Once a year we set aside a Sunday we like to call “Vision” Sunday. Some define Vision as a positive picture of the future. What kind of people, or even church, does God want us to become? Have we already completed everything God wants? Or, does much unfinished business remain?
In the OT, God uses the metaphor of a vineyard, to help his people understand their call. Isaiah 5:1-2, “I will sing about the one I love, a song about my loved one’s vineyard: The one I love had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even dug out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes. . .”
This garden metaphor extends back to Adam and Eve. It’s applied by Jesus to his disciples. It extends all the way to end of Revelation. But essentially, God planted Israel in the midst of all the nations to thrive, and bear much fruit for his glory. Israel was a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. They were chosen by God's special love not just for their own sake, but for the sake of God's glory, and for the sake of all the tribes, tongues, nations of world. The same mandate given the Church. 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
God has soaring expectations for his Church, but he first had them for Israel. But look what Isaiah says! Isaiah 5:2-4, “He expected [his Vineyard] to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes. 3 So now, residents of Jerusalem and men of Judah, please judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could I have done for my vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?” Isn’t God's question haunting? What more could I have done for you than I did? You were given every good and perfect thing you needed to flourish!
But here is the sad verdict on Israel. Isaiah 5:5-7, “Now I will tell you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant he delighted in. He expected justice but saw injustice; he expected righteousness but heard cries of despair.” They were to bear fruit; but were barren. One moment God was singing about his vineyard, the next moment he takes a bulldozer to it. In the New Testament, Jesus picks right up where Isaiah left off. While entering Jerusalem, he curses a fig tree that is full of lush leaves but has no figs. In John 15, he warns that any branch that doesn't bear much fruit will wither, be collected, and burned! In Revelation, churches have their lampstand removed. These are sobering passages of Scripture!
God's vision not just for Israel, but for the Church, is that we be a flourishing, life-giving vineyard that brings glory to God, refreshing the world. When something no longer fulfills its God's given purpose, its’ no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled. We’re to be salt and light, but if salt loses its saltiness... We're to be a flourishing vineyard, but if we bear no fruit. . .
Another metaphor the Bible uses is that of a sprawling temple, a building, that is forever “under construction.” The first and most important living stone has already been laid—Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone from which everything is oriented and measured. 1 Peter 2:4-5 Peter says, “As you come to [Jesus], a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” In Ephesians 2:20-22 Paul says it this way: “So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.” In Ephesians 4:10 we discover that God is not going to stop building up his church (his people) until heaven and earth is filled in every way with his glory and love. In Ephesians 4:11 we discover that God will not relent giving us every good and perfect gift needed to grow! Ephesians 4:16 says, “From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.”
Vineyards, Fig Trees, Bodies, Churches, Christians shouldn't be shriveling up and dying. We ought to be thriving! Throughout the ages, people have sought to build things that outlast themselves, things that matter greatly. This drives political figures, entrepreneurs and technocrats, business and community leaders. But if we’re building with God, and for God, according to his purpose, plan, vision, what we’re building will stand for eternity and matter for eternity. Building (Christ's Church) is the single most consequential thing we could ever be a part of.
Now today is Super Bowl Sunday. You would be hard pressed to find a bigger national spectacle than Taylo...um… Football! I know football is a “game", and God's Kingdom is anything but a game. But what if we were to use football as a metaphor to understand the church? Friday night lights often eclipse Sunday’s…
But here we go. Let's start with the big picture. Where has God' set the goal posts for his Church? What is our goal? Well, it’s God's will that everyone be saved. God's goal is nothing less than the salvation of the whole world, the reconciliation of everything in heaven and on earth to Himself. If we’re not getting the next person reconciled with God, we're not playing for the right reasons! God's goal is that we become like Jesus. God's goal is that we love just as Christ loved. God's goal is for his glory to fill all heaven and earth. For all to know his Name.
Now football fields don’t just have goal lines and goal posts, they also have boundary lines to mark what is inbounds and out of bounds. In the Church, Christ determines the boundaries. His Word reveals what is inside or outside God's will. In what beliefs, values, principles… what gospel essentials must we be absolutely united, and never transgress? In what things do we have latitude to run, play, pass, catch, and leap?
Every football field also has yard-lines and hashmarks. Without yard-lines, we’d probably get bored and discouraged. Yard-lines gives us a sense of direction, and means of measuring progress. In the Church, baptisms matter. So does attendance, membership, programs, generosity, number and nature of contributions (are they sacrificial), indebtedness, number of volunteers serving, number of people participating in groups, how many people we touch online, through local outreach, through mission partnerships. We tend to focus on tangible, quantifiable metrics. But the most important metrics are less quantifiable. How do you measure the degree to people are Believing on Jesus? How about Becoming like Jesus? Or, Building God's Kingdom? Or, Braving Jesus’ mission in the world?
Just because a team is racking up statistics, shattering records, or making a name for themselves doesn't mean their winning in a way matters to God. A team can be filled with biggest named stars, have the fanciest state of the art uniform or branding of stadium, they can have the biggest budget of any franchise, use cutting-edge technology and training methodologies, they can wield a three-binder notebook stocked full of best, most innovative plays in the league… A team can have all these things… Maybe they can march all the way up the field in a minute. Yet if they choke in the Red Zone—if they fail to finish well—if they fail to do the hard things that propel actual victory--what's the use? God wants fruit.
Now on a football field, people play various roles. First and foremost, God is the owner of all. We exist for the pleasure of his glory. He has entrusted his mission to us to “Go” into all the earth and make disciples. “Baptizing” people in name of Father, Son, Spirit… “Teaching” people to obey everything he commanded. He promises to be with us throughout all generations. We translate the great commission to mean that… we have to “go wider” with the gospel than ever before (evangelism). We have to make “go deeper” than ever before (discipleship). And last, we have to “go longer” than ever before (multiplication)
Now who is the audience? Who is the crowd of spectators? God wants to fill the whole of heaven and earth with spectacle of his glorious purpose and grace. The potential audience is all heaven and earth. In heaven, it’s even the angels; On earth, it’s the nations, people of every tribe, tongue, and nation. God is using this spectacle of Church and salvation to draw all men unto himself.
This morning you may have worn a jersey, probably with someone else’s name and number on it. In the beginning, we're all fans. But what God most wants is to convert you from a fan into a follower. He doesn't want you cheering from the stands… he wants you down on the field, in the game. Instead of calling someone else’s name, he's calling you by name, he's calling up your number.
In the Church, there is a network of coaches—all the way from team captains to the head coach. What does a good coach do? He develops the team! According to Ephesians 4:11-12, “[Christ Jesus] himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.” It’s the job of a good leader to equip you to do every good work God has planned for you to do from all eternity. He's also established referees (godly Elders and Shepherds, right down to godly Parents), to discipline us, help us stay within God's will.
I want to leave you with this question. How do you see your role? Are you faithfully working in God's vineyard, cultivating and bearing much fruit? Are you a builder in God's Kingdom, making one disciple after another, baptizing them, teaching them, growing them to their fullest potential? Are you a fan of Jesus or an actual follower of Jesus. Are you watching from the sidelines, or taking the ball up the field?
There's something Peter says in 1 Peter 2:4-5 worth closing with: He says, “As you come to [Jesus], a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Some of you are Finders, you are coming to Jesus for the first time. This whole game is new and confusing, but you know you want to be part of it. Some of you are Followers, you are “being built” to be a holy priesthood. The priesthood in Israel existed to bring people to God, and bring God to people. As a people, Israel was to bring God to the nations and the nations to God! Some of you are Flourishers… you aren't just “being” built, you’re doing the building. Regardless, for God's vineyard, building, church team to flourish… requires “spiritual sacrifices.” Let's celebrate the sacrifices made… but let’s roll up our sleeves even farther.