Faith Bible Fellowship

This Sunday, we will be looking at the Parable of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7.

Isaiah 5:1-7

5:1 Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry! (ESV)

A. W. Tozer once said "The Church's mightiest influence is felt when she is different from the world in which she lives." No one walks perfectly before the Lord; we cling to His mercy in light of that. However, as long as we love the Lord, we should not rest content in continually failing and leaning on God's mercy. We should be transformed by the grace of God to live lives honoring God. 

For some background, I encourage you to read the following passages:

Ps 78:1-16

John 15:1-11

Tit 3:1-8

As we prepare for worship this Sunday, and as you read Isaiah, please consider these things:

What does my life look like?  Is it filled with love for God, righteousness and justice?  You are the planting of the Lord.  Are you growing?  As the children of God, we can grow by His grace.  We can, by God's grace, learn from the lessons of the past, and continue to grow by and in His grace alone.  As we will look at these and other questions, pray for the work of the Holy Spirit, that all who hear the word of the Lord will be strengthened in their faith.

Solo Deo Gloria,

Jason