So that we May learn'''

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So that we May learn...
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The wicked Vinedressers!
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Matthew.2133-46
33Hear another parable There was a certain
landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge
around it, dug a winepress in it and built a
tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went
into a far country. 34Now when vintage-time drew
near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers,
that they might receive its fruit. 35And the
vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed
one, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other
servants, more than the first, and they did
likewise to them. 37Then last of all he sent his
son to them, saying, They will respect my son.
38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they
said among themselves, This is the heir. Come,
let us kill him and seize his inheritance. 39So
they took him and cast him out of the vineyard
and killed him. 40Therefore, when the owner of
the vineyard comes, what will he do to those
vinedressers? 41They said to Him, He will
destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his
vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to
him the fruits in their seasons.
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42Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the
Scriptures The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This
was the Lords doing, And it is marvelous in our
eyes? 43Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of
God will be taken from you and given to a nation
bearing the fruits of it. 44And whoever falls on
this stone will be broken but on whomever it
falls, it will grind him to powder. 45Now when
the chief priests and Pharisees heard His
parables, they perceived that He was speaking of
them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on Him,
they feared the multitudes, because they took Him
for a prophet.
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THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE
THE VARIOUS ITEMS OF THE PARABLE ARE EVIDENT...
There is a vineyard!
The figure of a vineyard referring to Israel was
well-known ...Isaiah 51, 7.
Israel was the vineyard!
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The Land owner is
God
He always gave Israel the opportunity to do good,
but this time the chance is over...THEY ARE NOT
THE CHOSEN NATION ANYMORE!
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Israel had great opportunities
A people that were like
Zachariah 28... For thus says the Lord of
hosts He sent Me after glory, to the nations
which plunder you for he who touches you touches
the apple of His eye.
Deuteronomy 3210... He found him in a desert
land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness
He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him
as the apple of His eye.
The apple of God's EYE
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The wicked vinedressers...
The wicked vinedressers represent Israel's
leaders
Matthew..2143... 43Therefore I say to you, the
kingdom of God will be taken from you and given
to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
Matthew 2145... 45Now when the chief priests
and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived
that He was speaking of them.
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34Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his
servants to the vinedressers, that they might
receive its fruit.
Who are these servants?
The prophets of old...
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2 Chronicles 3615-16...15And the Lord God of
their fathers sent warnings to them by His
messengers, rising up early and sending them,
because He had compassion on His people and on
His dwelling place. 16But they mocked the
messengers of God, despised His words, and
scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the
Lord arose against His people, till there was no
remedy.
Matthew 2337... 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the
one who kills the prophets and stones those who
are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather
your children together, as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
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36Again he sent other servants, more than the
first, and they did likewise to them.
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Jeremiah 616.
16Thus says the Lord Stand in the ways and
see, And ask for the old paths, where the good
way is, And walk in it Then you will find rest
for your souls. But they said, We will not walk
in it.
The rejection was optional... they decided it!
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37 Then last of all he sent his son to them,
saying, They will respect my son. verse 37
Jesus.
John 111... He came to His own, and His own
did not receive Him.
His Son
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A question that Condemns
40Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard
comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?
Like little kids, again they themselves answered
the question
41They said to Him, He will destroy those wicked
men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other
vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in
their seasons.
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The sentence comes out of their own mouths...
They are the same leaders of the town, which
dictated the sentence themselves. This is called
applying the word.
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Indeed, their rejection of Jesus had been
foretold in the Scriptures....
Mt 2142... 42Jesus said to them, Have you never
read in the Scriptures The stone which the
builders rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone. This was the Lords doing, And it is
marvelous in our eyes?
Psalm 11822, 23
What was so marvelous?
Was that NEW?
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Ephesians 219,20.
19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God, 20having
been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
cornerstone,
A new PEOPLE
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The main lesson of this parable can be summarized
in the words of Psalms 212... "Kiss (i.e.,
pay reverence to) the Son, lest He be angry, And
you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled
but a little. "Blessed are all those who put
their trust in Him."
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Let's apply the Parable to ourselves...
FIRST, NOTE THAT GOD OFTEN BESTOWS WONDERFUL
PRIVILEGES...

• This He had done with the nation of Israel...
• Like a precious vineyard, God planted Israel in
  Canaan.
• He blessed the nation with laws, priests,
  prophets, and other special privileges
• He eventually sent His only begotten Son as their
  Messiah

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What about us today?
Have we not received wonderful privileges from
God?

• We enjoy free access to the Word of God, and the
  freedom to worship without fear of persecution,
  many in the world do not.
• We are blessed to hear things that prophets,
  kings, and saints of old desired to hear and were
  not able to.
• Luke 1024 ...

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SECOND, NOTE HOW PEOPLE OFTEN MAKE BAD USE OF
THEIR PRIVILEGES...
The history of Israel as a nation established by
God. 1. They consistently murmured against God in
the wilderness. 2. They turned away from God time
and time again during the period of the
Judges. 3. They persecuted His prophets, and
eventually rejected His own Son.
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What about us today?

• We have blessings given to us through Christ
• The forgiveness of sins through His blood
• The aid of the Holy Spirit in putting to death
  the deeds of the body
• The joy of fellowship in the family of God
• The privilege of sharing the gospel with a dying
  world and yet Christians often turn their backs
  on such blessings
• They sin, and do not seek forgiveness
• They do not seek the help God gives to deal with
  the problems of sin. They neglect their brethren
  by forsaking the assembly, and by not developing
  close relationships with them

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THIRD, NOTE THE AWFUL JUDGMENT THAT COMES UPON
THOSE WHO MAKE BAD USE OF THEIR PRIVILEGES...
Again, the nation of Israel is an example 1. They
suffered forty years of wandering in the
wilderness 2. God allowed neighboring nations
to be a thorn in their side 3. They endured
Assyrian and Babylonian captivity 4. God
destroyed their temple and their religion by the
Babylonians (586 B.C.) and the Romans (70
A.D.) 5. He has indeed taken away the kingdom of
God from them, and given it to a nation bearing
the fruits of it - Mt 2143...
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What about us now?
Would God bring such judgments against His church
or people today if they abuse their privileges?
John 151-2, 6 ... Revelations 24, 5,
16... Revelations 31-3...
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Verse 44 44And whoever falls on this stone
will be broken but on whomever it falls, it will
grind him to powder.
Israel was punished.
Will He punish us?
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God has given us many blessings...
1. Colossians 112. 2. Colossians 113. 3.
Colossian 114.
Will we use them properly?
48But he who did not know, yet committed things
deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.
For everyone to whom much is given, from him much
will be required and to whom much has been
committed, of him they will ask the more.
Luke 1248
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Romans 828.
28And we know that all things work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are the
called according to His purpose.