Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture

Introduction

As students of the bible, sitting at it were at the feet of Jesus, taught by the Holy Spirit, we come to understand fundamental biblical truths.

It is what I like to call the “Main and the Plain”.

There are two such truths that run through every book of the bible.

From Genesis through Malachi, in the OT

And from Matthew through Revelations, in the NT.

These two truths are distinct, yet also inseparable.

Saved by Grace through Faith

The first truth is that we are saved by grace through faith.

Saved by grace alone throughFrom first to last.

Full stop

Grace is “God’s unmerited favour”.

It is a gift.

It is Unmerited.

And that gift is Jesus.

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To emphasis this truth, Paul basically says it twice in the space of three verses in .

Double emphasis.

Double Full stop.

The test of genuine faith is Obedience

If the first truth is that we are saved by grace through faith

The second inseparable main and plain truth is that the test of genuine faith is obedience.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

This is the biblical truth that makes us somewhat uncomfortable.

As it should.

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The test of genuine faith is our obedience.

Grace and Obedience.

The test of faith is Obedience.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

The importance of Fruit and God’s long suffering ...

Legalism nor Liberalism

We dare not, and must not, get these two truths out of balance.

For fear of drifting either into legalism or into liberalism.

Both are equally destructive, to our relationship with God, and to others.

We are saved by grace through faith.

And the test of genuine faith is obedience.

And the test of genuine faith is obedience.

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The parable of The Lord’s Vineyard Owner

I would suggest this is the main thrust of the parable of the Lord’s Vineyard.

But eventually time will run out.

Even today time is running out for many people.

Even today time is running out for many people.

We read it earlier.

This parable is recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).

Synoptic means “describing events in a similar way or “from a similar viewpoint” .

The gospel of John comes at things in a different way.

Jesus in Jerusalem

Jesus and his entourage are in Jerusalem.

Jesus destination, and Jesus destiny.

Jesus had recently made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

We read it in , ; ; .

And Jesus had just cleansed the Temple.

We read it in , ; , .

We are in the final week of Jesus earthly life.

Jesus at the Temple

His parents found him there as a boy after they lost him.

Jesus is at the Temple in Jerusalem.

His parents found him there as a boy after they lost him.

Remember that.

Jesus earthly life is drawing to a close and where is he again?

At the Temple.

And Once again He is with the religious leaders of the day.

But this time they are not amazed at him.

Jesus is Teaching

And Jesus is teaching.

Jesus is teaching the people.

Making the most of every opportunity

For surly those opportunities are drawing rapidly to a close.

Remove...

In this parable we have the entire story of the bible and the gospel.

It shows the Lord as Creator, Sustainer, Stewart, Sender, Redeemer and Judge.

The sun will soon set on this ministry.

The parable also implies that Jesus with his prophetic eyes, knew about His coming death and its manner (, , ), His coming resurrection, ascension and new church headship with the inclusion of other nations or people (, , ), and the destruction of Jerusalem and ultimately the destruction of all who refuse Him (, ).

The Vineyard

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The parable starts,

Mat

The owner of the vineyard here is an absentee Landlord, in the previous parable it is the Father of the two sons.

Only in Matthew do we find the parable of the two sons which also features a vineyard () preceding this parable.

The owner of the vineyard here is an absentee Landlord, in the previous parable it is the Father of the two sons.

Napa Valley.

Micro climate ideal.

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Vintage time or the season for the fruit, drew near.

Fruit is a recurring word and theme in this parable, used three times depending on translation.

See .

Fruit of repentance is also highlighted in .

This apples at an individual level but also as a church, just as Jesus spoke to the person, as he did the religious nation of Israel.

The Golden Vine

It is recorded in ancient writings about a remarkable Golden Vine in the Temple at Jerusalem during Jesus time.

One writers says, “A golden vine stood over the entrance to the sanctuary, trained over posts; and whosoever gave a leaf, or a berry, or a cluster as a freewill-offering, he brought it and the priests hung it thereon.”

This vine was so famous that even Tacitus (History 5.5) wrote about it.

While keeping the Passover in Jerusalem, Christ may also have alluded to this very feature of the Temple when he said in : “I am the true vine.”

Tacitus c. 56 – c. 120 AD), a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire wrote about it, as did Josephus, a first-century Romano-Jewish historian who was born in Jerusalem.

Titus Flavius Josephus 37 – c. 100),[2] was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly descent and a mother who claimed royal ancestry.