Those That Keep the Vineyard

Q: What does the Bible say about the role of pastors in the church?

The Bible describes pastors as those given to lead, feed, and guide the church, acting as stewards of God's vineyard. According to Scripture, pastors are a gift from God who are appointed to shepherd His people. In Jeremiah 3:15, God promises, 'And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.' This role comes with the heavy responsibility of preaching the gospel of grace without compromise, delivering the message of life and salvation through Christ alone. Pastors are to diligently care for the church, described metaphorically as God's vineyard, which He has purchased with His own blood. The faithful discharge of their duties on behalf of God's elect is essential for the growth and health of the church, highlighting the importance of their ministry in God's overall plan.

Q: Why is the church compared to a vineyard in the Bible?

The church is likened to a vineyard to illustrate God's care, ownership, and the expectation of fruitfulness from His people. The metaphor of the vineyard is prevalent throughout Scripture, representing the church as the community of believers whom God has called and redeemed. In Song of Solomon 8:12, Solomon speaks of the church as a vineyard—the vineyard owned by Christ, who expects fruit from His planting. Just as a vinedresser tends to the vineyard, keeping it fruitful, likewise, God provides gifted men to care for His church. This representation emphasizes that the church belongs to Christ and is to be nurtured for His glory. Ultimately, the vineyard is to produce the fruit of righteousness, which reflects the transformative work of His grace in the lives of believers and glorifies God.

Q: How do we know that only faith in Christ leads to salvation?

Scripture affirms that salvation is found only in Christ, emphasizing faith in His work as the means to eternal life. The exclusive claim of Christ as the way to salvation is clearly outlined in passages such as John 14:6, where Jesus states, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' The message of the gospel consistently points to faith in Christ's finished work—His death and resurrection—as the sole means of reconciliation with God. This theme is reinforced throughout the New Testament, as seen in Ephesians 2:8-9, which teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, but as a gift from God, excluding any notion of human effort or merit. This foundational doctrine underscores the historic Reformed view that faith in Christ is essential for salvation, affirming the glory of God's grace in the life of the believer.

Q: Why must Christians honor their pastors?

Christians are called to honor their pastors as stewards of God's word and laborers for their souls. The New Testament encourages believers to honor those who labor among them in the gospel. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, Paul instructs the church to recognize and esteem those who work hard for their spiritual welfare: 'And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.' This honor is not due to the person but rather to the work they perform as God's servants—an acknowledgment of their labor and sacrifice in preaching the gospel. It fosters a spirit of unity and peace within the church, recognizing the weighty responsibility and challenges faced by pastors as they guide God's people. Therefore, supporting and honoring pastors is both a biblical mandate and a response to the love of God for His church.

Let's turn this afternoon to Song of Solomon, chapter 8. Song of Solomon, chapter 8, verses 11 and 12. My subject is those that keep the venue. I say without the least reservation that the greatest blessing God ever gives to a people in this world is a man who preaches the gospel of his free grace without compromise, without fear, and without favor, who proclaims to sinners the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ alone. I say without hesitation that the noblest, most awesome, heaviest responsibility in this world is that great blessed privilege of preaching the gospel to sinners in the name of Christ. The Lord's promise to his church is this, I will give you pastors according to mine own heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and with understanding. And when God grants that covenant blessing, his people are indeed blessed.

And with that in mind, let's read this text in the Song of Solomon, chapter 8, in verses 11 and 12. Solomon, the Lord Jesus, represented by Solomon, had a venue. The vineyard throughout this blessed song of loves is representative of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, throughout the scriptures, God's church in this world is described as his vineyard.

A vineyard that he has let out to husbandmen, to vinedressers, to those who care for the vineyard. The vineyard which he has purchased with his own blood, which he has planted in this world, the fruitfulness of which is by his own hand. He says, Solomon had a vineyard in Bethlehem. He led out the vineyard to keepers. Every one, that is, every one of the keepers, or the fruit thereof, was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. My vineyard, which is mine, is before me. Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

Now in the 11th verse, there's several things set before us clearly. The first is what I've already stated, that the church of God is our Lord's vineyard in this world, that from which he must and shall have his fruit. The church is that which he has planted, that which he has purchased with his own precious blood. Our Lord Jesus described this fruit, this vineyard, as being that which is pruned by the hand of God, that we may bring forth much fruit. This vineyard throughout the scriptures we are told has been let out by the Lord Jesus to certain gifted men called specifically by his purpose for the keeping of the vineyard. We have this parable of the vineyard in Matthew 20 where it is set forth in just that way and again in Matthew 21.

Gospel preachers then are those men who are the keepers of the vineyard. They are the Lord's rent gatherers. They gather and collect the fruit and bring it in to him. He said to his disciples, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth much fruit and that your fruit should remain.

Some of you here, I've been privileged of God to bring you as fruit to the master. Fruit that shall remain. fruit that will remain what you read just a little bit ago, Merle, righteousness will stand forever. His righteousness. That righteousness which stands forever is that which is given to you who believe by the grace of God through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the fruit gathered and brought in by these vine keepers, these dressers of the vineyard, this fruit is all the same. Notice this. He says, each one Everyone, for the fruit thereof, was to bring a thousand pieces of silver." Late last night, right before I went to bed, I read some things on this text of Scripture, and it just clicked so well for me. The fruit that is brought in by each one is exactly a thousand pieces of silver. Now, what on earth does that mean? It means just this. God's servants all have the same commission from God. They are all responsible to preach the gospel of God's free grace in Christ. That's the responsibility.

They have different gifts. They have different abilities. To outward appearance, the way we judge things by sight, that's the only way we can, they have differing measures of success. Some seem to have great success and some seem to have very little in this world. Some are highly honored in this world. Some are hardly even known in this world.

And yet, in the faithful and honest discharge of their work, those who preach the gospel of God's grace are so blessed by Him as to answer the end of all that God has ordained for their ministry in this world." That means just this, every one of God's servants are reckoned by Him Even the humblest and least gifted to bring in a thousand pieces of silver Just like the noblest and most highly honored so that they all bring their work before God Almighty and are accepted of him exactly the same Now if preachers could get hold of that they'd take care of a lot of jealousy.

I had a Someone call a while back Someone just asked the other day if I'd be interested in going somewhere. I said no. Some time back, somebody called and asked if I'd be interested in coming, considering pastoring a church. I said no. They said, well, what size church do you pastor? I said, oh, 35, 40 folks. I don't know. They said, well, we've got over 400. I said, that doesn't matter. Well, what do they pay you? I said, that doesn't matter either. Doesn't matter.

I'm where God put me. and being put where God put me, I do what God has given me to do. That's our responsibility. If we could get hold of that, God honors those who honor Him no matter how He's pleased that we honor Him. You understand that? So that our work that God's given us to do is received by Him exactly the same. Each one brings for the fruit a thousand pieces of silver. All right, now let me apply this text to you as believers. I've mentioned this just briefly, but it needs to be stated plainly. Every believer is, in a sense, one to whom the Lord God has entrusted the keeping of his danger. God has entrusted the keeping of your own soul to you. It's your responsibility, and you must keep your own soul.

The Lord says, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Take care, my brother, Take care, my sister, that you keep yourselves in the love of God. Keep your heart, watch over your heart. You say, but we have to be kept by God's grace. I know that, but you're responsible to keep yourself. We have to be kept in the love of God. I know that, but you have to keep yourself in the love of God. But we must be kept in the faith. I know that, but you must keep yourself in the faith. Keep your life for him as well. How can I impress upon us the necessity of honoring Him in all things?

I believe this is best. Gary Baker, you're not your own. You've been bought with a price. Is that enough? I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto the Lord. That's just the only thing that makes any sense. That's what Paul says, that's just your reasonable service. It's just reasonable that Merle Hart and Don Fort present themselves a living sacrifice constantly to God. That's just reasonable. He bought us. He called us. He saved us. He keeps us. He's bringing us to glory. He's made us his son. Now then, I would urge you also to faithfully keep to the work which he's put in your hands. Turn over to John chapter 21 for a moment.

I've been working this over a little bit the last few weeks in my mind. Every now and then I'll get a call or a letter or somebody will come by and want to encourage you to do something. You know, sometimes a fellow say, you know, they handle church business like they'd handle building a 7-Eleven store. And I said, if you'll raise so much money, then we'll raise so much. If you'll do this and I'll do that.

You do what God has for you to do and I'll do what God has me to do. Don't ask me. Don't come ask me if I'll help you do what God told you to do. The fact is believers are given their responsibilities and their opportunities. And it's my responsibility to do what God gives me the opportunity and ability to do and yours to do the same thing. And it's not my responsibility to get you to. I asked the other day, could you get somebody to sponsor this? I wouldn't ask anybody. If they had $50 million laying on the coffee table to sponsor anything. No, sir. No, sir. Why not?

God takes care of that. What do you do? Preach the gospel to folks. Tell folks what Christ has done for them. And encourage them to give themselves to him. I take care of business. I take care of stuff. Look here in John chapter 21. The Lord had just dealt with Peter. And old brother Peter, he's so much like me, I get a lot from him. The Lord had just restored him from his terrible fall. He had just come and brought him back into the blessed fellowship of his grace and his salvation and his knowledge. And he said, now Peter, feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. And when you get done, they're going to hang you upside down on a tree. And Peter looked at that and he saw John coming. Old Brother John, he never got into trouble for anything. He was always mild-mannered, kept his mouth shut.

He was that disciple described as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Now look at this in verse 20 of John 21. Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? And Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, what shall this man do? Now you told me what I'm going to do. What's John going to do? How's John going to serve you? And the Lord said, Peter, it ain't none of your business. That's exactly what it said. Look at the next line. Jesus saith unto him, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? I told you to follow me. Follow thou me. Now this is what I'm saying.

It is not your responsibility, nor is it mine, to watch out for what somebody else does. That's our problem. We spend most of our time and energy concerned about what somebody else is doing or not doing. So I've done my part. When you've given your life, you haven't done your part. I've given everything I am. Everything I have, my life, my family, everything. My soul, I'm an unprofitable servant. No, we haven't done our part. I get so, I get infuriated when I feel like I've done my part. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We haven't begun to do our part. You do what God gives you opportunity to do. And don't you worry about what somebody else does. God'll take care of it. God'll take care of it.

Serve the Lord where you are. And to serve the Lord where you are is to serve his people and his calls and his interest and his will where you are. And there's something you can do for which you're responsible. Something that you must do for Christ, for the good of his church, for the furtherance of his gospel that only you can do in the place where you are. So do it. Just get after it. So a preacher, what should I do? I leave that between you and God. I just leave that between you and God. But whatever it is, do it. Put your hand to it, do it with all your might. And then there are some who are given special talents, special responsibilities as keepers in the Lord's venue. With special talents come special responsibilities, but not special people.

We don't have any clergy or laity. Sometimes I'm kind of tempted to get one of those clergy stickers, put it on a car so I can park where I want to and not get a ticket, but we don't have any clergy or laity. There's not a barrier here between me and you. The only reason I'm standing up higher than you is because that's the way we built the auditorium. There's not any superiority in God's service.

One serves doing this, one serves doing that, and one serves doing what I'm doing. People of God are His servants. We're His servants. Now, I'm given the privilege and the responsibility of being one of the Lord's pastors, an under-shepherd, a keeper of the Lord's vineyard. But the Lord requires the same thing from me as He does from you.

Very same thing. He requires the same thing with Larry Chris, where you are, a welder, working over at UK, serving in this congregation. Bobby Estes, retired farmer and hunter, working right here in this congregation, requires the same thing. What does he require? Moreover, it is required in stewards. That's all we are, just stewards.

Let a man be found faithful. If Gary Baker and his wife Carla were to entrust to my care the execution of their will and their family take care of their sons should something happen to them prematurely in their understanding of things. And I assume the responsibility, honor requires that I faithfully execute your will. Honor requires it. Our God has entrusted to us his family, the keeping of his business, the care of his Rex, honor requires that we faithfully execute his will.

Isn't that reasonable? That's just reasonable. As a steward under God, this congregation is my vineyard. I speak plainly and honestly when I say my vineyard is before me. It is the vineyard to which God has given me his trust. This is the sphere of my responsibility. It's before me. always before me. There's never... I can honestly say this. There's never a waking hour, James Jordan, when you and the care of this church is not before me. Never a waking hour. Always before me.

I'm responsible for this statement. I'm not responsible for 13th Street Church in Ashland, or Todd's Road Church in Lexington, or Bible Badgers in Madisonville, or Rescue Badgers in Rescue, California. I am responsible for this day. I'm not responsible for what those brethren do. They are. I'm not responsible to get them to do things the way I do. I'm responsible for this day.

If I see another brother prospering more than I am, I'll thank God for his blessings on that apparent prosperity. But my vineyard is before me. And this is what I must look after. I don't desire another man's place or another man's work or another man's responsibility. This is what God's given me. Now then, what about you? Will we be faithful where God's put us, doing the work God has given us to do?

As we serve Him, this text declares also that there is great reward in the service of our Savior, in the care of his vineyard. Look at this. Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand. His is the great reward. His is the great honor. We trust each of us feels the necessity of this word must. Our Savior must have a thousand. He must have the fruit of his vineyard. He must receive all honor, all glory, and all praise from his church. We don't applaud ourselves for God's blessings on us.

I never will forget the first time this happened to me. I didn't reprove the folks because I know they didn't know any better. They were just trying to honor me. I didn't reprove them at the time. I did next service. I got done preaching and folks just started clapping. I wanted to crawl under a rug somewhere. I'm just God's messenger.

We don't applaud the preacher. We applaud the message. We applaud Christ and Him crucified. We must not exalt and magnify those who labor most zealously even in the kingdom of God, not even those who give most generously. People, they act like that, you know, you keep tabs on folks.

Sally and Bob sitting here, I don't ever want to look at books in this church, see who gives what. I don't want to know who gives more, who gives less. I don't care. And I sure don't want it to influence what I preach. We don't applaud folks for what they give, what they do.

We simply magnify Christ and His grace influence. We must not give glory and praise to the preacher or to the people as though somehow the Lord depends on us. Oh, no, no, no. We give glory and praise to Him whom we serve, for whose honor we are seeking His glory. He that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. No flesh shall glory in his presence.

And yet the keepers of the vineyard are here told that they too shall have their reward. And those that keep the fruit thereof, two hundred. Oh, now then, if we serve faithfully, then we're going to get bigger crowns than somebody else. No. If we give a lot, then we're going to have greater rewards than somebody else.

No. But the Lord does swear this, them that honor me, I will honor. There's not a law in the universe stronger than that, far more sure. But it darted, just as we honor God, he honors us in everything. Just as we despise him, he considers us likely. everything.

Read it for yourself, 1 Samuel 2 30. Each man and woman who faithfully serves the Lord Jesus Christ will find great reward in serving him. We sometimes look at our work, I've often commented with farmers, I think I've said this to Oscar, you know, there's just something rewarding and satisfying about working with your hands and doing things with your hands. And you look at your works, that's gratifying. Let's gratify it. Buddy, build little cars and stand back. Man, there's some gratification in that. Listen to me now. Our souls themselves are profited by faithfulness to Christ.

What could be more profitable to your soul than faithfully worshiping Him? What could be more profitable to your soul than faithfully giving yourself to Him? What could be more profitable to your soul than faithfully seeking His will, His honor, and His glory?

Such men and women who are honoring to Christ should be highly esteemed also by those who profit by their labors. So that if God's pleased to take you, some word you speak, some thing that you give or do by which you benefit folks, and often at the time it's done, you're not even aware you're doing anything, so fantastic. but those people who profit, oh, how they'll honor those who profit their souls. Those who are faithful gospel preachers are to be rewarded for their labors by those for whom they labor as well.

Turn over to 1 Thessalonians 5. And I say this not just with regard to your pastor. I say this because I want you to have this regard for every faithful gospel preacher. I don't have the problem that some pastors have, and I'm so thankful to God for his grace to you. In this congregation, you give great esteem to your pastor and those who preach the gospel. But be careful that you do to every faithful gospel preacher, not just me, any man who's faithful to the cause of Christ, honor him as he ought to be honored.

Look at 1 Thessalonians 5. We beseech you, brethren, To know them which labor among you. Try to understand what they have to do. And the word labor is properly used. The work of the ministry is a labor of soul. And you who hear the word and profit by the word need to understand that. I realize that For many, preaching and pastoring is a light, easy thing, and involves no labor at all, but not for a man who's worth his salt. The work of the ministry involves labor, labor of soul, of heart, and of mind. And I'll make this statement without any hesitancy at all. There's not a man in this congregation any week of any year in the 19 years I've been here who spends more time laboring at his work than I do at mine. Not one. Why? Because this is what God's given me to do. Your soul's worth it and his honor's worth it. The gospel we seek to preach is worth it.

So those who labor among you, know them. And know who they are who are over you in the Lord and admonish you. and esteem them very highly in love, not for their person's sake. You know, you wouldn't have to go far to find somebody better looking than I am, more charming than I am, or smarter than I am. That's not the reason. The reason for the esteem is for their work's sake. And just to the degree that you do, be at peace among yourselves.

Find me a congregation where God's servant is honored, where his servants around the world are honored, and I'll show you a congregation that walks in peace. Find me a congregation where that's not so, and I'll show you a congregation that's in constant turmoil. One of the old writers, I don't know who he was, made this observation.

He said, where Christ gets his due among the people, there and there only do his servants get their due. Where Christ is heartily received, the feet of them that bring glad tidings will be beautiful. Where Christ gets his thousand, his servants will have their two hundred.

Those who preach the gospel are to be highly esteemed, and they are to live by the gospel. They are to be generously supported and maintained by their congregations. This is the reason I don't have any hesitancy to say to you Men and women of this congregation, with regard to our missionary brethren and others, when cause comes up where the need arises, I call on you to give. I don't hesitate to call on you and myself to give sacrificially so that these men be supported in the work which God's called them to do. Because it is our responsibility and our privilege, and to put it selfishly, Merle, it's to our advantage. that those who preach the gospel not be distracted with anything else, so that they may give themselves to the ministry of the Word.

It is written in the Law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Does God care for oxen? Oh, no. Or says He had altogether for our sakes. For our sakes, no doubt this is written, that he that plows should plow in hope, and they that thresh and thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we've sown unto you spiritual things, it's no great thing if we reap your carnal things. That's no profound thing. The apostle says, let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things. This 200, which is the reward of God's service, certainly includes those chosen redeemed sinners who are converted by the Spirit of God under the influence of his preachers.

Paul said, what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of the Lord? Maybe I better say no more in this regard. Paul said, you are our glory and our joy. God's servants labor for two things, just two things. They want two things, only two things as a result of their labor, the glory of Christ and the salvation of God's elect. And I'm going to tell you something, we're going to have it. We're going to have what we seek. We're going to have his glory. And blessed be God, in time comes we'll present People called by God's grace through the preaching of the word through these lips present them holy, unblameable, and unreprovable before the presence of God.

This 200 shall be the full possession and compensation of every servant of God in eternal glory. Oh, here God's servants seem to come far short of this great glorious possession. Poverty, disrespect, and reproach are often the common lot of faithful gospel preachers in this world.

But there is a day coming. Listen to this prophecy from Daniel. There is a day coming when they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. Those who by the hand of God's providence and the hand of God's grace, by the power of his spirit, are instruments to turn many to righteousness, shall shine forever and ever as the stars of heaven.

Therefore, Paul was able to say, I am now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished my course. I've kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.

But this is not something special just for me. All of God's servants are going to get it. Everyone of them. All who are keepers of his vineyard, even you and me. Not for me only, but unto all them also, that love is appearing. May God make us then faithful servants. in the keeping of His venue for the gathering of His fruit to present it to Him for His glory. Amen.

Those That Keep the Vineyard

What does the Bible say about the role of pastors in the church?

Why is the church compared to a vineyard in the Bible?

How do we know that only faith in Christ leads to salvation?

Why must Christians honor their pastors?

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Those That Keep the Vineyard

What does the Bible say about the role of pastors in the church?

Why is the church compared to a vineyard in the Bible?

How do we know that only faith in Christ leads to salvation?

Why must Christians honor their pastors?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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