Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:04.400
Various portions of scripture this month.
I will continue to do so this morning.
2
00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:11.230
Today we consider again the Promised Messiah, the one who has been a
3
00:00:11.910 --> 00:00:16.989
promised in the Old Testament, and
we have seen those promises fulfilled in Jesus
4
00:00:17.030 --> 00:00:23.859
Christ. So we look at several
scriptures today. I want to begin front
5
00:00:24.019 --> 00:00:30.699
with acts, the book of acts, Chapter One, ten through eleven.
6
00:00:31.019 --> 00:00:52.640
Two verses. There Acts One,
versus ten through eleven. And while they
7
00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:56.799
were gazing into heaven as he went
behold, two men stood by them in
8
00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:02.359
white robes and said, men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking to
9
00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:07.590
heaven? This Jesus, who is
taken up from you into heaven, will
10
00:01:07.670 --> 00:01:11.510
come again, or will come in
the same way as you saw him go
11
00:01:11.069 --> 00:01:37.370
into heaven. All right, let's
turn now to first Thessalonians for first Thessalonians
12
00:01:37.450 --> 00:01:55.959
for verses thirteen through eighteen. First
Thussalonians four, verse thirteen. But we
13
00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:00.319
do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep,
14
00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:05.629
that you may not grieve as others
do who have no hope for since
15
00:02:05.709 --> 00:02:09.270
we believe that Jesus died and rose
again. Even so, through Jesus,
16
00:02:09.990 --> 00:02:15.150
God will bring with him those who
have fallen asleep. For this we declare
17
00:02:15.189 --> 00:02:17.340
to you, by a word from
the Lord, that we who are alive,
18
00:02:17.460 --> 00:02:21.939
who are left until the coming of
the Lord, will not proceed those
19
00:02:21.979 --> 00:02:25.740
who have fallen asleep, for the
Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a
20
00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:30.689
cry of command, with the Voice
of an archangel and with the sound of
21
00:02:30.810 --> 00:02:36.090
the trumpet of God, and the
dead in Christ will rise first. Then
22
00:02:36.210 --> 00:02:38.729
we who are alive, who are
left, will be caught up together with
23
00:02:38.849 --> 00:02:43.810
them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so we
24
00:02:43.930 --> 00:02:49.080
will always be with the Lord.
Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
25
00:02:52.319 --> 00:03:16.460
And now Hebrew use nine Hebrews Nine, verses twenty seven and twenty eight.
26
00:03:24.020 --> 00:03:28.530
And just as it is appointed for
man to die once and after that
27
00:03:28.729 --> 00:03:32.370
comes judgment, so Christ, having
been offered once to bear the sins of
28
00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:38.530
many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to
29
00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:45.159
save those who are eagerly waiting for
him. And then one more revelation,
30
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:53.039
Chapter Twenty One, the last book
of the Bible. Revelation twenty one,
31
00:03:53.120 --> 00:04:14.099
versus one through seven. Then I
saw a new heaven and a new earth,
32
00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:17.139
for the first heaven and the first
Earth had passed away in the sea
33
00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:20.939
was no more, and I saw
the whole only city, New Jerusalem,
34
00:04:21.459 --> 00:04:26.930
coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her
35
00:04:26.930 --> 00:04:30.730
husband. And I heard a loud
voice from the throne saying, behold,
36
00:04:30.730 --> 00:04:34.889
the dwelling place of God is with
Ma'am. He will dwell with them and
37
00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:39.839
they will be his people, and
God himself will be with them as their
38
00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:44.360
God. He will wipe away every
tear from their eyes, and death shall
39
00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:48.720
be no more. Neither shall there
be mourning, nor crying, nor pain
40
00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:55.829
anymore, for the former things have
passed away. And he who was seated
41
00:04:55.870 --> 00:04:59.910
on the throne said, behold,
I am making all things new. Also,
42
00:04:59.949 --> 00:05:02.790
he said, write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true.
43
00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:08.060
And he said to me, it
is done. I am the Alpha
44
00:05:08.220 --> 00:05:12.220
and the Omega, the beginning in
the end, to the thirsty. I
45
00:05:12.259 --> 00:05:15.699
will give from the spring of the
water of life without payment. The one
46
00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:20.449
who conquers will have this heritage and
I will be his God and he will
47
00:05:20.490 --> 00:05:30.170
be my son. So number of
passages here this morning, all that speak
48
00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:35.720
to the coming of our Lord and
Savior. It's a reminder to us why
49
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:42.399
Jesus came, why the son of
God became incarnate, why he took on
50
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:48.759
human flesh? It was so ultimately, that he would die and then rise
51
00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:56.029
from the dead, victorious over death, and that victory, that resurrection,
52
00:05:56.269 --> 00:06:01.189
was the beginning of the end,
the beginning of the accomplishment of making all
53
00:06:01.389 --> 00:06:09.740
things new, including our own resurrection
from the dead and our own entrance into
54
00:06:10.819 --> 00:06:18.250
glory, perfect fellowship, consummated life, splendor, holiness, with no more
55
00:06:18.410 --> 00:06:27.370
pain or crying and more sorrow.
The humility by which Jesus came into the
56
00:06:27.410 --> 00:06:30.649
world, with which he came into
the world, that form that he took
57
00:06:30.769 --> 00:06:35.879
on, was not the final thing. It was leading somewhere, was leading
58
00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:43.000
to the Cross and ultimately to heaven, not only for himself but for all
59
00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.389
of us. As we've considered the
Promised Messiah, we've seen him as the
60
00:06:46.430 --> 00:06:50.509
final word, as the mediator of
a new covenant, as the Son of
61
00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:54.709
God, as the son of man. We've seen him as the one who
62
00:06:54.750 --> 00:06:59.069
is anointed by the spirit, the
one who comes gentle and lowly, and
63
00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:04.180
all of these things are fulfilled in
Jesus of Nazareth. Today we come to
64
00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:09.139
one more, but certainly not the
last. Thing that we could say about
65
00:07:09.139 --> 00:07:12.339
him. There's much, much more
that we can and and do say,
66
00:07:12.660 --> 00:07:15.290
we do confess, but today we
come to this last one, that the
67
00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:21.410
promised Messiah is one who is to
appear again, to appear again. In
68
00:07:24.089 --> 00:07:30.000
the Old Testament, the coming of
the Promised Messiah was was seen in as
69
00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:35.160
a single event, or often expressed
in that way, which was confusing in
70
00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:41.720
some ways, a difficult to fully
understand, because on the one hand you
71
00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.110
have the coming of the son of
man, born of a bit virgin and
72
00:07:45.269 --> 00:07:49.470
all of those things, but you
also have the the cataclysmic end of the
73
00:07:49.550 --> 00:07:56.310
age, the crushing of all things, and we do not yet see those
74
00:07:56.350 --> 00:08:01.540
things consummated. Yet we know that
he's come. How does all this fit
75
00:08:01.660 --> 00:08:05.180
together? Well, the New Testament
makes this clear. Jesus himself teaches on
76
00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:09.060
these things, he explains them and
he just and he shows us how these
77
00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:16.850
events are one, but not all
at the same moment in time. There's
78
00:08:16.889 --> 00:08:24.209
some complicated things here, but the
thing to impress on your hearts today is
79
00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:28.519
that this one who is promised to
come and finish all things, finalize everything,
80
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.240
consummate everything, he has begun that
work. Indeed, as I said,
81
00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:39.960
the Resurrection has already begun in Christ, in his own resurrection from the
82
00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.070
dead, and and we are very
soon nearing the end. This is the
83
00:08:43.110 --> 00:08:46.509
way that the New Testament speaks,
and it points us to this hope of
84
00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:52.149
things to come, a hope that
I want to dwell with you on and
85
00:08:52.269 --> 00:08:58.139
perhaps even in a little bit this
morning. So let's consider what the scriptures
86
00:08:58.220 --> 00:09:05.340
say. First Acts One, we
are told that Jesus will come again.
87
00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:09.850
He they see him ascend up to
heaven, and we and they are told
88
00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:16.009
that he will descend in a similar
way. When we come to first Thessalonians,
89
00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:22.169
for we see that there is a
particular thing that Paul wants us to
90
00:09:22.289 --> 00:09:26.639
know. I love this. It's
a it's a good reminder of how closely
91
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:33.559
tied our doctrine and practice in our
lives. Listen to how Paul says this
92
00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:37.830
again in verse thirteen. He says, I don't want you to be uninformed,
93
00:09:37.870 --> 00:09:41.149
brothers, or in other words,
I want you to know something.
94
00:09:41.710 --> 00:09:46.509
Whenever you hear something like that from
the Bible, that's time to pay attention.
95
00:09:46.629 --> 00:09:50.389
Right. I want you to know
something now. Here's what it is
96
00:09:50.870 --> 00:09:56.059
about those who have fallen asleep.
That is those who have died don't grieve
97
00:09:56.460 --> 00:10:03.899
as those do who have no hope. Okay, why? Why do we
98
00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:05.419
grieve as those who have no hope? Or another words, why do we
99
00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:11.889
grieve as those who do have hope? Because, he says, we believe
100
00:10:11.929 --> 00:10:16.929
that Jesus died and rose again,
and even so so will those who have
101
00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:22.200
fallen asleep. You see the connection
he makes. He says that because this
102
00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:26.720
happened to Jesus, those who are
in him, those who have followed him,
103
00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:31.399
those who are his disciples, and
if trusted him, the same thing
104
00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:35.110
will be true of them. Paul
wants us to know something about those who
105
00:10:35.110 --> 00:10:41.110
follow asleep. He wants us to
know what happens to those who die,
106
00:10:41.629 --> 00:10:46.909
and he tells us how. That
how what he tells us by that word
107
00:10:46.950 --> 00:10:50.659
itself, Asleep. We are to
think of them as if they were asleep,
108
00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:54.860
because they will wake up. They
will rise up as a as a
109
00:10:56.100 --> 00:11:00.820
sleeping person rises up from their beds. These dead people will just as easily
110
00:11:00.899 --> 00:11:05.049
rise up when the Lord calls them
and says wake up, time to get
111
00:11:05.049 --> 00:11:09.610
up. The resurrection is here,
of course, with the voice of an
112
00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:20.919
Archangel and a trumpet and his all
his mighty angels. We know how sorrowful
113
00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:28.840
death is. We know how final
death feels. If you've been near dead
114
00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:33.110
body of either a person or an
animal, even plants in a way,
115
00:11:35.070 --> 00:11:48.059
the stillness of that body is always
remarkable. Least I think it is the
116
00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:52.940
stiffness of the body, the fact
that there is a body there, that
117
00:11:52.059 --> 00:11:56.419
it is the person, and yet
it's not the person. Something is missing,
118
00:11:56.659 --> 00:12:07.570
something is gone. That death is
always striking. There is such inability
119
00:12:07.690 --> 00:12:13.769
in it. It can't do anything, that person can't do anything anymore.
120
00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:20.360
There's no more one conversation to have, no more one more plan to make,
121
00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:24.759
one more thing to do. And
in all of our deaths there are
122
00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:33.470
always unfinished projects, poems, symphonies
left undone, things that were planned,
123
00:12:33.669 --> 00:12:39.269
we're anticipated, we're hoped for and
it's just not going to happen. When
124
00:12:39.309 --> 00:12:48.019
we die, death as this way
of making things stop and feel so final,
125
00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:52.500
and for that it rightly makes us
cry, it makes us grieve,
126
00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:58.850
it's sorrowful, it's terrible. But
what if you knew that, as final
127
00:12:58.970 --> 00:13:05.169
as death is, what if you
knew that death didn't get the last word?
128
00:13:07.490 --> 00:13:11.570
What if you knew that the last
word to come was in fact the
129
00:13:11.730 --> 00:13:16.759
Lord himself, descending from Heaven with
a cry and command, in a voice
130
00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:22.200
of an Archangel and the trumpet of
God, because when those who hear the
131
00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:30.830
Voice of Christ, they rise to
life in him. Augustine says, it's
132
00:13:30.830 --> 00:13:33.710
unavoidable, after all, that you
should be saddened, but when you feel
133
00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:41.740
sad, let hope console you.
But where does hope come from? Where
134
00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:48.779
does a hope come from that is
greater than death itself, this final stopping
135
00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:54.340
force that comes to us, the
one who conquers death, of course,
136
00:13:56.769 --> 00:14:03.610
the one who came and died,
complete, final, full stop, put
137
00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:13.240
in a tomb and then rose from
the dead, amazing his result. That's
138
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:18.879
why it is so important for us
to understand that our resurrection is connected to
139
00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:22.759
his resurrection. That's why, Paul
says at the end of this passage in
140
00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:28.870
First Thessalonians, encourage one another with
these words. Talk about this, tell
141
00:14:28.909 --> 00:14:33.710
about this, sing about it,
pray about it, encourage one another.
142
00:14:35.309 --> 00:14:43.179
The reason now that our resurrection is
connected to his resurrection is because our judgment
143
00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:50.779
is connected to the judgment that he
underwent. Let's look at that from Hebrews
144
00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:58.809
nine. I mean, if you're
turning with me turn a few more pages
145
00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:03.929
towards the end of your Bible's Hebrews
Nine, verses twenty seven through Twenty Eight,
146
00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:09.919
to remind you of this passage.
It says, and just as it
147
00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:16.639
is appointed for man to die once
and after that comes judgment, so Christ,
148
00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:22.029
having been offered once to bear the
sins of many, will appear a
149
00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:26.750
second time, not to deal with
sin but to save those who are eagerly
150
00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:33.870
waiting for him. So here the
author connects a new thing to what we've
151
00:15:33.870 --> 00:15:37.860
already considered. We've considered death,
and now he connects judgment to it.
152
00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:43.259
Two things, death and judgment.
Now some people think that there's no connection
153
00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:48.340
between these things. Some people think
that after you die nothing happens. But
154
00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:54.210
of course these people are only fooling
themselves. How do we know that death
155
00:15:54.370 --> 00:15:58.529
comes after judgment? Well, I
think there are two things at least we
156
00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:03.649
can point to. One God tells
us, and to it's a knowledge he's
157
00:16:03.690 --> 00:16:10.919
embedded in our very own souls,
perhaps our bodies. Even God reveals this
158
00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.919
to us. So on the first
one, that death and judgments are connected,
159
00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:19.669
we have the first reason I gave, that God tells us. I
160
00:16:19.870 --> 00:16:23.509
think that's a pretty good reason.
I hope you do too. We are
161
00:16:23.549 --> 00:16:27.990
always wondering about who to believe,
what to pay attention to. Hear.
162
00:16:29.789 --> 00:16:36.379
The one who made you tells you
that after death comes judgment. The one
163
00:16:36.419 --> 00:16:41.379
who created you and everything in this
world says that this is the way it
164
00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:48.169
is. Don't be so quick to
discount that fact. And one of the
165
00:16:48.250 --> 00:16:52.649
ways that God tells us, as
I mentioned, is embedding this in our
166
00:16:52.929 --> 00:17:00.049
own selves. For one, he
gives us a conscience, a conscience that's
167
00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:04.799
sensitive to right and to wrong.
What do I mean by this? That's
168
00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:11.160
kind of the same way that you
know instinctively which way is up, the
169
00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:18.430
difference between loud and soft, the
difference of smell between a rose and a
170
00:17:18.509 --> 00:17:23.910
can of garbage. You just know
the difference. You can tell you were
171
00:17:25.029 --> 00:17:29.509
made to be able and to be
capable of these things. It's what humans
172
00:17:29.549 --> 00:17:34.140
can do. It's yes, and
and are are moral sense of knowing right
173
00:17:34.259 --> 00:17:37.900
and wrong is the same way.
It's a sense, of course that can
174
00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:41.339
need to be developed. It's a
sense that we can ignore, but it's
175
00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:48.650
generally consistent, even across time and
cultures. And the second thing that God
176
00:17:48.809 --> 00:17:52.289
tells us in the way that he
made us in the way that he made
177
00:17:52.369 --> 00:17:56.809
this world. Is that this right
and wrong, this sense of one and
178
00:17:57.009 --> 00:18:04.559
the other, are not arbitrary.
They have meaning, they are not arbitrary
179
00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:12.150
things chosen. There are real differences
between good and evil because of the thing
180
00:18:12.349 --> 00:18:18.109
that makes them what they are,
which is God himself. Good is good
181
00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:22.910
and evil is evil because of their
relationship to him, who is the source
182
00:18:22.950 --> 00:18:30.140
of all things, who is the
determiner of all things. What makes good
183
00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:33.740
good and evil evil is not how
we feel about them, but it is
184
00:18:33.980 --> 00:18:38.980
in relation to God, who is
good and God who condemns evil. In
185
00:18:40.099 --> 00:18:44.609
other words, there aren't just rules, there is a rule maker, a
186
00:18:44.690 --> 00:18:52.450
rule enforcer, a judge and therefore
a judgment. After death comes judgment.
187
00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:56.680
When you can no longer do anything, it's time to find out how you
188
00:18:56.839 --> 00:19:03.400
did the test, the final exam, the end of the semester and accounting,
189
00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:08.359
death and then judgment, one then
the next. This is the order
190
00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:17.829
of things and it is appointed by
God. But here's what God does in
191
00:19:17.990 --> 00:19:22.950
Christ, in the promised one,
in the Messiah, in our Savior.
192
00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:29.660
By becoming a man, he was
able to die and did as a man,
193
00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:33.900
as a human being, and he
did so as a mediator. What
194
00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:41.690
does God say? To bear the
sins of many? This means that Jesus
195
00:19:41.809 --> 00:19:52.049
takes our judgment on himself. He
takes our judgment on himself so that when
196
00:19:52.130 --> 00:19:57.759
he appears again, we will not
undergo judgment for our sins. Why?
197
00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:04.599
Because judgment has passed. That part
has already been accomplished. As Paul says,
198
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:10.390
in Romans, there's no condemnation for
those who are in Jesus. Why?
199
00:20:10.829 --> 00:20:19.589
Because our sins have already been condemned
in Christ. Jesus US amazing for
200
00:20:19.829 --> 00:20:26.700
us. After we die, we
don't face the judgment again because we have
201
00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:33.660
already died. In Christ, because, though our bodies have not yet died,
202
00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:37.930
the Work of Resurrection has already begun, not only in Christ but in
203
00:20:38.049 --> 00:20:45.730
you two. You are, after
all, those who are born again by
204
00:20:45.809 --> 00:20:51.400
the Holy Spirit himself, that same
spirit who lifted up Christ from the dead
205
00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:56.880
and who will one day also lift
up your body from the dead. Jesus
206
00:20:56.920 --> 00:21:00.119
went to the Cross for us to
suffer judgment, to suffer its penalty,
207
00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:07.230
and then he rose from the dead, victorious over sin, victorious over death
208
00:21:07.950 --> 00:21:14.430
itself. So when he comes again
for those who are as the prescripture says,
209
00:21:14.549 --> 00:21:18.380
eagerly waiting for him. He doesn't
come to do another judgment. That's
210
00:21:18.420 --> 00:21:26.380
already happened. He comes to save
us, to save those who are eagerly
211
00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:30.420
waiting for him, and that salvation
takes us to our final passage and revelation
212
00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:38.049
twenty one, a salvation that is
so beautifully described there, when the Lord
213
00:21:38.289 --> 00:21:45.609
comes and his kingdom is revealed,
this new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven,
214
00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.039
a city which is perfect in every
way, and I only read you
215
00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:57.920
seven verses. There are many more
on that describe this wonderful place. The
216
00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:03.829
experience of that is described in the
Old Testament. Listen to Isaiah Forty thirty
217
00:22:03.910 --> 00:22:08.109
one. But they who waited on
the Lord shall renew their strength, they
218
00:22:08.150 --> 00:22:11.950
shall mount up with wings like Eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
219
00:22:12.069 --> 00:22:18.779
they shall walk and not be faint. It is very easy, is
220
00:22:18.859 --> 00:22:23.740
it not, to become discouraged in
our walk, to become discouraged in this
221
00:22:23.980 --> 00:22:30.490
world one year after another, two
thousand and twenty has been hard. But
222
00:22:30.650 --> 00:22:33.369
you know what, if you look
back at some of the other years,
223
00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:41.730
they weren't a lot great either.
Life is hard, it's full of difficulties,
224
00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:45.079
trials, deaths over and over again. And it doesn't mean that all
225
00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.839
are exactly the same. There of
course differences from one year to the next.
226
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:55.759
But it's easy. What I'm saying
is it's easy to feel the vanity
227
00:22:55.839 --> 00:23:00.190
of this world, the way things
just keep going and going and spinning and
228
00:23:00.309 --> 00:23:06.789
spinning and dying and dying, and
it's hard. It's easy to become discouraged.
229
00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:12.420
In our own Christian lives we face
so many obstacles. We fail again
230
00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:17.819
and again and again. We mess
it up again and again and again,
231
00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:22.900
even when we write our goals down
really clearly and we put our key objectives
232
00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:29.609
and we measure things and we could
set up accountability and and then we fail
233
00:23:29.650 --> 00:23:34.250
again. It doesn't mean there's no
growth. There is. God is working
234
00:23:34.329 --> 00:23:40.130
in us. I just mean that
I understand and even more importantly, Jesus
235
00:23:40.210 --> 00:23:47.400
understands, that it's hard. But
remember that Jesus didn't just become human to
236
00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:52.279
sympathize with us, which he certainly
does, but he became human to lift
237
00:23:52.319 --> 00:24:02.509
us up out of these things,
to give us perfection and hope and final
238
00:24:02.589 --> 00:24:07.869
accomplishment. John Calvin wrote, and
I've shared this with some of you recently.
239
00:24:08.549 --> 00:24:11.700
He says most of us are so
oppressed with weakness that we make little
240
00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:17.059
progress in this life. Staggering,
limping, crawling on the ground. And
241
00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:26.529
Crawling is hard work, right,
as our little ones know. Your knees
242
00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:30.970
gets scraped, it doesn't come fast. You try again and again and again.
243
00:24:33.890 --> 00:24:41.480
But you know what, dead people
don't crawl, and we're not dead.
244
00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:45.880
They crawl and they stagger and they
limp, but they are doing things
245
00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:52.200
and they are doing those things by
the power of God's grace working in us.
246
00:24:52.829 --> 00:24:57.509
And so you may want to soar
with eagles wings, and one day
247
00:24:57.630 --> 00:25:07.180
you will. One day your struggle
in sanctification will reach its highest end,
248
00:25:08.220 --> 00:25:18.779
perfect holiness, total glory to God. But until then we must remain steadfast.
249
00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:26.369
We must encourage one another in the
things that God has promised. Because,
250
00:25:26.369 --> 00:25:30.890
beloved all the things that God has
promised, this good news about the
251
00:25:30.970 --> 00:25:37.960
Promised Messiah who has come and has
been fulfilled. Surely that should encourage us
252
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:47.440
for the final thing to come,
his second appearing. Things are imperfect now,
253
00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:52.869
but God will make all things right. God will finish what he started
254
00:25:53.069 --> 00:26:00.430
because, as Paul writes, he
who calls you is faithful. I love
255
00:26:00.549 --> 00:26:06.180
this wine. He will surely do
it. He will surely do it.
256
00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:11.339
So, as you reflect on the
promises of God that he has fulfilled in
257
00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:15.619
the past, let your confidence be
built in his promises for the future.
258
00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:22.250
And so, as you seek to
do well in this next year, let
259
00:26:22.329 --> 00:26:27.130
your hope first rest on Christ,
who already did well for you. If
260
00:26:27.210 --> 00:26:30.730
you are in him, then there's
nothing that you can do to add or
261
00:26:30.890 --> 00:26:36.319
take away from his work. Guaranteed
success. That's what the Lord Promises.
262
00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:45.440
So work, work hard, encourage
one another and do not dread what is
263
00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:48.710
come. What is to come.
You have no need to toil away like
264
00:26:48.910 --> 00:26:53.349
some kind of convict hoping to get
out on good behavior after breaking all the
265
00:26:53.430 --> 00:27:02.220
laws. Instead, you can live
as one who has been forgiven, released
266
00:27:03.299 --> 00:27:07.700
and set free. You can eagerly
wait for him. So think about it,
267
00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:11.579
dream about it, hope in it
and let it be reflected in all
268
00:27:11.660 --> 00:27:15.059
your life, your prayers, your
songs, your emails, your schedules.
269
00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:21.809
Let the Lord encourage you. May
he give us this hope. Amen.
270
00:27:22.170 --> 00:27:26.089
Let's pray. Our heavenly father.
We thank you for the glorious grace that
271
00:27:26.170 --> 00:27:27.890
you give to us in Jesus Christ,
