We all need another chance

Verse 6, Luke chapter 13 verse 6 onwards. The title that I have given tonight's message is as follows: we all need another chance. Listen well, we all need another chance. To let you know, I believe that this message today was greatly inspired by the message that Pastor Andrés shared with us last Wednesday, if you were not here a brief summary Pastor Andrés was inspired by God to speak on the subject of forgiveness , and how important it is for us as believers, as children of God, to be able to understand, the power exists in the power to give and ask for forgiveness.

That many times, due to human instincts, we prefer to hide things and keep things, and not experience the healing that can come to our lives or the lives of other people, when we dare to forgive or ask for forgiveness, and there are times So we prefer to let time fix things, but in the beginning, in God's system, time doesn't necessarily fix things, but it is God, working through those intentional actions that He asks of us, of us to recognize our faults and ask for forgiveness when we fail, as well as granting forgiveness to other people when they have failed against us.

The healing that this brings to our lives, he was also talking about the freedom that this brings to our lives when we truly operate under those principles of the kingdom of God, having been reflecting on that message, I began to think about that too, when one forgives one is also giving one more chance, one is giving one more chance for someone to restore their life, one is giving one more chance for a marriage to find restoration, reconciliation, when one gives that forgiveness one is giving a another opportunity for someone to get out of the quagmire of some personal conflict, and to find the light of Christ in the midst of their lives.

When we sin before God we need an opportunity from Him for us to somehow amend our mistakes before Him, and then be able to continue walking on that path that He has drawn for us. God more than ever, God more than anyone, is not only the giver of second chances but He is also the giver of whoosh! several chances in our lives, therefore we all need another chance. Do you think you need another chance? Do you need another chance to make your life successful, healthy, valuable, full of God's power? Do you think you need one more chance to give someone A token of love? Do you think you deserve one more chance to try to get that job you were looking for, for who knows, maybe try to amend a mistake from the past and do new things and start from scratch again? Or start from 5, from 10, from wherever you have to start? Just in case you don't have to go back to zero so much, it can be a little earlier too, I don't want to take it so far back.

We all need another chance. Luke chapter 13 look at what it says, it is a parable of Jesus, it says: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came to look for fruit on it and did not find it, and he said to the vinedresser: behold, I have come to look for three years ago fruit on this fig tree and I can't find it, and he said to him, cut it down." Why is he also going to render the land useless? "The vinedresser then said to him: sir, leave it still this year until I dig around it and fertilize it, and if it bears good fruit, and if not, we'll cut it down later." We all need another chance. If I give you a little bit of context of this parable, it is used to reinforce some points that Jesus was using in the verses before the ones I read, let me read that part, look what Jesus was reading in the first verse of that chapter 13, the story says: "At that time there were some who told about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices", this was a small social mishap that occurred at that time, obviously the Jews lived under the rule of Rome, so Pilate was that emperor as he was ruling and he did many things that put the Jews in tension and political conflict between these two parties.

And they came to Jesus with this dilemma and he responded by saying: "Do you think that these Galileans, because they suffered such things or injustices, were more sinners than all the Galileans? Or do those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell, do they think they were more guilty than all the men who live in Jerusalem? the barren fig tree is referring to those words that Jesus said before. All of you will perish unless you do not repent, people come to ruin if they are not reformed in their way of thinking, what does Romans 12 say? So be transformed by the renewal of your understanding so that you can know the will of God, perfect and pleasing.

Like the barren fig tree, we can be cut down unless we bear no fruit. The first reference in this parable is addressed to the nation and the people of Israel. Obviously we all know that the people of Israel were the people chosen by God, they were a people that were chosen to belong to Him, to God, and they were given the privilege of knowing and experiencing things from God that no other people had. experienced. In return God expected a sense of loyalty and obedience to Him, which God interpreted as the fruit of this people. But Israel disappointed God, regarding the expectations that He had concerning his people, since they lacked loyalty and obedience.

Therefore, where did Israel end up? In exile. It can be said that abandoned by God. But thanks to the intervention of Christ, God decided to extend them an additional time of grace, help me how we are going in line with the word, he decided to extend them a time of grace when the person of Jesus came, and after Jesus the apostles and how the apostles continued spreading the gospel, so that in the name of Christ forgiveness could be offered to you in response to your repentance, are you following me this far or have I lost you somewhere along the way, are you following me?

Undoubtedly, this parable is made to make us aware, we who enjoy this grace of God, and the privileges of being part of his people, to seek that our temperament, the temperament of our mind, and the tenacity of our lives respond at all times in accordance with the profession of our faith and the fruit that is required of us, I am going to break this now, look at various illustrations that are in this parable. This parable begins by saying that there is a man who had a fig tree planted, where? , the vineyard was for what?, for the grapes, for the olive trees, it is a specific land for a specific type of bush that produces a specific fruit and the land is specific, for that.

So this parable is teaching us that now, this person decided to plant a tree that does not agree with what is being planted there, that does not agree with the fruit that is expected from that land, but he took it and planted it there . This fig tree was in better soil than the land where fig trees commonly grow, fig trees were a wild tree, it's like that tree that grows next to the street, it bears fruit considered a wild shrub, and here they planted it in a specific land, in a land where it would not be exposed to so many elements, but where it would be receiving attention, care that other fig trees were not going to receive. That was what was happening with this barren fig tree, and not only that, but it also had an owner who watched over it. Out there in the wild, what people do is sit under the fig tree and get shade. Here in this vineyard there was an owner who was watching the growth of that fig tree, every three years he came to check, well, it wasn't that he came constantly, it's just that you imagine, you have bushes of grapes and between the grapes it's like this in the middle this fig tree so I couldn't see it, I wasn't very aware of it.

What were the expectations of this owner? He obviously wanted to enjoy the fruit of the fig tree, he looked for the fruit and did not send someone else to look for it for him, therefore that gives me to understand that the owner wanted to have a personal contact With that fig tree, he was not depending on his servants to go look for its fruit and bring it to him, he himself would go and search, move the leaves and look for the fruit himself, therefore he shows that desire to have that intimacy with the fig tree. God always expects fruit from those who live in his vineyard. Each one of us can be said to be like a fig tree. We have been planted in a place where we did not belong, if I let myself be carried away by what this is saying, that vineyard is intended for the people of Israel, the people chosen by God, we by the grace and mercy of God have come to be planted in that vineyard as well.

We are like the bump along the horizon, you see a whole plantation of vineyards and suddenly you see a plantation of fig trees that stick out, and God is aware of all that, and he sees it, and he comes into contact with those fig trees, but there is something very interesting, having leaves is not enough, do you know that the fig leaf is a very large leaf?, for a reason it says that when Adam and Eve saw that they were naked they made garments of fig leaves, so they are big enough to make a type of underwear and cover up. But the leaves are not enough, do you know what the leaves are? I would dare to say that the leaves in our life are like lip adoration, the leaves are the most superficial part of this tree, and many times lip adoration can do something very superficial, with our mouth we can seem the holiest but that it is only what is seen on the surface, giving flowers is not enough. What would it be to give flowers in our lives? Look, you can show great potential, but if you don't execute based on that potential, it's useless. Oh yes, this person looks very promising but he's not doing anything, he's not taking action, so I can pretend to be something but if I'm not, if I don't, if I don't act according to what I appear to be, you're welcome it works for me I can give a lot of flower but if I don't do what that flower appears to be, it won't do me any good. You have to bear fruit my brothers.

We must bear fruit, what is that fruit? Our thoughts, our words and our actions must be in line with the gospel of Christ Jesus, and here is my brothers where I see that we all need an opportunity, another opportunity, because It is there where God comes to chat with us, it is there where God finds foliage, finds flowers, finds leaves but does not find fruit, because many times we fail to live according to what the word of God asks of us. I remember one of the pastor's most recent sermons, it is this about how we can transmit our life of faith to an ethical life, make that connection of things that are spiritual and transmit it to practical life, how I live this in the daily life, how can I love a person who I like, uh!, who I like skinny, how can I tolerate a person who has offended me so much, how can I forgive someone who has insulted me before my eyes in a way that I cannot conceive.

How can I submit to the leadership of someone whose philosophy does not correspond to mine and I cannot adjust to that person, if I start to justify each of these cases, look, in the eyes of this world you will have reasons to leave with his, but in the eyes of the beginning of the word, of the kingdom of God, the response is not always very good, because in the face of all those examples that I have mentioned, what is God's response, you have someone who you like fat Sorry skinny, what I said, receive that person, talk to that person, connect with that person, what is Jesus saying? Two, is that what Jesus says? And why then do our actions reflect that? Why, instead of slapping him in the face, can we not act according to what the word asks of us?

Listen to me, I am preaching to myself, it is not easy for me to say this right now, because it is hard my brothers, I know it is hard, what the Lord asks of us is hard, it is difficult, if for It is difficult to have to live with one's imperfections, the more difficult it is going to make us live with the imperfections of another person, but that is where the Lord calls us to live, that is where the fire really burns, that is where the fire burns for real, that is where we have to go, that is the fruit that the Lord wants us to bear, you want to leave your husband, your wife, hold on, tolerate a little more, and your boss in the work, what you want is to send him to his country of origin and you do something else, hold on, tolerate, submit to the principles of the bible that what it says is that if there is an authority above you, those authorities are there for some reason reason, and by submitting to those authorities you are submitting to God, so don't think that you are By submitting to Juan Pancho de las Casas, think that you are submitting to God, oh pastor, but if you knew what Juan Pancho de las Casas does to me every day, you would not tell me what he is saying to me now, for all the more reason you should submit to the authority of Juan Pancho de las Casas, because there is a spiritual principle there, obviously, read the fine print, if it is an abuse that is out of the ordinary, get out of there running, I am the first to tell you because he is fighting with the devil himself.

But if it is something that is within the right mind, as the word says, God does not give a heavier load than we can bear and resist, if that is where we are my brothers, if that is where life has taken us, or I will to put on another level, if that is where you have chosen to be, hold on, and live according to what God asks of you. Do you know what? We are not alone, what happened to the fig tree in the history of the word? Do you know that something harsh happened here? Because the owner of the vineyard issued a harsh judgment, he said, three years have passed, It is not giving me the fruit that I expect, so boy, cut it down, the owner of the vineyard issued a judgment and it had to be done, the vinedresser took a risk in daring to say, let's not go down that road yet, the vinedresser decided to intercede in favor of the vineyard, how good it is to know that we have Christ as the vinedresser of our lives, as the intercessor of our lives.

And this grower asked for another year, look how interesting that the grower didn't say yes, take it out, the grower didn't say, oh no, well I'm resigning because it's going to be a lot of trouble getting that fig tree out of here because it's going to be a lot of revolution, the grower He did not say that, the vinedresser said, give it a break, give it a break, he postponed the time to be cut, look at this how interesting: Christ offers spaces of grace and mercy for us to be able to amend our mistakes and strive to align ourselves with the owner's expectations of the vineyard Do you want me to tell you again? Christ offers spaces of grace and mercy for us to be able to amend our mistakes and strive to align ourselves with the expectations of the owner of the vineyard, who is God.

How is this transmitted to your life? How is this transmitted to your daily life, to my daily life? Every word, how new are the mercies of God, every morning His mercy is new, every day we have a space of grace, every moment we have a space of mercy that is given to us so that we can decide and define ourselves if we are going to live as God wants or if we are going to continue living as we want. Every day, every moment, it is more, from this moment to when I make this movement here I am already living in a space of grace, I can decide whether I move my foot here or move it to the front or throw it over here, those Three decisions I can already have three totally different influences, spaces of mercy and grace that are given to us so that we can live according to what God wants from us.

Why do I tell you that we are not alone? Because Christ promises to watch over us. What did he say?, give me some time, let me dig around it and water it, how many of you enjoy your gardens?, your flowers, your plants, back in your countries of origin that planted avocado, mango, banana, things like that, do you follow me? What is that cultivation process like, what is more, how is the land now in the winter? The land, when you stand on top of the grass, how do you stand on it? It seems cold, icy, hard, it looks like a piece of cement, when spring starts to arrive, if you want to see a little green grass, what do you have to do?, you have to take one of those big rakes and start removing all that dry material that is above and begin to scrape so that the earth begins to take in air, that it begins to open up to moisture, as if to say the dew that may fall in the morning, so that the soil begins to absorb all the nutrients it needs to be able to produce.

When you have a little flower in a vase, what happens? When the flower dries up, what do you have to do? Okay, let me work this land, open spaces here, there, go back to compost, and what happens?, the flower lights up again, and that is what Jesus wants to do with you and me, He wants to dig around your land, He wants to dig in your land, He wants to open and clean what dirty, and remove things that are not necessary, and open, remove favor, that God's mercy may exist and then serve as the fertilizer that we need to bear the fruit that God expects of our lives. What is that payment, what we are receiving now?, reading the word of God, listening to what it says, listening to another reading the Bible, listening to a preaching, having times of praise, meditation, being part of a group, of a cell, and being able to brush elbows with other people learning the word, and when we are here that the Spirit of God moves and being able to say look God, do with me as you want, God wants good fruit from each one of us, genuine fruits, fruits that make your heart happy and therefore be a blessing to other people around us.

You go there when the cherry blossoms, the leaves are hot, you sit under a tree and wow, there is nothing more beautiful than when you can pick a fruit and bite into it, ah, how delicious it feels, that's where You say this tree has made my life, you would go to the tree and take the fruit directly from the bush and eat it, and say ah!, or you would go to the other neighbor and go to eat the other neighbor's quenepas too. The fruit is what makes the difference, the fruit is truly what sweetens the soul, the fruit my brothers, but to bear that fruit is a hard road, it is a difficult road, because it means that we can adhere to it, but My brothers, the beauty of this whole story is another opportunity. Many opportunities throughout life, and God is willing to give it, God is willing to give that for you. When we are given that opportunity look, hey, make the most of it, take advantage, if you have to make an extra effort to change the way you express yourself with other people around you look, well, make an effort, if you are for say but look you're a, rewind, rethink, and think ok, how would Romeo talk in these moments?, my beloved Juliet, you know how much I love you, if you know that you like a person, ash, if I could, yes I only had a moment alone to show them what I really am and make them suffer, if only I had a moment to sit with that person and offer them a coffee and to be able to speak sincerely with them, without offending them, without insulting them, but seeking to restore the dynamic, if you have an attitude that you walk like a peacock, how can you change that attitude and be a little meeker, more humble, with more sanity, considering others as greater than you?

I mean no older, sorry, I didn't mean that they're older than me, but better than you, that's what I meant, you have a son, a daughter who makes life impossible for you every day, who insults you right there in your face, and you you respond back with the same insult, what if today if when you get home today and your daughter is about to waaahh!, you sit down and tell her my love, calm down, do you want a little coffee? Do you want a shortbread, an ice cream? Let's sit down and talk, calm down. Hey, that usher that on Sunday when you were praying came and told me, sister, can you move to the side because another seat is needed and you were like, oooyyy! This usher just knocked me out of seventh heaven, what a lack of sensitivity. Instead of responding like that, do, ok sir, pause for a moment, here it is, ok, play again, oh, thank you sir.

I am not saying that this is you being a hypocrite, but that you know how to understand how the dynamics are and that we know how to live in light of those things, and that I can respect others, and even more so if they are people who are in authority over others. me, I think that there I mentioned an example with which many identified, we all need another opportunity my brothers, definitely, I believe that God has those opportunities for each one of us, and God is willing to give them, I hope my brothers that this word has somehow echoed in your heart, actually look, I'm going to say it like this, we all need an opportunity, and you need to give someone a chance too, see it that way, you have to give yourself a chance yourself, yourself

I want you to stand up, and we are going to say this last prayer, hold the hand of two or three people next to you, we are going to pray: in light of these words that we have heard, my brothers and sisters, I invite you to to start praying with that person next to you, and again let the Spirit of God intercede there with you right now. You know how this word echoes in your heart, I can try to give illustrations but you know very well how this word makes relevance to your life right now, I believe that for some reason this word has been shared today, we need those opportunities, we need those spaces of grace and mercy to be able to amend mistakes, to be able to change things that have happened, we need those spaces of God's favor where in some way or another our actions can change the direction not only of your life but also of other lives involved in yours.

God wants to bring those opportunities into your life and into the lives of others through you. God is in the business of doing just those things, and above all, God wants to bring opportunities where you can see his hand at work in things in your life, where you can see a moment where you can experience Jesus digging all around your life. and fertilizing your life with people around you, with situations around you, so that you can then enter a new stage of bearing fruit, fruit that goes according to the principles of the kingdom of God, that is what He wants and wishes for you and from you right now. Pray for that person with whom you are, and if you have to say in your prayer Lord, don't cut it, don't cut it, give your son some more time, give your daughter some more time, and allow Jesus to pay the heart of this brother, of this sister of mine and that it be You, Lord, the one who brings right now, I ask You, Lord, that it be You bringing new seasons, Lord of spaces of Your time, of Your favor, of Your grace, of Your mercy, bring new opportunities to the life of your sons and daughters Lord Jesus, bring new opportunities to correct mistakes, bring new opportunities to say something that is edifying for the life of another person, bring new opportunities to act in a way that can instill on the someone else's heart It brings new opportunities for the restoration of lives that are affected by some addiction.

It brings new opportunities so that marriages can be blessed and restored, and affirmed in the purposes that You have for them Lord, it brings opportunities so that we as a church can continue to grow at the level that You want us to grow Lord, it brings new opportunities so that those who They see us on the internet, that You knowing the needs that they have, brings new opportunities where they can see Your hand working and interceding in their favor, granting them an extended time of your grace Lord. Oh Father, and above all things, help us to understand that it is not all a matter of offering our lips or pretending to be something that we are not, but that You truly want changes that are seen in the depths of our being and our character. Give us Lord the courage we need to know how to bring my God, the principles of Your word to the center of our being and to be able to make the necessary changes in our way of thinking, speaking and living, so that our life in those senses can be align even more to what it means to be part of your vineyard, You love us Lord, and I believe that tonight You have given us a new opportunity, I believe so and I declare it so, through Your Son Jesus who intercedes for us , that tonight is a night of new opportunities.

You work in us Jesus, dig around us and fertilize our lives as You Lord know how to do it, we open ourselves to Your treatment, we open ourselves to Your treatment Lord in our midst, do as You want, thank you Lord Jesus, and now You I ask that Your blessing be with us, as we leave here and return to our homes Lord, guide us well, take us with Your protection, and allow this word to continue to echo in our minds, so that each day we can become even more attached to the desire of Your heart. Bless my brothers and sisters, place Your peace on each one of them in the name of Jesus, amen and amen. Thank you Lord Jesus.