19th Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 75

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thought of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ
AMEN

Introduction

Warning signs – do we take them seriously?

Do this – do that – Don’t do this – don’t do that – Don’t smoke – don’t take drugs –
Eat healthy food – take plenty of exercise –

Important advice that can make a difference to our lives and the lives of those around us –

but how much of it goes in one ear – and out the other –

Sometimes its how the message is given that helps us take notice –

Last Friday morning – near the top of Outrington Lane – the police used one of those signs – that illuminates peoples driving speeds – and warns them if they were driving too fast – it certainly slowed one or two cars down –

and with all these warnings about obesity – no doubt the new TV programmes like fit club – are making people think twice about their weight and lack of exercise

But when it comes to improving our relationship with God – what does it take – to get us to change our ways ? –  

Point 1   Isaiah’s Song of the vine

 

Isaiah decided to put his message – to music –

He was one of the giants of Jewish history – the Shakespeare of his time – and an advisor to the King of Judah –

He had a strong warning to give to the people – because of their greed and misuse of power –
They had to re-align themselves with God – or they would be heading for destruction –

His “song of the vineyard” is one of the most beautiful passages in his book –Its about his friend – and the vineyard he planted – and how he mourns because of the state of it –

He lavished great care on it – no expense spared – cleared it of stones – (and there are a lot of stones in Israel) – and planted the finest vines – he built a watchtower to guard over it– a wine vat for storage
And waited for the grapes to ripen –

But when harvest time came – there was nothing but sour grapes –

so what went wrong?

“What more could have been done for my vineyard” sings Isaiah

The friend he is singing about is “God” – and the vineyard is – “The house of Israel”

But the fault was not the owner’s – but the people he put in charge –

Vines are a sign of prosperity – and grapes – a vital part of the Hebrew diet

They were used to make juice and wine – they were an important source of sugar – and when dried – they made great raisin cakes –

So at Harvest time –there usually a great celebration – but there would be no party in this vineyard –

It would have to be abandoned – deprived of its fertility – and the ground left to its own devices –

The Lord looked to the people for good fruit – and He got bad – They failed to fulfill the dream that He set for them – just as the garden had failed to produce the quality of fruit it was meant to produce –

The difference between a good grape and a sour grape – is the amount of care it receives –

Vines need constant care to keep them productive – they need to be pruned – the ground ploughed and kept free of weeds –

There are many instances in the Bible where Jesus talks about our need for pruning – about our need to cut out the unproductive parts of our lives – to increase our fruit bearing qualities – and to be an effect part of His vine –

Spiritual pruning is an experience that many of us shrink from – but its essential if we want to become the people God wants us to be –

What we have to remember is that no matter how often the secateurs snip – we are in good hands –

Isaiah’s warning – went unheeded –
The Grace lavished on the people by God – had no effect – they remained as if it never touched them

A vine is good for fruit – or its good for nothing –

 

Point 2  The wicked vine dressers

 

In our Gospel reading – Jesus took that same image of the fruitless vineyard and used it in a parable – to expose the true nature of the religious leaders in Israel – the parable of the tenants –

In this parable – again we hear about the owner’s great care in preparing a beautiful and efficient vineyard – but this time – the owner sends his agents to collect some of the crop as rent

The agents were the prophets – like Isaiah – sent to make sure that everybody knew what was expected of them –

But the tenants roughed them up – and even kill some

Finally – the owner sends His Son – surely – “They will respect Him” –

But Instead of giving Him a welcome – they see a chance to get rid of Him – and take it all for themselves –

Here Jesus is pointing to Himself – and His coming crucifixion – He is telling them plainly who He is – and why He is here – He is the corner stone on which God’s Kingdom will be built – by rejecting Him they are rejecting that Kingdom –

Death didn’t take Jesus by surprise – many times He talked about it – He knew that God’s purpose would be fulfilled inspite of the evil choices people would make – His death – far from being a disaster – is at the heart of God’s salvation – for us

Jesus was nailed to the cross – to pay the price for our sins – so we can be forgiven and God can established a new vineyard – with Jesus at its head – to care and nurture new vines – that will yield choice grapes

Jesus was sent to claim what belongs to God – to return what has been taken from Him – and to re-establish our relationship with Him – Only through Jesus will the separation between God and His vineyard be finally overcome

Jesus’ parables are like bright beams of light – illuminating God’s grace – helping us to see God’s claim on our lives – They were chosen by Jesus Himself – in response to real situations and questions that He was faced with –

there are over 70 in the NT – are simple stories about everyday situations – (vineyards were the main source of employment in those days ) – that help us in a very personal way decide how we should respond to what God is saying to us –

 

 
Point 3 

Which leads us on to our NT lesson – which is taken from a letter from Paul to the Philippian Church

Letters from the heart are not very fashionable these days – its all e-mails – chat lines – and text messages – but this letter is a real – Gem – its speaks about joy from a jail cell – it was written when Paul was in prison – and the Christians around him were being fed to the Lions –

Paul tells us that our relationship with God must be our number one priority – the thing we should strive for most – the thing we should live for most

The Jewish leaders were confident that they knew it all – and had everything sewn up – Nice house – nice job – power – position – the right family connections – they knew their theology – alright – but they didn’t know Jesus –

Paul’s reaction to all their boasting was straight to the point –

hang on a minute – that’s nothing special – I’ve done all that – and more besides – I’ve been there – and bought the tee shirt –

and none of that – really counts –its a loss not a gain

Paul counts everything done outside Jesus’ influence as rubbish – like the unwanted prunings from the vine – it’s only fit for the fire –

Its only when Jesus becomes the main purpose in our lives – that we can properly receive Him –

When we count Him as that one pearl of great value for which we spend everything – or the hidden treasure in the field – for which we will gladly spend all

it takes a lifetime to get it right with God – commitment – perseverance – its like running a race – you don’t get there until your across the finishing line – and only God knows when that is –

Paul knows that God can take the very darkest moments of our lives – and turn them around – make them good – he is a clear example of this –

We are all hoping to get to heaven – but it won’t be our works that get us there – however good we think they might be – in the end nothing will be good enough –

we can only get there if Jesus takes us

 

Conclusion    Applying the messages to us today

 

So are we prepared to heed the warning signs?
To follow God’s ways – and not our own?
Are we choice grapes or wild grapes –

Have we made the best use of God’s Grace – here in Lymm?–

Today – our church is – God’s watchtower looking out for and caring for the people in our community? – nurturing their growth – helping them to come to know the person of Jesus Christ –
We have to make sure we are playing our part in producing a rich harvest for His Kingdom

Well we’ve had a song – a story –a letter – and a sermon – lets finish with a prayer –

Prayer to finish

Lord Jesus Christ – forgive the way we have made our relationship with you one sided – expecting you to be there for us – but all too rarely are we there for you – Help us to hold on to You more firmly – give us the vision of your Kingdom – and show us the part you wish us to play in bringing it closer. Through Jesus Christ our Lord

 
AMEN