Who's in Charge?

Introduction

- We all have a natural bent against authority- we don’t like people telling us what to do

“You’re not my mom!”

o Especially when it goes against what we want to do or are doing

o When there is confusion about who is in charge, it often leads to chaos and division and hostility

- Last week we ended with Jesus teaching in the temple after reclaiming it for its rightful purpose. The people were hanging on every word, but the religious leaders were seeking to destroy him.

- As we continue in chapter 20, Jesus is still in the temple

- Read Luke 20:1-8

We all have a desire to be the rulers of our own lives, but the truth is, we are not in control. Jesus has given us a way not only to recognize the true authority over our lives (God), but also to have a personal relationship with Him. When we surrender our lives to His authority, we will find blessings far greater than we can imagine.

Questions That Lead to Doubt

A. Questions aren’t wrong if we are genuinely seeking the truth

1. Jesus disrupted the status quo of religiosity in the temple, so the leaders wanted to know what authority he had to do all this

2. In a way, this was a natural question for them to ask- Jesus had no formal training, no rabbi that he studied under, he was from Galilee, the son of a carpenter

a. They thought, “who is this guy who comes in and turns everything upside down?”

b. They believed they had the right to represent God and teach the people, who was he to challenge them!?

B. The religious leaders sought to trap Jesus- they didn’t really want an answer

We all know that one kid in class...

1. They cared more about their reputation, their authority, their kingdom than they did about the truth

2. We must question with humility, not arrogance

C. There are only two choices- believing Jesus’s authority is from God, or from man

1. Either Jesus is who he says he is, or he’s a liar

2. We live in a world where it’s not ok to tell someone they are wrong

3. What is your response to Jesus’ teaching The reality is that we either accept God’s authority or reject it. There is no middle ground, there is no partial credit, you can’t pick and choose what you want to believe about God

4. jesus puts the leaders in a corner where they have to either accept or reject his authority, they weasel out of it… for now

Transition- Jesus new this was not an attempt by the religious leaders to understand truth. They were not simply doubting his authority as God’s Son, they were rejecting him completely.

Rejection That Leads to Self-Rule

A. Parable of the wicked tenants- Read Luke 20:9-19

- define the characters (Owner-God, Vineyard-nation of Israel, Tenants-religious leaders, Servants-prophets, Beloved Son-Jesus)

1. The religious leaders won’t listen, but the people will, so Jesus turns and speaks to them

2. Although he didn’t answer their question directly, he now answers in the form of a story

3. This illustration would have been clear to the people- Isaiah 5:7

B. The Owner- God

1. God is good- Gives the land to the tenants and

2. God is gracious- he is not quick to anger, but gives the tenants many chances

a. They rejected the servants

(1) Prophets of God that paved the way for Jesus- John the Baptist

b. They rejected the beloved son

(1) Jesus himself

3. God is just- he will not let sin go unpunished

C. The Tenants- The Religious Leaders

1. They were given many privileges- given free rule over the vineyard in the owner’s absence- the religious leaders

2. They were given a great responsibility- to care for the vineyard

a. The religious leaders had great influence and authority over the people of Israel. The nation looked to them to guide them in their relationship with God

3. They rejected the authority of the owner (God)

a. They wanted to inherit the land and rule it themselves

4. It is easy for us to look at the tenants and the religious leaders and think “oh, I know people like that.” “I cant believe someone would abuse their authority like that.”

a. But today I want us to see how WE are like the tenants in the parable.

b. We have been given so much, so many privileges, but what have we done with it?

c. If we claim authority over our lives, the reality doesn’t change. God is still in control, and it is only a matter of time before that is made clear

Transition

Surrender That Leads to Blessing

A. God removes those who reject Jesus and replaces them with those who surrender his authority

1. Who does God use?

2. Those who are surrendered to him

3. You don’t have to be the best and brightest- God uses regular people who humble themselves and surrender their lives to Him

B. Surrender- Coming to grips with reality

1. We don’t like the word surrender- throwing in the towel, quitting, giving up

Shoichi Yokoi- one of the last Japanese soldiers to surrender- 1972- knew the war was over, but was afraid to give himself up- some of us are like that- still holding on

2. Simply admitting reality- giving up the deluded idea that we can rule our own lives

b. Giving up the delusion that we are in control of our lives

a. It’s like sitting there thinking “I could do this better.” – ok, try- went better in my mind

2. It’s recognizing Jesus for who he really is…

C. Who is Jesus?

1. The Cornerstone (v. 17)

a. The religious leaders were building their own religious kingdom, and Jesus played no part in its construction. In fact, he threatened to bring down the whole thing, so they rejected him and sought to destroy him- he didn’t fit into their plan

b. But he fit into God’s plan, the only plan that truly matters. Jesus wasn’t just a part of God’s plan, he was the center point on which every other part relied. Without Jesus everything falls apart

c. they killed him, but they could not destroy him

2. It's hard because sometimes making Jesus the cornerstone of our lives means we have to tear down what we've built.

a. Romans 9:33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

b. If we set Jesus as our cornerstone, If we build our lives around him, we will have a solid foundation that no one can shake.

Conclusion

We all have a desire to be the rulers of our own lives, but the truth is, we are not in control. Jesus has given us a way not only to recognize the true authority over our lives (God), but also to have a personal relationship with Him. When we surrender our lives to His authority, we will find blessings far greater than we can imagine.

So What?

Who’s in charge of your life?

Is Jesus on the throne, or are you?

Our hearts should cry out, “Jesus, YOU are the authority in my life. I am not. Show me how you want me to live.”

Are you completely surrendered to Jesus’s authority?

What areas are you holding back?

Is Jesus the center of your life? Is he the cornerstone?