01/22/23 Christ Our Living Hope

Thank you I bet same size is foreign thank you [Music] hello I have some super exciting news to share with you today so Cody let me go first I'm bringing some announcements from the loving your world team we have some Mission opportunities that I wanted to share with you because it's something that everyone can get involved in and do we are going to be hosting an eyeglass washing on Tuesday the 28th from two to seven so we get glasses from the Lions Club and we have to clean them before they can be processed to take to Mexico and you guys might remember when Giovanni was here he talked about how one pair of used eyeglasses led to the Salvation of a woman to the Salvation of her family to the planning of a new church in the village it's just very cool to think it might have been one of those glasses that I touched so I hope everybody can come for an hour or five hours if you want to two to seven on February 28 and then we'll be taking some of those very same glasses on a vision 316 mission trip to Mexico and it's a trip that the FBC has kind of adopted and it'll be about September 24th to 30th I hate to say exactly those days because sometimes the flights mandate that we need to change that up just a little bit but we will be giving information about that at the February 28th eyeglass washing so anybody who's interested let me know and if you want to know what time it is I will ask you what time you want to do that because we can do it more than once have an informational meeting in the afternoon and then one in the evening just depending on whoever is needs to

Be there we can certainly make arrangements to go over the information with you so come on the 28th to wash the glasses and please pray about going on the trip September 24th to 30th it's an excellent trip and then we also have a new kind of very exciting possibility that we're praying about and that is going to take a Ministry team to Idaho to work with the exalt church that our very own David and Ali Pryor are planting there so that will be in the summer and we're going to have just an organizational kind of vision casting informational meeting on Tuesday February 24th at 6 PM so if you have any ideas or any inclination that God might be calling you to go on that trip it's a trip that anyone could go on we're thinking backyard Bible clubs block parties canvassing that kind of thing come and let's pray about it and talk about it together see what God will do thank you [Applause] so some exciting things amen and that's what we're about we're all about loving God loving each other loving our community and world and so Welcome to our church it's good to see you Miss Joyce I love you a lot we're praying for Harvey and we love him too and so hey we've got a couple of things that are happening this week and we've got of course our Wednesday night stuff that's going on and if you did not get a chance before service to go check out our library and all of its wonderful resources for you after service today Miss nandis Miss Kathy they're going to be down there and they'll be happy to receive you just to go look around peruse check out a book check out a DVD check out all the great resources that are available you can do that right after service today

Also January 29th at 1 pm we got our church business meeting and gas they are prepping for the Valentine mailing to our college students we do regular care packages to them just giving them things like gum and you know little snacks and treats and little encouraging cards that just say hey we're your church and we love you're not forgotten and so if you want to be a part of that just follow the instructions in the bulletin that'll be a great way for you to minister to those that need it now at this time I would encourage you to maybe just take a moment and stand up and find a neighbor someone that you don't know shake their hand say Welcome to our church thank you foreign today thank you because all right don't want to go ahead and have a seat it's good to be together in the house of the Lord It's good to laugh it's good to fellowship with the Saints and at this time we are we continue we are receiving questions about elders and questions for them this one's an exciting one because it's more theological and I'm very nervous to tackle this one you know we looked at it I was like that's the question yeah oh well we knew it was coming and it's a good question and so I'll give it over to you guys and I'll smile and Nod the question is did Christ die for everyone or just the elect yeah that's that was our reaction too so anyways Steve if you want to start us out thank you first thing to hit me when pardon me

When I heard that question is it's a definition issue you know the elect who are they and that's where the theological disputes come some say the elect were chosen before the foundation of the world and that God knows those people are going to be saved yeah and right and that means the others aren't others would say that the elect are the saved that by their own choice they have been elected they have elected to join the father so we didn't know the context of the question you know is this a theological dispute question or is it you know how do we know because the question says is salvation for everyone oops or is it just for a few and the theological dispute that goes along with that question isn't going to be solved by us but as far as Ministry goes it doesn't it shouldn't affect us because even those who believe that there are only so many elect people out there we don't know who they are and if we want to see them reached with the Gospel somebody's got to reach them those who believe everybody can be saved somebody's got to reach them and so the job for us as Believers as ambassadors of Christ is the same as far as the division aspect of it goes because people can get divided over theological questions it's almost like they look for something to get divided by I'd like to read a couple of verses here out of First Corinthians this will be 10 through 12. On in chapter one it says now I exhort you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all agree and that

There be no divisions among you but that you may be whoops where to go you may be made complete with the same mind and in the same judgment for I have been informed concerning you that there are quarrels among you now I mean this that each one of you is saying I am of Paul I am of Apollos I am of cephas I am of Christ that church in Corinth was all divided in a lot of different ways but pardon me I'm all choked up the key issue there is that he was writing to believers who shouldn't be divided because what do we have in common as believers Christ and if that's our Focus these other things aren't going to be derailing us Cody has used the term several times open-handed issues and closed-handed salvation that's tight that's a closed thing because we know we're saved by faith by God's grace very scriptural some of these theological issues hold those with an open hand because they don't really affect us in our walk with the Lord I've told my Sunday School classes several times excuse me community group I'm gonna have trouble with that for the rest of my life but in these theological issues where there is disagreement I tell them and I'll tell you the same thing you can believe whatever you want but wait till you get to heaven you'll find out I was right I wanted to try to answer this question by using an illustration so the illustration goes like this

In an isolated island on the in the Pacific is a doctor called Dr nefarious and he's busy in his laboratory cooking up a plague that he is intending on destroying the world with and in another place there is a doctor who I'll call Dr Karis who wants to stop that plague he's invested everything he has into stopping that plague he is not willing that anybody in the world should die and wants that plague to end after much work he does come up with a solution to that plague and he calls together all of his drug Representatives and sends them out on a mission to share this cure with the entire world he's not wanting anyone to perish so if I'm one of those representatives and I present that message to all of you today and tell you that he doesn't want he cares for you he doesn't want you to die and that there's enough medicine right to cure this plague for all of you then you have you all have a choice to make some of you will believe that message and take the Cure but others of You will choose you might be thinking well I'm going to try watching my diet and I'm going to control this by diet and see if I can get through this by that others might say I'm going to increase my exercise and see if I can get through by that means still others might say I know another doctor in town and he's saying that he's got a cure for this so I'm going to take his cure and then yet another person might say I don't trust any pharmacy Labs anywhere in the world and I'm not going to take anything we all might lean towards that these

Days but the point of my illustration is all he has provided for all of you The Cure so Scripture does talk about adequate provision for salvation he offers that he provides that adequately for all to have and there's Scriptures like atonement covers providing it for everyone but forgiveness and justification comes through believing the message and taking the pill Hebrews 2 9 says that Jesus might taste death for everyone so that supports the everyone idea John 1 29 says Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away takes away the sin of the world that's kind of all-inclusive and then John 1 chapter first John chapter 2 verse 2. Says that he died for the whole world that's even more inclusive and then John 3 16 and 18 you all know he said whosoever believes in him so those verses support the idea of he died for everyone but it is not untrue to say that he died for the elect the atonement covered everyone there was a Day in Israel called the day of atonement Yom Kippur where there was a sacrifice made for the entire nation of Israel that sacrifice was made for everyone but not everyone as you know throughout Israel's existence believed the atonement was made for everyone but forgiveness only was received by those who believe so this question kind of paints it and you choose either one or the other it's either everyone or the elect those who believe I believe those who believe are the elect so if you force me into a corner to say pick between everyone and those who are elect the question kind of is defective in and of itself because in one sense the

Atonement is for everyone and in the other sense only those who are going to believe are the elect so I can't pick one of those two and give you an answer I'd have to say that it would be both but where what Steve has already mentioned is where it's practical we could have differences about this amongst us and there there are differences in how we look at this but there is not one difference in all of our opinions on this stage today that says that our job is not to get the cure to the people who are dying and there's complete Unison on that and we can go forward from that from that point thanks actually I'll give that over to John in just a second because I think that's important for us to summarize thank you guys so if y'all would just show your appreciation [Applause] because for us you know we have diverse beliefs and that's okay amen and so don't ever let it become an issue and if it does we're gonna have to talk okay one of the functions as Pastor is to exhort and rebuke and correct and this is not something that we should ever find ourselves fighting over because there's a lost world out there that needs to see a unified Church doing what it can to share the Gospel amen now John he's going to come up and he's going to he's our Deacon of the week newly nominated and he's going to read for us from the Baptist faith and message of 2000. I hate to read in public so I'm going to do it really bad so he never asked me again but it's God's word so I will I'll do my best baptism and the Lord's Supper Christians baptism is an immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit

Is it an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified buried and Risen Savior the believer's death to sin the burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in the Nuna the newness of life in Christ Jesus it is a testimony to his faith and the final resurrection of the Dead being a church ordinance it is a prerequisite to the privilege of a church member and to the Lord's Supper it's just saying if you're gonna well I don't need to explain that I mean I would but only for you Cody okay Romans 6 3 5. Are you unaware that all of us who were baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into his death therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death in order that Jesus just as Christ was raised from dead by the glory of the father so we too may walk in newness of life for if we have been United with him in the likeness of his death we will certainly also be in the likeness in of his resurrection and I was starting to see how close is our openness in prayer shouldn't be safe I actually actually go ahead you sure yeah I was told I had to I'm just trying to be obedient I need to do this heavenly father thank you for today Lord and I just thank you for this church and people who are worried about the truth Lord and they want to know the truth and they want to live the truth Lord and Lord we just thank you for your son Jesus Christ God because with him we have a newness in life and we are born again and we get to carry the Holy Spirit in us because you chose us to be a believer in you and you are the author of Faith Lord and we thank you for the faith that you gave us so we could believe in you we ask this in Jesus name we pray amen I want to ask Chris and a couple of

Students to come up because we've been talking about Community groups and the importance of being involved in a community group and so I want to ask let's see is it Maddie and Addison okay awesome here you go buddy it is on all right let me make sure I don't see a light yeah all right good morning I'm Chris and my wife Mary Jane she's not here today but we do the youth Sunday school no where's Steve Steve we do a community group along with Steve Bayless he's doing the junior high and that started back in August so our group got so big that we decided we should probably try to split it out a little bit so the seventh graders meet with Steve and the high schoolers meet with my wife and I and it's been a it's been a real Joy but I was so nervous happened to come up here so these two were so willing to help me out and come up here and be beside me so I wouldn't be so scared and I decided I would give them a couple little questions so they wouldn't have to give a long testimony which they were a little bit scared about so I have a few questions for them the first one is so what do you enjoy about youth community group I what I enjoy about youth uses and getting to connect with other Christians and I like one of my favorite Parts is learning about everyone else's week that's really fun and I like bonding with everyone else and Chris I pay her with donuts all right we'll let Madison answer that one if she wants but she or you could answer this one how has community group been helpful to you or what have you learned so I would say I probably have learned a lot

I can't just pick one thing my teacher is really great Mr Bayless he's taught us a lot and I would say my probably the favorite thing is what we learned today we learned about all the things that God is he's on at present he's omnipotent and yeah all right thank you girls you may be seated so just really briefly I just give a little overview of how Community groups are going it's been it's been a blessing for Mary Jane and I and I'm sure Steve would say the same thing to be involved in the kids lives we have anywhere from 10 to 20 or 25 kids sometimes that show up for Community groups and we've been going through the Gospel project puts out some good material and we've been doing captivity from captivity to Restoration is the book we're in right now so kind of looking at God's plan for his people through captivity as Babylon had come down and ransacked the temple and then taken Daniel and his buddies up and so we've been learning how what it's like to live in Babylon but not let Babylon be in us and as you think of the youth in this church please be praying for them as they as they grow in their walk with the Lord as they as they are learn to trust in him the culture that they face is against all that it's very anti-God so let's be praying for them and lifting our youth up and I appreciate all you that come and try to get to know the youth and invest in their lives as well many of you many of you do that so thank you for that yeah thanks [Applause] well good morning and I'd just like to say a special thank you to Chris and

Mary Jane and to Steve that they handled the youth on Sunday mornings all of that stuff which otherwise would be my job but they allow me to have that time to be fed in my community group which I really appreciate and I need I still fill in for them you know when they have to be gone and stuff but the fact that they just do that to allow me to be fed in the community group is it's a really special blessing to me I'd like to take a moment now as we prepare our hearts and our minds for worship so if you would bow your heads and close your eyes with me and just take a moment to talk to God it's just you and him right now asking him to calm and quiet your minds and your hearts to prepare you to worship through song and through the hearing of his word thank you and Lord we do ask you this morning that you would help us to put away the distractions to lift up our troubles and our worries to you and just to focus completely on who you are and what you've done help us to worship from an overflow of joy that comes through salvation Lord help us to love you more help us to live lives that are worthy of the calling to which we have been called help us to glorify you in what we say and do and even in what we sing together it's in Jesus name that we pray amen I'd invite you to stand and join us [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] my grace [Music] to consume [Music] the soul that on Jesus

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] amen a God who though he gives us many trials we know he gives us those trials to work good in us that's a joyous thing that we can celebrate this morning tune my heart to sing thy Grace [Music] I was lost I was always [Music] [Applause] [Music] on the precious prince of peace [Music] [Applause] [Music] behind us [Music] to you easy [Music] prone to wonder Lord I feel it prone to leave the God I love [Music] the Lord at this time an invite our ushers to come forward dear Lord thank you for this wonderful opportunity you've given us to worship to gather and to give Lord help us to give generously help us to give hilariously as you've called us to not just of our money but also of our time and our talents of the gifts that you have given us let us recognize that everything we have in this life is from you and for you stand we pray amen thank you foreign [Music] life has come look to Christ [Music]

Whatever [Music] see the truth Christ [Music] together help me Christ the Lord upon the tree sinners [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] the rest go away [Music] Christ [Music] closed captioning not available [Music] to you the most tomorrow's date tell me what is your eyes [Music] oh glorious [Music] his will be done [Music] foreign [Music] to Christ [Music] our Grace [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you Christ is [Music] and so Lord we ask you this morning you would help us to glorify you in every thought every action every breath Your Glory

Lord we pray this morning that you would help us to continue in worship as we hear from your word and even as we go from this place let us shine your light into this dark and dying world it's in Jesus name we pray amen foreign if you have your Bible and I hope that you turn with me to First Peter chapter one we're finishing up this little series that we've been doing Christ Our Living Hope we're going to be looking at verses 10 through 12 today as we kind of conclude Peter's introduction here today we're going to be talking about the role of the prophets in the preaching of the Gospel for many Believers when they get to the prophetical ministry in the Old Testament they view it as a word kind of to a different people at a different time in a different place in a different language in a different culture and so folks they view like the Old Testament prophets as being kind of irrelevant to the New Testament to you and I as Believers in the 21st century and today we're going to see that's not true actually we have a lot to gain and there's a lot of value and as we're going to see their Ministry was primarily for yours and eyes benefit and so when we neglect you know reading the Minor Prophets Major Prophets and we just kind of see the Old Testament as you know irrelevant or we attempt to as some popular preachers have said unhook ourselves or unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament we do ourselves a tremendous disfavor and actually it ruins our ability to rightly perceive Christ in the Bible and so the prophets what they

Were doing is that they were looking forward to the time of Christ they were looking forward to his coming they were asking questions like who is when will he come and those are good questions and they looked forward to that time and I started to think what are some of the things that I look forward to you know or what you look forward to for some of you live for the weekend right I just cannot wait until Friday gets here you're just looking forward where you don't have to go to school you don't have to go to work you just kind of get to chill right some of you love vacations right I love vacations too I love being with my wife I've said that many times I could spend every single minute with Amber and never grow tired of her she's just like the coolest person my best friend and one of the things I'm really looking forward to is this summer we're planning a family vacation to go see my family I hadn't been back there since 2018 2019. 2019 yeah it's before the pandemic so and I'm really looking forward to that but I'm looking forward to that in a different way than the prophets did you see the prophets they had no idea who Jesus was they didn't know the name Jesus they had no idea about the cross they had no idea about the resurrection they didn't have they knew these things very Darkly kind of a mist or a shadow where they had a kind of an idea but not really as opposed to me you know I'm planning where we're going to stay what we're going to do how much we're going to spend on food contingency plans for weather you know I know all these different things because I'm actively a part of that and I'm looking forward to it through that lens but the profits they were looking forward to Christ in a different way and so that's what we're going to be

Talking about today we're going to be talking about the role of the prophets the importance of the Old Testament and how we are blessed to live in the time in which we are in and so if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read First Peter chapter 1 verses 10 through 12. God's word says this concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories it was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven things into which Angels long to look and so God help us give us understanding Lord it's been a lot of study for me this week and so I just pray that these words would be true and accurate Lord I spent a lot of time praying and seeking you so please speak through me that our hearts would be receptive and that you would transform us and conform us more and more into the image of your son Jesus may this world know that we know God as we leave this place in Jesus name amen well our passage it begins with salvation concerning this salvation this is the direct link to verse 9 which tells us that Peter is still continuing his introduction still giving us kind of the big thoughts that he's going to be working with and through for the rest of the letter

And so he is he is talking about this salvation and he is writing to as we talked about the elect Exiles that are in pontus galatia Cappadocia Asia bethenia and so that's his audience and he's saying this salvation is the Salvation of their souls as we talked about last week it's the very essence of who they are not just that the spirit part of who we are but every single aspect of Who You Are God he will one day redeem he will redeem your body if your faith is in Christ you will receive a new and resurrecting glorified body he you will be made whole that new mind will be the only mind your mind won't be divided your nature won't be divided you won't have this desire to do evil no longer you won't you won't live out that Romans chapter 7 that we all so readily relate to but the Salvation is also from Eternal separation from God and Hell the Salvation that's received by Faith by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ in his work on the cross and his resurrection three days later this salvation is available because God loves Sinners and he desires for them to be saved and to know him and these prophets we're not just talking about the written Old Testament prophets we're not just talking about you know your Daniels your Isaiah's your josees those those guys we're not just talking about them but we're talking about all of the prophets throughout the Old Testament who are prophesying so we don't necessarily think of David as a prophet but you know because he was the king of Israel but he was a prophet he gave prophecies he wrote them down for us in the Psalms and so we could say that it's everyone in the Old Testament that had that role of profit now these Old Testament prophets what were they prophesying about here and if

You've got you know pen pencil lipstick mascara whatever you got it just underline that word about the grace that would be ours by the blood of Jesus the first point if you're taking notes is seeking Grace thanks appreciate that seeking Grace the prophets of the Old Testament they were under the old Covenant now how were the people in the old Covenant how were they Justified well they were justified in the same way that we were or are we are justified by faith alone amen we don't we don't have to give certain prayers we don't have to do certain things you know you can sit in church all your life and just be lost right you can you can give all your money and be lost those things don't save what saves faith alone knowing God Saves you do you know the Lord do you know the Lord God that's the great indicator of whether or not you have a relationship with him and we are justified by faith alone in just a brief survey of the historical covenants show us how they point to Christ these are just simple prophecies like there's six of them that I was able to identify for you guys five that most people talk about but the academic Covenant is the Covenant that God made with Adam we're not going to go into detail on all of these like deep Dives but I'm going to give you a bird's eye view on all of them but we see the Covenant that God made with Adam in Genesis chapter 3 and we see Christ in verse 15. He's the one who would whose heel would be struck in his head and he would crush the Serpent's head he is the one who would ultimately defeat Satan and we see him all already at the very beginning of Genesis that's where Christ is in the noahic Covenant

In the same way that God delivered Humanity through one Ark one way that you could be saved Christ is that same way and so we see even then we see Christ in Genesis I think it's chapter nine I'm just shooting from the hip here and the abrahamic Covenant I think this is Genesis chapter 15. We see that God would give Offspring to Abraham as numerous as the stars in the sky did Abraham have that many children physical children we know that's not the case right so what was he talking about we learned through the New Testament that it's those of us who have faith in what God has done that are really children of Abraham Point again to Christ in the in the Mosaic Covenant we see all these different things that had to happen in order for a person to be justified in order for someone to be made right with God we understand a little bit about what God wanted and God he commanded for lambs and Rams and Bulls and oxen and doves and pigeons and all these different Critters to be offered in order to make atonement and we see that Christ is the great atonement the one who could pay the penalty for our sins we see the Priestly Covenant that's probably the one that most of us aren't as familiar with but God he promised that Aaron would have a priesthood forever and we learned in the New Testament that through Christ we have become priests unto God and we see in the davidic Covenant God promised to David that his offspring there would always be a someone sitting on the throne of David and we learn in the New Testament that Jesus is the greater David and he rules and he reigns with all authority right now it's a great place to say Amen and we just looked at the big picture of the covenants we didn't even deal

With the 351 individual prophecies that Christ fulfilled we'd be here all day for that but the prophets they were looking forward to this New Covenant of Grace and they couldn't fully understand it listen to what the Prophet Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 31-34 he said behold the days are coming declares the Lord when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not like the Covenant that made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt a covenant that they broke though I was their husband declares the Lord for this is the Covenant thou will make with the house of Israel after those days declares the Lord I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and no longer shall Each one teach his neighbor and each his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest declares the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more you see these holy men they were prophesying about a new covenant that they really didn't understand it just didn't get it how would the God of Heaven establish a New Covenant that would actually be with them not just among them not just something that they observe but something they experience and feel how on Earth can God put the law that was written on tablets in our hearts foreign how on Earth could we be forgiven by this new and greater Covenant how will God just forget our sin and so for them it was a tremendous mystery excuse listen to what God's heart is

According to the prophet Isaiah chapter 45 write these references down guys so that way you guys can go back and read them and studying study them and just spend some time meditating on God question gosh I'm so sorry Phyllis Isaiah 45 verses 20 through 24 it says assemble yourselves and come draw near together you survivors of the Nations they have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols and keep on praying to a God that cannot save declare and present your case let them take counsel together who told this long ago who declared it of old was it not I the Lord there's no other God besides me a righteous God and a Savior there's none besides me turn to me and be saved all the ends of the Earth I am a God or for I am God and there is no other I think that money there we go for I am God and there is no other myself I have sworn from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear Allegiance only in the Lord it shall be said of me our righteousness and strength to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him in the Lord All The Offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall Glory listen to God's heart in that verse he beckons these people who don't know him he beckons people that are literally carrying around the wooden Idols in their pockets who prayed to them all of these people who are ignorant about God he beckons them to come to him because of his great love for them and that's why we can't forsake the Old Testament because the Old Testament points to the heart and the purpose of Christ the prophets they were seeking Grace and so there's three points about this

Grace that we can learn firstly is that it's it's a grace that leads to Salvation that's the topic that we're dealing with it's concerning the Salvation that Peter is writing but this salvation is also by grace alone it's the Protestant confession in other words we don't earn salvation by our own effort or our own obedience but because of Christ's own efforts in Christ's own obedience and God he's always been a God of Grace the God of the old Covenant the God of the New Covenant they're the same God they have the same character the same nature it wasn't that Noah was a good guy that God said hey I'm going to save the world through this guy because he's so great now it says that God had favor on Noah that's why he saved him wasn't that Abraham from the land of UR which was full of idolatry yeah oh yeah Abraham he's this guy he always lies about his wife being a sister I'm gonna I'm gonna use him no it was because God had favor David he still sinned grievously but God was gracious listen to what Joel The Prophet said yet even now declares the Lord return to me with all your heart with fasting with weeping him with mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and he relents over disaster in the Jewish Nation they knew this they knew this about God because they knew his character they knew what his whole plan was that through them that they would that they would bless the Nations and Jonah Jonah didn't want to go he didn't want to go to Nineveh to preach this and why was that because he knew about God's character and when the city heard the Gospel preached to them repent and be saved or God will destroy the

City of Nineveh they repented and it displeased Noah Jonah exceedingly and he was angry and he prayed to the Lord and said oh Lord Is This Not That is not this what I said when I was yet in my country this is why I made haste to flee to tarshish for I knew that you were a gracious God and merciful slowed to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster this is our God that we serve in this grace is also ours in Christ it's Grace is ours in Christ it's the main thrust of Romans chapter 5. In Romans chapter 5 verse 1 it opens up with this therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and the chapter book ends at the very end in verses 20 through 22 it says now the law came in to increase the trespass but where sin increased Grace abounded all the more so that as Sin reigned in death Grace might also Reign might grace also might Reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord the prophets they searched and inquired carefully about this grace and these are Hallmarks of those of us that are Desiring to know the Lord and the prophets they did so carefully seeking God's Will and ultimately they were seeking Christ they didn't know it well they knew that they were seeking Christ but they didn't know that was Jesus of Nazareth maybe they didn't know it was Nazareth but they knew that they were seeking Christ but yet they did it dimly they wanted to know who he is they wanted to know the time and we do that about the second coming don't we I mean how many times have you thought and wondered is it today tomorrow we can start getting obsessed about we

Start asking the bad questions who is the Antichrist political candidate this person is at Rome wish that Christians were more concerned about knowing Christ than knowing the Antichrist can't say Amen you better say ouch right but this is a great salvation they spent their Ministries praying and seeking and studying and inquiring of the Lord about this Future Hope of Salvation what about you do you spend time carefully examining God's word or is it just a slight perusal to check the box do you believe that the Gospel is precious to study to know God and to know him better is worth it isn't knowing God in his character worth a little bit of effort and if it was important for those who really couldn't understand it all but they were still seeking this information how much more important is it for you and I who have a complete revelation of what God has said we don't have to look forward to some kind of mysterious thing we've all seen how that's worked in eschatology but we have something to look back on the cross of Christ his death his burial his resurrection we have a fuller explanation of those events through the what the apostles wrote in the New Testament and the other authors and so we're able to look back at Genesis all the way through the Book of Malachi and know exactly how the Old Testament points to Jesus the prophets they also knew that the Messiah he would suffer the prophets say they foretold about that they knew that he was experiencing sufferings listen to Psalm chapter 22 verses 14 through 18. This is a song obviously but it's also a prophecy about the crucifixion of

Christ says I'm poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint my heart is like Wax it is melted within my breast my strength is dried up like posture and my tongue sticks to my jaws you lay me in the dust of death for dogs Encompass me a company of evil doers encircles me they have pierced my hands and feet I can count all my bones they stare and gloat over me they divide my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots imagine receiving that and being all like you know God I know that you're telling me to write this down but I just don't get it that's what the ministry of the prophets was and this is also the way of following Christ see it's it's sufferings first we experience the sufferings in this world we're grieved by various trials as we've talked about previously we're tested our faith is refined in the fire first comes the sufferings and then comes the glories Jesus on the road to Emmaus said at the end of that Gospel he's he's walking alongside and the people that he's walking with his disciples they don't recognize that's Jesus but he explains to them that Christ had to suffer all these things and then come the glories and that's the same thing for you and I is that we are in for some of you are in deep seasons of turmoil I got you bud we are in deep seasons of suffering of turmoil and you might feel like God has abandoned you and that is not the case that is not the case you see through your sufferings you enjoy fellowship with Christ it is through your sufferings that you can get to know the Lord better because he himself suffered

Yes he suffered on our behalf but the things that we go through refine us and we experience sufferings kind of like his so that way we can glorify the Lord even more and we are invited to suffer and the prophets they also knew that the Messiah he would he would Triumph and he would receive Glory look at what the psalmist writes in Psalm chapter 2 verses 6 through 9. As for me I've set my king on Zion my Holy Hill I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me you are my son today I have begotten you ask of me and I will make the Nations your heritage and the ends of the Earth your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a Potter's vessel this is about Christ he is the king of Zion he is the one who Reigns he is the one who has claimed all authority and therefore he has all authority in heaven and on Earth at the outset of Christ's Ministry this is what Jesus wrote to start out his ministry and Isaiah chapter 61. Listen to this the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor he has sent me to bind up the Brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor in the day of Vengeance of our God Comfort all who mourn this is what Christ reads because it is the purpose of his Advent it's the reason why Christ came was to do this and ultimately go to the cross the last prophet John the Baptist he was even curious about Jesus I mean he is the one who first declared Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

That was John's declaration here he is guys the guy that we've been waiting for literally thousands of years from Genesis chapter 3 at the moment of rebellion he is the one who is foretold and yet even John didn't fully understand it you know how we know Luke 7 says John the Baptist he's struggling with this he says Messengers are you the one John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the one who is to come or shall we you know look for another in that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits and on many who were blind he bestowed sight and he answered them go and tell John what you have seen and heard the blind received their sight the lame walk lepers are cleansed and the death here the dead are raised the poor have good news preached to them see these prophets they had a Ministry that was completely unique because their primary Ministry was not towards their contemporaries even John the Baptist his whole Ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord to make a people ready and then he would be beheaded and we and we learned that these Prophets they were not just serving their contemporaries by preaching but they're also serving us you and I it wasn't that their Ministries were irrelevant that's not the case they preached the message that the Lord had given to them to turn the hearts of Israel and Judah back to God to bring about a work of repentance and these were the prophets to Judah and Israel and they spoke these important things but in those passages that we've looked at we see the heart of God and we see that God's heart is Desiring

To reconcile sinners like me like you to himself that's been God's Mission from the outset was to reconcile us to himself in Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18 it says I will raise up for them a prophet like you talking to Moses from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him and whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name I myself will require it of him he's talking about Mo talking about Jesus here he is the prophet who is foretold he was not just a prophet who would raise up he wasn't just a good teacher he was also the suffering servant we learned this in Isaiah chapter 53 Verses 4 through 6. I told you there's going to be a lot of Scripture today you better write him down surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken Smitten by God and Afflicted but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord enslaid on him the iniquity of us all being an a Jewish man or woman back in you know the sixth Century or so when this was written BC how would you read this and understand that surely he has borne our Grace and carried our sorrows I thought that was about a lamb I thought that was going to be you know the temple and all that type of stuff what is God doing who is this one that's going to be stricken and smitten by God himself and we start to understand that God's desire has been to reconcile

People to save them and there's only one way that they can ever be saved it's by trusting in the message of Jesus Christ the Gospel they weren't justified by faith in the law who aren't justified by works of the law no they look forward to this one who would be pierced for our transgressions the one who would be crushed for our iniquity like by his wounds we are healed and God I really don't understand how me taking a lamb to a temple and slaughtering it points to Jesus but I'm gonna trust you and that is how the people in the Old Testament were Justified by looking forward to the work of Christ this is why you have to preach the law and the prophets in order to give people the good news in the New Testament the very first sermon Peter he stood up he quoted from the books of Joel in the Psalms he declared what Christ had done and he did this under the inspiration being filled with the Holy Spirit yeah and here it says inquiring what person the spirit of Christ in them now that free spirit of Christ it's it's not like you know something mysterious it's it's synonymous with the Holy Spirit it's the Holy Spirit Illuminating to these prophets of old all of these things that Christ would do and now we are called to share that good news we're called to share the good news of the Gospel what's interesting here is that he starts to he even transfers over these thoughts into the very end of verse 12. Look at things into which Angels long to look and you start to you know you're reading this and you're kind of going through and I hope that

You guys been able to follow along in the passage because the passage is what's important amen now when he when he says that those who preached good news to you by the Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven you know that's talking about us being being reconciled being saved things into which Angels long to look and I've really struggled with that for a while this week it just kind of seems like an addendum like just something tagged on there at the end but yet we believe in verbal plenary inspiration we believe that all of God's work is spoken authoritative completely inspired and is there for a purpose and so I really wrestled with this past week why is it there what does it mean and what I was looking at is why did these angels long to look you see Angels they don't get to be redeemed there's there's no atonement made for Satan and demons they cannot repent and believe those who are the elect Angels they're the ones that long to look at this though they're the ones that long to know God better these are the ones who love serve and Minister before the Lord right now they're the ones who enjoy unbroken fellowship with God they Minister before the Lord they were also participants in declaring the Gospel message at the very beginning weren't they wasn't it the angel Gabriel who went and spoke the Gospel message to Mary wasn't it also the angel that spoke to Elizabeth wasn't it also the angels that preached the Gospel to the Shepherds out in the field so what does this mean that they long to look well it means that they long to deeply examine these truths

About God and what his heart is Point number four if you're taking notes is studying Angels not that the prophets were doing that but you know studying Angels that's what they're doing they are studying but the reason why Angels they don't experience Redemption is because they're not created in the image of God it's not that God has a special love toward the Angels they are a part of creation that doesn't make God hateful it doesn't make God awful or anything like that he has a special love towards you and I as people that are created in His image these angels they also one another clarification here when people die they don't become angels okay they don't earn their wings they don't fly high okay or anything like that so people will either spend an eternity in heaven and the joy and presence of God by faith alone or they will spend eternity and Hell separated from God there's no in between and this totally fascinates angels you see they see the Lord working they've seen God work from creation all the way through to Christ and all the way to where you and I are even today and they long to know more about the heart of God I mean if all of creation has been pointing to Christ and everything that Christ has been doing has been for the Redemption of mankind that's something that the angels are really interested in because they love the Lord and they want to know God better and that's why they long to know about this Gospel they long to study it and they want to study about the things that God cares about as well

And in Revelation chapter 5 verses 7 through 12 it says and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who is Seated on the throne and when he had taken the scroll the four living elders and the 24 Elders fell down before the lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the Saints and they sang a new song saying worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you Ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people and Nation you have made them a kingdom and Priests to our God they shall reign on the earth then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing I mean what a what a studying Insight is it for you and I that the Angels they will fall down and worship and they will join in the song of redemption but not from a position of experiencing but because they've been Witnesses of it from the very beginning and even now they long to know more about the God they behold and so I guess the kind of wrapping all this up is what about you do you long to know God do you long to seek the Lord and to care about the things that he cares about could this be written about me things unto which Cody wants to look remember that I'm a participant in this grace I care about this shouldn't shouldn't you if you are in Christ if you're not in Christ then that's the first step you need to follow the Lord you need to come to him and do business with him and say God

I don't have it all together but I know I want to know you I know I want to live for you would would you be willing to make me clean I don't understand it all but I sure would like to God he will not turn you away he loves literally from creation he's been planning out Redemption that you who believe anyone who believes could be reconciled to God for Christians in this room let's let's recap this passage a bit so that we know what God is saying it's that the prophets they were deeply examining the Redemption that would be offered to us at the Cross of Christ it's what they were doing they wanted to know who it would be when it would happen which we now know to be Jesus Christ they also predicted his sufferings and his glories and they did this by God's power through the Holy Spirit and their Ministry was for our benefit the Gospel is the good news and even angels long to know it better head hand heart head I want you to know that the prophet's Ministry was for your benefit said a bazillion times when it reemphasized that so don't be afraid to read the Minor Prophets and do it through the lens of where do I see Christ in here it might be as the faithful husband in Hosea it might be as the Fulfillment of the New Covenant in Jeremiah it might be the one who gives life in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel you can find out Lots about Jesus from the Old Testament and I want you to study the glories of Christ this week the glories of Christ namely his resurrection his Ascension and how he rules even now from heaven and what his return will be like in

Heart I want you to believe that we should search the Scriptures carefully to find answers to our questions as well sometimes it just takes good old-fashioned seeking the Lord to get the answers so don't neglect it let's pray and so God we do thank you for this great great day we thank you for your word Lord sometimes we come across harder passages and so Lord we ask that you give us understanding that we might know you better that we might Worship You More fall deeper in love with you God we want more of you [Music] we just desire you Lord we're just we're people that oftentimes are so concerned about our own little kingdoms and our own little wants and needs that we just totally neglect knowing you and being with you help us to do better in that and I pray for any person that's here maybe they don't know you that today would be the day that they just do some business with you that they would come to you and say God I'm a sinner and I need to be made clean and just like you told those lepers through the Gospels I am willing to be clean and just as quick as that you will make us whole and make us pure I pray that today would be that day for someone in here in Jesus name amen let's stand it let's worship mystery in the dummy meaning of the king he the theme of Heaven's praises in our longing in our Darkness of life has come look to Christ to condescended to God

[Music] sing that fourth verse together [Music] resurrected as we will be when he comes what afford Taste of Deliverance how unwavering Our Hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes what a foretaste of Deliverance [Music] Christ in power as erected as we will be when he comes for amen one last thing before we go and I dismiss this in prayer we do have a business meeting next week and so be here for that there'll be a potluck after church so bring something we're Baptists so let's do it right yes yeah let's pray Lord we love you thank you for this great day thank you for your word and we just pray that you would just help us God to abide in you not neglect the Salvation that you've given to us God we love you and we thank you for this day in Jesus name