What are the standards by which we measure success in our lives? Many say wealth and some say possessions, or even others a combination of the two. What about our spiritual life? Is God expecting anything as a product of our lives? Well open your bible take a few notes and listen in today as we return to our ongoing study through the gospel of Mark in chapter twelve as our teacher Pastor Fisher shares in a lesson which he calls “Overcoming Fruitless Religion” So, open your bibles and listen in, as we pray along with our teacher.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:1 – 7 (KJV)
Isa 5:1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
Isa 5:2 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.
Isa 5:3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
Isa 5:4 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?
Isa 5:5 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:
Isa 5:6 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.
Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 12:1 – 12 (KJV)
Mark 12:1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. Mark 12:2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. Mark 12:3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. Mark 12:4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. Mark 12:5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Mark 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. Mark 12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Mark 12:8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. Mark 12:9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: Mark 12:11 This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Mark 12:12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) The LORD has not only made us ‘stewards’ over material things, but also over His spiritual heritage so that we as His people may be used by Him to produce and cultivate fruit for the Kingdom of God; this being based on our best utilization of His will which is expressed in His Word for application to ourselves and the world at large.
#2) The history of the nation Israel as written in Scripture illustrates a pattern of how true religion and pure worship are eventually corrupted over a period of time into some form of “works righteousness” rather than salvation as a free gift by the grace of God which is repeatedly modeled in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms {i.e. the Old Testament}
#3) If we do not start off with the correct means of acceptable salvation we can never end up producing the fruit that God has ordained that His children should bear; which fruit can be seen in our lives and will also overflow into the lives of others.
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