Originally posted by kirksey957
The theme of this round is "Fire and Brimstone."
I would like to precede my entry this round by saying that I believe
that shaming, shunning, and scaring are not tactics that I would ever
use in compelling someone to act in a Christian manner, but for the
sake of the competition, I have given it a shot.
__________________________________________________________________
It was 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday night before the reality finally struck
me with a hard knot in my gut. All that week, and all that month, for
that matter, I had spent my time without even considering what was
now due in exactly twelve hours. While I had been carelessly watching
the newly released movies, playing some old favorite video games,
and counting down to my summer vacation, my geometry poster
project had found its home in the back of my mind. And yet there I
sat, on that dreaded Thursday, nearing the verge of tears, without a
single drop of ink to show for my time of procrastination.
Although I have now come to realize that a mere geometry project will
not destroy my future, Jesus presents us with a similar situation on a
far magnified scale that may very well affect my future, and yours,
too. In Luke 13:6-7, one of Jesus’ many parables, Jesus says, “A
man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for
fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care
of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit
on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it
use up the soil?’”
Just as I did not have anything to show for my waste of a valuable
month, the fig tree in Jesus’ parable had not produced a single fig
after three whole years. What did the man in Jesus’ parable say in
response to this? In essence, he said, “Cut it down! Why should it
[take up space]?” You can easily fathom some of the many
comparable verbal stabs that my father gave me later that night.
And now you have the arrogance to ask, “How does this relate to
me?” Simply stated, you must produce your own good fruits! Produce
your own good works! Give your time, money, and compassion. Give
your joy, friendship, and thoughtfulness. Give your life to doing such
good and righteous things. But beware, if you fail to give your time
and your money, your compassion and your joy, your friendship and
your thoughtfulness, then you will simply be cut down like a worthless,
barren tree! Why should you take up space on this world doing sinful,
wicked things? What good will you have to show for your life? Not a
single drop of ink!
My brothers. My sisters. My friends. I worry for you and for me. We
must always remember to give of ourselves and to produce the fruits
that we have within us. And we must not procrastinate an instant.
Right this moment, what works do you have to show for yourself?
Imagine yourself on your dying bed without a single good deed to
show for your life. Imagine yourself before God without a single good
deed to show for your life.
Not even a single drop of ink.
26 Jun '07 04:564 edits
Sermon Competition Round #3
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