Let's bow our heads in prayer before we look at the Word.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you, Father, that you call people out of every tribe and nation on the planet.
We give you thanks and praise, even though we're just a small congregation,
that today, Father, whether it's been in Australia, South Korea,
whether it's been in Singapore, whether it's been Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, Argentina,
London, England, Paris, France, Manhattan, or here.
Father, your people gather on the Lord's Day to be in your presence,
to come to the throne of grace, to receive grace from your hands,
to pour out our hearts to you and respond in a worthy manner.
And so, Father, we thank you that we are together,
and we ask that the Holy Spirit would move with gentle power amongst us,
that we might hear you speak deep into our hearts,
knowing, Father, that your speaking into our hearts is deeply good for us
and fits us for heaven and for a joyful life of following here.
And we ask all these things in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Saviour.
Amen.
Please be seated.
Amen.
So, a couple of months ago, I was in one of my favourite coffee shops.
I have several favourite coffee shops.
And I was in one of my favourite coffee shops,
and I was working on my sermon, actually.
And there's this fellow who came in that I know slightly.
He's a really nice guy, and he's a Christian.
And he saw me working.
His wife went up to order, and he saw me working.
He came up, and he said,
Hi, and he said,
You working on your sermon?
And I said, Yes.
And he said to me,
It's going to be easy to do.
And I looked at him,
because often I don't find the sermons easy to do.
Like, my wife would tell you that it's not unusual that on a Friday,
even on a Saturday,
I will say something like,
I could do an hour and a half lecture on this Bible text.
I don't know how to make it into a sermon.
And sometimes on a Monday when I look at the scripture text,
I'll come home to Louise and say,
I have no idea what on earth I'm going to say about this text.
Anyway, so he said to me,
It's going to be easy.
And then he said,
Why?
Because Jesus says,
My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
And if you're doing what he wants you to do,
it will be easy.
He's a power of positive thinking type of guy.
Had a big smile.
Like he was sort of one of those,
you know, used car salesman types.
No, I'm just, that's being bad.
He's a really, really nice guy.
So I looked at him because, in fact,
I wasn't having an easy time working on the sermon,
which sort of means,
if you think about it for a second,
if you're not having an easy time,
you're sinning somehow.
I don't know, right?
Because if you were really with Jesus,
it should be easy.
So I looked at him and said,
How does that advice help people to combat the narcissism in their life?
Where they think they're so wonderful,
they can just write down a few thoughts.
And I said,
How does that advice that you give help people do hard things?
Like, don't you think that advice just means
they'll always turn away from doing a hard thing
to do an easy thing?
Now you know why I don't have more friends.
So he just looked at me a bit funny,
and he said,
Well, I think I need to go up and help my wife with the order.
And as he left,
he smiled,
but he muttered at me and said,
I'm not going to give Bible verses to pastors anymore
to encourage them.
The Bible text that we're going to look at today,
in fact,
actually does help us to do hard things
and deals with narcissism.
It's a very helpful text for that
at a very deep and abiding level.
So let's have a look at it.
And we're going back to preaching through the book of Mark.
Last week,
after our sort of Christmassy New Year's break,
and last week we read Mark chapter 13, 1 to 27,
and today we're going to look at Mark 13, 24 to 27.
We're going to read,
I mean, 24 to 37.
We're going to read that little bit twice
because it sort of explains,
24 to 27 explains that which goes before
and that which comes after.
It sort of needs to be read twice.
And so the context is,
just before this,
if you're using these booklets,
I'm back to these booklets.
I forgot to bring it last Sunday.
It's page 82,
or you can look on screen.
And the context of all of this
is that Jesus was leaving the temple.
He's in Jerusalem.
And the temple at that time,
the Jewish temple at that time,
was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Even, you know,
pagans would comment about
how it was an unbelievable building.
I think some of the stones were 67 feet long.
I meant to actually pace off the stage,
know if the stage is 67.
Imagine a stone,
basically the length of the stage,
I don't know if that's 67 feet,
and like 10 feet higher than me
and like 12 feet,
how did they move things like that
to build a building?
It was remarkable,
and it was white and gold,
and it was beautiful.
And so they're leaving the temple,
and they just express,
like just, you know,
Jewish pride,
and just the awe we all feel at buildings,
and says, you know,
Jesus isn't this
the most spectacular building.
And Jesus makes a bit of a casual remark,
and says, you know,
not one stone of this building
will be standing on its own.
The time will come
when this building
will be completely destroyed.
So later on,
and that's the context,
they're now on the Mount of Olives.
If you've ever been to the Holy Land,
if you're on the correct side
of the Mount of Olives,
you have a very good view
of the city of Jerusalem.
You have a very good view
of the temple.
Now the dome of the mosque
went back in the temple.
And so four of the disciples come.
Jesus is there with his disciples,
and they ask him two questions.
When's it going to happen?
And what will be the signs
that it's going to happen?
And last week,
we looked at that,
how Jesus began to answer it.
And most of his answer
was that there will be non-signs,
that life is going to be
very difficult,
that there's going to be
a movement in his name.
It's going to be very difficult,
but the Holy Spirit
will still be in action,
and the good news of him
will go to the ends of the earth.
And he also mentioned
the abomination
that causes desolation
in a time of particular tribulation.
And now here is where
the story continues.
Verse 24.
This is Jesus still answering
those original two questions.
When's it going to happen,
and what are the signs?
And here's how he continues to answer.
But in those days,
verse 24.
But in those days,
after that tribulation,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heaven
will be shaken.
And then they will see
the Son of Man
coming in clouds
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out
the angels
and gather his elect
from the four winds
from the ends of the earth
to the ends of heaven.
Now, many people,
when they hear that,
go,
whoa,
George,
stars can't fall from heaven.
Like,
doesn't Jesus know any science?
Like,
why should we trust a man
who doesn't even know
elementary science?
He just knows the science
of that day.
Because if he knew
the science of today,
we might think of some reason
why the moon could be dark,
you know,
the sun could be darkened
and the moon would be darkened,
you know,
maybe clouds
or something like that,
but the stars don't fall from heaven.
And that's aside from the fact,
George,
you said this is going to be
a help against narcissism.
Like,
it says right there
that Jesus is going to gather up
his elect.
What could be more encouraging
of narcissism
than calling Christians,
like,
you think you're the elect?
Like,
that's like narcissism 100.
Like,
I'm the elect.
No.
Like,
George,
what's going on there?
And we can be a little bit
uneasy with it.
And the direction
that many Christians take,
well,
first of all,
they don't even want to think
about the second coming of Christ
because it's,
as we talked about last week
a little bit,
it's kooky
to the modern world.
It's kooky.
And so we get a little bit
uncomfortable talking about it.
And,
but the other thing is,
is that often people end up saying,
well,
it's sort of,
you know,
part like a metaphor,
it's some analogies,
and,
you know,
the stars from,
it's all,
okay,
so I just want to say
a couple of things about this
to help us
to press in
to hear Jesus' words
because they're,
they're very,
very,
very helpful and profound
and they're really worth
memorizing
and meditating upon
on a regular basis.
The first of all thing is,
is that Jesus intended
the heart of this text
to be taken literally.
I believe,
as all faithful Christians,
that there will come a time
when Jesus will publicly return
in power and glory.
It will be a universal event.
Everybody will know
that he's come
and he will come
and he will gather his elect
and I'm not embarrassed
about that
or ashamed about it.
I believe it
because I believe
and trust Jesus.
Now,
the second thing is,
even when I say
that it's believed,
we can believe it literally,
we need to sort of
have a bit of a,
by the way,
I'm going to talk about
the elect bit later,
okay,
but not right.
In fact,
if by the end of the sermon
and I haven't talked
about the elect again,
start waving at me
and I'll say something
about the elect.
In terms of taking it literally,
the big mistake that we make
is to misunderstand the Bible.
The Bible never uses
scientific language.
It uses observational language.
And that means,
in a sense,
the Bible can never be
contradicted or wrong.
It is always true
at an unscientific,
just observational level
that the sun rises
every morning.
That's just
observationally true.
And the Bible never ties
what Jesus says
to the current scientific,
like it's not as if
that there's a little footnote
that goes here
and then underneath
the footnote
you get in a sense
the Wikipedia page
of how they would have understood
what was going on
in the heavens
in those days.
In some ways,
a star was just
certain types of lights
that were in the sky.
And there would, of course,
have been different theories
about what they were
and what they meant
and what they were represented by.
But it's just simple
observational language.
What I'm saying is
it's actually seen
more profound
than scientific language.
If we were to look
at the current
Wikipedia page
on stars
and we were to take
a screenshot of it
and then
if Jesus tarries
and doesn't come back
we show our
great-grandchild that
and let's say
our great-grandchild
has become an astronomer
an astrophysicist,
they would probably
look at that
Wikipedia page
and they'd laugh.
They'd laugh
because science
is developed
over time
and with the development
of science over time
there'd be all sorts
of things we say
about stars now
that are just wrong.
I mean,
there are bits and pieces
that are right
and other things
that are just wrong
because science marches on.
But the fact
that there's stars
that you can see
are just an observational truth
which is always true.
And so what I think
is happening here
is this
and this is my
great confidence.
If when Jesus returns
he gives to his people
a copy of the book of Mark
and he says
look at verses 24 to 27
and we'll look at what happened
and you know what we'll say?
We'll say he nailed it.
Like, he nailed it.
Like, that's exactly
what we see.
That's exactly what we see.
Now, there's another thing
in here
which I won't have time
to go into
but it's part of the great truth
of this text.
I talked about it
a little bit last week
and I talked about how
what the Bible says
and by the way
I forgot to mention
the sermon last week.
Those of you who saw
the sermon
or heard the sermon
if you saw the little diagram
I did
that had I think
some pink in it
I got that originally
from Tim Keller
who got it
from some Dutch theologian
who wrote 150 years ago.
I didn't come up
with that diagram myself.
That came from Keller
who got it
from a Dutch theologian
of 150 years ago.
But one of the things
to understand
is we have the way
the world works right now
which is not the way
the world was intended to be
and there's evil
and dissolution
that happens in the world
and what happens
with the resurrection
of Jesus
is in a sense
the resurrection of Jesus
is the life
of the world to come
now coming into
our created order.
Our disordered order.
And we live in a time
when in a sense
the current world order
continues to exist
but at the same time
hidden
is this resurrection life
which goes on.
And this resurrection life
is basically seen
in human beings.
When I gave my life
to Christ
when Christ took me
as his own
he actually comes
and lives within me.
My sins are forgiven.
My shame is put away.
I am clothed
with the righteousness
and accomplishments
of Christ
but another thing
that happens
is the actual life
of Christ
enters into me
which is why
the moment of my death
if Jesus tarries
is also the moment
of my awakening.
And that resurrection life
in me cannot be destroyed.
And in a sense
then what you see
is we live in this
in-between time
where there's things
of the world to come.
There's the work
of the Holy Spirit.
There's answered
all these things
that are in a sense
part of the life
of the world to come
that are currently
in the middle of
this current life
and what we see here
described
in verses 24 to 27
is that moment
where the resurrection life
overwhelms
this order
with the coming of Christ.
Another way to understand
it would be this.
You make bridges
and bridges are designed
in a particular way
and they're all tethered.
I mean hopefully
they're tethered
to solid bedrock
and some of you
you've seen pictures
YouTube videos
and new videos
of when there's a flood
and the waters
all of a sudden
lift the bridge
from its moorings
and it floats away
and that's what's going
to happen with the stars.
The flood
of the resurrection life
enters into this world order
and stars
and the moon
and the sun
are unmoored
from this order
because of a new order
that's come in
and that's what the Bible
is teaching
and that I believe.
But some of you
might say
George I've been watching
some TikTok videos
and I've been looking
at YouTube
and I've watched
some YouTube videos
by people
who've deconverted
and ex-evangelicals
and George
you know what the thing is
that you're really
hiding or misrepresenting?
The fact of the matter is
okay so you sort of
understand
you explain that
scientific bit
okay but the fact of the matter
is Jesus got it wrong.
Like that's the truth
that Christians hide
that Jesus got it wrong.
Well let's
it's a very very common thing
if you're familiar
with some of those
YouTube videos
and from the YouTube videos
TikToks
where very serious people
give you a stern lecture
and talking to
it looks like
Greta Thunberg
only less smiley
as they give you
a very serious talking to
about how you're wrong.
So let's look
at the text
the text
that they would use
to say that Jesus is wrong.
Continue reading
at verse 28.
I better get the right chapter
otherwise I'll read
the wrong verses.
Mark 13 verse 28.
From the fig tree
learn its lesson.
As soon as its branch
becomes tender
and puts out its leaves
you know that summer is near.
So also when you see
these things taking place
you know that he is near
at the very gates.
Truly I say to you
this generation
will not pass away
until these things
take place.
And the TikTok person
has their mic drop moment
stand like this
and I'm supposed to
curl up
in tears
because I've just been
massively refuted.
Well
we don't have to do that.
like many things
in the New Testament
and Bible in general
the solution is usually
if you read the context.
If you read the context.
Now just as an aside
if you go to something
like the English Standard Version
Study Bible
they'll very quickly
outline five different ways
that people understand
and explain this verse.
But I'll give you
a very simple
commonsensical answer
as to how to explain
understand this verse.
And it all comes
from the context.
And the context is this.
First of all
remember that it's
very significant
that
these things
that Jesus is saying
are probably taking place
either Thursday morning
or Thursday early after
Thursday like before lunch
or sometime on the Wednesday.
And on Thursday night
Jesus will be captured
by the Romans
and on Friday
he's going to die.
Like that's the context
of these statements
by Jesus.
It's very interesting
that it's not as if
Jesus says these things
like in his
like you know
his ministry began
at around the three year mark
and it's not as if
he says these things
at first
at the three year mark
and then he sort of
hopes that people
forget about this
sort of foolish
you know thing.
Like our Muslim friends
get around the mistake
that the many many many
mistakes that
that are in the Quran
by saying that
the later revelations
clarify the
the things
which are not correct
in the beginning.
And it's
but it's not like
Jesus is doing
something like that
and he actually puts it
right right before
he dies.
And and and so
one of the things
you need to ask yourself
is why do we remember
his words?
Like
he's not like
Muhammad
who launched
a successful
military campaign
that changed
the geopolitical
structure
of the Middle East
and then eventually
large parts of the world.
He's not powerful.
He
the obscurity of him
like why is it
we remember his words?
And the only reason
that we remember his words
is because he said
and this is yet
another time
where he says
he's going to die
and he's going to rise
from the dead.
And the only reason
to remember his words
is because the grave
was empty.
His enemies
and his doubters
could never find the body.
his grave
was empty
and he appeared
alive.
It's only because
of the resurrection
that we still
remember these words.
And and because
of that it means
that we should look
a little bit more
carefully always
when we see
things like this
that supposedly
are just so easily
said to be wrong.
And the answer
as I said
comes in the
in the second
aspect of the context
and that's this
when Jesus answers
the original question
right
the stones
when are they
going to fall
when are they
all going to be
knocked out
when's this
going to happen
and if you look
then I think
it's from verse 5
right through
verse 37
Jesus is sort of
answering that
question
and he also
is answering
other questions
that would follow
if they thought
about it
like how is
how is life
going to continue
on if the temple
is gone
like how
how will
how can there
be any hope
if the temple
is gone
and if Jesus
if you die
how can there
be any hope
like what on earth
does that ever mean
so Jesus is in a sense
answering several
questions at the same
time as he gives
his answer
and it's just as if
if you've ever been
out in the west coast
and maybe if you've
taken a bit of a boat
or something like that
and you look at the
mountain ranges
off you know
on in BC
and if you look
at the mountains
it might look like
there's only one
mountain range
but if you actually
were to go
into a helicopter
you'd realize
that what you're
seeing are two
or three mountain
ranges that just
look like one
from your point
of view
and so what
Jesus is doing
is he's answering
a double question
with one single
word
he's referring
to two
of this
generations
on one hand
his first prophecy
is spectacularly
correct
Jesus died
according to how
you sort of
figure out
a couple of
things
he either died
in early April
of the year 30
or early April
of the year 33
that would be
agreed to
by scholars
and the destruction
of Jerusalem
was in the year 70
Jerusalem was destroyed
and the temple
was destroyed
in the year 70
and in Jewish
tradition
40 years
is a generation
40 years or less
and so Jesus
was correct
this generation
will not pass away
before that original
question is answered
and he's also
looking down the road
after the tribulation
and he's saying
that once those
first things
start to happen
it's going to happen
relatively quickly
and that that
it's not going to be
as if when these
things happen
the abomination
that causes
desolation
the tribulation
then you're going
to have to wait
another
no no no
once that starts
to happen
it's going to happen
everybody in that
generation
he's answering
two questions
with one phrase
that's a very
very simple way
to understand it
it's a double answer
now the next
little bit
helps to explain
why it is
that I would
want to press in
to think through
the answer
to the questions
before quickly
dismissing things
and just before
I read these
this very very
important next verse
next verse
verse 31
and I'll read
I think maybe 32
just shortly after that
but it's this
we're if you're
watching online
you might not know
that we're sort of
a more inner city
we meet in the
inner city
and we come from
all over
we're both a church
where people can
walk here
and we're also a
church that people
drive from all over
to come here
but if you come
downtown to Ottawa
one of the things
that you see
are street people
and so this past
Monday I was in
one of my favorite
coffee shops
and I'm sitting
there actually
trying to get
some of my
emails caught up
on some of you
know I'm very slow
I can be very slow
at responding to
emails I'm trying
to get caught up
on my emails
in my favorite
coffee shop
a homeless man
enters and he's
talking to himself
muttering to himself
sometimes just quiet
under his breath
and sometimes quite
loud as if he's
talking to another
person and he's
all disheveled
and he's dirty
and he has piles
of layers of clothing
and he has several
bags and he gets
a free glass of
water from the
coffee shop and
then he goes and
sort of takes up
a corner of the
coffee shop talking
away to himself
and occasionally
he'd start to walk
around
now I have to
confess I'm not
a brave person
but he would
often stand behind
me and talk
and I have to
confess it made
me a bit nervous
but you know
if Andrew or
Shershear stood
behind me I
wouldn't like feel
nervous maybe I
should I don't
know but I
wouldn't I don't
feel nervous and
I want to extend
to street people
the dignity of
being human beings
and not treat them
as if they're like
terrible so I
didn't look I
inwardly I'm a bit
nervous why is this
guy muttering to
himself saying who
knows what's
standing directly
behind me eventually
he came and stood
right in front of
me got within this
this close to me and
started to speak to
me and his eyes
would be both very
direct and then dart
off and dart off and
then very direct and
dart off and dart off
and look at me
directly saying
gibberish just
saying gibberish
and in fact he was
so in my face that
the manager got up
and had a word with
him about the
whole thing now
keep this image in
mind those of us
who come here know
we're very familiar
with street people
like this and
listen to the very
next thing Jesus
has just said
verse 30 truly I
say to you this
generation will not
pass away until all
these things take
place and then
listen this is the
thing that should
get people bothered
is this verse
heaven and earth
will pass away
verse 31
heaven and earth
will pass away
but my words
will not pass away
I'll say it again
heaven and earth
will pass away
but my words
will not
pass
away
now
let's be
frank
in any context
other than one
this is the talk
of a mentally
ill man
this is exactly
the sort of thing
that you would
expect
that street person
to say
I have had
street people
say to me
as they sit there
in all their stench
that if I knew
who they really were
I would fall down
and worship them
I'm not making
that up
I've had that
I've had people
tell me
with a very
solemn
straight face
because they
believe it
to the depths
of whatever
their depths
are
and to say
that my words
heaven and earth
will pass away
but my words
will not pass away
on any account
other than one
it is the sound
of a crazy person
now
see here's the thing
by and large
the Christian faith
hasn't been rejected
in our culture
because people
have engaged
in a serious
intellectual search
and looked at
Christianity
very deeply
I don't mean
to offend
but generally
speaking
people have been
involved
in a serious
intellectual search
and then rejected
it because
there's far better
answers to the
different riddles
and puzzles
that it poses
I mean the fact
is
whether it's
somebody like
a Bart Ehrman
who's a skeptic
and he would be
a person
who's a bit
different
obviously because
of his background
he has studied
these things
but there's never
been an adequate
explanation
other than
the Christian one
as to why
on earth
anybody even
knows who
Jesus is
hundreds of
thousands of
people died
by crucifixion
hundreds of
thousands of
them
why is it
that anybody
remembers
Jesus'
words
how is there
a better
explanation
for that
than the fact
that the
grave was
he died
on a cross
the grave
is empty
he appeared
alive
like what's
a better
explanation
of it
than that
there isn't
one
and what's
a better
explanation
of it
the fact
that we
do have
a good
historical
record
of Jesus
even
Bart Ehrman
that great
skeptic
would say
that in
fact
there is
lots
that we
know
about
Jesus
that he's
in fact
one of
the best
known
figures
in the
ancient
world
and how
is it
that Jesus
can say
something like
this
and the fact
the matter
is
these men
who recorded
this
they'd spent
three years
with Jesus
mental illness
existed
back in
those days
there's even
if you go
back
there's a very
interesting
story about
King David
it's when
he'd been
fleeing from
Saul
if you're
outside
you're not
familiar
if you're
watching this
as a seeker
it's a story
in what our
Jewish friends
call the
Old Testament
it's a story
about King
David
that he was
fleeing
and so he
spent some
time in a
pagan nation
and he started
to understand
that the
pagan king
and his
court were
maybe going
to kill
him
and so
to get
out of
the problem
he pretended
he was
insane
and so
there's this
very interesting
line where
the king
says
don't I
have enough
crazy people
in my
country
why do I
need another
one
kick them
out of
here
and so
David
was able
to live
to another
day
so they
had mentally
ill people
and we
all know
what mentally
ill people
are like
like we
all know
them
why is it
that these
three these
men spent
three years
with Jesus
and never
once did
mental illness
come into
their mind
and how is it
that we can
read these
words and
there's nothing
about the
words of
Jesus that
suggest mental
illness and
the only other
option would be
that he lies
but there's no
reason to think
like why would he
lie about that
like there's no
reason to think
he's lying
the only explanation
for his words
are that he's
God
that he's
God
he's not
crazy
and it's this
statement by
Jesus that
grounds the
Christians
confidence in
the New
Testament
sort of beyond
the purpose
of this
sermon
but this
promise
this solemn
promise
by God
the son
of God
that his
words
who he is
his words
his work
his mission
his promises
that they
would be
remembered
that that's
that they
would not
pass away
that's what
grounds our
confidence
in the New
Testament
is that
witness
to the
ministry
and mission
and intention
and purposes
of Jesus
but some
people ask
okay
George you
went in
like unexpected
directions
okay but
here's the
problem
like remember
you just
explained how
to understand
verse 30
you know
this generation
will not
pass away
like if
it's actually
God's word
if it's actually
God speaking
why is it
that it's so
hard to
interpret
verse 30
like why is
it that people
get that wrong
if it's actually
God who's
speaking why
aren't these
words like
sort of simple
and easy to
understand
well that's a
very good
question
and I
need to
watch my
time and
I'm going
to answer
it by
actually making
it harder
first and
when I make
it harder
first it's
easier to
understand the
answer to the
question look
at verse 32
but concerning
that day or
that hour
no one knows
not even the
angels in
heaven nor
the son but
only the
father
what
how could
by the way
here this is a
profound claim
by Jesus of
divinity he
refers to
himself as
the son
of God
the son of
the father
but how
could it be
that his
words will
not pass
away that
he's God
and he
doesn't know
something
so
the answer
is the
most important
Christian virtue
and the
answer comes
down to
humility
I told a
gay friend
once when
he said
asked me
he wasn't
trying to get
me in
trouble he
was sort
of laughing
he said
why don't
you celebrate
gay pride
day and
I caught
him by
surprise by
saying well
pride is
considered a
sin
why would
I walk
in a sin
day he
was expecting
me to say
something about
gay it
caught him by
surprise when I
talked about
pride I
said the
great Christian
virtue is
humility
I said so
I don't know
maybe if you
called it
gay humility
day maybe I
don't know
it would be
different and
conversation moved
on because he
was just
joshing with me
trying to pull
my chain
the answer is
humility this
great Christian
virtue that the
gospel forms in
us that there's
stories like this
format us in a
different way that
it draws us to
and grounds and
pushes us towards
see the fact the
matter is is that
when Jesus says
and he also says
in other places that
in a sense when you
read the Old
Testament you
hear God
speaking and in
a sense he's
looking down a
few years and
saying when you
read the New
Testament you're
hearing me
speaking you're
hearing God
speaking just
because those
words are
inspired doesn't
mean my mind is
perfect and
inspired in fact it
should tell me the
opposite it should
tell me that I
have to constantly
be humble before
God's word that I
have to bow to
it that this
promise of Jesus
about his word is
not a promise
about my mind
but a promise
about his word
and that I have
to humble myself
before the word
and humble myself
means that I will
come to realize
that I wasn't
right at different
times I got some
of the interpretations
wrong you see
if it is from in
fact if you think
about it for a
second if it
actually is God
speaking and it
never says hard
things or never
gives things which
are hard to
understand then
why should we
really actually
believe that it's
from God or is
that just like a
fantasy like why
is it that it
comes from God
therefore it has to
be easy to
understand like that
doesn't make any
sense that's all
part of our desire
to make ourselves
like God's but to
actually hear the
real true living
God who's created
and sustained all
things and to
realize that you're
coming and to hear
his word that
should humble me
and humble you
and the other
thing is and this
is so completely
and utterly
counterintuitive
because if I was
God I'd want you
to know and
frankly I'd like a
little bit more
respect and I'd
like a little bit
more deference and
I'd like a few more
toys and that's
what it would be
like if I was even
a demigod or a
semi-God what puzzles
us is the humble
God it goes against
everything within us
on one level to
think that God might
humble himself for
us and so the
answer is very
simple in coming
to earth God the
son of God remained
in his full nature
as God but he set
aside his appearance
and all sorts of
things and as we
see in his earthly
life he was content
to know what his
father revealed to
him he was content
to depend upon his
father and I should
learn to be content
to trust him too I
need to learn to be
content to trust him
and what he reveals
to me what he
doesn't reveal to me
and in fact actually
if you think about it
for a second this
also explains a
little bit about the
elect and what's
going on here with
the text what
Jesus by Jesus yet
again in two
different ways within
just a few words
revealing that he is
God that he is the
son that he is saying
that doing something
only God can do that
his words would never
pass away and so
what that means whether
it's Wednesday afternoon
or early Thursday
morning and he's going
to die on the cross
on Friday that means
God dies on that
cross God dies on
that cross and this
is very very humbling
you see the fact the
matter is if God needs
to die in my place for
me to be right with
God that means that I
am in vastly worse
mess than I could
possibly imagine that
my doom is deeper my
lostness is higher and
more thorough and more
extensive and more
deeply more deep than I
can possibly imagine in a
sense it's almost as if
apart from the gospel
when you have those
three o'clock in the
morning and four o'clock
in the morning times when
you have those days that
you can hardly get out of
bed because you're so
depressed and you have
that voice in your ear
telling you you are a
bad person you are a
stupid person you are a
failure you are you are a
constant disaster and you
have that voice speaking in
your ears and if you're in
Christ you can take this
text and say you don't
know anything I'm vastly
worse than anything you
say I'm vastly worse
because my situation was so
desperate that it could only
be fixed by God the son of
God dying in my place and
why is this good news because
of the other thing that says
is that if love himself died
in my place that not only
means that my situation is
vastly worse than I have ever
imagined and it also means
that I am loved more deeply
more extensively more thoroughly
than I can ever possibly
imagine on this side of the
grave that love himself would
die for the unlovely me that
love himself died for the
loveless that loved and lovely I
might be that you might be I am
vastly more loved in Christ and
what does that term the elect
mean all that means is chosen you
know what it means that Jesus
chose me before I chose him and
so when you see that word can you
say to yourself you know George all
my life I've been always rejected I
don't get the promotions I don't get
the romance I haven't had the kids I
wanted I don't I don't have the
job I don't have the money I've
always been rejected I've always I've
always been a failure my coaches said
that my parents have said that my
siblings have said that my friends
joke about it and and I and and and
and George how on earth how could
God God couldn't love me how could
does he know does he know the the
things in my life that I've done that
are wrong the things I should have
done to help others and I didn't I
didn't I didn't do them and does he
does he he know does he know those
things in me that I want to keep
unbelievably hidden and and and and
this wonderful profound word elect
says yes he does yes he does in fact
you're worse than you think and you're
more loved than you never possibly
imagine love himself died for the
unlovely and loveless you that loved
and lovely you might be and all you
can do is it it that is a term that
means that you are profoundly humbled
because all you can do is receive
him choosing you
just in closing I watch my time
see this grounds us doing things
sometimes the things we do are easy
we're always to do everything in
light of the fact that Jesus is going
to return and we don't know when
so I was talking about last week it
might be that for all we know the
tribulation is happening right now to
believers in in Korea and Iran and we
just don't recognize it and and I you
know we just Jesus can return at any
time and and maybe we've missed it but
we can return at any time but you know
when the gospel grounds you when you
know that the destiny is that he he will
see you and he will make you know that
you've been loved and you will be loved
for all eternity and that he's made you
lovely and it's his work not yours and
nothing can stop that and nothing can
frustrate that and it's his gift to you
that you just received by grace and he
walks with you every day love walks with
you hope walks with you and gives you a
hope of love
and you are vastly worse and vastly more
loved it gives you the power to to face
those things in your conscience that you
are afraid of and face your shames and
your fears as the gospel becomes more
real to real to it it grounds you in a
humility and a dependence upon him and a
gratitude and thankfulness in him and
it grounds you to to do simple things and
and daily things like care for children
and also maybe hard things like stand up
to a tyrant or bear witness in a in a
form that will cause you to be abused and
ignored it it grounds you to do hard things
and easy things without making you a
narcissist but to make you humble
invite you to stand
just want to say if you're here or if
you're watching online if you feel and
you've never given your your life to
christ the christian life begins when
you you hear the gospel and you say i
wish that was true for me and if you're
saying right now i wish that was true
for me it means that he's chosen you
if you feel at all a bit of a pressure
or longing for that it means that he's
chosen you
it's him knocking at your door right now
and all i want to say is stop listening
to me and just say jesus i open the door
please come in thank you that you chose
me
be my savior in your lord and he will not
turn you away
you will be his his forever if you take
that step let us know not because we
want to boast or anything but if you're
in ottawa we'd love to connect you you
need to
walk with others as you walk with the
one who's making you loved and lovely
and if you live in another city let us
know and we'll try to connect you to a
good church
but stop listening to me and turn to him
and ask him
to do what he wants which is to come into
you and make you loved and lovely
let's bow our heads in prayer father
thank you so much for the gospel
father you know how hard it is for us to
for it to be real to our hearts and we
ask that your word would speak into our
hearts in the depths of who we are that
it would have a just a bigger hold of
our imagination and our memory and our
feelings and our hopes and our and our
thinking and our longing that it will
become more real to us we ask that your
holy spirit would do that
we thank you father that jesus died for
us unloved and
love and and and not lovely and that he
died so that loved and lovely we will
be
and that that is the end of our story
in christ we thank and ask all these
things in the name of jesus your son and
our savior amen
story of jesus your chemo Bless & Wash your
highly
ay RNA
main
fire
ship
and
people
go