The Rejected Stone

We have a new fireplace

The old one

It started when friends in TX offered to make us a new mantle made out of mesquite.

We go up to Flag Hearth and Home to find out what it will take to simply mount a new, heavier mantle on our fireplace.

Reinforce inside the chimney box. Take it apart to do that.

Not a huge deal.

Sara shows him a picture like this.

That stove isn’t code. 18” to a flammable surface.

Insurance may not cover a loss.

Plus, w/ a 2-year old it is too easy to get burned.

And, it was installed in 1986.

Now, we’re talking about a new wood stove, too.

And, if we’re going to change the mantle and stove, why are we keeping rock that we aren’t thrilled about.

We go from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

This is what we ended up w/. It’s beautiful.

1 minor hiccup.

The guy we bought it from didn’t tell the guys building it that we wanted the cubbies for firewood in the hearth.

They had to tear out what they had done, cost us a day, and, they said, we didn’t have enough stone. Corners.

When we priced out the stone we discovered if we buy it in Flag it would cost us close to $1100. By buying int Glendale and picking it up myself we saved over half.

So, I borrowed a truck and picked it up. Round trip in 1 day.

5 boxes of flat stone, 1 box of corners.

Now, they tell me I need one more box of stone. Are you kidding? I have to get to Glendale and back one more time just for one more box?

Jared is on strike. He could pick it up.

Jason and Kristen are coming thru on Saturday.

We get it all worked out.

Then, Monday, we talk to the guys and it turns out we didn’t need the extra box after all.

We nearly nailed the exact amount of flat stone, Just a few left over.

These are the rejects.

Wrong size, shape. Slightly damaged. Or, just unnecessary.

We took them back, got our money back.

Someone else will choose our rejects and use them and they may end up being the most beautiful pieces on their wall.

We rejected them, someone else will choose them.

Rejected stone, if any consequence, it was good. $ back.

It’s one thing to reject stone going on our fireplace.

It’s a whole different thing to reject the Stone that is the Cornerstone of the Church.

Jesus came and offered Himself as Messiah to the religious leadership. But they rejected Him.

Who they rejected and vilified, God vindicated.

They rejected Him w/ severe consequence.

B/C they rejected Him, someone else got to accept Him.

When we accept Him, we get every good thing that comes w/ Him.

And, what comes w/ Him makes it possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

To accept is to surrender, everything.

Give up trying to control what you really have no control over. And

Hold onto your pride and remain ordinary.

Let go of your perceived control and be extraordinary.

So, don’t settle for ordinary. Pray for extraordinary.

comes right after Peter and John had healed a beggar who had been crippled since birth. Lame in both feet. He’s now over 40-years old.

A man who was physically crippled was given a new life by Jesus as Peter and John were about to interact with a group of people who were spiritually crippled.

Jesus would have done the same for them, had they responded the same way the man did.

But, they didn’t.

Interrupted

Acts 4:1–4 NIV

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

While they were speaking. You can see it. Peter explained the what happened and why.

This man who was born crippled now has a new life.

Jesus did it. He’ll do the same for everyone who reaches out and takes His hand.

Now, some Q & A. There’s a noise level, excitement, energy, emotions.

Then, a group of religious leaders come running up from the nearby temple and interrupt everything. They cut the discussion off, abruptly.

This is their turf, they are the authority here, and they are afraid they are losing control.

We’re in charge

Stop! Stop talking. Stop everything! Quiet. Shut up!

They assert their authority. They are used to being in charge in this arena, both place and subject matter.

The priests were the intermediaries between God and the people. They made the sacrifices, led worship, all according to their traditions.

The capt. was in charge of the temple police. Rules needed t/b kept and rowdiness needed t/b kept down.

(maybe we need church police!)

The Sadducees were the ruling board.

Kind of like the elders and staff running up to a group of regular members to get them under control.

One of the unique doctrinal distinctives of the Sad’s was they didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead.

No bodily res in heaven for believers.

The Sad’s and the temple guard also kept a good relationship w/ Rome.

So, when they heard what was going on, they were very concerned. Deeply disturbed. Not just a passing anxst.

Deep Concern

For 2 reasons:

If there’s a riot Rome gets involved.

They were losing control, influence, people,

They were losing control of the narrative, too.

People by the thousands were now turning to Jesus and His followers to get what everyone used to hope to get from them.

P & J are preaching Jesus.

They killed Jesus.

They thought He was gone, done, over.

P & J proclaimed He was still alive and active.

Before they could quiet them and haul them off to jail for the night, the number of defectors (according to the religious establishment) or believers (according to the Church) has swelled a great deal.

5000 men + women and children.

Rapid growth in the face of the early stages of persecution. Jesus had been arrested and we know how that turned out.

Now, P & J were arrested, and the church grew.

An attempt to shut down the growth and the church only served to fuel the fire.

Jesus said, no one’s death, much less a little jail time would prevent the church from growing.

They keep them in jail over night. The next day, P & J, the man who had been healed, and a few others stood trial to defend their words and the actions.

In the trial the religious leaders had to face their contradictions.

Contradictions

Authority?

Acts 4:7 NIV

They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Acts 4:

Do what?

The miracle

The teaching that both explained the miracle and contradicted 100s of years of their traditions.

If they could prove the miracle was an act of evil magic then they hoped the ppl would reject it and return to them.

And, they bel’d if the ppl could understand that Jesus and his teachings violated their traditions then surly the ppl would reject Him and them.

One thing they were most afraid of was Rome getting involved and imposing their will. The only reason they would give Rome to do that was a riot.

But, the ppl didn’t hold the traditions in high esteem, they hated them. They were a burden.

They’re looking at a guy whose burden had just been lifted as he had been given a new life by faith, w/out having to do anything except believe and take Peter’s hand.

The trial wasn’t going as they had hoped.

Then, Peter pointed out an unexpected irony.

Irony

Acts 4:8–10 NIV

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

Acts 4:

Peter pointed out they were on trial for an act of kindness.

Typically, this sort of act was rewarded, not convicted.

And, the truth about the act contradicted their traditions.

It was their traditions that led them to crucify Jesus. And, yet, He’s the One who is responsible for this man’s healing.

Jesus’ name. Who He is. The power that goes w/ Him.

Jesus’ power thru Peter’s hand.

Jesus didn’t fit into your categories. So, rather than blow up your categories and start over, you blew it w/ God. Bad.

They knew like the back of their hand.

When Messiah comes this is what will happen.

Isaiah 35:5–6 NIV

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

Looks familiar, doesn’t it?

The man who was lame leapt into the temple.

Could it be any clearer?

Then Peter quotes as a dramatic close to his case.

The rejected stone

Acts 4:11–12 NIV

Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:

He looked ordinary. Just like your average 30-year old Jewish man. Nothing special about Him, except what He said about Himself and what He did.

Just like an ordinary stone that might cover a fireplace.

Extra to their traditions. Didn’t fit.

He was wounded, scarred.

They rejected Him. Sent Him away. At a tremendous consequence.

Their rejection gave others the opportunity to accept Him.

There is no Plan B. Jesus is it. The only way to get to Heaven is thru Jesus.

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 1:12 NIV

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

There they are, standing in front of the temple, make of stone. And, the most important stone had been left out.

So, now, the leaders have heard Peter’s case and they have a decision to make. What to do?

What to do about these ordinary men and their extraordinary story?

Extraordinary

Situation

Acts 4:13–14 NIV

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

Acts 4:13-

Their courage and confidence. Where did it come from?

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Ordinary men, filled w/ the HS, able to stand up and argue their case before the most powerful and educated men outside of Rome and win.

Uneducated. Their ed system:

Peter and John failed their college entrance exam.

Joined their fathers in the family business.

Fishing didn’t require eloquence except when lying about the size of the fish that got away.

P & J eloquently made their case. Extraordinary.

Uneducated men out debated them.

The former crippled man is standing right there for everyone to see.

Everyone knew him and his former situ and now he passes the eye test.

This is an extraordinary dilemma

Dilemma

Acts 4:16 NIV

“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.

The religious leaders have 2 issues here:

P & J eloquently made their case. Extraordinary.

Uneducated men out debated them.

The former crippled man is standing right there for everyone to see.

Everyone knew him and his former situ and now he passes the eye test.

These are intelligent men and the truth is staring them in the face.

And yet, there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

There’s only one thing they can do.

They see the truth.

They hear the truth.

They know the truth.

So, what do they conclude? What do they decide to do?

It’s obvious, right?

Believe. No.

Extraordinary solution

Acts 4:18 NIV

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

The original question: By whose authority do you do this?

As if they have the authority to shut them down.

Rather than believe, that would require surrendering their authority, they try to shut Peter down.

Stop trying to hang on to what you have no control over.

Peter replied, You expect us to obey you over God?

There was no gray wiggle room in what he bel’d t/b true.

Testimony. Witness. Their first hand experience.

Not hearsay. They weren’t quoting anyone else’s story.

This was their own story.

All they were doing was offering their own stories. The only questions they had to answer were about what they had personally experienced.

They weren’t pushing any religious experience.

They were offering an intro into a relationship.

It was everyone’s choice whether or not to accept the offer.

And, many were.

The evidence was right in front of them.

The church is being built on faith and held together with the stories of the personal experiences of the believers.

They had to let P & J go. They had nothing to hold them on. And there was pressure mounting from the people.

They head back to the rest of the believers and report on what happened.

What do you think they did next?

Persecution has begun. It’s only going to get worse.

Run, quit, hide?

None of the above. They Prayed.

They Prayed

Acts 4:23–24 NIV

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

Declaring His sovereignty.

Why does anyone waste their time and energy trying to shut God down? No one has more power or authority.

If God can create the universe out of nothing He can certainly build His Church in any environment.

What they didn’t pray:

Smite our enemies. Cause them to fall flat. Take away the trouble and the trials.

What they did pray

Acts 4:29–31 NIV

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Give us the ability to speak boldly and tell our stories in the face of threats and persecution.

And, He did. So, they did.

Jesus came and offered Himself as Messiah to the religious leadership. But they rejected Him.

Who they rejected and vilified, God vindicated.

They rejected Him w/ severe consequence.

B/C they rejected Him, someone else got to accept Him.

When we accept Him, we get every good thing that comes w/ Him.

And, what comes w/ Him makes it possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

To accept is to surrender, everything.

Give up every notion of control, perceived or otherwise.

Hold onto your pride and remain ordinary.

Let go of your perceived control and be extraordinary.

So, don’t settle for ordinary. Pray for extraordinary.

Applications

Control

Give up.

Stop trying to control what you can’t.

Stop trying to exercise authority where you have none.

God is in control, give Him the steering wheel and follow.

Otherwise, you’re just going to frustrate yourself

Extraordinary

When filled w/ the HS ordinary ppl can do extraordinary things.

Like, say the right thing, the right way, at the right time.

On our own we typically mess things up worse than they already are.

Pray. Listen. Wait for God to prepare you and the situation.

Then speak.

Pray

Take time every day and tell god what you think of Him

Sovereign.

Ask Him to do for you what you believe He want’s to do for you, not necessarily what you want done for yourself.

Ask for courage. Ask for opportunities.

Watch Him work.

Jesus came and offered Himself as Messiah to the religious leadership. But they rejected Him.

They rejected Him w/ severe consequence.

B/C they rejected Him, we get the chance to accept Him.

When we accept Him, we get every good thing that comes w/ Him.

And, what comes w/ Him makes it possible for ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

To accept is to surrender, everything.

Hold onto your pride and remain ordinary.

Let go of your perceived control and be extraordinary.

So, don’t settle for ordinary. Pray for extraordinary.