Cornerstone

How clean is your life, what is it that you have watched this week that you shouldn't, I just want to see what these young people are up to, and you have taken all that going in you wants it all the way what is the job that has entered into your ears that you should've never heard the lyrics to this song that should not have been played in that temple, people get audio or whom traditional renal debris music all that forget about all that was the junk that you are putting in your ears. Damien layout and defiling the temple of God, where the thoughts in a pass through your mind instead of the Seraphim flying through your mind.

Your mind set upon the things of God. You have a lot of ugly evil thoughts must read pride and envy, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness 10 in a minute.

Self-pity for me. No one understands able to listen listen you are defiling the temple. Thank you for tuning into this week's message title cornerstone Dr. Albert on Shah Clearview church here Clearview. Our goal is to make Christ visible in the way that we worship and what service would love to see one of our services here at 3485 Oxford Rd. For more information on our church, Clearview, BC.org for now is listen to this week's sermon by Dr. out on Shah times the laying of the cornerstone was deal when it came to constructing a building and depending on the significance of a structure.

There would be sacrifices, you would have animal sacrifices. Blood sprinkled special rituals to make sure that the building would stand when our new sanctuary was being built. By the way, we didn't do any sacrifices here of a new sanction was being built. We knew such a such date they were going to pour the concrete for the foundation. As I told the guy that suggest let's get over here soon as we can so we can film that even those not a cornerstone, we can at least get a film of that but we were unfortunately too late.

They got here at 830 and those guys already pour the concrete from 3 o'clock in the morning. Economists that but the point is, the cornerstone was something that gave level to that building a cornerstone is something that gave the angle of that building.

It was very important to set the direction this this said, the position of the stability of the entire edifice.

The Bible calls Jesus Christ our chief cornerstone. It means that Christ sets the level and the angle of our lives. If Christ is your cornerstone, no matter what you're facing in this life it will work out just fine.

If Jesus Christ is your cornerstone.

If you are built upon him. You may be going through a horrible time today uncertainties. Not sure how this held toward this situation you're facing may turn out, but if Christ is your cornerstone. If he is your level.

If he is your angle. Things will work out God will make sure that it does. But if he is not.

Nothing else really matters.

This morning we come to the parable of the wicked tenant farmers in our series on the parables of Christ, we come to the parable of the wicked tenant farmers and the message is called cornerstone you have your Bibles with you, turn to Matthew chapter 21 starting in verse 33.

Let's all stand once again for the reading of God's word.

Matthew chapter 21 starting in verse 33 hear another parable, there was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it, and build a tower attention to those words and he leased it to find dressers and ran into a far country. Melvin vintage time drew near when harvest was near, he sent his servants to divine dressers that they met they might receive its fruit in the find dressers took his servants beat one Count one and start another while again he sent other servants more than the first ended did likewise to them. These tenant farmers more like sharecroppers everything is done for them.

The land belongs to the landowner all the equipment the cattle. The lifestyle belongs to him and he is simply looking for the prophet that is rightfully owed to him, and yet they brutally mistreat his servants and listen to verse 37, the last of all he sent his son to them, saying they will respect my son when divine dressers saw the sun to set among themselves. This is the air, let us kill him and sees his inheritance so they took him cast him out of the vineyard and killed.

Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those find dressers there said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably in Lisa's vineyard to other find dressers who will render to him the fruits in their season, which means judgment is coming is not over yet.

You may have killed the son, but now the father is coming in verse 42 Jesus said to them, have you never read in the Scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected has become the same with me. Chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes this morning.

Parables are like mirrors were down to the second last parable in this series and the question is are you the wicked tenant farmer God's word is coming to you. God is speaking to you. He is disciplining you.

He is correcting you, but you're bucking it your fighting against it. You have this thing in your heart. What will God do with this morning is Christ your cornerstone.

If he's not, would you pray with me right now Jesus, I don't believe you are my cornerstone and I pray today that you will come into my life. Forgive me of my sins and take over. I believe that you are God's son, who died on the cross for my sins. You were buried euros again and I need you to save me come into my life. Help me live for you from the stale. This is a deep parable to understand the true meaning of this parable, we have to read it in its context, which means we have to back up quite a few verses starting in verse 14 Matthew chapter 21. Listen again to that verse. Then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple. Keep that in mind, because for us to understand this parable, we have to keep in mind the location in which Jesus gave this parable.

It took place around the temples something to do with the temple. Listen again. Verse 14 and the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple repeatedly you find that phrase in the temple.

Now in the Old Testament, the blind, the lame anybody with those kind of sicknesses or deformities were forbidden from entering into the Temple precinct. But God was communicating was that he is perfect and he desires perfection of the heart. And yet people did not understand. And so here the blind and lame come to Jesus in the temple, and he heals them and the children come crying to him not crying is and weeping but crying is and rejoicing saying hosanna to the son of David Amin.

What a joyous site and the chief priests and the scribes are unhappy with that, they were indignant that what is the point of all of this will need to keep in mind is that the location being the temple is very critical to understand the meaning of this parable, the temple. The temple had been rebuilt and expanded by King Herod. Remember Solomon was the builder of the first Temple and heart of the Jewish people of the time of Jesus. Think about the temple. Well, they had mixed feelings. On one hand they were very proud.

This is our temple compared to the Egyptians or the Syrians or the Greeks look at the temple of the Jewish people. They were proud of it. But on the other hand, they also knew this temple was built by Herod is not something to be proud of you is not even a full-fledged Jewish man. What's more is that the chief priests, the priesthood was corrupt, so they had this this mixed feeling on one hand, proud of their temple on the other hand they knew there was corruption as to what happened. Jesus comes and he cleanses the temple remember he walked into the temple and made up with out of these these cords and he begin to drive out the money changers began to drive out those who were selling animals that don't misunderstand.

Symbolically he was making a declaration against the corruption in the priesthood. He meaning Jesus the son has come and you have made his house a den of thieves. My father's house of prayer and so how did the chief priests and the scribes respond to him listen to verse 23, Matthew 21 know when he came into was the word the temple is all happening in the temple you're getting this you cannot understand this parable in less you remember it's about the temple when he came to the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching and was asking where they confront him about by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority in the context of this Jesus gave the parable of the wicked tenants or the wicked sharecroppers know we just read this parable a landowner planted a vineyard set a hedge around it, dug a winepress and build a tower now what you do after that he left the vineyard to the tenant farmers and then he went off to a far country.

When Jesus is giving this parable he is clearly referring to Isaiah chapter 5 the other Bibles go ahead and turn there are the Scriptures are to be on the screen as well. He is clearly referring to an imagery given by Isaiah the prophet, almost 800 years ago. So listen with me starting in verse one. Isaiah chapter 5 my well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and clear out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst. Sound familiar, so he expected it to bring forth good graves, but it brought forth wild grapes.

In Jesus gave the parable of the wicked tenants. He was not just drawing some analogy from his walk down the countryside. He was quoting in referring to Isaiah chapter 5 that's what's happening here know one of the bad grapes in verse seven. If you still have your Bibles open to chapter 5 it says he looked for justice, but behold, oppression for righteousness but behold a crying for help, but let's keep reading for time succumbing to jump over to verse 21 to those who call evil good and good evil, the standard of the priests in the time of Isaiah was upside down good is evil. Evil is God, but not just dad who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter water to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own site their standards were upside down when Jesus came 2000 years ago when he went to the temple. He saw the same thing and when he gives that parable he is simply referring back, invoking what Isaiah the prophet had said in his time he is fulfilling prophecy is the deep parable. Now what Isaiah sailors go back to Isaiah 5 for a few moments before we go back to the parable in Matthew 21. Listen Isaiah 5 in verse 24 what will happen to these people who have upside down priorities.

These temple leaders because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and despise the word of the holy one of Israel. I mean not only have the rejected God with the hate this book was good happen to them.

Therefore, verse 25. The anger of the Lord is aroused against his people. He has stretched out his hand against them and stricken them is exactly what Jesus did when he went to the temple. See if you don't go to Isaiah 5 you think Jesus did have anger issues. Did he have light was the bipolar in a one moment is liking the signature is like I want to I want to beat up some people right now. Now he is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. Same situation separated by hundreds of years. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse one. This is a familiar passage in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe was essay filled the temple. We all still awake when I listen to this above it stood seraphim the holy angels, high and lifted up each one had six wings with two he covered his face with two he covered his feet, with two he flew.

And one cried to another and said what holy holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, you know that's what God demands in his temple. The whole earth is full of his glory and the posts of the door door to the temple were shaken by the voice of him who cried out in the house, which is the temple was filled with smoke and what is Isaiah's response to this this vision of God in the temple of God, which right now is defiled by the priesthood. What is Isaiah's response listen very carefully verse five.

So I said whoa is me.

I am undone mincemeat I have come unglued unhinged I'm falling apart.

You know why is falling apart. Not because he's seeing seraphim not to call this a loud voice he's falling apart because he is face-to-face with the holiness of God whoa is me, for I am undone because I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs verse seven and he touched my mouth with it and said, behold, this has touched your lips, your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord say whom shall I said and who will go for us. Then I said then Isaiah said what he said your mind. Send me hey folks before we can go out you have to be cleansed before you write or talk with Jesus do some repenting. Listen to what Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 3 and persecuted almost the reader can read it together. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. You want to see the temple look in the mirror, you are the temple you are the holy place of God is a question how clean is it how clean is your life, what is it that you have watched this week that you shouldn't have. I just want to see what these young people are up to, and you have taken all that gunk in how you watch it all the way what is the job that has entered into your ears as you should've never heard one of the lyrics to that song that should not have been played in that temple, people get audio or whom traditional Indo contemporary music all back. Forget about all that. What is the junk that you are putting in your ears day in day out and defiling the temple of God were the thoughts that are passed through your mind instead of the seraphim flying through your mind. Your mind set upon the things of God. You have a lot of ugly evil hearts, lust, greed, pride NV jealousy, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness. Need I go on overcommitted self-pity for me.

No one understands a vote listen listen you are defiling the temple of God went verse 17 if anyone defiles the temple of God. What will God do hey, this is the New Testament.

So let's not talk about all the Old Testament. Now you know if we look at distances now. This new test is what many of us are being destroyed is a how is that happening is because spiritually we claim to know Jesus Christ.

Because we tolerate unholiness said that we are being destroyed from within you know who's the priest in your temple. You are what offerings are you putting on the altar. Go back to that verse.

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy, say, the last line. You are the temple of God, you are a holy priesthood back to the parable in Matthew 21 so Jesus is talking the chief priests and the scribes and the leaders of the temple means that you know you know your Bible boys.

Isaiah chapter 5 for you. The vine dresser fixed up the vineyard gave everything that was needed to function and he went away to a far country, and then he began to send messengers after messengers and he is simply asking for what rightfully belongs to him, and guess what you've done. You have beaten stone and killed them. And here's the application God's word keeps coming to you. God's word keeps coming to you. God's word keeps coming to you what you do with it. You may not physically beat a man you metaphysically beat a preacher or a Sunday school teacher, but every time you reject what God is telling you safe. I know what you say but right now in my circumstances.

This is how I'm going to be a listen, there's no difference yet, beaten, killed and stolen the messenger of God. Verse 37, the last of all he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son and by the way son of God was a title for the Messiah.

You can do some research. The second Temple. The Dead Sea Scrolls they talk about the son of God being the Messiah and what the divine dressers do verse 38, when the vine dresser saw the sun they said among themselves, this is the air, let us kill him and sees his inheritance so they took him cast him out of the vineyard and killed by the wake of this is prophecy about to happen when Jesus is saying these words because that's what the chief priests and the scribes were thinking he keeps talking about being the son of God, and they knew what that meant that men he is claiming to be the Messiah's killing. If he really is what belongs to God. A belongs to us anything about the audacity once we killing we can be God. Listen how many of you are playing God in your life instead of Jesus Christ.

You are the master of your life.

You know different. You are also casting Christ out and killing him outside the venue will now is judgment time go back to the parable. This is in Matthew 21 therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do with those vine dresser. This said to him, you will destroy those wicked men miserably and leaves his vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their season. Of course he's talking about the the priesthood at the time, but let's keep going 4×6 verse 42 Jesus said to them, have you never read the Scriptures. Now he is quoting Psalm 118 I told you the level of the depth of the word of God. The depth of the parable of this application on so many levels. Now he is putting on Psalm 118 and he says does stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Those who have eyes to see verse 43.

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it, and whoever falls on the stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder Jesus the cornerstone if user cornerstone. He will give you level an angle in your life no matter what you're facing.

God will keep you level no matter what's going through your going through.

God will keep you in the right direction, but if you reject Christ if you reject the son, the same cornerstone will fall on you or you will fall on it and be reduced to powder a listen. Jesus Christ is life-giving. Jesus Christ is humble Jesus Christ is gracious, but if you reject him this same Jesus Christ will be one day your job. By the way, very quick point. Some people have used this passage in anti-Semitic way to say all God has destroyed the Jewish people and given it to the Gentiles over to the church not true. Keep reading in verse 45.

Now, when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking of them when this sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, there's a difference between the leaders and the people God still has a plan for each of the Jewish people.

The leaders God has judged because it took them for a profit. Let's go back to the Christmas story for a moment 2000 years ago when Jesus came it out the Wiseman Caymans asked Herod the king. Where is he who has been born king of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him and Herod and all Jerusalem with him were troubled and and he called his scribes, his religious advisors and said where is this and this. It all right here in Bethlehem, the prophet talks about single look for him when you find them.

Let me know so I can come and worship him. He had no desire to worship Christ. The religious leaders had no desire to worship Christ. In fact, they were threatened by the king of the Jews. But then the angel came to some poor humble shepherds watching over their flocks by night and the angel of the Lord came before them of the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid the angel said what if you're not from bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people for this day is born in the city of David, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be assigned to you.

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger that beautiful the temple leaders can see for shepherds saw is Christ truly in the temple of your heart. Is he the cornerstone of your life are you bearing fruits worthy for God are usually built upon Jesus Christ is Christ to cornerstone. Thank you so much for listening to the sweet message.

What is your life built on Christ your cornerstone for more information for the summer's notes visit Dr. Shah's blog out on shop.com for more information on visit our website clearly be seen that origin. We hope to see you at our Christmas Eve service here at Clearview at 8 o'clock it will be a candlelight service will also participate in communion so we can set our hearts on Christ this Christmas, we can wait to see their