The Vineyard

Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel

[1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.]

*A song about God & his vineyard:

Isa 5:1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved (God) a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the ^choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. (worthless grapes) ^ [John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit…]

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. (God & his vineyard)

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. (I will stop working in my vineyard…I will leave it alone)

*If we continue to bring forth bad fruit, useless fruit, God will stop blessing us & cultivating us, & we will wither & die spiritually. God expects us to be of worth to others...he can’t use fruit that is not good.

*We are planted in his vineyard, not as a worthless plant but a goodly plant. We should be like good grapes that Jesus puts into the winepress & turns into the best wine as a drink offering to him. When we come before him in prayer or when we gather together in worship, we should offer up worthy praises from the fruit of our lips, giving thanks for his marvelous works & grace toward us!

Heb 13:15 …. let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (simply to dwell in him… let your whole life be surrounded by HIM)

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.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

[Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance:]

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. >

Matt 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: (let your lives prove your change of heart)

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

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*He is not asking us to do a hard thing, simply to love him & if we love him, we will keep his commandments; the great commandments being - love Him & love your neighbor. His love for us was so great that he suffered at the hands of them that he loved & came to save! The closer we get to him & learn about his love, the easier it is to love others. The vine is his Word & we are nourished from the vine, & if we continue to abide in his Word, & we apply it to our lives, we remain a healthy branch (a victorious child of God)