The Vineyard Church (John 15:1-17)

Remember John the Baptist's call? "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8 NIV)  We are not only called to return home to The Father.  We are also supposed to live like we are in His household again, working as His team.  How do we do this?

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 NIV)

We stay connected to Jesus.  His Spirit is sent to us as a down payment.  His Spirit is in us like God used to dwell in the temple.  Our bodies are now His Temple.  As He remains in us the rest of our lives, His Spirit gives us the wisdom to know what He wants and the power to do our part.  We can only produce fruit when we remain in Him as He is in us.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:9-17 NIV)

God's desire for our lives is not mindless trust. He has given us more than enough reasons to trust.  His desire for our lives is not robot-like obedience.  Our obedience comes from knowing He loves and cares for us.  God wants to work all things together for our good.  When we trust Him and love Him back, everything falls into place.  We see situations the way He wants us to see them.  We see people the way He sees them.  We see the world as He intended it to be.  Then we live that garden walk.

How about you?  Are you a branch of the True Vine - staying connected to Him?  Do you remain in His love, keeping His commands?  Is your joy complete?  Is your life driven by love?

One Way (John 10:1-18)

"Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." (John 10:1-5 NIV)

This parable was great for those living in Jesus' day.  It's also great for farmers today who care for sheep.  They would understand the point of the parable immediately.  Sheep learn to hear and obey only their master's voice.  Another person can say the same thing and the sheep won't listen.  Sheep only follow their shepherd willingly.  Anyone else is a stranger at best and a thief at worst.

Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:6-11 NIV)

Jesus uses this parable and metaphor to help them understand how things work in God's kingdom.  He already shared the parable of the sheep and the goats.  Now, he continues the picture to help us recognize the Good Shepherd: Jesus.  In this part of the picture, it's not about what we can do for His Kingdom (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.).  Its about what the Good Shepherd will do for us: lay down his life.

The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:12-15 NIV)

This concept makes sense in the picture of a shepherd and his sheep.  Shepherds regularly take on danger for the safety of his sheep.  He does it to protect them and provide for them.  God is that Good Shepherd to us - working to protect us and provide for us.  We simply need to hear His voice and listen to His call.  When we do, we are safe.

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:16-18 NIV)

All of us, sheep from Jewish background and sheep from other backgrounds, are being called by Jesus.  The only question is this: will we respond to his call?  His sheep listen and follow.

How about you?  Do you hear His call to you?  Do you come to Him when he calls or do you ignore Him as though He is a hired hand or, even worse, a thief?  Is Jesus your Good Shepherd?

I Wanna Be Ready (Matthew 25:1-46)

Jesus continues his teachings on the kingdom of heaven through parables.  In this set of teachings, he is already talking about the last days, when he will return.

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' "But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13 NIV)

We don't know when Jesus, the Savior/Messiah, will return.  We should always be ready for the possibility.  When He returns, it will be too late to "get ready."  The time to get ready is now.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46 NIV)

We need to get ready now because there is more to returning home with The Father than just returning home.  Repenting of our time away from home means we stop running away from home.  We stop living like we are away from home.  Not only that, we start doing the thing that The Father considers important.  Our lives should produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

So, for example, when The Father says it is important to use the resources He has entrusted into our care to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite strangers, cloth the naked, look after the sick, and visit prisoners, our lives should start reflecting His priorities in these areas.  That is how we can know we will be "sheep" in the end, rather than "goats."  It's not just about saying a prayer or going down into water.  It's about coming home and joining His Team - living a life with His priorities.  In this way His Kingdom will come and His Will will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.

How about you?  Have you come home to stay or do you keep trying to leave?  Have you joined His Team, or are you still trying to avoid Kingdom work?  Does your life produce visible fruit in keeping with repentance?  Do you live by His priorities?

The Generous Landowner (Matthew 20:1-16)

Once again, Jesus speaks to us in a parable.  This time, at least, we get some insight as to his meaning up front.  He tells us the story is about the kingdom of heaven.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'  (Matthew 20:1-7 NIV)

In this story, everyone is offered work.  Everyone in this life is offered work in the kingdom of heaven as well.  All of us are called not only to return home to The Father, but to join His Team as one of His Workers.  His Church is also called His Body in Scripture.  Each part of His Body must do its part in order for His Body to function as designed.  We are all called to get to work.

"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' "The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' "But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:8-16 NIV)

The benefits of coming home to The Father are obvious: we get to be with The Father again...for eternity.  The benefits of working in His Kingdom are just as real.  Those benefits, however, are the same for all of us.  Whether we begin working in His Kingdom as a child and never quit until leaving this life or we only come home and begin working in His Kingdom in our final days in this life - the benefits are great...and generous.

When we think about this story from a selfish perspective, we don't like what he's saying.  Like the first workers in the story, we want to get more than those who come after us or do less work than us.  God's perspective is different, though.  He wants everyone to come to repentance and return home.  He wants everyone to become a part of His Team.  The benefits are great, then, because they become incentives to those who haven't come home yet.  We shouldn't be jealous of those who come later.  We should be pointing out these benefits so they will come home too.  The first workers in this story are much like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son.  They want more because they think they deserve more than their less-important peers.  What they forget is that they are not more important.  God loves us all.  We should love them as well and celebrate with them.  They are home.  They are a part of the team!  We all get to be with The Father for eternity.

How about you?  Are you a worker who has been on His Team all your life?  Have you joined His Team later in the day?  Have you joined it at all?  Do you get jealous when someone comes late to the team and is still blessed by God?  Do you celebrate new team members?

It's Like... (Matthew 13:1-58)

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. (Matthew 13:1-2 NIV)

You may remember this from an earlier story we read.  Jesus takes advantage of the acoustics that come from being out in the water.  A large crowd shows up.  He pushes out from shore.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear." (Matthew 13:3-9 NIV)

Once again, Jesus begins teaching in parables.  The difference here is that his meaning is not clear.  He doesn't begin the story with a statement like, "The kingdom of God is like..."  Instead, he simply tells the story.

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.  (Matthew 13:10-17 NIV)

Once again, he had a reason.  Jesus was ambiguous with these particular parables so he would fulfill even more Old Testament prophecies about the Savior/Messiah.  He doesn't leave his closest students in the dark, however.  Instead, he explains the meaning of the parable to the twelve so they would understand his meaning.

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." (Matthew 13:18-23 NIV)

This would become an important parable for them.  He was training them to become leaders in His Church.  They would need encouragement about the people they would serve.  Some of them wouldn't respond.  Others would be excited by God's message at first, but quit at the first sign of trouble.  Still others would stay longer, but their faith would be choked out by the world.  Finally, the remaining group would become strong leaders in the church just like the Apostles.  Yes, they would need this parable to encourage them the rest of their lives.

Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:24-30 NIV)

The next logical question, then, is "Why?"  "Why, God, are you letting people who work against you participate in Your Church?"  Jesus answers the question with another parable.  The "weeds" are not pulled out because that would do even greater damage to those who are not "weeds."  Weeds will get burned up in the end, but they will stay intermixed with the good seeds until then.

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Matthew 13:31-33 NIV)

In spite of the "weeds" and seed that doesn't produce abundant crops, the kingdom of God would grow much bigger than they expected from such small, humble beginnings.  Now, we see the results of this parable with over 2 billion people claiming to be Christians.  Back then, they needed to hold on to the truth contained in his parables.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." (Matthew 13:34-35 NIV)

The crowds, however, didn't always get the benefit of his interpretations because he needed to fulfill the prophecies made about the Savior/Messiah.

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. (Matthew 13:36-43 NIV)

It's a good thing that his closest disciples asked.  Not only that, they wrote them down for us to read these two thousand years later.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.  (Matthew 13:44-51 NIV)

Jesus is the Savior/Messiah and He calls us to follow Him.  We need to be "all in."  Don't hold anything back.  Everything we have came from God.  Everything we have we will leave behind, except for our relationship with God.  Don't be like the fish that get thrown away.  Make sure you are in the "right" camp - following Jesus.

He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. (Matthew 13:52-53 NIV)

Moses established the Old Covenant with God.  Jesus established the New Covenant.  Everything that builds our relationship with God should be treasured.

Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home." And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:54-58 NIV)

What about you?  Are you like the people in Jesus' home town who refuse to see that Jesus is the Savior/Messiah?  Are you like the bad fish that will be thrown out?  Or, do you believe in Him, follow Him, and enjoy the treasure s that come from walking with Him?