The Only Hope For Your Groaning Soul

Let's pray.

Father, I praise you for your faithfulness to your people.

! I thank you for the precious souls that you've pulled together here by your providence to hear your word.

I ask, Lord, that you will give us the gift of faith that we can see you by faith now and trust in your providence.

We need the hope of your promise. We need Christ more than anything else in this life.

Please do your work in our lives, Lord. We ask for your glory. And in Christ's name, amen.

Today is a special day.

Today is about death and life.

When death touches us in this life, it's only natural that we would groan.

Death has touched different ones of us in this life in different ways.

We have sickness. We have brokenness.

We have really hard news that we have to process.

We have relationships that are very broken.

And it's only natural to groan.

What does that word groan mean?

It's a deep, mournful sound uttered in pain, sorrow, and anguish.

Has your soul groaned recently?

2 Corinthians 5.2 says that we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling.

It's natural to groan while we're in this body and this life.

So, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ and dear friends that are in earshot today,

visitors that God brought you here in his perfect timing for his purpose.

What I've been praying for this week is this,

that by faith you would be able to latch on to your only hope.

In life and in death, it's the only hope for a groaning soul like yours and like mine.

That's what we get in our passage today.

We have one of the most glorious promises of all of Scripture,

given here and elsewhere, but maybe nowhere more clearly as right here.

But what comes before this glorious promise

are some of the greatest groanings anyone in the Scripture has breathed out.

My first question for you is this,

do you know what it feels like to groan without hope?

Do you know what that feels like, to groan in your soul without hope?

There are many sources of groaning, but our passage gives us three really clear right here.

Let's see them together.

And if you're familiar with Job,

he's a man who's suffered in every way you can imagine on this earth.

What he lays out in a really concise way, one for each verse,

it's like three sharp barbed prongs poking through this suffering man.

You could even say it's like a trident that speared him like a creature,

being hunted by a spear.

Look at what he says first in verse 19,

relational suffering.

All my close friends abhor me,

and those whom I love have turned against me.

To abhor.

You can hear the root there.

It means that his friends consider him now a horror.

They have rejected him.

He's detestable.

He's been cast off.

Those who were once close,

they now loathe him and despise him.

He's rejected.

He's been abandoned.

And talking with some of you, my dear friends, these weeks,

I know some of you have felt deep rejection and abandonment in different times in your life,

maybe even as a child.

That's what Job is talking about.

Some of you are suffering today,

bleeding,

relationally.

Like Job, maybe there's one important relationship in your life right now that needs redeeming.

Well, relational suffering is the first one,

but there's two more.

Look at verse 20.

Next, it's physical suffering.

He says,

My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh.

He's using poetic language to describe extreme thinness due to his muscles wasting away.

A person who suffers for a long time experiences this.

The muscles deteriorate.

It describes a state where the bones are now visibly prominent under his skin.

You see how this man is describing himself in the strongest terms possible.

The physical suffering he's endured.

And then he uses a phrase.

He says next in verse 20,

I have escaped,

referring to death,

by the skin of my teeth.

Now,

Now,

in this clause,

the author uses this word in Hebrew,

And it literally means the bone on which your teeth are set.

This bone right up here.

And so some have interpreted this phrase to mean,

I am left with only my skull.

See what Job is saying?

He said,

I escaped death,

but just barely.

I'm still alive,

but I'm like a talking skeleton.

I've suffered so much.

I've become horrifying.

I'm the very picture of death.

That's his physical suffering.

In verse 3,

I'm sorry,

verse 21,

he's describing physical torment and suffering.

I know there are many here who have had bad news about illness and sickness and many reasons to stress lately.

And some of you right now are on pain medicine and you're in constant pain in your body.

It's death touching you while you're still alive.

Some of you are used to not sleeping well.

You can feel your ligaments,

your muscles,

your skin,

or even your hair slowly deteriorating.

And it's natural to grieve these physical losses that we suffer in this life.

We groan with Job.

Well,

the third type of suffering is in verse 21.

He's begging his friends who are giving him counsel.

And he says,

have pity on me,

have pity on me,

oh,

you my friends.

But he's not even focused on the friends.

Look at what he says next in verse 21.

For the hand of God has struck me.

Verse 22,

why do you persecute me as God does and are not satisfied with my flesh?

See,

Job has a high view of God.

He knows God is sovereign.

And it's a high view of God's providence.

God is the one allowing these things to happen to him.

And that's the correct view of God.

I hope we have that view.

God is all powerful.

Nothing happens except through him.

And within the parameters of his will,

even our physical and spiritual and relational suffering.

Some of you are in the middle of spiritual suffering.

Like Job in verse 21,

you know that anything you suffer,

God has allowed even for you and your life.

These months,

these years,

for some of us,

this week has been very heavy spiritually,

hasn't it?

It's been a battle.

And in our weakness,

we're most vulnerable,

but that's where the enemy,

the accuser comes in,

whispering in the ear.

And he wants to accuse God to us.

He wants us to believe the lie.

God is either not loving,

not good,

or not all powerful.

And that's why when we read in Romans 8,

Romans 8:23

verses 23 and 22,

we agree.

We feel this.

The whole creation groans

and labors together

with birth pangs until now.

And we groan within ourselves.

Amen?

Do you know what it is

to groan in this life?

Maybe some of you here today

only knows what it is

to groan in this life without hope.

And I hope this is the last day

that that will be true for you.

Don't you long for your groaning

to be replaced with hope.

I hope you long for the groaning

in these moments like this week for me,

which were so heavy spiritually.

I need it to be replaced on a daily basis,

on an hourly basis,

my groaning replaced with hope.

Now, because Job is in the genre of literature,

that's poetic,

we don't get a narrative.

We don't really get any insights or testimony,

but we can't miss this.

There's a massive shift of tone

between verses 22 and 23.

You're going to want to look closely

at your own copy of God's Word.

Job 19, look at verse 22.

What we just left off.

God is persecuting him.

God has struck him.

That's verse 22.

But now look at verse 23.

Oh, that my words were written.

Wait, hold on.

Which words is he talking about?

Now we see an escalating permanence

to what he is excited about.

Oh, that they were inscribed in a book,

not just written on a scrap and blown away,

but I'm talking in a book

that's going to be published

and kept in a library.

But that's not permitted enough.

Look at verse 24.

Oh, that these words were engraved on a rock

with an iron pen and lead

for how long?

Forever.

This is what needs to be permanent.

And it's not the suffering.

That's what's common to all men.

It's a revelation.

And look at verse 25.

He says,

For I know.

He knows something.

Something happened to Job

between verse 22 and verse 23.

I know something now.

What does Job know?

What gave him this sudden hope

despite these threefold reasons for groaning?

I'm using this word hope.

And I don't mean it in a cheesy way

and some abstract feeling.

No.

Hope.

Real hope is faith in God's promises.

That's all that hope is.

Do you receive God's promises by faith?

Hold on to that.

This hour.

Who was it that spoke truth to Job

and gave him God's promise?

Who was it that ministered to Job

so that he can say,

I know.

Look at verse 25 to get the answer.

For I know that my Redeemer.

It's Job's Redeemer that ministers to him

and speaks a promise of God to Job

in the hour when he needed it the most.

It was his Redeemer.

Well, what does it mean to redeem?

What is a Redeemer?

And who is Job's Redeemer?

To redeem means to purchase back something,

to ransom it,

to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage.

See, this describes Job.

Job was in poverty,

but the Redeemer will supply all his needs

for life and godliness.

Job is in bondage to suffering,

but the Redeemer will set him free from affliction.

Job was enslaved to misery

and held captive to depression.

But the Redeemer is the one

who comes and gives him hope,

faith in God's promise.

Who is this Redeemer?

I need to know this Redeemer.

You need to know this Redeemer.

The Bible tells us that Redeemer,

the Redeemer,

is God Himself.

In Psalm 78, 35,

it's Most High,

Yahweh.

He, the God of Israel,

is the Redeemer.

Isaiah 43, 14 says,

The Lord, your Redeemer,

the Holy One.

The Redeemer is God Himself.

Now, the Old Testament also hints

at how there's a distinction.

It's a glimpse of the holy three-in-one God.

Isaiah 44, 6,

Thus says the Lord,

the King of Israel,

and His Redeemer,

the Lord of hosts,

I am the first,

and I am the last.

Besides me,

there is no God.

So who is the Redeemer?

It's the Holy God,

the first and the last.

The God,

the King of Israel,

and His Redeemer.

How will this be?

What a mystery.

This mystery can only be appreciated

in the person

and the work

of Jesus Christ.

Truly divine,

God Himself,

the second person of the Trinity,

who took on to Himself

a body.

God the Son,

incarnate,

who took on the flesh

to turn our groaning

into hope.

Don't you long

for your groaning

to be replaced

by hope

through the Redeemer,

Jesus Christ.

Well,

how is such

a hope

possible?

Brothers and sisters,

dear friends,

it's my great

privilege

and pleasure

to proclaim to you

the work of Jesus Christ,

the Redeemer.

Jesus Christ

replaces groaning

with hope

because first

He suffered

to redeem you

and me

who believe in Him.

The Redeemer,

our Lord Jesus Christ,

think of how He

endured relational

suffering

to redeem you

who believe in Him.

Like Job

in verse 19,

Jesus Christ,

He felt the sting

of rejection.

Those He loved,

His disciples,

they all turned

against Him.

And this fulfills

what God had promised

in Isaiah 53.3.

Jesus Christ

was despised

and rejected

by men,

a man of sorrows,

acquainted

with grief.

grief.

All hid their faces

from Him.

And it wasn't

just those disciples

in the first century.

This includes you

and me

who rejected Him.

We confess bold,

I can only approach

the throne of grace

because of His work

in my place.

We behold the man

upon the cross,

my sin

upon His shoulders.

Ashamed,

I hear my mocking voice

call out

among the scoffers.

Jesus Christ,

the Redeemer,

endured relational

suffering

so that we could

be right with God.

The Redeemer,

our Lord Jesus Christ,

also endured

great physical suffering

to redeem you

who believe

in Him.

Even more so

than Job

in verse 20,

Jesus Christ

suffered physically

for you

and for me.

He became

horrifying.

He became

the picture of death.

He fulfilled

Isaiah 53, 5.

He was wounded

for our transgressions.

He was bruised

for our iniquities.

And He was oppressed

and afflicted

because only by His stripes

could you and I

be healed.

Jesus Christ

did not

escape death

by the skin

of His teeth.

But He died

and He was buried

to pay the penalty

for our sin.

We sing,

Come, O sinner,

come and see

Christ,

the Lord

upon a tree.

See the crown

of thorns

adorn the King

who labors

to breathe

in agony.

Come, O sinner,

come and see

what our God

became

to set us

free.

The Redeemer,

our Lord Jesus Christ,

endured

spiritual suffering

to redeem you

and me

who believe in Him.

Like Job

in verse 21,

Jesus Christ

suffered spiritually

when He took

our guilt

to satisfy

God's justice

and to atone

for our sin.

He fulfilled

Isaiah 53,

4 through 6,

We esteemed Him

stricken and smitten

by God

and afflicted.

The chastisement

for our peace

was upon Him.

It was the Lord God

who laid

on Jesus Christ,

the iniquity

of us all.

And of all the sufferings

that our Lord endured,

this spiritual suffering

to bear our guilt

before His own Father,

the Holy God,

was the greatest.

We sing,

how great the pain

of vile sin.

The Father

pours His wrath

on Him

because so deep

is the Father's love

for us,

so vast beyond

all measure

that He should give

His only Son

to make a wretch

His treasure.

Do you see

how Jesus Christ

fulfilled

and related

to each one

of the sufferings

known to man

under the sun

captured in these verses

in Job?

And He did this

to preach the gospel,

the glorious news

as the Redeemer.

Here's the great truth

for today.

Here's what

every believer

will want engraved

in stone forever.

verse 25,

I know

my Redeemer

lives.

Amen?

Today is a day

of death defeated.

The Lord was alive then.

Job knew this.

My Redeemer lives.

He's the Ancient of Days.

Jesus Christ died

and was buried,

but we know

He lives today.

Amen?

And we know

in Jesus Christ

there is

everlasting life.

That's the only way

that such a hope

is possible.

Well,

the good news

in this passage

has really only begun.

There's so much

more now

because of Christ's

finished work

for you

and for me.

I want to ask

two more questions

from this passage.

What is a Christian's

hope

at the end

of this life

and what is a Christian's

hope

in the life

to come?

So first,

what is a Christian's

hope at the end

of this life?

We don't know

when that will be

for you or for me.

God's word

is true

about the past.

Jesus Christ

fulfilled all

that God said

He would.

He lived,

died,

was buried,

and now He lives

and He is seated

at the right hand

of God the Father

Almighty.

We know

our Redeemer lives

by faith now,

but one day

we will know

this

by sight.

God's word

is also true

about the future.

Look at verse 25.

My Redeemer,

Job says,

He shall stand

at last

on the earth.

Our Lord Jesus Christ,

God the Son,

and His glorified body,

He is coming back.

Verse 26 says,

And after my skin

is destroyed,

these two thoughts

are what answer

our question for today.

The Christians hope

at the end of this life.

We have hope

in this life

because Christ

is coming back.

And we know

there's good news

for us

after my skin

has been destroyed.

So the moment

of your death

in this life.

And that phrase,

after my skin

is destroyed,

literally means

after my flesh

is struck off

of my body.

What the Bible teaches

we get in Genesis 3.19

that when you die,

you return to the grave.

ground,

for out of the ground

you were taken,

for you are dust,

and to dust

you shall return.

The Bible also teaches

as our confession

summarizes that

because our souls

are immortal

in their substance,

our souls

neither die

nor sleep.

When the body dies,

a Christian soul,

according to Ecclesiastes 12.7,

immediately returns

to God

who gave it.

but the Bible

is very clear.

This is only true

for those who are

in Christ.

Well,

what about the souls

of those who are

outside of Christ?

The souls of the wicked

are cast into hell

where they remain

in torment

and utter darkness

reserved

to the judgments

of the great day.

the Bible says

that Jesus

will come

and He will judge

the living

and the dead

as the King

of all the earth

and of the spiritual realm.

Revelation 14,

10-11 says,

those in hell

will drink

the wine

of God's wrath

poured

full strength

into the cup

of His anger,

tormented

with fire

and sulfur

in the presence

of the holy angels

and in the presence

of the Lamb.

And the smoke

of their torment

goes up

forever and ever

and they have

no rest

day or night.

Amen.

After your soul

leaves your body

and your skin

is destroyed,

where will you

spend eternity?

Heaven or hell?

Besides these two places,

the scripture

acknowledges none.

There are only two responses

to the Redeemer.

this day,

you will say

one or the other.

You will say

He is no Savior

or you'll say

my Savior,

my King.

In Luke 23,

we have the scene

of what Christ

accomplished

in human history.

The Lord Jesus Christ

paying for the sin

of His people

on the cross

and on either side

of Him

a criminal.

And in God's providence,

their responses

are the call

for all who will hear

the good news

of the work

of Jesus today.

The first criminal

mocked Jesus

and he said,

aren't you the Christ?

Save yourself

and us.

And in his mocking,

what he's really saying

is you are no Savior

or else you'd get

yourself off of that cross

and me.

That's one response

that you are no Savior,

no Redeemer.

But there's good news

for criminals

like you and me

that deserve death

and that's the response

of the second man

in verse 42.

He turned to Jesus.

He turned to Jesus

and looked at Him

paying for His sin

on the cross

and said,

Lord,

remember me

when you come

into your kingdom.

And in those words,

that criminal is saying,

my Savior,

my King.

Jesus said to this man

who He redeemed,

truly I say to you,

today you will be

with me in paradise.

See, that criminal's body

died

and was buried

or disposed of.

But Jesus said to him,

today you will be

with me in paradise.

Your soul united to me.

This is called

the intermediate state.

The body has not

been resurrected

but the soul

is with God.

Your soul

with Jesus Christ

if He is your Savior

and your King today

no matter when you die.

We need to think more

about this truth,

don't we?

Well, the Christians

of another century

thought the same.

William Gurnall

said,

let our hope

of heaven

master our fear

of death.

Why should you

be afraid to die

who hope

to live by dying?

That's our hope

as Christians

at the end

of this life.

But it's not

the end of the good news.

It's not even

the greatest promise.

The greatest promise

comes in

the next couple verses.

The question for us

is this,

what is a Christian's

hope

in the life

to come?

See,

there's more glory

here.

There is a life

to come

after that

intermediate state.

Look at verse 26.

And after

my skin

is destroyed,

this I know

that in my flesh

I shall see

God.

Romans 8, 23

shed some more light

on this great truth.

we groan

within ourselves

eagerly waiting

for the adoption.

What is it?

The redemption

of our body.

Our confession

puts it this way,

summarizing the teaching

of scripture.

All the dead

shall be raised up

with the self-same

bodies

and none other

although with

different qualities

which shall be

united again

to their souls

forever.

forever.

The Bible

teaches that

our bodies

will be

resurrected

and united

to our souls

that are

with God

already.

Romans 8

Romans 8:11

verse 11

says,

God who

raised Jesus

Christ from

the dead

will also

give life

to your

mortal bodies

through his

spirit

who dwells

in you.

1 Corinthians

15, 42

so it is

with the

resurrection

of the dead.

What is

sown

is perishable

but it's

raised

imperishable.

What is

sown

in dishonor

is raised

in glory.

What is

sown

in weakness

is raised

in power.

How can

this be?

Because I

know

my Redeemer

lives

because Jesus

Christ is the

firstborn

from the

dead.

there's a

great hymn

by Charles

Wesley that

captures this

truth.

In hope

of that

immortal

crown

I now

the cross

sustain

and gladly

wander up

and down

and smile

at toil

and pain

I suffer

now

my threescore

years

till my

deliverer

come

and wipe

away his

servant's

tears

and take

his exile

home.

this is

the greatest

hope

for Christians

and it's

a hope

that we

will get

in the

life to

come

that I

shall see

God

verse 26

the church

has striven

to appreciate

this wonderful

promise

that's mystery

but it's

it's such a

great hope

for the

Christians

we need

to ponder

it deeply

in the past

it's been

called the

beatific

vision

and that

just means

the blessed

vision

or the

blessed

sight

of God

look at

verse 27

I shall

see

my

redeemer

for myself

he's saying

my eyes

not another

eyes

my eyes

shall behold

him

in 1st

John 3

John 3:2

verses 2

and 3

we read

beloved

we are

God's

heirs

now

and what

we will

be

has

not yet

appeared

but we

know

that when

he appears

we shall

be

like

him

because

we shall

see him

as he

is

what a

glorious truth

for all

eternity

a theologian

named Samuel

Parkinson

was meditating

on this great

truth

he wrote

in that

blessed

vision

our

comprehension

and vision

and delight

which are

all finite

will be

perpetually

maximized

and as our

capacity

for vision

and comprehension

expands

so will

our delight

each level

of enjoyment

of God

will be topped

by the next

and the life

to come

David

in Psalm

Psalms 17:15

17

verse 15

was captured

by this

great truth

behold

I shall

see

your face

in righteousness

oh God

when I

awake

the resurrection

I shall

be satisfied

with your

likeness

our Lord

Jesus Christ

he will

redeem

his people

in every way

every source

of groaning

will be healed

in the life

to come

relationally

Christians

will be so

at peace

with God

and with his

bride

all of his

people

with him

yet

for all

eternity

our

shalom

our relational

peace

will still

be deepened

physically

believers

bodies

will be

glorified

so that

with your

own eyes

your own

vision

you will

see God

and the

lamb

and yet

that sight

of God

and the

glorified

body

will be

perpetually

maximized

throughout

eternity

to come

spiritually

our union

to Christ

will be

immediately

unhindered

by any

remaining

corruptions

and still

with more

to come

for all

eternity

our souls

will experience

continuously

greater

wholeness

in Jesus

Christ

and with

all of

this

greater

delight

in our

communion

with the

holy

God

amen

what a

redeemer

we have

we've been

able to

meditate on

the most

glorious

truths

that God

has given

us in

his word

and I

love how

this wonderful

portion of

scripture

actually ends

with a

response

how can

we respond

to such

a promise

from our

great

God

look at

verse 27

oh how

my heart

yearns

within me

you see

the full

redemption

my heart

my inner

being now

yearns

with a new

type of

groaning

second

Corinthians

5 2

indeed

we groan

in this

tent

desiring

to put

on

our

heavenly

dwelling

the hymn

says

so let

this

feeble

body

fail

yes

let it

faint

and die

for

I

shall

drop

this

mournful

veil

and see

my

Lord

most

high

we can

say

with Job

this

I know

by faith

that in

my

flesh

one

day

in the

life

to

come

I

shall

see

God

whom

I

shall

see

for

myself

my

eyes

shall

behold

him

how

do

you

know

this

I

know

this

because

I

know

my

redeemer

lives

I

know

he's

redeemed

me

his

holy

spirit

causes

me

to

know

this

and

to

trust

him

and

he

shall

stand

at

last

on

the

earth

revelation

5

6

paints

this

for

us

near

the

throne

of

heaven

I

saw

the

lamb

standing

as

though

it

had

been

slain

and

every

creature

which

is

in

heaven

and

on

earth

and

under

the

earth

and

all

such

as

are

in

the

sea

and

all

that

are

in

them

I

heard

them

saying

blessing

and

honor

and

glory

and

power

be

to

him

who

sits

on

the

throne

and

to

the

lamb

forever

and

ever

don't

miss

out

dear

friends

run

to

Jesus

Christ

your

redeemer

let

your soul

groan

today

but

with

this

groan

of

2

Corinthians

5

2

because

God

has

stirred

your

soul

so

earnestly

to

desire

to be

clothed

in

your

new

body

and

well

suited

for

the

new

heavens

and

the

new

earth

so

that

with

your

own

eyes

in

that

resurrection

body

you

will

get

to

see

at

last

your

God

and

your

lamb

our

great

and

only

hope

and

so

as

1

Thessalonians

4

17

reassures

us

we

will

be

with

the

Lord

forever

oh

may your

soul

so grown

within

you

today

may your

heart

yearn

for this

sight of

God

let's

respond to

him in

prayer