01/19/25 Mark 12:1-12 Consequences of Rejecting God's Authority

Sh e for e [Music] you so [Music] so [Music] for e you good morning hopefully your body temperature is warming up I see a lot of layers of coats and vests and that's a good thing we'll trust the Lord that we'll continue to get warm as we Fellowship together this morning I have a couple of announcements that I would like to highlight for your attention I mentioned it for the first time last week but March 23rd to the 29th alen and Debbie will be leading a team with Missouri disaster relief to North Carolina in fellowship with North Carolina Baptist disaster relief and if you are interested in going with them and being a part of that team please see them alen I thought he was here yeah he's in the back or see Diana scogan and we'll get you the information you need in addition to that coming up March 7th to the 88th there'll be an opportunity for disaster relief training and then it'll be again repeated in April on the 4th and 5th this training is not required for this hurricane hel Helen trip but it would be helpful if the Lord so puts that on your heart to be equipped for future disaster relief trips one other announcement today is the final day to sign up for supper six and I would highly recommend if you've not done that already to please do so this platform offers you an opportunity to even get closer with your brothers

And sisters than you're able to in community group or here in morning worship and obviously when there's food involved all kind of good things happen there's a card in front of you it's our way of connecting with you if you have a prayer request or if you're a firsttime visitor if you have a question this is the tool that you'll use for that I would also invite you if you have signed up for the newsletter on email and you're not receiving it to check your spam folder if you've not signed up for it please do so because there's way more information then we're able to share with you on a Sunday morning now as we enter further into worship I would invite you to close your eyes and let's prepare our hearts father God I thank you and praise you that we get to be here this morning thank you for this facility that gives us warmth and the place to meet together Lord I Thank You for Your word for the many opportunities we get to open it and to enjoy it and to learn from you I thank you for our teachers in kids quest in community groups and youth all these different places Lord your word is being lifted up and I pray that you would just continue to remove everything in us that does not reflect the image of your son the Lord Jesus I pray that now Lord as we just begin with music with worshiping you that Lord you would just quiet our hearts that you would help us to be still and to glean every part that we can out of this service that would draw us closer to you and that it would equip us for the week ahead no matter what comes our way I pray for the worship team for Cody for all the different ones participating in worship this morning that Lord you would just be high and lifted up through them all and that you would be

Glorified we ask this now in your name amen I would invite you to stand now as we continue in worship [Music] to God be the glory great things he done so Lov he the world that he gave us his son who yielded his life and atonement for S and the light gate that all may go praise the pra the let the Earth his voice praise the Lord praise the Lord let the people rejo oh come to the father through Jesus the son and give him the glory great things he has done oh perfect Redemption the purchase of blood to every belever the promise of God the V offender who truly believe that moment from Jesus ofart and praise the praise the let the Earth his praise the praise the let the people rejo come to the father through Jesus the son and give him the glory great things he has done great things he has taugh us great things he has done and great our rejoicing through Jesus the son but pure and higher and greater will be our Wonder our transport when Jesus we see the praise the let the Earth his praise the Lord praise the Lord let the people rej oh come to the father through Jesus the son and give him the glory great he has [Music] [Applause] done gra God's Grace Grace the world paren and within Grace Grace God Grace Grace that is greater than all our s marous grace of our loing Lord Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt y on Cal Mount up there the blood of the Lamb was buil prise praise God praise and with gra God Grace Grace that is greater than all our sin dark is the St that we canot hide what canil to wash it away look there is flowing a crimson T

Darker than sow you may be today gra God gra the will pardon and CLE within Grace gra God Grace Grace that is greater than all our [Music] marous infinite matchless grace freely bestow all who believe you that are longing to see his face will you this moment his grace receive Grace Grace God Grace Grace to paron and cleans with PR God PR gra that iser all [Applause] our good morning church my name is Nick Keller and I'm one of the deacons here at First Baptist Church and all right stand over here maybe okay so can you hear me all right so this morning we're about to do offering and so I would like to just pray and glorify God with and worship him through our giving today so if you would bow with me Father we just come to you today Lord we thank you for the freedom to come and worship here freely Lord we want to continue worshiping you through our giving today Lord and that Lord that we use your offerings and tithes as of as a responsible and that we use it in a way that would glorify you father so Lord allow the people here to look into their hearts and see what you would have them to give and that they are obedient and Lord that we are obedient as a church to use your TI and offering in a way that glorifies you and we pray this in the name of your son Jesus amen all right I have something I'd like to read here so how does God execute his decrees so in Isaiah 46 8-10 says remember this and stand firm recall it to mind you transgressors remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things

Not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose also Daniel 4:35 all the inhabitants of the Earth are accounted as nothing and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitant of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him what have you done Ecclesiastes 3:11 he has made everything beautiful in his time in its time also he has put eternity into man's heart yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end all right [Music] [Applause] [Music] should nothing of our stand no Legacy Sur unless the Lord do raise the house in rain it Builder stri to you who V tomorrow's G tell me what is your life a vanishes Dawn oh glory be to Christ oh glory be to Christ Our King all glory be to Christ his R and rain will ever sing all glory be to Christ his will be done his kingom come on earth that is above who is himself Our Daily Bread Praise Him the Lord Of Love let Living Waters satisfy the Thirsty with chist we'll take a cup of kindness all glory be to Christ all glory be to Christ Our King Christ his Rule and rain will ever sing all glory be to [Music] Christ when all the day The Great I Am the faithful and the true the L who was for S he is making all things new Behold our God shall live with us

And our and we shall his people all glory be to Christ all glory be to Christ Our King Christ his Rule and re will ever sing all glory be to Christ oh glory be to Christ Our King oh Christ his Ro and rain will ever sing all glory be to Christ what gift of Grace is Jesus My Redeemer there is no for heaven now to give he is my joy my righteousness and freom my steadfast love my deep and boundless peace to this I hope my hope is only Jesus for my life is Holy bound to his oh how strange and divine I can sing all is mine yet not I but through Christ [Music] me the night is dark but I am not forsen for by my side the Savior he will St I labor on in weakness and rejoicing for in my need his power is display to this I call my shepherd will defend me through the deepest valley he will leave oh the night has been one and I shall overcome yet not I but through Christ in [Music] no F I dread I know I am forgi the future sure the price it has been paid for Jesus fled and suffered for my paron and he was raised to overthrow the grave to this I hope my sin has been defeated Jesus now and ever is my all the chains are released I can sing I am it not I but through Christ in me with every breath I long to follow Jesus for he has said that he will bring me

Home and day by day I know he will renew me until I stand with joy Before the Throne to this I hope my hope is only [Music] Jesus all the glory ever to him when the race is complete still my lips shall not I but through Christ in me to this I hope my hope is only Jesus all the glory ever to him when the race is compl still my lips shall repeat and not I but through Christ in me when the race is complete still my lips shall repeat yet not I but through Christ in me yet not I but through Christ in me [Applause] Lord prise you because it's not about us Lord we praise you because it's all about you in us we think some days that we are in control we think some days that we have it all together but we don't so we thank you that you are not only control of the world of the people around us but you're in control of our destiny and our eternity we thank you for this day we thank you for our brothers and sisters that are gathered together with us today and we just pray for your word that we're going to hear that we would just consume it that we would be open and honest before you and have soft Hearts amen you may be seated I don't know about you guys but that really ministered to my heart and so thank you worship team a team y'all do a great job week in and week out so thankful to be here with you healthy and we've been in this little Series in The Book of Mark for about 40 weeks now and but we've been talking about recently about

Authority and today we're we're looking at Mark 12 so if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn to the Book of Mark chapter 12 we're we're going to be in a parable there before I do that Miss Cheryl happy birthday to you and so if y'all see her be sure to hug her I think which one was it was it James or Hunter Malachi is it Hunter Hunter it's your birthday tomorrow so happy birthday to you as well hey but Mark 12 is where we're going to be today it's a unique Parable because most of Jesus's Parables were taught for his disciples benefit and understanding in Mark chapter 12 oh I guess probably need to turn this on Mark chapter 12 Mark chapter 4 excuse me it says and he said to them to you talking about his disciples has been given the secret of the kingdom of God but for those outside everything is imparable so that they may indeed see but not perceive May indeed hear but not understand lest they should turn and be forgiven and yet in this Parable that we're going to look at today it is clear that Jesus he is teaching against those that wouldn't submit to his rightful Authority sometimes this Parable is called the parable of the tenants or the parable of the farmers parable of the F Vine Growers I like to call it the wicked tenants because these men are wicked and evil people just like you and I were before we met Christ if you've ever been a renter or rented you know that there is a difference in that relationship between yourself and a landlord right Amber she rented in college she had two other roommates and there were there were things that they could do and some things that they couldn't do and things that they had to do like for example they had to mow the yard right they could not paint in the house they had to make sure that the place was clean

They could not throw parties right those were things that they had to do and they couldn't do because there was an authority that was over them history is filled with lots of people that rebelled against authorities one of the most famous is AES of tracus AES he was the one that betrayed the Spartans at the Battle of thermop he's the one that showed the Persians the Hidden Mountain past where they could outflank king leonitis and the troops that were there and so the question is of course why did he do it and Herodotus who was a Greek historian he said that U Ailes he wanted to get a lot of riches he had great personal gain that he took a chance to try to gain and of course the King of Persia he didn't give him any Treasures why would he do that to someone that was treacherous he didn't get any reward from Xerxes for his betrayal and there were many people that have behaved treasonous against the Lord many of us are sitting right here in this room now as worshipers amen there are many people that have done that there are many though that continue to seek to rebel against the Lord given any opportunity to submit to him they hate to think that God should have any Authority in or over their lives and in our passage today we're going to look at four truths and the warning that Christ provides if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read Mark 12 veres 1-2 God's word it says this and Jesus began to speak to them in parables a man planted a Vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower and leased it to tenants and went into another country when the season came he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard and they took him and beat him and sent him away

Empty-handed again he sent to them another servant and they struck him on the head and treated him sham Y and he sent another and him they killed and so with many others some they beat some they killed he still had one other a beloved Son finally he sent him to them saying they will respect my son but those tenants said to one another this is the air come let us kill him and The Inheritance will be ours and they took him and killed him threw him out of the vineyard what will the owner of the vineyard do he will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others have you not read this Scripture the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes and they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people for they perceived that he had told the parable against them so they left him and went away pray so Lord we do thank you for this time that we get to have together to sit under your word we pray that would be the chief Authority in our lives above everything else all the things that V for our attentions all the responsibilities that we have all the duties that we have to perform Lord we pray that above everything else that your word and your spirit would have full Authority and Reign Over our hearts Lord teach us how to be submissive to you in greater and in more tangible ways God we pray that you would take areas of rebellion that may be in our lives God and bring them under your Authority this day father we do want to lift up to you the many people that are sick in our church Lord we want to continue to lift up to you the Johnson's and we thank you for them and their Ministry we want to continue to lift up to you Steve Warren and pray for healing for him and God for the many others that we

Know and that we love we just lift them up to you and we just ask that you would continue to work in their lives father grant us Grace to hear and understand your word today in Jesus name amen well in the first section of this Parable Christ he introduces a bunch of different characters in this story first thing person that's introduced is a man and this man represents the father now the father is the Creator and the sustainer of all things and he is the one that prepares a Vineyard The Vineyard is important because it represents Israel in the Old Testament if someone were sitting there and they were to hear this story clearly Jesus is comparing Israel to a Vineyard in Isaiah 5 God he speaks in a warning to the people here's what it says let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his Vineyard my beloved has a Vineyard on a very fertile Hill he dug it and cleared it of stones and planted it with Choice Vines he built a watchtower in the midst of it and hewed out a wine vat in it and he looked it for it to yield grapes but it yielded wild grapes and now oh inhabitants of Jerusalem and Men of Judah Judah judge between me and my Vineyard what more was there to do for my Vineyard that I have not done in it when I looked for it to yield grapes why did it yield wild grapes and now I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard I will remove its hedge and it shall be devoured I will break down its wall and it shall be trampled down you see some parallels in there that Christ points to notice that it's God that does the work in preparing the nation of Israel that is the vineyard of God he's the one who puts in the fence he's the one that digs the pit that pit is a two- sectioned vat where where grapes would be crushed and the juices would fall down and be collected to be placed into wine skins where it would ferment into real wine now there's a

Tower that is built as well from there people they would they would watch from their posts to see if there were like wild animals that might be sneaking into the vineyard to like foxes in that area they have a habit of digging up the roots of the of the vines and causing extreme damage and property loss or perhaps thieves would try to come in and steal the grapes and Isaiah God he spoke against the nation of Israel and he says that you would expect that these these good grapes Choice Vines would bear really great and incredible grapes Jed mathany of course you know he owns the vineyard out there and he you know the grapes are huge and they're really really really sweet grapes you can't get these grapes at the grocery store they're incredible chalk full of sugar right these grapes that are translated here as wild grapes in the Hebrew it's understood as stinking things okay they were useless sour grapes but in Parable the Judgment doesn't go toward the vineyard but against the tenants that are leased to it those tenants are the nation's spiritual leaders specifically the chief priests the scribes and the elders these tenants they are not the owners of the vineyard they're Farmers Farmers that have agreed to work and operate under the authority of the one they've leased it from that they would do the work as a hired person they would keep at least half of the goods produced and the other amount is given to the owner that's how leases worked back in first century Judea now remember these are hired men and they have a lease and they're not the owners they're like the hirelings that Jesus talked about in John chapter 10 he who is a Hired Hand and not a Shepherd who does not own the Sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees the wolf snatches him and scatters them he flees because he is a Hired Hand

And cares nothing for the Sheep the leaders they really aren't invested in the vineyard for the vineyard's sake they just simply want fruit and they want the fruit for themselves well Jesus continues telling this Parable and he says that the owner went away into another country and he remained there for a long time according to levitical law the first four harvests from a Vineyard could not be taken by anyone okay and then the fifth fruit bearing year was holy to the Lord so for five years these men have been laboring and working the vineyard and it's not like they forgotten that they're tenants right the Harvest is coming and suddenly a man appears on the road walking toward their Vineyard he's from the owner he's from the one that made the V Vineyard and he has come to receive the promised fruit on behalf of the owner well they don't like that too much and so what do these evil and wicked men do well let's look at verse three it says and they took them and beat them and sent them away empty-handed now if that were me and I was the owner and I was going to go and receive my rightful inheritance for all that fruit that would be the end of it I would cast them out of the vineyard and I'd find some other people but if you're taking notes write this down if you like taking notes that God is persistently patient over and over and over again God he sent his servants to Israel to preach the word in spite of all of the abuses that they suffered listen to what the word says they were stoned they were sa in two they were killed with the sword they went about in skins of sheep and goats destitute Afflicted mistreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth remember that Elijah he fled from Jezebel Into the Wilderness because she swore that

She would kill him Isaiah according to tradition was on in half by King manasse Zechariah the prophet was stoned to death in the temple courts 2 Chronicles 24:21 but they conspired against him and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord God's Own prophet and each time God he sent another messenger another Prophet another fresh Revelation from the Lord and the people instead of being open they hardened their hearts and notice that the violence it increases over time and until it gets to literally the most recent Prophet John the Baptist who was beheaded and his head served on a platter we must not ever assume that people want God the fact is that given the opportunity to kill him they will because that's what we did humanity is evil to its very core even the self-righteous Pharisees who seemed to love the Lord with all their heart soul mind and strength were responsible for killing Christ himself you see it's clear from these tenants actions that they wanted to keep everything for themselves they wanted the fruit they assumed you know what maybe the owner is dead that's why they expected to get an inheritance out of this that's why we haven't seen him in so long and then the son of the master is sent that's Jesus he even describes the owner's son as a beloved Son you have to wonder if any of the scribes or the Pharisees they observed Jesus's baptism they always had people around at that time watching this new spiritual teaching that John the Baptist was constantly preaching about everyone in Israel was going to listen to at that time a voice thundered from the sky God's Own voice this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased

At the Transfiguration God again spoke this is my beloved Son listen to him and now these men they thought perhaps these Messengers they're probably trying to settle property issues after the owner's death that's the motivator behind murdering the son is that they wanted the proceeds they wanted God's rightful position and that's how they would inherit it and in three days this is exactly what would happen they would take the son before the authorities and he would be put to death and they would even arrange for it to be done outside the city and yet we still see God patiently displaying the message of his love over and over again to humanity and time and again they hate The Messengers Martin Luther he once said that if I were God and the world treated me as it treated him I would kick The Wretched thing to Pieces but God is patient and instead of turning his back on the world he sends dozens of his servants and he sent his son Spurgeon this is what he said if you reject him he answers you with tears if you wound him he bleeds out cleansing if you kill him he dies to redeem if you bury him he rises again to bring Resurrection Jesus is Love made manifest but notice this as well that God's patience will not endure forever God is so patient with Sinners Like Us the Greek word is macro thas macro meaning long thas meaning passion or temper it's translated as longsuffering in many places but you should know that God's patience will not last forever Romans Chapter 2 veres 4-5 it says or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance but because of your hard and impenitent heart you were storing up wrath for yourself on the day of Wrath when God's righteous judgment will be

Revealed you know we know in the pre flood world it was it was just full of evil God he said that the hearts of mankind was only evil continually in God he had Grace on Noah and God was patient for nearly 75 years God waited to destroy the Earth in the flood while Humanity continued to descend into deeper and greater forms of depravity 75 years the truth is that God's Vineyard Israel was entrusted to the leaders of the Jews and they rebelled every time they had a dangerous form of self-righteousness that was based off of their works and their obedience to the law rather than standing in the grace of God you see Israel Israel didn't receive the law and then was delivered out of Egypt no they were delivered out of Egypt and then they received the law it is from a heart of joy and salvation that we are called to obey Christ we shouldn't think for a moment that somehow our obedience justifies Us in his sight we look at Abraham the Bible says that Abraham believed the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness and that was years before he even took on the sign of circumcision and I think that if we if we believe that our obedience somehow makes us more acceptable to God on the basis of Salvation then we've completely missed the truth of the Gospel it's deliverance and then obedience from a heart of love but God's patience won't endure forever one day you and I will pass from this life and what will matter is what did you do with Jesus Christ and we ask that question at the very beginning of our Series in Mark what will you do with Jesus do you reject him do you despise him or do you joyfully give him the fruit of your life the third point if you're taking

Notes is that you will face judgment if you reject God's son Mark 12:9 what will the owner of the vineyard do he will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others I don't want to be too controversial especially in our time but I do want to be Biblical here and the vineyard was passed to others that destruction was fulfilled in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and I do not believe for a second that there are two peoples of God the Bible never never says that it says that there there is neither Jew nor Greek slave nor free male nor female but we are one in Christ Jesus and the church is the bride of Christ God doesn't have two wives he does not have two people it is Israel of the flesh that is Israel but those that walk that is not Israel but those who walk by faith that are part of true Israel that's what Paul he teaches in Romans chap 11 so I asked did they stumble talking about Israel they in order that they might fall by no means rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous talking about the people of that Nation now if their trespass means riches for the world and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles how much more will their full inclusion mean this means that anyone who comes to Christ can be saved now I'm speaking to you Gentiles in as much then as I am Apostle to the Gentiles I magnify my Ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them for if their rejection means reconciliation of the world what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead if the dough offered as first fruits is Holy so is the whole lump and if the root is Holy so are the branches but if some of the branches were broken off and you although a wild Olive Shute were grafted

In among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the Olive Tree do not be arrogant toward the branches if you are remember that is not you who support the root but the root that supports you then you will say the branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in that's true they were broken off because of their unbelief what did they do with Jesus they were broken off because of their unbelief but you stand fast through faith so do not become proud but fear for if God did not spare the natural branches neither will he spare you note then the kindness and the severity of God kindness toward those who have fallen but God's kindness to you provided you continue in his kind kindness otherwise you too will be cut off and even they if they do not continue in their unbelief will be grafted in for God has the power to graft them in again for if you were cut from what is by nature a wild Olive Tree engrafted contrary to Nature into a cultivated Olive Tree how much more will these the natural branches be grafted back into their own Olive Tree and that is why we pray for the nation of Israel we want them to see the Messiah we want them to know Jesus Christ because that's the big question what will you do with Jesus Christ the point that Jesus is making here to the chief price the scribes and the elders is that he knows their hearts he knows their plan he knows that they want to kill them kill him this action on the part of the wicked tenant it shows it reveals the sheer a death ity of their actions the priests and the scribes and the elders they would all look at this situation that Jesus is talking about and they would say there's no way someone would be this stupid there's no way that a the owner of a Vineyard would send messenger after messenger after messenger after messenger and then

Send his son to a bunch of people that just beat up and killed everyone that he had sent there's no way that the owner would do that there's no way that those men would have the audacity to Rebel and to do those kind of actions and yet that's exactly what they did in the in Matthew's Gospel they actually agree with Jesus it says when therefore Jesus talking here the owner of the Vineyard comes what will he do to those tenants and they that's talking about the chief priests the scribes and the elders they said to him he will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their Seasons this completely unrealistic behavior is exactly what happens none of us would send dozens of Messengers to go and get killed none of us would send a beloved Son to a people that had killed many of our own Messengers and yet this completely absurd action is a reality that displays the Amazing Grace and patience and love of God the religious leaders they behave just like the tenants they believe that the nation of Israel's is theirs by right rather than God's they refuse to submit to Christ God In the Flesh in fact after Christ tells this Parable they're still seeking to arrest him because they knew and they understood that this Parable was against them they rejected Christ they rejected the Messiah they rejected the promised one that they were looking for and he was staring at them directly in the face and they hated them for it the Judgment against these evil men isn't simply death the Greek word for kill is aoan which G which is used often times in the New Testament but Jesus uses the word to destroy which is where we get our word apocalypse from

And that describes what the owner will do to these men it's not simply an eye for an eye these men will receive much worse than what they gave and so the leaders they plot to destroy Jesus which will lead them to their own destruction but Christ knows what's happening and by Grace he still points to the Gospel truth that this is exactly what has to happen in order for all prophecy to be fulfilled in fact Christ he goes ahead and he quotes psalm 118 which is a Messianic Psalm actually we've seen this already pop up in the Book of Mark when he's entering into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and everyone's crying out hosan to the son of David hosanna in the highest that's a Messianic Psalm from Psalm 118 and Jesus he continues this song and he quotes to them from Psalm 11822 and 23 verbatim the stone that the Builders rejected has become the Cornerstone this is the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes that's a key point in Christianity Peter and John preached this message to the men in Acts chapter 4 this Jesus is a stone that was rejected by you the builders talking about the spiritual leaders and he's talking to these same men which has become the Cornerstone and there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven given among among men by which we must be saved and it is God's work that does this Humanity left on its own will reject the grace that's in Christ they will try to destroy everything that God is doing but it is through this rejection that Christ receives honor and Glory 1 Corinthians chap 3:1 for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ Ephesians chapter 2 verses 20 and 22 built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Jesus himself being the Cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy Temple in the

Lord in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit that stone is foundational in 1 Peter chapter 2: 6-8 he teaches us that can be stumbled over and this passage is the clearest evidence that Mark understands that Jesus and the whole Messianic Community okay to be the replacement for the Jerusalem Temple Jesus is saying that and he's quoting this inside the temple Jesus is claiming to be the new Cornerstone of the final Temple God doing a new work leading his people out of the Exile of sin and death despite his rection despite the fact that they were going to kill him in just a few days God is going to raise him up to be the Cornerstone of the new Temple and you see this in the Lord's work and in the Lord's way and this leads us to this fourth truth which is that Christ is the only way you see it is Christ that became the Cornerstone the Cornerstone is the most important block that can be laid in construction the Jewish leaders said Christ was not good enough he didn't meet their standards and yet Christ is God's perfect plan the builders rejected it God exalted it Philippians chapter 2 says who talking about Jesus though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father this Parable it reminds us about God's amazing patience and his grace but it confronts us with the reality of coming judgment the religious leaders in

Jesus's day they rejected him as the Cornerstone and their Rebellion brought destruction upon them but the message of Hope In this passage is clear that even for those who have rebelled against God his grace is available to anyone who would repent and trust in him that's why God sent his Apostles in Acts 4 to go preach to those men that's why they went all throughout the Earth to pagans and the Lost was so that way they would be redeemed remember God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world would be saved through him and so what does this mean for us today well first it means that we need to recognize the severity of rejecting Jesus as Lord he's not just the son sent by the father he's the Cornerstone of God's kingdom and so to reject him is to face God's judgment second it reminds us that God's grace is extended even now he sent his son not to condemn it but to save the world and the same Savior who confronted these religious leaders offers forgiveness to all who would repent and trust in him thirdly it challenges us as Believers to examine our lives are there areas where we are resisting submission to God's authority to Christ's Authority do we hoard the fruit of Our Lives instead of giving it back to the one who made us to whom we belong those are thoughts that we need to consider and I pray that today that you would consider those things and examine his authority over your life we will this is kind of a part a sermon okay so I'm gonna kind of leave you hanging because we're g definitely gonna pick up this theme next week as we talk about more Authority but you guys know how I conclude head heart hand head God wants you to know that those that reject Christ will suffer his severe wrath that wrath is an eternity in hell and there's no changing it if you continue to rebel against them so submit

To Christ today by trusting in Him as Lord of your life heart God wants you to believe that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone of God's kingdom and trusting in Him is the only way to escape judgment and partake in his grace so don't don't wait so trust in the Lord you're guaranteed right now that's all that you're guaranteed so trust in the Lord today in hand God he wants you to examine your heart and life and see if there are areas of rebellion that you might be walking in and that's between you and the Lord right we got a great high priest who intercedes for us and the Beautiful part of it is that we can go to him immediately right now if yall would bow your heads and close your eyes with me as we respond through prayer and through worship and so God we do thank you so much for this day that you've given to us we thank you for the authority that you have placed in the Believers in here's lives and I just pray that you would help us to continue in that give us greater submission to you help us to carefully and closely examine all the different things that we're doing different responsibilities that we have and I just pray that we would submit those to you Lord and ask your opinion on those things father we do want to ask that you would be with us throughout the rest of this week give us opportunities to share the truth of the Gospel with friends and with family with neighbors and co-workers we just ask that you would continue to speak to our hearts and to our lives God we just want to be fully submit submitted to you and Lord I just I still think of that Fanny Crosby song that says perfect submission all is at rest and Lord I don't think that any of us have ever understood perfect submission but Lord we sure would like to know it more and so help us Lord to see it more in our lives as we stand and we

Worship together may they be may this be the prayer of our heart that we would fully submit to you in Jesus name amen let's all stand and let's worship together marvelous grace of our Ling Lord Grace that exceeds our sin and our guil y on Cal there where the blood of the Lamb was build gra God gra Grace paron and cleans within Grace Grace God Grace Grace that is greater than all our sin dark is the s that we canot hide what can a veil to wash it away look there is Flowing a crimson P wider than sow you may be today Grace Grace God Grace Grace that paron andle with Grace gra God's Grace Grace it's greater than all our [Music] sins marvelous infinite matchless grace freely bestow on all who believe you that are longing to see his face will you this moment his grace receive Grace PR God gra Grace that will pardon and with Grace Grace God Grace Grace that is greater all our and Lord we do thank you for the grace that we have through your son Jesus Christ and we pray that if there's anyone here that needs to know that Grace Lord that they'd come talk to me one of the elders one of the deacons one of the Sunday School teachers and you know just ask how can I know the grace of Christ father we just love you and we thank you for the hope that we have by faith alone in your son we ask that you would give us greater submission to you to not be like the wicked and evil tenants but to go forth in full obedience God submitting to you the fruit of our lives in Jesus name amen B