The Second Coming and Humility

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,

Mark 13 · chapter mention

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,

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.

Mark 13:28

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

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

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