The fifth chapter of the book of Isaiah tells the story of a man who planted a vineyard on a very fertile hillside. He took care to fence it in to protect it from pests, cleared away any stones, and planted the best seedlings. In other words, he did everything within his power to ensure that the vineyard would produce a healthy harvest. In the end, however, rather than produce the best grapes, the vineyard produced “wild” (common) grapes. In other words, they were ordinary; there was nothing special about them. In short, they were not an adequate return on his investment. He gave them the best he had and they returned mediocrity to him.
The end of the story is that the dresser of the vineyard decided to abandon his work. He determined to take away the protective hedge and wall and allow the ground to go untended. He even went so far as to prophesy a drought!
How much are we returning on the investment God has made in us? What fruit are we producing, worthy of the sacrifice He made to save our souls?
Text: John 1:19-21, 35-41
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Three questions were asked in our text:
A. Who are you? (In verse 19; their other questions ins verse 21 were variations of this same question)
B. What are you seeking? (In verse 38)
C. Where do you live? (In verse 38)
Text: Hebrews 11:13
Synopsis: Hebrews 11:13 lists five steps that the heroes of faith took toward the promises that God had given to them. The five steps listed are 1) Seeing 2) Being persuaded 3) Embracing 4) Confessing, and 5) Receiving. This sermon addresses each of the five steps.
Text: I Tim. 4:1-2
Synopsis: We are living in perilous times, and it is imperative that we are vigilant in listening to the voice of God.
Text: Isaiah 29:10, Jeremiah 35:5-19
Synopsis: The sons of Jonadab were taught by their father to be nomads in Babylon to prevent assimilation into a pagan society. Even though they lacked “book, chapter, and verse” for the commitment they made, God pronounced a blessing on them for having convictions. The Spirit still guides us into truth if we will let Him, and there is a great need in our own time for being sensitive to His voice.
Tags: convictions