You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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We're back in Luke this morning.
Luke 20.
Headed down the homestretch.
Our final semester together in Luke's Gospel.
So let me remind you where we've been as we get back into it here.
Luke is writing this historical account to focus us on the real, true Jesus.
He wants us to know what Jesus is really like.
Who He really is.
What He really says.
Because nothing else could be more important than that.
It's like the words of Vince Lombardi that we've remembered often in this series.
He always started every year with, ladies and gentlemen, this is a football.
If you don't focus on this, nothing else matters.
This is where you've got to focus.
I want to acknowledge it's a little bit of a funny morning for me to bring a football up here.
Especially one with a tiger paw on it.
That's what I had.
And I do plan to watch and enjoy the game tomorrow night.
But I want to say something really serious.
Eternity is not hinging on tomorrow night's game.
Or any other game.
You know, it's really actually not that big of a deal.
It doesn't matter ultimately what happens there.
The battle on that field pales in comparison to the spiritual warfare in which we are all engaged for the souls,
eternal souls of men and women and children that we know and love and are precious to God.
It's for the glory of Jesus, our King.
This week has driven that home for me.
That that's what really matters.
Luke's been telling us that over and over, right?
Jesus has been getting clearer and clearer.
Eternity is at stake.
We must focus on Him.
Knowing Him.
Walking with Him.
Investing in the extension of His kingdom.
Ron said it so helpfully last week, didn't he?
There's one thing.
One thing.
One thing of greatest value that has real substance, that really matters,
and that's knowing God.
If we're together going to know Him more this year and get a fuller glimpse of His glory,
that happens as we look at Jesus.
Jesus, the one where we see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The one whom to know is life itself, whose glory and grace so overwhelms us and pours into us
that it overflows from us to everyone around us.
The one we so look forward to being with forever,
that we want everyone around us to be with us, with Him forever, right?
There's no football game like that.
He's the main thing.
As always, when we walk into a new year,
we want to keep the main thing the main thing.
And if Jesus is the main thing,
if He's the football that we must focus on,
then we've got a great opportunity before us
because these last five chapters of Luke's Gospel
are the tip, the point of the football.
Luke slows down and spends actually 20% of his whole historical account of Jesus
on one week in Jesus' life.
He's zooming in as Jesus enters Jerusalem,
the place He's been journeying towards this whole time
for the purpose for which He was born in the manger,
to come and suffer and die on a cross
and rise from the dead for His people.
Isn't this what has been on Jesus' heart
as the most important thing of all over and over?
Isn't this what He's been telling us time and again
that we need to focus on for the sake of eternity?
He's about to show us the one we need to know,
our God and all of His authoritative,
humble, sacrificial, self-giving,
upside-down, triumphant glory.
He's going to do that in this next week.
Hasn't Jesus been focusing our attention on who He is
and why He's come,
warning us repeatedly not to miss it?
He's actually going to do that again today.
Remember, Jesus has just arrived in the city of God
to the cheers of many,
wept over the people of God
to the surprise of many,
cleaned out the temple of God
to the shock of many.
That's where we were just before this.
And now it's Tuesday.
Good Friday is three days away.
It's Tuesday in that week
and Jesus will teach us about vital,
eternal matters.
Let's pray
and then we'll read this passage together.
Jesus,
there are so many things
that vie for our attention,
for the affection of our hearts.
None of them
is worthy as you are.
Nothing else even compares.
There is no one like you
and so would you show yourself to us
clearly again this morning
that we might see you.
We might love you.
That we might rejoice
and find life in you.
We ask it in your name.
Amen.
Luke 20
at verse 9.
And Jesus began to tell the people
this parable.
A man planted a vineyard
and led it out to tenants
and went into another country
for a long while.
When the time came,
he sent a servant to the tenants
so that they would give him
some of the fruit of the vineyard.
But the tenants beat him
and sent him away empty-handed.
And he sent another servant,
but they also beat and treated him shamefully
and sent him away empty-handed.
And he sent yet a third,
this one also they wounded
and cast out.
And the owner of the vineyard said,
What shall I do?
I will send my beloved son.
Perhaps they will respect him.
But when the tenants saw him,
they said to themselves,
This is the heir.
Let us kill him
so that the inheritance may be ours.
And they threw him out of the vineyard
and killed him.
What then will the owner
of the vineyard do to them?
He will come and destroy those tenants
and give the vineyard to others.
And when they heard this,
they said,
Surely not!
But he looked directly at them
and said,
What then is this that is written,
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
Everyone who falls on that stone
will be broken to pieces,
and when it falls on anyone,
it will crush him.
Thus far, God's holy word.
It was a long introduction.
Sermon not quite as long, I promise.
But nonetheless, vitally important
for our hearts.
That's why Jesus tells us this parable.
Here's a simple outline for you,
since what you see on the back of your bulletin
is where the sermon was
when we printed the bulletins.
What?
And so what?
I want us briefly to make sure
we understand what the parable itself means,
and then spend a few minutes asking,
So what?
Applying it to our hearts.
So first, the explanation.
It's not super complicated.
You'll notice right away, in fact,
in the next verse after Jesus finishes,
that the religious leaders in Jerusalem
understand what Jesus is saying,
that he's talking about them.
They don't like it,
but they know what he means.
That's because Jesus uses an image,
perhaps unfamiliar to you,
but very familiar to those
who knew their Old Testaments.
God regularly refers to his people Israel
as a vineyard.
And the tenants that we meet in verse 9
are those leading his people,
stewarding, caring for God's people
on his behalf.
Remember this special relationship
with his people all the way back to Adam,
and Abraham.
God has created and called people
to live in relationship with him.
To reflect his image in his world.
And that as he pours his blessing,
his grace into their lives,
they're transformed
and they share it with others
so that the nations know
the one true God.
And as they do,
his glory fills the earth.
Right?
Israel is to be God's people
for this purpose.
When he brings them out of Egypt,
he plants a vineyard,
so to speak,
from which he hopes to bear fruit.
Justice, righteousness,
grace to the nations.
But Israel repeatedly seems
a lot more interested
in something else.
Interested in itself
rather than God.
Pursuing other gods, right?
Living after its own designs.
Pursuing its own glory
among the nations.
Certainly not often wanting
to bless other nations.
The prophet Isaiah says it this way
in chapter 5.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting.
That metaphor that God uses
for that relationship of him
as the owner and his people
as the vineyard.
And he comes,
he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed.
For righteousness,
but behold, an outcry.
Israel is God's vineyard,
but the fruits are not
the fruits God desires
over and over.
Not justice in relationships
and care for the poor
and outsider as God does,
but bloodshed.
Not righteousness
and following God's law
and being a blessing
to others through that,
but an outcry.
Over and over,
God finds this from his people,
but he is patient with them.
He sends one prophet
after another, doesn't he?
That's why the Old Testament
gets so long, right?
Prophet after prophet
after prophet.
This is what Jesus describes
in verse 10.
The time came
and the owner sent a servant
to the tenants
so that they would give him
some of the fruit
of the vineyard.
But the tenants beat him
and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent another servant,
but they also beat
and treated him shamefully
and sent him away empty-handed.
And he sent yet a third.
This one also they wounded
and cast out.
God sends prophets
who speak his word.
They call his people
back to relationship,
to their first love,
to Yahweh himself.
Back to his covenant love.
Back to his covenant law.
Part of which we read earlier.
In other words,
prophets come
and they're seeking for God
the fruit he desires
from his people.
But they are repeatedly rejected.
Sent away without that fruit
being realized.
Israel, her judges,
priests, kings,
others,
they ignore one prophet
after another
and they want the fruit
of the vineyard,
so to speak,
all for themselves.
Their prestige
among the nations.
They want to be great.
Their comfortable way
of living.
Their pleasures
and riches
the way they want
to have them
over God's priorities.
They've even turned,
we just read
last passage,
God's temple.
Meant to be,
it says,
a house of prayer
for all people.
A place the nations come
and call on Yahweh
and meet Him
and find Him
to be sufficient.
They've turned it
into a place
where the nations
are kept distant.
And when they do
come around,
they're used to line
the pockets
of the powerful
in Jerusalem.
No.
See,
over and over again,
they reject God's Word
and God's priorities
in favor of their own.
And eventually,
that culminates
in rejecting God Himself.
In rejecting the prophets,
they reject God's invitation
to fulfill the purpose
He created
and redeemed them for.
They reject God Himself,
their special relationship
with Him.
And that's always
the way it is, right?
Whether it's a parent,
a teacher,
a leader,
whoever it is,
that's the pattern set
in rejecting
someone's direction,
in rejecting
someone's priorities,
you are rejecting
that person Himself,
aren't you?
If you don't value
their words,
you don't value
their authority,
their values
don't mean anything to you,
you don't value them.
Sure enough,
that's the next step
for the leaders
of God's people.
It's playing out
right before our eyes
in Luke, isn't it?
Verse 13,
Jesus tells them
what's happening.
The owner of the vineyard
says,
what shall I do?
I know,
I will send
my beloved son.
Perhaps they will
respect him.
Long-suffering
Yahweh
sends prophet
after prophet
to no avail,
but rather than
giving up,
he sends his son.
There's no question
Jesus is talking
about himself here.
He uses the same phrase,
my beloved son
that's spoken
from heaven
at his baptism.
He's the one sent.
In fact,
it's interesting,
a good reminder
to us of Jesus'
awareness
of his divine identity,
of the reality
of the Trinity,
even though he never
uses that word,
he knows himself
to be the son
sent by the Father,
the true heir.
But,
when the tenants
saw him,
they said to themselves,
this is the heir,
let us kill him
so that the inheritance
may be ours.
And they threw him
out of the vineyard
and killed him.
In their ultimate act
of self-assertion
and God-rejection,
they will kill
God's son.
In their effort
to solidify
their control,
to bear fruit
for themselves
what they want
rather than for God
what he wants,
an example of them
using people
meant for God's glory
for their own promotion,
they will reject
God's promised
Messiah King.
What then will the owner
of the vineyard
do to them?
He will come
and destroy
those tenants
and give the vineyard
to others.
Jesus warns them
that they do this
at their own peril.
That those who reject him,
God himself
will reject.
That ultimately
the people of God,
the true Israel,
will be led by
and composed
of Gentiles.
All the religious leaders
and those who follow them
in their rejection
of the Messiah
face destruction.
It's not hidden,
is it?
It's a direct challenge
and warning
to align
with the true King
and His God-centered purposes
or face destruction.
See,
it means what you thought.
It's what the parable's about
and the leaders
heard it clearly.
So what?
How about application?
I mean,
this is going to be hard.
We don't ever reject Jesus,
do we?
We're in church.
We don't ever live
for our own glory
other than God's,
do we?
I thought this week,
is there any description
more true of the idolatry
of our own age,
of our own culture,
of even our own church
at times,
than that we live
for ourselves
rather than for God?
oftentimes we're proud of it.
It's often very obvious.
Have it your way
right away.
The consumer mentality,
it's all about you.
The sidelining
of clear biblical teaching
and meaningful involvement
in the church community
of God's people
in favor of self-help,
celebrity advice,
regular Netflix
or blog binging
in order to get
what I need.
Or the fact that
what really grieves
or upsets us,
what really gets
at the core
of who we are
is often not injustice
and unrighteousness
and the unbelief
of our friends
and neighbors
or the nations.
More often than those
grieving our hearts,
our own discomfort
upsets us.
A bad call
in a football game.
A disruption
to my schedule.
Sometimes it's really obvious.
But often
this living for ourselves
rather than
bearing fruit for God
is more subtle
than that.
I'll tell you a little bit
about my own heart
this week.
This week there were
several unplanned,
undesired,
life events
and Southwood staff members,
Southwood congregation members,
all seemed to happen
at the same time
and unravel together.
My head was spinning.
My heart was overwhelmed
in many ways.
And I wish
that what overwhelmed
my heart
was this sense
of what God was doing
and cries of God.
How can you be honored
in the midst
of these things?
And God,
what are you teaching
this family
and what are you teaching me
in even this hard place?
Or God,
please,
please bring fruit
for your glory
in this situation.
Whatever happens
to me,
I'll wait on you.
I wish that's what was
overwhelming my heart.
I wish that was
all I felt.
Instead,
right there in my heart
were other desires,
other questions.
Questions like,
how am I going to come out
looking to them
in this?
Impressive,
I hope?
Pastoral?
How can I restore order
to my life today?
It wasn't supposed
to be like this.
How does all this
reflect on my leadership?
I wonder if I'm
handling it right.
Selfish,
ugly,
but true.
I'm really thankful
for godly pastors
and staff members
and elders
who helped me.
They helped me repent,
see things through
the lens of God's glory.
Say,
hey,
he's at work.
More than once,
help me stop fighting
for myself
and sit down
and pray
for God's direction.
See,
we can make anything
about ourselves,
can't we?
We're really good at that.
The applications here
are for all of us,
but they are
especially poignant
for those of us
called to lead
God's people
in any capacity.
Do we use our calling
among God's people
to pursue our own comfort,
power,
or prestige?
Do we pursue ideas
that we want to see happen
because it's my family's preference?
Or are we passionately pursuing
God's glory,
focusing on His word
and His priorities,
pushing ourselves and others
to exalt and embrace Jesus
because that's what really matters?
Elders,
deacons,
ministry teams,
leadership teams,
small group leaders,
church.
This church
is God's vineyard.
He's the owner.
Are you bearing fruit
for yourself
or for Him?
If you're not sure,
I found it to be
a pretty good barometer
of how you're doing
with that,
how often you're crying
out to God
on behalf
of your people.
His people.
How often you're coming
to Him
in deep concern
for their souls,
desperate for them
to embrace Jesus,
not just you.
If we ever find ourselves
avoiding His word
and His priorities,
we will find ourselves
and our people
ultimately
rejecting Him.
and that's true
not just for
church leaders.
See,
those same issues
apply to all of us
in every relationship
God gives us
and in some ways
all of us
who know Jesus
are leaders
in His church
and in other relationships.
What are the vineyards
where God has placed
you?
Are you using
someone else
for yourself
or seeking fruit
for God?
Particularly,
think of relationships
where God has
given you
some spiritual stewardship
of others.
This brings us
to the vineyard
of kids.
Hmm.
One where it is
so easy
to reject
God's priorities.
To be seeking
honor for yourself.
What a smart kid.
What an athletic
kid you have.
The respect
of others.
Oh,
you're such
a good parent.
Doesn't that feel
good to hear
every once in a while?
When actually
the fruit
God seeks
is children
with a love
for Jesus,
with hearts
that love
God's word
and lives
shaped by
His priorities,
that's the fruit
God's looking for
in that vineyard.
Now parents,
hear me,
it's not all
up to you.
That's not
what I'm saying.
But is that
fruit what you
long for?
Is that
the fruit
you invest in?
Is that
the fruit
you're praying
for?
How about
at the office?
A great place
to seek
your own
success
and comfort
and not have
to worry
about anybody
else?
To overlook
the hurting
employee?
To overlook
the unbelieving
co-worker?
The kingdom
opportunity
in your office?
I hesitate
even to say
how about
your marriage?
A vineyard
where we often
approach our
spouses primarily
there for our
pleasure?
For our
fulfillment?
For our
benefit?
When God
has designed
us to seek
each other's
spiritual good,
not our own,
at great cost
to ourselves
and our own
comfort even.
Husbands,
I'm talking
to us
in particular
in case you
didn't notice.
In case that
was unclear.
Do you pray
for your
spouse?
You push
them to
embrace
Jesus in
every situation?
Do you
talk together?
Do you
initiate those
conversations
about a
marriage that's
for the glory
of the king
rather than
merely what
are some
of the
things we
want
together?
You begin
to see how
easy it can
be to
reject
Jesus
and
sit in
pews
and stand
behind
pulpits?
when we
neglect
his
word,
when we
ignore
his
priorities,
we
ultimately
reject
him.
We all
heard the
reading of
God's law
this morning.
It's not a
list of
do's and
don'ts as
Ron said.
It's a
reflection of
his heart,
of his
glorious
character
that he
calls us
to in
relationship
with him.
Does it
shape your
life?
Does it
energize your
heart?
Is it
what you're
about?
Do you
long to
live in
fruitful
relationship
with him
more and
more?
Jesus is
warning us
here.
It's what
this parable
is.
It's a
warning,
not just
to get
us,
but so
that we
will see
the danger
in rejecting
him and
turn back
instead to
embrace him
more fully.
It ultimately
comes down to
that,
doesn't it?
when the
vineyard owner
finally sends
his beloved
son.
Jesus the
son warns
us that if
we don't
receive him,
prophet after
prophet came,
but God
again sent
his son,
and if we
don't receive
him,
we will be
destroyed.
And the
religious people
say to that
message,
what?
Surely not!
No way!
I will hear
it, but I
won't believe
it.
They could
not imagine
that they
were in
church,
that they
were pretty
good people,
and that God
would reject
them in favor
of some
Gentiles.
Verse 17,
he looked
directly at
them and
said,
what then is
this that is
written,
the stone
that the
builders rejected
has become
the cornerstone?
Everyone who
falls on that
stone will be
broken to
pieces,
and when it
falls on
anyone,
it will
crush him.
Jesus quotes
from the
psalm that
many just
sang to
him a
couple days
ago,
blessed is
the king
who comes
in the
name of
the Lord.
Do you
remember that?
Psalm 118?
They're saying,
you're the
Messiah,
and Jesus
quotes and
says,
you're right
I am.
Let's be
clear on
that.
The picture
he gives
with the
stone is
of builders
gathering
stones for
a building
they're about
to start,
and they
find one
that's oddly
shaped and
doesn't appeal
to them,
and they
discard it
into the
rubble
pile,
only to
work long
and hard
on this
building and
get to the
end and
find they're
missing one
key piece
that has this
unique shape
and it looks
just like
the,
but they
already rejected
that one,
threw it
out,
and he
looked them
in the
eye and
made the
warning so
clear,
don't miss
the Messiah,
the corner
stone.
He's a
stone that
will crush
you if you
reject him,
whatever you
think you're
building in
your life
will ultimately
crumble without
him.
You can't
just ignore
him and do
your best to
live a pretty
good life and
be a decent
guy and expect
things to work
out okay.
No, he says,
it's not how
it works.
Destruction
comes.
We must
hear that
warning.
It's a
warning that
is laced
with glorious
hope.
The one
speaking,
the warning,
is the stone
rejected that
is also the
cornerstone.
The one who
although rejected
and killed
will even
through that
be vindicated
for those
who embrace
him.
Isn't that
incredible?
Isn't the
love of Jesus
amazing?
He's the
ultimate
example of
God's
patience with
failing people.
He's about
to go to
the cross
for those
who reject
him already.
For those
who will
send him
there.
Who have
already said
we don't want
anything to do
with you.
And he goes
to the cross
so there can
be forgiveness
for that
rejection.
An invitation
even in
your rejection
of him
to embrace
him afresh
today.
He comes
and goes to
the cross
for that
so that there's
an offer of
hope to you
this morning.
Great British
preacher Charles
Spurgeon
describes this
amazing love
of Jesus
beautifully.
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.
Love
made
manifest
to us.
How could
we ignore
this
Jesus?
Why would
we reject
him and
think it's
actually better
for us to
build something
for ourselves
that is
apart from
his gracious
heart?
How could
we think
we'd build
something better?
What could
this community
be like
if we
together
pushed each
other to
embrace him
and exalt
him in
every relationship
we have
in every
conversation
every day?
Let's pray
and ask him
to do that.
Father, by
the Holy
Spirit, would
you create
that in
this place?
Would you
take self-centered
pastors
and leaders
and congregation
members
and make
them those
who long
for your
glory?
Who long
to embrace
Jesus no matter
what else
comes?
And we
find great
joy and
life in
worshiping him
themselves and
sharing of his
glory with
others.
Father, you
made us for
that.
Now would you
remake us,
cleanse our
hearts, renew
us, even this
year in our
love for our
Savior.
We ask it in
his name.
Amen.
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information, visit
us online at
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