Turn! Turn! Turn!

0:00 So we will be continuing. our Luke Series today This is the first Shabbat in January in January of 2023. We covered 12 chapters of Luke. in 2022 I I certainly hope to to finish at least Luke by the end of 2023. But actually to be to be a little bit more transparent. I hope to actually get into the book of Acts by the end of this year because we're gonna finish Luke but Luke is not a single volume work it actually transitions into the book of Acts. And so we're going to just transition with the author and we're

0:47 gonna study the book of Acts after we finish the Book of Luke. But we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We're barely halfway through Luke. And it's been a year. If you guys have been enjoying it, I don't know about you, but I've been enjoying Luke. there's there's just something when you study the scripture. Like small section at a time and you just spend a lot of time in it. And it's even better when you have multiple people studying it at the same time asking questions. And you know, what's going on here and well, this is what I think. Well, I think you're dead wrong for the so-and-so and so on Reason by the way, this is how our study meetings go

1:33 sometimes. but so we if you're new to Brooklyn, this is your first Shabbat. We're studying The Book of Luke. We're halfway through but I'm going to give you just about a three minute. Summary, really that helps us understand where Luke is going. What's the purpose of the Book of Luke? And the purpose we see in Luke chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 as a reminder. It's Luke is the author and I and I hold to that and he's writing to someone named Theophilus. And you can go back and listen to an older message if you want to hear my thoughts on Theophilus. Other than I think that Theophilus is a real person. Although

2:18 I don't mind the generalization of to a reader if that makes sense. So Luke is saying Therefore your Excellency since I have carefully investigated. This is Luke 1 verses three and four. Since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning it seemed good to me that I too should write you an accurate in ordered narrative. So that so here. This is where we get. The purpose Luke is writing to Theophilus so that or for the purpose of so that you might know for sure or so that you might know how well-founded are the things about which you have been taught. So what I take from that Is that Theophilus who I hold to be a real person?

3:04 That Theophilus is already a follower of Yeshua. And that I don't know maybe he's come across difficult times. Maybe it's a season that he's in maybe he's doubting. Maybe he's not. But Luke is writing to Theophilus. So that Theophilus may know for sure. About the things that he has been taught in other words. He strengthening theophilus's Faith by writing all of these things. So when we read The Encounter of Luke here we have to keep that in mind is that the Luke is writing for the purpose of strengthening theophilus's faith. Now also within this book we have the inbreaking of the Kingdom of

3:52 Heaven or the kingdom of God. But the inbreaking of the kingdom of God is Not Enough. To bring the kingdom here because that's only from the top down but there has to be a realignment or a coming into alignment of the people. With the Kings desires so that so if I can put it in modern context, that would be us coming into molding Our Lives bending our lives and matching them to what the king. Has set for us. What he's instructed so the king being Yeshua and what he is instructed us to do so we have this in Breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven. This that's number one the

4:37 king returning. We're still waiting on the king returning. Right everybody everybody clear on that one. If you're not clear on that one, we'll have another discussion. But we're still waiting for Yeshua to return. in the meantime It's our duty. To be bringing our lives back into alignment with his desires and his instructions. So we have the king returning. And people bringing their lives back into alignment. You'll see this all the way through the Book of Luke by the way with with lepers with tax collectors with with all of these different people, you know, I don't know about you. for me

5:23 It's always easier to see someone who brings their life into alignment with the King when their life is severely out of alignment. Yeah makes sense. Right someone who's going to make the biggest change. Is it's the easiest for the rest of us to see? But let me just tell you all of us have to make a change. Not one of us is walking in alignment with what Yeshua has instructed period I don't care if you've been a Believer for 90 years. It's still true that you're still being refined. until the day we're not So all of us have to recognize that we we

6:09 often. There's a whole nother message. I don't think I want to get into. We just all have to remember that every one of us requires a little bit of a turn. Some of us is more evident and some of us it's a little less evident. But just as necessary. Not less necessary just as necessary. So that's the the broader context of Luke now, I'm gonna bring us back to Luke 13. This is where we're starting. But before we get into Luke 13, I just want to remind us what happened in Luke 12 Luke 12. Yeshu is talking and he's I don't know if you remember but he's surrounded by his disciples his immediate followers. He's surrounded by a next concentric

6:56 Circle if I can use this terminology a consensus circle of those who are probably close followers, but are not the 12. and then after that there's another circle with people who are there whether whether they're there to be Supportive or antagonistic to whatever it is that Yeshua is speaking that's in the next that's in that final layer or the crowd. So Yeshua is talking takes different points in chapter 12 to talk to the tomidine to the to the 12 and probably he lowers his voice for that. I would imagine. You know because they're close.

7:42 And then I imagine if he wants a little bit more of the people of the crowd to know what he's talking about. He raises his voice a little bit and then if he wants all of the crowd to know he lifts his voice up. So he goes and he goes to these different sections of addressing the crowd and addressing. The disciples but he ends chapter 12 addressing the crowd and as he's speaking to this crowd. He's speaking to the crowd about repentance and storing up treasure in their Heavenly bank accounts. I don't know if you remember we talked about this two weeks ago. There's he's speaking to them about recognizing the signs of the time recognizing the the clouds on the Western on the western Horizon. And when there's a cloud that they know it's going to rain and and when

8:29 they know the wind is coming from a particular area. It's gonna be hot but even knowing those and being able to to do that to to forecast that they don't recognize what it is that they have in front of them at the moment. namely Yeshua himself So we come to the opening of chapter 13. We're going to cover the first nine verses. I've entitled this message turn turn. For every season. No, this is just playing. Some of you some of you know the song Some of you don't. but actually I did turn turn for a reason beyond the beyond the

9:14 the overlap with the birds There's three turns and we're going to take a look at this passage, and there's three different types of turning that we're going to look at In this passage. So we're going to start here in verses 1 through 3 just then so as a reminder Yeshua speaking to the crowd about how they don't recognize what it is that is in front of them. And also as a reminder previous early on in the chapter he talked about giving them the sign of Jonah. the sign of Jonah being repentance and so he's saying you don't recognize what you have in front of you, but you can see the storms now he says or just then so at that moment some people came to tell you Yeshua about the men from the

10:01 Galileo from the Galilee whom pilate had slaughtered even while they were slaughtering their animals for sacrifice. His answer to them was do you think that just because they died so horribly these folks from the galilev were worse Sinners than all the others from the Galileo. No, I tell you rather unless you turn to God from your sins. You will all die as they did. Okay, let's take a look at this. We're going to stop there. And we'll just take a look at this. So here's the situation pilot has murdered galileans while they offered sacrifices to the Lord. So if there's a bunch of Galilean men. Just as a reminder Galilee is not necessarily right there. So it's not a

10:49 Day's Journey. But if there's a bunch of Galilean men offering sacrifices, then it's then they're there for a purpose which means they're there for one of the three pilgrimage holidays whether it be Passover Shavuot or Sukkot. So it's this the season that we're in is one of those three. For to have all of these men up there offering sacrifices. now we could get a little bit more specific because generally the the the person offering the sacrifice they wouldn't offer their own sacrifice. They would give it to the priest. The priest would do the the deed and Scatter the blood.

11:34 Passover would be that one exception when they were each offering their own sacrifices. Or they were doing the work of it now. This passage doesn't have to be read in that way. You know, it says that the blood of the set of those who are offering sacrifices was mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. It could just be a general they were slaughtered at the same time as the animals doesn't mean that it has to it had to be at the moment of sacrifice, but it's a possibility. I'm saying all of that because there's we get into some some interesting differences. But before we even get into that. One question that I have when I was reading this text. Why do they come to tell you Yeshua?

12:20 What's the whole purpose here? These guys come to tell you Yeshua this bad news. Why are they doing it? Why are they telling him? What's happening in Jerusalem? Well, I came up with. a couple different possibilities number one and by the way, when I say a couple different possibilities, I actually I think it's probably a little bit of all of them. You know when you have multiple kids and something in the house breaks. It's always a little bit of all of them. It's very rarely. Just one of them. Who's responsible? Though there are those times. So here's the situation these these galileans have

13:07 been murdered by Pilot while offering sacrifices and this group comes to tell you Yeshua, it could be that they're coming to warn Yeshua because he is heading to Jerusalem. If you remember going back a few chapters Yeshua, it says set his face or turned his face and was determined. I think it's in chapter 9 to go up to Jerusalem. So it could be just a friendly warning. It could be that they have something in common with Yeshua, and they're giving him a friendly warning. It could be. That they're trying to pressure and answer out of him. By the way. This happens all the time with Yeshua. In fact, it happened in chapter 12.

13:54 Lord or Yeshua tell my brother to share his inheritance with me. By the way, again, I said this then and I'll say it again. It's probably not the best thing to try to tell you what to do. You'll find out in the in the recoil. So, let's see so it could be that they're trying to pressure an answer out of Yeshua concerning the authority and the actions of Pilate. in other words This could be this could this could serve in one of two different ways. It could be they're trying to raise up the Messiah to overthrow Rome. Or it could be that they're Undercover.

14:43 emissaries sent from Pilot himself to lay a trap so that pilot would have a reason. To come and do the same thing with this group. by the way I don't know about you, but when I read the Bible in since we're talking about Luke here Luke in particular. I generally I'm like, oh the times were so nice. They got to be outside. It was a nice day, you know, there's a couple bad guys, but they're not really bad. Pilot is ruthless. Murdering people in broad daylight in the court in the house of worship.

15:31 Going back to yeshua's birth. Herod murder is a bunch of babies. Just goes into a town and kills all of the babies. These are not good guys. They're guys who are in power and want to remain in power and will do anything. to keep that power in their grasp or in the grasp of their family They will make concessions to others who are in power so that they can stay in power. But only if that other person is in power above them. You see because pilate and Herod they didn't get along. There's a continual power struggle between a pilot inherit which isn't necessarily evident in the in the

16:17 text, but you have to understand. The some of the cultural dynamics that are going on at this time. There is an undercurrent. of leaders who are Seeing or saying that they're seeing sedition and rebellion in every group. And then because they say that they they qualify this is rebellion against Rome and it gives them permission to slaughter everybody in the group. But really it's just so that they can hold on even tighter to the power that they have. So let's give some more context. This is I would

17:04 tend to commentators take different views on on this particular circumstance here this Galilean Slaughter. Josephus mentions in Antiquities That there is a is an incident where many 10,000. of galileans Come and they protest. Pilots use of the Sacred Temple money You know just as a reminder, you're always to bring up a tribute to the temple so that there's a money that's in the treasury of the temple and that money is to be used for the for the temple. pilot commandeers that money and takes and

17:51 he builds a pipeline to bring water into Jerusalem that from from a distance over 25 miles. you imagine the price of a Of a project like that. And the permitting that has to go on now. I'm just playing. The permitting is the worst part of it. No, but anyways. Pilot has taken these monies used it for this purpose. And now there's a bunch of galileans, by the way, just as another note for you to keep in the back of your mind when you're reading. It seems that there's a lot of rebellion that arises out of Galilee. And even during this time there was a there was another circumstance where a rebellion was

18:41 led by a man from the Galilee. and It was squashed and by squashed, I mean all of them were murdered and they were they were hung on crosses along the side of the road. Rome by the way was not tolerant. Of anything like this. So pilot as there's this growing unsettled nature in the crowds pilate goes ahead and makes a deal with a bunch of soldiers and sends them out into the crowd. We would call them plain clothes operatives or something at this point sends them out into the crowd and upon a given signal. Pilot is going to initiate the revolt

19:26 and squash it at the same time. by the people who are already out there the soldiers who are in the crowd, so he gives the signal in the soldiers bring out their daggers and their swords and they begin to murder all of the people in the court Pilot again is using this as justification. to squash a rebellion in there in their defense their protesting his use of the money. The way he's using is not supposed to be used that way. Maybe there's more going on. Maybe there's not. So this is the the setting that now these men bring and they report to Yeshua. Yeshua

20:12 pilate has murdered all of these people. What do you think about that? I mean he was imagine that question being brought up. I think of so many circumstances today that we could talk about it. but Yeshua these men ask Yeshua if The people who were more murdered if they died so horribly because they were worse Sinners than all the others from the Galilee. Now I just want to give you another note. They're asking Yeshua this and his followers all of whom are from the Galilee. You see so they're saying are these people who

21:00 were murdered were they were Sinners than you and all of your followers? now I don't know about you, but Generally speaking. I've noticed that when given the opportunity. to compare ourselves to someone else most of us in humanity sees upon it. To make ourselves the better of the two opportunity of the two sinners. Well, I'm not as bad as that Center over there. So you can see there like it's it's almost as if they're encouraging. Yes. She would say no, we're not as bad as Sinners as those people like we're here. We're still alive. It's appealing to the crowds base nature.

21:48 Which is to come which is to view themselves favorably when in comparison to others. In fact some of this same line of reasoning exists today. when bad circumstances happen If something bad happens to you, is that because of something that you did? well If you got into that car accident, you must have disobeyed God somehow you must have not used your car to honor him. And what you were doing and therefore the God just allowed you to get into car crash and now you have all these problems. Or maybe the vice versa is is the

22:33 way you view it. If something good happens to you. Then it is always the Lord blessing you. I just want to make a note for the if you tend to think in these lines. Highly encourage you to read the book of Job. Just take a look at the Book of Job and then we'll have another discussion later. But Yeshua takes you can see how charged the questions are here for Yeshua dealing at hand. It's Yeshua takes the situation like he does every other situation and turns it on its head. Instead of being about who is the better person. Those who died or those who survived?

23:19 Yeshua tells the crowd that unless they repent or unless they turn to God. And repent of their sins everyone is going to die. Just as these men died. In essence, he makes it. Equal everybody's a sinner. Everybody he's speaking now to the universal need of repentance as is seen within this crowd. In other words, stop looking at one another and comparing yourself to them and look at yourself and recognize your own need to turn to God. Just is very similar to the passage in in the Book of Matthew. Where? Where there's someone says I need I need to do some eye surgery on

24:06 you because you got a little little sliver in your eye. And Yeshua says no, you don't because you got a big old log in yours how you do eye surgery on someone else when you got to be able to log in your own eye. Take care of yourself. Repent of your own things before you start getting on to other people about theirs. Let's move on to the next turn. Or what about starting in verse 4 or what about those 18 people? Who died when the tower at Shiloh felon them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in yerbusalem in Jerusalem? No, I tell you rather unless you turn from your sins. You will all die similarly.

24:51 I'm not going to spend as much time in this section because I already laid out the base argument here. But there's there there are a couple nuances here that I just want to point out. Here's this situation by the way, this this is the only Account of this in any of the gospels. There's no other historical record that I could find commentaries anything. It seems to be either that the circumstance wasn't large enough to generate someone. Writing a historical account about this event or it did or did not happen. I don't know but if I'm taking if I take Luke at face value, then it did happen and it's just somebody else didn't notate it. So the question here were those 18 people worse offenders in all the other people living in Jerusalem. It's

25:38 almost the exact same situation. I don't know if you've noticed. It's just a different grouping. and also just A couple a couple of things to note Siloam the pool of Siloam. So it talks about the tower which is another interesting thing because there's not ever a tower associated with Siloam, but I wonder it could be that there was a tower right above it. That was a rampart of the building and it could have been called that at the time but the pool of Siloam is the same place. If you will recall where Yeshua he he spits in the mud and spits in the dirt and takes this spit and dirt and creates mud and rubs it on the man who was born blind.

26:24 Not not blinded later, but he was born blind and rubs this mud on his eyes and tells the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash it off. And that man goes and he washes it off and he can see. This is the same pool. It's the same pool if you celebrate Sukkot, it's the same pool. We're on the 8th day, which is the most joyous day of Sukkot. There's this there's this whole water ceremony that parades through the streets of Jerusalem up to the Altar and it starts at Siloam in which is where the water is drawn out. Some people say that the pool was also used as

27:09 a freshwater pool. By the way that it was also used for the purpose of immersion or to go into the mikva to be ritually cleansed. before going into the temple Is there a connection between the people who are it who are at the pool those 18 who died when the tower fell is there a connection between those people being there in the Tower falling? I don't know. Perhaps they're there to become ritually clean. Perhaps they're not. Perhaps they're there to get some water. I don't know. But the question is still the same. Were they

27:56 worse offenders or sinners? Then everyone else in Jerusalem and Yeshua says no rather unless you turn from your sins. You're gonna die in the same manner, by the way, these are gruesome deaths to be slaughtered in the in the temple or to have a a tower fall on you when you when you're repenting and going into the Mikvah. Neither one of them are great. Great ways to die. but it's interesting and I don't know if it means much or not, but the the term used here as in my version it says offenders. Is a different Greek term than it was used in the previous section. This one carries the connotation of a debtor.

28:43 someone who's monetarily in debt Which is interesting considering? That the passage that we ended or the passage in chapter 12. We were talking about storing up Treasures in Heaven. Versus on Earth and that when we sin what we do is we take from our Heavenly account and put it into our Earthly account. And when we do things that Yeshua has told us to do like go out and feed the poor and care for those who are needy what we're doing is we're taking from our Earthly account and putting it into the Heavenly account. So there's this there's this a account transfer that's going on. So what we're talking about here in this context is that

29:29 there's spiritually a debt a monetarily debt a monetary debt in the spiritual bank account. There's a deficit. in the people need to repent and the associated actions that are that come with repentance. Generally are making amends with those that one is hurt. You know in other words restoring the relationship. Now there's also 18 people mentioned in this. In this passage, which I've been taught multiple times and in red multiple books. Everything means something.

30:14 So, I don't know if this me if this is what it means or not, but let me give you a possibility. There's 18 people referred to In this passage. In the Jewish World in Jewish understanding 18 is representative of the word high. Which means life? You know like when you when you have when you have kiddish on on Friday nights, you say look I am or to life. So 18 represents the word high. And it could be that there's an underlying hint here in the in the text at the tragic loss of life regardless of their debt status. It's still a tragedy. In terms of you know, the way they're looking at it then we come to the final turn. So

31:02 we've we've done two turns. Now we're going to come to the third term. Then Yeshua gave this illustration. So you see he has two what it seems to be historical events and now he gives a parable or an illustration a man had a fig tree planted in his Vineyard. And he came looking for fruit, but didn't find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard here. I've come looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years now without finding any cut it down. Why Let It Go on using up the soil. But he answers sir. Leave it alone. One more year. I'll dig around it and put manure on it and if it bears fruit next year well and good. If not,

31:49 you will have to cut it down then. Or you will have it cut down then. So now we get into a parable. Which on the surface I'm going to say is is directly in line with the previous two turns that we've discussed. That this is about repentance. There's a man who's looking at this fruit tree. The fruit tree is not doing what it's supposed to be doing. What's a fruit tree supposed to be doing producing fruit. You know, I I don't go to my my peach trees and say give me a good leaf. No, I would say just leave it alone. But No, I go to my peach tree expecting a peach.

32:37 and if the peach doesn't come then either the tree is not doing what it's supposed to be doing. I'm giving you there's two different. I've taken two different stances on this Parable or I'm not doing for the tree what I'm supposed to be doing for the tree to make it produce fruit. There's two different views here on on why it's not producing fruit. So the owner tells I'm gonna I'm gonna create a term here. Because I think it plays better with with some other passages the owner tells the garden steward. or the vineyard steward To cut the tree down. in the man replies

33:23 Let's give it an extra year. You see so we're still it could be either either interpretation. We're going to walk through those two interpretations in just a second. Let's give it a year. And then let's see if it produces. you see the garden Steward is giving an opportunity. For repentance. If I if I can read that into the story here in the context of what we've just discussed. It's giving the opportunity for repentance of the tree so that the tree can turn and align itself and begin to bear fruit. But he's given him a particular period of time. So let's go with this first interpretation that the tree it's this trees responsibility to bear fruit.

34:09 And so if it's not producing fruit, then really it's not acting according to its designed purpose. And since the tree is not being productive. And reality, it's not just that it's not being productive. It's actually draining resources that can be utilized elsewhere. And turn into fruit. You see the tree is using up Soil and Water. to Bear nothing But if the tree wasn't there then the soil and water could be going to another tree which is bearing fruit. So it's not even that the the trees. Not fulfilling its purpose. It's actually working against the purpose of all of the rest of

34:56 the trees. It's not a neutral point. It's a it's a it's a drawing away from the others it's detrimentally affecting other trees. And therefore because of that it would be better to have this one tree removed so that those resources could then be reallocated. And it's at this point that the garden Steward says wait a second. Let's just give it one more year. I'll take some extra care of it this year. I'm gonna do I'm gonna baby it I'm gonna prop it up. I'm gonna put some stuff. So the squirrels don't eat the figs or the peaches squirrels.

35:42 squirrels and birds Anyways, the garden the garden stores is I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna care for it. I'm gonna Focus Particularly on it this during this next year and if it still doesn't produce. Then we know the tree is really. is not going to produce and we're gonna we're gonna then I'll come back and I'll report it to you and you can have the tree removed. I just want to point out. You see what the garden stores the garden Stuart Steward says. He goes back to the owner. He says you're gonna have the tree removed. He doesn't say I'm gonna have I'm gonna remove it. He goes back and says you're going to do this.

36:32 The destruction of this tree has been postponed for one year. There's a time limit on this. So that it can produce fruit. It's given one more chance. But if it doesn't produce fruit, if it doesn't turn to the Lord and bear fruit than the tree will be cut down. So, let me let me take a quick minute my second interpretation of this parable. which is a slightly different perspective. Yes, it's not denying at all this first interpretation, which is the trees job. is to bear fruit and now I'm hoping you're making the connection with us

37:17 in our own lives. Our job is to bear fruit. but there are certain things that some of us can do for others that will better help that that person bear fruit. We can spend a little bit extra time. cultivating that particular tree for a particular season is not forever. It's for a limited time when we're going to spend a little extra time to it. So. I I do Wonder. I think this is one of those moments you ever have those moments where you reading scripture and you're like, yeah, it means both. like I think it's both it's both and it's not either or

38:04 it's our job as people to produce fruit. But as stewards of the garden. It's our job. To help the trees that aren't producing fruit produce fruit. Which means we take a little bit extra time. We dig a little bit of a hole you dig a hole around the tree put some nice good smelling manure in there. And some fertilizer if you want to know no such thing as good smelling from manure or fertilizer for that matter. but we spend this extra time we take extra time we prune the tree sometimes We take different. Um, I don't think you're gonna produce fruit with this ugly. Looking Branch right

38:51 here. We need to pop that one off. So could the tree. Partially be failing to produce fruit because of a lack of care from the garden steward. I'm not gonna say it's a hundred percent on the garden Steward because it's on it's on the tree. by the way but The garden Steward is pretty quick to jump in and say let me take a little bit extra time. for this tree Because in reality the tree not producing fruit is a measure. Of the garden stewards Effectiveness as a steward.

39:43 Maybe there's some parts in the garden Steward in the way. He tends the the vineyard. That has to change for the betterment of the vineyard. So the vineyard will produce more fruit. It's such an interesting this this whole Parable so interesting because we're talking about a Vineyard, but then we're talking about a fruit tree. The tree that's a question here is not a grapevine. Probably a fig tree or something like that or in olive tree. So what does this mean for us today? I want to make three. Three three comments here.

40:29 first is Yeshua took popular assumptions and turned them into an opportunity to encourage the people to turn to the Lord. You see what I'm saying? Yeshua took these circumstances where they were looking for him to render judgment or to take a side and he utilized those as an opportunity to encourage the people to repent and turn to the Lord. Rabbi Eliezer says in perkea vote chapter 2 repent one day before your death. Repent one day before your death.

41:15 So all of you, I want you to hold off on repenting until one day before your death. Does a person know his disciples asked does a person know on which day he will die. Rabbi Eleazar said to them. Therefore a person should repent today. For perhaps tomorrow he will die. Hence, all his days are passed in a state of repentance. Indeed so said Solomon in his wisdom at all times your clothes should be white and oil should not lack from your head. You see that in Ecclesiastes. In other words, we must consider tomorrow as a gift that the Lord is waiting to

42:01 share with each of us. and if it's a gift that we're waiting to receive then it actually may not come and so we we also have to assume. That tomorrow is our day that we die. Therefore today. We have to repent. Don't just repent for repentance sake. Don't just go. Oh, what was me and then walk off. You have to repent. With resolve to see it through because if you don't have the result to see it through. If you're not if you're the gardener. And you're not going to go and and dig the the ditches around and put the manure in for the for the tree.

42:47 It's better just to cut the tree down. Instead of saying you're going to do it and not do it. but repent with resolve to see it through and then the culmination of that repentance is fruit on the tree. That's evident to everyone. And finally, let's talk about bearing fruit. It is time. To produce fruit before the Lord in our own lives in all of our own lives. Paul tells us that if a person's life is run by the spirit and not by their old nature, then there

43:32 will be particular evidence of that. namely the Fruit of the Spirit You see I I think I ended last week's message with this. I'm going to do it again. Because I think it's it's appropriate and applicable. Let me list off the fruit of our old nature. And if you recognize it then that's the fruit that you're producing. And then we're going to counter that with the fruit of the spirit and if you can recognize that then that's the fruit you're producing. So here's the fruit of our old nature. It is perfectly evident. What the old nature does? It expresses itself in sexual immorality. impurity and indecency

44:17 involvement with the occult and with drugs infuting fighting becoming jealous and getting angry in selfish ambition factionalism Intrigue and envy in drunkenness orgies and things like these I warn you now as I have warned you before those who do such things will have no share. in the kingdom of God By the way, that's from Galatians chapter 5. Verses 19 through 21. So that's the fruit of the old nature. Which will be countered if you've had a change in your life through the work of Yeshua our Messiah it will be countered the old nature were dying

45:04 too and the new nature will be evidenced by this by the fruit of the spirit. Love. Joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness humility and self-control That's the one of the most difficult ones by the way. Nothing in the tourist stands against such things. Paul says in Ephesians 2 for we are his workmanship created and Messiah Yeshua for Good Deeds. Which God prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them? So that's the fruit when you're walking in those in those good deeds and it's evidence in your life through love

45:51 through Joy through peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness humility self-control, by the way. Everybody take a breath. It's not going to be there all the time. I hate to burst your bubble. but when you have three kids singing at the top of their lungs and all you're trying to do is make a phone call for work. And then you go enough already. And everybody runs away. That is a lack of patience and self-control. And it's time to go then repent to your children. It happens to everyone. I'm giving I'm telling you that because when it happens to

46:37 you. Don't be. Oh man. I'm the worst of sinners. I mean you may be but you don't have to view yourself that way. Because all of us are that way and and it's really just good not to compare ourselves to one another. because the reality is if I were to compare myself to someone. In some ways I would be I'd be I'd be very excited. That I'm not as bad as that person. And in other ways I'd be very depressed because me, and that person is way better than me. So it's just better not to do it. I think a piece of advice that I got from someone.

47:26 Here to remember who it was. But somebody in here was with me at the same time in would probably remember the same who it was. When you're when you just start to compare yourself to someone else. Do you know do you know the way? To not do anymore. Stop it. Stop it. Just stop it. No more. Do I need to do one more? Thing you got it, okay. Now is the time. for us to bear fruit in our relationships with the Lord in our relationship with

48:13 the Lord and with one another and that fruit starts with our families Why because that's where we spend most of our time. Your family's gonna be the first one to notice that you got to got a got a peach on the peach tree. Because they're with you all the time. So start bearing fruit and it will start with your family and it will begin to go outward through the concentric circles of your friends your co-workers. and others avinasha, Mayim Our Father in heaven Lord I Thank you for The Book of Luke I think you for Luke and his desire to

49:03 reinforce the faith that Theophilus already had when I thank you for the the circumstances that he the instances that he passes on to us Lord I pray that you would continue to teach us through this book. Lord on both Wednesday nights and on Shabbat mornings Lord we bless you and we praise you and yeshuah's name. I mean may the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you. And give you peace.

49:51 Give our recognize. They should marry. Yeah, I don't I mean who? icon He sarunai panavalaka. They are similar. shallow be sure in the name of our Messiah Yeshua. shabbat shalom Happy New Year