Lesson 1 - The Fishers of Men Ministries

III. Consideration and Application of the Parable1. The Jews Were Tenants… not owners!!As tenants, the Jews with their leaders were supposed to care for God’s kingdomas tenants would care for a garden/field. The Jews did not care for the kingdomproperly, but they thought they would gain God’s inheritance through their ownself-righteousness, rather than through the righteousness of God’s son, Jesus.They killed God’s son and God rejected them as evidenced in Jerusalem’sdestruction in A.D. 70.2. What About Us???We, the church, have the potential to become like those tenants. We can reject themessage of God’s servants and become more interested in keeping the produce ofGod’s vineyard for ourselves. How? We can mistakenly think that the produceof this world is the inheritance we have from God. Our inheritance is above, Rom8:17-18; Col 3:1-4. We can forget that we are supposed to share the message ofGod’s inheritance (the gospel) with others. Our service is to be ambassadors ofGod, 2 Cor 5:17-21. We can also reject the righteousness of Jesus, God’s son,thinking that our own righteousness is sufficient to gain God’s inheritance, Gal2:15-21.3. God Is Good And JustWe must see God completely. The people were shocked that the owner wouldkill the tenants but Jesus looked at them intently as he explained that one stonewould be both the perfect cornerstone for the building and at the same time, be astone rejected by the builders upon which people would become broken andcrushed, :17-18. It’s the same stone! Our perception and response allows it to bea cornerstone or a crushing stone. God/Jesus is this way. Will you accept himand let his death become a cornerstone, or reject him and his righteousness andface crushing, 1 Pt 2:6-8; Rom 11:22; Phil 3:9?4. God Is The Authority… no one elseThe final authority over the vineyard belongs to the owner, not to the tenants.God is sovereign! He can and will make his own decisions about the good of hiskingdom. Preachers and teachers are not the final authority. How might you takeGod’s authority for yourself?IV. Memory Verse - Lk 20:13