Unlocking The Mystery

Introduction

And may his grace reach all of us. That our sins, though they were scarlet, may be washed white as snow. And that’s what my lesson is about, really, today. It has been my privilege to worship with you and to bring our thoughts of devotion to the throne of God. And it will be my privilege to talk to you for a few moments this morning about the story of redemption. Our appreciation of this story, our understanding of it, our affection toward it, will be critical to our spiritual success and growth. As we looked last week in the lessons entitled, Is the Lord Among Us or Not, we look carefully at 2 Peter chapter 1 and the qualities for which, unto which Christians are to strive. Things that they are to add to their faith.

And in verse 9 of that text in 2 Peter chapter 1, it says, He who lacks these qualities is blind and short-sighted. Oh, how common the malady of short-sightedness. For he who lacks these qualities is blind and short-sighted, having forgotten the purification of his former sins, the purification that we’ve just sung about, when indeed his grace does reach us, that when we fail to appreciate the story of redemption, that’s when we leave off in the pursuit of things that ought to encompass our lives, that ought to be the priority of our days. So I want to speak with you for a few minutes about the story of redemption. Now we’re using a word that is not just used religiously, but it’s an important word to understand the word redemption.

Redemption speaks of the reclaiming of something or the repossessing of something that was lost. Something valuable, usually through a purchase. And of course, we’ve been purchased by Jesus’ blood. And that’s how our redemption comes about. When we talk about redemption, even in sports vernacular, about a person who makes a really silly mistake, and he seeks redemption by making a great play that turns the fortunes of his team around. And the idea is that you go from something to something else. You are at this place, a place that is undesirable, that you don’t want to be, and you come to a better place, and that’s the story of your redemption and mine. And yet the appreciation of the story of redemption represents a ginormous hurdle and challenge.

I like the word ginormous. For our military guys, that is actually military slaying from the 1940s. You weren’t around then, were you?

It is a combination, of course, of the words gigantic and enormous. And some people are simply overwhelmed by the magnitude of this story in its sheer size. But what is it all about? This story of redemption. And I had to mention these verses in passing. When it speaks of those who have been redeemed, he says, you are a chosen race. A royal priesthood. A people for God’s own possession. You see, that’s the possession that’s been reclaimed. That you may proclaim the excellencies of him, as we’ve done this morning. Proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness. That’s where we were. That’s what we that’s the place we did occupy. But we were called out of darkness and into his marvelous light, for you were once not a people.

But now you are the people of God. And incumbent upon such people. I urge you, therefore, as aliens and strangers. Not too comfortable in this world, Peter says. Not too attached here. I urge you as aliens, strangers, pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust which wage war against the soul. God wants to reclaim the soul. He wants his people to belong to him and to demonstrate that in their lives. But our appreciation of this story is tantamount. It is critical to our success. But again, the ginormous challenge. The sheer volume of the material. It’s frightening. The average Bible may have around 1,200 pages. That depends upon how big your print is. Those of us that are getting older might need a little bit larger print. We might have more pages than that.

Smaller print Bibles may have less, but 1,200 pages, but getting more to the specifics, there are those 66 books of the Bible. 39 Old Testament books, 27 New Testament books. That’s a lot. It’s hard to even memorize the books of the Bible. And may I suggest you need to do that? And it’s wonderful that we teach our kids those songs to sing the books of the Bible because you need to become familiar with this story. And that’s where it starts. You’ve got to be able to access the information. So look, if you’re six years old or 66, if you haven’t learned the Psalms, you’ve got to learn the Psalms. So you’ll at least know the divisions of this book. Oh, but we can break it down even further into chapters.

1,189, and it gets worse. 31,000 plus verses and 700,000. Nearly 775,000 words. And we’re going, that’s so much. I’m getting about a half percent of that. Is there a Cliff’s Notes version that I can read? It is Cliff’s notes, by the way. Not cliff notes. Is there some condensed version of this story? Well, that’s what this sermon’s about. I’m going to give you as much as I can the Cliff’s Notes version of the Bible story. I want to help you to unlock the mystery. I want to give to you things that were given to me when I was a freshman at Florida College, 18 years old, sitting at the feet of one of the most respected teachers I’ve ever sat at the feet of. Phil Roberts.

And he was reeling off in Freshman Bible, the five key passages of the Old Testament. I’ll tell you how important this was. If you didn’t get those five key passages, you would fail his class. You needed to know these five key passages. And I’ve talked about these passages to you, the Bible students at Decker Prairie in studies in times past, but I mentioned them very recently, and someone who’s not been here the whole time says, I really didn’t know all of those verses. And so I thought, now that represents a good many of you that haven’t been here the whole time, that haven’t heard me talk about the five key passages of the Old Testament. And since that time, I’ve even added one more, I hope Phil’s okay with that.

I can’t, since he’s passed on to his reward, I can’t check this out with him. He might say, Tony, you’re wrong about that. But I got the six, and then when I got to six, I said, you know, I sort of got to get to seven because that’s the symbolic number in the book of Revelation. So, but Jared, I think, threw a monkey writch into that by the Zachariah 12 and 13 at the Lord’s Supper. I’m trying to find a way to fit that in. And Christina wants me to throw in Enoch who walked with God and was not and was translated so that he would not see death. Well, that’s an interesting story. It’s certainly worthy of discussion, but it doesn’t make the list this morning, Christine.

I’m very sorry. So I’m going to give to you seven passages of the Old Testament that somewhat summarize what the Bible story is all about and where it’s going. And we’re going to do something with those seven passages and then draw it to conclusion quickly. I hope you have your writing utensils sharpened and ready. Because you’re going to have to come back to this later. Because I’m going to go through this pretty quickly this morning. Number one.

1. Enmity, Blessing and the Schoolmaster

We do know that one, right? Genesis, that’s where it says in the beginning, God created the heavens of the earth and the earth in the first verse. Genesis 3, we get into this pretty quickly. Sin enters the world. That’s the whole story with Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil that God said, You shall not eat the day that you eat thereof. You shall surely die. And there was the serpent involved in this story. And as the Lord is pronouncing the results of the tragic entrance of sin into his world. He says to the serpent, Because you have done this in verse 14, cursed are you more than all cattle. And then in verse 15, he says this.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman. Estrangement, conflict, hostility. I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. And may I suggest to you that Genesis 3 15 is really telling you what’s going on in the rest of the Bible? This conflict between good and evil, the forces of Satan against the forces of righteousness, this conflict that results, this enmity, this tug of war, if you will. But ultimately, righteousness wins. As Jesus deals the death blow, he shall bruise you on the head while you nip at him at his heels. Yes, Satan will inflict a blow. Jesus will die upon the cross, but Jesus will reign victorious.

That’s all predicted right here in Genesis 3 and verse 15. And the rest of the Bible story further unlocks this mystery. We quickly move down in history to the story of Abraham, his faithful one, to whom he made the promise as he challenged him to leave his kindred and his relatives and to go out to the land that God would show him. And he promised him this land. Ultimately, it would be given to his descendants, and that happened in the nation of Israel. That he would be a mighty nation. His descendants would represent a mighty nation of people, and they were. And then this in Genesis chapter 12. Through your seed, and this, of course, was before Abraham even had a child, which is a part of the story in the book of Genesis.

Through your seed shall all the descendants of the earth be blessed. And I want you to focus on that word. Because the Bible is a story about blessedness. And you need that. Whether you think you do or not. And you want it, whether you think you do or not. Blessed. It is what the Bible story is all about. Are you existing in the state of blessed? We’ll have more on that in just a moment. So that we come to this mighty nation.

And what I’m going to term the schoolmaster or the tutor from Galatians chapter 3 and verse 24, as Paul is describing the role that the old covenant, the law of Moses, plays in our understanding of God’s mystery. It is a schoolmaster, it’s a teacher, it’s a tutor, but ultimately it is foreshadowing everything that is in Christ. It had a temporary purpose for the nation of Israel. Now you might notice I put Exodus 24. So I said, Well, I thought the Ten Commandments are in Exodus 20. Well, that’s right. And that was certainly a summary of what the law was about. But in Exodus 24, we have, and this is what I learned from Phil, we have the actual ratification of the covenant. Where they have a covenant meal and they come into covenant with God, and this wonderful statement is made in Exodus 24 and verse 10.

I love this. And they saw the God of Israel. That is just a tremendous phrase. And under his feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire as clear as the sky itself. They beheld God in his majesty, a visible representation of the glory of God. Yet he did not stretch out his hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel as you might expect. This terrifying image, scary, frightening, awesome, and powerful. But he didn’t hurt us. He did not stretch out his hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel, and they beheld God. And they ate and drank. And again, the idea is there. Oh, well, let’s eat meal. Let’s have a meal. Let’s eat supper. We’ve seen God. No, that’s not what that’s about.

2. An Everlasting Throne, a New Covenant, an Enduring Kingdom

That’s about this covenant meal that represented them coming into relationship with this God that they saw. And thus the law of Moses was born. But it was just a schoolmaster. Further glimpses into God’s purpose. Key passage number four to unlock the mystery. 2 Samuel 7. Much later in the nation’s history. David, the great king, wants to build a house for God, and God does not allow him to do so. He says, Your son will build it. But in the promise, but as the result of that is a promise to David himself about his house. In 2 Samuel 7, verses 12 and 13, when your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom, and he shall build a house for my name.

That’s Solomon. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. But not only is it Solomon, it is Jesus. An ultimate descendant of David who would set upon the throne of David perpetually. And this really is referenced in Acts the second chapter, more on that next week. And so there’s the promise of an everlasting throne. That’s what the Bible story is about. And a new covenant. Again, the old covenant was a schoolmaster. A new covenant is going to follow, where God would write his laws upon their hearts and upon their minds. Jeremiah 31 through 34. It is quoted in Hebrews chapter 8 in its entirety as the new covenant is described. And that new covenant exists in force to this time. It is the New Testament that we read.

And then the promises we’ve been talking about on Wednesday nights of the enduring kingdom. Daniel chapter 2, verses 44 and 45. Then in the days of those Roman kings that we discussed on Wednesday night, God was going to establish his kingdom that would crush the others, and it would be an everlasting kingdom. And that’s again pointing us to Acts the second chapter, when God would establish his church, and it would ongoing throughout history, there would be these people that belong to him that we read about, those people that were redeemed. In 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 9 through 11. Now that used to represent my list of six passages that really tell us what’s going on in the Bible story. But as I thought about this, and I needed to get to seven.

3. What These Texts Mean to the Redeemed

And this portrait of his suffering and the why of his suffering, this dramatic specific prophecy. And again, I’d like to fit in Zechariah 12 and 13 somehow, but that’s two different chapters. It really doesn’t work. But all of these passages represent what’s going on in the Bible story. Now, what does that mean to us? Let me tell you how significant these texts are in terms of what they mean to those of us who are redeemed. Sin. It’s the huge problem that we read about throughout the Bible story and how sin affects people’s lives. I know of a good friend right now whose life has been tragically turned upside down because of a decision. To go out and drink.

Will be the ruination of our lives. It can be the ruination of our lives now. But it certainly will be if we persist in it in eternity. And the great thing about the Bible story is that sin that has alienated us from God has been removed by a tremendous and great sacrifice that God took thousands of years to prepare. The blood of bulls and goats could not fix the problem of sin. And so Jesus dies on our behalf, the perfect Lamb. And as a result, and this is what the New Testament is emphasizing to us, the likes of you and me sinners can come into the presence of a holy God. And that’s awesome. And we need to appreciate that and not take it for granted.

Not only when we assemble and come into the presence of God together, but in the privacy of our homes, when we’re able to access the throne of God and bring our petitions before our Creator and to appeal to our Savior for help and guidance. What an awesome privilege. We have been granted. Though we are unworthy. And beyond that. We have been shown the way to blessedness. I’ll tell you, when you see that promise in Genesis chapter 12, and you see, through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. You must see the connection with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus kept saying over and over again, blessed is, blessed is. Jesus is telling us how to contact the marvelous provisions of that promise.

What it means to be blessed. And yes, it’s going to have to do with the new covenant that’s about to be ushered in on the day of Pentecost and making sure that we’re in that relationship with the Lord. But then it’s going to eventuate in my pursuit of these qualities. And if I do that, then my life is blessed. And it’s not circumstance dependent. It’s not dependent upon everything in my life going exactly like I would want it to, and everything being peaceful, cozy, comfortable, and feeling good. That’s not what it’s about. In fact, blessed are they that mourn, he says in this context in Matthew chapter 5. There may be some difficult, painful things to be endured, along with persecution, as he says toward the end of the list.

4. A Better Covenant and a High Priest

But it’s about hungering and thirsting for that which really matters righteousness, doing right before God. It’s about being pure in heart, being single-minded in our devotion to God and removing everything that is impure by God’s account. And this blessed life is really what the whole New Testament is describing for us. Oh, we have a better covenant. And that’s the point of the Hebrew writer as he talks about this schoolmaster. The Hebrew writer is saying, what we have is far better than that. And I’ve said many times, aren’t you glad you don’t have to go to Jerusalem and offer sacrifices? That Jesus provided a one-time sacrifice. I’ve never had to slaughter an animal because of my faith. It’s a better covenant and acted upon better promises. And what’s the point about Jesus being on his throne?

The fact is that the Christian has help and assistance at a moment’s notice. We have relationship with a high priest. Whoever lives to make intercession to the Father on our behalf. He is able to save forever those who draw near to him. He’s always there. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we can appeal to him at any time and in any circumstance and know that we have his compassion, his mercy, his help in a time of need. That’s what it means that Jesus is sitting on David’s throne. Everlasting king and priest who comes to the aid of his people. And again, that’s what the Hebrew writer is telling us. What is this new covenant all about? Really linking us back to the Beatitudes. It’s about changing who we are from the inside out.

It is affecting the inner man. We are renewed in the spirit of our minds, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4. It’s about a changing of the way we look at things. The way we see ourselves.

5. An Enduring Kingdom and the Way of the Cross

And so it’s this ongoing mind renewal. And it’s not just something we do when we become a Christian. It is an ongoing pursuit as we saw last week in our lives. I’ll tell you something else. And I like this Daniel 2 prophecy in this regard. It will crush and put an end to these other kingdoms. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Roman Empire isn’t around. As powerful and ferocious as it was, it’s bye-bye for a long time. Kingdoms of this world come and go, but Jesus’ kingdom’s still here. And hopefully we’re reflective of that kingdom. By having hearts and lives that are submitted to him. And I’ll tell you what’s great about knowing this is an enduring kingdom that man cannot kill. And that’s what the book of Revelation is all about.

Man couldn’t kill it. Man tried to stamp it out. That ferocious beast. In fact, several of them in the book of Revelation are trying to stamp out the name of Jesus from the world. And the more they did that, the more it thrived. And it’s this beautiful, glorious city that’s described in Revelation 21. With walls impenetrable. Man can’t get this thing.

Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Not even death. Not life. Not the most powerful things that we know. This is an enduring kingdom. And what that means is that we can have confidence and don’t take that for granted. We’re a part of something that can’t be vanquished by any power in this world. Because our Savior is most powerful of all. He has a name that is above all names. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 9. And so that gives us confidence as his people. And what about his suffering? Well, that explains our purpose. The way of the cross leads home. We ever sung that. What does that mean? It’s not just Jesus’ cross, it’s the crosses that we bear.

We bear our cross for Him. We sacrifice of ourselves to promote His cause and will in this world. It’s our purpose. It’s our marching orders. This portrait of Jesus on the cross is not just to be admired and appreciated. It is an example for us to follow and imitate in our lives. It’s my purpose. It’s what I’m here to do. And so when I look at these seven key passages of the Old Testament and what they mean, folks, there’s the clip notes of the Bible story. Digest, appreciate it. And it’s just the beginning. Because the more you digest all of the pieces in between, the more you marvel at our master desire. And God, our great redeemer.

6. How Do I Enter This Glorious Kingdom?

Now, how does all of this bear out in our response? Listen. And this causes me to appreciate even more what Paul said to the church at Corinth when he said, I want to tell you who we are. In contrast to the nation of Israel, we are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. He said, Do you realize what you’re a part of? Of all the men that have ever lived on this planet, great and small, those who thought they were pretty great. You are those people, the covenant people of God in the first century probably ignored in their hometown, or at least people wish they would go away. You are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. That’s who we are.

We’re just this little band of disciples in Decker Prairie. People in Tombaugh may not even regard us as that insignificant or important, but that doesn’t matter because it’s heaven’s accounting that matters, and we are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. How? Well, let me say first, while before I talk about how. That we’re involved in all of this.

Phenomenon. How do I enter this glorious kingdom? And I want to take you in conclusion this morning to Colossians chapter 2. Very clearly. It outlines how we can be involved in this great plan that God had. But I want you to see the context of these statements first. In Colossians chapter 1 and verse 12, as those who are the saints in light, the holy people of God, he says, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, for he delivered us from the domain of darkness. Again, this is the Bible story. He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us, redemption. Transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption.

The forgiveness of sins. Next chapter.

Be careful that no one deludes you. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received, as you have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. Okay, so see what we’ve already seen here about our redemption, about how we’ve been admonished to walk. And now come to Colossians 2 as it is explained and read with me. Based on all that Christ is, as it speaks of him in verse 9, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form in him.

And it says in verse 10, in him you have been made complete. Without him, there is no completeness. He who is the head over all rule and authority. And then when you come to verse 12, it explains how we come into him. It says, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. And you were dead. Before your burial with him in baptism, you were dead in your transgressions and your sins. The uncircumcision of your flesh, but he made you alive together with him.

Having forgiven us all our transgressions. Remember that in chapter 1?

Having canceled out the certificate of debt. Consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us, and that’s that former covenant, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. A covenant by which no one could be made perfect. The fact that all has concluded men are under sin. Jesus made it possible for that sin to be removed, so the certificate of death is nailed to the cross. Therefore, we can have all of these provisions, these long promised provisions of the new covenant. I’ll tell you, folks, this is as real as it gets. This is real stuff. This is trustworthy information from our God. From our Creator, as to how we truly live life successfully. And come into the blessings of a covenant relationship with Him.

Conclusion

Now that’s the short version. There is much more to digest and appreciate. But is there someone in this audience this morning who has not accessed what this whole story is really all about? Have you been buried with him in baptism and raised up with him? Because of your confidence, and this is really what I love so much about baptism. When somebody submits to the instruction of baptism, they have every confidence that when they’re and there’s water back here in case you don’t know what I’m pointing at. As you’re immersed in water, you have every confidence that the blood of Jesus Christ, the precious blood of the Lamb, is going to cleanse you from your sins. And that by the power and working of God, just like he caused Jesus to rise from the dead, he’s going to raise you.

Cleansed, new, and whole to be one of the redeemed. That’s the story of redemption. And what a glorious thing it would be to the praise and glory of God if someone in this audience responded in this way today. To fulfill what this story is all about, what it means in your life. We stand and sing to encourage your response.