Come to Fulfill | Part 17 | Matthew 21:12-46

Title: Glory Thieves: Confronting Our Tendency to Usurp God's Authority

Sermon Summary: This sermon explores the concept of "glory theft" - the human tendency to take for ourselves the honor, glory, and authority that rightfully belong to God. Using Jesus' confrontation with religious leaders in the temple as a backdrop, the sermon challenges listeners to examine their own lives for areas where they might be usurping God's authority or making sin comfortable. It emphasizes the importance of building our lives on Christ as the cornerstone and giving all glory to God.

Key Points:
- Glory theft is a form of rebellion against God, taking for ourselves what is meant for Him
- Religious leaders of Jesus' time exemplified glory theft by making the temple a "den of robbers"
- We often conflate "come as you are" with "stay as you are," excusing sin instead of repenting
- The pretense of holiness without spiritual fruit is another form of glory theft
- Authority agnosticism, or feigning ignorance about moral truths, is a way to avoid submitting to God's authority
- Building our lives on Christ as the cornerstone and giving God all glory is the antidote to glory theft

Scripture Reference:
- Matthew 21:12-46

Stories:
- Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
- Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-41)
- Jesus cursing the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22)