Sermon notes (Sunday, April 26, 2009) include a story of a very young boy who was told there were certain things that he could do to help take care of his new baby sibling. After the boy heard the list, he placed his hands on his hips and with as much indignation as a tot can muster, asked, And just what will you be doing while I do all the work?
Do not have an overarching view of your own importance.
He owns our lives, designed our vessels
to fill them with talent, experience, skills;
The price of love He paid on the Cross
that we might not suffer loss by our wills.
poem: Copyright (c) 04.26.09 - Linda L. Brown
Matthew 21:35-40 is the story of a group of Pharisees taking what belonged to God and using it for their own interests and purposes. It is the story of the vineyard of God being usurped by those God put in charge of His vineyard. And when God sent prophets to cry out against Israel and its leaders for their disobedience to God, the prophets were taken and stoned and killed in order for the Pharisees to maintain control of the vineyard (God's people) for monetary and social power. And when the heir of the vineyard came, Jesus, He was taken out and killed. The result of this disobedience was that in 70 A.D., as prophesied, Jerusalem was utterly destroyed and all Israel was scattered throughout the known world.
"Therefore I (Jesus) tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." - Matthew 21:43 NIV
And now salvation and redemption have been offered to the whole world through the sacrifice of God's son, Jesus, for our sins, on the Cross.
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" - Matthew 21:42 NASB
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