 We're going to look at Mark chapter 12 today, verses 1 through 12, and I'll read to you the passage and get into our study, which will include some background and some information that I think we need in order to understand why Jesus is giving this particular parable. So I'll give you information concerning that in a few minutes. But here we are in chapter 12. Let's look at verses 1 through 12 together. Mark chapter 12, beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 12. Mark writes, then he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat, and built a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage time, he sent a servant to the vine dressers that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vine dressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty handed. Then he sent them another servant. And at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another. And him they killed. And many others beating some and killing some, therefore still having one son is beloved. He also sent him to them last, saying, they will respect my son. But those vine dressers said among themselves, this is the heir. Come let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine dressers and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this scripture? The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. And they sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude. For they knew he had spoken the parable against them, so they left him and went away. And so Jesus is continuing his response to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders. As I mentioned to you, this is what made up what is called the Jewish Supreme Court or the Sanhedrin. They wanted to know who gave him his authority and they wanted to know who gave him this authority so he could do the things that he was doing. Now that week he had written into Jerusalem to the thunderous ovation of the people. He also had cleansed the temple, driving out the merchants as well as the money changers. After cleansing the temple, he began ministering to the people. And there were many in need and he began to care for them. Matthew 21 14 says that the blind and lame came to him in the temple and he healed them. So as he did so, the religious authorities became indignant towards him. They were terribly upset at what he was doing and what he was saying, but they were hamstrung. You see in Luke 19 47 and 48, Luke writes that he was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people sought to destroy him and were unable to do anything for all the people were very attentive to hear him. So the angry religious leaders were so upset that they had confronted Christ. They demanded to know where he got his authority to do the things that he had been doing. While Jesus responded to the question with a question of his own, he said, was John the Baptist ministry from heaven or was it from men? So the leaders were caught in a dilemma. They knew it. So they refused to answer him. At that point, Jesus refused to answer their question. You see, they had willingly refused to receive the truth. So he left them in their rejection. So at this point, Jesus continues responding to those who are questioning him and he's doing this by giving them a parable. The parable illustrates their rebellion against God as well as the rejection of him. Now he's aware that they're intending to put him to death. They had desired to do so ever since he had performed a healing on the Sabbath. This recorded in John chapter 5 that he had healed a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. The man was in Jerusalem in an area called the pool of Bethesda. And there was a superstitious belief that an angel would stir the water and the first person entering the water would be healed of whatever disease they had. So as a man had been waiting for the stirring of the water, Jesus approached him. John tells us in chapter 5 verses 6 through 10 when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been in that condition a long time. He said to him, Do you want to be made well? The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water has stirred up. But while I'm coming and other steps down before me, Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. Immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, it's the Sabbath. It's not lawful for you to carry your bed. So in question about the healing, the man who had been healed said it was Jesus who did it. In John 5.15 the man departed and told the Jews it was Jesus who had made him well. Well that incited the religious leaders to interrogate Christ and to accuse him. In John 5.16 through 18 it says, For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath. Jesus said to them, My Father is always at his work to this very day and I too am working. For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So in their mind, Jesus Christ is what is called a Sabbath breaker as well as a blasphemer and both of those charges are capital offenses under Jewish law. Well from that point on it was common knowledge that the authorities wanted to kill him. In John 7.1 it says, After these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews sought to kill him. With this in mind, this parable exposes their hatred as well as their rejection of him. Notice in verse 1 how it begins. It begins in this way. He began to speak to them in parables. Now throughout the New Testament Jesus often gave instructions to his disciples and he used a method called the parable. Scholars differ in the number of parables that he gave but they're between 37 and 39. When you see the word parable, especially in the biblical sense, a parable has been called an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It's through parables that God uses what is familiar to communicate to people what is unfamiliar. And Jesus used parables in his teaching to share insights into the kingdom. Approximately one-third of his recorded teachings come through parables. Parables have been called mirrors and windows. That's because we see ourselves in them and they help us see life through them. And it's through the use of parables that the same message will actually awaken one person but it will harden somebody else. Well, he's giving this parable here and he says in verse 1 that a man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. He leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. And so he's illustrating the kingdom of God by using the image of a vineyard. A rich landowner, he says, planted a vineyard, which is very common in agricultural Israel and he put a hedge around it either by piling up rocks or cultivating a hedge of thorns to keep animals out or to hinder thieves from entering in to steal his crop. Notice in verse 1 it says he dug a wine vat. A wine vat was sometimes dug out of bedrock and then it would be elevated. The grapes would be crushed, the juice would run down a trough and it would be bottled and stored. It says he built a tower in verse 1. The tower he speaks about is what is called a lookout post. It was used to watch for thieves. It was a shelter for workers. It was used for storage. And what this is intended to communicate is that the owner showed a great deal of care for the vineyard. In verse 1 he says he leased it to vine dressers, went into a far country. So when everything's in order he leases out his property to tenants. And after doing so he goes a great distance away and he leaves them on their own. Well, vintage time came it says in verse 2. And he sent a servant to the vine dressers that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vine dressers. And they took him and beat him, sent him away empty handed. Again he sent them another servant and at them, at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another and him they killed many others. Beating some and killing some. You see, when an absentee landlord leased the property, he would be entitled to a portion of the fruit. And this is how they paid their rent to the owner with the fruit. The renters would have none of this. They reacted to it violently. Notice how they took his servants, they beat one, they stoned another. Finally they killed the third. Well, in verse 6 it says therefore still having one son, his beloved. He also sent him to them last saying, pay will respect my son. He says they will respect my son. Besides this son there is no longer any he could send. This, when it says his one son, his beloved, this is the son of his heart. This is his one and all, surely they will respect him. But the vine dressers, verse 7, said among themselves, this is the heir. Come let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Let us kill him. In Psalm 2 verses 2 and 3 it says, the kings of the earth set themselves. The rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Messiah, against his anointed. Saying, let us break their bonds and pieces and cast away their cords from us. So instead of respecting him, they conspired to kill him and steal the property. Now originally they were swatters. And now they're murderers and thieves. The murder of the son is premeditated. They in no way confused him with the servant. It was their intent to kill him. And so as we look at this parable, the story illustrates the extreme grace and patience of the landowner. It also reveals the callous, murderous hearts of those who rejected the son. When you consider all the good that Jesus had done, it's hard to fathom this kind of hatred. As we've gone through Mark from chapter one up to this chapter, he has taught the people, he's preached the gospel, he's loved the outcast, he blessed the babies, healed the sick, he cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, he drove out demons, he forgave sin, even raised the dead to life. When he spoke we've seen how the people listened intently, how they would marvel at his gracious words. He called the religious leaders into account. That pleased the people, like it says in Mark 1237, that the common people heard him gladly. The common people heard him gladly. And that's how it was in Jesus' day and it is still this way in our time. The Christian faith has never been attractive to those who don't recognize their own needs. It is the common person who can identify with the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is very often the average person who's aware of their need of help from God. When Paul was writing to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter one, verse 26, he said this. He said, brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards. Not many were mighty. Not many noble were called. And so Paul says not many wise, not many mighty, and not many who are noble have been called. When he speaks concerning the wise, that speaks of philosophers. Not many philosophers have come to faith in Jesus Christ is what he was saying. When he says not many mighty, the word mighty speaks of those who have influence as well as power. When he speaks of noble, this speaks of those who have high birth, what would be referred to as nobility. Now these things, wisdom, might, and nobility are the three claims to aristocracy. Culture, influential power, and noble birth. Those are the three claims to aristocracy. So it's interesting how even in our day this kind of reaction to Christ continues. Those who consider themselves intellectuals, those who refer to themselves as influencers rarely trust in Jesus Christ. A recent example comes to mind. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, cultural influencers made their voices heard. Some of you perhaps read the comment by the artist Pink. She said in the name of your Lord, never listen to my music again. Okay, I don't think I've heard it. I want to develop this with you for a moment because that kind of stood out to me. She wasn't the only one who was saying things. You had others who were saying things of the same kind of comments and all. And I thought, well, how interesting that you think that your comments are so important that I really care. But they do. And it's really interesting to me in that way. So I wanted to share this with you. In many ways, modern entertainers have assumed the role. And this may seem to be, what's the word? Maybe mean-spirited. And I don't intend it to be those who know me know I don't. Those who don't know me, let me tell you. I don't mean this to sound as mean as some people might consider it. But it's true. And therefore, I'll say it to you. In many ways, modern entertainers have assumed the role of the court jester or the joker. Now, right there, I'm going to point something out to you. The jester was an entertainer during the medieval times. He used music, storytelling, and comedy to amuse. Jesters often wore a hat, and you can see that, with bells. That was supposed to be a crown. They would hold a scepter. That denoted their status. Being under the protection of the king, the jester would talk and mock freely with impunity. They entertained kings but didn't advise, speak for them, or have any real authority. Well, today, many entertainers have taken upon themselves the role of intellectual influencers. They have forgotten that people pay for their musical or acting talent, not their opinions. We don't look to them to give us insight into life. We look to them to amuse us. We recognize that they live in a world that we have no understanding of. Those with this kind of fame often surround themselves with others who are also famous. They create a world populated by people like them, but they don't understand average people. And this makes the message of humility and faith distasteful to them. You see, the church is not and has never been filled with wealthy intellectual nobility. It is filled with those who recognize spiritual poverty, their need for God's help. Like Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, verse 3, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You see, God sought out and graciously called us to salvation through Jesus Christ. And by selecting those the world has no use for, he showed the death of his love and his grace. And so today we have people who think that because they can entertain us that they also should educate us. And that's not true. You pay for their lifestyle when you buy their record, when you go to their show, when you watch their movie. That doesn't give them the right to tell you how to think. The Bible, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God teaches us how to think. The Word of God teaches us how. And that's why I don't have, see, it could sat, we're living in a time where people say, oh, you shouldn't say that. I don't know why you say that, but some do. No, you should speak the truth. In love, you should speak the truth. Entertain me, but don't advise me. Gestures were not intended to be advisors. They were intended to mock society as it is. That's why you see comedians today who are afraid of being canceled. Well, comedians were supposed to call into question what was going on. That's what made humor humor. They're afraid to do that now because if you do that and go to a college campus, they won't allow you to come on. Why? Because a college campus used to be a place where ideas were to be wrestled over and then thoughts were supposed to be proven. And that's what education is supposed to do. And now what it is, is if you go and you disagree with them, they'll cancel you. You can't come in. That's nonsense. Education intends to look at both sides and come to a conclusion. And I don't want a gesture to tell me how to think. And if you don't, and if, you know, this sounds mean, I know. That's what I'm saying. The society that we live in is odd. All I'm saying is something that would have been normally said a few years ago and now, oh boy, that's mean. No, it's true. It's true. Think about it. I don't want a joker to tell me how to live. I just don't. They're supposed to entertain. And see, the intellectual elites during the time of Christ rejected him, even as during the time of Paul, he would say that there aren't many who are wise and noble and all of that. They're not influencers. Why? Because God has chosen the poor. God has chosen those who have no status because he showed his grace in doing so. And that's how it worked then, and it works that way now. I don't need them to give me insight. If they're going to do anything, you can amuse me. They live in a world that they're not aware of. They don't understand what my world is all about. See, that brings us to the religious leaders, the nobility that didn't receive Christ. Except for a few, the majority rejected him completely. John in chapter one, verse 11, said it like this in his gospel. John the Apostle said that Jesus, he came to his own and his own did not receive him. In spite of all the wonderful things he did, the majority rejected and even despised him. Isaiah 53 says he is despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised. We did not esteem him. In John 15, 25, Jesus said, this happened that the word might be fulfilled, which is written in their law. They hated me without a cause. And so Jesus is giving a parable, and he comes to the point in verse nine, he asks the question, therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? And once again, as a rabbi, he asks the question to expose their hearts to themselves. You see, according to Matthew, Jesus' opponents are the first to supply the answer. In Matthew 21, 41, it says that they said to him, he will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease his vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons. So when spontaneously giving this answer, they condemned themselves. They were trying to trap him, but they ended up falling into a trap themselves. Like it says in Proverbs 26, 27, whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And he who rolls a stone will have it rolled back on him. And so Jesus is giving a parable. Let me reconstruct that parable and look at it a little deeper. The owner and the vineyard represent God and the people of Israel. How do we know that? Well, Psalm 80 verses eight and nine says this. You have brought a vine out of Egypt. You have cast out the nations and planted it. You prepared room for it and caused it to take deep root and it filled the land. You have brought a vine out of Egypt is in reference to Israel. The tenants represent those who reject God and Jesus. Isaiah five verse seven, the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold oppression for righteousness, but behold a cry for help. Verses two through five speaks of the servants. The servants are the prophets. The prophets who called the nation of Israel to repentance throughout its history. In spite of God calling the nation to repent, the response was violent rejection. In Jeremiah chapter seven, 25 and 26, it reads, Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all my servants, the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. Yet they did not obey me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. In Matthew 23, 29 through 31, Jesus said, What do you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites? Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous. And say, if we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Therefore, you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. In verses seven and eight, it says those vine dressers said among themselves, This is the heir, come let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. The arrival of the son resulted in the tenants assuming that the father is dead. And land that was unclaimed for three years, became the property of those who were working it. They would have thought that the land would automatically become their property. They would think that the sole heir has come to claim his inheritance, and since the owner didn't come, but the son did, they thought they could take the land. So they plotted, if we kill the son, the land becomes ownerless property and will become ours. And so verse eight, the son was killed. That is obviously Jesus. Therefore, verse nine, what will the owner of the vineyard do? Well, as you've already seen, they spontaneously supplied the answer and Jesus agreed, realizing that they had condemned themselves, they immediately responded. In Luke chapter 20 verse 16, it says that he will come and destroy those vine dressers and give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, certainly not. One of my commentators that I use when I prepare Bible studies pointed out that the term certainly not, the word certainly not was a very strong, the strongest word in the Greek to say God forbid, this should not happen, is very strong. You see, Israel was about to reject Messiah, but in turn would be rejected by God. God is about to create something entirely new called the church. In Romans nine, 25 and 26, Paul said, as he says also in Hosea, I will call them my people who were not my people, and her beloved who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they shall be called sons of the living God. For centuries Israel had been the chief stone in God's plan of redemption. God had blessed the nation with his presence as a testimony to the world. Out of all the nations on the face of the planet earth, Israel had a unique relationship with God. In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in chapter four verse 34, it reads, did God ever try to go and take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation by trials, signs, by wonders, by war, by mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes. Has this ever happened before? And the answer was no. You see when unbelievers saw Israel, they saw a miracle nation. They knew that God was with them. When Israel was under Joshua about to enter the land of promise, there was a woman there by the name of Rahab. We all know the name Rahab. We usually supply the harlot because that's what she was. Rahab the harlot. But Rahab made this comment in Joshua, comment in Joshua two verse nine. She said, I know that the Lord has given you the land that the terror of you has fallen on us and that all the inhabitants of the land are faint hearted because of you, you have brought terror to the hearts of people because we know that your God is with you. By the way, God is with us too. We need to remember that. We need to be aware of that. And the response of people sometimes give to the church is actually a fear that we may change the world that they want to live in. Be aware of that. And Rahab said that we know the Lord has given you the land. We know that the terror of you fell on us. The inhabitants of the land are faint hearted because of you. Well, despite this, the pagan world considered Israel useless and rejected the nation and still does. So when Jesus is parable, this stone is more significant because the stone is Jesus and not Israel. So Peter and John, I'll give you an example. Peter and John went to temple at the hour of prayer. And when they did so, they encountered a man who was crippled. And as he was there, he would lay in a certain place and had done so for some time. And here comes Peter and here comes John. They're going in at the hour of prayer. They're going through what is called the beautiful gate. And as they're about to enter into this place called the beautiful gate, Peter stops and looks down at this man. And he says, look at us. You all know the story. He says, look at us. The scripture says the man expecting to receive something from them looks at them. So he's anticipating that they're going to give him alms. They're going to give him some money because he would sit there at this gate. He was begging. That's how he made his living. And because people would go in at the hour of prayer and all that would mean that there were religious people and religious people are better at giving gifts to those in need. And so when Peter says, look upon us or look at us, this crippled man is expecting to receive some money. But that's when Peter made that famous statement, silver and gold have I none. But such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I say unto you, rise to your feet and walk. And the scripture says that Peter reaching down, took him by the hand and began to lift him up. And as he began to lift him, he received strength in his ankles and his legs. And before you know it, he's walking, he's leaping and he's praising God. And the people see him as he's clinging to the apostles there. He's rejoicing at what God has done. And when this takes place, the people come and they gather around, thinking that these men who had performed such as amazing work, Peter especially who had done this work, they're thinking to themselves, these men are amazing. And Peter begins to speak and he says, don't look at us as if something special is about us. No, it's not us at all. And he begins to preach and it says in Acts 4, 10 through 12, Peter said, let it be known to you all. And to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you whole, this is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. And so he preaches to him later, Peter wrote in 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 6 through 8, Peter wrote in Scripture it says, see I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe this stone is precious, but to those who do not believe the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone and a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message, which is also what they were destined for. So he makes it very clear who this stone is and what's going on. And so the answer in verse 9, he will come and destroy the fine dressers and give the vineyard to others. Matthew says in chapter 21, 43 and 44, therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls it will grind him to power. He's going to give to the world a new reality called the church. And the church is intended to bear fruit and the church is intended to bring glory to God and reach the world. And he's saying to them this, if you will not have me as deliverer, you will have me as destroyer. If you don't want life, then you're going to end up being judged. He says in verses 10 and 11, have you not even read this scripture, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone? This is the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our eyes. You present yourselves as experts of scripture. When Jesus says, have you not read this? That is very severe criticism of them. These are what we would call the THC, the doctors of theology. These are the most astute. These are the best educated. These are the most brilliant. And yet he says, you've never even read this. Have you never even read this? That's quite a slight to them. You're boasting of your knowledge and that's what you do. You boast of your knowledge of scripture. But you fail to see me revealed in it. In John 5.39, he said it like this. He said, you search the scriptures. That word search is a word that can also be translated with the English word ransack. You go into your room and you're searching for something. So you move something here, move something there, open up a drawer, you're searching. But the stronger word is ransack. Somebody who is perhaps a burglar would understand what ransack means because when somebody is burglarizing, they're ransacking. They're taking things apart. They're taking the bed apart. They're looking underneath it. They're pulling drawers out and dumping things on the floor. They're going into closets, moving everything, throwing. That's called ransacking. Every police officer knows that. And I know one person in here understands that too. But it's going into and thoroughly taking it apart looking for something. That's the word that Jesus chose to use when he said, you search the scriptures. He wasn't simply saying, you kind of look into them. He's saying you thoroughly ransack it. You take it apart, word by word. You search the scriptures. For in them you think you have eternal life. And then he goes on to say, these are they which testify of me. You have thoroughly ransacked and still missed. You haven't seen me. That's why he would ask the question, have you never read the scripture? You thoroughly ransack, but you're missing me. You're moving things to the side, looking for something that's not there when, in fact, I was there all along. And that's why he speaks to them in that way. He said, this is the Lord's doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. You have rejected the one who is the chief cornerstone. Now, again, this is his last week of ministry. He's moving towards the cross. He's warning them again. He's saying, this is another warning to you. You have missed who I am. What was their response? Verse 12, they sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. They left him and went away. What was their response? They perceived his meaning, but instead of repenting, they desired to kill him. Their response was retaliation, not repentance. You see, in the end, Jesus is the foundation stone of salvation for those who trust in him. And if he's rejected, he is the judgment stone that brings crushing judgment. In Matthew 10, 32, and 33, he said it like this, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. Whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. You see, like Matthew said, whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. Either you receive him as savior, or you stand before him as judge, and that's what he's saying here. These people have rejected him. They perceived that he was speaking to them in a very straightforward way, and their response was they wanted to lay hands on him, but they didn't because they feared the multitude, but they knew he had spoken the parable against them, and they left him and went away. See, we have our options. I'll close with just a practical application to this. I don't think that the first time I ever heard the gospel, the real gospel, not just somebody's ideas, but a scripture, I was not open to it at all. I didn't want to hear it. I only heard it a couple times. I was about 17, I was on the beach, actually 16, I was on the beach, Newport, I believe it was, and while I was there, here comes some Jesus freak, and he had some Bible tracks, and he brought and handed me a Bible track. Now, I was always respectful to those who believed. I was not one of those who was disrespectful. I respected their beliefs. You believe that, that's fine. So the guy came, and I still remember, I was laying there and was surrounded by all these girls in bikinis, and you're giving me a Bible track, and you're wanting to talk about God, and I was very uncomfortable. I have to be real with you. I was 16, less than 17 years old. I mean, you've got to be kidding. And he's wanted to talk to me about heaven and judgment and hell, and I don't want to hear this. Are you kidding? But I was polite. I still remember, and I was polite, and I said, well, thank you very much. He hands me a Bible track, and I said, thanks, I still remember thinking this. I still remember thinking, maybe when I'm older, I'll come to become a Christian. I already thought I was. I'll begin living my, quote unquote, faith out, but right now, are you kidding? There's a lot of sinning to do. I actually said that. There's a lot of sinning to do. I haven't ever, you know, and there are all these things in my mind. I want to do this and that and these and that. There's too many sins to say. Then when I'm old, I actually believe that perhaps some of you may have or perhaps you may still. I thought when I'm too old to sin, then I'll become a Christian. I discovered you never become too old to sin. There's no sinner like an old sinner. That's a fact. You can lie. You can lie when you're a kid. You get busted, right? But when you get older, if you practice it, you can be president. I mean, it's something you can actually do, right? You can actually. I had to say it. I'm sorry. You don't outgrow sin. You don't outgrow sin. I have older people in this room starting with myself. And I can tell you, you don't outgrow sin. You actually make it something that you practice so that it becomes a lifestyle and you're known for your sin. You learn to lie. You learn to steal. You learn to cheat. You learn to do the things you ought not to do. And you can get so good that you seem to get away with it all the time. That's a fact. The only way that you ever stop sinning as a lifestyle, not that you'll ever become perfect on the face of the earth. Of course, I'm not saying that as a lifestyle is when you realize I need help. I messed up. I lie. I was one of those guys that I would actually create lies to tell the people just because I enjoyed telling lies. I was a very polished liar. So I became a pastor. No, I was a very polished liar. I was a very good thief. That's why God's grace amazes me. A lying thief and I'm a pastor. It amazes me the grace of God. But what I did is I grew to hate my sin. By the way, if you don't hate the sin, you're probably not gonna be set free from it. You hate it. It has to be something you hate. I hate this about myself. I hate the way I treat people. I hate the way I'm so unkind. I hate the way I can't have a relationship. I hate these things about myself. I got there and that's when I began to pray and say, God, help me. I am tired and I could tell you, I don't want to go too much into this, but I can say it, that's how the Lord saved me. When I got to the point where I actually said those words, I hate lying, I hate stealing, I hate hurting people. I hate making my parents cry. I can't have a relationship with a young lady without breaking her heart. Take an advantage of her. I can't stand this about myself anymore. I hate this. God, help me, oh wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? I got there. I guess all of you who are saved did too. I got there. I don't want this, but the will is present. The ability to perform that which I desire is not. God, help me. Give me the strength. Do something. That's where the power of the Holy Spirit comes in. That's where God makes you into a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things become new. And that's how that works. That's salvation. These people did not want it. They wanted him out. As a matter of fact, they'll make sure he's out when they have him crucified at the end of the week on Friday. They don't want it. And so Jesus told them straight up, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. Messiah has become the chief cornerstone. That stone, if you fall on it, you're broken, but if it falls on you, it'll crush you. You have only two options. Be broken or be crushed. They chose to reject the brokenness. They eventually were crushed. And that's what happened with them. They were crushed. It says again, they sought to lay hands on him but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. They left him and went away. They were not willing to be broken. And not willing to be broken. The only thing left to them was judgment. Thank God that when the Lord convicted us by his Holy Spirit through his word, thank God that we said, God be merciful to me. I am a sinner. I need your forgiveness. I need your grace. I don't want to live this way anymore. Please forgive me. Please save me. Please give me your power and God change my life. And he'll take you who are once a liar and once a thief, and he'll put you in his army to serve him for the rest of your life. That's the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He changes you because he's so good. He's so good. Father, we love you.