What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done
for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
Isaiah 5:4
1. Prepare for the sermon, “God’s Lavished Grace
Tragically Rendered Fruitless” by reading and
meditating on Isaiah 5. This week’s recommended
memory verse is underlined.
Isaiah 5
The Song of the Vineyard
1 I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it
and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard
than I have done for it?
When I looked for good grapes,
why did it yield only bad?
5 Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and briers and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds
not to rain on it."
7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are the garden of his delight.
And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
Woes and Judgments
8 Woe to you who add house to house
and join field to field
till no space is left
and you live alone in the land.
9 The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing:
"Surely the great houses will become desolate,
the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine,
a homer of seed only an ephah of grain."
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning
to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
till they are inflamed with wine.
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
tambourines and flutes and wine,
but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD,
no respect for the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people will go into exile
for lack of understanding;
their men of rank will die of hunger
and their masses will be parched with thirst.
14 Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite
and opens its mouth without limit;
into it will descend their nobles and masses
with all their brawlers and revelers.
15 So man will be brought low
and mankind humbled,
the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
16 But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice,
and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;
lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, "Let God hurry,
let him hasten his work
so we may see it.
Let it approach,
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come,
so we may know it."
20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
and champions at mixing drinks,
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.
24 Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw
and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay
and their flowers blow away like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty
and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore the LORD's anger burns against his people;
his hand is raised and he strikes them down.
The mountains shake,
and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
26 He lifts up a banner for the distant nations,
he whistles for those at the ends of the earth.
Here they come,
swiftly and speedily!
27 Not one of them grows tired or stumbles,
not one slumbers or sleeps;
not a belt is loosened at the waist,
not a sandal thong is broken.
28 Their arrows are sharp,
all their bows are strung;
their horses' hoofs seem like flint,
their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.
29 Their roar is like that of the lion,
they roar like young lions;
they growl as they seize their prey
and carry it off with no one to rescue.
30 In that day they will roar over it
like the roaring of the sea.
And if one looks at the land,
he will see darkness and distress;
even the light will be darkened by the clouds.
2. Pray for all those who will be leading us in worship.
Please pray that each and every person in leadership will have a God-centered focus,
that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus lead with spiritual zeal and joy.
Pray for God to be at work in their lives, so they may be filled to overflowing when they
lead us on Sunday.
Preaching: Andrew Davis
Leading Music: Eric Campbell, Worship Choir and Orchestra
Leading Prayer: Andrew Davis, Don Dapprich, Chris Bowen
Reading Scripture: Landis Barnes
Supporting the Service in Prayer: Hatcher/Dixon/Carroll Home Fellowship
Translating the Service into Spanish: Herbert Rivera
3. Note key lines from the psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we will be singing.
“Lord, for the Gift of Children” 508
Lord, for the gift of children
We come to give You praise;
We bring them here before You
As they begin their days.
“Salvation Belongs to Our God”
Salvation belongs to our God
Who sits upon the throne,
And unto the Lamb;
Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
Honor and power and strength
Be to our God forever and ever, Amen.
“I Stand in Awe”
You are beautiful beyond description,
Yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction,
Cut off that I might enter in.
“Amazing Grace” 330
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” 144
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
“Oh, I Want to Know You More” (solo)
Oh, I want to know You more,
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You,
To feel Your heart and know Your mind,
Looking in Your Word stirs up within me
Cries that say I want to know You.
Oh, I want to know You more.
4. Pray for all our parents that will be dedicating themselves and their children on Sunday.
We will be participating in the dedication of 20 children and their families on Sunday! Please pray for them, noting the list of names below.
Nathan Long Abels
Born September 25, 2006 to Steven and Samantha Abels
Abel James Batchelor
Born September 4, 2007 to James and Sonya Batchelor
Owen Wisdom Carroll
Born April 15, 2008 to D’Arcey and Eadie Carroll
Caden Philips Densmore
Born December 8, 2006 to Charlie and Marnie Densmore
Jacob Alexander Dupree
Born January 17, 2008 to Jonathan and Misty Dupree
William Alexander Edmonds
Born May 5, 2008 to Matthew and Natasha Edmonds
Angela Erkezhan Handy
Born April 2, 2008 to Wesley and Zhanara Handy
Matthew Edward Hodges, Jr.
Born January 14, 2008 to Matthew and Zinnada Hodges
Joseph Adoniram Johnson
Born October 24, 2007 to Joshua and Kami Johnson
Michael William Kaufman
Born June 21, 2007 to Eric and Lori Kaufman
Parker Francis Lastowski
Born September 17, 2007 to Kenny and Mary Lastowski
Eliza Harper Logan
Born September 8, 2007 to Wells and Mandi Logan
Felicity Yewaleshet Martin
Born April 13, 2007 daughter of Paul and Miranda Martin
Benjamin Ian Maurer
Born July 24, 2007 to Bernard and Jennifer Maurer
Joshua Wayne Pratt
Born November 5, 2007 to Gavin and Julie Pratt
Gabriel Haddon Rhino
Born March 22, 2006 to Mikal and Alyson Rhino
Phoebe Annalyse Rhino
Born August 21, 2007 to Mikal and Alyson Rhino
Matthew Wayne Riley
Born October 27, 2007 to Duncan and Kathy Riley
Xander Jacob Tzendzalian
Born July 13, 2007 to Peter and Kristin Tzendzalian
Braden Rogers Winn
Born April 12, 2008 to Andy and Elisa Winn
Also, I thought it might be helpful to state here what Parent-Child Dedication is, and what it is not.
What it is...
1. A signpost along a journey, signifying the beginning of the child’s pilgrimage of Christian nurture, coming with the expectation that that this child will mature within the nurturing context of church and family, in preparation for the time when he or she will profess faith in Christ, repent of sins, and be baptized
2. Acknowledges human depravity and sinfulness from birth (Proverbs 22:15 “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…”), and that there will be a need for evidenced repentance and faith in the child before the child will be ready for believer’s baptism
3. A public testimony by the parents of their intent to raise their children in the Christian faith
4. An opportunity for parents to signify their solidarity with the whole church and their commitment to its mission and purpose, a commitment which they hope and intend to instill in their children
What it is not...
1. Does not accomplish regeneration or establish the child’s spiritual position in Christ
2. Is not an ordinance of the church, commanded of our Lord like the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, but it is done with biblical precedent (see Luke 2:21-40, 1 Samuel 1:24-28, Matthew 19:13-14, etc.)
3. Is not just a baby dedication, but a parent-child dedication, since the bulk of the responsibility is on the parent for discipleship and instruction
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
“Care must be shown in acknowledging the difficulty of this worship experience for some worshippers. For couples unable to have children, this service can be a stark reminder of their childlessness. For single adults who would like to be married and have children, this day can be painful. For adults who grieve the loss of an infant or distress of a handicapped child, there is possible alienation. Experienced parents who feel like failures may feel guilt for their lost chance or envy toward the new parents for their fresh start. These mixed feelings must be acknowledged...”
[Franklin M. Segler, Understanding, Preparing for, and Practicing Christian Worship, 201]
May the Lord bless you as you prepare for the Lord's Day!
Eric Campbell
Minister of Worship
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