Bad Fruit

Audio Recording

Sermon Outline

Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord

Isaiah 5:1-7  (ESV)
1 Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
    and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,
    that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
    why did it yield wild grapes?

5 And now I will tell you
    what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
    and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
    and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste;
    it shall not be pruned or hoed,
    and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
    that they rain no rain upon it.

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry!

Sermon Outline
Looking at ourselves from God’s perspective clarifies our need and helps us turn to God for life.

1. Where are you putting down roots?

  • v4  What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (vv1-2)

2. What do you observe being produced?

  • v2  …but it yielded wild grapes

  • v7  he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

  • v5  now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard

3. How can you change?

  • v1  Let me sing for my beloved

Prayer of Confession
Our wise and patient Father, we appeal to you for mercy.  We are guilty of idolatry.  We have tried to get life, meaning and satisfaction in things that have produced bad fruit in our lives.  We have ignored the signs of how unhealthy we are.  We cannot claim to be righteous or just.  Forgive every sin.  We turn to you, the only source of life.  Please do not hand us over to our sinful desires to reap the rotten fruit of our selfish arrogance.  Nourish us with your love and grace so that the life of Christ is in us, producing fruit consistent with repentance.  Amen.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How can we gain God’s perspective?  How do we learn what God sees, wants, is doing, etc.?

  2. What mistakes will we make when we judge everything based on our own experiences and personal understanding?  How are we prone to misunderstanding our lives and our world?  How are we prone to misunderstanding God?

  3. What happens if we take for granted all that God has provided for us?

  4. How do you try to find life in the world?  What do you seek after, devote yourself to, or are drawn to for fulfillment?

  5. Why do we act in ways that harm others?

  6. Why is it so hard to change bad behaviors?

  7. How is union with Christ a way of understanding the whole of the Christian life?

  8. Why is it crucial to receive the love of Christ on an on-going basis?  How can you remain aware of Christ’s love?

  9. How can love for Christ shape the whole of your life?

Read Ahead

Isaiah Sermon Series