“Rejection Really Does Hurt”
Part 2 Of A Lenten Message Series Entitled “A Journey of Stones”
The BIG Idea:
It is a terrible thing in life to be or to feel rejected. It is important for us to not reject Jesus in our daily lives because He is the real Cornerstone of everything.
An Old Testament rejection:
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.
– Psalm 118:22 (NASB)
A New Testament rejection:
And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and leased it to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive his share of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 He had one more man to send, a beloved son; he sent him to them last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 And they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the vine-growers to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘A stone which the builders rejected, This has become the chief cornerstone; 11 This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He told the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away. – Mark 12:1-12 (NASB)
Jesus is the Cornerstone.
It is all about priorities in life.
ILLUSTRATION: Augustine’s “Pyramid of Priorities”
The fact that we can have everything in the world, but still feel unfulfilled is literal evidence that only God can fulfill that void.
What will you choose to do with the Chief Cornerstone?
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever experienced a moment in which you felt rejected by someone?
How did you respond to that moment of rejection?
Why do you think God’s people (the Hebrew people) were rejected in ancient times?
Have you ever considered the importance of a foundational cornerstone when it comes to the faith journey?
Why do you think Jesus referred to Himself as the Cornerstone?
What would your pyramid of priorities look like today and how would you place the order of your priorities?
Have you ever rejected Jesus as the Cornerstone of your life?
What will you choose to do with your stone today?
It is a terrible thing in life to be or to feel rejected. It is important for us to not reject Jesus in our daily lives because He is the real Cornerstone of everything.
An Old Testament rejection:
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.
– Psalm 118:22 (NASB)
A New Testament rejection:
And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and leased it to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2 And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive his share of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3 And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6 He had one more man to send, a beloved son; he sent him to them last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 And they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the vine-growers to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘A stone which the builders rejected, This has become the chief cornerstone; 11 This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He told the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away. – Mark 12:1-12 (NASB)
Jesus is the Cornerstone.
It is all about priorities in life.
ILLUSTRATION: Augustine’s “Pyramid of Priorities”
The fact that we can have everything in the world, but still feel unfulfilled is literal evidence that only God can fulfill that void.
What will you choose to do with the Chief Cornerstone?
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever experienced a moment in which you felt rejected by someone?
How did you respond to that moment of rejection?
Why do you think God’s people (the Hebrew people) were rejected in ancient times?
Have you ever considered the importance of a foundational cornerstone when it comes to the faith journey?
Why do you think Jesus referred to Himself as the Cornerstone?
What would your pyramid of priorities look like today and how would you place the order of your priorities?
Have you ever rejected Jesus as the Cornerstone of your life?
What will you choose to do with your stone today?