What is He doing? SMBC Student Derek Yu
Series: Mark
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 5th April 2014
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 What comes to your mind when you think of the word authority?
00:00:06 --> 00:00:13 Do you think of authoritarian regimes, democracy, teachers, parents?
00:00:16 --> 00:00:23 See, the reality is that we believe that authority should be submitted to
00:00:23 --> 00:00:27 if it is the right kind of authority.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 We submit to the police.
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 If someone breaks into our house, we call the cops,
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 because they have the authority.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:40 We don't simply just take law into our own hands.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:54 What if I told you that you need to submit yourself to Jesus' authority?
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 You probably ask me why.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 And the passage that we're going to be looking at today,
00:01:02 --> 00:01:08 Mark 11, verse 27 to 12, verse 12, answers that very question.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 Where does Jesus get his authority from?
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 And why should we submit to that authority?
00:01:16 --> 00:01:22 The talk today will be broken up under three headings.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 First heading, Jesus' authority challenged.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 Heading number two, Jesus' authority rejected.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:34 And heading number three, Jesus' authority ultimately reigns.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:36 So let's start.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:37 Heading number one, Jesus' authority challenged.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:44 I used to, probably like some people or many people,
00:01:44 --> 00:01:48 I used, maybe not many, but I used to hate going to school.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 It was just a miserable experience.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 And back when I was young, going through that teenage angst,
00:01:56 --> 00:02:01 I used to be quite rebellious against my parents and teachers.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:07 And I was just constantly challenging authority after authority after authority.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:15 And in Mark 11, verse 27 to 33, we see the religious leaders,
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 they're challenging authority too.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 But they're not just challenging anybody's authority.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 They're challenging Jesus' authority.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:32 In the beginning of chapter 11, Jesus has just come into Jerusalem,
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 the city of kings, the city of God's anointed.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 And the people, what they do is they line the streets,
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 they cheer, they lay down their cloaks and their branches.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:43 Authority.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:50 And then he goes into the temple in chapter 11, verse 15 to 19.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 The temple symbolized God's presence,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 God's dwelling place.
00:02:56 --> 00:03:00 Jesus walks into the temple and he starts flipping tables.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:06 Just imagine I walked into church today and I saw your communion table
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 and I started flipping it.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Not that I probably could, but just imagine I did.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:15 You'd probably be thinking, what is going on?
00:03:15 --> 00:03:16 Who is this guy?
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 Authority.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:25 And the religious leaders, they're jealous.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 Because Jesus is taking away their authority.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 Jesus is gaining a bigger following than them.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:38 So what they decide to do is they decide to trap Jesus
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 by posing to him a question.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 Verse 28.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:50 By what authority are you doing these things?
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 And who gave you this authority to do them?
00:03:54 --> 00:03:54 It's a trap.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 Because if Jesus says his authority is from God,
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 he's going to be accused of blasphemy
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 and that can get him killed.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:07 If Jesus says his authority is from man,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 then he's going against the Roman Empire
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 and that can get him killed.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 It's a trap.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:21 But Jesus responds by asking them a question.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 Verse 30.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 Tell me about John the Baptist.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 Was he from heaven or man?
00:04:30 --> 00:04:36 Why does Jesus ask this question?
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 It's because this question actually provides the answer
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 to their question.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 Because if the religious leaders believed in John's authority,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:50 then they would have known that Jesus gets his authority from God
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 because John the Baptist pointed to Jesus
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 and told people Jesus is the Son of God.
00:04:55 --> 00:05:00 But if they say that Jesus,
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 now if they say, sorry, that John's from heaven,
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 then verse 31, Jesus would reply,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 then why didn't you believe him?
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 Because they obviously didn't believe that John was from heaven.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 But verse 32, can they say from man?
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 They fear the people
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 because everyone believed John to be a prophet.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:30 And even though they don't believe that John's from God,
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 they're not willing to admit it
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 because they fear the people.
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 So verse 31, what they decide to do
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 is they decide just not to answer Jesus.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 Jesus' authority challenged.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 And friends, some of you in this room
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 might be having questions about Christianity.
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 How do you know that God is real?
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 How do you know the Bible is reliable?
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 How can you believe in miracles?
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 And friends, if that's you,
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 then I encourage you to keep asking questions
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 and keep seeking.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 But friends, don't be like the religious leaders
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 who pose questions,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 but they're not really concerned about answers.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 All they're trying to do
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 is stir up trouble,
00:06:20 --> 00:06:21 trap,
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 mock,
00:06:23 --> 00:06:23 ridicule.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 Friends, I encourage you
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 that if you're not a follower of Jesus today,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 to ask questions
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 and earnestly seek the truth.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Because just maybe God will reveal it to you.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 Jesus' authority challenged.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 Point number two,
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 Jesus' authority rejected.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 Mark 12, verse 1 to 8.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 Last year in December,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 my wife and I,
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 we went to Greece
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 for a short holiday.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 And we arrived at this place
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 called Monastriki Square.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 And we saw this little group of protesters,
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 these anarchists.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 For those of you who don't know,
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 an anarchist is basically someone
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 that doesn't believe in the government,
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 they don't believe in a higher authority.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 And it just totally confused me.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 Because I had no idea.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 It just didn't make sense.
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 How can you run a country without a government?
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 It just didn't make sense.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 But what was clear, though,
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 was that they were rejecting authorities.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 And Jesus now,
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 he goes on to use this parable,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:34 this story,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 to show the religious leaders
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 that they too
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 are rejecting his authority.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 And through this parable
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 in Mark 12, verse 1 to 8,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 Jesus also will answer
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 their question about where it is
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 that he gets his authority from.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 To summarize the parable briefly,
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 there's a man
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 who owns a vineyard.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 He decides to go away.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:03 He leases the land to some tenants.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 The time comes for harvesting.
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 He sends his servants.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 And the tenants,
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 for some crazy reason,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 decide to start beating on the servants.
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 And notice the patience in the master,
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 sending servant after servant after servant.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:27 And also notice the escalation of violence.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 Verse 2,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 they beat the servant and sent him away.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 Verse 4,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 they struck him on the head
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 and treated him shamefully.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:35 Verse 5,
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 then they killed another.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:37 Verse 6,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 keep beating and killing.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 All of these servants
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 coming with the master's authority
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 until eventually.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:47 verse 6,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 he still had one other,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 our beloved son.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 Finally,
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 he sent him to them,
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 saying,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 they will respect my son.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 After all that's happened,
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 who in their right mind
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 would send their son?
00:09:08 --> 00:09:16 Australia's current foreign minister
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 is Julie Bishop.
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 And America's current secretary of state,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:22 US, sorry,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 United States of America,
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 is John Kerry.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 And when they're sent overseas,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 they're not just representing themselves.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 They're representing the prime minister
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 or the president.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 And when they go,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 they go with the prime minister
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 or the president's authority.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 And that's how it is
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 when the father sends his son.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 The son represents
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 the father's authority.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 The son is like the father going.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 So verse 6,
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 when the father says,
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 they will respect my son,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 it's because it's like
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 the father going himself.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 The son is the heir.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 But what the tenants decide to do
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 is they decide
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 to end up
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 killing him.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 They want to take the inheritance
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 for themselves.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 And friends,
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 here is the answer
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 to the religious leader's question.
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 In Isaiah chapter 5
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 in the Old Testament,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:23 the vineyard
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 is a way of God
00:10:25 --> 00:10:25 speaking about
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 his chosen people.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 The master in the story
00:10:29 --> 00:10:29 is God.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 The servants in the story
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 are the prophets
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 that God sends
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 to his people,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 calling them to repent
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 and turn to him.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 The tenants in the story
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 are the religious leaders
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 who constantly,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 one after another,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 reject the vineyard.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:47 No, sorry,
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 reject the master.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 All they end up doing
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 is killing God's prophets.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 And the son,
00:10:56 --> 00:10:56 here is the answer,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:57 the son
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 is Jesus
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 and he comes
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 with the father's authority,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 with God's authority.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 Where does Jesus
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 get his authority from?
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 He gets it
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 from God.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 But the religious leaders,
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 not only did I reject
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 the son,
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 not only did I reject
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 Jesus' authority,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 but they eventually
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 killed Jesus too.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 You see,
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 Jesus knows
00:11:30 --> 00:11:30 that he's going to die.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 He's already prophesied it
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 in Mark
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 a couple of times.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 Jesus knows
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 that he's heading
00:11:39 --> 00:11:39 to the cross.
00:11:41 --> 00:11:41 Point number two,
00:11:42 --> 00:11:42 Jesus' authority
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 rejected.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:45 And friends,
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 in what ways
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 can you and I
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 reject Jesus' authority?
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 I think that there
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 are primarily two ways.
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 The first way
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 is to actively
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 reject Jesus,
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 make a stand
00:11:59 --> 00:11:59 against Jesus,
00:12:00 --> 00:12:00 make yourself known
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 as a prominent atheist,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 hating on those
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 who love Jesus.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 But I suspect
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 that for most of us
00:12:08 --> 00:12:08 in this room,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 the temptation
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 is not to actively
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 make a stand
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 against Jesus,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 to actively
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 reject his authority,
00:12:16 --> 00:12:16 but rather
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 passively
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 reject Jesus' authority.
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 And with passive
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 rejection,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 you don't reject
00:12:26 --> 00:12:26 Jesus
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 with your words,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 but with your life.
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 For you,
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 outwardly,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 you might
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 profess
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 Christ,
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 but inwardly,
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 Christianity
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 is a social club.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 It's a gathering.
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 It's all about
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 being a good,
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 moral person.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 Jesus,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 yeah,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 he's a nice guy,
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 but to change
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 your whole life,
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 your whole worldview
00:13:00 --> 00:13:00 for him,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 that's another matter.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 And friends,
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 both of these methods
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 of rejection
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 is what the Bible
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 calls sin,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 rebellion
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 against God.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 Jesus' authority
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 rejected.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 point number three,
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 Jesus' authority
00:13:20 --> 00:13:20 reigns.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 Mark chapter 12,
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 verse 9 to 12.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 Anna and I,
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 we got married
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 roughly
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 one and a half
00:13:30 --> 00:13:30 years ago.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 And for Anna's
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 wedding present,
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 I decided to buy her,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 it was a new friend
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 back then,
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 but I decided to buy her
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 a Samsung Galaxy S3.
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 I know it's old,
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 I know the S5's coming out,
00:13:41 --> 00:13:41 but back then,
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 it was the best thing ever.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 And one day,
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 we were at this restaurant
00:13:46 --> 00:13:46 eating,
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 and Anna decides
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 to put her phone
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 on the table.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:52 And by the end
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 of the night,
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 we had no idea
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 where it was going.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 And I was just so sad,
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 not because she lost it,
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 but because we didn't know
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00 what happened to it.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 We suspect strongly
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 that it was stolen,
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04 that she might have
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 just dropped it.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 But if someone
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 did steal it,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 let's just assume
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 someone did steal it,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 it's right to expect
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 justice, right?
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 It's right to expect
00:14:15 --> 00:14:15 that the phone
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 will be returned
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 and that justice
00:14:17 --> 00:14:17 will be met,
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 if it was stolen.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:21 And you see,
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 if justice is deserved
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 for something as small
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 as losing a phone,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 or someone stealing
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 a phone, sorry,
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 then how much more
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 is justice demanded
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 for the crime
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 against the father
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 in the story,
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 where people killed
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 his son?
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 So friends,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 how will the master respond?
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 How will God respond?
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 Verse 9,
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 He will come
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 and destroy the tenants
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 and give the vineyard
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 to others.
00:14:51 --> 00:14:51 Friends,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 God's judgment
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 is just.
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 God's judgment
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 is final.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 For those who reject
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 Jesus' authority,
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 God will bring about
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 judgment on them.
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 Jesus goes on.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 Verse 10,
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 Have you not read
00:15:09 --> 00:15:09 this scripture?
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 Of course they have,
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 but they don't get it.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 So Jesus goes on.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14 He quotes from
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 Psalm 118,
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 verse 22 to 23.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 The stone that the builders
00:15:20 --> 00:15:20 rejected
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 has become the cornerstone.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 This was the Lord's doing,
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 and it is marvelous
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 in our eyes.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 Psalm 118
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 is a psalm
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 about God's deliverance.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 In Psalm 118,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 God's chosen king
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 is surrounded
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 on all sides
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 by his enemies,
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 but God
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 in his power
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 delivers
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 his king.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 And back in ancient times,
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 the cornerstone
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 was the foundation stone.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 It was the stone
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 you laid first,
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 and every single
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 other stone
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 was built
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 on top
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 and around it.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 And you see,
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 even though
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 God's chosen king
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 is rejected,
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 the ruler
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 ends up
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 becoming
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 the cornerstone,
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 the most central
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 stone
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 in God's kingdom.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 And Jesus,
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 he quotes
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 Psalm 118
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 and uses it
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 in Mark
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 chapter 12,
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 verse 10
00:16:24 --> 00:16:24 to 11
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 to refer
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 to himself.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 Jesus knows
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 that his authority
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 is being challenged.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 Jesus knows
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 that his authority
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 is being rejected.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 But Jesus
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 also knows
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 that his authority
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44 will ultimately
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 reign.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 Jesus has already
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 foretold
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 his resurrection.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 After he is
00:16:52 --> 00:16:52 murdered,
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 he will be
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 raised to life
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 again
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 after three days.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 And this stone
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 that the builders
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 have rejected
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 will be
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 the cornerstone
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 on which
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 people like
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 you and I,
00:17:04 --> 00:17:04 people find
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 salvation
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 and forgiveness.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 There's a saying
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 that goes
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 that power
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 tends to corrupt
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 and absolute
00:17:16 --> 00:17:18 power corrupts
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 absolutely.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 Give someone
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 complete power
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 and eventually
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 they'll abuse it.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 And I guess
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 you see it
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 in history,
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 don't you?
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 You see it
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 in Hitler,
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 Stalin,
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 Pol Pot.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 But it's
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 not always
00:17:35 --> 00:17:35 true.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 At least
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 for one,
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 it is not
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 true.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 Because it's
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 not true
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 in Jesus.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 Jesus
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 has
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 absolute
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 authority.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 But Jesus
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 uses his
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 authority
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 for good.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 God,
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 he lets
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 his authority
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 be rejected
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 by humanity
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 to the point
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 of death
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 on a cross,
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 taking on
00:18:00 --> 00:18:00 the punishment
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 of sin
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 on himself,
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 the wrath
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 of God,
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 so that our
00:18:06 --> 00:18:06 sins would be
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 forgiven,
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 so that we
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 wouldn't be
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 rejected
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 by God,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 the one
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 who has
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 true authority.
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 Jesus uses
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 his absolute
00:18:19 --> 00:18:19 authority
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 to love
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 and save
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 the lost.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 Wouldn't
00:18:25 --> 00:18:25 you want
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 to submit
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 to that
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 kind of
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 authority?
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 Friends,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 I just
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 want you
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 to ask
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 yourself,
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 whose
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 authority
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 in life
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 are you
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 submitting
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 to?
00:18:40 --> 00:18:40 Who is
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 it that
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 defines
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 and dictates
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 how you
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 live?
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 Is it
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 your
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 friends,
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 parents,
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 peers?
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 Are you
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 constantly
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 changing
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 who you
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 are in
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 order to
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 please
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 others?
00:18:56 --> 00:18:56 And I'm
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 sure that
00:18:57 --> 00:18:57 in a room
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 this big
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 there are
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 people
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 that are
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 constantly
00:19:00 --> 00:19:00 submitting
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 to others
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 and letting
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 them be
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 defined
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 because that
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 was me.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:06 Throughout
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 high school
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 constantly
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 fearing
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 living for
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 the opinions
00:19:11 --> 00:19:11 of others,
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 constantly
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 letting
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 my life
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 be defined
00:19:15 --> 00:19:15 by what
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 other people
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 thought of
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 me,
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 constantly
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 submitting
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 to these
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 people's
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 authority.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 Friends,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 whose authority
00:19:23 --> 00:19:23 in life
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 are you
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 submitting
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 to?
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 A couple
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 of months
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 ago,
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 I'll confess
00:19:31 --> 00:19:31 now,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 oh yeah,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 this is being
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 recorded,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 no,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 it's okay,
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 I'll confess
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 that a couple
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 of months
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 ago I got
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 a parking
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 ticket.
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 Yes,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 I'm so bad,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 I got a parking
00:19:41 --> 00:19:41 ticket.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 And back
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 then I was
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 thinking,
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 how could
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 they book
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 me?
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 I was only
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 parked there
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 for three
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 minutes and
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 it was for
00:19:50 --> 00:19:50 a good cause
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 as well.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 Anna needed
00:19:52 --> 00:19:52 to buy
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 some medication
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 so I parked
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 in the no
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 parking spot
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 for three
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 minutes,
00:19:56 --> 00:19:56 she went
00:19:56 --> 00:19:56 out,
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 she came
00:19:57 --> 00:19:57 back,
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 I got
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 home,
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 I didn't
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 even know
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 that I
00:19:59 --> 00:19:59 got booked
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 until a
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 letter got
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 sent to
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 me and
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 it told
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 me that
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 I was
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 fined.
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 And at
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 that point
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 I had
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 to decide
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 whether I
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 would pay
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 this fine
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 or not,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 whether I
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 would challenge
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 it or not,
00:20:11 --> 00:20:11 whether I
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 would submit
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 to this
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 authority or
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 not.
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 And friends,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 there are many
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 times in
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 life when
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 you have to
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 come to a
00:20:20 --> 00:20:22 decision regarding
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 whether you
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 submit to
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 authority or
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 not.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:29 will have,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 can have,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 sorry,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 serious
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 repercussions.
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 And tonight
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 you have to
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 ask yourself,
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 will you
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 submit to
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 Jesus'
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 authority?
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 Why don't
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 you submit to
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 Jesus'
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 authority?
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 Submit
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 yourself to
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 Jesus,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 the one who
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 uses his
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 authority to
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 demonstrate his
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 limitless love
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 for you on
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 the cross.
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 Why reject
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 that authority?
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 Why live with
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 the consequences
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 of eternal
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 judgment and
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 condemnation?
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 Friends,
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 although all
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 of us have
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 rejected Jesus'
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 authority,
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 Jesus gives
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 us the chance
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 to repent.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 Through Jesus'
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 resurrection,
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 he demonstrates
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 his power over
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 death and his
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 ability to
00:21:17 --> 00:21:17 forgive sins.
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 Through trusting
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 in Jesus,
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 submitting to
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 his authority,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 true forgiveness
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 can be found,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 a right
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 relationship with
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 God.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 Jesus'
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 authority was
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 challenged,
00:21:33 --> 00:21:33 rejected,
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 but ultimately
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 it rains.
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 Will you
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 submit yourself
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 to Jesus'
00:21:41 --> 00:21:41 authority?
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 Let me
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 pray.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 Father,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:48 we thank you
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 that you
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 are not
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 like rulers
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 of men
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 who use
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 their authority
00:21:54 --> 00:21:54 for personal
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 gain.
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 Instead,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 Jesus is the
00:21:59 --> 00:21:59 one with true
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 authority and
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 you use your
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 authority for
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 our good.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 We thank you
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 that Jesus'
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 authority is
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 used for our
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 love and for
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 our good,
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 and we pray
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 that we will
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 submit to
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 Jesus'
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 authority.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 And in
00:22:13 --> 00:22:13 Jesus'
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 name we pray.
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 Amen.