The Fig tree

Bapak Dr Anthony Leong

As a whole the church is supposed to do missions anyway. I believe it's not about the two hundred thousand you need to raise to do external missions. You should come to Indonesia and see my 639 churches that we have. And no church support. I've got two Bible school, I've got tertiary school running like a missionary school. We're doing that. And all because the Lord continues his blessings upon me and my wife.

Ps Ronald and Ps Jasmine know my family for a long time. We were in Glad Tidings together and like he said, once upon a time I don't believe in speaking in tongues. I told him there's no such thing as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I argued with him and argued and argued. My wife and me we never argue about woman. We never argue about money. We only argue about the Bible.

I think about 30 years ago the Lord touched me and the Lord touched me in the spirit and spoke to me. And now I'm more a pastor than a lawyer. I was quite happy being in the Brethren church until she woked me up in the spirit and I'm doing healing and speaking in tongues.

This morning I'm not even preaching, I'm just sharing with you. What I want to share is from my heart to your heart. There is a work outside that you and I have got to do. And when the Lord comes back and the Lord ask you what have you done to my kingdom you can't say Lord you gave me 15 children to look after. The Lord wants to touch each and every one of you this morning. Let's look at Mark 11. The way I look at the Bible may be different from other pastors because I'm trained as a lawyer so you can't blame me alright?

Mark 11:12 (NKJV)

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

The Bible clearly says that Jesus was hungry. I would have thought that if Jesus was hungry surely his disciples were also hungry right? Boss don't eat we also don't eat. So Jesus knows and he's setting traps for them. If they're hungry why not just go eat first? So for what purpose it's written? It's written for today.

Mark 11:13 (NKJV)

And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

Let me ask you, when seeing fruit tree from afar, as a lawyer I ask how far is far? It may be far but the journey to the fig tree may be down a ravine. How far and how much longer they have to walk? The journey to there the scriptures didn't tell. We need to read the bible and ask questions. I'm like that.

What is Jesus trying to find? He was hungry so he was looking for fruits.

Jesus already knew whether that tree has fruits or not. He found there was nothing but leaves. Because the time was not the season for fig. There is a reason why Jesus wanted to do that because Jesus already know there is no fruit. Just like you don't look for durians when it's not the season for durians. I know now is the durian season. I mention durians and all your eyes lit up.

Mark 11:14 (NKJV)

In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

Did the fig tree asked Jesus to come? I don't think the fig tree at that time can talk also. The fig tree probably if can talk would say what wrong have I done? You brought your disciples with you to look for fruit and when you found no fruit you curse me. Why Jesus cursed the fig tree?

Matthew 21:17-19 (NKJV)

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

If you are a fig tree you'd tell Jesus it's not my fault. Not my fault never mind, but now I cannot bear any more fruits. For a tree not to bear fruit is a problem. That means it's generation no more. The fig tree is cursed no more fruits and on that day itself it withered away.

Mark 11:14 (NKJV)

In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

The disciples heard it. The key thing for us is what's the story for us? I've read this many times but did not really understand until 1996.

My whole family were blessed with a trip to Israel. When I was there the tour leader who was a Jew name Boaz told me this is a fig tree. Then I saw what the fig tree in the Bible was like. In Israel the fig tree at the moment they have leaves will 100% have fruits. Because the fruit comes before the leaves. So if you see leaves you will have fruits. Now you can Google this information but those days we don't have such things.

The moment you as a fig tree put up your hands of leaves, you are saying you have fruits.

When you apply for anything like University or whatever and you put yourself as Christian, you are telling the whole wide world that you have leaves. That means you all have fruits. But when the fig tree has leaves and no fruits it is why it's cursed. Jesus is saying to the fig tree, you say you have leaves, I brought people here but they won't get a chance to eat. That's why I will curse you.

Translated to this church TOP here in Penang, the moment you call yourself a Christian you must bear fruit, not for you to eat but for others to eat. The moment you say you have leaves, you must have fruits.

My parents have 15 children. Before your mind gets gatal ya, it's one father one mother. I remember my mom is always pregnant. We were born in Malacca that's why I speak Malay. 8 boys and 7 girls. You cannot imagine out of the 8 boys 6 of us are lawyers. Those days we don't have money. But I told God I want blessings to be a channel of his blessings. I will not give if I don't have. I don't believe in faith pledge. I will not borrow to give. God bless and I give. God is going to use you to be a channel of blessing.

I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about caring for people. I'm talking about praying for this country. If we talk about missions, it starts here and not elsewhere. The Sabahans and the Indonesians are coming here. We don't want your money. We want your commitment. That's what God wants us to do.

When the Bible says you are to bear much fruit, what does it mean? How many of you have rambutan trees? When you go to a fruit orchard to buy a fruit tree you will go during fruiting season right? And what do you look for? You look for rambutans. If you see 10 rambutans per tree you buy or not? Surely not. You must see more red than green. The Bible says we have to bear much fruits.

John 15:1-2 (NKJV)

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

When God was good to you what did you do for God? Every branch that had no fruit he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes away. That's painful. The pruning will make you bear more fruits. Even when you go through pruning don't worry. When the pruning comes you will bear forth more fruit.

John 15:3-5 (NKJV)

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If you do not bear much fruits, two things can happen according to the Bible. I can say you are not abiding in Jesus and Jesus is not abiding in you. It's in the word of God. This is a question you have to ask yourself.

Why did Jesus said to some I do not know you? You may say but I cast out demons and perform miracles but Jesus says get out of my face because I do not know you. Why? Because Jesus is not abiding in you. I'm very sorry. I don't want you to be calling yourself sheep but you are a goat.

Everything God has ordained. The worst thing for you to do or the biggest lie the devil can tell you is that he makes you believe that you are a Christian because you are only attending church at the 4th floor of 222D. But you do not bear fruit. Come in and just go out. Like the Bible say, are you a sheep or a goat?

You may say Bapak you are different because you have money. Don't forget when we started all 15 of us no money. But if you give your life to God he will bless you. I'm not preaching prosperity gospel. I always tell God I will never borrow money.

Forget about the church wanting to collect 200 thousand. That's not the problem. I want God to touch your heart. Where is your treasure this morning?

Here is a true story. Every time I go to the Orang Asli village to preach I am very encouraged by an old lady. She sits right in front of the church. Every time when I preach she would say amen. The rest don't say but I don't mind because she always says amen. But one day when I was preaching she never said amen but kept looking behind. She kept looking looking looking back. So after the service I went to ask her why you always look behind. She said she just bought a pair of new shoes. It dawned upon me for where your treasure is…she was afraid someone stole her shoes.

The Bible says for where your treasure is there lies your heart also. Where and what is your treasure? Your grandchildren? Your business? It has to be God's business. God business first. Some put the church before God first. Then you will have lots of trouble. We need to put God first.