Whenever and wherever I can hear God, I am in my happy place. Happy has a lot to do with hearing. Just ask the man I heard about who was listening to his wife sigh as she turned back and forth before a full-length mirror. She was not happy with what she was seeing. Sensing it had something to do with her upcoming birthday, he asked what she'd like for a present. "I'd like to be six again." So, on her special day, he rose early, made her a big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags. He put her on every scary ride in the park. Then he then took her to McDonalds for a Happy Meal and shake—supersized, of course. Then it was off to the movies with all the trimmings: popcorn, soda and her favorite candy. What a day! Finally, they staggered into the house, arm in arm. He leaned in with a big smile and lovingly asked, "Well dear, what was it like being six-year’s old again?" She quickly turned to him with a leer and said, "I meant my dress size, you moron!" Momma was not happy. And as the saying goes, “If momma ain’t happy, nobody is happy. The moral of the story is: Even when a man is listening, he can get it wrong because he’s not always hearing.
The same might be said of the Church. Even when we are listening, we’re not always hearing. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God especially when it comes to His church. Man may be listening, but not always hearing with faith. Too often, when it comes to church, man speaks of location, denomination and size of congregation. But when God speaks according to His Word, God speaks of confession, relation, and growth—specifically—spiritual growth. Church, if you want to be in a happy place when it comes to church, especially when it comes to growth, consider this: If God ain’t happy, nobody will be.
We see what makes God happy when it comes to growth in the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9. It can be summed up simply: God inspects what He expects—growth; not just any growth, but Miracle Growth that comes in two stages—expectation and inspection.
Luke 13:66 And He began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.
The first stage of “Miracle Growth” is expectation. God expects spiritual growth. We see it in the parable of the Fig Tree. Jesus tells the story in Luke 13 of a garden owner who expected figs on his fig tree. The owner came by this tree for three years straight expecting fruit. But there was none. So, he ordered the worker to cut it down. “It’s just taking up space,” the owner said. But then, the worker interceded, “Give it one more year. Let me tend to it, get some weeds out of it. All it needs is some time and some grace.” The owner in the parable is God. The worker is Christ. His spade is the cross. Christ is saying in this parable: Where there is time and grace, people can grow. Church, are you hearing? Expect growth where there is grace.
Give grace and time to that opioid housewife. Don’t write her off. Love them in. Give grace and time to that cheating spouse. Don’t make divorce the first option. Make grace the first move. But if you have to move on, forgive and move on . . .with grace.
Give grace and time to that single parent who made an unwise choice. Don’t make judgment your only response. Add a ministry of mercy to the mix and see what grows. Give time for the spade of the cross to tend to them just like God through Christ tended to you. God gave you grace. He expects grace from you. Church, are you hearing? Not only does God expects, He inspects growth.
Secondly, God inspects what he expects from us in a final judgment to see if we have grown as a Christian and as a church. At the conclusion of the parable of the fig tree, the Worker said to the owner, “If in a year there is fruit—great. But if not—from your inspection—then cut it down.
Luke 13:8-98 "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"
There is a judgment day coming when God will inspect our final fruit to see if there was evidence of the residence of the Holy Spirit operating in our life—the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness—then great. But if not, then cut it down. But thank God, God gives us time before that final time for our own introspection before final inspection. One way to inspection is examination of our communion table.
How does your table look? Does compassion still have a seat at the table? Do you want for other people’s children what you want for your children and grandchildren? I am not for open borders, but neither, am I not for closed hearts. Does forgiveness still have a seat at the table? You only have two hands, one for the bread—the body—and one for the wine—the blood. To bring unforgiveness to the table, you’d have to set aside one of the two. Without either, there is no communion with Christ. Does community still have a seat at the table? Or are you willing to exclude a seat at God’s table, someone who doesn’t look like you, vote like you, orient like you? God is inspecting your table this morning for fruit.
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