Luke 20:17-19 | Under a Stone

The Gospel of Luke  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

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17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

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The title for this mornings message is “Under a Stone”
The title for this mornings message is “Stones”
Pray

Shoes of a Visitor

Engage
Shoes of a Visitor
Have you ever put yourself into the shoes of a visitor to our church? When they walk out the doors on a Sunday what would be their take away?
I can put this to you in another way: We have had the opportunity to visit some churches recently. So we go in and present our work. I preach a message and most of the time have lunch or dinner with the pastor and his family. When we are driving home Kate and I are usually having a conversation about those churches. If those conversations were being had about Southland at the end of the day, what would you want them to be about.
I can put this to you in another way: We have had the opportunity to visit some churches recently. So we go in and present our work. I preach a message and most of the time have lunch or dinner with the pastor and his family. When we are driving home Kate and I are usually having a conversation about those churches. If those conversations were being had about Southland at the end of the day, what would you want them to be about.
A lot of the things we discuss are mostly superficial. I am incredibly amazed about how well Chappelow ridge has remodeled their building. On the contrast we have been in some churches where the lighting was kinda sickly or the decor was so dated that it immediately would signal to anyone walking in that the church was struggling.
Some observations are sad. We go to a lot of churches that are entirely senior citizens, if they can survive the next 10 years it would be a miracle.
And often we have conversations about how kind the people were and how inviting. That has been the case everywhere we have gone. But even that is something that could potentially be faked, and I am sure we are getting that outsider looking version of a church that is a wholly different experience than the perception of that member who has been attending there each week.
We have criteria about what we would prefer to see in a church. A nice facility, programs for the family, a friendly environment, good music and so on.
Wouldn’t it make your day to find out that someday a visitor came and on their way home they looked to their spouse and their take-away was: “Wow, those people really love God” ? How much better would that be than any of the things I listed before?

The Path Towards Hate

Truth
Truth

History

It has been several weeks since we were in the book of Luke. But if you can remember the previous passage we discussed it was the parable concerning the Lord of the Vineyard. The parable where those who were tasked to take care of the vineyard kept rejecting the messengers of the vineyard owner, finally killing the son of the Lord of the Vineyard rather than respecting his authority and position. This was a shocking illustration for the listeners, so much so that the responded with the extreme negative response of Μὴ γένοιτο, May it never come to be! Such and emphatic no that the translators of the King James translate it as “God Forbid” in v16.
All of this stemmed out of a challenge the Pharisee’s brought to Jesus concerning whose authority Jesus acted under. Jesus flipped the question around on them asking about the authority of John for which the chose not answer.
So we arrive in verse 17 with all of this having just taken place and the response if we jump to the end of what we read in v19 is
And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
This statement from Jesus so stirred them up, the parable became so clear to the Pharisee’s that they were ready and willing to do violence over it.
reads:

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

and this is exactly where the Pharisee’s were with Jesus. Such hate in the heart they were ready to do murder of it.

The Builders

Jesus starts to talk about the stone which the builders reject. The Jewish leaders new that they were the builders in Jesus’ point, that is what they were so angry. And Jesus is quoting something that would have been very understood by those who were listening. He quoted from the Hallel. The Hallel is a Jewish prayer recited from .
reads:

22 The stone which the builders refused

Is become the head stone of the corner.

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It was recited on holy days and joyous occasions: During the three pilgrim festivals of Shavuot, Sukkot and on six days of Passover. So like I said, everyone was familiar with this passage and they were familiar with it in the context of Passover. Their Old Testament understanding of this passage, and no doubt the first understanding God had meant it to have was that of Egypt rejecting and persecuting Israel only for Israel to become the great Kingdom of David.
But here Jesus points this passage right at the heads of the religious leaders! They are the Egyptians, they are the builders.
This stone could refer to a number of things so we really need to be careful about how dogmatic we get with it. What is most likely the case is that this refers to a foundation stone that would be placed as the first stone and in the corner of the building. Everything would build from that point on and it was was an important anchor piece for the entire structure.
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Whether this is the case or not, the passage makes something very clear. There is a stone that the Architect had the most important purpose for and those that were tasked with the construction of the building were blind to the importance. They rejected the stone and therefore were not building according to the designers plans.

Priorities

Application
I get marketed to a lot from people who want to make money off of church planters and pastors looking to grow their churches. Facebook and Google have figured out what I am trying to do and the ads are definitely targeted.
They promise all sorts of results using all sorts of different methods, of course though they want you to pay handsomely for their expertise. They want to build on programs and worship teams and strategies and tests and all sorts of things. Any of them might be OK but they aren’t the chief stone.
I am always interested in what bumper stickers people put on their cars. What message is so important to you that you want everyone who pulls up behind you to read it? Some people want bands or politicians they support displayed to the world. Some people have representatives of their family, either honor students or stick figures. Some brag about their dogs or cats.
But sometimes churches do the same thing with their church signs and their invitation tracts. Very seldom do I read ‘'God Loving, God Fearing” as taglines but I do read things like: Independent, Fundamentalist, KJV Only, Pre-Millennial and Old Fashioned.
All of those are good things but they can end up being the foundation of what our church is built upon, it can be the message we want to give the world and if that is the case we are not building to the Architects plans.
We aren’t instructed to tell the world about the superiority of a bible version we are here to the world about Jesus. And we can’t allow an idea of being old fashioned or fundamentalist to be badges of honor and superiority to the point that they isolate us from being able to reach people outside of the camp.
It is clear that some people are far more concerned with churches doing church the way that they think that churches should be done than they are concerned about the souls of the lost and that is not different than what the Jewish leaders were doing.
Jesus says in Matthew 23:23

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

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Its not that those things should be left undone. But their are weightier matters for us to spend our time on. Judgment (Meaning Justice), Mercy and Faith.
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How much better would it be if a visitor came to a church and walked away saying: These people care about people being treated fairly…these people are kind to those in need…these people have confidence in Christ. That is what those words mean.
That certainly wasn’t the message of the Jewish leadership.

Inspiration

Speaking of that rejected cornerstone Jesus says two things:

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Jesus speaks to two violent result in dealing wrongly with this stone. These aren’t accidental interaction either. These are deliberate acts

Falling on The Stone

The first is falling upon the stone.
says

For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand,

And instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 Say ye not, A confederacy,

To all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy;

Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself;

And let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary;

But for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel,

For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken,

And be snared, and be taken.

There is instruction being given here to Isaiah. Telling Isaiah not to do things the way of the people and not to fear them saying what in v12 “A Confederacy” or we could translate this “A Conspiracy” if we want to get this away from civil war language.
God says not to be afraid of those who would plot against you, don’t be concerned about their conspiracies because God will be a rock for them to stumble over in v14 and in v15 will cause them to fall and be broken.
Jesus was perfectly aware of the plans that the Jewish leaders had for him, and his instruction is to be more afraid of God than of people because God will cause them their downfall in the end and it is best for us not to be numbered with them.

The Stone Falling

The stone falling however paints a picture that looks a lot like what we read in where Daniel is interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzer.

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; 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.

36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

We see the interpretation of this dream a little further down

44 And 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 for ever.

45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake 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, and the interpretation thereof sure.

What we have is a picture of God casting judgment upon a people and utterly destroying it to pieces. Something we will see happen to Israel by the year 70 when the city of Jerusalem is destroyed and no stone is left standing upon another.

Action

There was a fire in my neighborhood several weeks ago on a house that was being constructed. It was a massive fire and it consumed the entire structure, even melting the siding on the nearby houses. What was amazing to me after is that when they went to re-build the house they didn’t just re-build what was burned but they tore out the entire foundation of the house and poured a new one.
After the fire the original foundation was compromised. If the builder had built upon that foundation, later when the building was inspected it would have likely failed. After being compromised that concrete would have not been able to endure the load that was placed upon it and the only way that it could have been fixed would be to tear down the entire structure and begin again by placing a foundation that was free from defect.
The structure of the Judaism had been compromised. What they were building upon was the law and their traditions and what God had intended was so big that their human laid foundation couldn’t bear it. And so the whole thing had to be torn to the ground.
We need to be cautious that our churches are resting on an uncompromised foundation. Loving Christ and Loving our Brothers and sisters in Christ might not be as exciting as the pet issues we could choose to take up. It unquestionably harder than leaning on our heritage and our traditions.
talks about about building upon a foundation but what it says of that foundation to be built upon is essential:

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Not only do we need to be be careful about what we build with. It is important that we build with Gold silver and precious stones rather than wood hay and stubble. But we need to be careful what we build upon as well. If we build upon anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ it will not be able to support the greatness of the structure God has designed to sit upon it.
We need to be careful not just of what we build withNo other foundation is capable of holding up the great building in God’s design.
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