WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.820 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.160 We're Startup Church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:45.920 Church, how are we doing? 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:50.679 God is good. 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:56.560 I am excited to be preaching on our fourth and last topic on the starting point series. 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:06.260 You know, in the last three weeks, we've had some awesome lessons, kind of getting our minds engaged with this thread project that we're really excited in doing. 00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:10.819 And in the last three weeks, we've been doing this call to begin again. 00:01:12.299 --> 00:01:22.579 And the things that we've gone through is like we've looked at how to reassess our image of God by going back to the basics, the core of our identity of like why we call ourselves disciples. 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:23.540 Right. 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:30.500 And we talk about the importance of our story, how our story fits in to the importance of our creator, our God. 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:35.840 And then this last week, we looked at the importance of our spirituality in our house churches. 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:39.060 And super grateful for those who have spoken. 00:01:39.260 --> 00:01:43.299 I remember, you know, Paul has done two great lessons for us, obviously for our house church. 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:53.620 Also two weeks ago, shared, you know, passionately about his stories, made me want to ride a bicycle or a motorcycle, not a bicycle, yeah, a motorcycle. 00:01:55.540 --> 00:01:57.200 I'm so uncoordinated with those things. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.500 I'm like, I'll say, you know, far, far away. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.500 And Jaron did a great job leading us that first week. 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:13.919 And yeah, so I think about this week, I've really thought about like, well, what does it mean to begin again, to refresh, to start my mind anew. 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:20.659 And I'm starting to like slowly get up there in some of my spiritual years, like this year will be eight years I've made Jesus Lord. 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:22.979 For some of you, you're like, okay, like, chill out, dude. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:24.400 That's like, you know, that's baby steps. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:30.439 But like, I've seen in the last eight years, I've seen a lot of growth, I've seen a lot of me having to start again and begin again. 00:02:31.379 --> 00:02:36.080 And I think this was a really interesting week, when it comes to me understanding how to begin again. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:42.240 You know, something I've really been trying to do and trying to begin again, is my journey with my health, my weight. 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:55.979 And it's just been so much ups and downs in the last year, but even longer than I, you know, after COVID, maybe some of us are like, I feel you, some of you like, I got really ripped for COVID, you know, during COVID, I'm like, good for you. 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:57.979 That was not my case. 00:02:59.379 --> 00:02:59.500 Right. 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:06.759 So like, I, but I think coming to Kalamazoo, I really wanted to like make it something where I'm like, hey, like, I want to like be repentant of this. 00:03:06.860 --> 00:03:08.099 I want to be healthier. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:14.439 I want to be the, you know, 18 year old kid who could play like four games of basketball in a day. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:16.539 That hasn't happened in a really long time. 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:17.860 We'll get to that part, though. 00:03:19.620 --> 00:03:22.219 But I think this week has been a really cool part of that journey. 00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:24.180 That's the idea of beginning again. 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:34.460 You know, this week has probably been the most exercise, the most miles walked, the most running I feel like I've done in a week time frame. 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:41.699 In a really, really long time and right, which is cool, it is really cool. 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:46.259 Friday, me and Jaren played basketball at six o'clock in the morning. 00:03:48.180 --> 00:03:49.879 I was not up for it. 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:58.039 I felt like I was walking through mud the whole time and there were some good basketball players there and I felt like I was behind the eight ball half the half the game. 00:03:58.259 --> 00:03:59.039 Jaren balled out. 00:03:59.080 --> 00:03:59.680 He'll tell you enough. 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:05.000 I feel like that that basketball game is going to carry that his story, his legend on for at least two months. 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:08.400 So if you have to hear about basketball pickup, I'm sorry. 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:09.740 You know, he played pretty good. 00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:10.400 I got to admit. 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.240 But then, you know, later that day, me and Spencer play some basketball. 00:04:14.539 --> 00:04:20.500 And I kid you not, it was this moment where I was like, I haven't done this since like 2019. 00:04:23.500 --> 00:04:27.839 And it was really cool and it was the first time I didn't think about crumbling into a little million pieces. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.259 But also, I can't really explain. 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:43.759 Truly how sore I feel right now and how much I've imagined this like three times already, it's like I just like I want to lay right here and just like take a nap and that just sounds so good right now. 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:44.339 Right. 00:04:45.819 --> 00:04:50.300 You know, but to the point, it's given me a lot of perspectives of starting points. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:57.100 You know, so much of me, like I said, just wants to be the, you know, the one ninety five quick basketball player that I was when I was 18. 00:04:57.779 --> 00:04:59.680 But that's just not where I am at this moment. 00:05:00.339 --> 00:05:00.560 Right. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:02.240 I'm having to begin again. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:09.699 I'm having to reassess the importance of my health and truly go back to the basics of what it means to take care of myself and my body. 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:13.180 I think the same sentiment can be said about our spiritual life. 00:05:13.180 --> 00:05:13.720 Right. 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:17.959 I think that is exactly what these four weeks of starting point are trying to get us to do. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:18.720 Right. 00:05:18.779 --> 00:05:25.139 They're trying to get us to reassess our starting points, the basics, get back to things that we thought we could just do. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:25.639 Right. 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:31.240 Every time I play basketball, I'm like, I can play like for two hours and like three minutes and I'm like, I hurt everywhere. 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:32.000 What is happening? 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:32.600 Right. 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:34.199 I can't do that sometimes. 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:35.339 Right. 00:05:35.699 --> 00:05:40.939 I think it'd be so easy for us to look at how like on fire we were when we first made Jesus Lord. 00:05:40.939 --> 00:05:46.379 Like I was thinking about like, man, when I when I first made Jesus Lord, like no one could stop me from just reaching out to people. 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:47.459 I was a little crazy. 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:47.740 I did. 00:05:47.980 --> 00:05:50.180 You know, I shared probably like weird ways. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:51.339 I was kind of socially awkward. 00:05:51.420 --> 00:05:51.839 Still am. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:56.120 But like, you know, was like really, you know, you know, strong on sharing people. 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:56.740 Right. 00:05:57.160 --> 00:05:58.920 And, you know, had to be refined and everything. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:05:59.759 But I was on fire. 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:00.600 Like I didn't care. 00:06:01.079 --> 00:06:01.399 Right. 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:05.639 And I also think like it also could be really excited to look at the end. 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:06.220 Right. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:08.160 Like sometimes we're just like, I feel this. 00:06:08.220 --> 00:06:09.759 I'm like, God's taking home. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:15.120 Like if there's a sign, I'm I'm I'm heading, you know, like I want to I want to be home with you, Jesus. 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.259 I want I want to be there for the day where I'm one of Jesus. 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:22.839 I think it'd be very hard to ignite a fire in the middle of the story. 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:33.819 You know, and so if anyone listened to the podcast that Jaron was alluding about, David and Hannah talked about bookends of the Bible, Genesis one and Revelations twenty two. 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:38.699 And it's a beautiful connection on how the Bible starts and ends. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:41.879 The Bible starts in the Garden of Eden. 00:06:42.620 --> 00:06:42.740 Right. 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:46.480 Is this unique, intimate connection with God? 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:50.100 One we truly like haven't seen since. 00:06:51.339 --> 00:06:51.920 Right. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:55.560 That connection is broken by rebellion. 00:06:56.459 --> 00:07:07.540 And we think we think of Adam and Eve's rebellion, but it's also our continuous rebellion, our sin on a day to day basis that continues to break this promise that was broken at the Garden of Eden. 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:17.759 And then you look at Revelations twenty two, the Bible ends in a garden, the last chapters of Revelation describe a garden city, a garden that we live in. 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:22.600 And God is there to this vision of intimacy restored. 00:07:22.779 --> 00:07:23.339 Right. 00:07:23.379 --> 00:07:29.100 The rebellion is no longer those who believe, trust and make Jesus Lord intimacy is restored. 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:39.139 And to a point, those two things like big bookends, it's like, wow, like we I often have always gone back to like, it's Adam's fault. 00:07:39.459 --> 00:07:43.500 I would be perfect if, you know, if I was in that situation, it's like, no, I sin every day. 00:07:43.540 --> 00:07:45.199 Like I would have, you know, I would probably done it sooner. 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:47.959 I don't know how long it took him to eat, but I've been like, that looks like a good apple. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:54.319 I'll eat that or whatever fruit there was, you know, and then it can be so easy to look at the end like I just want to be, you know, restored to that. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:55.240 Like it wasn't my fault. 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:56.379 Let me get to the end. 00:07:57.019 --> 00:08:00.899 But what happens in between is a grand narrative of struggle. 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:07.680 We often struggle because of our sin and others, and God fights to restore our relationship. 00:08:08.660 --> 00:08:23.040 And so today, as we're going to wrap up our starting point series, we're going to look at the big picture story of the Bible as Jesus told it in one amazing parable about a sort of garden, a vineyard to be exact. 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:30.160 And so the title of this lesson is the story of our faith. 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:36.620 And we're going to read Matthew 21 verses 33 through 46. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:45.659 And before I read this, there's a view, a lens I want you guys to think about, a rhetorical question. 00:08:45.940 --> 00:08:52.600 As I read, I want you guys to try to look deeper and see why the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest Jesus after he told this story. 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.659 He tells this story because they have been questioning him and trying to trap him. 00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:58.539 Keep that in the back of your mind as we read this. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:02.639 Starting in 33, it says, listen to another parable. 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.360 There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. 00:09:05.980 --> 00:09:09.820 He put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it and built a watchtower. 00:09:10.500 --> 00:09:14.240 Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:19.080 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:21.419 The tenants seized his servants. 00:09:21.860 --> 00:09:24.799 They beat one, killed another and stoned a third. 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:30.039 Then he sent other servants to them more than the first time and the tenants treated them the same way. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:32.419 Last of all, he sent his son to them. 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:34.759 They will respect my son, he said. 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:39.039 But when the tenants saw the sons, they said to each other, this is the heir. 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.399 Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.600 So he took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.720 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? 00:09:49.779 --> 00:09:53.419 He will bring those wretches to the wretched end, they replied. 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:59.019 And he will rent the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:07.659 Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scripture, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:11.419 The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:18.639 Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce fruit. 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:22.519 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. 00:10:23.059 --> 00:10:25.480 Anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:31.200 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parable, they knew he was talking about them. 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:39.139 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. 00:10:43.289 --> 00:10:45.710 I've heard this story a lot of times in my life. 00:10:47.389 --> 00:10:53.470 I don't think I've ever truly thought of it as mind blowing as I have when I dug into it for this lesson. 00:10:54.009 --> 00:10:55.750 This story is absolutely mind blowing. 00:10:56.129 --> 00:11:00.629 It's awe inspiring and beautifully articulated story of our world. 00:11:01.169 --> 00:11:03.769 You know, this is this is 13 verses. 00:11:04.029 --> 00:11:16.750 Somehow Jesus is able to weave the creation of the world, the choosing of Israel, the nature of sin, his own death and our own acceptance or rejection of him into one short story about a wayward vineyard. 00:11:17.309 --> 00:11:19.590 That is that is that is the God that we serve. 00:11:19.649 --> 00:11:25.289 That is the you know, that is how articulate is, that's how smart is, that's how he's able to bring us in to this setting. 00:11:27.009 --> 00:11:27.129 Right. 00:11:27.429 --> 00:11:34.370 So since this parable is an awesome story about creation, let's look for the places and people that this parable represents. 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:42.659 So here's going to be the first three ideas, but we're going to first and foremost about this setting. 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:45.480 The main person is the landowner, right? 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:46.860 The landowner is the focus. 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:48.740 He's the one who creates the vineyard. 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:50.000 He builds the wall. 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:53.259 He dug in the wine press, built the watchtower. 00:11:53.259 --> 00:11:56.899 This is our creator, right? 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:10.240 God, just as the landlord is intentional about the creation of the vineyard, so was God and intentional about the creation of the vineyard, a.k.a. the creation of us, right? 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:20.759 And the two points to start out this analogy of the vineyard is he we were created just as the vineyard was with purpose and care. 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:23.240 So let's talk about purpose for a second. 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:25.580 What was the land's purpose? 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:27.279 Think about that for a second. 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:29.340 What was the land's purpose? 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:32.240 Well, it's not just a piece of land. 00:12:32.820 --> 00:12:35.000 It's a vineyard, right? 00:12:35.059 --> 00:12:37.279 What are vineyards supposed to produce? 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.740 They have grapes and then those grapes are made into wine. 00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:43.519 Right. 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:55.100 Just as a vineyard has a unique and purposeful job of bearing fruit, we were also put here with a purpose, right? 00:12:55.659 --> 00:13:06.500 Something so important that we've talked about in the last three weeks is just how important each one of our stories is in the grand scheme of our universe and God's creation, right? 00:13:06.659 --> 00:13:10.419 He gave us an intentional purpose of bearing fruit in this world. 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:15.980 I think that is something so unique about discipleship in general, right? 00:13:15.980 --> 00:13:31.860 I don't think that, you know, when I have a lot of talks on campuses and a lot of the, you know, you know, interactions, especially with people who are not religious is, you know, we're just we're here for, you know, maybe a fluke or I don't know what my purpose is. 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:42.860 And that's why I love this scripture is, you know, Jesus is specifically saying, like, look, just as this vineyard was purposeful, like you are purposeful, like you weren't just here to live your life for whatever reason. 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:46.500 Like I made you so that you will bear fruit in my name. 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:47.279 So think about that. 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:54.000 I think about our purpose, like your purpose isn't just to be here in Kalamazoo to to make money and do your own pleasing work or whatever. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:54.299 Right. 00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:56.980 We are made in his creation to bear fruit. 00:13:57.299 --> 00:13:58.759 We have purpose. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:01.259 And think about care. 00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:08.639 Anything with purpose, anything given intentional thought has also been given care. 00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:24.340 The landowner wanted the vineyard to grow, right, to be successful, right, if he just you built the vineyard, right, built the I don't know what they're called, like the how like the grapes intertwine on those like that long, you know, like wooden. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.279 Yeah, that's yes. 00:14:26.419 --> 00:14:26.799 Thank you. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:27.940 I didn't I should have looked that up. 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:28.639 I didn't know that word. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:33.460 Yeah, that's coming in handy, Blaine, coming in handy, right. 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:42.279 But like if he just like looked at it and was like, that looks good and just like left it to its own, you know, you know, demise is like nothing would happen to it. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:45.700 The grapes would would come and then animals would feed on them. 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:47.720 No one would produce anything. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:49.299 And then they'd come and go each year. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:49.620 Right. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:50.840 Nothing made of it. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:51.379 Just wild. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:52.659 Right. 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:59.639 If we wanted to look at it like the vineyard being made with care. 00:14:59.740 --> 00:14:59.980 Right. 00:15:00.100 --> 00:15:02.360 What he also did was he dug a wine press. 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:03.399 Right. 00:15:03.419 --> 00:15:07.820 He built a wall to take out the animals that are going to come and try to eat it. 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:10.360 The intruders, anybody that would want to steal it. 00:15:10.779 --> 00:15:10.879 Right. 00:15:11.539 --> 00:15:15.120 And he also built a washtowel to look over, to be protective, to be vigilant. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:16.179 Right. 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.399 He gave the land the best opportunity to grow. 00:15:22.580 --> 00:15:28.559 You know, I think tying that to our own lives, we have also been given what we need to produce fruit. 00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:31.559 It's not just a vineyard full of wild grapes. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.200 And you can look at it from the Israel perspective. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:37.759 We can look at it from our own unique perspective now. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:38.120 Right. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:42.240 I think of for us, God has given us his word. 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:43.720 Right. 00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:47.279 He's been he's given the Bible since the beginning of time. 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:47.480 Right. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:54.679 The the Israelites in the wilderness were also given the word just as we are given the word. 00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:56.000 Right. 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:14.980 And that's that could be a whole lesson in and of itself that we we have everything we need to understand, you know, where we go wrong, where we mess up, how we need to, you know, be humble to Jesus, to feel his love, to get connected, to get fired, to reignite our story, to begin again. 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:15.500 Right. 00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:23.919 Jesus and God has given us everything that we need, everything to be taken care of and protect the land and watch over it. 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.440 And then it says, right, he rented the vineyard to some farmers. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.600 And this is where the story gets, you know, a little corrupted. 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:33.580 Right. 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:35.580 God rents his vineyard out. 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.600 Think about this in the in the context of the Bible story. 00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:39.820 Right. 00:16:39.860 --> 00:16:41.600 He rents it out to the Israelites first. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:42.179 Right. 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:43.159 It's Abraham's. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:43.299 Right. 00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:49.759 He said, I'm going to produce a fruit in you, one that is your generations are going to be bigger than the stars. 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:50.240 Right. 00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.679 More than the sand on the in the sea. 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:53.360 Right. 00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:01.460 He's going to make Israel fruitful. 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:03.539 Right. 00:17:03.539 --> 00:17:04.740 Wants them to produce fruit. 00:17:04.818 --> 00:17:06.318 There's an expectation to produce fruit. 00:17:06.420 --> 00:17:08.039 He's given them everything that they need to. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:08.940 Right. 00:17:09.180 --> 00:17:10.740 And think about we look at this all the time. 00:17:10.818 --> 00:17:11.380 I know I do. 00:17:11.618 --> 00:17:12.640 I look at the Old Testament. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:14.098 I'm like, guys, you guys had it easy. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:17.940 Like God, God was literally willing to, like, kill all of your enemies for you. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.098 That's like, you know, he had like it's not that heavy handed expectation. 00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.059 Right. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:25.920 You know, it should be a wonderful experience. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.579 You guys should be able to go to God. 00:17:27.619 --> 00:17:29.259 Like, you know, I got everything. 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.440 Like, I don't remember a time, you know, I prayed to God. 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:37.759 And, you know, the sun stood still, you know, or that, you know, like he literally spit a red sea for you guys. 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:39.380 And you guys are still complaining. 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:41.200 You guys are stinkers. 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:41.859 Right. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:49.259 Like like that was like kind of the expectation that I had just growing up, like every time I read an Old Testament story, I'm like, you guys are fools. 00:17:49.259 --> 00:17:51.460 Like, you guys just mess it up all the time. 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.180 We'll get into how we're also the same. 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.720 We'll just hold on that for a little bit. 00:17:56.740 --> 00:18:01.140 We'll hold of the Israelites full hearted, full hearted listeners. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.900 At the moment, if that is a word, but we're going with it. 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:05.720 Right. 00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:08.680 And I think about like there were great times within the land. 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:09.759 Right. 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:10.240 There were. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.599 Think about the time of David, the time of Solomon. 00:18:13.819 --> 00:18:15.220 Israelite experienced great wealth. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:16.099 They had great seasons. 00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:18.660 Think about in the view of the vineyard. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:19.740 There were great seasons. 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:21.319 There was great years of good wine. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:25.440 Like think of the, you know, 550, you know, BC wine. 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:26.559 That would have been like the good wine. 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:31.200 But the overall product and care of the land was not great at all. 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:38.079 To align it with the parable, the wine produced from God's land would have been poisonous and undrinkable. 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:45.000 That's how the tenants took care of what was cared for and what had been given purpose. 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:49.480 As soon as the tenants arrived, it became poisonous and undrinkable. 00:18:50.539 --> 00:18:59.759 When God sent servants like the prophets to remind Israel that they were supposed to bear fruit for God, they beat one, killed another, stoned a third. 00:19:01.299 --> 00:19:01.640 Right. 00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:02.980 Think of it. 00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:05.220 Think of they had all the prophets. 00:19:05.339 --> 00:19:06.900 They had Samuel. 00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:08.640 He's going to lead them. 00:19:08.740 --> 00:19:09.480 No, we want a king. 00:19:10.099 --> 00:19:11.359 We don't need this prophet. 00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:12.779 Right. 00:19:12.819 --> 00:19:18.400 And after the kings, God's like, I'm going to send, I'm going to give you so many tries to turn towards the Lord. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:19.380 I'm going to give you Jeremiah. 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:20.920 I'm going to give you Ezekiel. 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:22.720 I'm going to give you these men. 00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:27.059 They're going to tell you if you don't turn away from your sin and repent, I'm going to have to exile you. 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:28.019 Right. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:38.220 And every time he sent more and more servants, the results were the same and the results were Israel being exiled from Israel. 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:48.759 Here's where the story takes a turn to on the edge of the seat type of a story, right? 00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:50.980 It's been just like, oh, Israel's bad. 00:19:51.880 --> 00:19:55.180 Yes, we are bad also, but here is what's important. 00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:56.900 Enter Jesus. 00:19:57.740 --> 00:20:03.799 Kind of like, I love it when people, when we talk about Jesus, kind of like a big ol' like WWE, like coming in. 00:20:03.940 --> 00:20:08.039 Just, you know, like you don't know who to expect and I'm not a big WWE guy. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:10.380 No, like I think there's some people in here that really like it. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.079 I just, I think it is very scripted. 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:14.099 That's a whole nother conversation for another time. 00:20:14.380 --> 00:20:19.720 But I know people get really excited when like someone who hasn't, someone hasn't like made an entrance for like years. 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:20.380 Right. 00:20:20.460 --> 00:20:26.160 And then you hear like the theme music and everybody in the stands like, oh my goodness, like they're freaking out. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:28.660 You hear like screaming, people like fainting, right? 00:20:28.819 --> 00:20:31.220 Like that's how I kind of feel like Jesus is in these moments, right? 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:34.039 He's like, you know, we're gonna talk about me, right? 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:34.660 It's the music. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:36.759 It's the, it's the theme music and he's coming in. 00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:38.059 Right? 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:42.460 Jesus puts himself in the story and the crates where he tells us, right? 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:46.480 How he will die and where he will die before he dies, right? 00:20:46.859 --> 00:20:47.480 This is wild. 00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:53.759 God, in love and grace for his people, decides to send his son, right? 00:20:53.759 --> 00:21:02.160 Just as the tenant, the landowner for the vineyards, like surely if I send my son, they will respect him because they know it's coming straight from me. 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:02.880 It's not a servant. 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:03.880 He's my blood. 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:05.720 He's everything I am, right? 00:21:05.740 --> 00:21:10.299 He's obviously going to make a big impact on them if they tell him what to do, right? 00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:14.839 Jesus knows he's the son in this story. 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:21.660 And as this quote, I love thinking about the humanity in these moments, right? 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:27.559 We obviously, we read it and we can picture the, you know, the conviction that's read. 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:29.819 But I think there's something unique about like just the human experience. 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:35.440 Like kind of like if we were talking right here, what I would feel like, how I would direct something towards someone in some type of way. 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:38.400 Can you picture the way Jesus was telling this story? 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:48.839 I can, I can just picture Jesus, like, you know, say that, and I'll just pick on Jaron over here because like he, this is a good, you know, I feel like this is where the Pharisees would be. 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:59.140 Like if Jesus is telling this story, telling this great parable, and he's like, yeah, so they sent the son, and the tenants are going to kill him, right? 00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:00.220 They send him over. 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:05.640 So no, sure, we're going to send a message to the landowner and kill him, right? 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:10.160 I just, we don't really know how Jesus, how he said it, but I can just imagine, right? 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:11.400 He is talking boldly. 00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:14.579 He's talking in a way of boldness, right? 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.900 They will respect my son. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:18.980 He knows exactly who he's talking to. 00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:29.849 He's talking to the Pharisees here, and he knows that his life is meant to be killed by those people, right, right? 00:22:29.970 --> 00:22:34.089 But as you know, the tenants had rebellion and self-rule in their hearts. 00:22:34.789 --> 00:22:37.390 They took the son out of the vineyard and had him killed. 00:22:38.269 --> 00:22:41.589 Jesus himself was crucified out of Jerusalem, just as the parable. 00:22:41.589 --> 00:22:47.710 If you look at John 19, 20, Hebrews 13, 11 through 13, for context to that. 00:22:50.269 --> 00:22:57.950 Now that the owner has sent all of his servants and even his son to the vineyard, we can expect that he himself will come, right? 00:22:58.009 --> 00:22:59.369 Like that is the last step. 00:22:59.650 --> 00:23:01.009 You killed the servants. 00:23:01.529 --> 00:23:02.910 You murdered my son. 00:23:03.289 --> 00:23:04.690 It is my turn to come. 00:23:05.650 --> 00:23:08.789 And that is exactly what's next on God's calendar. 00:23:09.549 --> 00:23:15.930 In the meantime, he has found new tenants who will produce fruit, just as the verses say. 00:23:16.809 --> 00:23:22.529 Again, as we talked about last week, the kingdom of God is no longer just for the people of Israel. 00:23:23.289 --> 00:23:36.029 It's been given to those of us who see Jesus as Lord, who see him as the true Son, right, and live their lives of purpose and care, just as the original tenants should have. 00:23:36.029 --> 00:23:40.869 And everyone in this room, this is the call we've been given. 00:23:41.069 --> 00:23:44.490 We've been given the call to be the new tenants, right? 00:23:46.049 --> 00:23:50.069 Think about what kind of tenant you've been with the story that you've been given. 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:56.900 But the story doesn't end just there, right? 00:23:56.900 --> 00:24:02.500 We have a few more verses that talk through his interaction with the Pharisees. 00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:05.960 You know, remember that first rhetorical question, right? 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:09.380 Why the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest Jesus after he told the story? 00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:11.200 It actually all is happening right here. 00:24:11.339 --> 00:24:24.440 To this point, I think that they probably would have riled some feathers and been like, okay, you're talking above your weight class, you might be, you know, we get that you're a man of God, but you're talking with some boldness maybe you shouldn't be, right? 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:27.259 But that just makes people upset. 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:32.119 What he does next is the kind of stuff why people wanted to kill him, right? 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:36.779 There was a reason people wanted to kill Jesus, because he was bold, he knew what he needed to say, and he said it with authority. 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:49.319 Jesus brings up a passage from Psalms 118, a chapter in Psalms, which I encourage everyone this week, you know, as you reflect on this lesson, to take time and reflect on. 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:53.619 Read Psalms 118 and bring it back into the lesson that we're doing today. 00:24:54.779 --> 00:25:06.059 But at this moment, feel free to turn to Psalms 118 as I go through some of the verses that Jesus specifically is talking about and how it reflects on what he said. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:10.460 Now, this is a very messianic Psalm that predicts the coming Savior. 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:19.140 The Jewish leaders would have known it well, especially the Pharisees, they were well trained in the Bible, they would have known exactly what Jesus was talking about. 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:24.279 And they would have been very offended by Jesus using it to refer to himself. 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:30.980 He was definitely, without a doubt, calling himself the God that was coming, and the Pharisees would have known it. 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:39.900 You know, a few things that Psalms 118 tells us about the Messiah to come, and a few of them are on here that you can look and write down, right? 00:25:40.220 --> 00:25:42.859 In verse 17, it says, I will not die, but live. 00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:48.940 Verse 25 and 26, Lord save us, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:25:48.940 --> 00:26:00.019 25 and 26 are referring to what the Israelites are shouting to Jesus on Psalm Sunday, right? 00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:09.420 When he was entering Jerusalem on the donkey, that's exactly what they were saying to him verbatim, right? 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:20.839 But Jesus, in Matthew 21, he focuses back on verses 22 and 23. 00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:24.259 And this is what verses 22 and 23 of Psalm 118 say. 00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:28.680 The stone the builder rejected has become the cornerstone. 00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:31.859 The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 00:26:33.730 --> 00:26:34.829 We just read that, didn't we? 00:26:35.869 --> 00:26:37.369 Because it's also in Psalms 118. 00:26:38.490 --> 00:26:41.069 Let's imagine these verses together, right? 00:26:41.089 --> 00:26:43.710 Like, we are no longer in a vineyard. 00:26:43.809 --> 00:26:47.809 Take the vineyard side out of this, put your mind instead of a first century quarry. 00:26:49.029 --> 00:26:55.430 When holy buildings like the temple were constructed, all of the hammering and chiseling was done in a quarry. 00:26:56.329 --> 00:26:58.390 So it would just be like a field of different rocks. 00:26:58.470 --> 00:27:04.150 Think of them like they would go out there, they would chisel it out, and it would all be just like these set pieces of rocks out there. 00:27:04.210 --> 00:27:06.009 So then they could just take them from there, right? 00:27:06.009 --> 00:27:07.150 They wouldn't take big old slabs. 00:27:09.650 --> 00:27:11.369 Imagine yourself as the foreman. 00:27:11.470 --> 00:27:12.390 I like this part. 00:27:12.569 --> 00:27:13.809 I'm like, I like construction. 00:27:13.809 --> 00:27:19.849 And you are in charge of building your life, right? 00:27:19.970 --> 00:27:21.009 You have the blocks. 00:27:21.190 --> 00:27:21.869 You're the foreman. 00:27:21.930 --> 00:27:23.250 It is your job to build it. 00:27:23.730 --> 00:27:26.849 You are looking for the cornerstone, right? 00:27:26.990 --> 00:27:29.650 Like, any important house. 00:27:30.029 --> 00:27:32.970 I think, you know, Spencer has done land development. 00:27:33.150 --> 00:27:34.849 I've also done some, like, land development. 00:27:37.269 --> 00:27:39.130 Alec over here has done a lot of construction in his life. 00:27:39.210 --> 00:27:42.549 Like, it is so important that the foundation is strong. 00:27:42.549 --> 00:27:45.529 Like, the cornerstone, like, nowadays is concrete, right? 00:27:45.609 --> 00:27:47.869 Like, there's slabs and there's, like, rebar through it. 00:27:48.349 --> 00:27:52.829 Like, it is so important to have a strong, you know, concrete foundation. 00:27:53.349 --> 00:28:00.109 But especially, like, back older days, like, what you would use your cornerstone on is usually, like, a fireplace mantel, right? 00:28:00.130 --> 00:28:02.170 You would build up from that and around it. 00:28:04.049 --> 00:28:09.269 And it's, thinking of the cornerstone, think of, like, how important that first build is, that first step, right? 00:28:09.309 --> 00:28:10.609 It is the most important stone. 00:28:10.609 --> 00:28:15.450 The foundation that everything else is going to be built upon, right? 00:28:15.630 --> 00:28:16.470 So think of that. 00:28:16.690 --> 00:28:19.250 That's what Jesus is talking about, talking in construction terms. 00:28:19.470 --> 00:28:21.170 He's my type of guy, right? 00:28:21.289 --> 00:28:35.329 And Jesus says here that the Jewish leaders picked up that stone, looked it over, they looked at what Jesus said, heard what he had to say, and they rejected him. 00:28:36.509 --> 00:28:37.029 Right? 00:28:37.210 --> 00:28:41.690 They chose something else to build their lives upon. 00:28:42.730 --> 00:28:45.049 And this is what he's calling out in them, right? 00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:51.049 He's calling out, he says, I'm the cornerstone, you're rejecting me as of this moment. 00:28:53.529 --> 00:28:56.109 Think of yourself in that position if you were one of the Pharisees. 00:28:56.369 --> 00:29:02.549 I think it would be so easy to think about the one that's like, I'm going all for Jesus, I love it, yeah, like, call out the Pharisees. 00:29:02.829 --> 00:29:06.950 But imagine yourself the one sitting there and he's calling you out, he's like, you haven't built yourself as a cornerstone. 00:29:07.230 --> 00:29:08.930 I'm not the cornerstone of your life. 00:29:09.210 --> 00:29:11.269 I am not what you've built your story around. 00:29:11.269 --> 00:29:13.710 And you're like, I don't like what you're saying, dude. 00:29:14.150 --> 00:29:18.609 Like, it feels a lot more, you know, it feels way more hurtful. 00:29:18.809 --> 00:29:19.970 It feels attacking. 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:20.569 Right? 00:29:20.849 --> 00:29:23.710 But we also have to understand that we live this life. 00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:24.589 We live it. 00:29:26.779 --> 00:29:28.740 And this is where we get to the more personal side. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:33.660 Finding our place, your place, in God's story. 00:29:35.910 --> 00:29:36.130 Right? 00:29:36.190 --> 00:29:38.130 We reject Jesus just like this sometimes. 00:29:38.809 --> 00:29:39.250 Right? 00:29:39.309 --> 00:29:41.450 It's the humbling part of the stories. 00:29:41.450 --> 00:29:48.210 Like I said, I've looked at the Israelite story so many times in my life and it feels just like, yeah, there's life here and I'm here. 00:29:48.309 --> 00:29:56.109 Obviously I'm not going to, you know, I'm not the foolish one that's going to, you know, run away from God after he split the sea and, you know, had a pillar of fire come down. 00:29:56.250 --> 00:29:58.369 Like, I'd be following God all the time. 00:29:59.130 --> 00:30:08.789 Well, he saved my life from certain doom and then, you know, two months later I'm, you know, I'm angry, I'm prideful, I'm, you know, I don't have control of my emotions. 00:30:08.970 --> 00:30:10.009 I want to be by myself. 00:30:10.009 --> 00:30:11.210 I don't give to other people. 00:30:11.390 --> 00:30:11.490 Right? 00:30:11.490 --> 00:30:13.329 Like, I do the exact same thing. 00:30:14.130 --> 00:30:14.450 Right? 00:30:15.650 --> 00:30:23.569 And the part is, Jesus is the perfect fit, is the perfect cornerstone for everyone's life. 00:30:24.150 --> 00:30:24.589 Right? 00:30:24.710 --> 00:30:32.150 It doesn't matter where you come from, the background that you have, where you've lived, how you've lived, the pain, the hurt that you've done. 00:30:32.430 --> 00:30:32.769 Right? 00:30:33.349 --> 00:30:35.890 You have to build with one cornerstone. 00:30:35.890 --> 00:30:40.490 Even if, like, right, think of Matthew 27, the building of rock and sand. 00:30:40.710 --> 00:30:44.990 If you've built on sand, tear that sucker down and then rebuild again. 00:30:46.130 --> 00:30:47.029 Rebuild again. 00:30:48.230 --> 00:30:54.190 But yet, sometimes we just look at Jesus and pick some other broken, messed up rock to build our lives upon. 00:30:55.349 --> 00:31:03.470 I think in my life, I think so much of the natural things I can build my life on is just shallow things. 00:31:03.829 --> 00:31:04.950 I'm a big sports guy. 00:31:05.430 --> 00:31:11.210 I would just talk about sports and watch basketball until my heart was content. 00:31:11.789 --> 00:31:15.750 That's all I would do if I was up to my own uselessness. 00:31:16.470 --> 00:31:31.829 I would think of I think Jaron and me have talked about this once, but if I wasn't a disciple, I'd probably be in the middle of Alaska fishing and hunting and being this wild man who doesn't talk to humans. 00:31:32.430 --> 00:31:34.490 That's the cornerstones I would build on. 00:31:34.710 --> 00:31:35.250 It's goofy. 00:31:35.390 --> 00:31:35.549 It's weird. 00:31:35.690 --> 00:31:41.890 Obviously I don't want to, but then my heart's like it's so beautiful up there and there's no one to talk to. 00:31:42.190 --> 00:31:42.970 It's my sin. 00:31:43.109 --> 00:31:44.309 It's what I want to build on. 00:31:44.609 --> 00:31:45.690 I know Jesus. 00:31:46.990 --> 00:31:54.269 I feel like I've grown in the seven to eight years I've made Jesus Lord, but there's times I'm just like I just want to go. 00:31:55.309 --> 00:31:57.329 I want to watch my basketball. 00:31:58.710 --> 00:32:02.369 Or even to a point, do I want to make more money than ministry or whatever? 00:32:02.750 --> 00:32:04.769 These things that I call it's the sin. 00:32:04.990 --> 00:32:06.829 It's Satan being like it's this. 00:32:07.849 --> 00:32:09.789 Be called to this other cornerstone. 00:32:10.769 --> 00:32:12.650 We just want so many things. 00:32:12.730 --> 00:32:24.210 You guys could think for a second one, two, three things probably right off the bat in the last month that Satan has been telling you to seek after not name Jesus, not name the cornerstone. 00:32:27.769 --> 00:32:32.630 Such the unique part about this in that second point is Jesus is so humble about this. 00:32:33.809 --> 00:32:37.930 Think about the story with the vineyard, the landlord. 00:32:38.690 --> 00:32:41.130 He gives him so many opportunities to choose. 00:32:42.210 --> 00:32:49.349 He talks and never once talks the Christ never talks once about just striking and killing the tenants right off the bat. 00:32:49.769 --> 00:32:52.430 I think when you think about that it's like get him out of there, kill him. 00:32:52.609 --> 00:32:53.970 He's like no, I sent servants. 00:32:54.250 --> 00:32:54.970 I sent more servants. 00:32:55.109 --> 00:32:55.869 I sent my son. 00:32:55.869 --> 00:32:58.150 This is where we're at in the story. 00:32:58.289 --> 00:33:02.049 He sent his son and Jesus was so humble to go. 00:33:02.549 --> 00:33:06.569 He let us choose even though we choose wrong most of the time. 00:33:06.910 --> 00:33:08.690 Even though most of the world chooses wrong. 00:33:11.170 --> 00:33:17.529 If you want to take back Matthew 21 verse 44 take a look back at that. 00:33:17.589 --> 00:33:22.690 He adds this warning in there about our lives and what we choose from our decision here. 00:33:23.230 --> 00:33:26.230 He adds this warning about rocks falling or falling on it. 00:33:26.589 --> 00:33:28.170 When I read it, it was a little confusing. 00:33:29.009 --> 00:33:30.809 What does that actually really mean? 00:33:31.450 --> 00:33:32.710 Let's think about it. 00:33:33.789 --> 00:33:39.690 I've actually done both of these things because I was a foolish wild little child. 00:33:40.690 --> 00:33:42.369 First one, falling on a rock hurts. 00:33:43.730 --> 00:33:48.269 When I went camping, there's this really cool place up in Colorado it's called the Grand Mesa. 00:33:48.450 --> 00:33:50.150 It's where I went when I was a little kid to go camping. 00:33:50.970 --> 00:33:52.849 It was this big camping spot. 00:33:52.849 --> 00:33:53.349 It was really cool. 00:33:53.789 --> 00:33:56.029 I'd say the size of this room was the camping spot. 00:33:56.470 --> 00:34:01.950 Behind it was this volcano rock that went up this hill. 00:34:02.390 --> 00:34:03.410 I'm 10 years old. 00:34:03.410 --> 00:34:04.769 I should not be climbing up this thing. 00:34:04.869 --> 00:34:07.710 Me and my brother are like let's do this. 00:34:07.750 --> 00:34:08.690 We're going to climb to the top. 00:34:09.289 --> 00:34:12.090 The amount of times there's these little holes, crevices. 00:34:12.309 --> 00:34:13.889 It is not safe for any 10 year old. 00:34:13.989 --> 00:34:15.989 I keep falling on these rocks and it hurts. 00:34:16.469 --> 00:34:17.789 It hurts a lot. 00:34:19.570 --> 00:34:20.510 Falling on a rock hurts. 00:34:20.510 --> 00:34:20.909 It hurts. 00:34:22.110 --> 00:34:26.630 The second one, having a rock fall on you hurts worse. 00:34:28.389 --> 00:34:29.929 It wasn't a big rock. 00:34:30.150 --> 00:34:32.570 I have a beautiful little scar here on my wrist. 00:34:32.650 --> 00:34:33.849 It's going away more and more. 00:34:34.369 --> 00:34:38.050 Me and my brother decided that there's this really, really cool game. 00:34:38.110 --> 00:34:42.829 If you have a brother, maybe you've played it or maybe me and my brother are just a little unique. 00:34:43.869 --> 00:34:45.130 It's called Dodge Rock. 00:34:45.949 --> 00:34:47.469 Dodge Rock is a good game, guys. 00:34:47.469 --> 00:34:51.670 Don't underestimate the joy Dodge Rock can give you in life. 00:34:52.989 --> 00:34:55.510 This was when me and my brother were up. 00:34:55.650 --> 00:34:56.469 We lived in the mountains. 00:34:57.610 --> 00:35:01.449 We lived literally on the backside of the National Park. 00:35:01.969 --> 00:35:06.949 If the road is coming up, it sits like this and then it's like this hill over. 00:35:07.750 --> 00:35:11.789 What would happen is my brother would stand here on top of that little hill. 00:35:12.130 --> 00:35:12.949 I stand at the bottom. 00:35:13.250 --> 00:35:16.969 Tree line, weird breaking opening right at the bottom. 00:35:17.610 --> 00:35:18.650 We just thought it was a great deal. 00:35:18.829 --> 00:35:20.349 Hey, Dallas, that's my brother's name. 00:35:20.809 --> 00:35:23.210 Throw him down and I'll just dodge him. 00:35:23.969 --> 00:35:24.949 We could do it for hours. 00:35:25.050 --> 00:35:26.170 It was so much fun, guys. 00:35:26.269 --> 00:35:36.090 It was truly fun until it wasn't because Josh McCoy is a little bit of a space head every now and then. 00:35:36.570 --> 00:35:41.309 I just remember I was staring up at the sky and I was like, it's a really cool day today. 00:35:42.469 --> 00:35:52.230 The next thing I feel is my wrist! I screamed like you would have thought I was being kidnapped. 00:35:52.590 --> 00:35:55.550 I was screaming bloody murder. 00:35:56.929 --> 00:35:58.929 We're out in the woods just a little bit. 00:35:58.989 --> 00:36:02.309 My dad's working on the house up on the second level. 00:36:02.690 --> 00:36:05.170 He's looking over to see what just happened. 00:36:05.309 --> 00:36:08.090 I come running out of the woods holding my wrist screaming. 00:36:08.090 --> 00:36:14.130 It probably looks like I was tried and killed by some weird woodsman. 00:36:15.550 --> 00:36:17.510 What happened was I got thrown. 00:36:17.590 --> 00:36:19.949 A rock hit me right in the wrist and that sucker hurt. 00:36:20.949 --> 00:36:22.909 I think of that memory. 00:36:23.030 --> 00:36:24.329 It's implanted in my brain forever. 00:36:24.449 --> 00:36:27.349 I love telling the story because it's just two brothers being foolish and stupid. 00:36:30.110 --> 00:36:33.670 The idea is that rock, it hurt. 00:36:34.030 --> 00:36:35.449 It fell and it fell fast. 00:36:35.449 --> 00:36:36.409 It came at me. 00:36:36.469 --> 00:36:37.730 I wasn't expecting it. 00:36:38.949 --> 00:36:40.849 That's the story of our spiritual lives. 00:36:42.909 --> 00:36:47.829 Choosing Jesus isn't a magical potion that guarantees a life of ease and happiness. 00:36:48.530 --> 00:36:51.170 We still live in a world that mostly rejects Jesus. 00:36:51.250 --> 00:36:55.530 That doesn't agree with what we have to say about how we live our lives. 00:36:56.190 --> 00:37:00.090 That means we're going to fall and get hurt even as Christians. 00:37:00.469 --> 00:37:01.730 We're going to fall on some rocks. 00:37:02.030 --> 00:37:02.889 We're going to be climbing. 00:37:03.010 --> 00:37:03.610 It's the top. 00:37:03.610 --> 00:37:09.849 To the point, think of me as a 7-8 year old boy because that's the years I've been a disciple. 00:37:10.070 --> 00:37:11.969 I'm just like, that's a cool mountain. 00:37:12.030 --> 00:37:13.150 I want to climb to the top. 00:37:13.489 --> 00:37:14.789 I step here and I'm falling. 00:37:15.190 --> 00:37:17.590 I'm hurting my knees where they're already not great. 00:37:18.550 --> 00:37:19.230 I'm hurting. 00:37:19.389 --> 00:37:21.309 I've fallen but I still want to get to the top. 00:37:21.769 --> 00:37:22.650 I'm still going to get there. 00:37:23.989 --> 00:37:28.349 There's a clear goal in sight but sometimes we're going to fall and we're going to get hurt. 00:37:29.530 --> 00:37:37.510 The point here is if we don't have Jesus, if we're the tenants that reject, the rock is going to fall on us. 00:37:39.929 --> 00:37:41.570 We won't just be stubbing our toes. 00:37:42.409 --> 00:37:44.650 We won't have scratched up shins. 00:37:45.289 --> 00:37:47.230 The rock is going to hit you and you're going to scream. 00:37:47.730 --> 00:37:51.349 You're going to wish in that moment that you didn't play Dodge Rock. 00:37:52.230 --> 00:37:53.489 It was a fun game. 00:37:53.590 --> 00:38:01.090 You had a lot of fun and in the moment that it stops, you're going to wish by everything you had that you wouldn't have played the game. 00:38:02.210 --> 00:38:02.809 Right? 00:38:03.429 --> 00:38:08.989 This is what happens and this is the consequences we face without the cornerstone of our faith. 00:38:10.130 --> 00:38:15.530 And the beautifulness is He gives this choice to them, to the Pharisees, to the Israelites. 00:38:15.690 --> 00:38:16.909 He gives it to us as well. 00:38:17.510 --> 00:38:25.829 Fall down and be broken before Jesus or risk being crushed by the weight of your sin and it will happen faster than you realize. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:28.860 Think about this. 00:38:29.159 --> 00:38:32.239 Is it any wonder that they wanted to arrest him? 00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:33.019 Right? 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:35.340 That is not a fun thing to tell people. 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:38.900 You're telling someone you're going to get crushed. 00:38:38.980 --> 00:38:43.420 You're going to feel the weight of the world on you and you will have no ability to stop it. 00:38:43.739 --> 00:38:45.300 It's a really powerful story. 00:38:46.019 --> 00:38:47.639 It's the story of our whole creation. 00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:48.900 It's the story of the whole Bible. 00:38:49.420 --> 00:38:51.619 But most importantly for us, it's our story. 00:38:51.960 --> 00:38:53.679 And it's our time in the story. 00:38:56.090 --> 00:38:58.289 So let's wind up with this. 00:38:59.670 --> 00:39:02.929 All of the starting point elements are here. 00:39:03.809 --> 00:39:05.489 I think we've done a good job. 00:39:05.570 --> 00:39:16.309 If you really look back at the story, take time to reflect on Matthew 21, which I think if you've been following with the Monday through Saturday timeline in our thread, a lot of the verses are talked about here. 00:39:16.369 --> 00:39:19.210 So maybe you can even just reflect and now you can put the whole picture together. 00:39:20.570 --> 00:39:31.090 But as we move past the starting point and begin this journey into thread in earnest, we started this series by talking about our image of God. 00:39:31.769 --> 00:39:37.909 The leaders had the wrong image of God, especially the Pharisees, when Jesus is calling them out. 00:39:38.289 --> 00:39:40.590 They didn't understand that they were the tenants. 00:39:41.230 --> 00:39:46.130 They expected to be producing all this good fruit in their lives just from all the good they did. 00:39:46.909 --> 00:39:53.010 But they were just so blinded by the fact that they just wanted it for themselves. 00:39:53.010 --> 00:39:54.110 They were killing the tenants. 00:39:54.190 --> 00:39:54.690 They were stoning. 00:39:54.690 --> 00:39:56.829 They were doing anything for them. 00:39:57.090 --> 00:39:59.030 They didn't give it purpose or care. 00:40:00.889 --> 00:40:03.510 Two weeks ago, we looked at the importance of story. 00:40:04.030 --> 00:40:07.610 Jesus is trying to help Israel reframe their story. 00:40:08.090 --> 00:40:12.789 More importantly, he's trying to help us reframe our story, no matter where we're at in the story. 00:40:14.429 --> 00:40:17.809 Even using their scriptures, he's using a story to do it. 00:40:18.469 --> 00:40:20.050 Last week, we looked at spirituality. 00:40:20.949 --> 00:40:25.389 You can see clearly that God wants his people to understand important things about his nature. 00:40:26.050 --> 00:40:28.349 He wants us to live with purpose. 00:40:28.989 --> 00:40:30.329 He wants us to be careful. 00:40:30.630 --> 00:40:33.449 If we do that, we're going to produce fruit. 00:40:33.969 --> 00:40:36.050 He knows what happens to a good tenant. 00:40:36.289 --> 00:40:40.429 We want to be the 2023 really good wine when we get to heaven. 00:40:40.550 --> 00:40:43.949 We want to be the one where it's like, God's like, that was good wine right there. 00:40:44.389 --> 00:40:45.909 We want to be the good one. 00:40:45.969 --> 00:40:47.530 We want to produce the fruit in our lives. 00:40:48.949 --> 00:41:02.510 As we reflect on the starting point, beginning again, next week we're going to take our first steps into God's creation, into digging into Genesis, to igniting, to being re-fired. 00:41:03.090 --> 00:41:11.070 This week is one more opportunity to take a deep breath and consider where we are as individuals, but also as a church. 00:41:11.210 --> 00:41:13.170 The reason we're doing Thread is so that we're a community. 00:41:13.329 --> 00:41:14.409 We're tied together. 00:41:14.829 --> 00:41:17.909 I love the idea of Thread, because we're supposed to be threaded together. 00:41:17.909 --> 00:41:22.869 Like, you know, we're all tenants of God's vineyard. 00:41:23.190 --> 00:41:25.010 If one of us leaves, the vineyard hurts. 00:41:25.750 --> 00:41:28.809 If one of us is hurting our spiritual lives, the vineyard hurts. 00:41:29.150 --> 00:41:29.929 That's the idea of us. 00:41:29.949 --> 00:41:32.849 To be threaded together, to grow as a community before God. 00:41:33.369 --> 00:41:39.110 So I say this is one thing where you look individually, but then you go back to the community and how we can grow together. 00:41:40.110 --> 00:41:49.150 So to finish this lesson, I want you guys to think about which part of the starting point do you want to grow in the most? 00:41:49.869 --> 00:41:51.369 Is it the image of God? 00:41:51.889 --> 00:41:58.550 Understanding how you view God, how you've viewed Him in your life, and especially where you are with that now? 00:41:59.409 --> 00:42:00.909 Number two, expanding your story. 00:42:01.829 --> 00:42:04.409 Do you see how important your story is to God? 00:42:05.190 --> 00:42:10.389 Do you see how important your time of making Jesus Lord is as of the moment? 00:42:10.849 --> 00:42:12.650 Your story, how you impact others. 00:42:12.650 --> 00:42:18.989 A lot of you probably aren't in this room if it isn't for somebody else impacting your story. 00:42:19.889 --> 00:42:22.190 Be someone who also impacts with your story. 00:42:23.510 --> 00:42:25.130 Third, incorporating spirituality. 00:42:25.829 --> 00:42:30.030 Think about how much did you let God use your story? 00:42:30.750 --> 00:42:36.949 Think about do you go through your day in prayer and just be like, God, use me. 00:42:37.050 --> 00:42:38.630 How much of the Spirit are you using every day? 00:42:38.710 --> 00:42:39.550 Think about your spirituality. 00:42:40.489 --> 00:42:43.690 And then this last one, this fourth one that we talked about, they've seen the big picture. 00:42:44.349 --> 00:42:49.230 Do you see yourself as a tenant growing God's vineyard? 00:42:49.750 --> 00:42:54.610 The vineyard's going to be here more than likely way after we're gone. 00:42:55.429 --> 00:42:58.489 So think about, have you taken good care of God's vineyard? 00:42:58.889 --> 00:43:07.289 Think about, have you done what is needed to make God's vineyard thrive for the next tenants that need to be in here? 00:43:07.510 --> 00:43:11.710 So this is the last lesson on starting point. 00:43:13.070 --> 00:43:14.269 Be engaged with Thread. 00:43:14.710 --> 00:43:17.989 We're going to look at a video right now just to get our minds engaged. 00:43:18.449 --> 00:43:20.030 Please feel free to talk about the lesson. 00:43:20.150 --> 00:43:23.889 Talk about this week's story, the story of our faith, the big picture. 00:43:24.449 --> 00:43:27.329 It'd be a shame if we don't talk about this as a group and as a church. 00:43:27.829 --> 00:43:28.190 Thank you, guys. 00:43:39.429 --> 00:43:44.489 And fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:43:44.690 --> 00:43:47.090 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.