The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
4 sermons cite this verse
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Might you have a seat. So last week we started this new series, the series through Advent called Waiting Well. And the reality is we call it Waiting Well because we don't know how to wait well. Here is a season of Advent, season of preparation, obviously. But it's also a season of waiting. I mean, just think of how much we dislike the season of waiting. Because right now, probably, you know, December 7th, we are probably already in a place of having gone to maybe already one or two Christmas parties that we, full disclosure, we had a Christmas party last night for our alumni. On Friday, we had a Christmas party for all of our students. And yeah, why? Well, we wanted to get in before the end of the semester, all of those things. We have excuses, but do you? No, we all have excuses. And the excuse is we don't like waiting. We want it to be here. In fact, there is actually a whole science on waiting, on the study of waiting. …
… neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Now, God is saying that the devil cannot continue you to cover by deception, because the fruit is there. Let me tell you three things about fruit. First of all, it is the root that determines the fruit. Isn't that right? That's why Jesus is saying, you don't, you don't get figs from thistles. It is the root that determines the fruit. Now if you had A fruit tree that wasn't bearing the right kind of fruit, what could you do to get the right kind of fruit on it? Well, you you could prune it. And if you prune it, all you do is just strengthen the root. There are a lot of people who think, well, you know, if I just get rid of this thing or that thing, I'll be A better tree. Well, not only could you prune it, you could transplant it. You could take a bad fruit tree and put it in another place. Huh, that's what some folks do when they move the membership. They're just transplanting a bad tree. It's moving a corpse from one mausoleum to another. I mean, you can transplant it. What else could you do? Well, you could cultivate it. Hey, it's a bad tree, so you cultivate it. …
If you will turn from your sins and come to Christ, the great God will accept of you, and delight in you: you then will have those spiritual ornaments that will be more amiable in the sight of God, than all the learning, and knowledge, and morality of all the ungodly men in the world. If you continue in a natural condition, God will make no account of you; instead of being as his jewels, you will be esteemed as vile and refuse, and fit for nothing but to be trampled under-foot; instead of being told, you will be esteemed as dross, Jer. vi. 30. “Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.” Hereafter you will be thrown away as being good for nothing, you will be esteemed nothing worth, as is represented in that parable, Matt. xiii. 47, &c. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Yea, you shall not only be cast away as good for nothing, but shall be cast out as filth into the great receptacle of the filth of the world; you will be cast into a furnace of fire, as barren branches are gathered up and burnt. John xv. 6. “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” Or as barren trees are cut down and cast into the fire. Matt. iii. 10. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.” As the tares were gathered together in bundles and burnt, you will be looked upon as fit for nothing else but to be destroyed. 2 Peter ii 12. “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.” …
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” 1. It is scarce possible to express or conceive what multitudes of souls run on to destruction, because they would not be persuaded to walk in a narrow way, even though it were the way to everlasting salvation. And the same thing we may still observe daily. Such is the folly and madness of mankind, that thousands of men still rush on in the way to hell, only because it is a broad way. They walk in it themselves, because others do: Because so many perish, they will add to the number. Such is the amazing influence of example over the weak, miserable children of men! It continually peoples the regions of death, and drowns numberless souls in everlasting perdition! …