PROPERLY APPROACHING PRIVILEGE-V
—Matthew 21:33-46
OR:
A CHRISTIAN APPROACH To AMERICAN PRIVILEGE
Attention:
Your Deacon Chairman—Jack—He, above all other people I can think of, is absolutely adamant about FBCC offering three services a week! He will be at every single one of those services if at all possible! Likewise, there is no valid excuse from you for not being there as well.
Jack takes the ‘PRIVILEGE’ of free, open, public worship very seriously...as we all should!
Need:
Christians, like many Americans, can center their Privilege & Pride upon illegitimate sources.
Thru this parable, Jesus highlighted/clarified a proper approach to a God-ordained privilege.
There is a Proper(Christian) Approach to Privilege.
What is a Proper/Christian Approach to Privilege?
Or
How should Christians approach their God-ordained privilege?
9 approaches to American privilege.
We have previously discovered that we must
Approach our privilege with...
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
4. HUMILITY(:35-39)
5. SENSIBILITY(:40-41)Logic/Reasonableness
6—Approach your privilege with...
BUILDING(:42)
Explanation:(:42)Edification/Construction
:42—“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Jesus quotes from Ps. 118:21-22...
...But :23 will be familiar to most American Christians as it is the focus of a song, ‘This Is The Day’...It reads, “This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice & be glad in it.”...
...So that the focus of that praise is upon God’s choosing Jesus to be the Cornerstone.
“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:...”
Jesus asked if they had never read the Scriptures. Their actions revealed that they were unaware of basic biblical truths &/or their application.
Are YOU aware of ‘basic biblical truths &/or their application’?...
...If not, why not?
Rom. 10:6-10—“But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or,” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
You’ve heard these things, these truths, about God & His desire & design. You don’t have to fetch them elsewhere! Heed what God has said & continues to say...Repent & turn to Jesus!
“Never”—oudepote—Adverb—1) Never. Strong—Not even at any time, i.e. Never at all. Used 16X.
From—oude—1) But not, neither, nor, not even. Strong—Not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.—&—pote—1) Once i.e. Formerly, aforetime, at some time. Strong—indefinite adverb, At some time, ever.
“Read”—anaginwskw—Verb—1) To distinguish between, to recognize, to know accurately, to acknowledge; 2) To read. Strong—To know again, i.e. by extension--To read. Used 33X.
Lit.=‘To Know again/In the midst of Knowledge’
From—ana—1) Into the midst, in the midst, amidst, among, between. Strong—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but by extension(used distributively)--Severally, or locally--At(etc.).—&—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. Ginwskw denotes a knowledge grounded on personal experience. Strong—To "know"(absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications.
“In”—en—
“Scriptures”—grafh—Noun Fem.—1) A writing, thing written; 2) The Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents; 3) A certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture. Strong—a document, i.e. Holy Writ(or its contents or a statement in it).
“‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone...”
Jesus said that the very “stone” “rejected” by the builders would become “the chief corner.”
The chief corner(-stone) was employed in order to affect the soundness of an entire structure. Careful attention was given to it’s geometrical shape, & it’s being properly leveled, as well as it’s being properly & permanently set...
It was carefully laid first, before any other stone, because every other stone was ‘trued’ to the precision of the cornerstone.
*It is always more difficult to build than to tear down or destroy!...Although both need to occur!
“Stone”(See :44)—liyov—Noun Masc.—1) A stone—1a) Of small stones, 1b) Of building stones, 1c) metaph.--of Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A stone(literally or figuratively). RWP—Liyov is a loose stone in the path.
“Builders”—oikodomew ALSO oikodomov(Acts 4:11)—Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To build a house, erect a building—1a) To build(up from the foundation), 1b) To restore by building, to rebuild, repair; 2) metaph.--2a) To found, establish, 2b) To promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness, 2c) To grow in wisdom & piety. Strong—from the same as oikodomh; To be a house-builder, i.e. Construct or figuratively--Confirm.
“Rejected”—apodokimazw—Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural—1) To disapprove, reject, repudiate. Strong—To disapprove, i.e. by implication--To repudiate. Used 9X.
From—apo—1) Of separation—“From”. Strong—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—dokimazw—1)To test, examine, prove, scrutinize; 2)To recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. “Become/Became”—ginomai—Aorist Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Sing.—1)To become, i.e. To come into existence, begin to be, receive being; 2) To become, i.e. To come to pass, happen—2a) Of events; 3) To arise, appear in history, come upon the stage—3a) Of men appearing in public; 4) To be made, finished—4a) of miracles--To be performed, wrought; 5) To become, be made. Strong—a prolongation & middle voice form of a primary verb; To cause to be(“gen”-erate), i.e. reflexively--To become(come into being), used with great latitude(literal, figurative, intensive, etc.).
“Chief/Head”—kefalh—Noun Fem.—1) The head, both of men & often of animals. Since the loss of the head destroys life, this word is used in the phrases relating to capital & extreme punishment.; 2) metaph.--Anything supreme, chief, prominent—2a) Of persons, master lord--Of a husband in relation to his wife, 2b) of Christ--The Lord of the husband & of the Church, 2c) of things--The corner stone. Strong—from the primary kaptw(in the sense of seizing); The head(as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively.
“Corner stone/Corner/Capstone”—gwnia—Noun Fem.—1) Corner—1a) An external angle, a corner, 1b) Internal corner, i.e. A secret place. Strong—An angle. Used 9X.
“...This was the LORD’S doing,...”
The “cornerstone”/‘chief corner’ is directly 'from'(para) the Lord.
It was God’s desire...HIS design...His plan...His blueprint!
“Was/Came about”—ginomai—
“LORD’s”—kuriov—
“Doing/From”—para—Preposition—1) From, of at, by, besides, near. Strong—a primary preposition; properly--Near; i.e. (with genitive case)--From beside(literally or figuratively), (with dative case)--At(or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case)--To the proximity with(local especially)--Beyond or opposed to, or causal--On account of.
“...And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Due to this fact both the corner itself & the actions bringing it about, should be marvelous in our eyes.
It is beyond our capacity/capability/possibility! We cannot attain it(Ps. 139:6; Job 42:1-6).
If you’ve never seen the Lord’s work as “marvelous”, then you are not saved! That “marvelousness” is what draws us to God thru His Christ!
That “marvelous-ness”—of God’s grace received by an individual’s biblical faith—is directly tied to the sinner’s being set free from condemnation...his/her being forgiven! That particular “marvelous-ness” is directly tied to one’s work in the Lord, so that we live out our initial love for the Lord Jesus, every day! To not do so is ungodly & reprehensible.
Rev. 2:1-5—“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, & that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles & are not, & have found them liars; & you have persevered & have patience, & have labored for My name’s sake & have not become weary. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent & do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly & remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.”
Eph. 2:1-10—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
“Marvelous”—yaumastov—Adj.—1) Wonderful, marvelous—1a) Worthy of pious admiration, admirable, excellent, 1b) Passing human comprehension, 1c) Causing amazement joined with terror, 1d) Marvelous—1d1) Extraordinary, striking, surprising. Strong—Wondered at, i.e. by implication--Wonderful. Used 7X.?From—yaumazw—by implication--To admire.
“In”—en—
“Eyes”—ofyalmov—Noun Masc.—1) The eye; 2) metaph.--The eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing. Strong—The eye (literally or figuratively); by implication--Vision; figuratively--Envy(from the jealous side-glance).?English=‘Ophthalmic/Ophthalmologist’
Argumentation:
1Pet. 2:1-10—“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, & all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God & precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” & “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
1Cor.3:9-23—“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, & another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; & the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God & that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; & again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. And you are Christ’s, & Christ is God’s.”
1Cor. 6:19-20—“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Col. 2:6, 7—“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted & built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
Rom. 14:16-19—“Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating & drinking, but righteousness & peace & joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God & approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace & the things by which one may edify another.”
Rom. 15:1-4—“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, & not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience & comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
1Cor. 8:1-3—“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
1Cor. 10:21-24—“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord & the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table & of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”
1Cor. 14:1-5, 26—“Pursue love, & desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification & exhortation & comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”.....“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Eph. 4:11-16—“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to & fro & carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Php. 4:18-20—“Indeed I have all & abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God & Father be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
Illustration:
The Lord’s doing versus human doing...
Ford Motor Company has built a clientele based on affordability for the ‘little man’/In order to keep the consumer price for their vehicles within certain bounds, they no doubt, regularly bypass seemingly ‘faulty’ materials(in Ford’s estimation)—due to price—in exchange for that which will perform the same task similarly but more cheaply/Example--a Chevrolet commercial(which I suspect is true but do not know for a fact) compares their half-ton-1-ton pickup beds with that of Ford/Ford has chosen to use a particular grade of aluminum—rather than steel(used by Chevrolet)—for their truck beds/The aluminum cannot compare to the rigorous demands of hauling loose heavy materials such as rocks or rip-rap being dumped into the truck bed from a dump truck/Now if you use your truck to haul such rock or rip-rap, choose the Chevrolet, but if not, choose the Ford & you’ll get better gas mileage/My point...Don’t refuse that which enables God’s building needs!/Do not refuse God who supplies all your needs in Christ Jesus!(Php. 4:19)/BUILDING
Php. 4:18-20—“Indeed I have all & abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God & Father be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
We could use some Christian couples with children to become part of our church/A couple who is burdened to serve God in their God-ordained capacity/A couple who senses God’s compulsion upon them to serve here at FBCC/As Christians, we either aid that outcome or force that outcome/When we force that outcome, it never lasts!/When we aid the Lord’s work, it will last because God is the One who brings it about!/BUILDING
Some people get scared when the fire(of the Spirit) gets hot & the flames grow larger/They stand back with a ‘bucket of water’, as it were, watching the edges of the stones of the fire-pit, making sure that nothing gets ‘out of bounds’ in their estimation/These are prepared to throw water on God’s fire or put a blanket over the fire to snuff it out because they want the Lord’s work to be their own doing!/They are uncomfortable letting God have His way with themselves & with others!/But then, that’s what surrender is all about isn’t it?!/BUILDING
Building Contractors are professionals at seeing that every building they are involved with comes to completion/BUILDING
Application:
?YOU Approach Privilege with BUILDING?
?How do YOU Approach your Privilege?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Jack's adamancy about having morning & evening worship services.
Action:
Approach your privilege with...
6. BUILDING(:42)Edification
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
4. HUMILITY(:35-39)
5. SENSIBILITY(:40-41)Logic/Reasonableness
Pt.#6 only! presented 08/13/2017pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
