In our previous study we considered the church from the standpoint of a temple, emphasizing the worship aspect of the church. In this article we look at the church from one final standpoint, that being the vineyard of God. When we study the church from the viewpoint of a vineyard we should be reminded that it is a field of labor. There are many lessons in the New Testament that show this.

First, one might consider the parable of the sower (Matt. 13) which shows the importance of sowing the seed which is the word of God (Lk. 8:11). This always precedes a harvest which is to come. When the church; those saved people, are busy about sowing the seed in the hearts of men, the harvest will come by way of more souls being added to the church.

In Matthew 21:28-31 there is the parable of the two sons. Here we have a father calling his sons to go work in his vineyard. Keep in mind Jesus' point is going to be the work of bringing souls into the kingdom of God (v. 31). The fact that the two sons were called to go work in the vineyard points to a place of labor. The place where the work was to be done was specified - "in my vineyard" (v. 28).

Then in Matthew 20:1ff there is the well known account of laborers in the vineyard. There Jesus plainly says that the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who had a vineyard. He went out and found laborers for that vineyard, some going to work early and others later. Both groups were then rewarded commensurate with what the owner of the vineyard had promised them. So we see a "double blessing" - the workers themselves were rewarded, and those that they brought in found themselves in a position of blessedness, for they too were workers in the vineyard.

Since God consideres his church from the standpoint of a vineyard, this in turn presupposes that he expects fruit to be borne. In John 15:1ff there is the account of the vine and the branches, with Jesus talking to his disciples. He made it clear - "every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away" (v. 2). When one becomes a member of the Lord's church and becomes a worker in his vineyard it is incumbent upon him to bring forth fruit for the Lord; to produce for him. God cannot use idlers and non-producing workers.

The fruit to be borne for God may take many different forms. Probably the first thing that comes on one's mind would be fruit in the form of others added to the Lord's vineyard; to his church. Every time a soul obeys the gospel, fruit is borne! That fruit may take the form of the development of godly traits in the life of the worker himself. In his writing to the churches of Galatia Paul called this the "fruit of the Spirit" (5:22-23). It may be in the form of growth in the Christian and those that he may influence for God. Peter talked about a desire for the milk of the word, which when consumed will bring growth. It may be in the form of a faithful abiding in Christ (John 15:5-7). The many ways for fruit to be borne in God's vineyard are too numerous to mention in this short space.

When one becomes a Christian, he is not only "added to the church" (Acts 2:47), but he should also understand tht he then has the obligation to consider himself part of the "work force" in the vineyard of the Lord! - Bill Moseley