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Anticipating Worship: The Joy of Arrival
Psalms 122
April 24, 2022

Tonight we return to our study of Psalms
And specifically these Songs of Ascents.

Psalms 120 – 134 is sort of the UNOFFICIAL HYMNAL of Israel for those specific times in which they traveled to Jerusalem for one of those 4 major feasts.

We certainly see them in their historical relevance and understand them from that ancient Jewish perspective.

However, at the same time we see them as songs to be sung even today by those who still love the physical gathering of the people of God.

And in a day when physical church attendance is dropping in priority
It is a breath of fresh air to us to be reminded what a blessing it is
To gather physically with the saints to worship the Lord.

We’ve already seen 2 of these Psalms
And we see A SMALL PROGRESSION emerge.

Psalms 120 showed us a Psalmist who was ready to make the journey to Jerusalem for worship.

• He lived among liars.
• He lived among people who didn’t want peace.
• He was eager to travel to Jerusalem simply as a sanctuary from evil.

And that is certainly one of the blessings of gathering with the saints.
For a brief moment we get a reprieve from the immorality and filth and deception and anger of the world and we enter a sanctuary of truth and justice.

Psalms 121 showed us the Psalmist as he stepped out his door to make the journey.

• He contemplated the rough terrain and the high hills.
• He contemplated the weather and the elements.
• He contemplated the dangers of evil men and camping at night.
• And yet he trusted that God would protect him on his journey.

And while we likely don’t fret too much the physical journey to church,
We do understand the hardships of journey to Zion.

And we rejoice in God’s grace to keep us from stumbling
As we anticipate the great eternal gathering of the saints.

So thus far we’ve seen
• Our Psalmist anticipate worship.
• Our Psalmist begin the journey.

In Psalms 122 he arrives safely in Jerusalem.

(2) “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem”

And don’t read that verse without first remembering the prayer of Psalms 121.

Psalms 121:1-8 “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”

Psalms 122:2 indicates that all of those hopes were fulfilled.
• God did help.
• God did shade.
• God did keep.
• God did guard.

And now the Psalmist has safely arrived in the city he set out to reach.
That alone is grounds for a song of worship.

But the thrust of Psalms 122 is not the journey he has completed
But rather the joy that he has now arrived
Where his heart longed to be.

And so TONIGHT as we study this Psalm
We contemplate the joy of arriving at worship.

• What do you feel when you pull up in the parking lot?
• What do you expect when you walk in the doors?
• What is your anticipation?
• And even, how do you pray for what is about to occur?

That is what we see in our Psalmist tonight.

We’re going to break this Psalm into 2 main points
#1 THE PLACE HE LOVES
Psalms 122:1-5

This Psalm begins with a great statement that is well worth pondering.
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

Now we know that even genuine believers can fall out of habit in regard to attendance.
• Hebrews 10 makes it clear that it was “the habit of some” to skip the actual assembly of the saints.
• So it is possible that even the redeemed can be influenced by external circumstances and temptations and fall into the sinful habit of skipping the assembly.

BUT…
Neglect of worship or dread of worship
Is NOT the natural view of the believer.

Dreading worship is an anomaly, it is an aberration,
It is a consequence of a sinful influence.

Once redemption occurs the normal and natural occurrence is that
The believer will be eager to “go to the house of the LORD”

Consider the early church.
Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

And of course you remember how later we read:
• That no one had any need for people were even selling their land and bringing
the proceeds in to feed this newly formed church.

And think about it for a moment.
Pentecost occurred during “The Feast of Weeks”.
That was one of those feasts where everyone was required to attend.

And while they were there, the Holy Spirit arrived
And Peter preached resulting in the salvation of 3,000 souls.

At that time there was 1 church on the entire planet.
(I suppose there’s always 1 church, but at that time there was 1 church location)

If these new believers went back home they went with no church. It’s no wonder they stayed, and it’s remarkable that the others sacrificed to allow them to stay.

We call that joy in the gathering.
They loved it.

I remember when we were preparing to go to Africa the first time in 2005 and none of us really knew anything about what to expect.

I was reading some Southern Baptist literature about IMB missions in Africa. And one of the articles said, “Be aware that many of these churches are comprised of new believers and they don’t realize that worship services don’t have to last all day.”

The point is, when a person is saved,
Eagerness to attend worship is a natural occurrence.

Sort of like how a new believer will long to read the Bible – they’ll also long for the saints.
It always puzzles me when we see someone claim salvation on Sunday morning
And then not even return for Sunday night.

When a person is redeemed their desire for worship is natural.

If there is not a desire to worship with the saints in your life,
It DOESN’T necessarily indicate that you are lost,
But at the very least you are BACKSLIDDEN.

The Psalmist said, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

And then we get his STATEMENT OF SATISFACTION.
(2) “Our feet are standing withing your gates, O Jerusalem,”

We’re here!
We’ve made it!

I think it’s worth mentioning at this point
THE PHYSICAL ASPECT of what is occurring.

I hear people say it, and they aren’t wrong.
Things like, “The building is not the church, the people are the church.”

Certainly that is true.
But, I understand growing to love a building or a location.

Does your house not hold memories?
Do you not have locations you fondly remember?
• For sure, if your house burned, you’d rejoice in your family getting out safely.
You’d recognize that wood and bricks aren’t the truest value.
• And yet, there would still be a sadness for that house was the gathering of
so many good memories and moments.

I don’t have a problem with people loving the church’s location
Or even the building.

It is a hallowed place.
It is an important location.

There is something wonderful about pulling up in the parking lot
And walking inside these doors.

I certainly don’t feel the same about entering the grocery store
As I feel about entering this place.

I’m ok with a delight even in the physical location.
Our Psalmist is glad.

His “feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem”

BUT LET’S CONSIDER HIS TRUEST GLADNESS.
• What are his expectations?
• Why is he so glad?
• What is he anticipating?

Well he’s going to give you 3 reasons he is so glad to worship.
These are 3 things that certainly give us joy as we gather here as well.

1) He loves the: FELLOWSHIP AND UNITY (3)

“Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together.”

I DON’T THINK he’s marveling at the architecture or city plan here.
I know the disciples did that from time to time.

One Bible translation translated this verse, “Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is at unity with itself.”

The idea is tightness.
The idea is togetherness.
The idea is unity.

• This man traveled from far away to enter this city for worship.
• And as his feet landed in Jerusalem he saw people from all over the country side.

BUT GUESS WHY THEY WERE ALL HERE.
They had all traveled here for the exact same reason.

I think about when we take the youth to camp, or when I’ve gone to a pastor’s conference.
• You pull up and get out of the vehicle and you know that everyone here is here
for the exact same reason as me.
• And there’s a great unity and a fellowship in that unity.

And this is one of the reasons we love to come to a place of worship.
(You miss this when you just try to worship alone or worship online)

The church was meant to enjoy this unity.

You are aware of the foundation for this:
John 17:20-21 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

• That wasn’t just everyone getting along.
• Jesus was talking about common spiritual life.

But that is certainly the basis for our unity.
It’s why we all get along

Paul fleshed out the idea of practical unity for us.
Ephesians 4:1-6 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

This is how we come.
• “one body”
• “one Spirit”
• “one hope”
• “one Lord”
• “one faith”
• “one baptism”
• “one God and Father”

And the real joy is in knowing that this is shared by everyone here.

I was actually thinking about this as I was sitting on the stage at Jayton before preaching a funeral this past Friday.

There is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FEEL when sitting in church on a Sunday preparing to preach versus sitting at a funeral and preparing to preach.

For the most part, when I preach here on Sundays there is an overwhelming sense that the majority are eager to hear what is going to be said.
• You can feel the unity and its calming and encouraging to know that you are
preaching to people for the most part want to hear it.

But at a funeral that is not the feeling you get.
• There is totally different feeling as you realize that there will be many in the
room who absolutely do not want to hear a sermon.

It is that UNITY OF FELLOWSHIP that makes gathering here so great.
• We are unified in Spirit.
• We are unified in hope.
• We are unified in the Lord.

You can’t get that anywhere else in the world.

That is one of the reasons our Psalmist is so happy to be in Jerusalem
And it’s why we are happy to be here.

There’s another reason he loves that place so much.
2) He loves the: FRUIT OF REDEMPTION (4)

“To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD – an ordinance for Israel – To give thanks to the name of the LORD.”

Look at the Individual Elements of the things he notices.
• He sees DIVERSITY – “the tribes”
• He sees REDEMPTION – “tribes of the LORD”
• He sees OBEDIENCE – “an ordinance for Israel”
• He sees GRATITUDE – “To give thanks”

What does that mean?

Here you have people from different backgrounds and different cultures.
• They are from different geographic regions.
• They speak different languages.
• They like different foods.
• They look different.

And yet, the one thing they have in common is that
They have all been redeemed by the LORD.

THEY ARE HIS TRIBES.

And they are here because He commanded them to come
• This is a congregation of people who obey the Lord.
• This is a gathering of people who prioritize worship.

And they eagerly come to give thanks to the God who has redeemed them.
• This is a people of gratitude.
• They aren’t here to grumble.

THESE PEOPLE (despite their differences)
ALL ACT LIKE SAVED PEOPLE.

THE CHURCH IS UNIQUE LIKE THAT

This is the joy that many of you have felt on THE MISSION FIELD.

• You walk into a church building on the other side of the world.
• They sing a song in a language you don’t know.
• Every word you speak has to be interpreted.
• They dress differently…
• They eat different food…
• They look different…

AND YET YOU RICHLY FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM – WHY?
Because they have been saved by the same God who saved you,
And they love Him too.

It’s the only thing you have in common and that is more than enough.

Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

We might say “neither African nor American, neither Asian nor Hispanic”
And this of course is a foretaste of heaven.
Revelation 7:9-12 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

What a great joy!
We are all unique, but we share this common bond of redemption.

AND EVEN BEYOND THAT
We actually enjoy the diversity of our own personal differences,

Because even our differences are uniquely designed
For the edification of the body.

• Paul reminded us that not everyone is an eye or a foot or a hand.
• The Holy Spirit uses each of us differently, but always for the same end goal
which is the edification of the body.

AND THAT IS A TRUE JOY IN GATHERING TOGETHER.

What the Psalmist recognizes as he looks over the diverse crowds
Is that they all share the common bond of redemption.

No matter where they came from or what their particular interests are,
They are all here in obedience to the Lord to give thanks to Him!

That makes church a wonderful place to be.
Why would you want to be any place else?

There’s a third thing he loves.
3) FORESHADOW OF JUSTICE (5)

“For there thrones were set for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.”

This of course doesn’t just reference the temple, but all of Jerusalem.
He recognizes David’s throne.

And it is a throne of justice.
• It of course was a foreshadow of the coming Messiah who would reign on David’s throne.

Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

THAT KING IS COMING.

• Currently it was David’s throne and the Messiah was not yet here.
• But you did have all Israel gathered together in submission to that throne.
• And it was a picture of a coming promise that one day the true King would arrive and he would rule from that throne in justice over the whole world.

And this is something we love about the gathering of the saints today.

When we gather in this building
• We certainly want to obey Scripture and submit to the governing authorities,
• We certainly want to honor the king as Scripture teaches.

But at our core the reality remains that we serve 1 King.
We serve Jesus Christ.

We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.
We bow the knee to heaven’s king.

• We aren’t ruled by earthly powers…
• We aren’t ruled by logic…
• We aren’t governed by majority…

THE CHURCH IS NOT A DEMOCRACY!
IT IS A THEOCRACY.
Christ is head!
Christ is King!
Christ is Lord!

We bow to Him, we follow Him, we serve Him.
What He says goes.

And what you see currently in the church
Is a picture of what it will one day be like on the whole earth.

It is a foretaste of glory divine.
It is a foretaste of Christ’s millennial reign!

And it is one of the things we love about being here.

SO PICTURE NOW OUR PSALMIST ENTERING JERUSALEM.
His feet walked through the gates and joy fills his soul.
• He is among those who are redeemed.
• He is among those who are here for the same reason he is.
• He is among those who serve heaven’s king.

It is enough to make one wish
We could gather in this place and never leave.

THIS IS THE PLACE HE LOVES.

And we love this place.
• It’s more than bricks and lumber. (though we love that too)
• It is a place where the redeemed gather.
• It is a place where we come for the same purpose.
• It is a place where we get a taste of what is coming some day.

How could you not be glad when they say to you, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”?

We love this place!

The Place He Loves
#2 THE PRAYER HE SOLICITS
Psalms 122:6-9

Solicits may not actually be a strong enough word.
It reads more like a command.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:”

First of all you recognize that the word “peace”
Dominates these final 4 verses.
There is a reason for that.

The Hebrew word for “peace” is SHALOM
Which runs very closely to the word Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was to be the city of peace.

Remember when the writer of Hebrews spoke about Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:1-2 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.”

“Salem” there is “peace”

That is true for the church as well.
This ought to be a place of peace.

Remember back in Psalms 120
This is why the Psalmist wanted to come so bad.
Psalms 120:6-7 “Too long has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.”

This place should be a place of peace.
And the Psalmist TELLS YOU TO PRAY to that end.

“May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.”

Do you want a prayer to pray for the church?
THERE IT IS.

• Pray for God to bless those who love the church.
• Pray that peace will abound within the walls of this church.
• Pray that prosperity will be here.

Now, someone might balk at that initially and say, “That sounds a little bit like the prosperity gospel.”

No, this guy isn’t hoping that serving the church will make him rich,
He’s praying that the church will prosper and be a place of peace.

WHY?

Well, there’s 2 reasons.
(8) “For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”

He prays for peace and prosperity for the church
Because a prospering peaceful church benefits his brothers and friends.

We certainly don’t put our hope in temporal things,
And we certainly steer away from the love of money.

However, we still understand that when the church does well and walks in peace that it is a blessing to those who worship there.

• How many youth have enjoyed going to camp because of the prosperity of the
church?
• Where do things like DiscipleNow come from?
• It is a blessing to have air conditioning and a church van and padded pews
• And food to serve on Wednesday nights, etc.

We are grateful for God’s provision and blessing and prosperity
Which He pours upon His church and we even pray for it.

IT BENEFITS THE SAINTS.

But there’s another reason he prays for the church’s peace and prosperity.
(9) “For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.”

He wants Jerusalem to prosper
Because it DIRECTLY effects the house of worship.
And thus it INDIRECTLY attributes to the glory of God.

We pray for the church to prosper to the glory of God.
We pray for the church to be at peace to the glory of God.

• We certainly understand that the church has always thrived through persecution, and should it come we would not fear.
• Yet, when called to pray, we pray for peace;

We certainly don’t desire a church that does not dwell in peace.
Paul rebuked the Corinthians several times for the divisions among them.
We pray for peace.

2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

We pray for the prosperity of the church to the glory of God.
• What a blessing to be able to send money to others
• We think of the Philippians giving to help the Jerusalem saints
• As one put it: “We are blessed to be a blessing, with enough to give enough”

We plead with God to make His church dwell in peace and prosperity.

It is a blessing to have such a place where we can freely and openly proclaim the gospel and worship God in song.

We thank God for blessings like instruments and people who can play them, for air conditioning and lights and things of that nature.

BUT WHEN YOU CONTEMPLATE IT ALL
What do we learn here?

Namely that the gathering of the redeemed is a place of joy!
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”
• It is a joy to the soul to be afforded the privilege of attending this place.
• It is a joy to the soul to gather with the redeemed.
• We pray that it is a gathering that makes other people glad as well.
• We pray that it is a gathering that glorifies God and makes Him glad.

And we pray that it remains that way.
We pray for the peace and prosperity of this place.

For this place represents far more to us than just a building.
This is the building where we worship God.

May it always be pure joy just to walk through the doors!

Psalms 100 “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.”

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Obvious Christianity – Part 2
1 John 3:1-10 (1-3)
April 24, 2022

A couple of weeks ago we started this new segment in John’s epistle.
I think it really is the heart of the epistle.

And as I told you last time when we introduced this text,
The EMPHASIS of these ten verses is on RIGHTEOUS LIVING.

We see it clearly in verse 10.
“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

• As a young man John was called a “Son of Thunder” and he was pretty rigid
and harsh.
• Certainly the love of Christ transformed this rigid disciple, but his black and
white view on what is obvious is as strong as it ever was.

John is now likely in his 90’s. He’s been around a while.
And there is nothing confusing to him regarding
The role of practical righteousness in the life of a believer.

True believers practice righteousness.
It is obvious.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, it’s actually a little perplexing
To wonder how anyone ever came to doubt such a reality.

It’s probably been around for 40 years or so now, but there has arisen a view or belief even in our day which has been titled “Carnal Christianity”.

It is an idea that believe it or not
Has been widely adopted in the American church.

Basically it is the belief that a person can be saved,
But not be transformed.

You’ve likely heard it stated like this: “You may get saved at one point in your life and then later, at a separate time, you choose to make Jesus Lord.”

That view became real popular about 40 years ago.

And with the rise of that view came the rise of the supposed “Carnal Christian”.
• That one who had supposedly been saved and forgiven by Jesus,
• But who was still totally in the flesh; who still lived a life of carnality.

The sort of banner verse for that view is found in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

And so using the Corinthians as an example people began to say that
“It’s possible for a person to be saved and yet still walk as fleshly or carnal men.”

• That such a person may have accepted Jesus as their Savior, but have not
surrendered to Him as their Lord.

• That such a person has received the blessing of forgiveness but does not
walk in obedience and is not experiencing sanctification.

Of course that is not Paul’s message to the Corinthians at all.

In fact, in chapter 5 Paul will call for the Corinthians to actually expel any “so-called” brother who still lives in sin.

1 Corinthians 5:11 “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

Even later Paul will tell them:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Clearly Paul does not hold to a belief that a person can be saved
And yet still maintain a life of carnality.

What Paul spoke of in chapter 3 was IN REFERENCE TO
Their spiritual immaturity not their physical immorality.

We could even add passages like:
Romans 8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

It is clear from Paul there that men who walk in the flesh
And practice unrighteousness are clearly not redeemed.

Paul would go on to say:
Romans 8:12-14 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

The view of the carnal Christian is a tragic distortion
That seeks to allow unredeemed men to feel saved
In spite of their sinfulness.

It is NOT what Scripture teaches.

But none the less that has been a view adopted even in our culture,
And even by the modern day church.

APPARENTLY it was a deception even floating around in John’s day.

(7-8a) “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil;”

John was concerned that people in his day
Would buy into this deception of carnal Christianity
And so John is writing to boldly and clearly address the issue.

It doesn’t really get any clearer than: “the one who practices righteousness is righteous”.

And so we are reminded:
CHRISTIANS LIVE RIGHTEOUS LIVES

• Their righteous living is NOT the means of their salvation, but it is certainly a fruit of it.
• NOR would we say that Christians live perfectly righteous, but righteousness is certainly the goal.

And in these ten verses John is giving us
3 reasons why Christians live righteous lives.

I gave them all 3 to you last time, I’ll repeat them here again so you’ll clearly see where we are headed.

1) THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
• God’s love gives hope and that hope produces righteous living.

2) THE SIN CONQUERING WORK OF CHRIST
• Jesus clearly came to destroy the works of the devil.
• He came to rescue men from sin, not leave them in it.

3) THE LIFE CHANGING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
• He’s not called “The Holy Spirit” for nothing.
• He is a sanctifier and He does not leave men in sin.

And that will be the backbone of John’s argument
As to why Christians live righteous lives.

Well, last time we started looking at the first.

#1 THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
1 John 3:1-3

All we really got accomplished last time was to
Sort of give clarity regarding this great love of God.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God”

So we took John’s advice and we examined this love.

God’s love is a SOVEREIGN LOVE
• It was God’s will to put that love on us, not ours.
• It was God’s decision.
• It was God who instigated it.
• He sovereignly chose to love those who were not lovely.

God’s love is a SACRIFICIAL LOVE
• Redeeming sinners is not free; it’s not even cheap.
• God certainly loved us, but if He was to redeem us it would be a high price.
• It would cost Him the life of His Son.
• And God paid that price.

God’s love is a SUSTAINING LOVE
• He didn’t just love us and ignore us.
• He didn’t just love us, redeem us, and then set us loose.
• He brought us to His table; He adopted us as sons and daughters; He gave us an inheritance.

It really is a remarkable thing that God would take sinners like us,
And not only love us but redeem us,
And not only redeem us, but adopt us.

How could it be “that we would be called children of God”?

And yet John says: “and such we are.”

It is unfathomable, but it is reality none the less.
God has so loved us that He redeemed us and adopted us into His family.

Frederich Lehman wrote in his beloved hymn: “The Love of God is Greater Far”

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”

John would certainly have you marvel at
God’s great love for those He has redeemed.

But that is NOT ALL John wants you to do.
John also wants you to UNDERSTAND THE HOPE God’s love produces.

You see it down in verse 3, “And everyone who has this hope…”

John is referring to a hope that we have
Which is the consequence of being a recipient of God’s love.

On one hand that is easy to understand.
• Each of us has a hope of eternal life.
• Each of us has a hope of dwelling with God in heaven one day.

But that hope is NOT based on our worth.
That hope is not based on our merit.

If that were the case our hope would be pretty thin.
• We’d actually live in great anxiety each moment out of fear that we might re-offend the God who saved us and lose our inheritance.

But our hope is not based on our will or our effort.
Our hope is actually based on God’s great love.

We delight in the fact that God loved us when we were sinners.
We delight that God loves us though He knew everything about us.

God didn’t get buyers remorse after redeeming us,
For He was well-aware of what we where when He chose to purchase us.

Romans 8:33 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”

We may in fact slip up from time to time,
And certainly Satan is more than eager to point that out to God.

And yet we rest in the fact that God justified us when we were sinners.
• He loved us when we were unlovable.
• His love is our security.
• His love is our hope.

That is a simple understanding of how God’s love produces hope in us.

My children may fear my discipline if they disobey or make a mistake,
But they don’t fear me putting them up for adoption.

And my love is practically evil compared to God’s.

GOD’S GREAT LOVE PRODUCES HOPE IN US.

But there is MORE TO UNDERSTAND here than just that.

To fully understand how God’s love produces hope in us
We must examine exactly what God’s love is accomplishing in us.

And this is what John would show you.

Let me break these down a little further this morning and show you 3 effects God’s love has in our lives.

1) OUR DISTINCTION (1b)

“For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

You could ask: WHAT REASON?
But John told us that.

Since God has loved us and adopted us and now calls us His children, John says, “For this reason the world does not know us”

So at the very least we must now acknowledge that
The love John refers to in verse 1
Is not a love that everyone equally receives.

Clearly the world did not receive it.
Clearly it is only a love which the redeemed enjoy.

In fact, it is A LOVE WHICH HAS DISTINGUISHED US from the world.

Whatever it is that God’s love has done in our lives,
The effect is that it has made us unrecognizable to the world.

Do you see that?

People who once knew us…
People who once recognized us…
People who once understood us…
Now no longer do because of God’s love in our lives.

His love has clearly TRANSFORMED us.

And so you must understand that GOD’S LOVE IS NOT STAGNANT.
• God’s love is not indifferent.
• God’s love is not passive.

GOD’S LOVE IS ACTIVE.
• It is a saving love
• It is a redeeming love
• It is a transforming love

Otherwise God’s love wouldn’t make us unrecognizable to the world.

When God’s great love is poured upon a sinner
It has a transforming effect on that sinner’s life.

Hebrews 12:6 “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

God, in His love for His children, actually disciplines us
So that we may share in His holiness.

Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

God, in His love for His children,
Is actually conforming us into the image of Christ.

You may not be able to see God’s love,
But you can see the effects of it on a life.

TO PUT IT SIMPLY,
AFTER WE BECOME A RECIPIENT of God’s sovereign, saving, and sustaining love WE ARE NO LONGER THE SAME.

And that is seen in the fact that: “the world does not know us”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• sure, they still know your name.
• Yes, they still recognize your face.

BUT THEY HAVE NO CONCEPT OF THIS CHANGE
THAT HAS OCCURRED IN YOUR LIFE.

1 Peter 4:4 “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;”

Peter said they are shocked; they don’t understand
Why you don’t like doing the things you used to like to do.

Paul would say:
Colossians 3:3 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

“hidden” is the word KRUPTO
It’s where we get our word “cryptic”

THE WORLD DOESN’T GET IT.
AND THEY NEVER HAVE.

Take Abraham:
Hebrews 11:13 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

• Abraham was called a “stranger” and an “exile on the earth”
• Nobody understood him.

And this same terminology is used of believers today:

1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen”

1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

BUT WHY DOES THE WORLD NOT KNOW US?

John says, “because it did not know Him.”

Certainly John learned this from Jesus:
John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”

So are you putting it all together here?
• Once you become a recipient of God’s love the world no longer recognizes you.
• And John says that is because they didn’t recognize Jesus.

And you have to ask: What does one have to do with the other?

Well clearly then God’s love is working
To cause you to look like Jesus.

DO YOU SEE THAT?
That’s the only way John’s statement makes sense.

If God’s love wasn’t making you like Jesus
Then it wouldn’t matter if the world recognized Jesus or not.

God’s love is having an active effect on your life
And that effect makes you unknown to the world.

So there is a distinguishing aspect of God’s love in your life.
• It sets you apart.
• It makes you different.
• That is our distinction and it is a consequence of God’s love in our lives.

Now there is a second effect of God’s love
2) OUR DESTINY (2)

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

So we know that God, through His love, is causing us to look like Jesus.
The immediate effect is that it makes us distinct from the world.

But, we realize that is still an ongoing process.
• He is conforming us into the image of Christ,
• But none of us would say that we have fully arrived.

In fact, we can’t even full grasp
What that might look like in our lives.

John says, “it has not appeared as yet what we will be.”

We understand that we have a long way to go before we are like Christ,
But even in that we still don’t have a full grasp of it.

We know God is changing us,
But we don’t fully grasp what that change will look like.

However, “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

We don’t know now what it will be, but we will.

There is coming a day,
• When the Lord returns, that our sanctification will be complete.
• We will be fully transformed.
• We will be glorified.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

Philippians 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

This is the Christian destiny.
FURTHERMORE THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN HOPE!

The Christian hope is NOT JUST a longing to go to heaven when we die.
The Christian hope is much greater.

Our hope is that one day I’ll never sin again!
Our hope is that one day I’ll be made perfect like Christ!

God has certainly begun that process to such an extent that the world should no longer recognize me,
But the Christian longs for the day when God completes that process.

We have often discussed that powerful chapter of Romans 7
And even pondered Paul’s urgent plea:

Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

When you read Romans 8 it becomes clear that Paul’s plea was immediately answered by salvation and the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

It is the Spirit who sets us free from our sinful slavery.

However, there is a sense in which that hope of deliverance is on-going.

For even though God has set us free from our sin
And is sanctifying us,
There is still a deep desire for the total completion of this process.

Paul speaks of that later in Romans 8
Romans 8:18-23 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

And this is our Christian destiny.
And it is a product of God’s love toward us.

So when God sets His great love on us, it has a distinguishing effect
And it points us to our future destiny.

And here is John’s final effect
3) OUR DESIRE (3)

“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

This is the final effect of God’s love in your life.
It actually causes you to desire to join God in His sanctifying work.

Christians don’t begrudgingly accept God’s sanctification.
Christians eagerly participate in God’s sanctification.

The Christian,
• Having received God’s love,
• Begins to see that God is transforming us.
• Though he doesn’t know exactly what he will be,
• He does know the direction he is headed.
• And so the Christian eagerly and actively participates in that process.

Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

“this hope” which Paul refers to is “the hope of perfection”.
• It is the hope of glorification.
• It is the hope of Christ-like-ness.

We see that God has started this in us and we eagerly anticipate the day He completes it and so we also run toward it.

THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN DESIRE.

Notice how John puts it:
“everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself”

• This ISN’T just the mindset of a select few over-zealots.
• This ISN’T just for the fanatic.
• This IS basic and obvious Christianity.
• This IS what Christians do.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

Ephesians 5:3-5 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

Colossians 3:3-10 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

I mean it’s the obvious Christian desire and expectation
Christians live pure lives.
Christians live righteous lives.

• They may not be perfectly pure all the time…
• They may not be perfectly righteous all the time…

But that is the goal, that is THE DESIRE, that is THE DESTINY,
And that is what THEY WORK FOR.

And all of this is THE EFFECT of God’s redeeming love.
He set His love on sinners in an active and redeeming way.

• He didn’t just save them and ignore them.
• He saves them and adopts them.
• He calls them children and then treats them as His children.

And the children who have received this great love
Will respond with a desire to please this Father
Who has so lavishly loved them.

THAT IS OBVIOUS CHRISTIANITY.
Does that make sense?

AND SO AGAIN WE WONDER
Where this notion of carnal Christianity comes from?

• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He loves, but He doesn’t care how they turn out?

• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He loves, but He doesn’t transform them?

• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He has redeemed, who totally despise His love and plans for their life?

THAT WOULD BE ABSURD!

Look, if you don’t care about righteous living…
• If you don’t care about sanctification…
• If you don’t care about God’s will for your life…
• If you don’t eagerly anticipate being glorified…

There is reason to question if you have ever been redeemed at all.

God’s love is an active love.
God’s love is a redeeming love.
God’s love is a sanctifying love.

You cannot remain unchanged after receiving it.
• You cannot continue to look like the world after receiving it.
• You cannot be content in sin after receiving it.
• You cannot be indifferent toward glory after receiving it.

“everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

That is THE FIRST REASON why Christians live righteous lives.
There are two more, and we’ll talk about those next time.

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The Day God Kept His Promise
Acts 13:32-41
April 17, 2022

This morning is the time in which
We want to especially remember and focus on
The glorious reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

As you are well-aware it is the empty tomb
That totally distinguishes Christianity from every other religion.

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Totally SOLIDIFIES and VERIFIES His atoning work on the cross.

Throughout His ministry Jesus offered forgiveness to countless sinners.
• We think of that paralytic on the mat whom Jesus forgave and then healed.
• We think of that woman who washed His feet with her tears and dried them
with her hair.
• We think of that woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery.

All throughout His ministry Jesus offered and declared people forgiven,
But simply saying it doesn’t make it go away.

Every time Jesus offered forgiveness
In all reality He was simply agreeing to assume their debt f.

He was in effect telling sinners, “I’ll take your sin, I’ll bear it before a Holy God. I’ll pay your debt. I’ll suffer your punishment. You are free to go.”

And this is what He did on the cross.
He bore God’s wrath.
He paid the actual sin debt of those whom He saved.

And it is the resurrection that proves that.
Had Jesus remained dead we would have no assurance that His offer worked.

• How would we know He wasn’t just paying for His own sin?
• How would we know He wasn’t just blowing smoke when He offered forgiveness?

Well, the resurrection proved He was sinless.
• The resurrection proved His death was not for His own sin.
• The resurrection proved His offer to God was accepted.
• The resurrection proves to us that the cross of Jesus was successful!

On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished!”
The resurrection solidifies that statement in stone.

And we rejoice in the resurrection because of that.

We also look at the resurrection as a testimony of God regarding His STANDARD FOR JUDGMENT.

Paul said to the Athenians:
Acts 17:31 “because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

When God raised Jesus from the dead it was a glaring accommodation.
JESUS WAS THE KIND OF HUMAN GOD ACCEPTS.

And because Jesus is the only Man God ever did that for (only one to never die again) Jesus becomes the standard for judgment.

If you ever wondered
How holy or how perfect a man must be to earn God’s favor?

THEN YOU LOOK TO JESUS
Because He’s the only man whom God released from death.

So the resurrection is an IMPORTANT AFFIRMATION of Jesus
And REMINDER to us of God’s holy standard of judgment.

And those are realities that we have talked about and discussed before.

THIS MORNING I want us to consider
Another aspect of the significance of the resurrection.

That the resurrection signifies the day that God kept His promise.

Certainly God has made many promises,
And we would say that they are in one way or another fulfilled in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises.

BUT THIS MORNING we want to be a little MORE SPECIFIC.

If I say to you that, “The resurrection signifies the day that God kept His promise.”
You might be tempted to ask, “Which promise?”

But not Israel.
For Israel, there was one promise
That dominated their thinking more than any other.

There were promises and then there was “The Promise”.
It’s the one you hear them ask about all the time.
It’s the one they were constantly looking for.

And it is this:
2 Samuel 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”

That of course is referred to as “The Davidic Covenant”
• It was God’s promise that one of his descendants would reign forever.

Psalms 89:19-29 “Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. “I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. “The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. “But I shall crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him. “My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted. “I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers. “He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven.”

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

And this was the promise that Israel was most consumed with.
• They waited for the King.
• They eagerly sought the kingdom.

You know this from the number of times you hear the disciples ask Jesus questions like, “Is it now that You are restoring the kingdom?”

• They were looking for the Christ.
• They were looking for the Messiah.
• They were looking for the descendant of David who would return the glory of the kingdom.

And of course you know that Jesus arrived.
• He was born in Bethlehem as the prophets said.
• He was worshiped by shepherds and wise men at His birth.
• Simeon recognized Him in the temple immediately.
• John the Baptist then came announcing Him to the world. (READ 23-26)
• The disciples followed Him believing that He was the One.
• And the people loved Him. (In John 6 they even tried to crown Him King.)

EVERYTHING WAS LOOKING POSITIVE.
It looked like Israel had found her long awaited King.

But those who held all the power in Israel answered with a resounding, “NO!”
• They did not view this Jesus as worthy.
• They had Him arrested.
• They put Him on trial.
• They had Him crucified.

So it appeared that the wait for a King would continue.

You even see this REMORSE and DESPAIR among some in Israel.

Those two men on the road to Emmaus:
Luke 24:21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.”

Whatever they thought about Jesus…
Whatever they hoped about Jesus…
It was over now because He was dead

The search for the King would continue.
The wait for God to fulfill His promise would drag on.

And then we read:
(30) “But God raised Him from the dead;”

The religious elite rejected Him and said, “This one cannot be our king.”
God responded to their decision and effectively said, “Too bad! He is the One I have chosen!”

That is what Acts 13 is about.

• In Acts 13 the apostle Paul is on his first missionary journey.
• And he has come to the city called Pisidian Antioch.
• He has entered the synagogue and he has been asked to speak.

And Paul has An Important Announcement for the congregation there.

(32-33a) “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children”

What promise? – THE PROMISE!
• God has given us a King!
• God has restored the kingdom!

And God fulfilled this promise “in that He raised up Jesus”

The resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise
To give us a King and a Kingdom.

This morning let’s listen to a portion of Paul’s sermon
Where he reminds of the promise and shows us how the resurrection is the fulfillment of that promise.

There’s 3 points I want you to see.
You’ll notice them because Paul quotes 3 times from the Old Testament.

#1 THE PROMISE OF A CORONATED SON
Acts 13:32-33

“And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to your children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’”

TURN TO: PSALMS 2

Psalms 2 is of course a Psalm all about Jesus.

It starts with the REJECTION OF JESUS in verses 1-3

(1-3) “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

• They want no part of a King ruling over them.
• He is despised and rejected.
• God sent the King and the world said, “Send someone else!”

But God would not be deterred.

(4-6) “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

• You may not want this King, but He is the King I have chosen.
• I have already picked Him.

And then we read God’s decree to this King. This is part of the coronation service.

(7-9) “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”

God promised a coming King.
But here we find something very interesting.
God calls this King His “Son”

And God says to His “Son”,
• I’m giving it all to You.
• You are the King!
• The world may not want You, but I have chosen You and I’ve given everything to You.

And so the Psalm ends with A WARNING to the nations that they had better get over themselves and bow the knee to God’s King.

(10-12) “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

The whole world had better submit themselves to God’s King
Because God has declared that
“the very ends of the earth” will be His possession.

Certainly Israel loved that Psalm!
(They had no idea they would first participate in the King’s rejection)

They loved this promise of God that one day
God would coronate a Son whom the world had first rejected.

They loved this promise of God that one day God would
Install His King upon the throne whether the world liked it or not.

It would be easy to look forward to that day!
It would be easy to wait with great anticipation for this King to come!

And Paul says here in Acts 13:33 – FULFILLED!

“God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’”

God took Jesus, first rejected,
And then coronated Him in spite of the world’s hatred.

And THAT CORONATION Paul says WAS HIS RESURRECTION.
That was God putting His seal of approval
On the One whom the world had rejected.

Have you been waiting for the promise of Psalms 2?
Well it is fulfilled.

Jesus is that Coronated Son you’ve been waiting for.

The Promise of a Coronated Son
#2 THE PROMISE OF A REDEEMING KING
Acts 13:34

“As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’”

• Paul clearly doesn’t stop with Psalms 2.
• There is another promise that he wants to examine.
• This one comes from Isaiah 55:3

But to grasp its significance we have to back up a little.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 53

• You are familiar with Isaiah 53 as that great chapter on the suffering servant.
• Again, it is this One who is despised and rejected and forsaken and not esteemed.

(1-3) “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

No different than the opening stanza of Psalms 2,
Here again we have this servant of God rejected by the world.

Now, Psalms 2 went directly from His rejection to His coronation
But Isaiah 53 takes a different approach.

Isaiah 53 explains why God allowed Him to be rejected.

(4-6) “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

God allowed this chosen to King to suffer and die
Because He wasn’t just here to rule, but also to redeem.

ISRAEL WAS A WAYWARD PEOPLE.
• They were unfit for the kingdom they longed for.
• Even if their King had arrived there’s no way He would have allowed them in.
• They were sinful and their sin had to be atoned for.

HIS REJECTION ALLOWED FOR THEIR ATONEMENT.

This King would come and bear their sin and bear their punishment.

The RESULT of this redeeming act would FULL RESTORATION AND JOY.
And that is what Isaiah 54 is all about.

• It speaks of the joys of being redeemed.
• It actually speaks of it by way of analogy.

In Isaiah 54 Israel is compared to 4 different women.

In verses 1-3 redemption is compared to THE JOY OF WHEN A BARREN WOMAN HAS A CHILD.

(1) “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;”
(3) “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations And will resettle the desolate cities.”

Those are the joyful kingdom realities Israel wanted.
They wanted to again be a fertile and prosperous nation that spread abroad.

In verses 4-8 redemption is compared to when THE RESTORED DIGNITY OF A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN FORSAKEN.

(4) “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced…”
(8) “In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” Says the LORD your Redeemer.”

Israel had been severely disciplined by God and they longed for the day
When they were once again welcomed back into God’s favor.

REDEMPTION WOULD MEAN RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.

In verses 9-10 redemption is compared to THE RESTORED PEACE OF A WOMAN WHO HAS GROWN SKEPTICAL.

(9b) “I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you.”

Just in case the above promises seemed to good to be true, God interposes with an oath.
• I will do it.
• And Israel longed for this peace and assurance.

And finally in verses 11-17 redemption is compared to THE RESTORED SECURITY OF A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN AFFLICTED.

(11-12) “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones.”

You’ve had a hard time but I’m going to restore you and make you secure.

And in the last verse of chapter 54 God says:
(17) “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.”

So God had spoken of this coming Redeemer
Who would bear Israel’s punishment and actually Redeem her.

There was a coming King who would be rejected,
But in His rejection He would actually redeem
And restore Israel back to a joyful state.

That was a promise that God had made.
And it would come through this King from David’s line.

You can see why they anticipated him so much.
They wanted joy, they wanted dignity,
They wanted peace, they wanted security.

Well then you come to chapter 55
And God extends the offer to Israel.

The first 3 verses are significant here.
(1-3) “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.”

Those last lines are actually the promise that Paul quoted in Acts 13.
“I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.”

When Paul quoted it, he said, “I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.”

This was the promise Paul was referencing.

It was the promise that
• If you thirsted for the blessings of redemption.
• If you hungered to be forgiven and restored before God.

Then you should come.
• You should quit seeking the world and things that don’t satisfy.
• You should come to God and to His king.

He would be the King whom God would make
An everlasting covenant with like he spoke of to David.

And in Acts 13 Paul quotes verse 3 as if to say: JESUS IS THAT KING!

When God raised Him from the dead
It was God honoring that promise of an everlasting kingdom.

God was fulfilling His promise.

Jesus is that King God was talking about.
• He is the One who would bear your sin.
• He is the One who will redeem you.
• He is the One who will restore you to joy and dignity and peace and security.

And if you want that, then you should run to Him.
In Jesus are those “holy and sure blessings of David.”

YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR GOD TO FULFILL THAT PROMISE.
He just did!
He raised Jesus from the dead and made Him the eternal King!

The Promise of A Coronated Son The Promise of A Redeeming King
#3 THE PROMISE OF AN ETERNAL SAVIOR
Acts 13:35-37

And here Paul continues with one more promise.

(35) “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’”

This is a promise found in Psalms 16.
TURN TO: PSALMS 16

We studied this one a few years ago on Easter and again recently as we are studying through Psalms so it should not be totally unfamiliar to you.

In this Psalm we have David
Obviously praying a prayer for preservation and deliverance.

But it is the end of the Psalm which grabs our attention
For there this marvelous promise is recorded.

(10) “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

Now clearly the first part of that verse is A REFERENCE TO DAVID.
• David is placing his hope in the fact that when he dies God will not abandon him in death.

However, the second part of that verse CANNOT BE ABOUT DAVID.
• “Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

That can’t be about David, and Paul will tell you why.

Back in Acts 13
(36-37) “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.”

The last half of that verse can’t be about David.
His body most certainly decomposed.

BUT DAVID EXPECTED THAT.
He expected his body to decay, it was his soul that God would save.

And David knew that the way God would save his soul
Would be through a coming Savior whose body would not decay.

David uttered God’s promise that there was coming a Savior; a Holy One;
Who would never decay in death, but who would live eternally.

And this Savior would not only live, but would also be
The means through which David’s soul would be saved.

And again Paul says: FULFILLED!

Israel was looking for an eternal savior and Paul says,
God fulfilled that promise when He raised Jesus from the dead.

Now, I know that’s a lot of Scripture to cover in a short period of time,
But it is merely to point out to you that

The resurrection of Jesus WAS THE FULFILLMENT of God’s promises.

• In Psalms 2 God promised A CORONATED SON
• In Isaiah 55 God promised A REDEEMING KING
• In Psalms 16 God promised AN ETERNAL SAVIOR

And on the day when God raised Jesus from the dead,
He satisfied every one of those promises.

God had promised
• A King who would reign forever on David’s throne.
• He would be rejected by the world and yet coronated by God.
• He would come and redeem Israel and restore her kingdom.
• And He would save them forever.

Paul says that King has arrived!
God testified to that when He raised Jesus from the dead!

JUST CHECK OFF THE BOXES
• Was He rejected? Yes
• In His rejection did He redeem? Yes
• Did God select Him in spite of the world’s rejection? Yes
• Will He now reign forever? Yes

And the resurrection settled all of that.

Easter Sunday was the day when God fulfilled His promise.

The resurrection proves that Jesus is God’s Messiah; God’s King.
He does reign and He will reign.
He has saved and He will save.

THE SEARCH IS OVER!

However, THE RESPONSIBILITY on your part remains.

In Isaiah 55 Isaiah reminded his readers that their obligation would be
To come to this King if they thirsted for redemption.

Notice that Paul’s message is the same.

(38-39) “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”

In Jesus you get forgiveness and freedom.

He can forgive you of your sins because He bore the wrath of God.
• (Isaiah 53 taught us that)

He can free you from the penalty of sin as well
• (Psalms 16) taught us that.

Jesus alone can save.
Jesus alone can forgive.
Jesus alone can set you free.

Why Jesus alone?
Because He’s the only One whom God ever raised from the dead to be an eternal King!

Isaiah 55 would continue on beyond what we read a moment ago.

Isaiah would go on to say:
Isaiah 55:4-7 “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples. “Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

This One whom God would raise is “a witness”.
He is “a leader and commander”

He is also the savior of the world for He calls even Gentiles to Himself.
God has glorified Him as the only King.

And Isaiah’s advice is very similar to Paul’s
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He wil have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”

Do you want forgiveness?
Do you want freedom?
Do you want redemption? (joy, dignity, peace, security)

Then forsake your sinful ways and run to God’s king!
You seek Him while the offer is available.
You seek Him while you have time.

And we know who He is.
It is Jesus! The One whom God raised from the dead.

But Paul also has A WARNING for his congregation and us.

(40-41) “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.’ ”

If you don’t recognize that passage, it comes from Habakkuk 1:5
• Habakkuk grieved over his sinful culture
• And he asked God why He had forced him to live among such evil.

What Paul quotes is the answer God gave to Habakkuk.
“I am accomplish a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you”

What was God talking about?
What was this great work?

Habakkuk 1:6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.”

God was sending the Babylonians to destroy Israel.

Now do you understand Paul’s sermon?
• God has made it very clear who His King is!
• God has raised Jesus from the dead
• God has set an undeniable seal on Him that He is the Promised Son, Redeemer, and King.

You should run to Him, trust in Him, and call on His name
So that you will be forgiven and set free from your sin.

But if you don’t then you should know.
That those who hear the truth of Christ and then reject Him,
You can’t even imagine the judgment which God has in store.

IT IS NOT OK WITH GOD FOR THE WORLD TO REJECT HIS KING.

Psalms 2:10-12 “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

AND THAT IS WHERE WE SIT THIS MORNING.
• God has fulfilled His promise!
• He has sent us His glorious King!
• Jesus reigns today in heaven and He will one day soon reign upon the earth!
• The resurrection fulfilled that promise.

This morning God has seen fit to ask you to trust in Him.
God has seen fit to call you to submit to Him.

If you do, there is forgiveness and freedom and redemption.
If you don’t, then you cannot even imagine the judgment that will come.

AND SO THIS MORNING
• I invite you to believe in Jesus.
• I invite you to forsake your ways and run to Him.
• I invite you to submit to God’s King and call upon His name.

And He will abundantly pardon.

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Anticipating Worship: A Secure Journey
Psalms 121
April 10, 2022

That song we just sang is a new release by Sovereign Grace Music
And as you might have noticed, it was inspired by Psalms 121.
https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/he-will-keep-you-psalm-121/

Psalm 121 is a Psalm that focuses on the power of God
To keep His own from all evil and to bring them safely home.

And we also notice that it was a Psalm which was sovereignly included in this group of Psalms known as “A Song of Ascents”

As I told you last time,
Psalms 120-134 all come with the same subheading: “A Song of Ascents”
• They were not all written together,
• Nor were they all written by the same author.
• But God saw fit, in His divine providence, to have them grouped together
• As a sort of hymn book for the children of Israel as they made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem 3 times a year.

• Every Jewish male was required to travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and The Feast of Booths.

And these 15 Psalms became the songs they sang on the way.

We study them as a picture of what it means to ANTICIPATE WORSHIP

In a day where corporate worship has become less than a priority,
It is wonderful to us to have a segment of Scripture
Which focuses primarily on the joy and blessing and benefit
Of gathering with the saints to worship God.

Last time we studied Psalms 120 and pondered the fact that the corporate gathering serves as “A Sanctuary From Evil”
• We may live among liars in the world…
• We may live among those who hate peace…
• But when we gather with the saints we dwell in a place of truth, love, joy, and peace.
• It is a respite from the toil and struggle of living in an evil world and around evil men.

Well tonight we move on and we are taking a look at Psalms 121.

Now, immediately we notice that even though this is “A Song of Ascents”
There is nothing really mentioned regarding the blessing of worship.

Psalms 120 didn’t either, we just realized based upon his lament of living among liars why the corporate gathering was such a blessing.

Psalms 121 doesn’t mention the gathering either.

In fact, the blessing of the gathering doesn’t show up until Psalms 122
Psalms 122:1 “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

But here we don’t get a mention of it yet.

The focus of this Psalm is not the joys of the corporate gathering,
But rather it focuses on arriving to that worship safely.

Even from the New Testament we are made aware that
THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM COULD BE A DANGEROUS ONE.

In particular if you were a Jew who lived in the northern regions
And had to travel south to Jerusalem through Samaria.

Perhaps you remember the disciples traveling through with Jesus,
• But the Samaritans would not welcome them in or lodge them.
• It infuriated James and John so much that they wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans.

Or perhaps you remember Jesus’ parable of “The Good Samaritan”
• Where highlighted for us was that dangerous road from Jericho to Jerusalem
• Where a man fell among robbers and thieves.

Travel wasn’t always safe.

And the terrain wasn’t easy.
Take the trip simply from Jericho to Jerusalem.
• Jerusalem is about 2500’ above sea level.
• Jericho is about 850’ below sea level (3350’ difference)
• And the distance is only 15 ½ miles.

Regardless of the safety of the journey,
The physical terrain alone would make it a very difficult one.

And that’s just one aspect of the journey.

THE POINT is, even though you were commanded
To attend corporate worship in Jerusalem,
That did not make the journey easy.

TODAY I think about people around the world who face similar difficulties.

When our family went skiing over spring break.
Each day we would leave the cabin early so we could park, but we would have time to kill once we arrived, so each morning we listened to R.C. Sproul talk about the book of Acts while we waited.

One day he spoke of a missionary friend in the Sudan.
And how he had lunch with that friend.

“As we were eating he showed me a picture of his family; his wife, four, five, or six kids… And there’s this picture of all these kids carrying guns. The adults AK-47’s, and the younger kids with different kinds of rifles, shotguns and everything. I asked “What’s that, a militia?” He said, “No, they’re going to church.” [I responded] “They’re going to church? What are they doing going to church? Why are they carrying guns?” He said, “Because the church has been bombed ten times by Muslims and we have to have our guns or they won’t stop shooting us.”

We live in a place where people skip church if
It’s too cold, too wet, or if a football game is on.

Imagine living in a land where you have to put a shotgun in the hand of your child to deter hostiles from shooting you.

Several here went to Malawi a few years back.
• You remember Pastor Felix and that group of women who rode bicycles 8 hours over a mountain just so they could come and hear the word of God.
• You remember them sleeping in a concrete slab
• And actually risking the danger of traveling at night just because they wanted to stay for one more session.

I point that out, not to shame you or make you feel bad.
I only want you to understand that
For some the journey just to worship can be a perilous one.

I simply want you to understand
• What it must’ve been like for these Jews to travel to Jerusalem for corporate
worship.
• What many in our day must endure to travel to a place of corporate worship.

Though nothing is mentioned here about the worship itself,
I should think it is obvious that their worship had value.

If you’ll travel for weeks on foot through dangerous country and up rugged terrain to worship there is clearly value and blessing there.

And that value and blessing will be discussed many times
Throughout our study of these 15 songs of ascents.

BUT TONIGHT, and it is fitting that this would be early on in the study,
• We DON’T discuss the joy of participating in corporate worship.
• We study the faith it took to get there
• And the sovereign protection of God to bring them there.

So let’s just listen in a real practical sense to what our Psalmist is saying
And see if we can’t get a practical understanding of the song.

Certainly, after we do that, we’ll read it again with spiritual eyes
And find why God has preserved this song for us.

But let’s begin by simply thinking about the things
That were going to make this journey difficult.

There’s 4 here.
#1 ENCUMBERMENT
Psalms 121: 1-3a

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth…”

Ever since my doctor told me I was too fat and inactive I’ve been on a diet and my wife has done her best to keep me exercising.
• So several mornings a week we gone a walk from our house, up the hill behind
Allsups, around the bottom, back up by the football stadium and back home.

And every time we make that journey we both dread that second hill.
(It’s nothing like the hill from Jericho to Jerusalem)

But could you imagine a journey to Jerusalem?
• And you knew that before you arrived
• You were going to have to make that 15 mile climb
• That rose over 3300 feet in elevation

As you stood in Jericho and YOU LOOKED UPWARD at the mountainous climb before you DO YOU UNDERSTAND why this song was sung?

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?”

When I look at that climb I don’t know how I’m going to get up there.

I think of those women from Pastor Felix’s church riding those bicycles over the mountain, and many of them hauling someone else.

We are here only discussing the difficulty of the terrain.
• High hills…
• Deep valleys…
• Unlevel paths…
• Holes and crags and steep hills…

You understand why one of the first songs in this group
Focuses on help in the journey.

“From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

• The hills I must climb are God’s hills.
• The weather I must endure is God’s weather.
• He is the Master of it all.

“And the God who commands me to gather
Is the God who also commands the earth upon which I travel.”

Our Helper is the Author of creation.

And then the beautiful promise.
“He will not allow your foot to slip;”

In every encumbrance that you will face,
God will strengthen and help you on this journey.

We think of how He cared for the children of Israel in the wilderness.
• How they ate bread from heaven…
• How they drank water from a rock…
• How their clothes and shoes never wore out…

These pilgrims set out for Jerusalem and sang this song of faith
That God would sustain them over rugged terrain.

Encumberment
#2 EXHAUSTION
Psalms 121:3-4

“He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Here we get our first occurrence of the word which dominates the song.
“keeps”

All throughout the song the focus is on God who keeps His children.

And here the focus seems to be against PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION.
• When traveling we all know what it is to make a travel plan.
• How far we need to get, how far we want to travel.
• Stopping to rest or sleep is not always a good thing when traveling.
• Sometimes it’s not even safe.

Beyond that we think even of the night.
• Who is to keep watch?
• Who is to stay awake to make sure no one steals supplies?
• Who is to watch for wild beasts?

Sleeping on the trip was not the safest thing to do.

AND HERE THAT IS ADDRESSED.

Those who understand Hebrew can give us better insight here.

They will tell you that the word “not” in verse 3
Is a word that is TYPICALLY RESERVED FOR REQUESTS.

What you actually have here is a part of the song where
One part sings the question and the other part sings the answer.

Group one sings: “May He not let your feet slip, may He not slumber.”
And then the second group would sing: “Look! He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!”

It was a song to remind those who traveled that
Even when we reach a point of exhaustion and rest must occur
That our God never slumbers or sleeps.

He who is the perpetual night watchman.
He is a constant guard over us.

What a comfort to sing such a song to one who is traveling
Through hostile and dangerous lands.

Encumberment, Exhaustion
#3 ELEMENTS
Psalms 121:5-6

Again we are reminded that “The LORD is your keeper;”

But that doesn’t simply reference to a guard around the camp.
There are other aspects that make the journey difficult.

Earlier we discussed the unlevel and treacherous terrain,
BUT THINK ABOUT THE WEATHER.

Passover occurs in the month of Nisan
• And the temperature is around 70 degrees without much variation,
• But it was month with heavy winds and could have heavy rains.

But the Feast of Weeks occurs in Sivan
• Where temperatures can be over 100.

The Feast of Booths occurs in Tishri
• With hot winds and potential rains.

That means that at least two of the mandated journeys
Could be taken in extremely high heat with blistering winds.

“The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day”

We think of the glory cloud that hovered over the children of Israel
As they traveled through the desert.

And here the pilgrims bank on it again.

But not only the heat of the day, but even the terrors of the night.
“Nor the moon by night”

The moon doesn’t burn you, but it can expose you.

But still, as they journeyed through all the elements
We see a faith that God would care for them and shield them.

Encumberment, Exhaustion, Elements
#4 EVIL
Psalms 121:7-8

“The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”

Then there was the basic evils of wicked men.
• The man going down from Jerusalem fell among robbers.
• Certainly not everyone was happy about the children of Israel traveling to Jerusalem to worship.
• There was always the risk of evil men seeking to do harm.

And so as they traveled they sang of how God was a protector from evil,
And how God would guard them in front and behind forever.

The song makes perfect sense to us.
It is very practical.

Any father or mother, especially if traveling with their family
Would understand the importance of teaching such a song to the children

What a source of peace and comfort
As you faced the hardships of a journey in order to make it to Jerusalem
For the blessing of corporate worship.

BUT CERTAINLY THIS SONG IS MORE THAN JUST PRACTICAL.
This song was preserved by God that you and I might sing it and rejoice in it.

CERTAINLY THERE IS A SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE.

Granted those in Sudan or Malawi might even sing it in that same practical sense that the Israelites did,

But we find the physical journey to church to be much easier.
• We load up in a climate controlled car with cushioned seats and travel over paved roads at 70+ mph to get here.
• Most of the time we probably don’t give any thought to the physical journey we take to gather with the saints.

But what if we look at this song a little deeper and with a spiritual eye?

For we are all on a journey.
We are all on a pilgrimage.

I told you last week that the closest thing we get to a taste of heaven is when the saints gather together on Sundays for worship.

But even at that, we realize there is likely no real comparison.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly”.

In a very real sense we are also headed
To that great gathering of the saints for the true worship
That will occur in the new Jerusalem.

And you are certainly aware that our journey can be difficult.

WE ALSO FACE ENCUMBERMENT.

Maybe not literal mountains or hills,
But you are aware that in Scripture mountains often typify OBSTACLES.

• We think of Jesus telling us to believe and the mountains will move.
• We think of the promise to Zechariah that his mountain (the temple project) would become a plain (be completed).

In short, we face things that make our journey difficult.

Scripture often refers to them as “stumbling blocks”
• Things that might cause our foot to slip.
• Things that might cause us to trip.
• Things that would seemingly threaten to keep us from arriving at our destination.

Paul lists a few
Romans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul just listed several encumberments that might cause us to trip,
But he reminded that “in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

In short, “He will not allow your foot to slip”

Jude 1:24 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,”

Romans 16:25a “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…”

It is the promise that our God will keep us from stumbling
Even if life is fraught with rough terrain and terrible snares.

I told you we recently listened to “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom on our trip.
• This woman who was arrested for helping the Jews in WWII and endured such hardship at the hands of the enemy.

Or perhaps we think of some other story of great suffering
That children of God have faced in their lives.

Joni Eareckson Tada is the Christian author who is quadriplegic.
• I remember hearing her speak at “The Strange Fire Conference” several years ago where she shared about the hardships of having cancer.

Or we think of men like Horatio Spafford
• Who wrote “It is Well With My Soul”
• And how his only son died,
• His business burned in the great Chicago fire,
• And then his wife and daughters were shipwrecked and only his wife survived.

We think of such lives and such difficult terrain that they traveled
And we wonder why they never fell away from God.

We wonder why they never broke out in anger
And cursed God and departed.

And the answer is because God would not allow their foot to slip.
• He held them.
• He kept them.
• And they never stumbled.

That is a hope we sing of as we travel this journey as well.

WE ALSO FACE EXHAUSTION

• We grow tired and weary.
• We at times want to stop.
• We wonder who will guard us through the long dark night.

But we read truths:
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”

Paul spoke of a day of exhaustion; spiritual exhaustion.
AND YET, GOD DELIVERED
And Paul said, “And He will yet deliver us…”

He understood that when his strength was gone, God’s remained.

He understood that GREAT PROMISE given through Isaiah:
Isaiah 40:28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

We will go on because God strengthens us to go on.
We will endure because God comforts us in our affliction.

We know the journey will be difficult.
We knew that when it began.
But we sing of a God who “will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Our God keeps the constant night watch
Even when we are too tired to endure.

WE ALSO FACE THE ELEMENTS

Oh, it may not be literal physical weather…

But the bad weather Israel faced came from the same source
As our daily hardships. It is all a result of THE SIN CURSE.

Life is hard.
Suffering is real.

This would be a good time to insert the book of Ecclesiastes
That reminded us that toil is real and death is certain.

Jesus said that in this life we would face tribulation.

We know what it is to suffer the effects of living in a sin-cursed world.
• Now there is sickness and pain and disease and death.
• Now there is evil and wickedness and cruelty and deception.
• This is not how it was originally created, but sin has corrupted our world.
• We live in the elements of a fallen creation.

Sometimes even literal elements.
Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 11:26-27 “I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

Sometimes life brings real physical hardships.

Sometimes those elements are of A SPIRITUAL VARIETY
Like grief or pain or regret or guilt or shame.

And any one of those things might be more than we could bear.

But “The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.”

Everyone in here has at one point or another
Faced a tragedy or hardship in your life.

And yet, if we are honest, we can all give the testimony that
“His grace is sufficient”

The sun did in fact beat down for a season,
But His shade made it bearable.

And many, after deliverance, can look back at such times
And wonder how they ever survived it.

It is because God “is your shade on your right hand.”
• Those encumberments…
• Your exhaustion…
• The cruel elements of life…

None of those things can keep you from arriving
At the destination of worship because “The LORD is your keeper”

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

AND WE ALSO FACE EVIL

We understand promises of persecution.
• We understand the analogy of being outcasts and aliens on earth.
• We understand that this world is starting to hate us and that this rage will only grow stronger.

We see the corruption of our culture…
We hear what is being promoted in our society as good…

Our world is antichrist.
Evil abounds.

And yet, “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.”

As Martin Luther wrote:
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the Right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who That may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru Him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.

God keeps our soul.

Listen to Isaiah:
Isaiah 43:1-7 “But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Listen to Paul:
2 Timothy 4:16-18 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Again:
2 Timothy 3:10-11 “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!”

Listen to Peter:
1 Peter 5:8-11 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

That is a very comforting passage to me.

The God who called you and commanded you to come to this new Jerusalem
Is the God who will Himself “perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

If you’ve never looked up those 4 words and their Greek definition they make a wonderful progression.

“perfect” is a word that is used of mending nets.
• When you are broken and torn and God has to sew you back together.

“confirm” is a word that means “to prop”.
• After God sews you back together he props you up on your feet.

“strengthen” is a word that means exactly that.
• God puts strength into those feeble legs so that they can stand on their own.

“establish” is a like to set it in concrete so that it never falls again.
• God is the one who helps us in the midst of all evil.
• God is the one who sustains us in the face of the roaring lion.

I want to give you one more passage tonight in closing.
I would call this passage the New Testament equivalent of Psalms 121

The Jews of old sang this song as they physically traveled to Jerusalem
To worship with the saints.
We also are on a journey to join the saints in glory.

Here is our version of this glorious Psalm.

1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

We are also traveling to a place of glory and worship.
• And right now we are “distressed by various trial”
• Encumberment – Exhaustion – Elements – Evil

But all it will do is prove our faith
• Because we “are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

And as a result, we sing this song
• And we “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”

We are promised a secure journey.
That means we will each arrive at our destination!
God has promised.

HE WILL KEEP YOU!

Download Here:

Obvious Christianity – Part 1
1 John 3:1-10 (1a)
April 10, 2022

As I studied the book of 1 John in preparation for our study through it together
It became clear to me that John’s work was one of extreme clarity.

In fact, I decided to name the study of this book “Obvious Christianity”

I came to that conclusion based primarily on VERSE 10.

“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

What becomes abundantly clear as you study this book
Is that John brings TWO BASIC ELEMENTS of the Christian life
To the forefront as absolute NON-NEGOTIABLES.

Those two elements are of course: Righteous Living & Brotherly Love
From John’s perspective there is no scenario
In which someone can claim Christianity
If he is void of either of those foundational aspects.

And anyone who would be void of righteous living or brother love and yet still claim to be a Christian…well, John would simply call them a liar.

• These two realities are basic Christianity.
• They are what it means to be a Christian in this world.
• They are the most obvious and necessary fruits of the Christian life.

And that is why John continually circles back to each of them.
In fact, we’ve already studied these ideas before in this book.

1 John 1:5-6 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”

1 John 2:4 “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;”

1 John 2:9-10 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

But clearly John is not finished.
These truths are so important, John is back on them again.

As seems to be common with John’s writing style, he makes a comment to conclude a thought,
But that comment at the same time seems to open up a whole new train of thought for him.

LAST WEEK, we concluded the segment about living in the last hour.
• It concluded with John’s encouragement to obey the word of God.

1 John 2:29 “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

That was advice for how to live here in the last hour
As we anticipate the return of Christ.

But it is also clear that the statement there
Catapulted John into another pointed dialogue.

John said, “you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

And now, it is evident that JOHN SETS OUT TO PROVE THAT.

So the first 10 verses of chapter 3 are all about
Why righteous living is not only important,
But is in fact a fruit of genuine salvation.

What has become abundantly clear to anyone watching today is that
Our culture is most certainly not concerned about righteousness.

By righteousness I mean God’s righteous standards

Our culture is greatly concerned about their own standards of woke goodness and political correctness, but very few of those ideologies are rooted in the Law of God.

We hear it in the language of the world.
• Profanity is common place.
• People don’t even seem to be able to speak without the proverbial “4 letter word”

We see it in the sexual immorality of the world.
• The sanctity of marriage has all but been obliterated.
• Living together has become commonplace.
• Homosexuality is celebrated

We see it in the materialism of the world.
• Lottery tickets and gambling
• Basic greed and overindulgence

There is today very little concern for what God has to say.

People don’t care if their behavior is offensive to God.
Pursuing righteousness is not even on the radar for most people.

Even though Jesus plainly taught us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” that seems to be the last thing on the mind of the world.

Obeying God’s commands just isn’t important.
People would rather do what makes them feel good and what pleases them.

It’s just the world in which we live.

BUT THE CHRISTIAN IS COMMANDED TO BE SET APART.

Ephesians 4:17-19 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

Christians are not sensual people they are sanctified people.
• Christians are those who crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.
• Christians are those who demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.
• Christians are those who walk in obedience.

The simple point is that,
With a culture that is moving so rapidly toward sin,
It ought to make Christians stick out like a sore thumb.

And this is part of John’s point.
Even if the world is sinful, Christians are known by their righteousness.

And if you think that you can be a Christian while living like the world,
Then according to John, YOU HAVE BEEN DECEIVED.

(7-8a) “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices in is of the devil;”

If you are living in sin but claiming Christianity you have been deceived.

Now, it is important to state at the beginning that
WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT SINLESS PERFECTION.

Clearly John did not have that in mind either, for he wrote in chapter 1:
1 John 1:8-10 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

• Clearly John understood that even Christians still fall into sin.
• Clearly John understood that Christians must confess their sin for forgiveness and cleansing.

We are also aware of the well-documented sin of believers even in the Bible.

The Bible doesn’t whitewash the characters it reveals.
• We are aware of Peter’s denial and his momentary legalism at Antioch.
• We are aware of Paul cursing the high priest after being struck.
• We are aware of the church at Corinth and their many shortcomings.
• We know the Galatians were foolish.

The Bible doesn’t teach that Christians never sin.
And that is not what John is saying.

The key is found in the often-used word of John “practices”.

John is not talking about momentary or random mistakes.
John is talking about habitual practice.

I would go so far as to say that
John ISN’T even talking about brief periods of backsliddenness in a life.

I’ve always liked the statement found in the Westminster Confession.

In the segment on the perseverance of the saints and how the true saints of God will endure to the end, the Westiminster Confession goes on to say:

“Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and for a time continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts; have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.”

The Westminster Confession

And in the footnotes their statement is defended by citing stories like David’s brief affair with Bathsheba or Peter’s 3 fold denial of Christ.

Those were horrible lapses into sin.
In David’s case it must have lasted at least a few weeks.

But in neither case was it the ongoing practice of their life.
• They were brought to repentance.
• They were brought to sanctification.

And this is what John no doubt has in mind.

While believers may in fact struggle with sin and even lapse into it,
A true believer’s life is not characterized by the practice of sin
But by the practice of righteousness.

We might say it like this:
While the presence of sin may be a reality for believers,
The practice of sin most certainly is not.

TRUE BELIEVERS PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS
And this is how they are distinguished in the world.

And, as we said a moment ago, in a world as sinful as ours true believers ought to stick out like a sore thumb.

Well here in verses 1-10 John is confronting a deception
Which apparently downplayed the importance of righteous living.

And so here John will boldly explain to us:
WHY TRUE CHRISTIANS PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS

As you might expect this will take us several weeks to get through, but what an important passage for us to learn and take to heart in this wicked world.

What we are going to see are
3 reasons why believers practice righteousness.
3 reasons why righteousness is
One of the chief defining characteristics of the true believer.

I’ll even give them to you now and we’ll work through them in the coming weeks.

1) The Hope Producing Love of God
• The effect of the love of God poured into a life produces a hope that in turn
produces righteous living.
• The absence of righteous living signifies the absence of hope
• The absence of hope signifies that one has not yet received the love of God.

2) The Sin Conquering Work of Christ
• John will be very clear when he reminds that Christ came to “take away sin”
and to “destroy the works of the devil”.
• If you are in Christ, then He has done that in your life.
• If that has not occurred in your life, then it is evident that you are not in Christ.

3) The Life Changing Presence of the Spirit
• When a person is “born of God” or born again, that person is made new.
• They are a new creation and the Spirit of God now in them is a Spirit that will
not allow them to dwell in sin.
• They may momentarily grieve Him and fall into sin, but He will not allow them to
stay there.

THOSE 3 REASONS ARE WHY CHRISTIANS LIVE RIGHTEOUS LIVES.

Well this morning, let’s start our journey of examining those truths.

Let’s start with the first point.
#1 THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
1 John 3:1-3

This is one of the reasons why Christians practice righteousness.

John begins with a statement of awe and wonder.

(1a) “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”

Let’s just stop there and process this for a moment.

The word “See” indicates that John would have us rest here a moment.
John would have us ponder this.

Namely that the “love” that “the Father has bestowed on us” is “GREAT”.

I think the first thing that you must recognize is
The distinction of WHAT KIND OF LOVE John is referring to.

If you’ve never pondered it or studied it, it is a fascinating study
And I think R.C. Sproul discusses it as profoundly and clearly as anyone.

He would tell you that when we discuss the love of God there are 3 types.

GOD’S LOVE OF BENEFICENCE

That God has good-will toward men.
• That God takes no delight in the death of the wicked.
• That God wants good for all humanity.
• It is bound up in commands like “Thou shalt not kill” since all men were “made in the image of God”.

God has a basic fondness and love for humanity in general.
He wants and desires good for all humanity.

GOD’S LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE

This moves beyond desire to action.
• God does good for men.
• “He sends rain on the just and the unjust”

John 3:16 settles here.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 doesn’t say that God saved all men,
But clearly Jesus was sent and made salvation available to all men.

God has good-will and good action toward all men.

But then there is what Sproul called,
GOD’S LOVE OF COMPLACENCY

It is not a smugness, but rather a self-satisfaction.
• Namely that God sets His saving love on those whom it pleases Him to save.
• This is where we put our understanding of election.
• That God chooses to save some according to His own sovereign will.

And this is the love that John is referring to here in verse 1.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us”

He is NOT REFERRING to beneficent love or even benevolent love.
This is not a statement of amazement that God sends rain on the just and the unjust.

NOR is he referring to God’s love for every human.
This is the love “the Father has bestowed on US”
John is blown away with the love of God
That He would take sinful people and choose to save them.

It is an amazement in adoption.
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God”

John is amazed at the love which God has shown the redeemed.

And LET’S PROCESS that love a little more this morning.
It is worth examining.

It is good that we “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us”

Let’s consider that God’s love for us is A SOVEREIGN LOVE

I’ve told you many times before but the most common errors people make in regard to the gospel do not typically originate in their doctrine of God but actually in regard to their DOCTRINE OF MAN.

If you fail to grasp a biblical view of man
Then inevitably the gospel will be distorted.

Scripture is clear with regard to what man is.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

We are familiar with that gathering of Psalms
Which Paul quotes in Romans 3 where we are reminded that
“there is none righteous, not even one.”
“there is none who seeks for God”
“there is none who does good, there is not even one.”
“there is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Titus 3:3 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

The reminder to us is that
We were all spiritually dead and spiritually depraved.

It is not just that sinful man WOULDN’T come to God,
It is also that they COULDN’T come to God.

We know of man’s stubbornness and willful disobedience.
• We know of the depravity of man’s thinking.
• Romans 1 lays this out for us extremely clearly.

But the issue of the gospel has NEVER BEEN ABOUT
Convincing sinful people to want salvation.

Preaching the gospel is not a debate.
You don’t educate people into the kingdom of heaven.

Consider the conversation with Jesus and Nicodemus:
John 3:1-3 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

• Nicodemus was well aware that Jesus was “a teacher”
• But Jesus straightened him out quickly pointing out that a person must be
“born again”

Nicodemus didn’t need to be educated, he needed to be regenerated.
He had to be born again.

THIS IS THE REALITY OF MAN.
Man is sinful and unwilling to come to Christ,
But even if he were willing, he is absolutely unable to do it.

When the Rich Young Ruler walked away the disciples asked Jesus:
“Then who can be saved?”

Matthew 19:26 “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

No sooner could a corpse in the Spur cemetery
Decide to quit being dead and to come out of the grave
Than could a sinner decide to quit being spiritually dead
And to grab hold of life.

We think of Lazarus in the tomb.
• Before he could “make the decision” to leave the tomb, he first had to be granted life to even be able to hear the command.
• On his own, Lazarus was powerless to even hear the offer of salvation, let alone choose it.

What all that means is that
The first aspect of love which God had to show to the redeemed
Was a determination to love us even when we were dead.

We didn’t come to God bargaining for forgiveness,
The work of salvation began with the love of God.

It was not us who loved Him, it was Him who loved us.
We were unwilling to come to Him – He determined to save us.
We were dead and unable to come to Him – He determined to give us life.

Ephesians 2:1-5 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

Titus 3:3-7 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

When you ponder the greatness of God’s love
It must begin with an understanding that
GOD CHOSE TO SET HIS LOVE ON THOSE WHO WERE HIS ENEMIES.

God initiated it; God started it
God chose to love and save those who were dead in their sin.

AND LOVE IS THE ONLY WORD FOR IT.
• The cost was all God’s.
• The benefit was all ours.

He did it all and only because He apparently wanted to.
• He was not strong-armed…
• He was not manipulated…

God, of His own free will determined to love rebellious and spiritually dead humanity and to save them.

IN SHORT, He loved you in spite of the fact that you were not lovely.

We discussed this with the youth briefly on Wednesday night.

In Genesis 11 we get that famous tower of Babel incident
In which God separated one people into many peoples.

Why did God do that?

It is apparent that God separated them into many people
In order that from the many He might choose one.

Who did He choose? The pagan Abram
• Abram was not righteous
• Abram was not good
• But God determined to love him.

The love Abram received from God was most certainly greater
Than the love that any other man on earth had received.

• Who else did God offer a country to?
• Who else did God promise to bless?

It was a “great love” which God bestowed on undeserving Abram.
• It was a sovereign love.
• It was an electing love.

And this is the same great love that all of God’s children enjoy.

But more than just a sovereign love…
We also recognize that God’s love is A SACRIFICIAL LOVE

We understand that God chose to love those who were not lovely,
But we also understand that those He chose to love came with baggage.

• We were all sinful.
• We all deserved judgment.
• And a holy God must satisfy His holiness.

If God was ever going to be able
To bring these sinners that He had chosen near to Himself
Then something must be done about their sin.

And here we find the sacrificial love of God.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

We contemplate the price God paid for our redemption.
We contemplate the price God paid for our adoption.

1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Though God certainly has the sovereign authority
To choose to love whomever He will,
He is still bound by His own righteousness.

I was reading a post this week regarding the thief on the cross and his salvation there before his death.

One commentor explained it like this:
Namely that because God has sovereign authority He can do whatever He wants. And if He wanted to set aside the rules in order to save the thief on the cross, then He had the right to do that.

But that is NOT AT ALL what happened.
For God does have sovereign authority,
But God is still bound by His own holiness.

HIS HOLINESS DEMANDED THAT
The only way sin could be atoned for was with the shedding of blood.

If God was going to reconcile these sinners to Himself
Then a steep price must be paid.

And God’s love was so great, that He paid that price.
He crushed His Son.
He paid our debt.

On the cross Jesus Christ bore the full wrath
For every sin ever committed by those whom God chose to save.

It was costly.
• Consider what it cost to save you.
• Consider what it cost to love you.

We’ve often talked about the story of the Prodigal son and his sinful life.

What should never be overlooked is the ultimate shame
He would have brought upon his father.

The son totally disrespected the father by taking the inheritance
And then humiliated the father by squandering it on sinful living.
He asked the unthinkable by returning to the father and hoping for mercy.

For the father to take that son back was costly.

This is the sacrificial love of God.

Not only did He choose to love you when you were unlovable,
But He paid an enormous price for you to be His.

1 John 4:9-10 “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

And we should also discuss that God’s love is A SUSTAINING LOVE

It is not temporary, it is permanent.
He didn’t just redeem us and then send us away, HE ADOPTED US.
• He calls us His children.
• He has given us His name.
• He has made us partakers of His kingdom.
• We receive a share of the inheritance.

This is more than just a good-hearted Savior who rescues us from peril,
It is a TOTAL, FULL, and PERMANENT salvation.

We think of the parable of the Good Samaritan
• And how not only did the Samaritan save the man,
• But the Samaritan also arranged for lodging and agreed to cover any cost that might be accrued in the future.

It is a love that saves and sustains forever.
It is a love that makes sons out of enemies.

John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

What a statement: “the right to become children of God”

We aren’t born with this right.
This is not some unalienable right like is mentioned in The Declaration of Independence.

John says this right is for those “who were born, not of blood”

You weren’t physically born into the kingdom of God.
It’s genetically passed down from your birth parents.

You also didn’t get in just because you wanted it.
“nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man”

Being a child of God is totally beyond our ability.
We don’t have the right and we don’t have the ability.
(Orphans don’t get to say who will adopt them)

But God did it for us.
• He CHOSE to love us when we were unlovable.
• He SACRIFICED a great deal to redeem us.
• And He ELEVATED us to the status of His children.

WE WERE ADOPTED.

Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

It is God not only loving
But taking His enemies and welcoming them to His table.

And this is the love of God
Which is enjoyed and experienced by all believers.

This far more than just God’s “good will toward men”
This is far more than the benevolence of sending “rain on the just an the unjust”.

It is the love which God has poured upon the redeemed.

And do not fall into the human free-will trap.

You know where you say, “God loves all men like this, it’s just that while others rejected it, we accepted it.”

Why did you accept it?
• Because you were smarter?
• Because you were more noble and wanted out of sin?
• Because you had more ability?

OF COURSE NOT!

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

Your being a recipient of this love had nothing to do with
Your effort or intellect or nobility or power.

The only reason you are a recipient of this great love
Is because God chose to make you a recipient of this love.

To that you have to ask:
WHY DID GOD CHOOSE ME?

There is no logical or rational explanation.
All we can do is marvel with John.

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God;”

It is remarkable.

And then John says: “and such we are.”

It is NOT a hypothetical love, it IS a real genuine love.

As the redeemed of Christ, we ARE God’s children.
We bear His name.
We have His inheritance.

And in this may you marvel for a while.
That even when you were a sinful rebel steeped in spiritual death and depravity, that God chose to set His love on you.

• He made you alive and called you to Himself.
• He sent His Son to die in your stead that He might appease the judgment you deserved.
• He then welcomed you to His table and made you His child and a coheir of His kingdom.

It is a great and marvelous love.

Now, we’ll see in the coming weeks
• How this love produces hope
• And that hope produces righteous living,

But this morning perhaps you can just bask in the fact
That God has chosen to love you.