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Jesus Speaks to the Heart · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Well, we turn back to our reading in Mark's Gospel, chapter 12, and this parable that we have in verse 1 to verse 12.
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The parable of the tenants, as it is called.
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It's not just a parable as we see here, Jesus teaching it against the Jewish leaders of the time,
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but it's a reminder to us of how we have God's Word to this very day.
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At the heart of it is that the Son was sent to them and the Son was rejected.
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So this is looking at the Jews of that day.
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But then at the end of verse 9, it says,
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He will come and destroy the tenants and those who have rejected him and give the vineyard to others.
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So that the Gospel is going to go out.
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And as with many parts of Scripture, what we find here is a response to Jesus' teaching.
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A response to the authority of God's Word.
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As a question for ourselves as we begin the service this evening,
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what do you do when you hear God's Word speaking to you?
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We all hear it.
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We all hear God's Word speaking to us.
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We heard it this morning.
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We hear it this evening.
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We hear it so often.
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But what do we do with the Word of God?
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And what you find as you go through the Scriptures,
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you find there are those who delight to hear the Word of God.
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You think of the two on the road to Emmaus who met with Jesus there on the way.
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And it says that their heart burned within them.
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Not with anger.
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As we can often think of a burning heart with anger.
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It wasn't with anger.
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But it was with this amazement, this wonder that Jesus was there opening up the Scriptures to them.
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So there is one response to the Word of God.
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But as we see again and again throughout God's Word,
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there's another response, another burning within the heart.
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But it's a burning with anger.
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It's a burning with a ferocious anger as we see here as we look at the authority that Jesus was challenging.
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As you read through chapter 11 and chapter 12 here in Mark's Gospel,
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Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and he's just a matter of days away from the crucifixion,
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from going to the cross.
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Why was he going to be crucified?
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Well, we could say because it was God's plan.
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That God had planned and purposed this from the very beginning.
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As we see going through the Old Testament, as we saw this morning,
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we thought about Isaiah 53, just touched on that,
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how this reminder of Isaiah there speaking about the suffering servant,
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the one who was going to give his life.
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We could say that's the reason.
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But we see it too in another way as well here.
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He was going to be crucified because he was at the mercy of people's hands,
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those who he caused offense to, those who he upset.
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He angered these leaders.
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And it was they who were seeking to crucify him as well.
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In chapter 11 there in verse 18,
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Jesus had come in and seen what they were doing in the temple in Jerusalem.
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And he's saying there in verse 17,
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that my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations,
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but you have made it a den of robber.
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So he's speaking to their hearts there.
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And what they say is that they sought a way to destroy him in verse 18.
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They sought a way to destroy him.
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In verse 27 to 33, as we read here,
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again, they were challenging his authority,
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questioning his authority.
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Who is he to say any of these things to us?
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And even after this parable at the end in verse 12,
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they were seeking to arrest him.
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So it still wasn't changing.
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Their reaction to God's word was one of,
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you will not tell us what to do.
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Why was he going to be crucified?
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Well, because of what we see here,
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not just in their hearts,
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but in all the hearts of the people,
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in ourselves today as well.
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We see that he was going to be crucified
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because the world is a sinful world
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that needs a saviour, a redeemer.
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And he came as that saviour who would give his life.
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The son that we read of in this parable,
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the son that the master loved.
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So the question we face is,
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as we were thinking this morning,
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whose voice or what voice are we listening to?
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Do we trust Jesus as the son of God
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or are we looking somewhere else?
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Are we looking to do away with him?
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Are our hearts burning with desire for him
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or burning with anger against him?
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So as you go into chapter 12,
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Jesus here challenges these religious leaders
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with this parable that speaks to them.
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He's speaking right into their hearts.
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He's getting right into their very soul and being
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as to what are they going to do with him.
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The parable is something that the people
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would have been familiar with.
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In those days, very often this kind of situation
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would happen.
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We sometimes call it today absentee landlords
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where somebody owns a vineyard,
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in this case in the scriptures,
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but they're at a distance.
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But they have other workers
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who will come and work it for them.
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But the landlord ultimately owns it
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and will get his share of the profits from it.
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And that's what we see here.
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This is the parable that Jesus uses.
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Verse 1 describes for us a man who planted a vineyard.
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And put everything up that was required,
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a fence around it.
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He dug a wine pit where the wine,
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the juice of the grapes,
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would be collected in the right season.
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He built a tower for a watchman to guard it.
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And he had his workers, his servants,
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to work it for them.
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And he left it in their care.
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But when the season came,
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when the wine was going to be flowing,
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the master would want his share.
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And so he would send his servants to them
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to gather what he was due.
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But then you see the response of those
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who were the workers in the vineyard.
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In this parable,
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the lord of the vineyard,
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the master is God.
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We see that so clearly.
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The vineyard is God's people
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that he's caring for.
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And the farmers are the Jewish religious leaders
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and how they are dealing with God's people.
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The servants that the master sends
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are the prophets that God sent to his people.
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And as we know,
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the well-beloved only son
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is the Lord Jesus Christ.
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These things are so clear to us here.
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And it's reminding us of God's grace
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and his love towards us.
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And that's what we want to take
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from this parable as well.
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But we see the response
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of the farmers.
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We see the response
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of those who are working the vineyard
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for the master.
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And we see the response
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in how the servants are sent
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and what they do with them.
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And how it speaks to us
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of how we respond
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to the word of God.
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So we're going to go through it
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and look at three different things
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in this passage.
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First of all,
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we see the goodness of God.
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The goodness of God.
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I want to think about this.
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Is it received
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or is it rejected?
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Received or rejected?
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The goodness of God.
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The parable,
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as Jesus is speaking it to them here,
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is very heavy
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with Old Testament imagery.
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And so the leaders
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who he is speaking it to,
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they would have known exactly
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what he was talking about.
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They are questioning Jesus' authority
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as we see in chapter 11.
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And so he's using this parable
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to show them,
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well, what are you going to do
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with my authority?
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Whose authority do you think it is?
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And he is showing them
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that this authority
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foremost is with God.
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And they should have been able
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to see it immediately
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as he speaks this parable to them.
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Immediately as God's word
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is speaking to them,
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they should have been
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under conviction of sin here.
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The word of God speaking
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so clearly to them
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that they would have been feeling
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just as shying away from Jesus.
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Coming to that point
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where you would hope
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they would just see their sin
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and say,
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forgive us.
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Have mercy on me, a sinner.
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That is the response you would want,
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but it's not the response
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that you see.
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Instead, it's their own pride
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and self-importance
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that comes to the fore.
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But when you look at it
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in the Old Testament,
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you see just why
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they should have realized
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what Jesus was saying.
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For example,
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going back to Isaiah again
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as we were this morning,
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in chapter 5,
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verse 1 to 4,
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you see just how familiar
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this is to what we're reading
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here this evening.
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Isaiah 5, verse 1,
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let me sing for my beloved
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my love song
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concerning his vineyard.
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My beloved had a vineyard
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on a very fertile hill.
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He dug it and cleared it
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of stones
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and planted it
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with choice vines.
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He built a watchtower
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in the midst of it
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and hewed out a wine fat in it
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and he looked for it
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to yield grapes,
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but it yielded wild grapes.
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And now,
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O inhabitants of Jerusalem
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and men of Judah,
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judge between me
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and my vineyard,
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what more was there to do
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for my vineyard
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that I have not done in it?
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When I looked for it
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to yield grapes,
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why did it yield
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wild grapes?
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You see how similar
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that is to this parable
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that Jesus is telling here.
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The similarities are there
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just so clearly.
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And so they should have recognized
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what Jesus was speaking about.
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They should have recognized
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the importance of this.
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And as we are hearing
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God's word as well,
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surely we too recognize
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the importance of it
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because it's always speaking to us.
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Here it is speaking
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into the hearts
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of these Jewish leaders
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into their sin.
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And that is what God's word
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does for us as well.
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It speaks into our hearts
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of our sinfulness,
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of how far short we fall
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of God's glory,
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of how much we've done wrong
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against him.
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And when you look at
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what God has done
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for his people
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in the Old Testament,
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how God had tenderly cared
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for them.
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When you go back to Egypt,
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they were in slavery,
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they were in bondage,
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and yet the Lord
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took them out.
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He had taken them
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through the wilderness,
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cared for them there,
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given them everything
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that they needed.
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He took them
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into the promised land,
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a land flowing
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with milk and honey.
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There they took root
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and they flourished
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and God blessed them
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in so many ways.
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God had given
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his vine as they were,
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his people,
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all of his goodness
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in which to grow.
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He had blessed them
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in so many ways.
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He had given them
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his word.
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He had given them
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his protection.
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And he had done
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all of these things
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for them.
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God had been good
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to them.
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As Isaiah 5,
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verse 4 said,
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what could have been
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done more to my vineyard
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that I have not done
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in it?
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He had done everything
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for them.
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Time and time again
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the Lord has been
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good to them.
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But what did they do?
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They rejected him.
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And what of us today?
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When we think of
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what God has done
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for us,
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can we not say today,
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God has been good
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to us?
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God has been good
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to me.
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Can you say that
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this evening?
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As God's word
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is speaking to you,
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reminding you
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in your heart
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of your sin.
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And yet we read
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of a saviour.
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Can you not say,
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well, God has been
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good to me.
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God has showed
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his favour
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towards me.
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There is no
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question that
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everyone here
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who has come
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to trust
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in the Lord
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Jesus Christ
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cannot confess
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that God
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has been good.
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we are not
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the Israel
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that he is
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speaking about
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here.
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We are not
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those who are
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in bondage
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in Egypt.
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But we are
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in bondage
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in sin.
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We are lost
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in our sin.
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But God
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by his mercy
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takes us
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out of that sin.
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As Psalm 40
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speaks about
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waiting on the Lord
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and has been
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brought up
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out of that pit
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the mighty
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clean,
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our feet
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set on the rock.
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that is what
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the goodness
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of God
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does for us.
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Takes us
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from darkness
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to light.
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Has God
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been good
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to you?
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If you are
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a believer
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you can say it.
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God has been
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good.
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But maybe
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you are seeking
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after God.
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Can you not
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say that God
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has been good
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to you as well?
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God has given
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you an opportunity.
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God has given
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you this time.
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God has given
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you his work.
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God has heard
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our prayers
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in so many ways.
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God has given
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us his grace
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in so many
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different ways
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day by day.
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God has been
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good.
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The psalmist
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in Psalm 116
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in the Sing
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Psalms version
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it puts it like
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this,
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rest oh my soul
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God has been
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good to you.
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That is where
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we find rest.
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God was good
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to these leaders
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but what did
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they do?
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They rejected
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him.
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They questioned
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his authority.
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They sought
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to arrest
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him.
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They sought
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to crucify
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him.
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But what
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about us?
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What do we do
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with this
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goodness
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of God?
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Do we give
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thanks to him?
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Do we rejoice
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in it or do we
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just push it
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back in his face
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and say not
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for us?
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God has been
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good.
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But so many
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reject God
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today.
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Let us not
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be found
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as those
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who reject
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or shun
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God
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or turn
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away from
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him
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but give
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thanks to
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him
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and receive
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his goodness
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and praise
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him for all
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his grace
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and love
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towards us.
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the goodness
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of God.
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We see it
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here among
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them,
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rejected by
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them.
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Let us
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receive
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that goodness.
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The second
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thing we see
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here is just
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that grace
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of God.
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He's giving
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them something
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that they
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don't deserve
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and they just
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throw it back
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in his face.
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And we see
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that in how
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the master
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has given
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them this
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vineyard.
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He's done
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everything for
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them,
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prepared it
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for them.
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And then
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in verse 2
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it says,
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when the
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season came
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he sent
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a servant
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to the
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tenants
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to get
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from them
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some of
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the fruit
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of the
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vineyard.
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Some
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of the
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fruit
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of the
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vineyard.
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The owner
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would send
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his servants
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to gather
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what was
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due to
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him.
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some
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of the
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fruit
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of the
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vineyard
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as it
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says in
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verse 2.
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The owner
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normally would
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take about
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a third
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or a half
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for himself.
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Everything
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else
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would go
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to those
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who attended
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it.
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To the
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farmers,
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to the
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tenants
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who had
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been leased
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it.
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They would
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get the
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rest.
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they paid
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nothing
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for it.
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They
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tended it
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for a
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time and
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they bore
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the fruit.
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You would
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think,
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well,
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they would
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be delighted
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with that.
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They would
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be made
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up with
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that.
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They would
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receive
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their
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reward.
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But yet
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what we
17:40
see is
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when the
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servants
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arrive,
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the tenants,
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what do
17:43
they do?
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They turn
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against them
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time and
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time
17:48
again.
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So the
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first servant
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arrives in
17:53
verse 3
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and they
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took him
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and beat
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him and
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sent him
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away empty
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handed.
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Verse 4,
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again he
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sent them
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another servant
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and they
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struck him
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on the
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head and
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treated him
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shamefully.
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And again
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and again we
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see it going
18:08
on here.
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They killed
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some,
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they beat
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others,
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sent them
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all away
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empty
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handed.
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God is
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showing
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his grace
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here towards
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them,
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giving them
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opportunity
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after opportunity
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and yet
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they still
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cannot see
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the goodness
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of God
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or the
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grace
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of God.
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And what
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is he saying
18:31
to the
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leaders here?
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Well all
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of these
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servants
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that are
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sent back
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to the
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tenants,
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he is
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saying,
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these are
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the prophets.
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These are
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the ones
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who have
18:42
spoken
18:43
down
18:44
through
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all the
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generations
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and what
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did you
18:46
do with
18:47
them?
18:47
The ones
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who brought
18:48
you my
18:49
word,
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you beat
18:50
them,
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you killed
18:51
them,
18:52
you sent
18:53
them away.
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You see
18:56
this when
18:57
you go to
18:57
the book
18:57
of Hebrews
18:58
in chapter
19:00
one.
19:01
Long ago
19:02
at many
19:02
times and
19:03
in many
19:03
ways,
19:04
God spoke
19:05
to our
19:06
fathers by
19:07
the prophets.
19:09
So right
19:10
through the
19:10
generations,
19:11
God was
19:12
speaking.
19:13
And yet
19:15
they rejected,
19:16
rejected,
19:17
rejected.
19:19
And then
19:20
finally,
19:21
the landowner
19:22
sees one
19:23
more option.
19:26
In verse
19:26
six,
19:27
he had
19:28
still one
19:29
other,
19:30
a beloved
19:31
son.
19:32
Finally,
19:33
he sent
19:34
him to
19:35
them saying,
19:35
they will
19:35
respect my
19:37
son.
19:38
Surely,
19:39
this will be
19:39
the answer.
19:40
I will send
19:41
my son.
19:42
And again,
19:43
you go back
19:44
to Hebrews
19:45
chapter one.
19:46
God spoke
19:47
to our
19:48
fathers through
19:48
the prophets,
19:49
but in
19:49
these last
19:50
days,
19:51
he has
19:51
spoken to
19:52
us by
19:53
his son,
19:54
whom he
19:54
appointed
19:55
heir of
19:56
all things.
19:57
So we're
19:58
seeing here,
19:59
this is the
19:59
master sending
20:00
his son.
20:01
This is God
20:01
sending Jesus
20:03
Christ into
20:04
the world.
20:06
Surely,
20:07
they will
20:08
receive him.
20:09
But what
20:10
do they
20:10
do?
20:11
What do
20:12
they do
20:12
with him?
20:14
Well,
20:15
they see
20:15
an opportunity
20:16
for themselves.
20:19
In verse
20:19
seven,
20:19
but those
20:20
tenants said
20:20
to one
20:21
another,
20:21
this is
20:22
the heir,
20:23
come,
20:24
let us
20:25
kill him
20:25
and the
20:26
inheritance
20:26
will be
20:27
ours.
20:28
And they
20:28
took him
20:29
and killed
20:29
him and
20:30
threw him
20:30
out of
20:31
the vineyard.
20:33
This is
20:34
what they
20:34
did with
20:35
him.
20:35
they
20:38
thought that
20:38
by killing
20:39
the son,
20:40
they could
20:40
have
20:41
everything
20:41
for
20:42
themselves.
20:44
They
20:44
could not
20:45
stand
20:46
the thought
20:47
of this
20:48
Jesus
20:49
having
20:49
authority
20:50
over them.
20:51
So they
20:52
are looking
20:52
for ways
20:54
to kill
20:55
him.
20:57
And yet
20:57
what grace
20:58
God
20:59
shows.
21:01
Grace
21:01
that they
21:02
don't
21:02
deserve.
21:03
The
21:03
blessings
21:04
that they
21:04
have received
21:05
again
21:06
and
21:06
again.
21:08
But there
21:09
is a
21:09
warning.
21:11
What will
21:12
the owner
21:12
do?
21:13
What will
21:14
the owner
21:15
of the
21:15
vineyard
21:15
do?
21:16
In verse
21:17
9,
21:18
he will
21:18
come
21:18
and destroy
21:20
the tenants.
21:22
What a
21:23
warning
21:23
that is
21:24
there.
21:26
What will
21:26
we do
21:27
with this
21:28
grace
21:28
of God
21:29
ourselves?
21:31
God
21:32
has shown
21:32
us grace.
21:33
He
21:34
has given
21:34
us
21:34
his
21:35
word
21:35
through
21:35
the
21:36
prophets
21:36
as we
21:37
have
21:37
them.
21:37
He
21:38
has
21:38
spoken
21:38
to
21:39
us
21:39
through
21:40
his
21:40
son,
21:41
the
21:41
Lord
21:41
Jesus
21:41
Christ.
21:44
But how
21:44
do we
21:45
receive
21:45
that
21:45
word?
21:47
Do we
21:47
receive it
21:48
with gladness
21:49
or do we
21:49
reject it?
21:50
Do we
21:50
shun it
21:51
and turn
21:52
away from
21:53
it?
21:53
Do we
21:53
have that
21:54
attitude
21:55
where if
21:55
we can
21:56
just get
21:56
rid
21:57
of this
21:58
son,
21:58
we will
21:59
have
21:59
everything
22:00
for
22:00
ourselves?
22:01
As one
22:01
commentator
22:02
put it,
22:03
this is
22:03
the way
22:04
that humanity
22:05
sees it.
22:07
If humanity
22:08
can dispense
22:09
with God
22:10
or even
22:11
kill God,
22:12
then humanity
22:13
can become
22:14
God.
22:16
It's not a
22:17
reminder of
22:17
the kind of
22:18
hearts which
22:19
we have.
22:20
The hearts
22:21
that are
22:21
apart from
22:22
the grace
22:22
of God
22:23
want to
22:24
be God
22:24
ourselves.
22:27
If we
22:28
can dispense
22:29
with God
22:29
or even
22:30
kill God,
22:31
we can
22:31
become
22:32
God.
22:34
But we
22:35
cannot.
22:37
What they
22:37
failed to
22:38
understand
22:39
was the
22:40
grace that
22:41
was on
22:41
offer here,
22:43
that they
22:43
could have
22:43
everything if
22:45
they would
22:45
just receive
22:46
the son.
22:49
But they
22:50
failed to
22:51
understand.
22:52
Receive
22:53
the son,
22:54
the vineyard
22:55
and it's
22:56
all there
22:57
for you.
22:58
Receive
22:58
the son
22:59
as God
23:00
goes on
23:00
to speak
23:01
to us
23:01
through the
23:02
word and
23:02
you will
23:02
become a
23:03
child of
23:04
God.
23:05
Receive
23:05
the son
23:06
and you
23:06
become an
23:07
heir alongside
23:08
him.
23:09
Receive
23:10
the son
23:10
and you
23:11
have all
23:12
the blessings
23:12
that heaven
23:13
has to
23:13
offer.
23:15
But they
23:16
killed him.
23:18
What about
23:19
you?
23:21
What do you
23:21
do with
23:21
the son
23:22
who was
23:23
sent?
23:25
Do you
23:25
receive him
23:26
and all
23:27
the blessings
23:27
that are
23:28
offered
23:28
through him
23:29
or do
23:30
you kill
23:30
him?
23:35
God's
23:36
grace and
23:37
love is
23:38
immense
23:38
towards us
23:39
through his
23:40
son Jesus
23:40
Christ but
23:41
yet we
23:42
live in a
23:43
world that
23:43
says no
23:44
again and
23:46
again and
23:47
again.
23:49
Will you
23:50
receive this
23:51
word with
23:51
joy or
23:53
will you
23:53
burn in
23:54
anger
23:54
against it?
23:57
That's the
23:57
choices that
23:58
are so
23:58
often put
23:59
before us.
24:01
But we
24:02
are warned
24:02
again and
24:03
again and
24:04
that's what we
24:05
see finally
24:06
here because
24:06
there's an
24:07
ultimate
24:07
warning.
24:09
You go
24:10
on rejecting
24:11
the grace
24:12
of God
24:13
and there
24:14
are consequences.
24:16
Verse 9
24:17
What will
24:17
the owner
24:18
of the
24:18
vineyard
24:18
do?
24:19
He will
24:19
come and
24:20
destroy the
24:21
tenants and
24:22
give the
24:22
vineyard to
24:23
others.
24:26
Jesus was
24:28
God's final
24:29
messenger and
24:32
if they
24:32
rejected him
24:33
they were
24:34
saying no to
24:35
God for the
24:36
very last
24:37
time.
24:39
It's a
24:39
frightening
24:39
thought that
24:41
for us that
24:43
we could say
24:43
no to
24:45
God one
24:46
last time
24:47
but yet
24:50
God still
24:51
speaks.
24:53
The religious
24:54
leaders killed
24:55
the Son of
24:56
God on
24:57
the cross
24:57
at Calvary.
24:59
They thought
25:00
that they
25:00
would get
25:01
rid of
25:01
him and
25:01
get everything
25:02
all authority
25:03
and everything
25:04
else for
25:04
themselves
25:05
but they
25:07
would end
25:07
up with
25:08
nothing.
25:10
The
25:11
Master would
25:11
come and
25:13
destroy the
25:14
tenants.
25:16
They will
25:16
be cast
25:17
out and
25:18
others will
25:19
receive.
25:22
That is
25:23
the same
25:23
for us.
25:26
You
25:26
reject the
25:27
Son.
25:29
You throw
25:30
him away
25:30
but others
25:32
will receive.
25:34
Reject the
25:35
authority of
25:36
Jesus.
25:37
Reject the
25:37
salvation that
25:38
is offered
25:39
through him
25:40
and there is
25:41
only judgment
25:43
and destruction
25:44
for you.
25:48
But how
25:48
shall we
25:49
respond to
25:50
the word
25:51
of God?
25:52
Again you
25:53
go back to
25:54
Hebrews
25:54
chapter 2.
25:59
It's there
26:00
the warnings
26:00
are there for
26:01
us how God
26:02
has spoken
26:03
through his
26:04
Son.
26:04
But the
26:04
beginning of
26:05
chapter 2
26:06
therefore we
26:07
must pay much
26:08
closer attention
26:09
to what we
26:10
have heard
26:11
lest we
26:12
drift away
26:13
from it.
26:14
For since
26:14
the message
26:15
was declared
26:16
by angels
26:17
proved to be
26:18
reliable and
26:19
every transgression
26:20
and disobedience
26:21
received a
26:22
just retribution
26:23
how shall
26:25
we escape
26:26
if we
26:27
neglect such
26:28
a great
26:29
salvation?
26:31
Isn't that a
26:32
stark warning
26:33
for us?
26:34
Pay closer
26:35
attention to
26:37
what we have
26:37
heard lest we
26:38
drift away
26:39
from it.
26:42
How shall
26:43
we escape
26:44
if we
26:45
neglect such
26:46
a great
26:47
salvation?
26:48
We
26:49
won't.
26:50
We can't.
26:52
But the
26:53
salvation is
26:54
there on
26:54
offer to
26:55
us and
26:55
that's what's
26:56
summed up
26:57
by verse
26:57
10.
26:58
Have you
26:58
not read
26:59
this scripture?
27:00
The stone
27:00
that the
27:01
builders
27:01
rejected
27:02
has become
27:03
the corner
27:04
stone.
27:05
The Lord
27:05
this was the
27:06
Lord's doing
27:07
and it is
27:08
marvelous
27:08
in our
27:09
eyes.
27:10
Quoting
27:10
from Psalm
27:11
118.
27:13
The one
27:13
who was
27:14
rejected
27:14
has become
27:15
the
27:16
corner
27:17
stone.
27:19
Is it
27:19
your
27:19
corner
27:20
stone?
27:22
It was
27:23
the Lord's
27:24
doing.
27:24
Is it
27:25
marvelous
27:25
in your
27:26
eyes?
27:27
Do you
27:27
rejoice
27:27
in that?
27:28
That God
27:29
sent his
27:30
beloved
27:31
son.
27:32
That whoever
27:32
believes in
27:33
him will
27:33
not perish
27:34
but have
27:36
everlasting
27:37
life.
27:39
The word
27:40
of God
27:40
speaks to
27:42
our hearts.
27:43
The response
27:44
of these
27:44
religious leaders
27:45
of the day
27:46
was to have
27:47
him arrested
27:48
to cast
27:48
him away.
27:50
But what
27:50
is yours?
27:52
How do
27:53
you respond
27:54
to the
27:55
word of
27:55
God?
27:55
How will
27:56
you escape
27:57
if you
27:57
reject such
27:58
a great
27:59
salvation?
28:01
It was
28:02
Martin
28:02
Luther who
28:03
once put it
28:03
like this,
28:04
the life
28:04
of
28:04
Christianity
28:05
consists
28:06
of
28:07
possessive
28:07
nouns.
28:09
It is
28:09
one thing
28:10
to say
28:10
Christ
28:11
is our
28:11
Savior.
28:13
It is
28:13
quite another
28:14
thing to
28:14
say he
28:15
is my
28:16
Savior
28:16
and my
28:17
Lord.
28:18
The devil
28:19
can say
28:20
the first
28:20
he said.
28:22
The true
28:22
Christian
28:23
alone
28:23
can say
28:24
the second.
28:26
So who
28:27
is this
28:27
Christ?
28:29
Is he
28:29
just
28:30
our
28:30
Savior?
28:32
Or can
28:33
you say
28:34
he is
28:35
my
28:35
Savior?
28:37
If we
28:37
are able
28:38
to say
28:38
he is
28:38
my
28:39
Savior,
28:40
then we
28:41
can face
28:42
up to
28:42
that
28:42
judgment
28:43
when the
28:44
master,
28:45
the owner
28:46
returns.
28:47
And we
28:48
will not
28:48
be cast
28:49
away.
28:50
Because when
28:51
we come
28:51
to trust
28:52
in the
28:52
Lord Jesus
28:53
Christ,
28:54
to know
28:55
his love
28:56
and his
28:57
grace,
28:58
then we
28:59
are saved
29:00
through
29:00
him.
29:02
And as
29:02
Jesus
29:03
says in
29:04
Matthew's
29:05
gospel,
29:05
on that
29:06
day of
29:06
judgment,
29:07
there will
29:08
be those
29:08
who will
29:08
be cast
29:09
away,
29:10
who he
29:10
says,
29:10
I knew
29:11
you not.
29:13
That is
29:13
the outcome
29:14
for those
29:15
who reject
29:16
his son.
29:18
But for
29:19
those who
29:19
receive,
29:21
for those
29:22
who believe
29:22
in him,
29:23
Jesus says,
29:24
then the
29:24
king will
29:25
say to
29:26
those on
29:26
his right,
29:27
come,
29:28
you who
29:28
are blessed
29:29
by my
29:29
father,
29:30
take your
29:31
inheritance,
29:32
the kingdom
29:32
prepared for
29:33
you since
29:34
the creation
29:35
of the
29:36
world.
29:39
The king
29:40
has won.
29:43
He is on
29:44
his throne
29:45
and he
29:46
will come
29:47
again.
29:50
But what
29:51
we receive
29:51
depends on
29:52
what we do
29:53
with him
29:53
now.
29:55
Do we
29:55
receive him
29:56
with gladness
29:57
or do
29:59
our hearts
29:59
burn in
30:00
anger
30:00
against him?
30:05
He has
30:05
shown us
30:06
love.
30:07
He has
30:08
shown us
30:08
his goodness.
30:09
He has
30:10
shown us
30:10
his grace.
30:12
There is
30:12
nothing more
30:13
that he
30:14
could have
30:15
done for
30:15
his vineyard.
30:17
It's
30:18
what we
30:19
do with
30:20
him.
30:21
Do we
30:22
receive him
30:22
or do we
30:24
reject him?
30:25
May God
30:26
help us
30:27
to find
30:27
a refuge
30:29
in him
30:30
so that
30:30
when he
30:31
returns
30:32
he will
30:33
call us
30:33
by saying
30:34
come
30:34
you who
30:36
are blessed
30:36
by my
30:38
father.
30:39
Let us
30:39
pray.
30:45
Lord our
30:46
gracious God
30:47
we do
30:47
thank you
30:48
that your
30:49
word is
30:50
complete,
30:51
that your
30:52
word stands
30:53
firm and
30:54
sure,
30:55
that it
30:55
has all
30:56
authority
30:56
for us
30:57
and reminds
30:58
us of
30:59
our sin
31:00
and yet
31:00
your grace.
31:02
And we
31:02
thank you
31:03
Lord that
31:03
your word
31:04
speaks into
31:05
our hearts.
31:07
And we
31:07
pray today for
31:08
that word
31:08
to be received
31:10
in our hearts,
31:11
not with a
31:11
burning anger
31:12
that shuns
31:13
you and
31:13
turns away
31:14
from you,
31:15
but recognizing
31:17
our need
31:18
of you.
31:19
And thankful
31:20
for your
31:21
goodness to
31:21
us and
31:22
your grace
31:22
towards us.
31:24
Lord,
31:24
continue to
31:25
speak,
31:26
guiding us
31:26
and helping
31:27
us and
31:28
forgiving our
31:29
sins in
31:29
Jesus' name.
31:31
Amen.
31:36
We're going
31:37
to conclude
31:39
by singing
31:39
to God's
31:40
praise these
31:40
words in
31:41
Psalm 118,
31:43
the Sing
31:44
Psalms version,
31:45
page 156,
31:50
Psalm 118,
31:52
verse 21
31:54
to verse 26.
31:59
You answered
32:00
me, I'll
32:01
give you
32:01
thanks.
32:02
Salvation
32:02
comes from
32:03
you alone.
32:04
The stone
32:05
the builders
32:05
had refused
32:06
has now
32:07
become the
32:08
cornerstone.
32:09
The Lord
32:10
himself has
32:10
done all
32:11
this.
32:11
It is a
32:12
marvel in
32:13
our sight.
32:14
This is
32:14
the day
32:15
the Lord
32:15
has made
32:16
in it.
32:16
Let us
32:17
take great
32:18
delight.
32:19
We'll sing
32:20
from verse
32:20
21 to
32:21
26.
32:22
The tune
32:23
is Old
32:23
100th and
32:24
we stand
32:25
to sing.
32:31
You
32:32
answered
32:34
me,
32:35
I will
32:37
give
32:38
thanks.
32:41
Salvation
32:42
as now
33:04
stone.
33:07
The
33:08
Lord himself
33:10
has done
33:12
all this.
33:16
It is
33:18
a marvel
33:20
in
33:22
our sight.
33:25
This
33:27
is the day
33:29
the Lord
33:30
has made.
33:34
And
33:35
let us
33:38
take great
33:40
delight.
33:44
Save
33:45
us, O Lord,
33:48
we humbly
33:51
pray.
33:53
O
33:54
Lord, we
33:56
pray, grant
33:57
us success.
34:02
His
34:02
blessing
34:04
is blessed
34:04
who comes
34:06
in God's
34:08
great name.
34:11
You
34:12
from the
34:14
Lord's
34:15
house
34:16
we
34:17
will
34:18
bless.
34:19
Amen.
34:22
After the
34:22
benediction,
34:23
I'll go to the
34:24
door to my
34:24
right.
34:25
We'll close
34:25
with a
34:25
benediction.
34:27
May grace,
34:28
mercy, and
34:29
peace from
34:30
God,
34:30
Father,
34:31
Son, and
34:31
Holy Spirit
34:32
rest upon
34:33
and abide
34:34
with you
34:34
all now
34:35
and forever
34:36
more.
34:37
Amen.
34:37
God
35:07
Thank you.