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welcome to everyone we just have one brief announcement that there is a luncheon today after the morning worship and that the hospital ministry was cancelled so there will be no ministry at heritage village this morning but there is a luncheon if you did not bring anything please still feel free to in love yourself in this luncheon participate in the luncheon is what I was looking for we want to see and get to know you so it be following the morning service upstairs and there'll be food and things out there well for our call to worship the see this morning I want to read psalm 118 so I'm 118 the latter half beginning in verse 15 psalm 118 beginning in verse 15 the voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tenths of the righteous the right hand of the Lord does valiantly the right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord does valiantly I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord the Lord has chasing me severely but he has not given me over to death open to me the gates of righteousness I will go through them and I will praise the Lord this is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter I will praise you for you have answered me and have become my salvation the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes this is the day the lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it save now I pray Oh Lord oh Lord I pray send now prosperity blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord we have blessed you from the house of the Lord God is the Lord and He has given us white bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar you are my god and I will praise you you are my god I will exalt you Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endures forever amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 135 hymn number 135 will stand as we sing together you well for our time this morning will praise God for two things in the first place the healthy birth of Josiah Stephen will break and then in the second place hopefully you saw that Saeed Abedini was released from prison in Iran man that we have been praying for for for a while we can praise God and rejoice in the fact that he is either at home or on his way home back to Idaho with his wife and his children so praise God from whom all blessings flow so let us pray or Great God and our Holy Father we gather before you this morning and we acknowledge that you are the God who made this world and all things in it things seen and unseen and you are the God who governs all your creatures and all their actions you were sovereign in your Providence you were sovereign in the way that you uphold all things and as the psalmist says you are in the heavens and you do whatever you please and in this we greatly rejoice because your God was good and it was wise and who is infinitely holy and when you do as you please it is according to your very being according to your your attributes according to your glory and majesty we thank you as well father son and spirit for so great a salvation especially on the Sabbath days we consider the reality that Christ has risen from the dead that he is at the right hand of God most high that you have called us out of darkness into marvelous light and brought us into this place may we indeed sing praises to our God for creation for Providence and for redemption that you have saved us that you have dealt so mercifully and so graciously with us our God we want to honor you this day in a manner that is acceptable to you with reverence and with godly fear and as well with great joy and with great thanksgiving we see the condition we were in prior to our coming to Christ when we see what we are in Adam and when we see what we are according to the Holy Scripture it truly is shameful but we thank you for the son of you we thank you for his perfect life of obedience to the father's law we thank you for his death at Calvary as a substitute and as a sacrifice we thank you for his resurrection from the dead in its current session at the right hand of God most high and we praise you that he will come again in glory to judge the living in the debt we thank you and praise you as well for the ministry of the holy spirit that has worked in us that has regenerated us that has given us the graces of faith and repentance and it's shown us the beauty of our Lord Jesus and as we gather here this morning we pray that that would be the case for others as well that today would be the day of salvation that the Holy Spirit would be at work in the hearts of men and women and boys and girls that you would bring conviction for sin and show that the glory of Jesus Christ is that one alone who is able to save to the uttermost all who draw near to God through him our Father we confess our sins to you now and pray for forgiveness and pray for cleansing we know that the Word of God says that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and declines us from all unrighteousness and how we thank you that there is that fountain open for sin and uncleanness and we pray that even now you would wash us and purify us we thank you God not only for all these spiritual blessings that you have given to us we thank you for the temporal blessings we give praise to you for Marcel and Deborah and this new little gift in their home we just commit this little one to you and to your gracious care we pray that one day he would confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that he would be hedged in by you and that he would glorify and honor you and that we pray for all of our children and for all of our young people we know there is a battle concerning their never dying souls and even this morning we pray that you give them years to hear and hearts to receive the truth of God that you would be pleased to have dealings with them and show them your mercy and show them your grace and may they by grace be able to heed the instruction of us of the preacher who said remember your Creator in your youth we also praised and thank you for this news concerning Saeed Abedini we thank you that he has been released from this prison and we pray that they would have a blessed homecoming and that they would rejoice in their God in your goodness and your kindness she would bless his family and just encourage their hearts and cause them to be praising you each and every day of their lives we know that you are a God who does hear the prayers of the the upright and we don't claim any uprightness in our own conduct we claim uprightness because of Jesus Christ that one you made sin to be sin the one that did not know sin you made sin to be so that we might become the righteousness of God in him how we thank you for that righteousness and how we thank you that you hear our prayers because of Christ we asked you would look with favor upon those in our church with physical trials and difficulties we commit them to you and pray that you'd uphold them we pray that you would sustain and encourage their hearts we pray for mr nufeld and thank you that surgery went well we pray that his recovery would go well also that you would return him to good health and strength and just help him to glorify and honor you we pray father for those in our midst that are pregnant we rejoice that the good gifts that our God gives we pray for each mother and for each child that you would watch over them and give them health and strength we also pray our Father for your blessing upon this congregation with reference to the spiritual things may you increase our faith and may you help us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help us to honor and praise you help us to serve you help us to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness and courage to hold forth the word of truth and our Father concerning this generation we pray our God in heaven for those who govern over us we know that many ways these look like the days that Isaiah prophesied in because men call evil good and they call good evil we see national sins or sins that are committed by a great multitude of people and sanctioned by the federal government we can only pray to you to have myrrh see on a nation that engages in abortion and sodomy and in this coming year the legalization of euthanasia our God in heaven we pray that you turn the hearts and men from such madness and that these men would speak out against evil practices and that these things instead of being legalized and many cases subsidized would be criminalized we pray that you'd put the fear of God in the hearts of men and that they would turn to the Lord Jesus lest he be angry and they perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little we ask you God in your wrath remember mercy we pray for the preaching of the gospel throughout this nation today we pray that more sinners would come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and that more sinners redeemed by grace would think your thoughts after you and would seek to live in light of your holy law enabled empowered by your Holy Spirit God be merciful we pray and continue with us now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals again to number 280 number 280 we'll be using the familiar tune we stand together you can turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 18 for our scripture reading this morning Revelation chapter 18 beginning in verse one after these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great Authority and the earth was illuminated with his glory he cried mightily with a loud voice saying Babylon the Great is fallen is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons a prison for every foul spirit in a cage for every unclean and hated bird for all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury and I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people lest you share in her sins and lest you receive of her plagues for her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities rendered to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double according to her works in the cop which she has mixed makes double for her in the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously in the same measure give her torment and sorrow for she says in her heart I sit as a queen and AM no Widow and will not see sorrow therefore her plagues will come in one day death and mourning and famine and she will be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord God who judges her the kings of the earth had committed fornication and lived luxury luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her when they see the smoke of her burning standing at a distance for fear of her torment saying alas alas that great city Babylon that mighty city for in one hour your judgment has come and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her for no one buys their merchandise anymore merchandise of gold and silver precious stones and pearls fine linen and purple silk and scarlet every kind of citron wood every kind of object of ivory every kind of object of most precious wood bronze iron and marble and cinnamon and it's fragrant oil and frankincense wine and oil fine flour and wheat cattle and sheep horses and chariots and bodies and souls of men the fruit that you're so long for has gone from you and you and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you and you shall find them no more at all the merchants of these things who became rich by her will stand at a distance for fear of her torment weeping and wailing and saying alas alas that great city that was clothed in fine linen purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls for in one hour such great riches came to nothing every shipmaster all who travel by ship sailors and as many as trade on the sea stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning saying what is like this great city they threw dust on their heads and cried out weeping and wailing and saying alas alas that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth for in one hour she has made desolate rejoice over her Oh heaven and you holy apostles and prophets for God has avenged you on her then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea saying thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down and shall not be found anymore the sound of harpists musicians flutists and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore no craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore the light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore for your merchants were the great man of the earth for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived and in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth amen let us pray our God and Father we thank you for the written word we thank you that its profitable to us for run for correction for reproof for training and righteousness we pray that you would thoroughly furnish us unto every good work and help us by your spirit to receive the things that you have for us and help us to live in accordance with these commands that we find in Scripture as well help us to Marvel and to see what the judgment of God looks like in the fall of this great Babylon our Father in Heaven we pray that you would just grant us grace to realize that if we continue in rip in penitence and we continue in unbelief our lot is indeed terrible I pray that your Holy Spirit would move the hearts of sinners here to repentance into faith I pray for all of us God that we would seek by your grace and for your glory to live as we ought and not like this city that murdered the prophets that murdered the Apostles that ultimately murdered the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that not only was he dead on behalf of sinners but he rose again we thank you for his current session at your right hand and our prayer and desires that everyone here would be ready for when he comes again in glory to judge the living in the debt and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before the preaching of God's Word will turn to number 80 m number 80 again we'll use the familiar tune as we sing to God will stand together to sing number 80 you and turn in your Bibles to Matthew 21 singing that him I hope we can all testify that it does indeed reflect biblical truth I was just considering this month is our official 18th year from when we constituted the church in 1998 it was January of 1998 we had that formal Constitution service my 19th year begins here in June and as my head has grown more hairy or hoary not more hairy more hoary i have seen the faithfulness and the kindness and the goodness of God it has truly been a blessing and a challenge to say the least to be in the midst of this assembly there's no place I'd rather be and I thank the Lord for each of you well in our studies this morning we're going to look at the second part of the parable of the vineyard specifically our focus is on Matthew 21 verses 4246 but i do want to begin reading from verse 28 but what do you think a man had two sons and he came to the first and said son go work today in my vineyard he answered and said I will not but afterward he regretted it and went then he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go sir but he did not go which of the two did the will of his father they said to him the first jesus said to them assuredly I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you for John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him but tax collectors and harlots believed in and when you saw it you did not afterward relent and believe him here another parable there was a certain landowner to planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it Doug a wine press in it and built a tower and he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country now in vintage time drew near he sent his sir to the vine dressers that they might receive its fruit and the vine dressers took his servants beat one killed one and stoned another again he sent other servants more than the first and they did likewise to them then last of all he sent his son to them saying they will respect my son but when the vine dresser saw the Sun they said among themselves this is the air calm let us kill him and sees his inheritance so they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine dressers they said to him he will destroy those wicked men miserably and leases vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits and their seasons jesus said to them have you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes 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 this stone will be broken but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables they perceived that he was speaking of them but when they sought to lay hands on him they feared the multitudes because they took him for a profit amen let us pray father we come to consider a passage that is most important to our understanding of other passages in Holy Scripture we pray for your spirit to guide us and delete us now again we confess our sin and anything that would darken our understanding help us to receive with Thanksgiving the Word of God and again may we see underscored in this passage the reality of God's judgment the reality of God's vengeance against those who do not obey God against those who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we ask our Father that the things would strike terror into hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit and that you would draw them to see the glory of Christ is the one who can save how we thank you for the forgiveness of sins that we have through Christ how we thank you for the righteousness that you give to us it's not something we earned it's not something we perform but it's given to us freely and received by faith alone so we pray our God that you would do this work in our midst do this work in other churches here in chilliwack and God caused the Word of God to to run swiftly and be glorified throughout the earth today and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen last week we considered verses 33 to 39 in the giving of the parable this morning will take up the question concerning the parable in verses 40 and 41 then the implications drawn from the parable in verses 42 to 44 and then the promise I'm sorry the response to the parable in verses 45 to 46 now the gist of the giving of the parable just by way of reminder is essentially the history of Israel as we find it in the old testament of course in this particular parable in this particular story there was a certain landowner this represents God he owns a particular vineyard this represents Israel and it comes time for the vine dressers of the tenant farmers to pay to the owner what is due they are to produce fruit God doesn't just give them privileges and confer benefits upon them so they can just sit there stagnant not only not do anything good for him but actually defy him and break his law so it comes payment time so the Lord sends his servants these are the prophets and when the prophets of God come to the nation of Israel instead of receiving them and repenting as they are instructed rather they beat them they kill them and they stone that and so the landowner sends more profits he sends more servants more than what he had originally said and instead of receiving these profits the same thing is done they do likewise they beat them they kill them they stone that and then the land owner says I know I'll send my son certainly they'll respect him certainly they will have a heart to yield fruit to him but instead they conspire with one another they say this is the air it's better for us to seize him it's better for us to kill him and it's better for us to take the inheritance for ourselves if you cannot see in this the history of Israel then you're not reading the parable properly because even these Pharisees even these scribes even these religious leaders understood that Jesus was talking about them it is most crucial for our help and for our understanding when we get to some later chapters in Matthew's Gospel that we understand what is going on in this particular section so in the first place let's look at the question concerning the parable notice in verse 40 after giving the parable Jesus says therefore when the owner of the vineyard gums what will he do to those fine dressers this is a fair question isn't it and it underscores something that I tried to point out last week if as we've said the landowner in the parable represents God one of the obvious lessons we took away from that last week is that God is very patient God is indeed long-suffering imagine for a moment if you were God for a day and persons rejected your servants persons rejected your servants after having sent and wave after wave after wave instead of receiving them they beat them kill them in stone that would you still engage in that long-suffering practice would you still send others would you then send your only son your only begotten Son probably not this parable underscore something unique concerning our God he is a god of great patience but Jesus question here assumes that patients does run out and if you are living this morning benefiting from the patients or long-suffering of God and it has yet to have led you to repentance as Paul says it should in Romans 24 may I beg you and implore you to come to the Savior because there is a day and a time when that patients will run out God is full of long-suffering but there is a day coming when he will call you to recalled you to payment call you to produce fruit consistent in your life and if you have not if you are not in Christ if you've not been clothed with that righteousness of another it is going to be a horrific day all that we read of in Revelation chapter 18 with the fall of Babylon all that we read in the Old Testament concerning the fall of the nation of Israel or the tribe of Judah all that we see in the the various world empires rising up against each other and taking prisoners and slaying men out right all of that is nothing or it's just a small speck compared to what the wrath and fury in judgment of God is going to be on that day Paul tells us in second Thessalonians want that Jesus will take vengeance on those who know not God on those who do not obey the gospel you are testing you are trying the very patience of God himself by not coming to the Savior you may be outside or in this place right now as an unbeliever yet another instance of God's patience with you the fact that you got up this morning the fact that you could come in here where the Word of God is red and breached the fact that once again you are witness to and privy to the very patience of God well may it have that effect that Paul says it ought to enrollments 24 bring you to repentance come to that place where you say God has been patient with me God has exercised great loan suffering because I do deserve his wrath that is cursed both in this life and that which is to come I have offended God I have violated god I look at that table or that law of God and I have violated the first table and I have violated the second table we tend to only think a second table infractions we think about the reality that we've been murderers if not physically at least spiritually we've added people in our hearts we we think about adultery and we whether we've committed the actual act or we've lost it upon a woman or a man in our hearts we have broken the commandment we think about theft and about lying about covetousness we think about insubordination of parents we think of that second table but what of the first if you are an unbeliever you have other gods before him it's probably you if you are an unbeliever you are and I da litter you worship you or bail or ashra or the state or your family or your job or whatever it may be but you are given religious homage and worship to something that is not God you are a blasphemer you are a Sabbath breaker those are the realities and all the while God has been patient God has exercised long-suffering God hasn't called you to to account for these sins but it's going to happen that patients does run out there is a day coming when the Lord Jesus Christ will return and he will do what Paul says he will take vengeance on you if you do not obey the gospel if you are not a knower of God in the experiential sense by faith or by grace through faith in Christ Jesus words ought to alarm us they ought to scare us they ought to terrify us that indeed the patience of the landowner does most certainly run out so Jesus says when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine dressers now notice their answer they said to him he will destroy those wicked men rip miserably those wretched men wretchedly and lisas vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits and their seasons now these particular religious leaders were ungodly men they were in pious man but they were not foolish man they understood all too well the teaching of the parable they understood that the landowner was do these fruits and when the landowner did not get those fruits it was right and legit and just for the land owner to come and to exact punishment upon that they acknowledge that he will destroy the wicked vine dressers they understand the seriousness of the situation the landowners not going to return and say well you know you did the best you could the landowners not going to come and say I know you stoned them I know you killed them and I know you beat them but kumbaya he doesn't say I know that you've rejected my son and delivered him up to the cross but you know all as well no they understand something of the seriousness of the situation as well they understand the righteousness of God's judgment again everybody reading this parable would say the landowner is do these fruits and when the landowner has not rendered these fruits it is legit it is just it is righteous for the landowner to bring judgment to bear upon that the same is true with our God don't nod to the parable like these men do and neglect the meaning of it all together you can see the righteousness of God inflicted upon Israel in the first century but can you see the righteousness of God inflicted upon you or the judgment of God inflicted upon you as being right and being good and being legit and consistent with this holy character and it is intriguing because the religious leaders unwillingly prophecy their own destruction listen to what they say he will destroy those wretched man wretchedly and lisas vineyard to other Vong dressers who will render to him the fruits and their seasons John Chrysostom says but do thou mark I pray thee even here by how just is the sentence when the very persons that are to be punished condemn themselves this is not what they're doing isn't that what they are saying isn't that what they suggest he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lisas vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their season so they recognize God's jaws judgment they recognize the fact that these wretched men will be destroyed wretchedly and they also understand they recognize the legitimacy of this landowner taking this vineyard from them and giving it to a group of people that are going to produce fruit I mean this is just good business isn't it good economics but as well it is good covenant it is good theology it is the way the Lord God operates and had purpose to operate in the unfolding of his redemptive plan now notice the implications drawn by Jesus from this parable to these particular men and i have three the first place we ought to consider the witness of the old testament second the disposition of the kingdom and thirdly the promise of judgment these are implications they have answered correctly I mean they got it right it was obvious just like in the parable of the two sons which one did the will of the Father well obviously the one who actually complied with his instructions they were dim bulb spiritually but at least intellectually they were able to to appreciate Jesus clear meaning in these parables so jesus knows that they are tracking and so Jesus brings some implication or application if you will to bear upon them concerning this parable note first the witness of the Old Testament Jesus says in verse 42 have you never read in the scriptures this is one of Jesus sort of little digs at them then this wasn't the full Sanhedrin this wasn't the highest religious counsel conceived but it was certainly elements of it probably enough to be an official representation of it it was the religious leaders of Israel so for Jesus to say have you never read would be akin to me coming to your place of employment say or a mechanic and I said something like have you never used a screwdriver you would look at me like i was nuts especially me you'd say do you know what a screwdriver is you actually do my wife tells me what it is and then I I utilize it properly I can actually do things as long as she tells me what to do it's just the figuring it out that's where I the mechanical challenges but the actual implementation I do all right that sounds proud I do miserably she oversees the whole thing to make sure it gets done but you would look at me like I was bananas what do you mean have I never used a screwdriver have you never read in the scriptures of course they'd read psalm 118 of course they had gone through those Hallel songs of course they sang them and they chanted them and they recited them the point that Christ makes is that they didn't understand it they didn't get it and as they're now starting to track with a parable they understand that the landowner is going to destroy those wretched men wretchedly Jesus starts to tease out these implications have you never read in the scriptures notice the particular citation the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone this was the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes it's intriguing because when Jesus comes into the city of Jerusalem back in chapter 21 at verse 9 the person's praise Jesus from the same song Hosanna to the son of David we see Christ is fulfilling the very Salter as he moves about in his work but we ought to appreciate that in psalm 118 i'm going to ask you to think with me this morning going to ask you to pay attention this morning i'm going to probably introduce some things that you've never heard or thought of and if you've never heard of thought of them then i would encourage you to hear them take through that but in the first place psalm 118 refers probably to the king speaking on behalf of the nation Israel Israel was despised among the peoples they were despised among the nations and in its original context psalm 118 probably the King speaking on behalf of the nation but what is the King speaking on behalf of the nation's say that that one who is despised that one who is rejected that one who is Marvel argenal eyes will be the chief Cornerstone it will be preeminent among the nation's it will be supreme among the nation's now note that Jesus applies this to himself very intriguing isn't it I think that Matthew wants us to see in Matthew's Gospel sort of this link between Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ remember in Matthew chapter 2 Jesus with his parents goes into Egypt and out of Egypt I have called my firstborn son the prophet Isaiah chapter 11 is quoted there in Matthew's Gospel it's referring to our Lord Jesus functioning in a similar manner to what Israel did Matthew chapter 3 the Lord Jesus is baptized he goes through water and out of the out of the water he then goes into the wilderness Matthew wants you to think of what happened in the Old Testament Israel pass through the waters of the Red Sea they went out into the wilderness there they were tried there they were tested there they failed but when Jesus goes into the wilderness in Matthew for their he's tried there he's tested by the devil himself but he passes he is successful I think throughout Matthew's Gospel and I think throughout the New Testament were not only supposed to see Jesus as a fulfillment of what Adam was supposed to do but what Israel was supposed to do so Jesus here uniquely links himself with Israel in this particular passage and that brings out a few things that we ought to consider it does demonstrate this Israel Jesus identification it demonstrates that what was spoken concerning Israel and psalm 118 is true and applied to Jesus in Matthew 21 a brethren in a moment I'm going to argue the dispensationalism is wrong I'm going to argue that an idea where the church replaces the nation of Israel is not necessarily the case what we find is fruition and fulfillment that focuses in on and centers on Jesus and that's why we need to appreciate the way that Matthew presents Jesus to us as Israel as the one in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen such that Gentiles now you and I believing on Jesus or counted a part of Israel aren't we isn't this what the New Testament Scriptures evidence and demonstrate and declare who's a true jew according to Romans chapter 21 who is circumsized inwardly who is the true circumcision using the new American Standard rendering in Philippians 3 3 a true circumcised person is someone who worships God in the spirit who boasts in the Lord Jesus Christ how does Paul end his letter to the Galatians in Galatians 6 16 he refers to the Israel of God you see what we have in this passage isn't strictly ethnic it's not that the kingdom is taken from Jews and given to Gentiles no because in the New Covenant expression of the kingdom there is both Jew and Gentile the idea is that God's kingdom on earth was visibly expressed and represented by Old Covenant Israel and that in the New Covenant God's kingdom on earth is visibly represented and expressed by the church tax the nation a verse 43 the kingdom is taken from ethnic Israel it's given to the church which is made up of jew and gentile the common bond is Christ it is faith in Jesus he is the unifying theme between the covenants he is the reason why we are called the Israel of God is not because we have taken on the characteristics of Middle Eastern persons it's because our Christ is that Prince of Yahweh he is that Israel of God he is the one in whom these promises find fulfillment when Jesus speaks of the transfer of the kingdom and verse 43 it is not strictly a Jew to Gentile trajectory the transfer of the kingdom is to the church which is made up of Gentiles and Jews and is also identified as the Israel of God as well believers whether Jew or Gentile our spiritual Jews if they have undergone the circumcision of the heart Paul can even speak to a predominantly Gentile Church and say we are the circumcision Philippians 3 3 finally in Galatians 3 26 to 29 it identifies the seed of Abraham not as ethnic Jews but as those who have faith in Jesus as my dear brother Richard barcelo says the Jew Gentile Church is the eschatological Israel of old testament prophecy since our replacement it's not removal it's not putting something on hold grafting in the Gentile Church and then returning to this kingdom of God element what we find in Jesus is unity what we find in Jesus is consistency what we find is the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12 and ratified or refer reaffirmed in Genesis 17 and told even in 15 and 22 and 13 is that the promise made to Abraham is that all of the nations shall be blessed in him well that finds its terminus in Christ he is the seed of Abraham that fulfills all that was given to him and he therefore unifies Jew and Gentile brings them together as Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 and he makes one new man and that new man is called the church Christ is speaking about the New Covenant realities he is speaking about fulfillment and in many respects what he says in verse 40 43 prophecies concerning things that are to come so it demonstrates the citation of psalm 118 demonstrates the Israel Jesus identification as well that demonstrates that the reject of Christ was prophesied in other words Jesus is saying here no one should be surprised that this is happening notice the stone which the builders rejected what does the prophet Isaiah say concerning Jesus he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief we hit as it were eyes from him what does John saying John one he came to his own in his own what they received him not Christ is not surprised at this current of a verra this trajectory of event Christ is not caught unawares Christ is not saying well I can't believe that you've rejected me Jesus says this is precisely what was prophesied the rejection of the Messiah himself as well it demonstrates that the vindication of Christ follows his reservoir follows his rejection notice in the song the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone you see that it may just be a hint and it may not be as clear as Jesus saying you know after you take the Sun out of the city and you kill him he's going to raise from the dead he's going to ascend on I he's going to lead captivity captive and he's going to give gifts to man he doesn't say in quite that detailed way but what he cites from the psalm indicates at all that all the same the stone which the builders rejected has become what the chief Cornerstone it is exalted it is vindicated it is raised up it has made something most blessed and most excellent as well the citation of the psalm demonstrates that this is all according to the plan of God Most High it's not what it says this was y'all ways doing this was the predetermined plan of God most high this was what was to create in the manner in which God would same as people yes he would send prophets yes he would send more profits then he would send his son they wouldn't receive the Sun they wouldn't bow to the Sun they wouldn't kiss the Sun they wouldn't confess the Sun they would take him out of the city they would crucify him and that was God's purpose that was God's plan because without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin and the bulls and the goats and the Lambs and the sacrifices back in the Old Covenant could never take away the sin of the world it had to be the Lamb of God even Jesus Christ our Lord if the father doesn't send the Sun if the Sun doesn't willingly submit to the Father if all of these things are not carried out at Golgotha then we die in our sins this was the Lord's doing you see I mentioned last week the person's look at the Old Testament they say oh it's so filled with wrath and judgment occurs and I argued that no it's filled with a long-suffering and a patient God who sends wave after wave after wave of profit and then he sends his only beloved son to this recalcitrant rebellious in Asia you know what else we learn what other thing we observe in this reference that this was the Lord's doing it demonstrates his heart to saving sinners he sends his son to be rejected to be scorned to be mocked to be spat upon as we following the rest of this gospel we will see them take a crown of thorns and bury it in the saviours ed we will see wicked men slapping the Son of God we will see wicked men spitting on the Son of God we will see wicked men say away with him away with him crucified give us Barabbas give us this political insurrectionist give us this revolutionary give us this terrorist is what they say and yet Jesus dies for sinners don't ever wonder does God so loved the world God so loves the world that He gave His only begotten Son this was the Lord's doing the way for us to get to heaven is not through our doing the way for you to get to heaven today is not for you to go home and get rid of all your pornography it's not to go home and stop smoking crack it's not to go home and fix your marriage now those are all good things and I certainly recommend them but the way to go to heaven is God's doing it comes through the son of his love it comes through second Corinthians 5 21 God made him Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us and when Christ was sin for us what does the father do the father punishes him the father pours out wrath upon him that wrath that we deserve that wrath that we should have the father does this when the Sun is made sin and what is the benefit from all of this we are forgiven we are cleansed our punishment was paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ in his blood shedding you understand that imagine if you were on your way to the gas chamber and somebody said no I'll take your place and they went in and they died for you that's what it is it's what happened our sin is forgiven because of what Christ is done but once our sin is forgiven God doesn't leave it at that he not only forgives that sin but as Paul continues in 2nd Corinthians 5 21 that we might become the righteousness of God in him God takes our sin heap sit upon his son punishes his son in our scat and then takes the righteousness that Jesus had accomplished in his life of obedience to the Father and he gives that to us and they're beautiful isn't that glorious isn't that gospel that's why it's such a terrible thing for men to stand before congregations and say your best life now now the Gospels about the best life ever the lord christ almighty and all those who look will live they'll be cleansed from their sins they'll receive a righteousness that avails with god that's the way to heaven today again don't go home and continue with your porn don't go home and continue with your crack but you can stop that and still end up in hell you need to believe on the Lord Jesus you need to comment faith you need to look and live and then get rid of that garbage and glorify God in your body which was purchased by the Lord Christ see that's what Jesus says this was the Lord's doing and notice the citation from psalm 118 tells us and this was marvelous in our eyes when we hear this rehearsed when we consider again the gospel when we think through what we have here in the last chapters of Matthew's Gospel there may be tears at time there may be sorrows at time there may be that conscious reality that you know had I been there I would have done the same thing I would have said away with them away with him crucified I would have been engaged in that same manner of rebellion but there is a joy there is a marvel there is a rejoicing at what we see played out in the life of the Savior this is marvelous in our eyes it is marvelous to consider that the father chose us in him before the foundation of the world it is marvelous to consider that in him we have redemption through his blood it is marvelous to consider the work of the Holy Spirit and ceiling and in guaranteeing us isn't that marvelous I often cite Psalm 112 as a reason persons ought to study theology because the psalmist says great are the works of the Lord they are studied by all of that pleasure in them will psalm 118 is a reason to study theology to this is marvelous in the believers eyes this is glorious when we ponder it this is wondrous when we consider at our Savior hung on that cross for our sins our save your buried and then on the third day risen from the dead our Savior ascended on high our save your exalted at the right hand of the Father our Savior we know will come again in glory to judge the living in the debt this is the impetus to get you out of bed on a Monday morning isn't it I mean you look at this present condition you look at this current situation you look at the world about us it is depressing isn't it we see that sin renders men not only ethically foolish but intellectually full of many people just do the full foolish things why should you get out of bed tomorrow because it was marvelous in our eyes notice Jesus then speaks concerning the disposition of the kingdom verse 3 43 begins with are therefore this is the grand implication in this particular section witnessed as I've said by the Old Testament notice what he says therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it this means that the kingdom of God would be removed from ethnic Israel the kingdom of God is presently and currently at the time that Jesus is speaking to them the possession of Israel now we need to understand Kingdom Israel does not exhaust the kingdom of God nor does the church exhaust the kingdom of God the kingdom of God is comprehensive it includes everything but the church in the New Covenant is that visible representation that expression of the kingdom of God when we ask what does the kingdom of God look like hopefully were able to say it looks like the church they subscribe to the king they worship and honor the king they go according to his word well you got to go back in the Old Covenant to see that that was true of Israel they were the kingdom of God such that when Solomon assumes the throne in 1st chronicles 2923 it says then Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh he sat on the throne of Yahweh you understand what that means Yahweh's throat is in Jerusalem at least in that old covenant situation it goes on to say he sat on the throne of Yahweh asking instead of his of David his father and prosper now the nation of Israel had been privileged having it just like in the parable the landowner picks this particular land it's his vineyard he gives it to these vine dressers or these tenant farmers and he tells them to be profitable to be fruitful that's what we find an old covenant Israel the landowner bears long with them the landowner wants the fruit he wants to yield he wants to reap what these tenant farmers are supposed to produce but instead they reject they kill not only profits but the Messiah as well so Jesus says I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you it's not going to be yours anymore these are the religious leaders of Israel remember and those who follow these religious leaders are guilty too but he doesn't stop there will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it in an interesting passage in 1st Peter chapter 2 the Apostle sites Exodus chapter 19 verses 5 and 6 why my new king james does not indicate that it's a quote i believe reflects a dispensational understanding of the text you may say well that's harsh but it is what it is notice in verse 9 a first Peter to but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light several other times in this particular chapter when there is a quotation from the Old Testament it is set off an italic it indicates that this is a quotation it tells me that this is a quotation but not here in verse 9 but if you compare with Exodus 19 five and six it is what's accident Exodus 19 5 and 6 says say it says to Israel I'm going to make you a kingdom of priests a royal nation what is Peter doing he's applying that language to the church again not replacement not just based on ethnicity but it is fulfillment because of Jesus as the Israel of God all the promises of God are yea and amen in him that then brings together Jew and Gentile as one new man under price which is the church the eschatological Israel of old testament prophecy so you see brethren the nation that is in view in this particular section the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ made up of jew and gentile but notice the supposition involved in the text will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it I mentioned this last week as well what are we supposed to learn from this as a church were to be fruitful were to be fruitful and were to multiply Calvin says we ought to learn from this passage that the gospel is not preached in order that it may be or that it may lie barren and inoperative but that it may yield fruit you see Jesus assumption i'm going to take the kingdom from you i'm going to hand it to the church and it's going to bear fruits it's going to do what it's supposed to do it's going to yield those things to the owner in time as they are purposed to do now the historical fulfillment of verse 23 I think takes place in the first place at the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus this is my blood of the New Covenant Jesus says doesn't he in Matthew 26 when he sheds his blood he inaugurates the New Covenant but its historical demonstration if you will takes place in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 you have to appreciate this reality that the kingdom of God as I've said was located present a visibly located in the Israel in the city on the nation of Israel pre-eminently in Jerusalem so when that city is act and their temple Falls this is a public demonstration of what Christ is spoken of the kingdom has been taken from you and it will be given to a nation that bears fruits consistent with it so i think these men prophecy their own destruction and verse 41 he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lisas vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons and I believe that Jesus is speaking to that same eventualities in verse 43 I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it now some persons might stumble that I said it takes place and sort of two phases the death and resurrection of Jesus and then the destruction of the city I think this is what the apostle does in Hebrews 8 you can turn to Hebrews 8 specifically in verse 13 the context of Hebrews 7 and 8 is that we are now under a better covenant the idea being the Old Covenant has ceased the Old Covenant is obsolete the Old Covenant is over we are now under the New Covenant which is a better covenant founded on better promises because we have the surety that is Jesus Christ and it all affords a better hope now note the language in Hebrews 8 in that he says a new covenant he has made the first obsolete when does God make the first obsolete it's at the death and the resurrection of Jesus it is in the inauguration of the new covenant which comes through his blood but notice what the Apostle goes on to say now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away he just said it's B it's obsolete and now he says it's becoming obsolete how do we make heads or tails of that remember that in the first century before 8070 Jerusalem was standing before 8070 there was a temple in Jerusalem before ad 70 there was a sacrificial system there was a Levitical priesthood so much of the book of Hebrews takes up with the superiority of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ why because the priesthood the Levitical priesthood was still in place in Jerusalem the whole point of the thrust or the emphasis of the stress in the book of Hebrews is upon Jewish Christians being pressured to go back to that old covenant system being pressured to go to the temple being pressured to subscribe to the Levitical priesthood to take their bowl or their Bullock or their their lamb or their pigeons back to the temple and the point of the Apostle is don't go back that's apostasy in that particular context to defect from Jesus Christ who is the high priest and the surety of a better covenant to turn your back on him and go back to the Levitical priesthood is to apostatize so as the author is writing here he says that the New Covenant has rendered the first obsolete the death and resurrection of Jesus now what is becoming obsolete this sacrificial system these Levitical priests this temple compa compound now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away when when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies when the city is destroyed when the temple is sacked when the priests are gone the sacrifice is over and the nation of Israel that once great nation has filled up the measure of their wrath and God's judgment comes upon that and in accordance with Deuteronomy 28 they are then scattered as exiles in the war that's the point that's this transfer of the kingdom that's what Jesus is talking about and then Jesus speaks of the promise of judgment and verse 44 and whoever falls on this stone will be broken there's a couple of passages at work behind the scenes here we don't have time to develop this I don't want to keep you all day not that I could keep you all day certainly after and some time but there are several passages behind the scenes in verse 44 whoever falls on this stone probably a reference to Isaiah 8 14 and 15 and in that particular context Yahweh is the stone and whoever falls on that stone will be broken it's not intriguing Jesus now applies this language to himself christology in here is truly amazing as well that could be a study all in its own but Isaiah 8 14 and 15 Yahweh says to Israel you stumble on the stone and you will be broken Jesus says that to his then his den ought is then current audience whoever falls on this stone will be broken notice what he goes on to say but on whomever it falls it will grind him to powder and many believe and I think they're right that Daniel 2 is in view remember in Daniel 2 there's this image this big image that is built up to several composite metals all these various kingdoms represented by this image and there's this one small stone that then falls the image there is this one small stone which is representative of the kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord which brings to an end these earthly empires and powers so Christ says whoever falls on this stone through their unbelief in the Ministry of Jesus Christ will be broken but on whomever it falls when he comes in the wrath and Furion and the glory and the majesty of his judgment it will be crushed to powder the city love the temple you boast in the sacrifices you have prostitute it they are going to be crushed to powder because you have violated the Covenant of God most high Osborn makes this observation this is taken this on whomever it falls will grind them to powder this is taken from Daniel 2 in which Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the enormous statue shattered by the rock now the leaders and the nation of Israel at Jesus time will share babylons judgment they will reject and kill the Messiah but the Messiah will utterly destroy them now notice the response to the parable they understood its application didn't they not just this parable the word is plural understood both parables they understood that they were the son that said yes Lord I will do it and didn't do it and they understood that in the second parable that of the vineyard they were the men that had rejected that had sub beaten killed and and stoned the prophets and that would indeed sees the Sun and get rid of him as well they understood that it's intriguing isn't it now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables they perceived that he was speaking of that and then amazingly they went out and fulfilled it Jesus just told them this is what these men do to the Sun they conspire together they lay their hands on him they take him out of the city and they crucify him isn't that exactly what they do here again these are not right bulbs these are not smart man Jesus just old must still be ringing in their ears what the conduct of these vine dressers would be toward the land owners son and they do it verse 46 but when they sought to lay hands on him they feared the multitudes because they took him for a profits just like in the parable verses 38 and 39 and just like with John the Baptist they feared the multitude because the multitude saw Jesus is a prophet the multitude saw John the Baptist is a prophet and for these men to come along and exterminate them they would lose favor in the eyes of the multitudes but do you see the tragic irony as Carson says they are fulfilling the very parable that Jesus has just spoken to them right before our eyes the Brethren by way of conclusion just a couple of observations I mentioned that this verse 41 / verse 43 occurs at 80 70 the religious leaders prophesied their own destruction the religious leaders highlight the righteousness of God's judgment upon them and Jesus affirms this by citing the Old Testament Jesus then says declaratively that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to another nation a nation that will bear fruits consistent with it this has to be kept in mind as we approach all of it remember the Olivet discourse takes place on Tuesday evening all this is happening during Tuesday day so that when Jesus speaks of this generation in Matthew 23 and in Matthew 24 what generationally logically to conclude the generation whom he'd been spayed speaking to previously that day not some distant generation from Jesus time here's what royal and Spurgeon say concerning Matthew 21 verse 43 royal says a time game when the long-suffering of God towards the Jews had an end 40 years after our Lord's death the cup of their iniquity was at length full and they received a heavy chastisement for their many sins their holy city Jerusalem was destroyed their temple was burned they themselves were scattered over the face of the earth the kingdom of God was taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Spurgeon said as a class the religious leaders of the Jews were guilty of the blood of a long line of prophets and they were about to crown their long career of crime by the murder of the Son of God himself in the destruction of Jerusalem the God of heaven visited them and dealt out just punishment to them the siege of the city and the massacre of the inhabitants was a terrible avenging of the innocent blood which the people and their rulers had shed now I saw it Spurgeon and rile for this reason first so that you know that I'm not you know just bringing something brand-new secondly though I know there's quotes from people that differ with this and that's fine there will be a differing of understandings about precise applications of particular versus I believe the weight of Matthew's Gospel presses us to the conclusion that Matthew 21 and what Jesus says here is what Jesus prophecies concerning in Matthew 24 but I realized that good men understand it differently and on finer details concerning eschatology we may differ and that's okay so I'm not citing it to say spirit and rail senator you better believe in non just said I'm not a wingnut my interpretation is consistent with the history of the church and I realized that other interpretations are consistent with the history of the church all that to say this we are not saved by our attention to eschatological detail we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and if you take anything from this study understand this reality as I've already tried to press on you that if you try and test and abuse the patience of God it will run out God the just judge of all the earth always does what's right and when he comes in glory and in power and imagine see to crush to powder those who continue to reject his kingdom it is righteous it is just it is legit the only way to escape that judgment profits I promise the only way to stop from being broken presently or being crushed in the future is to come to the Savior many respects brethren what Jesus does here in many respects is an extension of the Grace and the mercy and the long-suffering of the land owner himself this is Tuesday day he then prophesized Tuesday night there he lamento Jerusalem Jerusalem how often I wanted to gather you undermine my arms the way that a that a hand gathers its chicks but you are not willing you see even here even then these men could have said we're going to stop we're going to desist we're not going to defy the landowner we're not going to reject the Sun we're not going to forsake this I'm speaking as a man obviously the the plan of God is is without change to be sure but in terms of the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ it goes through these controversies he prophesies in the evening he laments over the very city in which all the prophets died and then he goes to the cross truly an amazing Christ that we witness in this particular section and one final thought before we move on fully moved to lunch you know today is sanctity of life sunday i typically preach on abortion or on some such thing from the law of God and I think that is fitting and I think that is legitimate because of current events and situations it literally jumped out of my head but I think there is an application to be seen in this passage concerning the sin of murder just abortion is murder not just euthanasias murder but any unlawful act of taking the life of another person murder certainly consistent with the conduct of Israel as we see it in that parable of the lot of the vineyard religious murder they murdered the prophets they murdered the Messiah you know it's very intriguing is that when Peter preaches to Jerusalem sinners in the book of Acts chapter 2 he says there is forgiveness for even murderers it's really amazing notice in Acts chapter 2 specifically at verse 23 well verse 22 men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death that's the sin of murder isn't it it's the crime of murder but the best message is for us on sanctity of life Sunday as the law condemns murder but the gospel brings healing to murderers you may have blood on your hands Jerusalem sinners but look at what Jesus are Peter sighs and to at verse 38 repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit repeated you're speaking to Jerusalem sinners you're speaking to sinners that crucified our Lord yes because the gospel is that powerful because the gospel is that glorious because the blood of Jesus Christ his son does cleanse us from all sin and then know what Peter goes on to say in verse 39 which unfortunately has become a polemic for paedo baptism but I submit to you that something different is in the mind and heart of Peter verse 39 for the promises to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call these are Jerusalem sinners who pronounced an imprecation upon their children in Matthew 27 when they stand before Caesar they say may his blood be upon us and our children Peter says the provinces for you Jerusalem sinners the promise is for your children Jerusalem sinners those ones you implicated God's wrath upon in Matthew's Gospel in chapter 27 the answer for sinners the answer for murderers the answer for abortionists the answer for parents that have undertaken that activity the answer for those who practice euthanasia whether the actual activity or the conspiracy to murder the answer for the drive-by murder the answer for the drug murders the answer for the sophisticated murders is the blood of Jesus Christ his son that's what Peter says to Jerusalem sinners on the day of Pentecost that's how he addresses a group of murderers repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for what for the remission of sins the blood of Jesus doesn't just cleanse you from these sort of low shelf sins the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sit that's the good news of the gospel that we have to apply to sanctity of life Sunday the law condemns murder the law speaks thou shalt not the gospel offers hope it offers peace it offers remedy and forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ will let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for the word of God and we thank you for the things spoken by our Lord Jesus in this passage help us to understand these things help us to see them the long-suffering the patience of God that ought to lead us to repentance and as well help us to see that long suffering in patients will one day run out I pray this would be terrifying in the thought of anyone here this morning that is not a Christian that by your grace they would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ they would come to that one in whom there is safety and forgiveness and refuge and we ask this through Christ our Lord amen