Prophecy and Mystery Contrasted - Mystery 22 - Where, What, When, With Whom and Why it All Began, Part 2

[0:00] He was talking, Nathan was talking about joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. Isabella, if I didn't know better, I would think maybe you're a daddy's girl.

[0:14] Anybody get that impression? You get such a sweet smile, too. So the joy of the Lord is our strength. And just yesterday, Marie and I were reading from, actually it was this morning and I was a day late, we were reading from Our Daily Bread, and it was one of the favorite passages, and it talks about joy, and it's from Habakkuk.

[0:42] Little known book, little understood, but a wonderful book. And it closes with a great truth, and I just love the way this is put, because it's talking about joy in the midst of adversity, when the world would think and say, you're crazy.

[1:02] You have nothing to be joyful about. Listen to what Habakkuk said. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines.

[1:17] The labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.

[1:37] Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Amen.

[1:48] The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places, to the chief singer, on my stringed instruments.

[2:01] One of the principal things that God really wants his people to do with his salvation is to enjoy it, because no one, no one on planet Earth has a greater reason or greater justification for joy, even in the midst of sorrow, than the believer in Jesus Christ.

[2:26] And I know people who have been able to say that as they stood at the casket of a loved one to whom they've just been goodbye.

[2:37] So, you know, it all has to do with perspective. And perspective is everything. Perspective is the way you see things. And one of the principal reasons we have this book called the Bible is that God is giving us his perspective.

[2:58] He is showing us how he sees things. And the smartest thing and the most joyous thing we can do is to bring ourself in line with his perspective and the way he sees things.

[3:12] Thank you for being here this morning and sharing your morning with us. And visitors are especially welcome. It's kind of difficult to properly greet visitors with all of this social distancing and masks or no masks and all of that good stuff, bad stuff going on.

[3:31] But it's just a minor inconvenience. And you know what? Even in the midst of this, we're supposed to be joyous because we know something the world doesn't know. So, we are.

[3:43] And our joy is in the Lord. If you are here unaware of our handouts, we try to make these available almost on a weekly basis.

[3:55] But I've got a couple of really, well, I'm going to say super important. But if they weren't super important, I wouldn't have any business handing them out. They are super important. That's why I'm handing them out.

[4:08] And this one is entitled, Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. And it is an outstanding article taken from the latest publication of Decision Magazine, Billy Graham, and included in it is an article that is so ominous, yet perspective, again, matters more than anything.

[4:38] It's called, Pivoting to Surrender. It is a warning for all Christians. It was written by Dr. Albert Moeller. And those of you who are familiar with Dr. Moeller, he's president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

[4:53] And he has written an outstanding article here. I mean, it is really something. And what we need to take into consideration is how the items in this article and the others that I'm sharing with you are going to play in our nation as regards Christians and our responsibilities, our opportunities, etc.

[5:17] And I've been telling you for some time that the screws have been tightening and Christians and the cause of Christ is becoming less and less accepted in our culture because the big emphasis and the big push is on this equality thing.

[5:35] And this is part of what this article is talking about. And if you understand the principles of equality and what they are promoting, and by the way, think about it again.

[5:46] And have I not told you this, that very often in the public sentiment, whether or not they will buy a thing depends on how it's packaged, how it is named.

[6:02] And now they are talking about an equality act. Well, pray tell me who could possibly be opposed to equality.

[6:16] But you need to read the fine print and see what equality really means. Equality actually doesn't mean equality. It, in effect, means sameness, such as men and women are the same.

[6:34] No, they aren't. The biblical perspective that is provided us is that in the beginning, God made them male and female.

[6:45] He didn't make them two males and he didn't make two females. He made them deliberately, purposely different.

[6:56] And every man I know worth his salt says, vive la difference. Who wants the same? But this equality thing is giving way and it is inundating our culture.

[7:11] It is the kind of thing that, well, I was wrong again. And I've been wrong so many times with this culture that it's embarrassing. I remember the latest, the time I was wrong was when when they began promoting homosexual marriage.

[7:32] I thought, well, it's sad but I can understand the culture that is buying into the legitimacy of homosexuality. But one thing we don't have to be concerned about is the homosexual marriage thing.

[7:47] That'll never fly. Well, it was wrong again. And this thing is intensifying. It's the proverbial snowball that's going downhill. And it is part and parcel of what is predicted for this world.

[8:00] So, get a firm grip on everything because changes are coming and they are going to be fast and furious. We're scarcely going to get acclimated to one and there will be another.

[8:15] This other additional article is called Who's in Control? The Need to Reign in Big Tech. And I told you last week when we distributed this, this has got to be the scariest thing that has ever come down the pike as regards the subject of information.

[8:36] What kind of data is going to be made available to the public? If you haven't read this, it's an in-premise article. It comes from Hillsdale College and there are over 5,600,000 subscribers to this.

[8:49] So, make sure that you get your copy there in the literature rack. If you were to exit the back door, the literature rack is back there by the door. Avail yourself of anything that you want there that is of interest to you because information is absolutely critical.

[9:05] And one of my principal responsibilities, if not my principal responsibility, is to dispense information. And that's really what the gospel is.

[9:17] That's what teaching the word of God is, is just giving out information. So, these articles are back there and therefore you're taking. Avail yourself of them if you would please and read them carefully because they certainly deserve your attention.

[9:32] Also, regarding giveaways, on the tables in the rear, there are a number of copies of different volumes of Christianity Clarified.

[9:44] I think so far there are 55 or 60 volumes and I'm currently recording volume 63 and you are welcome to take anything that you want back there.

[9:55] We are simply trying to disseminate the word of God and get it out in as many venues and possibilities as we can. Thank you for helping us do that and feel free to take anything that you are interested in or that you think someone else would be interested in and just give them out because that is one of our ways of sowing the seed and I really appreciate your helping us do that as well.

[10:18] Would you join with me in a word of prayer please? Loving Father, we recognize that in Christ we are so incredibly blessed and so rich and the best way that we can show our gratitude to you for what you have provided for us through the Lord Jesus is to make ourselves available to you and subservient to you and eager to do whatever you reveal to us to be your will.

[10:47] We trust that each of us here this morning will be open and available to the truth as it is proclaimed and that we will be eager to take what is from you and sort and sift what may be from me as being unworthy and being able to apply in our own lives the truths that we gather from the study this morning.

[11:09] Thank you so much for this time to share together. We recognize the abnormality of it with the COVID that everyone's dealing with and yet even in the midst of that we have a joyous joyousness in our presence because you are at the center of it and we thank you for it in Christ's name.

[11:26] Amen. Some folks have indicated an interest in membership at Grace and if you are one of those who would like to be considered for membership please let me know.

[11:42] We will be scheduling a class in the near future perhaps next month I'm not sure about that but everyone needs to be advised that membership at Grace Bible Church is valid for just one year and at the end of the year everybody's membership expires including mine but there is frankly an opportunity to renew your membership simply by signing the document that you'll be provided.

[12:08] So if that is of interest to you please let me know and we'll see to it that you are included in a future membership class. Also beginning next week Tuesday the men's Bible class at Studiebaker's meets at 7 o'clock.

[12:23] Reservations are not required. If you'd like to join us men or boys are welcome then be there around 7 to 7.15 we have a study we're now engaged in the epistle of James we'll be undertaking chapter 4.

[12:37] Wednesday we have a prayer meeting 7 o'clock here at the church maybe a dozen to 16 people we just have a great time of informality fellowship and a time of prayer for our nation and for each other and for items that God has laid on our heart.

[12:54] Also for Saturday the 17th and that's upcoming Chris are there more places available? Alright.

[13:10] Thank you. I don't know how many times we've been there probably a half dozen anyway over the years. This is a private residence that is very accommodating and it is north of Bell Fountain and we've gone up there at least a half dozen times.

[13:28] the folks who operate the place are Amish and no electricity but it is quaint it is different and the food is remarkable.

[13:43] I guess that's why we've been there six times and we're going back but anyway if you would like to be included we would like to include you. so far there are 24 25 people already signed up for it.

[13:54] That's going to be this Saturday April 17 and you're more than welcome to join us. It's an excellent time and excellent food. On the back of the bulletin La Comedia is going to present Sound of Music and one of the greatest lines in Sound of Music by Maria Von Trapp as she sang a litany of songs throughout that great musical was nothing comes from nothing nothing ever could.

[14:30] So all I can say to that is Mr. Evolutionist stick that in your hat. Yeah nothing comes from nothing nothing ever could.

[14:44] You know what we are dealing with now in our culture and this is very important to understand this what we are dealing with now in our culture including from many in the powers and halls of authority and congress and governments throughout the country is a greater appropriation and confidence in evolution and stop and think about it if evolution is true if evolution rules the day you're very hard pressed to be against same sex marriage you understand that?

[15:34] If evolution is true there is no valid difference between male and female I mean you have to deal with you have to deal with the genitalia differences but apart from that there is no legitimate difference the creationist of course takes the position that in the beginning God created them male and female for a deliberate purpose and he did that with the whole of the animal kingdom so if you're operating on the basis of evolution why not same sex marriage?

[16:13] why not homosexuality? why not gender blending? why not? you can't answer those questions and it is all predicated upon your perspective whether you see things from a biblical viewpoint God created in the beginning heavens and the earth and etc.

[16:33] or whether you take the position that the evolutionists have adopted and and by the way that is the ruling platform in our educational institutions and our young minds are being filled with this stuff and they are now coming out into our culture propagating this and many of them are running for office and being elected and these are the people who are going to make our laws these are the people who are going to pass these kind of things like the equality act so it's all tied together and we need to be aware of what's going on and speaking of sound of music and nothing comes from nothing nothing ever could on the back of the bulletin there is an article regarding the date which will be May 20 at 1030 we'll be going down for a matinee and those who would like to join us I think all the information you need is right there is there something else that you have that is not in the bulletin that needs to be mentioned yes yes

[17:41] Loretta someone didn't possibly didn't pick up their lilies last week so there's three lilies that didn't get picked up there's three that were purchased alright thank you those who purchased lilies they're yours to take home and many of you purchased them in honor of loved ones or friends in some cases those deceased to honor them but they are here and they are just absolutely beautiful so take them home and enjoy them especially if you purchased them and didn't get them make sure you pick them up this morning and take them home and what about how long are these going to last probably another week or two okay so it'd probably be best if you really want to enjoy them let's take them today okay thank you anything else yeah Pastor Mark yes there's another thing on the bulletin here men's and boys retreat in a couple months in June

[18:46] Scott is the primary one organizing that but he did this I think two years ago and kind of like a bunkhouse situation there's room for 16 I think there's 16 beds something like that but this is in June and it'll just be over a single night I think a Friday and a Saturday grandfathered sons grandfathers you know basically any men and boys might be interested in coming come on I do contact Scott or I there also are private cabins there if you know you're a little less comfortable roughing it but there'll be an extra cost for that there is no cost if you're just going to join us in the buckhouse the church is taking care of that so yeah just let Scott or I know if you're interested and we have a sign up sheet that on the we call it bulletin board so thanks thank you thank you those of you who have Bibles with you would you open them please to Psalm 139 what we're going to be looking at this morning is actually a continuation of the Easter message that we brought last Sunday that we did not finish and I didn't even get to the handout that was in your bulletin for the epistle to the Hebrews and some of the others but what we are dealing with principally is the nature and character of God to the extent that we can understand it and to the extent that he has revealed it and you are aware

[20:10] I assume that there is so much so very much about the deity the creator the God of the universe that we don't have any idea of whatever all we know about God is what he has been pleased to reveal in his creation and in his word but if you think what you see in creation and what we get from the Bible exhausts the personality of God you'd be sadly mistaken all we know about God is what he has been pleased to reveal but there is so much more about him that he has not revealed that leaves us absolutely clueless I don't know about you but my mind is continually boggled just on the basis of what he has been willing to reveal and just think this God we are speaking of is inexhaustible and without limitations we cannot conceive of a being like that without limitations we have all kinds of limitations imposed upon us would you stand with me please as we read the first first 14 verses of Psalm 139 that well expresses this oh Lord thou hast searched me and known me thou knowest my down sitting and mine uprising thou understandest my thought afar off thou compasses my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways for there is not a word in my tongue but lo oh Lord thou knowest it altogether thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high

[22:26] I cannot attain unto it whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence if I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee for thou hast possessed my reins thou hast covered me in my mother's womb I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well

[23:35] God's blessing added to the reading of his word thank you you may be seated in the bulletin that was published last week it is repeated for today and it is called what where when with whom and why it all began and this is part two in short we are taking a brief look at the inexhaustible God as he has been pleased to reveal himself and we related to you in our last message that God is singular there is but one God not three and this one God subsists in three persons Father Son and Holy Spirit this does not mean that each is one third God and put them all together and you have a whole God but it means that each is God in his own right and each is co-equal and co-eternal to the others in the Godhead this is very mysterious to us because we read of God the Son and God the Father and we tend to apply our human understanding to that in which case the Father always comes first precedes the Son because you wouldn't have a Son without a Father but it isn't that way with God

[25:03] God is eternal the eternal Trinity is comprised of total equality among themselves there is no superiority in the Trinity although we tend to think of the Father as being superior the Son as less so and the Spirit as less so that is because we simply bring our human understanding and comprehension to that issue and try to make it apply to God but it doesn't and I am satisfied that the designation is used as it is simply for the language of accommodation God is condescending because if the deity has a problem and I am not sure that is even a good way to put it it is inconceivable that the deity could have a problem but if the deity has a problem it is communicating with us on a level that we can understand because the distance that separates deity from humanity is infinite it is so great it cannot be imagined we just cannot comprehend the greatness of God he who is omniscient which means he knows everything

[26:19] God has never learned anything because if God could learn something that would mean there would have been a time when he didn't know everything so he wouldn't be omniscient but he is continually omniscient and he is omnipresent how in the world can God be here and be in Hong Kong at the same time and be in Africa at the same time and be in Jerusalem at the same time I have no idea but God in his spirit essence is everywhere think of it like this if you will we occupy space and time God does not God created space and time the text tells us that in the beginning God created he brought into being the heavens and the earth and he did so because he was going to fashion creatures who would have physicality and would need space and time in which to live and function but God doesn't need that before the beginning began before Genesis 1 and verse 1 ever took place was ever a reality

[27:39] God was and there was no time when he wasn't and God did not exist in a space or a time yet he existed apart from space and time if you can understand that please explain it to me because I can't yet we are told that God is spirit what does that mean it means God is not physical he's not material God is not God does not possess a body or a being that is made up of stuff like we are we've got blood and tissue and flesh and bones but God is spirit Jesus was talking to the woman at the well in John chapter 4 and he said God is spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and that implies you have a spirit too and it is our spirit not our body it is our spirit that is able to connect with God and his spirit and we are told in the text of

[28:56] Romans 8 that God's spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God so we are beings who are made up of material out materiality and immateriality we have a dimension to our being that is not physical it is not seen it is your interior real person and it is part of what makes you a human being and as I have told you before every human being has a human spirit and it has nothing to do with a religious thing that's completely apart it has to do with the essence of your being even an atheist a man who screams from the rooftops that there is no God even an atheist has a human spirit it's part of what makes him a human being and when you are regenerated when you receive

[29:56] Christ as your savior assuming that you did it was at that point of time that God in a way we do not understand God miraculously regenerated you in your human spirit on the inside that's where he made you a new person that's where he placed you in Christ he did not change your physical body you still look the same you still sound the same you your body isn't changed at all and when the time comes for you to pass from this life through a principle called death that regenerated made alive human spirit within you leaves your body and goes to be with the Lord and the body is buried or cremated or whatever happens to the body and there will be a time when the remains your

[31:02] DNA will be reconstituted with your human spirit and you will be a glorified person just like Jesus was when he came forth from the tomb so as he is so shall we be when that process is complete but for now we live in a world that is a fallen world and we await the redemption of our bodies because when Jesus Christ died on that cross he paid the full price he paid the full price for you but that full price has not been applied in total only partly and that is the spiritual part that's what he made you alive in Christ in your human spirit and Romans 8 that the whole creation groans and travails in pain until now waiting waiting earnestly longing for the redemption of our body because our spirits have been redeemed but our bodies have not yet had the application of redemption applied to it that's why even as a

[32:16] Christian you still die physically you die but spiritually you don't die at all this is what Jesus was talking about when he said he who believes in me he who believes in me though he dies yet shall he live and he who believes in me shall never die what was he talking about he's talking about that part of your being that spirit part of your being that was regenerated will never die that's the part that is eternal but your body has not yet had the application of redemption applied to it so we still die but the time is coming when Christ returns and we are told that this mortal and we are very mortal all that means is you're able to die this mortal will put on immortality that means unable to die it's an incredible concept but it is one that is based upon the authority of the word of

[33:25] God so this mortal will put on immortality and we will be changed and fashioned into body like unto Christ body so what we have got to deal with and I think it is one of the most glorious things ever is the character and nature and being of God himself and there is no greater subject that we could begin to investigate than this because it certainly transpires anything about the creature when you're talking about the creator and who he is and why he is and how he is and his plans and his purposes we're dealing with the most sublime subject that any human being could ever undertake and I want you to look at the handout was given in Hebrews if you would just follow along I'm going to simply make an observation of a number of things and I'll try to get through this so we'll have some Q&A because it deals with the character and nature of God and the being of the

[34:27] Trinity and the father son relationship and so on in ways that is just marvelous God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken unto us by his son now that's a curious expression he talks about in these last days now do you realize when this was written this epistle to the Hebrews is 2000 years old I mean this was written a long time ago maybe 1950 years of a long time ago and and the writer says has in these last days what does he mean by that scriptures use that term a number of times a number of places and the last days has reference to everything on this side of the cross the

[35:30] Bible sees the cross of Jesus Christ as the singular event that splits all human history we make a distinction between BC and AD and BC means before Christ and AD means is Latin for anno domini which means the year of our Lord so he is right in the middle between BC and AD and in connection with that everything on the other side of the cross history to the cross is regarded as the former times everything on this side of the cross is regarded as the last days or the latter times we are living in the latter times we've been living in the latter times for 2000 years and it's still the latter times the apostle Paul for instance as well as the others who lived in that first century they lived in the former times and the latter times both because they were alive and functioning before the cross and after the cross so they were in both has in these last days spoken unto us by his son who of course is

[36:46] Christ whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high being made so much better than the angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they in other words Christ is superior to the angelic beings and then he goes on to prove his point he asks a rhetorical question in verse five for unto which of the angels said he at any time thou art my son this day have I begotten thee he's talking about the resurrection he isn't talking about the father creating the son who didn't exist before but he brought him into existence that's not what the text is talking about at all it is the resurrection that he has in mind here the son was not created by the father like the jehovah's witnesses would have us believe but he is eternal co-eternal and equal with the father and the spirit and again when he brings the first begotten into the world he says and let all the angels of

[38:17] God worship him and that is of course again as a result of his resurrection and of the angels he said who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire but under the sun I want you to notice in particular and this is one of the reasons why I'm using this as an insert rather than have you turn to your individual Bibles because I know there are a lot of different Bibles represented here and that's all well and good but the really important thing about this text is that when there is a quote taken from the Old Testament and the writer of Hebrews is quoting from the Old Testament it's put into capital letters so you know that's where it originated and of the angels he says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire under the sun he says thy throne oh God is forever and ever now the question is who's speaking who is speaking yes it is the father who is speaking to whom is he speaking he's speaking to the son this is the discourse between father and son unto the son he says thy throne oh

[39:36] God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows who is anointing whom it is the father who is anointing the son and he is spoken of as the son as God the father to God the son and when he addresses him as such the delineation I think is quite obvious hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows this is exactly what Jesus was referring to when he said I ascend to my father to my God and to your God in his humanity God is his father in his deity he is equal to the father we're talking about a sphere of existence here that is totally removed from anything human that's why it's so difficult for us to grasp it because we naturally want to take our understanding the way we operate and function in humanity and somehow make that apply to

[40:52] God but it doesn't apply that's the point we're talking about someone who is totally removed from the sphere of humanity and we try to humanize him and bring him down to our level so we can better understand and to a certain extent God has been gracious in accommodating us that in that the word was made flesh Emmanuel which means God with us God condescended and in his graciousness in a contract I can call it nothing else but an agreement or a contract in an agreement and contract entered into by the Father and the Son and the Spirit it was deemed according to their wisdom that the Son should be made flesh come to this earth dwell among us function have the capacity of physical death die a physical death and be resurrected from the grave three days later this is the most incredible event that ever transpired in the history of the universe

[42:06] I dare say and I'm reluctant to make a statement like this but I'm confident I'm on good ground not even God can top that that's the ultimate that is beyond amazing that is beyond stunning that is beyond comprehension and do you know what predicated the whole thing it was an inexplicable love that this creator God has for erring creatures who do not deserve it I'll never get over that don't expect to and verse 10 and thou lord in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands who is this in verse 10 who is this lord who laid the foundations of the earth well we read in genesis 1 1 in the beginning

[43:42] God created the heavens and the earth but there's something different about that too because as we pointed out to you in genesis 1 1 the word God in the Hebrew is plural it is Elohim Elohim is a plural but because I suspect this is the reason I do not know but because our Jewish friends have such a fixation on God being singular that they've adopted in the Shema Deuteronomy 6 4 which is for all practical purposes the motto of Judaism hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord well he is and they focus on that and perhaps this is one reason why they have such great difficulty using a plural there because a plural doesn't fit but here is the point the singular is

[44:54] God that doesn't fit and the plural is God's but that doesn't fit either so what have we got here we've got an incomprehensible being that does not fit any of our human descriptions this is why I refer to him as the otherness he is the otherness that's probably the best concept that we can have of God the otherness completely different from us they shall perish but thou remain and they shall all wax old as death a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail remember the passage in John's gospel I think it's chapter 7 chapter 8 where where the Lord is speaking and he is addressing the opposing crowd the

[45:55] Pharisees and the scribes and he talks about the being of God and he calls himself the son of God who has been sent by God and the Jews we are told there in chapter 8 took up stones and they were going to stone him to death because he called himself the son of God therefore making himself equal to God what is the Mosaic prescribed law for blasphemy death and they were going to carry out the sentence sentence right then and there they were going to stone Jesus to death because he made himself to be the son of God therefore making himself equal with

[46:57] God because in their concept the son of is the same as

[49:32] Jesus the savior he wasn't the savior when he was the eternal son of God because there was nothing to save he became the savior via the cross that's what made him the savior if you turn the page well we won't take time for this but well we will take time chapter two therefore as a result of what I just said we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just sense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will and then he asks another rhetorical question for unto the angels hath he not saying what is man that thou wert mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him thou made him a little lower than the angels thou crownest him with glory and honor and did set him over the works of thy hands thou has put all things in subjection under his feet for in that he put in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him but now we see not yet all things put under him but we see

[51:11] Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death how was it that he was made lower than the angels he was given a human body that's what made him lower than the angels he had to have a human body so he could die in that body because deity cannot die deity is eternal this theanthropic being called the God man God in the flesh is the most stunning amazing concept that is right in there with everything that we're talking about we're all in this way over our head you understand that we're trying to use human terminology to explain the inexplicable and I trust you can understand my frustration in trying to do this we see

[52:17] Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death and the only reason Jesus died was so you wouldn't have to think of that Jesus died so you wouldn't have to so you could have eternal life I don't understand what was involved in the separation between the father and the son when he screamed out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me it was his humanity crying out and God forsook him Jesus wasn't delirious he wasn't out of his head he cried out why have you forsaken me because he did forsake him and here in the space of three hours from 12 noon to three o'clock in the afternoon the father was in some way we cannot begin to understand separated from his son because his son had the sins of the world on him and the father would not and could not bear to look upon that sight the father forsook him so he would not have to forsake you you see what this is all about this is called substitution this is the innocent dying for the guilty why in the world would the innocent die for the guilty it's got to be a result of some incredible inexplicable love on a level that we just cannot imagine

[54:37] God so loved the world I've given you the meaning of that little word little so in the English God so loved the world doesn't cut it the Greek in which it was originally written is the word kutos kutos God kutos God loved the world this way in this kind in this manner that he gave it wasn't it it it wasn't a quantity of God's love it was the quality of God's love it was the creator sustainer maker of the universe stooping to a level indescribable in distance from where he was to what he came to that enabled him to do what he did and to pay the price for you so you wouldn't have to pay it what do you make of that if that does not overwhelm you with gratitude it can only be because you either don't believe it or you don't understand it this is the ultimate act of the universe by the ultimate actor for the utterly undeserving and often often ungrateful for when they knew

[56:19] God they acknowledged him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened what a picture of humanity I must hurry on look across the page at the gospel according to John in the beginning was the word and I've challenged you with this before words words constitute the essence of expression if you can think anything without using a word just try it just try it just mentally drop out right now and try to make your mind a blank I've tried that a number of times I try to make my mind a blank so that I don't think any words at all you know what I'm doing I'm thinking blank blank blank you just can't do it you cannot think without using a word mentally you may not say it but you can't keep from thinking it because a word is the very essence of communication and this is one reason that

[57:42] Jesus Christ is called the word of God Jesus is God's communication to the world in the beginning was the logos the word and in the Greek the logos is the word from which we get the English word logic think of that Jesus Christ is the logic of God and the communication of God and that he sent that into the world so that well look at the text the beginning was the word and the word was with God now it'd be okay if he just stopped right there but then he complicated it by saying and the word was God wait a minute what you see what we're talking about this is this is this is the otherness this is the otherness all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made well now who made it we know the father was a creator in Genesis 1-1 but all three members are operative in the creation in Genesis 1-1 and the spirit of

[59:11] God brooded upon the face of the waters and he was active too and we aren't finished all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made who is that that's the son but we thought the father made everything well the father and the son are inseparable and so is the spirit they are all active in creation they are all co-equal and co-eternal and possess the same power and verse 14 and the word the word was made flesh that's the word took a body upon it from the virgin mary and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and what john's talking about there is what we were talking about the nine o'clock hour this is the transfiguration when jesus took peter james and john to the mount of transfiguration and was glorified before them and they beheld his glory dazzling brilliance the likes of which they'd never seen before and moses and elijah showed up they were there at the transfiguration and the text tells us that they were talking to jesus about his coming departure think of that moses and elijah who had been dead for hundreds of years as far as their body was concerned but they were very much alive and they were there on that mount of transfiguration and peter james and john were all three witnesses to that absolutely stunning that's what he's talking about when he says we beheld his glory john wrote this he was an eyewitness john and his brother james and peter only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and we'll close with colossians on the very back page if you would look at that please colossians talking about what he has made us in christ and he says in verse 10 so that you might walk worthy of the lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work increasing in the knowledge of god strengthened with all might according to his glorious power and do all patience and long suffering with joyfulness giving thanks giving thanks unto the father which has made us meet now that's an old english expression and for you young people you need to know that the word meet here isn't the way we use the word today when we use the word meet we talk about two people coming together and having a meeting but this this is an old english word and it actually means fit fit fit fit or appropriate he has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son in whom we have redemption through his blood that means the shed blood of christ that resulted in the death of christ is your basis for redemption and without it you don't have any redemption even the forgiveness of sins do you realize my dear friend do you realize human beings have no greater need have no greater need this is a greater need than air and water your greatest need is for

[63:12] forgiveness and god forgives because he is free to do so and the reason he is free to do so is because jesus paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world and he was able to do that because of who he is no one else could do that only he could do that jesus as i've told you so many times jesus balanced the moral scales of the universe when he who knew no sin was made to be sin for us so that we could become the righteousness righteousness of god in him are you kidding me do you realize what that's saying that is saying if you have believed on jesus christ as your savior god sees you as being just as acceptable to him as jesus is how acceptable is that that's what it means to be in christ you have the righteousness of christ and god receives you and takes you unto himself in the very same way that he receives and takes unto himself his own son because you are in him and you have become a participant of the righteousness of jesus christ there is not one single solitary minuscule sin attributed to your account because of christ he marked it all out marked it all out because he paid your price that listen this is the gospel does it take a rocket scientist now to see why this is called good news can you think of anything in the universe to compare with this this is the message that we are commissioned and privileged to preach it's the most glorious thing anybody has ever heard and yet people will stand in line to reject it because it does not comport with their view with their perspective of how things work their perspective is look you do bad things you suffer bad consequences you do good things you suffer good consequences salvation and going to heaven you've got to work at it and you've got to do this and you've got to cross your

[66:31] T's and you've got to dot your I's and you've got to satisfy this God and you've got to and you just hope that you're none of that nonsense that's all human perspective it's all rubbish it's the way the world works but it's the fallen world that we live in and the world doesn't work right but God's perspective is that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself so that we might be made the righteousness of God that is absolutely amazing people have given their life to preach that message and some have had their life taken from them because they preached that message because when you preach this message of grace you are robbing humanity from all his merit and all his worth and you're saying all your righteousness are as filthy rags and God won't accept it but listen that's not very flattering that's insulting to a lot of people don't call me a sinner well if you're as perfect as God you're not a sinner so let me know if you qualify lastly look at this verse 16 of Colossians for by him who by him who is this him it is

[68:02] Christ for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist this isn't talking about the father this is talking about the son look at the context and he verse 18 is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead there's that resurrection thing again that in all things he the father he the son might have the preeminence for it pleased the father that in him the son should all fullness dwell and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him

[69:04] I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven and you oh I love this you you that were at one time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled oh my goodness let's pray shall we father as glorious as these truths are there's still so much about it that we don't understand but what we do understand lifts our spirits encourages our hearts just more than we can comprehend we've touched areas that are beyond our ability to understand but we stand on them because they come with the very authority of yourself and we would not have a

[70:22] God whom we could understand for he would be no more than we are but we serve an infinite eternal omniscient omnipotent omnipresent being and we take such great comfort in knowing that you are the creator and we are just creatures but how grateful we are to have been fashioned by you and redeemed by you and we just look forward to a time of incredible reunion with loved ones who have gone on before and be able to rejoice in a way that we cannot now even imagine and we do all of this and believe all of this based upon what you've set forth in your word for we have nothing else and we need nothing else we thank you for it father if there is anyone here who perhaps has gained some degree of understanding that they didn't have before so much so that they want to be identified with what you've accomplished on their behalf our prayer is that boy or girl man or woman that they may see themselves as you do with your perspective sinful undone without hope in this present world but one who possesses the ability to process this information and say in their own heart right now

[71:55] Lord Jesus there's still so much about this I don't understand but I do know this I need your forgiveness and I want it and since you died to pay the price for my sin my forgiveness is all wrapped up in you and I want to put my case in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for me to redeem me from my sin with all my questions and fears and doubts I do know I need your salvation I want your eternal life and I know there's no way to get it or realize it apart from who and what Jesus Christ is and I just want to give myself to you and to him for whatever you have in mind thank you for paying that incredible price on my behalf father for anyone who may have made that decision we pray you will seal it to their hearts and that you will give them the assurance and the joy of that changed life and a changed destiny as only you can in Christ's wonderful name we pray amen