Our Cornerstone

If we can turn back to our reading in Isaiah chapter 28. I'm reading at the beginning of this section at verse 14.

Isaiah 28 · chapter mention

! Isaiah 28 at verse 14, where we read,

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.

Because you have said, we have made a covenant with death and with Sheol, we have an agreement.

When the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not come to us.

We have made lies, our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God,

Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation.

Whoever believes will not be in haste.

You see a great contrast in these two verses.

You hear the word of the people in the day.

We have made a covenant with death, they say.

We have everything in our hands.

We have this protection over ourselves.

And we will find refuge in our lies.

And then you see the contrast of that with what the Lord is saying in verse 16.

Thus says the Lord God,

Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone.

And really the contrast there is before us in where are the people finding their refuge?

One, the people are making a refuge in their lies.

And the other one is God calling the people to make their refuge with him.

And in the security of the precious cornerstone that has a sure foundation.

A few weeks ago at the beginning of this month, we had a communion weekend where we came together and remembered the Lord's death together.

And we took part or many of us took part in the Lord's Supper.

Many watched on perhaps as the Lord's Supper was dispensed.

And part of coming to the Lord's Supper, to the Lord's Table, is when we are challenged to ask ourselves, where are we with the Lord?

We call it examining ourselves.

And every one of us should do that as we come to the Lord's Table.

But it should never be the only time we do it.

Maybe it's highlighted at that time in a way where we think, well, can I go to the Lord's Table?

And there's maybe a sense of that overwhelming feeling, I can't.

I'm not worthy.

But even as we come away from the Lord's Table, as we go on, maybe looking ahead to the next one,

do we wait until the next one comes round in August before we ask ourselves, am I worthy of sitting at the Lord's Table?

Am I any better than I was the last time when I didn't?

Or even if I did sit there, maybe I'm feeling more unworthy now than I was then.

We're examining ourselves all the time.

It's not just at one point as we approach the Lord's Supper.

We should be examining ourselves on a daily basis.

And examining ourselves in the light of God's Word.

In looking to this morning and the service we heard this morning,

did you go home and examine yourself in light of what you heard?

Did you take it in?

Did you ponder it?

Did you think about it?

Well, think about who is my example?

Who am I looking to?

Who am I seeking to follow?

Who are the good people around me that I can learn from?

Who can I encourage?

How can I keep going?

Did you examine yourself under all of these things that Gordon was preaching to us this morning under the heading of grace?

Or even as we come this evening, do you come here to hear the Word of God?

In the sense of, I'm going to go away and think about what I'm hearing.

Think about what is being put before me again.

And examine myself in light of this Word.

And ask myself, where am I finding my refuge?

Is it in the lies of this world?

Or is it in this cornerstone, this precious stone that God shows to us as the person of Jesus Christ?

As we look at Isaiah chapter 28 here, we find a people who are examining themselves.

Isaiah 28 · chapter mention

And they're examining themselves in light of everything that's going on around them.

And they're basically coming to the conclusion, as we so often see in Scripture, that, well, we can go on without God.

We don't need God.

We're going to make refuge, lies, a refuge.

We're going to make falsehood the place where we take shelter.

And it sounds absurd to us.

And so it did to God in his day as well, because he comes and speaks to them in a very different way.

And he assures them that there they will find no hope.

And yet, when we see everything that's going on around us, and we think of the days of Isaiah,

when the people were examining themselves in light of the standards of others around them,

and thinking, we're going to go this way.

We're going to do this.

And we don't need God's help in the midst of this.

We can decide ourselves.

We look at our own nation.

We look at the world in which we're living today, and we see the exact same ideas going on.

We'll find refuge in our lies.

We'll make falsehood the place where we take shelter.

And we'll call it wisdom.

We'll call it progress.

We'll call it we're getting on fine, and we'll put God out of the equation.

But just as it was in the days of Isaiah, when God was warning of the seriousness of judgment that was upon the people,

if they continued in this manner, so it is for ourselves today.

Things are not at a distance from us this evening, where we think, well, it's not really impacting me,

what our nation has decided, whether it's to do with infants,

or whether it's to do with when we come to that point of dying in our lives, and who is in control.

Or when we think of the wars and the rumors of wars that are going on around us, it's not at a distance.

God is speaking.

And God is speaking, not just to a few people in a few places.

He is speaking to every one of us.

Here and throughout the world, God is speaking to us.

And he's showing us the kind of judgment that he can bring upon a people of this world.

And none of us know how far that judgment might go.

Often we get asked the question these days, do you think this is the end times?

So many people have that in the back of their minds.

Is this it?

We don't know.

We don't know because the word of God doesn't tell us exactly when it will come.

But it does give us instruction as to the kind of things that we're going to see before it does come.

We're going to see the wickedness of man in so many different ways.

The evil being poured out in our world.

Much of it done in the name of progress and wisdom.

But God is warning us.

God is warning us that yes, we are in the last days.

We don't know when the Lord will return.

We don't know how far things will go.

But we know that we are living in the last days.

And the Lord is going to come.

And when he comes, he will judge his people.

And when we think of everything that's going on around us today,

does it give us a sense of urgency?

Does it make you ask this evening,

where am I finding my refuge?

Where am I looking in this world in which I'm living,

in the life that I am living,

where am I finding my hope?

Where am I finding what will give me hope?

Not just for just now, but for eternity.

We are being warned.

The Lord is speaking.

And he is showing us a sense of his judgment upon us.

But are we listening?

Or are we like the people here in Isaiah who will say,

no, we'll carry on and make lies our refuge.

The fool, as we sang in Psalm 14,

the fool says in his heart,

there is no God.

And it is foolish to think that tonight,

that there is no God.

But it's also foolish to know there is a God

and not to take refuge in him.

To say I'm not good enough to come to him.

To say I'm too much of a sinner to come to him.

That is foolishness.

Because we need him.

We can make different kinds of lies our refuge.

The lies of the world, but also the lies in our own heart.

That God would have nothing to do with me.

Or that I do not need God.

We are fools to think that.

Instead, we should see what God is saying and saying to us here in verse 16,

behold, I am the one who has laid us a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone of sure foundation.

There is this stone.

And what he's speaking about here is not just a physical stone,

as we would think,

but he is speaking about the Lord Jesus

as the cornerstone, the precious stone.

And it says at the end of this verse in 16,

whoever believes will not be in haste,

will not be in panic,

but instead will have a calm and a peace

because we know our refuge in Christ.

So the difference is there for us to see.

And this passage reminds us of what we have in Christ.

And as we examine ourselves under God's word tonight

to ask ourselves,

how are we with God this evening?

Are we finding our refuge in him?

Is he the precious cornerstone of my life

in which I am taking refuge?

We look at ourselves and we panic.

We look at ourselves and we feel fear.

But what are we to do?

We are to do as Robert Murray McShane once said.

He was a minister in Dundee,

died at a young age in his twenties.

But he once said this,

for every look at yourself,

take ten looks at Christ.

For he is altogether lovely,

such infinite majesty,

and yet such meekness and grace,

and all for sinners,

even the chief of sinners.

For every look at yourself,

take ten looks to Christ.

And so as we look at God's word this evening,

let's not just look at ourselves.

But let's look at this precious cornerstone

that is Jesus Christ our Lord.

And there see where we can find

a place of refuge,

a place of calm.

But the first thing we want to see

about this stone as we look at it this evening,

the stone that is Christ,

is the first thing we think about is

the stone that is rejected,

that we sang of in Psalm 118.

The psalmist there is closely tied in

with what Isaiah is saying about the cornerstone.

In verse 22 of Psalm 118,

the stone the builders had refused,

had rejected,

it has become the cornerstone.

But you see,

first of all,

it was rejected by many.

And this chapter,

chapter 28 of Isaiah,

is really showing the judgment

that is coming upon the people.

It's right throughout the first half of

Isaiah up to chapter 40.

You see the judgment

that is about to come.

Then from chapter 40 onwards,

you see the Lord then calling

his people back to himself

in the midst of judgment.

But here it is still to come.

There is the warning.

In many ways,

that's where we are tonight as well.

We are under the warning

of the judgment of God.

And in verse 14,

as we come in this chapter,

it says,

therefore,

and so it's showing,

it's important

what has just been said

in the beginning of the chapter.

Under this judgment

that you are under,

therefore it says,

hear the word of the Lord.

Hear what the Lord is saying.

And what you find is,

what's happened is,

the people are rejecting God.

They are turning away from God.

And it's happened in Isaiah's day

among the religious leaders

as well as the political leaders.

They've all turned away from God.

And the rot has set in.

And that is what we see

to this very day.

God is judging this nation

because the people,

the leaders,

have turned away from God.

At the time of national crisis

in the midst of the people

in Isaiah's day,

a time when the nation

was coming under threat,

the people,

instead of turning to God,

turned away from him.

And you see,

in verse 14,

it says,

hear the word of the Lord,

you scoffers.

You scoffers there

mean that this is

a repeated practice.

It's not just a one-off.

But the people are doing it

again and again and again.

Every decision that they're making,

every direction they're turning,

it's all going away from God

again and again and again.

And you see it in verse 15.

It's their own wisdom.

It says there,

because you have said.

They are making all

their own decisions,

using their own wisdom.

Instead of listening

to what the Lord is saying,

they're listening to themselves.

And where do they end up?

They end up,

we have made a covenant

with death.

death.

This is the way

that we are going.

And does it not

speak into our situation

today?

This is the way

that we are going.

This is the direction

we are choosing to turn

in our own wisdom.

We will take all these matters

of life and death

into our own hands.

And where does it lead us?

To find refuge

in lies.

To find shelter

in falsehood.

And there is hope

in any of these things

is foolishness.

It's like we read of

in Matthew,

or Jesus preaches

in Matthew chapter 7,

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

the wise and the foolish

builder.

The Lord is saying here

in Isaiah 28,

hear the word of the Lord.

Listen,

but they don't.

And so what is the outcome?

The same as it would be

in Matthew 7.

Everyone who hears

these words of mine

and does not do them

will be like a foolish man

who built his house

on the sand.

And the rain fell

and the floods came

and the winds blew

and beat against the house

and it fell

and great

was the fall

of it.

There is the outcome

of this wisdom.

It's foolishness.

Foolishness.

It's foolishness.

To go on listening

to our own wisdom

is foolishness.

To go on

in the direction

that we are going

rejecting God,

it is foolishness

and there will be

a great destruction.

The Lord

is being rejected.

Isaiah 53,

Isaiah 53:3

verse 3,

he speaks,

we've looked at it recently,

he's despised

and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows

and acquainted with grief.

Again,

speaking about

the Lord Jesus.

In John,

John 1:10

chapter 1,

verse 10,

he was in the world

and the world

was made through him

yet the world

did not know him.

He came to his own

and his own people

did not receive him.

He was rejected.

rejected.

The cornerstone

of Psalm 118,

rejected.

And so it asks

ourselves this evening,

what are we doing

with this cornerstone?

What are we doing

with Jesus?

As you look at yourself,

as you examine yourself,

are you rejecting him again?

Are you making lies

your refuge?

Are you making falsehood

your shelter?

Are you rejecting

the Lord Jesus Christ?

Instead of looking at him,

we're looking to ourselves.

We'll go back to

Robert Murray McShane's quote

when he said,

for every look at you,

take it yourself,

take ten looks at Christ.

He went on to say this,

let your soul be filled

with heart ravishing sense

of the sweetness

and excellency of Christ

and all that is in him.

Let the Holy Spirit

fill every chamber

of your heart

and so there will be

no room for folly

or the world

or Satan

or the flesh.

By rejecting Jesus,

we are making room

for folly,

the world,

Satan

and the flesh.

And so McShane was saying,

look to him.

Look to him

that the Spirit of God

might fill

every chamber

of your heart.

So as you examine

your heart this evening,

what is in there?

Is it yourself

or is it Christ?

Somebody commenting

on what McShane commented

there was saying this,

here is the punchline

to the entire thought.

The excellency of Christ

is both the brilliant contrast

to the sin

in our hearts

and the remedy

to the sin

we find there.

the brilliant contrast

to the sin

in our hearts

is the excellency

of Christ.

So as we look

at our hearts

and we see

the sin in our hearts,

we see

the excellency

of Christ

and we see there

the remedy

for the sin

that we find in it.

So it's not about

rejecting

Christ.

Christ.

It's about

receiving him,

trusting him.

The fool

says in his heart,

there is no God.

So don't

be foolish

this evening.

Well the second thing

we see as we move on here

is we see

the grounded stone.

We see the foundation

of this stone.

What happened

to the stone

that was rejected

in Psalm 118?

It became

the cornerstone.

It became

that foundation

to everything.

And there

we are reminded

of Christ.

He was rejected

by many

and yet

all the time

he was being made

that sure foundation

of our faith.

And the psalmist

says

this is the Lord's

doing.

It is marvelous

in our eyes.

is it marvelous

in your eyes

this evening

that you can look

to Christ

and see the

excellency of Christ

and know that Christ

is the one

who is able

to fill your heart

and find refuge

in him.

I say I may have

been writing

700 years

before

the coming

of the Lord

Jesus Christ

yet you see

here

Christ

in verse 16

behold I am

the one

who has laid

as a foundation

in Zion

a stone

a tested

stone

a precious

cornerstone

of a sure

foundation.

We see it

here

the cornerstone

is Christ.

Jesus himself

when he was

standing

before the scribes

and the Pharisees

he quoted

Psalm 118

in Matthew

Matthew 21:42

21

verse 42

he says

the stone

the builders

reject

has become

the cornerstone

but they

couldn't see it

they were rejecting

him

and here was

the Lord

that stone

before them

and here we

have the Lord

before us

this evening

and are we

rejecting him

as well?

We would be

foolish.

Peter

and Paul

in the New

Testament

they use

this verse

as well

in 1 Peter

1 Peter 2:6

chapter 2

verse 6

Peter says

here

for it

stands

in scripture

behold

I am

laying

in Zion

a stone

a cornerstone

chosen

and precious

and whoever

believes

in him

will not

be put

to shame

you see

he adds

that

believes

in him

the stone

is Christ

and so

why

was Jesus

quoting

Psalm 118

why was

Peter

and Paul

why would

they both

quote

this verse

from Isaiah

to encourage

a people

in their

faith

to bring

them

to see

their need

of Christ

that this

stone

is what

they need

for their

salvation

that's what's

spelled out

for us

in verse

16

and it

uses

these

different

phrases

as laid

a foundation

in Zion

a stone

a tested

stone

a precious

cornerstone

and saying

so much

to us

there

saying so

much

that the

people

would

recognize

when people

were building

in those

days

there would

be a

substantial

stone

that was

set

in the

ground

on which

everything

else

was built

so there

was no

mistaking

what God

was saying

the stone

was required

for building

on and

the Lord

is saying

here

I have

set

this stone

a tested

stone

a precious

cornerstone

and that is

what he is

building

his church

on

so that even

as the world

is shaken

as the world

is rocked

as even

maybe at times

when our faith

is rocked

we have

this precious

cornerstone

it is

the foundation

on which

everything

is built

we are not

building

on our

own wisdom

we are

building on

the wisdom

of God

who has

given us

this stone

God

is building

his church

and he is

building it

on the rock

that is

Jesus Christ

I was

watching a

building

program

this last

week and

somebody

had bought

a plot

of land

and they

wanted to

build a

house on

it

and they

knew the

ground

wasn't the

best but

they didn't

realise just

how bad

it was

when they

started clearing

the ground

you could see

this digger

just digging

in and

underneath the

top layer

of soil

they had

clay

and the

clay was

just going

down and

down and

down

it was

just seemed

to be

never ending

and they

were so

amazed

at the

depth

and it

caused

them

panic

because

they realised

we can't

build here

we've got

to hit

rock

now the

builder

could easily

have said

well we've

gone down

far enough

we'll just

build on

this clay

they don't

really need

to know

but he

couldn't

because he

knew that

very soon

if they did

that the

building was

going to

start to

give way

it didn't

have a

sure

foundation

and when

you look at

the people

in Isaiah's

day here

their foundation

was very

much on

clay

their wisdom

was in the

lies that

they were

taking refuge

in and

falsehood

they had

taken shelter

so what was

going to

happen

it's all

going to

come

crumbling

down

and the

wisdom of

this world

is just

like that

it's being

built on

a foundation

that is

weak

and it's

going to

come crumbling

down

but the

Lord didn't

spare anything

when he laid

this foundation

a very different

foundation

this stone

the foundation

stone in

Zion

a stone

a tested

stone

he spared

nothing

he gave

his son

that he

might give

his life

for his

people

that Jesus

would be the

foundation

of our

faith

Gordon was

mentioning this

morning of

our righteousness

when our

righteousness is

in ourselves

it's got no

foundation

Paul was

saying there

in Philippines

he had all

of these

things he

could claim

as his

own

foundation

his own

righteousness

but it was

nothing

it was

rubbish

compared to

the surpassing

worth of

knowing Christ

Jesus

as Lord

tested

stone

a precious

stone

the stone

that the

builders would

use would be

an expensive

stone

it would be

a costly

stone

because it

needed to

be secure

it needed to

be right

for the

foundation

and God

did not

spare

anything

the cost

was paid

in full

what are we

relying on

our

falsehood

our lies

or the

stone

that is

Jesus

Christ

probably the

young people

here just

now tonight

but did

you get any

school reports

in the last

few weeks

when you come

to the end

of term

or maybe

you're waiting

for results

of exams

it can be a

bit of an

anxious time

there was

once a

school boy

brought home

his school

report

and it

had very

poor

grades

he didn't

do very

well

at all

and he

gave it to

his father

his father

read it

and he

said to

him

what do

you have

to say

about this

you haven't

done well

and the wee

boy replied

well there's

one thing

dad for

sure

you can

be proud

of me

I

didn't

cheat

finding a

positive

in the

midst of

everything

else

that was

negative

when we

stand

before

God

and he

looks at

us

and we

failed

in so

many

things

what are

we going

to say

to him

all we

can do

is be

honest

and if

we're

saying

it is

not in

my

righteousness

we are

saying

I haven't

tried to

cheat

I haven't

tried to

do things

by myself

I haven't

tried to

do things

in my

own way

I haven't

been the

one who

has made

lies my

refuge

or taken

shelter in

falsehood

I haven't

done any

of these

things

Lord

from the

depths

I cried

to you

like the

psalmist

says

because that

is all

we can

do

all we

can do

is look

and see

the precious

cornerstone

that is

Jesus

Christ

to try

and do

anything

else

is cheating

we're

cheating

God

we're

making

him out

to be

a liar

we're

making

out his

word

to be

false

if we

can

say

we'll

go

by

ourselves

and

our

own

wisdom

he is

calling

us

to put

our

trust

in

him

as we

read in

John

those few

verses

in

verse

10

where

the

people

rejected

the

Lord

it

goes

on

to

say

in

verse

12

and

13

but

to

all

who

did

receive

and

who

believed

in

his

name

he

gave

the

right

to

become

the

children

of

God

that is

what we

are

through

faith

through

believing

in him

through

trusting

in him

and the

stone

that he

has

given

the

Christ

that he

has

given

are

are we

listening

to

his

word

that is

the

question

and as

we

close

it's

a

question

I

want

to

put

to

you

are

you

listening

to

what

the

Lord

is

saying

are

you

examining

yourself

in the

light

of

his

word

to

us

where

there

are

two

places

we

can

take

refuge

in the

lies

of

this

world

or in

the

rock

the

cornerstone

that is

Jesus

Christ

I said

before

whoever

believes

will not

be in

haste

it means

they will

find their

calm

their

peace

in the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

Christ

is

a

living

stone

it

means

that

we

can

look

to

him

who

died

for

our

sins

who

was

raised

from

the

dead

and

who

was

triumphant

over

sin

it

is

the

stone

that

his

church

is

being

built

upon

what

is

our

vision

of

the

Lord

Jesus

do

we

see

the

excellency

of

Christ

as

we

look

to

him

look

at

yourself

once

but

look

to

Christ

ten

times

and

what

do

you

see

in

this

world

when

we

look

into

ourselves

we

feel

a

sense

of

worry

anxious

about

everything

that's

going

on

around

us

but

when

we

look

to

Christ

we

see

the

one

on

whom

the

church

is

being

built

a

church

that

is

secure

not

just

for

today

but

for

all

eternity

New

York

today

is a

huge

city

population

of

over

8

million

people

and

it

covers

a

vast

area

but

when

people

first

came

to

New

York

as it

is

now

it

was

initially

called

New

Amsterdam

by a

Dutch

colony

and

they

set

up

their

own

colony

there

and

they

only

went

so

far

into

Manhattan

as it

is

now

and

there

they

built

a

wall

because

they

thought

that's

as

far

as

we're

going

to

go

it'll

keep

us

safe

in

our

place

and

it'll

protect

us

from

those

the

Native

Americans

and

others

who

might

come

and

if

you

know

you

New

York

today

there's

a

street

called

Wall

Street

and

that's

where

this

original

wall

was

built

and

the

name

stuck

but

if

you

look

on

a

map

now

you

find

Wall

Street

beyond

it

is

a

mass

of

streets

the

people

only

thought

they

would

go

so

far

and

populate

a

small

area

but

now

it's

stretching

beyond

what

the

eye

can

see

with

over

8

million

people

living

in

New

York

and

its

surrounding

areas

the

people

who

first

landed

there

they

thought

this

will

be

us

but

as

it's

gone

on

it's

exceeded

what

anybody

could

see

well

when you

look at

the

church

in the

days

of

Jesus

when you

go

to

the

book

of

Acts

and

you

find

a

small

number

what

you

find

is

Jesus

speaking

to

them

and

saying

you're

going

to be

my

witnesses

here

in

Jerusalem

going

out

to

Judea

and

going

to

all

the

ends

of

the

earth

the

church

we

were

being

told

then

is

going

to

grow

and

the

church

is

still

growing

today

because

the

foundation

is

Jesus

Christ

and

his

church

is

being

built

until

he

comes

so

whatever

else

is

torn

down

in

our

world

whatever

else

shakes

our

world

today

and

our

world

is

being

shaken

it's

being

shaken

by

the

lies

that

people

take

refuge

in

it's

been

shaken

by

the

falsehood

that

people

find

hope

in

by

rejecting

God

don't

be

foolish

tonight

God

is

speaking

to

us

he

is

building

his

church

its

foundation

is

Jesus

Christ

a

precious

cornerstone

who

gave

himself

for

his

church

are

you

taking

refuge

in

the

lies

of

this

world

are

you

examining

yourself

under

the

word

of

God

and

saying

I

don't

need

him

you

need

him

now

because

God

is

sending

his

judgment

but

he has

offered

salvation

in

Christ

and

so

he

says

behold

I am

the one

who has

laid

as a

foundation

in

Zion

a

stone

a

tested

stone

a

precious

cornerstone

of sure

foundation

whoever

believes

in

him

we can

add

will

not

be put

to

shame

do

you

believe

in

Jesus

today

is a

day when

we see

so much

to make

us fear

in this

world

but for

every look

we take

at ourselves

take

ten looks

to Christ

his

excellency

his

beauty

and find

your

refuge

in

him

let us

pray

Lord our

gracious

God

we thank

you

that in

the world

that's full

of lies

and falsehoods

that we

do have

one

who is

truth

and who

is described

as we

have read

as that

precious

cornerstone

that sure

foundation

and help

us this

evening

that we

might find

our refuge

in him

so we

might be

safe

and secure

in a

world full

of trouble

that we

would see

that our

eternity

and our

eternal

life

is secure

through

faith in

him

Lord hear

us we

pray

and forgive

us our

sins

as we

ask all

in his

precious

name

Amen

we'll

conclude

by singing

to God's

praise

in

Psalm

96

in

the

Scottish

Psalter

Psalm

96

we're

going to

sing from

verse

10

down to

the end

of the

psalm

to God's

praise

among the

heathens

say

God

reigns

the

world

shall

steadfast