and God told him to peek into the temple. There we find our great savior in verse 11, examining the affairs and the religious life of his nation, examining right at its heart in the temple where all its ceremonial law climaxed and centered upon. When Christ looked, he found that there was money changers. There was tables. There was those who sat and sold doves among them. In other words, when Christ inspected his church, Instead of finding them praying, instead of finding them serving God Almighty, they were serving their own lusts. They were serving their own ends. And Christ, he is showing this inspection to us in this parable of the fig tree, this story of him ministering to this fig tree. He was showing it was there. Christ didn't stand at a distance and say, oh, that fig tree's okay. It says in verse 13, he came to it. and he found nothing but leaves, for the time of the figs was not yet." In other words, he did a thorough investigation of the tree. to make sure that there was any fruit upon it. An outward profession without the fruit of the Spirit is profitless. It brings no pleasure to the heart of Christ, because when Christ comes on that great last day to search the church, it's a thorough examination. Christ not only sees the outward appearance, Christ also sees the heart. He knows the secret thoughts and the secret motives of those within his church. In fact, we see that in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter two and verse three, every time he comes to the church, he says, I see thy works. I see thy works. In fact, when he came to the church of Ephesus, he saw their heart. He saw that they had left their first love. A man and woman recognize that the search of Christ is thorough. while you can put up a pretense and a show to your neighbour. Christ sees what really goes on in the heart of those who call themselves the children of God. Christ really knows where they stand before them. In fact, do you not remember, even Herod, Herod sitting under the ministry of John the Baptist, he was deeply moved. Coming under conviction, we read in Mark chapter six and verse 20. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him. And when he heard him, He did many things and Herod him gladly. I know for a time, Herod was part of the church of Jesus Christ. He sat and listened to the ministry of John the Baptist. In fact, he told his friends how great this preacher was. And yet at the end of it, God struck him down and he was eaten by worms. A man or woman recognize why the outward works may look resplendent, they are not redemptive. Christ seeing the heart and the motive, if it's really done with a love for him, an appreciation for his atoning work towards them. Christ seeing the heart he knows and whom he will give his well done to. Did you not remember even in the sermon of the mount there we find those coming before them pharisees and scribes they said we prophesied we did many works in your name they began to list all their achievements in the church What did Christ say? Christ says, I know you not. Depart from me into the lake of everlasting fire. And though you may fool those around you, you may talk a fair game, and you may talk about spiritual things like Mr. Talkative and Pilgrim's Progress, yet the Lord really knows, really knows the heart of the person, if he is really one of his own. And did you think of Achan? Achan, when he saw the city of Jericho destroyed, he was there worshipping in the week after, singing the hymns of Jehovah, praising all with the other children of Israel what God had done in destroying that city. And yet all along he was a secret sinner. He had taken that goodly Babylonian garment and he had hidden this tent. And yet for a week, he had fooled everybody around him that he was one of the church of Jesus Christ. And Christ seeing his heart, he one day exposed him and brought him out of the church. And recognize this examination of Christ. Yes, as it was thorough in the temple, and as it was thorough in this fig tree, Christ will thoroughly inspect all of our hearts. All of us will be found out on that great day of judgment. It was thorough, but it was comprehensive. It was comprehensive because coming to verse 13, we read, and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves for the time of the figs was not yet over. Indeed, when he came and inspected this temple, which was the real image behind this type of the fig tree, we find that he found that there was money changers within the court of the Gentiles. Indeed, they say that the court of the Gentiles was 35 acres in scope, and it raised about 15 levels from the Kidron Valley. In fact, they said it was 1,000 feet wide by 1,000 feet long. And you remember, when God said to Abraham that he would bless his seed, He said his seed would be a blessing unto all nations. In fact, he said Israel were to be a light unto the Gentiles. And God having a love for the Gentiles, he opened up a court within his temple, a court where they could come and hear the truths of Jesus Christ, of how he would die on the altar in their place and offer up a propitiation to their father in heaven. There they would see the gospel message. What do we read in verse 15? The Jews here with their contempt for the Gentiles and a love of money, they had turned that Gentile court into a marketplace. In fact, we read in verse 16, Christ had to stand in their way They were making the court of the Gentiles a shortcut through the city, somewhere where they could run to their house quickly without walking the whole way around the temple. They ran through, they had such to stay in for the house of God. And Christ searching this and seeing this, he had saw the sins of commission and omission. Nor had they broken God's word. God said that the court of the Gentiles was to be a house of prayer. A place where those on sea of nation people would come and hear the gospel truths and pray to God for salvation. None of them broken God's commandment and turning it into a den of thieves, but they had failed in sin of omission. They did not love their Gentile neighbor. They had no compassion for their lost neighbors that were dying in sin around them. And recognize the examination of Christ on that great harvest day. It's not only third that he knows your heart, It's comprehensive. Christ knows your sins of omission that you fail to do. Not only does he know the sins when you've deliberately broken God's law, when God's law told you to love him with all of his heart, when God saw that you failed to love him with his heart. God saw it comprehensively. He knew everything about you. In fact, there's a story told about a little lad in the field, and his dad told him, it says, you stand in the field there at the gate, and I'll go in here and I'll steal a few sheaves of barley and take it home to feed us later on. And when you see somebody, I want you to shout out that I can run and escape from the field. And the little boy looked at his daddy and says, daddy, do you feel to do something? He says, what's that? Well, daddy, I seen you looking left, I've seen you looking right. I've seen you looking behind you and in front of you. But daddy forgot to look up. God sees your sins of omission and commission. And remember our heavenly savior is in the church here today. In the book of Revelation he says he stands in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks and he's inspecting us. And he knows not only your heart, But he knows how you feel to reach God's law. In fact, he knows when you have deliberately broken his law. This examination is thorough and comprehensive. But it was lastly, it was disappointing in his point. It was disappointing. Because reading in verse 12, we read, and on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came up happy he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for the time of the figs was not yet. Do Christ having a true humanity. He was tempted in all points without sin, just like ourselves. Christ knew what it was to be weary. Christ knew what it was to be thirsty. And Christ knew what it was to be hungry. And hunger setting in here into the stomach of Christ. Christ coming to this fig tree that promised to him there was fruit. When the leaf was there, the fig was always there nestled in amongst the leaves. And Christ coming thinking that this fig tree was promising him satisfaction, giving him what his stomach delighted in, food. And seeing it was only but leaves, Christ was sorely disappointed. In fact, Christ was sorely disappointed because he had sent the rains to water it. He had sent the sun in the sky to heat it. He sent the birds and the bees around it, even to help it populate itself and reproduce. Christ was its daily farmer, tending that tree. And yet though it had all this care, and had all this love from its master, it feel to live up to its purpose. It did not seek to glorify God in producing fruit for him. And when Christ comes in that judgment, that great last day of the harvest, when he comes to his church, Christ will be sorely disappointed. to find that there's tears amongst the wheat, to find that there are people who have heard the gospel preached week in and week out, to find that there are people who have received wonderful care from God's people, praying for them daily at the prayer meeting, praying for them in their own private time, witnessing to them, sending them messages of care. When Christ comes and sees that there are those who have received such care and advantages from God's common grace, Christ will be sorely disappointed to see that they have not used and availed of the means of grace. You see, on that great day of judgment, yes, while all the trees there were cursed that day. Remember in Romans chapter eight, it says, all creation groaneth. It was under the curse of God. But this fig tree was under a special curse. Having the wonderful advantages of God's special care, it was brought under a greater judgment, a greater sentence of death. And remember, while all sinners will be judged, those who have been brought up in the house of God will be especially judged. Just like the city of Capernaum, when he said, woe unto Capernaum, if these things were done to Sodom and Gomorrah, They would repent it, but you have not repented. He says greater will be your judgment. In fact, do you remember Judas? Judas dwelt and he tricked everybody around him. He had all the talk, he had all the show. He was there, probably one of the greatest preachers of all the 12 disciples, followed Christ on a daily basis. And yet Christ seeing him and knowing he wasn't one of his own, He said to him in John chapter 13, Judas, it would've been better for you if you hadn't been born. And recognize how severe the judgment will come on the day of harvest. When the Lord of the harvest will come again with his angels in the air, after he has done his an examination, and when he is sorely disappointed, then will come his execution. He'll cast you out into everlasting darkness and weeping. You see, the Savior here, he was disappointed. Being disappointed, he then did a sentence of execution. And he noticed, first of all, that his execution, it was sudden. It was sudden, because reading here in this passage, in verse 20, we read, and in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dry up from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance, said, unto him, master, behold, the fig tree which thy curses is withered away. In fact, you'll notice at the end of verse 13, it says, for the time of the figs was not yet. In other words, This was not an expected season for the Lord of the harvest to come. This was a time where the fig tree would feel quite secure and safe in itself. I'm not expected to bring forth fruit yet. And yet in that season, the time of the figs was not yet. The Lord of the harvest appeared suddenly without warning. to come and to examine this fig tree. I know the searchings of Christ come not when most expect it, but when least expect it. He even now is searching your heart. And did you think of the five foolish virgins? They had been waiting, expecting Christ coming, and yet falling asleep, getting careless. What happened? The Savior came suddenly. unannounced he arrived and they were locked out of the marriage supper. In fact you even think in Peter in 2nd Peter chapter 3 and the verse 10 when Peter describes the Lord of the harvest great day of coming he says but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night now know yourselves if you knew the time when the thief was coming you'll be sitting up prepared you'll have the police there and you will have all preparation to catch the thief. But what was Peter emphasizing? He says, when the day of the Lord will come to judge, it will come as a thief in the night. Suddenly, unexpectedly, when you were not expecting that thief to break into your house, the Lord will come. In fact, Christ says in Matthew 24, as it was in the days of Noah when they were drinking and marrying, so shall the coming of the Lord come. The Lord will come just like in their day, unannounced. to judge the church and recognize that the Lord could come at any moment. Yes, the Lord has to fulfill certain things in scripture, but the Lord could come at any moment. If we are not prepared and not sure within our hearts that we are truly of God's fold, one of his people, man or woman, the Lord could come and bring you out into utter darkness. Lady Mother one day leaving the home, the youngest of her five children asked her where she was going. Seeing that she was going to a surprise birthday party, he asked, can we all go? Explaining they hadn't been invited, he said, but mum, do you not think they'll be more surprised if we would turn up at the birthday party? And maybe you think you've got plenty of time. Maybe you think, ah, preacher, I love God's house, I love God's people. Ah, preacher, I know I need to get saved. but it's just not the suitable time right now. Things just haven't lined up financially and in my business life for me to ask Christ in my heart. Give me a bit more time. Give me a few more years and I'll ask Jesus to come into my heart. Just as the days of Noah when the Lord came unannounced, just as Christ came here in a time when the things were not expected, Christ could come in this season. He could come in the morning with his angels in the air. But it was also not only was it sudden, but it was swift. It was swift, because in verse 20 to 21 we read, and in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance said unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thy curses has withered away. When Christ spoke this curse to it at the end of verse 14, this tree wasn't left to the natural processes of time for weeks, months and years for the curse to take effect. When Christ uttered that decree of destruction, in that moment the tree died. In fact, the very next day when Peter came, not only did he see all the leaves had disappeared, but the roots had broken up from the ground. It had all withered away. In other words, when the Lord came to judge and to execute his church, it was swift. In fact, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, in the twinkling of an eye, in the last trump, the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. And you just think of that phrase, the twinkling of an eye. You know what Paul's saying. The coming of Christ, his judgment will be so quick you'll not be able to blink and to open your eye before Christ will come. Before you can even move your eyelid, the Savior will come with his angels in the air, with those who have already been gathered up into heaven to bring his church to evermore with him. See, this judgment is not only sudden, it's swift, and it's surprising. Because notice, who judged the fig tree? It was the one who raised the dead. It was the one who said to the woman caught in adultery, Go and sin no more. It was the one who saw blind Bartimaeus when everybody else tried to keep him quiet. Christ showed him mercy. He brought him and healed him and brought him along with him to Jerusalem. This was the tender Savior, the loving Savior. And yet the Savior who came in his first coming, full of grace and full of truth. Surprisingly, in a second coming, he will come as judge and king. In fact, it says he's got a rod of iron, a scepter of iron, and he will come and he will smash those beneath them. And you, madwoman, tonight, or this morning, recognize that the Savior who bled and died for you, the Savior who gave you breath, The Savior who gave you your flowers to give you that wonderful sense of satisfaction in seeing color. The Savior who had prepared all things good for you is the Savior that one day will be your judge. The one day will bring that sentence, I do not know you, to part from me into everlasting fire. There was a story told about a lawyer. And this lawyer, one day, seeing a child playing out in the front of the house, he saw this car coming speedily down the road, and recognizing the child was totally unaware of the car, and the driver was totally unaware of the child, that lawyer ran out immediately, grabbed the child, and put his body between the child and the car. And to a great expense of his own health, he managed to save that child. You had a child experiencing the wonderful gift of grace that day. Instead of using its life for service and for sacrifice to those around him, he used his life for crime. He just lived for his own ends. In fact, that crime, one day when he was 30 years of age, brought him one day to the court. And as he came into the court, he sighed a breath of relief. Looking up into the dock, he saw it was the lawyer that saved his life one day, was Judge. And he thought to himself, surely the man who has been so kind to me will be kind to me in the day of judgment. But when that lawyer looked down and saw that man, and saw that he wasted all his gifts that he had given unto him, he'd given the most severest sentence he could. seeing that he had squandered all of his gifts and even the sacrifice of his health, he gave him the longest sentence he could give. And recognize the kind Savior who has given you all things here today, the kind Savior who has given you life. Yes, in the first coming he came as our Savior, but in the second coming he's coming as judge. And if he finds that you have not profited, use the means of grace, these wonderful advantages, and ask Christ into your heart. The Lord will come and he will judge upon you and cast you into everlasting darkness. See, that's the message of the harvest. The message of the harvest is a solemn note. And as even Spurgeon said when he preached this passage, he said for the next three weeks he had to search his heart. In fact, he said he loathed that he had went into the ministry in case he was one of the false ones. He says, how great would my judgment be? We need to search our hearts. Just like William Cowper, when he read this passage, he searched for three months to make sure that he was one of God's people. Make sure tonight. See, the Lord here only curses one tree so that we don't despair. And the Lord here only curses one tree so that we don't presume. To presume that we're okay because we pray, because we read, because we come to God's house, that we'll be all right in that great day of harvest. Consider the example of the fig tree. barren fig tree, it was cursed. The sentence of Christ came upon it. Oh, I trust and pray you'll heed its warning, and you'll make sure that you're bringing forth spiritual fruit, fruits of repentance, fruits of love for Christ, and fruits of even hatred to sin, and living for him forevermore. Now in closing, could we sing that hymn 164, the hymn 164? When Jesus comes to reward his servants, whether it be noon or night, faithful to him will he find us watching with our lamps all trimmed and bright. Hymn 164, and we'll stand to sing the first two verses of this hymn. The first two verses of this hymn, hymn 164. When Jesus comes, we'll be for His service, whether it be day or night. Faithful to Him when we find the spotting, with our lamps all lit, ♪ Brothers, ready for the soul's rival ♪ ♪ Say, will we find him, he's still watching ♪ ♪ Waiting, waiting, when the Lord shall come ♪ ♪ Then at the dawn of the early morning ♪ ♪ He shall call us one ♪ to the Lord, we restore our talents, when we hear him say, well done. All can we say, we are ready for college, ready for the school's prideful. Say, will we find clear and peace there, oh, won't we? Our Father in heaven, we thank the Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect tree. We thank that every branch and twig was laden with spiritual fruit of gladness to his Father in heaven. We thank the Lord that tree above all trees that brought the greatest delight to his Father in heaven. We thank the Lord that tree willingly took the curse upon itself, that we may know the blessing of God forevermore. Lord, help us to appreciate the great expense of what our Savior has went to atone for our sins. Help us Lord to use of the means of grace and to receive of him and Lord help us to be careful to use every moment of our lives to bring forth much fruit to our master in heaven that we may bring joy and delight to his soul. Take us to our homes in safety and bless thy servant tonight as he comes with God's word for we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.