A week ago was Easter Sunday, which is the most important day in Christian history.
In fact, this is the celebration of the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies looking forward
! to Christ's life and death on the cross.
I would like to look at Hebrews to see the story told.
So Hebrews is not a book that we usually look for the history of the church, but I'd like
to read verses 1 to 4, Hebrews chapter 1, 1 to 4, so if you got your Bible.
In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.
But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things
and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.
sustaining all things by his powerful word.
After he had provided purifications for sin, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty
in heaven.
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
Hebrews was written to the Jewish people in synagogues.
They were not just skeptical of Jesus, but some were extremely antagonistic towards him.
Paul, the apostle, was the most aggressive as he went from town to town persecuting the
new believers in Christ.
The story had been spread that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but that a large band of
Jesus' disciples had snuck past the Roman guard at the tomb while they all slept and stole the body.
The soldiers would have been executed if they had failed in this manner.
The guards themselves had been knocked out, but not wounded or killed, and the Jewish leaders
paid them off to lie.
Hebrews connects the Old Testament with the New Testament.
And that Christ had been, with the new church that was being formed.
So this was the connection.
We had all these Jews in the new church, and this stuff didn't make sense to them.
So the book of Hebrews is very much a book that way.
And the book shows the relationship Jesus had with God the Father, man, angels, and the devil.
As we read the first four verses of Hebrews, which I did, I said there's not a description of
Jesus, but a concise job resume.
Verse 1 verifies that the Old Testament has seen as historical truth.
And that, again, it's,
In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.
Moses was inspired to write the history of the time from creation till the flood.
Some of the history might have been passed on through Noah, but the text and details are inspired by God.
The book Jeremiah was inspired to warn the kings that they should abandon false idols
and not to fight against the invading king Nebuchadnezzar.
The refusal led to the invasion and 70 years of captivity.
Zechariah prophesied about the armies of the world attacking Jerusalem,
but that God would make Jerusalem an immovable rock.
And that is yet to come.
And probably the most dramatic portion of the Old Testament is written by Isaiah.
Conservative Jews still do not read Isaiah 53.
As this is the historical story of Christ from youth through crucifixion to the return and reign of Christ.
So next we read his resume.
But I'd like to go to Isaiah 53 and read this.
This is such a...
This was written about 600 years.
600 years beforehand.
And like I say, even today, there's about four sections of the Old Testament
that the Jews absolutely will not read.
And this is one of them.
Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.
Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by man.
A man of sorrows, familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces.
He was despised and we esteemed him not.
Surely we took up our infirmaries and carried our sorrows.
Yet we considered him stricken by God.
Smitten by him and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgression.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
And by his wounds we are healed.
We all like sheep have gone astray.
And each of us has turned to his own way.
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted.
Yet he did not open his mouth.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as his sheep before her shearer is silent.
So he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living.
For the transgressions of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned grave with the wicked.
And with the rich in his death.
Though he had done no violence.
Nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was God's will to crush him.
And cause him to suffer.
And though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering.
He will see his offspring and prolong his days.
And the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul.
He will see the light of life.
And be satisfied.
By his knowledge my righteous servant.
Will justify many.
And he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great.
And he will divide the spoils with the strong.
Because he poured out his life unto death.
And he was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sins of many.
And made intercession for the transgressors.
So that's.
That is.
When you.
See.
That portion of scripture.
And compare it to the life that we.
The record we have in the New Testament.
It's just incredible.
And that was 600 years ahead of time.
So we.
So we see.
Next we see the resume.
The qualification of Christ.
First off.
It says.
In.
In Hebrews.
Chapter.
Verse 2.
That in these last days.
He was spoken.
He has spoken to us by his son.
This is the affirmation.
That Jesus's words.
Were inspired by God.
To the readers.
Christ's words.
Are prophetic.
They concern.
Not just his coming death.
But also talk about heaven and hell.
And also.
How many things will be.
Before his return.
Matthew.
24.
Verses.
One.
Two.
Yeah.
One and two.
Are an example.
So this is.
He was talking to his disciples.
And he said.
Jesus left the temple.
And was walking away.
When his disciples came up to him.
And called his attention to the buildings.
So this is the big tabernacle.
So we see the dome of the rock.
In Israel right now.
That's where the tabernacle was.
It was a massive building.
It was ornate.
It was.
It was made out of.
50 ton blocks.
It was gold on the inside.
It was just an incredible building.
So he said.
Jesus said.
Do you see these things?
He asked.
I tell you the truth.
Not one stone.
Here will be left on another.
Everyone will be torn down.
So this is before A.D. 32.
A.D. 71.
That's after his death.
A.D. 71.
This temple was.
Totally.
Dismantled.
And.
The Romans.
Had burnt that.
And the gold had melted.
Into the.
Big stones.
Like 50 ton stones.
That we don't.
Can't imagine.
So the Romans.
Shattered.
This.
Destroyed this.
There's still rubble.
Laying at the.
The foot of the base of that hill.
Where all the rubble was.
So they.
They destroyed it.
So Christ.
Predicted.
This temple.
Which you cannot.
It took them centuries to build.
Couldn't imagine.
Destroying it in.
A short time.
So that was one.
Just one example.
Of Christ's prophecy.
Next is.
He was appointed.
Heir of all things.
The greatest.
The greatest thing.
Christ will receive.
Is true fellowship.
With those he has redeemed.
This will be in the form.
Of eternal worship.
Since he loved.
Believers enough.
To become a.
Substitutional.
Sacrifice for them.
God does not need.
Any physical things.
He created.
All things.
You can't imagine.
That Christ.
Needs.
Anything.
He didn't need.
Fellowship.
He didn't need.
To create the universe.
Because he was.
God.
Christ.
The Holy Spirit.
They were.
Perfect in themselves.
As believers.
He has promised.
That we will share.
With that.
With this in Christ.
Romans 8.
16 and 17.
Just.
I'll find that.
The Spirit himself.
Testifies with our spirit.
That we are God's children.
Now.
If we are God's children.
Then we are heirs.
Heirs of God.
And co-heirs with Christ.
If indeed.
We share in his sufferings.
In order that we may also share in his glory.
The Spirit himself.
Testifies with our spirit.
That you know.
That we will share in his glory.
Number three.
Through.
Through whom he made the universe.
Very.
Very famous.
John 1.
1.
I remember the kids last year learned this.
In.
In Sunday school.
They memorized this.
And.
John 1.
1.
1 to 5.
And then 14.
In the beginning.
Was the word.
And the word was with God.
And the word was God.
He was with God.
In the beginning.
Through him.
All things were made.
Without him.
Nothing was made.
That has been made.
In him was life.
And this life.
Was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness.
But the darkness.
Has not understood it.
So this is a very.
Plain.
Declaration.
That Jesus.
Created.
The heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1.
In the beginning.
God created.
The heavens and the earth.
So.
For.
Especially for the Hebrews.
For the Jews.
This declaration.
Is not just.
You know.
Something you just pass by.
This.
Is fundamental.
This declares.
Who Christ is.
And then.
Verse 14.
The word became flesh.
And lived for a while.
Among us.
We have seen his glory.
The glory of the one.
And only son.
Who came.
From the father.
Full of grace.
And truth.
So this is a declaration.
That Christ.
Is.
God.
And any.
Any.
Any Jew.
Would not have missed that.
This not only affirms.
That Genesis is literal.
But that God.
Jesus is God.
These two points.
Are the greatest stumbling blocks.
To many people.
The theories of the big bang.
And evolution.
Do really not stand up.
To rigorous.
Scientific scrutiny.
Just think about it.
The formation of DNA.
Takes more than just a lightning bolt.
Hitting a mud puddle.
And yep.
That's.
Where do you get it from?
The next one.
The sun.
Is the radiance.
Of God's glory.
Revelation.
21.
Shows us.
This radiance.
So very.
At the very end of the book.
Revelation.
21.
Talks about.
What.
What this.
Radiance.
Means.
In heaven.
There will be no need.
For sun to shine.
To give us light and energy.
This comes through the father.
And the son alone.
In heaven.
We will have fellowship.
But.
The full God.
And not just the one.
Made a little lower.
Than the angels.
Chapter.
21.
Verse 22.
I did not see a temple.
In the city.
Because the Lord God.
Almighty.
And the lamb.
Are its temple.
The city.
Does not need the sun.
Or the moon.
To shine on it.
For the glory of God.
Gave it light.
And the lamb.
Is its lamp.
So.
Christ.
And God.
They are the lamp.
Of God.
They are.
In heaven.
They are the radiance.
The exact representation.
Of his being.
John 14.
Verses.
18 to 21.
This is a promise.
That those who truly.
This promise.
Is for those.
Who truly believe.
In Christ.
God not only.
Resides.
In those.
Who are faithful.
God will only.
Reside.
In those.
Who are.
Have faith.
In him.
Many religions.
Want to dismiss.
Christ.
As a mere man.
Limiting him.
Is a deception.
So.
Jehovah's Witness.
Mormons.
And Muslims.
All.
Acknowledge Christ.
Jehovah's Witness.
Claim him.
To be a.
Jehovah's Witness.
Claim him.
To be a.
Kind of an angel.
That.
God.
Created.
And then.
Used Christ.
To create other things.
Mormons.
Say he's.
He's the half brother.
Of the Satan.
Muslims.
Acknowledge him.
For some things.
But they deny.
That he was sacrificed.
And they rose.
From the dead.
So they.
They take.
They take this.
And.
Somewhat true.
But they are.
Deceptive.
So.
John.
14.
8.
Says.
18.
To 21.
Says.
I will not leave you as orphans.
I will come to you.
This is Christ speaking.
Before long.
The world will not see me anymore.
But.
You will see me.
Because I live.
You will also live.
On that day.
You will realize.
That I am in my father.
And you are in me.
And I am in you.
Whoever.
Has my commands.
And obeys them.
He.
Is the one.
Who loves me.
He who loves me.
Will not.
Will be loved.
By my father.
And I too.
Will love him.
And show myself to him.
So this is just.
Christ.
Telling.
People.
That believe in him.
That he loves us.
Christ.
Is a sustainer.
Sustains all things.
By his powerful word.
Lord.
Psalm 147.
Tells us this.
Way back in the Old Testament.
Psalm 147.
Verse 11.
The Lord delights in those who fear him.
Who put their hope in his unfailing God.
God created and sustains the universe for us.
So that we can put our hope in his unfailing love for us.
147.
Praise the Lord.
How good is it to sing.
Praises to our God.
How pleasant and fitting to praise him.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem.
He gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the numbers of the stars.
Calls them each by name.
Declaration that he is creator.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power.
His understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble.
But casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving.
Make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the skies with clouds.
He supplies the earth with rain.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
He provides food for the cattle.
And for the young ravens when he calls.
His pleasure is not in the strength of horses.
Nor is his delight in the legs of a man.
The Lord delights in those who fear him.
Who put their hope in his unfailing love.
So this declares who God delights in.
Those who fear him.
Have a reverence for God.
Who acknowledge that God is Lord.
God delights in those who fear him.
John 19 says he provides purification for our sins.
This is the gospel story.
John 19.
28 to 30.
Later.
Knowing that all was now completed.
And so the scripture would be fulfilled.
Jesus said.
I am thirsty.
A jar of wine vinegar was there.
So they soaked a sponge in it.
Put the sponge on a stalk of hyssop.
And lifted it to Jesus' lips.
When he had received the drink.
Jesus said.
It is finished.
With that he bowed his head.
And gave up his spirit.
This is the gospel story.
Christ dying for us.
Christ fulfilled old prophecies.
With his death on the cross.
This is the fulfillment of Genesis 3.15.
Where Christ.
You know.
He declared.
That after.
After.
Satan had deceived.
Adam and Eve.
He said.
I will put enmity.
Between you and the woman.
And between your offspring and hers.
He.
Will crush your head.
And you will strike his heel.
So this is.
This is.
Satan.
Crush.
Striking.
Jesus' heel.
This was Satan's.
Finest.
Hour.
Satan.
Succeeded.
Matthew.
28.
Is the.
Is the most important part.
One to ten.
After the Sabbath.
After dawn.
On the first day of the week.
Mary Magdalene.
And the other Mary.
Went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake.
For all.
Angel of the Lord.
Came down from heaven.
And looked at the tomb.
And going to the tomb.
Rolled back the stone.
And sat on it.
His appearance.
Was like lightning.
His clothes.
Were white as snow.
The guards.
Were so afraid of him.
That they shook.
And became like dead men.
The angel said to the woman.
Do not be afraid.
For I know that you are looking for Jesus.
Who was crucified.
He is not the hearer.
He has risen.
Just as he said.
Come and see the place.
Where they lay.
Where he lay.
Then.
Go quickly.
And tell his disciples.
He has risen from the dead.
And is going ahead of you.
Into Galilee.
There you will see him.
Now I have told you.
So the woman.
Hurried away.
And from the tomb.
Afraid yet.
Filled with joy.
And ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them.
Greeting he said.
They came to him.
Clasped his feet.
And worshipped him.
Then Jesus said to them.
Do not be afraid.
Go and tell my brothers.
To go to Galilee.
There.
They will see me.
So this is.
The greatest.
Day.
Resurrection Sunday.
Was the worst nightmare.
Right from Abel.
Through Noah.
And Abraham.
Continuing.
Through Passover.
And fully explained.
Leviticus.
One to seven.
We see the need.
For a sacrifice.
To take away.
The punishment of God.
Jesus.
Was a sacrifice.
For those who had faith in him.
We only have this.
Lifetime.
To make this choice.
The Bible declares.
That we will know.
Who Christ is.
After we die.
Bet that our faith is sealed.
Our fate is sealed.
Where we.
Where we will spend eternity.
And then he sat down.
At the right hand of God.
At the majesty in heaven.
So Revelation 3.
Tells us.
Revelation 3.
21.
And then.
Revelation 4.
To him who overcomes.
I will give the right to sit.
At the right hand.
Or sit on.
With me on my throne.
Just as I overcame.
And sat down.
With my father.
On the throne.
And 4.
9.
To 11.
Whenever the living creatures.
Gave glory.
Honor.
And thanks to him.
Who sits on the throne.
And who lives forever and ever.
The 24 elders.
Fall down before him.
And sit on the throne.
And worship him.
Who lives forever and ever.
They lay their crowns.
Before the throne.
And say.
You.
Are worthy.
Or our Lord and God.
To receive glory.
And honor.
And power.
For you created all things.
And by your will.
They were created.
And have their being.
So again.
This is the declaration.
That Jesus is God.
The creator.
That he sits.
With God the father.
And since no one.
Will be worshipped.
Except.
Except God.
God.
Again.
This is a stumbling block.
To other religions.
Declaring that.
Jesus.
Is God.
How can a.
A mere man.
How could mere mankind.
Kill God.
And there's.
And how are there many.
Multiple forms.
Of one God.
And again.
He's.
Jesus.
Is superior.
To the angels.
And.
So.
It talks.
The rest of the.
Chapter.
Talks about.
Verse five.
To which of the angels.
Did God ever say.
You are my son.
Today.
I have become your father.
Or again.
I will be his father.
And he will be my son.
And then finally.
For verse 14.
Are not all angels.
Ministering spirits.
Sent to serve those.
Who will inherit salvation.
So this is a.
This is the declaration.
This is.
God's.
Jesus's resume.
When you're talking to the Jews.
This was very important.
To declare.
Who God is.
What he has done.
Where he sits.
How.
How he is above the angels.
This summary.
Was written to the Hebrews.
And also to us.
In a very concise.
Condensed.
Encapsulation.
Of who Christ is.
What he is.
And where he resides.
In this lifetime.
We will never.
Fully comprehend.
Who God is.
Genesis.
Chapter one.
Gives a picture.
Of creation.
Without explaining.
The full.
Detailed stories.
Like we see this.
In one chapter.
And.
All this stuff.
Happened in six days.
We can't comprehend it.
That.
So the rest of the Bible gives us a picture of Christ without explaining every detail who he fully is.
The Trinity is a prime example.
We can read and somewhat understand one God and three persons, but we fully can't comprehend the Trinity.
So with Hebrews 1 gives us a resume, we need to look at chapter 2 to understand Jesus' job.
And he has a job.
Hebrews chapter 2, if you turn to there, 14 and 15 summarizes the job description.
It says,
Since the children have flesh and blood, we too share in their humanity, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil.
The free and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
So this summarizes Jesus' job description.
Jesus took on human flesh.
Why?
When Eve, then Adam, took the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, God could simply have started creation over.
Just wiped it out.
Start fresh.
But the devil would have been there to keep deceiving the created.
Remember that once created, the body may die, but the soul lives forever.
Also remember that all things that cost nothing have little value.
So if God would have just wiped it out, he didn't really care for us.
To understand the concept of why Jesus needed to die, we must understand who the devil is.
During World War II, army leaders would study the writings, history, and universities attending by the opposing high-ranking generals so that they could anticipate their moves on the battlefield.
Rommel and the Germans would want to know who the English and American generals are.
God has given us a picture of the devil so that we can anticipate his moves on the earthly battlefield.
Genesis 3, way back there again, gives us a picture of the devil's deceitfulness.
But God did say, you must not eat from the fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.
Satan said, you will surely not die.
He said to the woman, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some, ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and who ate it.
Then their eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked.
So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
So this described Satan first and foremost as a deceiver, twisting truth to entrap them.
We must also note that somehow we enticed one-third of the angels to desert God and follow him to a certain horrible judgment.
This was done when they were in the presence of God.
They saw him and knew him.
Even later, demons recognized Jesus all through his ministry and obeyed his commands.
There is no redemption for demons.
Isaiah 14.
This is a picture, a very famous picture of Satan.
Isaiah 14.
12 to 15.
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of dawn.
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations.
You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven.
I will raise my throne above the stars of God.
I will sit and throne on the mount of assembly, on the utmost height of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds.
I will make myself like the most high.
But you were brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
So this is a picture of Satan who declared that I will sit above God.
I will be more powerful than God.
So this is, it was his arrogance that brought him low.
The next very famous one is Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 28.
13 to 17.
This describes the position that Satan had.
Now, Satan's job, he did have a job.
He was number two.
Next to God, he was the most powerful angel.
And his job was to stand behind God and kind of like a concave mirror, was to reflect glory back onto God from all the angels.
Remember, there's a hundred million angels flying around in heaven.
And his job was to glorify God.
And it says in 28, 13 to 17.
You were in Eden, the garden of God.
Every precious stone adorned you.
Ruby, topaz, emerald, crystallite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold.
On the day you were created, they were prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub.
For so I adorned you.
You were on the holy mount of God.
You walked among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your ways.
From the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
Your heart became proud on account of your beauty and you corrupted your wisdom because of your spender.
So I threw you to the earth.
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
So this is a picture that we cannot fathom the wisdom, the knowledge, the beauty of this cherub.
Like he was an angel.
He was created.
He didn't, he wasn't, he was created by God.
He didn't have his own existence before God created him.
And so we see his job was to magnify, but tried, destroyed, devil.
This is Satan's downfall.
And again, Genesis 3.15, the devil was jealous and desperate.
So from this point where God told him that you'll bite Christ's ankle and he will crush your head, Satan has been desperate.
He's jealous and desperate because he knows.
He knows what's going to happen to him.
He knows he's doomed.
He wants to take, and he's hate, he's full of hate.
He wants to take every possible person to eternal hell with him.
From this point on, this goal is to have people follow him instead of knowing God and worshiping him.
Satan's goal is to destroy the human line.
Before the flood, through the Nephilim, which is angels having children with women.
After Abraham, through assimilation of Israel with other evil cultures.
So they kept trying to get Israel, like the nation Israel, to assimilate and become part of other nations to walk away from God.
Until trying to kill all newborn babies at both the time of Moses and Jesus' birth.
So he tried that twice.
Hopefully, if you can kill the bloodline, then Christ can't come.
Always enticing Israel to worship other crafted gods.
And people would worship their, would kill their babies to worship Moloch.
So he even had them sacrifice their own children.
And then again, in the end times, after the thousand year reign of Christ, the devil, who will be held in hell for one thousand years, will be released.
And he will deceive whole armies to try and destroy Jesus in the battle of Armageddon.
And again, this is the last deception.
Revelation 20, 7 to 10 tells us this.
Now you have to remember that any believer that has died will not lose your salvation.
You can't be deceived.
But during this thousand year reign, there will be families.
There will be children.
These children may be deceived.
But any believer that has gone into the thousand year reign will not be deceived.
But Satan will have, is so powerful.
He is so manipulative.
He is so able to deceive.
That we read this, 7 to 10.
When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from prison and go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle.
In number, they are like the sand on the seashore.
They march across the breadth of the earth and surround the camp of the God's people, the city he loves.
This is Jerusalem.
But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beasts and the false prophets are being thrown.
They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
So at the end of the thousand year reign, Satan, who comes back for his final time, will be thrown into the lake of fire.
And then we go back to Hebrews.
There it says, I'll reread that passage.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death.
That is the devil.
So devil holds the power of death.
We know this.
We look at the picture of Job, where Job had gone to God and said, you know, like, look at Job.
And if you allow bad things to happen.
So God allowed bad things to happen.
Job's children, all ten of them, were killed.
So devil was not allowed to kill Job, but he was allowed to kill his children.
And God mercilessly restrains the devil from killing us at will, or he would have destroyed Adam and Eve at Eden.
So he hates us so much.
But God restrains him from doing what he wants.
So finally, Jesus not only paid our eternal punishment, but also has destroyed the devil, so that in heaven there is eternal fellowship with God.
After the thousand years when we're truly in heaven, there is no sin.
There is no deception.
Anyone that believes in him, that has eternal life, will not have to worry about that, because there is no deception.
And then finally, the second part is, free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
The fear of death is something very real.
Finally, those who believe and are reconciled to God need not fear death.
Our culture is being deceived into not contemplating the eternal ramifications of death.
You've heard this one.
He who has the most toys wins.
Nope.
You can demand from God the best life now.
Nope.
I will be a martyr and kill myself along with others, receiving 72 virgins.
That's the Muslim radicals.
Nope.
I'll ignore the inevitable and will perish eternally when I die.
Nope.
Paul, who once tried to kill the Christians he hated, wrote in the book of Philippians,
knowing that his life would soon end, Philippians 121 sums up a believer's attitude.
To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
So if you're not a believer, death is just a stepping stone into heaven.
If you're not a believer, it's not a stepping stone into heaven.
It is the most fearsome thing we can have.
So Christ is that gives us the ability to not be as scared of death.
So if we look at Romans 15, kind of sums up hope.
So as believers, we have hope.
15 verse 4 and then 13.
And then verse 13 says,
Knowing who Christ is, what he has done and that he reigns supreme,
plus knowing that we have a formidable enemy who will face eternal punishment,
gives us the hope that we have to face the trials we face today.
Step 3 and then 13.