June 18th 2017
Are You Willing To Go All-In To Honor Jesus, Who Is The Capstone Of Salvation?
Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)
He is "‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
The term all-in has more than one meaning, one meaning is it to place a bet in playing poker, signifying you are betting all the money or wager chips you have. Another meaning is you are offering everything you have in support of a shared commitment, such as, committing a supreme effort to the church of your choice! In my family, this word all-in also meant to be totally exhausted, so tired you just could not continue working! Isaiah wrote about when a person has made an all-in effort to the Lord; their power will be renewed in an almost unlimited fashion. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31). Have you made an all-in commitment to follow Jesus?
In the selected verses the term capstone is used to refer to Jesus by the writer of Acts. In building an arc using stone, the capstone was the final stone inserted, and it allowed the arc to be maintained. Its placement was critical to allowing the arc to be a stable structure. Until placement the arc would fall apart, but when it was placed the structure would stand. Jesus referred to Himself as the capstone that is required to support the church on this earth. Without Jesus as the capstone the earthly church will collapse. Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Matthew 21:42). Jesus is telling His disciples that He is the capstone, but the Jews have rejected Him as their Savior, therefore, Jesus became the capstone of the earthly church formed by those who recognized that He is indeed the long-awaited Savior of the world.
Peter wrote about the fact that Jesus is the required piece or capstone needed to support the structure of the church in this world. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1Peter 2:7-8). So, all people who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will realize how important Jesus is, and that He is the only way, by which mankind can be saved, and thus, “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.” On the other hand, those who do not take Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, Jesus becomes "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
All worldly religions follow some member of mankind who established some orderly routines to follow in the hope that such traditions will somehow allow them to enter a better life, when they pass from this lifetime. All such religions require each person to follow some pattern of deeds that must be fulfilled correctly for their immortal soul to be saved in some form of an afterlife. Jesus tried to reason with the Israelites, so they could accept Him as their Messiah, by indicating He was this capstone referred to in their Scriptures. Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:17-19). The Jews were fouled by clinging to their manmade rules, instead of recognizing that Jesus was their Savior.
Following is one the Old Testament Scriptures Jesus was referring to when He tried to convince the Jews that He was in fact the long-awaited Savior they were looking forward to coming to offer them salvation. David wrote this Psalm as a form of worship and recognition of who Jesus was, and why he had come to this earth. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:22-24). It was obvious David believed that a messiah was coming as promised, and so did many other Israelites, but they did not recognize Jesus as the one who would come.
Haven’t you read this scripture: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?" (Mark 12:10-11). Have you read the Scriptures to learn that Jesus is in fact the Savior of the world promised many years ago by God? Can you accept this wonderful account of how Jesus is obviously the fulfillment of the many prophesies given us in the Old Testament, and then fulfilled by Jesus life, death and resurrection, as written by the New Testament writers? Jesus is the capstone that supports the only true church in this world, which is the body of Christ. It is the members of mankind who believe that Jesus is who He said He is, the Son of God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)
He is "‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
The term all-in has more than one meaning, one meaning is it to place a bet in playing poker, signifying you are betting all the money or wager chips you have. Another meaning is you are offering everything you have in support of a shared commitment, such as, committing a supreme effort to the church of your choice! In my family, this word all-in also meant to be totally exhausted, so tired you just could not continue working! Isaiah wrote about when a person has made an all-in effort to the Lord; their power will be renewed in an almost unlimited fashion. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:30-31). Have you made an all-in commitment to follow Jesus?
In the selected verses the term capstone is used to refer to Jesus by the writer of Acts. In building an arc using stone, the capstone was the final stone inserted, and it allowed the arc to be maintained. Its placement was critical to allowing the arc to be a stable structure. Until placement the arc would fall apart, but when it was placed the structure would stand. Jesus referred to Himself as the capstone that is required to support the church on this earth. Without Jesus as the capstone the earthly church will collapse. Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Matthew 21:42). Jesus is telling His disciples that He is the capstone, but the Jews have rejected Him as their Savior, therefore, Jesus became the capstone of the earthly church formed by those who recognized that He is indeed the long-awaited Savior of the world.
Peter wrote about the fact that Jesus is the required piece or capstone needed to support the structure of the church in this world. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1Peter 2:7-8). So, all people who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will realize how important Jesus is, and that He is the only way, by which mankind can be saved, and thus, “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.” On the other hand, those who do not take Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, Jesus becomes "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
All worldly religions follow some member of mankind who established some orderly routines to follow in the hope that such traditions will somehow allow them to enter a better life, when they pass from this lifetime. All such religions require each person to follow some pattern of deeds that must be fulfilled correctly for their immortal soul to be saved in some form of an afterlife. Jesus tried to reason with the Israelites, so they could accept Him as their Messiah, by indicating He was this capstone referred to in their Scriptures. Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:17-19). The Jews were fouled by clinging to their manmade rules, instead of recognizing that Jesus was their Savior.
Following is one the Old Testament Scriptures Jesus was referring to when He tried to convince the Jews that He was in fact the long-awaited Savior they were looking forward to coming to offer them salvation. David wrote this Psalm as a form of worship and recognition of who Jesus was, and why he had come to this earth. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:22-24). It was obvious David believed that a messiah was coming as promised, and so did many other Israelites, but they did not recognize Jesus as the one who would come.
Haven’t you read this scripture: "‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?" (Mark 12:10-11). Have you read the Scriptures to learn that Jesus is in fact the Savior of the world promised many years ago by God? Can you accept this wonderful account of how Jesus is obviously the fulfillment of the many prophesies given us in the Old Testament, and then fulfilled by Jesus life, death and resurrection, as written by the New Testament writers? Jesus is the capstone that supports the only true church in this world, which is the body of Christ. It is the members of mankind who believe that Jesus is who He said He is, the Son of God!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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