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Alright Matthew chapter 21. So this is part 2 of Matthew chapter 21. So we're gonna pick up in verse number 18 of Matthew chapter 21, we of course went through verse 1 through 17 last Wednesday So we're looking at themes of these chapters, right? So we're we're looking at themes of these chapters This is the second half of Matthew chapter 21. So the theme I'm just gonna give it away at The the beginning here but the theme of Matthew chapter 21 I'm going to show to you this evening is this theme of disobedience and this theme of disobedience that Jesus is talking about In this chapter and that's what we're going to look at this evening is this theme and you'll see once again That even though this is the second half of Matthew chapter 21 this theme carries throughout the whole chapter Okay, so look at Matthew chapter 21 in verse number 18. We've got a lot to get through tonight We're gonna go a lot of places in the Bible and look at a few different things But look at verse number 18 where the Bible says now in the morning as he returned into the city He hungered and when he saw a fig tree in the way He came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee henceforth Henceforward forever and presently the fig tree withered away and when the disciples saw it they marveled saying how soon is the fig tree withered away So first of all This is like three plus years into Jesus's ministry and you know The the first thing that comes to my mind is like how many miracles these guys need to see Before they're you know, they're just like oh wow. Look what he did to the tree I mean he's been raising people from the dead You know healing the sick making blind people see the whole thing and they're just like, you know He just killed a tree and they're like, whoa, you know, but I guess you know a miracle is a miracle, right? So anyway, he it's interesting that he looks at this tree There's no fruit on this tree and he just withers up the tree, right? He says you you've given me you've given no fruit to me and just immediately He takes away the tree's ability to to make fruit anymore. Okay, so just keep that in the back of your head Especially as we go into this theme of disobedience in Matthew chapter 21 Look at verse number 20 or 21 in Matthew 21, and we'll continue The Bible says Jesus answered and said unto them verily I say unto you if you have faith and doubt not You shall not only do this which was done to the fig tree But also if you shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and that be cast out into the sea It shall be done and all things whatsoever you ask in prayer Believing ye shall receive now. There's some application here I mean, let's just talk about a little separate application here Jesus here is saying that you know The faith that you have in your prayers being answered has a direct correlation on whether or not they will be answered You see what he's saying, so he's saying that you know You could do this too, but he said whatsoever. You shall ask in prayer. What's the next word? believing Okay, whatsoever you ask in prayer believing you shall receive so look. I mean is verse 21 I mean I always you know thought about verse 21 when I was you know, look I always believe the Bible Even before I was saved there's never a time in my life. You could have asked me is every word of the Bible true I always would have said yes Always and I remember in verse 21 just reading this even as a kid where it says, you know Hey if ye shall say unto this mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done Look, it says if you have the faith that that will happen You could move you could literally move mountains if you have that faith So, I mean the bottom line is this though. I used to always think about that like man Could I like move a mountain with my faith? But the thing is look I mean is is verse 21 literal Well, it certainly could be because no one would have that kind of faith. Okay, there's no way that anybody on planet earth Who's ever lived could look at a mountain and just pray for that mountain to be moved and just have Absolute confidence that God would do it for them and not doubt even a little bit, right? I mean, there's always that doubt that we have that unbelief that we have in You know, can God really do this for me can God really help me, you know when I'm praying this prayer God, are you really gonna do that? I mean is my heart really into this prayer? Like I know that God will just do this for me I know that God can just answer this prayer just like that. But look that's what the Bible says that It says that you know, I think we we take for granted a lot in our prayers the whole belief on our side part That's one thing that I I know that I do and I think that a lot of people do just the faith that we need To have in God's ability to answer our prayers But God can do whatever he wants he can answer whatever prayer you have for God Look, I mean whether that's healing the sick like we're talking about whether it's fixing problems in your life Whether it's changing people's hearts that you want hearts to change What do you believe God can do it when you pray for it is the question That's the little mini application here Okay So when you're when you're praying for something whatever that thing is you need to really think about where your faith is at During that prayer and you say why because it it has a correlation to whether or not God will answer the prayer. That's why Okay, so that's why the Bible says whatsoever you ask Believing Believing. Okay. So look at Matthew 21 and verse number 23 Let's continue the Bible says and when he was coming to the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said by what authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this authority and Jesus answered and said unto them I will also ask you one thing which if you tell me and likewise will tell I will tell you by what authority I do These things so he says I first have a question for you, so they're asking, you know, they're constantly trying to catch Jesus, right? They're like by what authority do you catch these things? Are you doing these things? They're trying to get him to equate himself with God say that he's God and you know, basically he says to them He's like I have a question for you and he says to them the baptism of John whence was it from heaven or of men? And they reasoned within themselves or with themselves saying if we shall say from heaven He will say unto us Why did you then not believe him because he knows he's talking to people that did not recognize John the Baptist as a prophet as someone who is speaking God's Word But if we shall say of men we fear the people for all hold John as a prophet So the people accepted it's interesting a lot of the people accepted John the Baptist but the religious leaders did not the Pharisees did not and they answered Jesus and said we cannot tell and he said unto them neither tell I tell tell I you by what authority I do these things. So he's like you're not gonna answer my questions I'm not gonna answer yours. It's that simple right now. There's there's a decent application here, too You know not responding to a question or not responding when you don't know what to say is Always a pretty decent option actually, you know when you think about it Look when you're not quite when you're not quite sure what to say Not saying anything is always a pretty good choice You know just don't say anything It's better to do that than be the idiot who always wants to be the first one that blurt out to blurt out an answer Right because that guy is wrong a lot Unfortunately, look even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise Proverbs says right so, you know there's a Secular version of that that says it's better for people to think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt Right. So look, I mean the point is is that you simply just don't have to blurt out Something that comes to your mind, right? I mean, it's just he doesn't have to be that way. I mean James 1 19 says wherefore my beloved let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath So you're supposed to be slow to two things we talked about being slow to wrath recently But you're also supposed to be slow to speak in your life That means you should just put some thought into things before you say it and look I use this all the time Where I just used it today. I use this in my work life all the time You're in some big meeting or whatever it is You're in a big group of people and people are talking about stuff and you're just like I know It's not that I don't know the answer to things sometimes right? I mean, sometimes I know the answer to what people are talking about, but I'm like, okay Maybe this guy will not want to hear that or this is gonna make that go wrong So in cases like that, I would just shut up. I Always just don't say anything and it typically works out pretty well Okay, if you just don't speak when you're not sure don't speak It's it's that simple Okay The Bible says here in James 1 19 that the only thing that we're so supposed to be swift to do is to actually just listen It's to hear right so we should always be swift to hear so be swift to listen And you know what? You can be you can be very very picky about when you decide to say something and Jesus was that way Right. So Jesus in this case was just like, you know what it I mean He did it in a clever way, which he always does things in a clever way But basically he's just like you know what? I know that there's no right answer right now I mean he knew what the right answer was But he's like, I know that there's no way to not get trapped by these guys in this thing right now I'm just not gonna say anything And that's what he did and it was it was good. Now. Let's look at verse number 28. Let's move on That's just another aside. Just another little application Matthew 21 look at verse 28 Let's look at some this idea of obedience now and disobedience and we'll start to see this theme pop up when Jesus starts giving some more parables look at verse 28 where it says But what think ye a certain man had two sons and he came to the first and said son Go to work today in my vineyard and he answered and said I will not but afterward he repented and went so here's this kid He's like hey go to work in the field and the kids like no But then like, you know a few minutes or hours later, whatever He actually just goes and he's obedient, right? But then look at verse 30 then came me to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go sir and went not So This kid says to you know, the father he's like, yeah, okay. I'll go no problem. And then he just doesn't go Right. He just doesn't go and then Bible says in 30 verse 31 whether of them twain did the will of his father It says which one did best for his father and they said unto him the first Jesus saying to them verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you So two sons one says he won't go but look at least he was honest Right, at least he was honest and says, you know, I don't want to go He's like I don't want to go to the vineyard. He was disobedient, but he was honest, right? He was honest with a conscience if you think about it that way Because eventually this first son he gets it right and he actually goes The other son is just a liar Right, the other son is just a straight-up liar. He's just a people pleaser, right? He just wants to he wants to get the praise of saying to his father. Yeah, I'll go I'm the good son. Everybody can hear him say it You know that he's being all obedient to his father and then he just doesn't go right when nobody's looking He just doesn't go so he's just he's out there. He wants the credit. He wants the glory He wants the people to think that he's this righteous son, right? But he just he's the most disobedient and he's a liar. He's dishonest Right, but look the father is never fooled Okay, the father is never fooled. So look Jesus must have been super irritated with the Pharisees, especially when you read this chapter Okay, I mean here are these Pharisees. I mean, this is who he's talking about. They're super spiritual They have to wear all these garments with the borders enlarged and they're out there and they're just these spirit They're doing everything to just be seen of men Period they talked the talk yet. They were complete frauds These guys now the publicans in the harlots on the other hand, you know, look At least they believed him once he was there Right. I mean at least you know, they came to the correct conclusion even though they certainly didn't start out correctly Right like that first son they didn't start out with the right answer But these Pharisees they were disobedient to the end look at verse 32 and Jesus even explains it even further. He says for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not But the publicans in the harlots believed him. So here he's saying look the publicans in the harlots. He's explaining the parable They believed John the Baptist it's like you believed him not and Then it gets even worse He says and when ye had seen it seen what when you'd seen all the publicans in the harlots Accept John's words and accept John as a prophet. What did you do? You repented not afterward then two chances right in that one verse in verse 32 that you might believe him so what they had Jesus came and They didn't accept him and then they saw all these people believe on him and they still didn't accept him You see they remained Disobedient at that point. I Mean and I mean we know from reading the Bible that this wasn't the only time I mean It was just time after time after time that they were just rejecting and rejecting and being disobedient being disobedient towards Jesus, right? So look, I mean Jesus is irritating at this point Jesus is done with these people look at Matthew 21 33 Here another parable he explains even further there was a certain householder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about and digged a winepress in it and built a tower and let it out to the husband men and went into a far country and when the time of the fruit drew Near he sent his servants to the husband men That they might receive the fruits of it and the husband took his servants and servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another Again, he sent other sermons servants more than the first and they did unto them. Likewise turn to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11. So here's this guy. He rents out his his Vineyard goes into a far country and he wants to go and get the profits From the thing and he sends servants and the people that are Running the vineyard for him are just beating his servants as they come to collect. What is his it's that simple It's I mean he was going to get his own property Look at Hebrews 11 in verse number 32 The Bible here is talking about the prophets and it says in verse 32 What and what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gedion and Barak and of Samson? Jephthah and David also and Samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained Promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of the weaknesses were weakness was made strong waxed valiant in fight turned the flight the armies of Turn to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not Accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yay, moreover of bonds and imprisonment sounds kind of like these servants that went back to the you know to the vineyard to Collect for their their master. They were stoned. They were saunas under they were tempted. They were slain with the sword They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute Afflicted Tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth Look, these were the early servants right here these were the servants that Jesus is talking about in this parable that went back to the vineyard that were beaten and Tortured and stoned and all these things and then the guy in the parable says alright, I'm gonna send my son now Like I'm not gonna send my servants anymore So all these probably you know, he's he's he's picturing the prophets here that we're reading about in Hebrews chapter 11 now Look at verse number 37 of Matthew 21 But last of all, he sent unto them his son Saying they will reverence my son But when the husband saw this husband men saw the son they said amongst themselves This is the heir come let us kill him and let us seize on his Inheritance so look this right here shows you really one of the main reasons why the Pharisees are trying to kill Jesus Right here. It's because they wanted to seize on his inheritance. Look they were jealous of Him that the spiritual kingdom at that time. They're like, hey, that's our kingdom That's you know, we're the spiritual ones here, you know, we're the leaders of this religion here Whatever they had turned, you know, the religion of the Bible into they're like We're the leaders of this here and this guy's coming in and he's claiming this spiritual inheritance. Look it was his inheritance And he was taking it from people who had stolen it basically All right. So look they were jealous of him. They wanted the spiritual kingdom to be theirs. Look at verse 39 and They caught him and they cast him out of the vineyard and slew him turn to Romans chapter 3 Then Jesus says when the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husband men? So this is kind of like one of those simplified broken-down stories that he asked You know that he tells and kind of like Nathan talking about you know The sheep to David just really makes them just realize what's really happening open your eyes a little bit but look at Romans chapter 3 in Verse number 2. So look what will he do unto the husband men now? Who are these husband men that he's talking about? The husband men are the Jews. I Mean, he's not really just talking about the Pharisees here He's talking about who was you know, the kingdom given to who was the vineyard given to here? I mean it was the Jews they were they were the chosen people So look look at Romans chapter 3 in verse number 1 where the Bible says what advantage then hath the Jew or what? Prophet is there of circumcision much every way chiefly. So he's like there's a lot of advantages. He said mainly chiefly Because that unto them were committed the oracles of God So the biggest advantage that the Jews had what the Jews had all kinds of advantage They were they had the truth from the beginning God led them with all these different leaders and all these different chosen You know from the judges to you know, even the good kings that were leading them Look, they had all these godly influences in their life, but mainly they had the Word of God is what they had Alright, so that these were that these were the husband men. Look at verse 41 of Matthew 21 and They say unto him. Well, this is the Pharisees answering now They say unto him he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard unto other Husband men what this isn't Jesus that said this This is them answering which will render him the fruits of their seasons Look, who are the other husband men? These are the Gentiles that the gospel is going to okay go to We're gonna skip ahead and go to verse 43 Real quickly just because there's a I want to finish this theme and we're gonna go back to the main thing So look at verse 43 and Jesus says therefore I say unto you the kingdom of God shall be taken from you So he tells him he's like look they're like We see he's gonna destroy those wicked men and he's gonna give it I mean he would obviously give his vineyard to somebody who would not do all those nasty horrible things Right, and then he says thou art the man just like Nathan said to David, right? He's like The nation will be taken from you He said the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation Bringing forth the fruits thereof. You see the fig tree now You see how he goes to the fig tree and the fig tree you see how this all fits together into disobedience When he goes to the fig tree, and he's like I want fruit from you tree nothing Done just like that and the disciples were like man that happened fast Well, it just happened to the Jews right here It just happened to him right here So we started with the actual picture of the fig tree and Jesus just took it away from him right here. Okay? Now look, I mean turn to Romans chapter 9 Romans chapter 9 and look at verse number 25. I mean look this isn't this isn't a hidden theme in the Bible It's it's huge all over the place And Roma and so I'm not gonna I know that we already know this I'm not gonna go too deep into this. Let me just show you in Romans chapter 9 verse 25 I know we've already studied this but it says as he said also in OC that's Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people the Gentiles and her beloved which was not beloved And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them. You're not my people there They should be called the children of the living God So we're talking about the kingdom being removed from the unbelieving Jews and being you know, I mean look there's a remnant There's a remnant. I mean there's a remnant some Jews believed I mean there it's in the Bible all over the place some Jews believe but the majority of the mainstream Jewish Leaders religion did not accept Jesus and it was taken from them and it was given to the Gentiles and there's look there's a any Jew that believes is gonna be saved just like anybody else I mean the Bible says, you know that the natural branch can obviously be grafted back in pretty easily You know, I mean it's it's the natural branch right now go back to so that's the theme That Jesus is getting at in those two parables, but go back to verse number 42 now Verse number 42 because it gets worse. I mean Jesus really gets He really turns it up. Now. Look at verse 42 and Jesus said unto them. Did you not ever read in the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected the same has become the head of the corner This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes He's of course quoting Isaiah 53 here where he says, you know the same the stone which the builders rejected The same has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our eyes So I want to look at this idea turn to Psalm 118 of this stone and I know a lot of you You know, I've seen you know, Jesus has the cornerstone and all this We're gonna look at that first But there's actually two types of stones here or two uses for the stone in this chapter that we're gonna look at Okay. Now the stone look at verse Psalm 118 Psalm 118 look at verse 22 Psalm 118 verse number 22 where the Bible says the stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner very similar to Verse number 42 turn to Acts chapter 4 We're gonna look at a bunch of verses on this because I want to just really get it You know driven in that, you know, Jesus is this stone Jesus is this headstone of the corner or cornerstone. Look at Acts 4 and verse 11 Acts 4 and verse 11 the Bible says this is the stone which was set at not of you builders Which has become the head of the corner. So there's this stone It was rejected and it became the head of the corner. All right, we look at Ephesians 2 Ephesians chapter 2 and verse number 20 and the Bible says in Ephesians 2 20 and are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord in whom you're also Builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit. So here's Jesus once again this chief Cornerstone that the entire building of course, you know turned Isaiah 28 The entire building of course is built around the cornerstone I mean this cornerstones today are more symbolic and like decorative but at cornerstones actually had a purpose Back in building before there was all these different tools and measurement devices I mean basically you had a cornerstone and you had a few built a foundation you set a cornerstone and Every other stone for that building was built off of that cornerstone in reference to that stone So every stone was lined up as with that cornerstone as a reference point Okay, so if you see, you know, I mean it Determined everything about the building it determined which way the building was facing it determined How straight all the walls were it determined the orientation exactly of the building the cornerstone was everything All right. Look at Isaiah 28 in verse 16 Look at Isaiah 28 16 the Bible says therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious cornerstone a surer Foundation he that believeth shall not make haste So here we see that once again, the gospel is in Matt Isaiah 28, right? He that believeth I mean, so the gospel was always in the Old Testament. They understood it just like we understand it today Go back to Matthew 21 and verse 43 Matthew 21 and verse 43 44. I'm sorry. We already looked at 43, but so we see Jesus as this cornerstone. All right, but there's another Purpose for the stone. There's another purpose laid out here for the stone. That is Jesus All right one so Jesus is this rock He's this stone one purpose is to be this cornerstone for them that what them to believe Okay, he's our cornerstone. He's our reference He's our guide but look at verse number 44 where it says and whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken. Whoa As we're not now we're not building things anymore now we're breaking stuff But on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder Wow, that's the opposite of building the building right there, right grind and stuff to powder turn to first Peter chapter 2 So we see there's this cornerstone one I mean one of the one of the type one of the stones Jesus is both stones Well, one of the uses for the stone is to build is To be a reference is to be a foundation and the other is to grind a powder There's more to this stone than building folks look at first Peter chapter 2 and verse number 6 Look at verse number 6 of first Peter chapter 2 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture behold. I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone there It is elect precious and he that what what goes with the cornerstone He that believeth on him shall not be confounded So we see that the cornerstone is for him that believeth on him in verse 7 unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but Unto them which be disobedient There it is The stone which the builders disallowed sound familiar The same is made the head of the corner But so we see this the same wording again that yeah, okay He's the head of the corner, but the builders disallowed him now we're gonna get some more detail on what happens here in verse number 8 and it says now says and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense Even to them which stumble what stumble what at the word being what? Disobedient Where unto also they were appointed they were appointed who what was the advantage of the Jew? They were appointed the word Were they obedient to the word they were disobedient to the word So the cornerstone became a stumbling stone to them it became a rock of Offense to them, but wait there's more turn to Daniel chapter 2 It gets way worse than just a stone of stumbling turn to Daniel chapter 2 and look at verse number 31 So I mean so much in 1st Peter chapter 2 talking about the cornerstone to them that believeth on him It's a cornerstone if you believe I mean that's what I want a cornerstone a foundation Right that can't be moved but to others to the disobedient to the disobedient where went at Which stumble at the word you see they stumbled that they had the word and they stumbled at it They were disobedient where unto they were also also they were appointed They were given the oracles of God they were given the word and they were disobedient to it That's it and now this is the type of stone that they're going to be dealing with Look at Daniel chapter 2 Daniel chapter 2. This is where Daniel is Asked to interpret Nebuchadnezzar dream. Okay, so Nebuchadnezzar He had this dream and remember he he he gets all the magicians and the wise men. He's like, hey He's like I need you to interpret my dream and they're like, no problem, man Just tell us what the dream was. He's like no you tell me the dream and the interpretation like What we can't do that trick so here comes Daniel look at verse 31 of Daniel and he prays to God and God shows Daniel the dream and the interpretation of the dream and Daniel gives the interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar and he says in verse 31 thou O King sauced and behold a great image He's telling the king what he saw Talk about going out on a limb, right? I'm gonna tell you what you dreamed last night, buddy I mean talk about faith talk about faith when you stand in front of the most powerful man on planet earth And you're just like here's what you saw in your dream last night, buddy complete faith Now O King sauced and behold a great image this great image whose brightness was excellent stood before thee and the form thereof was Terrible this image his head was a fine gold his breast and his arms were of silver His belly and his thighs were brass So the head was gold the the arms and the chest were silver The belly was in thighs were brass and he had legs of iron and his feet part of iron and part clay So his feet and the toes were iron and clay mixed together Thou saw us till now look at verse 34 thou saw us till he's saying you also saw that's what he's saying Okay till that a stone was cut out without hands. Hmm Now we have a stone here Which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay and break them to pieces Then was the iron and clay and the brass and the silver and the gold broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors like what like powder and The wind carried them away that no place was found for them and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth This is the dream and we will tell the interpretation thereof to the king Thou o king are to king of kings for the God of heaven had given thee a kingdom power strength and glory And wheresoever the children of men dwell the beasts of the field and the files of the heaven Hath he given into thine hand and hath made thee ruler over them all thou art this head of gold He's saying you are the head of gold that the king of the Babylonian Empire And where and after this shall rise thee another kingdom inferior to thee This is the silver the silver arms and the silver chest and another third kingdom of brass which shall bear rule over all the earth and the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron for as much as iron breaketh in pieces and subdue with all things and is iron that breaketh all these shall break in pieces and bruise and where is thou sauce the feet and Toes part of Potter's clay and part of the iron the kingdom shall be divided But there shall be in it the strength of the iron for as much as thou saws the iron mixed with myri clay And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part clay So the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken and whereas thou saw iron mixed with myri clay They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men But they shall not cleave one to another even as iron is not mixed with clay in the days of these kings shall the God Of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people But it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever For as much as thou saws that the stone was cut out of the mountains without Hands and that it break in pieces the iron the brass the clay the silver and the gold the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain in the Interpretation thereof is sure and there, you know Nebuchadnezzar is like It's like So look he basically tells them that the golden head is you Babylon we know of course because we're in the future now We know that you know The silver arms and chest is the Persian Empire that came right after the Babylonian Empire Look Daniel even saw that Empire So Daniel saw two of these empires the brass was the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great These are empires that basically ruled the entire world at one time iron legs this was the Roman Empire the Iron Empire and the toes is this Empire of the Future that will exist when Jesus comes to bring in the millennial reign but the bottom line is this all and look at verse 34 and in verse 45 all of these empires in the entire History of the world are just crushed to pieces by the stone They are crushed to pieces verse 44 and then the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed That's God's kingdom. So look Jesus is the rock of salvation. He is the cornerstone for all those who believe But those who do not he is this immovable stumbling stone and a rock That break in pieces all that are in disobedience, it's that simple so he is a rock But he's either a cornerstone or he's gonna smash you to powder It's it's really that's the only two choices Okay, all without belief will be smashed to pieces by this rock Look at verse 45 of Matthew chapter 21 And the Bible says and when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard his parables they per speed perceived that he spake of them Again look at verse 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him They feared the multitude because they took him for a profit the people did so look I mean the application of this is this disobedience here is is like Jesus best friend or worst enemy pick one Right, I mean you choose I mean these two types of stones a cornerstone you know a stone used for the orientation of a foundation in which all other stones are in reference to turn to John chapter 14 a Verse that I'm sure you've all heard, you know a thousand times but turn to John chapter 14 and look at verse number six. I mean this this Dichotomy is found in John 14 6 and in John 14 6 the Bible says Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life everybody loves that part Right. Everybody loves that part. Like I'm the way the truth and the life That's the part that's written on bumper stickers written on church walls written everywhere But look at the next part No man cometh unto the Father but by me He's like I'm the way the truth in the life, but I'm the only way that's it He's like, you know the stone that smote the image which was all men that ever lived basically was Jesus The the rock that crushed it, you know into pieces was Jesus And it says in verse 44 whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whosoever it shall fall It'll grind him to powder That's Jesus You know that I mean that That's the other choice That's the other choice like so all these people that just don't care That are just indifferent that you know, look they should because you better be on the right side of this Jesus thing You know and all these people painting Jesus as this, you know You know sheepshepherd and all these stupid paintings that aren't real, you know They're doing a disservice to everybody that's ever lived that ever looks at those things because look you It's it's there's no middle ground there's no middle ground you better be on the right side you say, you know, that's mean That's not fair Right, but okay. Let's explore Let's look at your life. Let's look at everyone's life real quickly. Let's just put some logic to it Right, so God created everyone right it starts there Everybody got life right everybody that's ever existed got life without God. We aren't even here right? We owe him our very existence I don't think you know, most people would disagree with that then he gives you you know this conscience This law written in your heart, so you'll actually seek him You'll actually he actually gives you kind of like this magnet that draws you to him Like built in with you So he kind of puts a magnet inside you that draws you to want to know More about him and find out what's going on. But look we still have this problem, right? So we have this life that we've been given for free. We have this conscience. We've been given for free We have this draw towards God. We still have this problem. We've all sinned against a holy God. I Mean, that's a problem. It's the problem, right? So he goes further Right, he goes further. He steps in right. He sees that we've sinned against a holy God He steps in and he provides a path out of trouble For us and it's not like he comes in and he writes a check He like does it himself He like has like his own be only begotten son like tortured and and killed and like thrown into hell like for our For us to get us out of our own mess, right? So he gave his life He gave us a conscience that draws us towards God all for free. He gives us a path out of her Then we make all these mistakes Then he gives us the path out of those mistakes through his own pain and suffering and We we reject and and and you're gonna reject that you're gonna reject that I mean Think about giving somebody a gift that cost you a hundred bucks and then think about giving somebody a gift that cost you like one of your children and They just say it is throw it in your face and they're like, no. Thanks Look Then it's powder time Is the bottom line and it's totally fair Because it wasn't fair that you had all those chances in the first place that you were given a life in the first place So that's why Jesus is your best friend or your worst enemy. I Mean at the end of everyone's life on this earth when you know, they're standing in front of God Jesus is gonna be your best friend or your worst enemy You're gonna really want to see him or you're really really not gonna want to see him you're like, oh man It's powder time. I Mean you it when you look at it this way, I mean when you just look at the top-level picture That's what I was trying to give you just the top-level picture of what every single person has received from God Whether they accept him or not When you look at it that way, I mean it's not hard to see how God doesn't have much of a gray zone Like he doesn't have one period you're either with me or against me He created you he gave you everything he offers more he offers you life salvation eternal life It's not fair because you didn't deserve any of it none of us did Even even though those of us that are saved which hopefully it's everyone in this room, but look we didn't deserve any of that So look it's all about the proper perspective folks so this chapter is all about Disobedience, it's all about disobedience from from Jesus going into the temple and just kicking them out for being Disobedient with that his house, right? He's like look you've been Disobedient with how I've wanted you to handle my house and he just whips them out of there and violently throws them out to the fig tree to the parables of the two sons You know who was really disobedient right the the lying son That was just a liar just to be seen of men and was just disobedient the whole time to the the vineyard and the Disobedient servants of the vineyard look he's just talking about the disobedience of the Jews throughout this whole chapter And he's talking about what it's gonna cost people who hold on to that disobedience to the end Matthew chapter 21 which stone Do you want Jesus to be for you is the question? Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer You