(By: Eddie Goodwin)

Chapter Three Summary:

Chapter three begins with an imaginary meditation reflecting the spirit of Psalm 80.  The authors trace out a miniature redemptive-historical snapshot of God’s purposes to bring new life to Israel.  This plan culminates with the coming of Christ and the commencement of the Spirit-empowered preaching of the gospel.

The vine metaphor of the book’s title, then, refers to “the Spirit-empowered word , spreading and growing throughout the world, drawing people out of the kingdom of darkness into the light-filled kingdom of God’s beloved Son, and then bearing fruit in their lives as they grow in the knowledge and love of God” (p. 37).  This is what God is doing in the world.

The chapter concludes with three implications derived from God’s mission which can be summarized under these statements:

1. God’s work in the world calls for a Christ-centered radicalism that abandons our own ambitions, etc. for the sake of the gospel.

 

2. The growth God is looking for is in people (as opposed to involvement, activities, newcomers, finances, church staff, buildings, etc.)

 

3. Christians must bring the Word to others.

 According to the authors, this is vine work.  Everything else is trellis…