God's Garden and Temple

Ye are God’s cultivated field. The church is God’s garden. Israel was called a vineyard by the prophets. A farming operation is complex and involves much labor. There is preparing the field, sowing the seed, watering and cultivating, harvesting and storing. Farmers’ work very hard, but the farm is the thing. The success of the farmer depends upon the production of the field, and that can come from God alone. The church is God’s field. It does not belong to the minister or to the officers. What is the fruit of the church: the fruit is the work of the Spirit, sown by the Scriptures, bringing forth love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith—this is the fruit that God require of His field, and the end of all His labor.