The Stumbling Stone
A sermon delivered by Rev. Peter T. Atkinson
October 21, 2018
at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Zuni, Virginia
Romans 9: 30-33
Romans 10: 1-8
Isaiah 8: 11-18
Let us pray,
Help us to see despite our eyes
Help us to think outside of our minds
Help us to be more than our lives
For your eyes show the way
Your mind knows the truth
Your being is the life.
Amen.
Last week we scrunched up our noses and talked about
Anguish. We talked about it because Paul talked about. He was lamenting the fact
that so many of his people, the children of Israel were not coming to Jesus,
were rejecting the word. Now again, remember such has been his theme often
here, extending grace to Gentiles. . . explaining how salvation comes from
faith and not the law, how there is no difference. . . and this can cause
people great anguish, who for so long have counted on being the chosen people,
God’s chosen people. . . it causes Paul great anguish in his heart because he
sees them falling, those who have counted on being chosen, may not be, and he
explains how God’s sovereignty works, how he is in control, how he makes the
decisions, and how he knows that there is nothing we can do to influence God in
that decision, and how even though it causes him great anguish, he knows that
it is the truth, is convicted in it as truth. How often do we do that? How
often do we accept a truth that we do not like, especially theological one, but
look at Paul, he knows this is the case, because he certainly didn’t deserve
being the one chosen by God to deliver this message, but he was, all those
years back on the Road to Damascus. Jesus came to him. . . and not the other
way around. . .
So this week we continue with the theme, and look at what
Paul is going to say gets in the way. . . this the end of Chapter 9 – 30-33
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not
pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but
the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,have not
attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they
pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the
stumbling stone.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.”
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Gentiles who haven’t even been pursuing it obtain it. . .
righteousness by their faith. . .
But Jews who were pursuing it, through law, through
righteousness, have not attained their goal. . . why, not by faith but instead
by works. . .
And they fell over the stumbling stone. . .
But what is this stumbling stone? What is that which causes
us to fall?
Maybe first we can look at the context here, it seems that
falling is pursuing the goal by works instead of faith. . .
But how does that make someone stumble. . . He’s made this
point before in other ways, but how is he going to make it this time. . .
He is quoting Isaiah, but he is combining two separate
places, to make his point for one mentions this “Stumbling Stone” and the other
does not. . . first our old Testament Lesson
One is here Isaiah 8: 11-18
11 This is what the Lord says
to me with his strong hand upon me,warning me not to follow the way of
this people:
12 “Do not call conspiracy
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.
14 He will be a holy place;
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.
14 He will be a holy place;
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”
16 Bind up this testimony of warning
and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.
and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.
18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and
symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty,
who dwells on Mount Zion.
There is where there is talk of the stumbling stone,
The other place is Isaiah 28;16. . . which you can see some
of the language Paul quotes. . . its like he combines the two.
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a
tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
17 I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
17 I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
Remember Paul says. . .
“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.”
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
So
in combining these two parts of Isaiah he is showing how the foundational
corner stone, that we know to be Jesus Christ, from other New Testament places
where this metaphor is used, remember the stone that was rejected, has become
the corner stone. . . that this corner stone has become the prophecized
stumbling stone. . . but why? But how?
What
happens with striving for righteousness through the Law that is bad. . . since
Paul has many times argued that it is not bad in itself. . . what is the
stumbling stone, that causes those striving for righteousness to falter,
stumble, and fall. . .
I
think the answer comes if we continue right along into chapter 10 of Romans. .
. let’s look at 10: 1-8. .
10 Brothers and sisters,
my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be
saved. 2 For I can testify
about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on
knowledge.3 Since they did not know the righteousness of
God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s
righteousness. 4 Christ is
the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone
who believes.
Since we know Paul, as a former Pharisee. . . we know that this is the
big change in his heart from his Damascus Road moment with Christ. . . this is
what has changed, because before this, this very argument that Paul is
addressing would have been his before, and now it isn’t. . . but look how he
continues
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness
that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a] 6 But
the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who
will ascend into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8 But
what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your
heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we
proclaim
You
see this comes directly from the Old Testament to, this time from Deuteronomy:
11 Now
what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your
reach. 12 It is not up
in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it
and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor
is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to
get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No,
the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may
obey it.
I’ve
always had trouble with that question about “who is ascending to heaven” – that
eye on the prize kinda thinking. . . to me the doing, the relationship, the
reaching is important
But
look, what is the word that Paul adds to the Deuteronomy . . . do not say in
your heart. . . who will ascend to heaven. .
In your heart.
How do
you take this heart business. . . ?
Do you
have control of what your heart says? Maybe but it takes much to do so. . .
Do you
know how many times the word heart is used in the Bible --- at least in the NIV
translation? 725 – pretty good right
But
looking through them is really eye opening. . .
I want
to share a few, but I was amazed by how many of them centered the worship of
God in the heart, AND expressed it as unified. . . having a unified, God centered
heart. . .
The Lord saw
how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that
every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only
evil all the time.
But if from there
you seek the Lord your
God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and
with all your soul.
Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength
then your heart will
become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought
you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
[ Psalm 14 ]
[ For the director of music. Of David. ] The fool says in
his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are
vile; there is no one who does good.
So many
in the Old Testament have to do with oneness of heart, directed unconflicted to
God. . .
But in
the New Testament there are some really interesting ones
For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they will see God.
You brood of
vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what
the heart is full of.
“‘These people
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
For it is from
within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual
immorality, theft, murder,
Jesus knew what
they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
He said to them,
“You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows
your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
So we ask the
question. . . how is your heart. . . where is your heart?
Where does works
righteousness put your heart?
What is that
stumbling block?
Is it entitlement?
Should
we look to kings and princes to put right the inequalities between rich and
poor? Should we require soldiers to come and seize the rich person’s gold, and
distribute it among his destitute neighbors? Should we beg the Emperor to
impose a tax on the rich so great that it reduces them to the level of the
poor, and then to share the proceeds of that tax among everyone?
Equality imposed by force would achieve nothing, and do much harm. Those who
combined both cruel hearts and sharp minds
would soon find ways of making themselves rich again. Worse still, the rich -
whose gold was taken away - would feel bitter and resentful; while the poor - who
received the gold from the hands of soldiers - would feel no gratitude, because
no generosity would have prompted the gift. Far from bringing moral benefit to
society, it would actually do moral harm. Material justice cannot be
accomplished by compulsion, a change of heart will not follow. The only way to
achieve true justice is to change people’s hearts first—and then they will
joyfully share their wealth."
Where is your heart when you make it a transaction?
Where is your heart when you make salvation a transaction?
Is that the stumbling block that occurs?
Expectation? Is that where they have gone wrong?
Seek relationship, seek Jesus, love God. . . let everything
else flow from that faith. . .
When I first
sang for you, back last summer, I sang a
song where I wrote, “I seek to love God not just to be saved, I seek to know
God not just behave. . . “
Build the
relationship, know your heart. . .
When I was
in college I was an English Major, and I remember at one point in my life
watching Dead Poet’s Society, and remember Robin Williams as a teacher asking
his students why we read and write poetry. . . and they offer stock answers,
and he says, NO. . . to Woo women. . .
Now I must
have taken this to heart because I can remember some of those great lines from
Shakespeare. . . like
Good night
Sweet Princ (ess) may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. . .
And
I cannot
heave my heart into my mouth. . .
But my all
time favorite was from Much ado about Nothing
I love you
with so much of my heart that there is nothing left to protest. . .
Can we seek
to love God in that way, where our entire heart is unified and directed to God?
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