Where Are They Now?

Introduction

I’m not sure I know what it’s like to preach here. It’s been so long, the longest break in the last four years since I first came to be with you. I’ve not been in the pulpit for I guess it’s about three or four weeks now. And so it’s good to be back. Have you seen any of the Where Are You Now segments that are often run in regard to people who used to be in the limelight, perhaps politicians or athletes, or actors and actresses, and what’s going on now is sort of interesting to keep up with folks to see what has transpired in their lives. One of my boyhood heroes has been in the news lately. When I played Little League Baseball in Southern Indiana, my hero was Pete Rose.

I wore number 14 on my jersey because I wanted to be like Pete. Now, Pete’s had a gambling problem. And that caused him to get a lifetime ban from baseball. But of course, he’s been in the news because of all that’s going on with Alex Rodriguez and this guy named Braun who plays for the Brewers, Mike. And this performance-enhancing drug scandal that’s taken place, and so Pete’s had to weigh in on all of that. And it’s hard for me to believe that my boyhood hero is 70 years old.

You ever watch The Sound of Music? Julie Andrews, the classic movie. Sixteen going on, seventeen, is it? Liesel, the oldest girl of the Von Trapp family. Sharmian Carr. She’s 70 years old. Isn’t that hard to believe? Ever watch Happy Days? Hansarelli. Henry Winkler. 68 years old. Potsy. Anson Williams, 64. Ron Howard, he’s the youthful one in the group. He’s only 59. Of course, we remember him all the way back as Opie. Right? Where are they now? You know, usually when a segment like that runs, one thing that we’re impressed with more than anything else, the accomplishments and achievements since they were in the limelight, is how old they’ve got. How many great hairs or no hairs at all? And I’ll tell you what that testifies to be hurled through life.

As is said in the book of Job, our days are swifter than weavers. Oh. And I don’t know how fast I, but I think that thing went pretty fast. Our life is like a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away. And that’s a testimony to the fact that history is rapidly moving toward a goal. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the things done in our body, whether those things be good or bad. But this morning I don’t want to simply talk about those of our present time and those that we’ve seen age before our very eyes as we are aging. But I want to look at some biblical characters in this idea of where are they now.

1. The Righteous Can Live in Less Than Desirable Circumstances

The righteous can sometimes live in less than desirable circumstances. Earthly fortunes can turn sour in a moment. And of course, the fitting and most probably the first illustration that comes to your mind is the sufferings of Job. And certainly so. But I want you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11, verses 34 and following, as we come to the conclusion of the great hall of faith, and all of these men and women of faith who are examples for us, this great cloud of witnesses. And they did some heroic things. They conquered kingdoms and they performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, most definitely it seems a reference to Daniel. And quenched the power of fire, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And they escaped the edge of the sword.

But I want you to notice in verse 34 it says, from weakness.

Yes, also chains and imprisonment. Let’s not overglorify too much the circumstances of these men and women of faith. In fact, some of them experienced circumstances. I wouldn’t want to trade places with them. Mockings and scourgings and imprisonments. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were tempted. They were put to death with the sword. Oh, and if that’s not bad enough, they went about in sheepskins, in goat skins, being destitute, afflicted. Ill-treated. It’s hard to identify with some of that. Men of whom the world, I love, always loved this expression in verse 38. Men of whom the world was not worthy. Wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. When I went into a cave, it was merely for a two-hour tour to be fascinated and to have fun.

2. Moses and Elijah: Everything Wasn't Glorious

But here are individuals who had to survive living out difficult circumstances in caves, in holes in the ground, wandering in deserts. The people of God, the righteous. These kinds of moments, these depths of despair. Yes. And there are so many illustrations from the Old Testament. We could talk about. I want to talk about two in particular. Two great heroes of faith in the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah. There were some glorious moments in the lives of each. As Moses stands before Pharaoh, and plague after plague comes upon the Egyptians, and finally he leaves out this massive number of God’s people headed toward the promised land. There was a glorious moment, but everything wasn’t glorious for Moses. There was the time that he was 40 years old, but Stephen tells us about I love Acts chapter 7 because in Stephen’s sermon we’re given insight and information not found in the Old Testament about the incident.

He supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting deliverance through him at the age of 40 when he struck the Egyptian and killed him. And then the two Israelites are fighting and saying, You’re going to kill one of us. And now the Egyptians are pursuing Moses to kill him. Because he’s killed an Egyptian. And he flees. And one of my favorite sermons that I recall that a brother preached, Rodney Miller, preached on the story of Moses from Exodus chapter 2 and verse 15, where it says he sat down by a well in Midian. What a moment of despair that was. Dejection. Rejection. And it would not be for another 30 years until he had lived in Midian for that long that God finally comes to Moses and says, now it’s time.

But I’ll tell you even when that happens, troubles were not over for God’s leader, Moses. Everything wasn’t as glorious as that time on Mount Sinai when he received the law. There’s sin in the camp. There’s the breaking of the tablets of stone. There’s the constant complaining and murmuring of the people, the rejection of his leadership. Well, Elijah. Well, he did have the glorious moment of his victory against the 450 prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18. But that didn’t last very long. Because when wicked Jezebel got wind of it, she put all of the resources and power she had into finding Elijah because she wanted to kill him. And so off he goes to a cave. And in the cave of his despair, I am on him left, he says in 1 Kings chapter 19 and verse 10, and despairs of his life.

3. Where Are They Now? They Are in Glory

And yet God comforts him and says, I have 7,000 who have not yet bowed the knee to Baal. And rescues Elijah from this discouragement. Well, Job, Moses, and Elijah, these individuals of faith that we read about in Hebrews chapter 11, my question is, where are they now? Where are these individuals who wandered in deserts and lived in caves and were in holes in the ground? Where is Job? Where is Moses? Where is Elijah? Well, in regard to the last two, we have a glimpse and an answer to that question in a wonderful incident that happens in the ministry of Jesus in Luke chapter 9. When Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, as they had gone into the mountain to pray. And while Jesus was praying in Luke chapter 9 and verse 29, the appearance of his face became different, and his clothing became white and gleamy.

And behold, two men were talking with him. And they were Moses and Elijah, who appearing in glory, were speaking of Jesus’ departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. And Peter and his companions, if you’ll recall, were overcome with sleep. But when they were fully awake, now they’ve been awakened from sleep, so they saw the glory, and the two men standing with him, and then Peter said, It’s good for us to be here. Let’s build a tabernacle for each one. The transfiguration scene suggests that less than favorable circumstances for Moses and Elijah have now eventuated in glory.

James, the apostle in Acts chapter 12, you talk about an unenviable end. I don’t think there’d be any of us signing up for this. This is the way I want to exit. Like James did in Acts chapter 12, when he was put to death by the sword of Herod.

But where is James now? Peter. Jesus signified the death that he would die in John chapter 21, and by all accounts an upside down crucifixion. But where is he now? And even John, the apostle, it seems the only one who lived into old age and of course wrote the book of Revelation. But he ultimately died. And where is he now? As I would speak to all of these individuals of Scripture that used to be on this canvas of the earth. I would love to interview them. I get nervous when those people on sports broadcasts do the interviews. It’s like, I get nervous for them. These questions that they ask. Oh, that’s a terrible question. I wish you’d ask a different question. Ask a better question. It seems like sometimes we’re always searching for the right question to ask.

If I could be that sports interviewer, but do it in regards to these biblical characters, I would like to ask them this. Was it worth it? All the pain that you had to endure, the suffering, the wandering about in deserts and caves and holes in the ground, the times that were less than ideal in your life. Was it all worth it to stick it out in faith? I think we all know what the answer would be. You can’t box that interview. Because where are they now? They are in glory. The glory is worth the difficulty. And we should learn from these examples. Do not cling to comfort here at all costs. Arrange your heart and your deeds for the ultimate comfort that is coming. And so I think we need to talk about the central figure of the Luke 9 story, the transfiguration, Jesus himself.

4. Jesus Left Glory, But Where Is He Now?

And the discomforts that he experienced as he descended from heaven and took upon himself the form of a servant that Paul is bringing out in Philippians chapter 2 and verses 5 for us. That we need to have that mind that he had. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. He makes this ultimate descent as we sing from ivory palaces. And into a world of woe. Here is God as he prays in John 17 that he would soon know the glory that he had with the Father before the world was, that he left glory. I don’t know that even our song, Ivory Palaces really does it justice. He leaves glory and comes to earth and lives in that despised little town of Nazareth.

Thirty years before his public ministry begins. Oh, but that’s that’s not the whole story. As Sean read at the Lord’s Supper this morning. The awful crucifixion. It made me shudder when Sean read the part about him being struck. I mean, by the people that had given him life and breath. He’s resiving a beating. So they their lives, he’s responsible for their very lives. And they’re beating him. They’re taking nails and pounding into his flesh as they pin him upon the cross. And preceding that, just the anticipation of what’s going to happen at Calvary in Gethsemane. He prays, let this cup cast for me, and the great drops of sweat and blood fall from him. Look at the pain that he endures. It seems as if the gospel account of John is summarizing this before he ever talks about the crucifixion in the latter stages of the story.

When it speaks of Jesus who was God, who was the Word of God, and Him is life, and his life is the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. He was in the world, verse 10, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. And then verse 11. He came to his own. And those who were his own received him not. Talking about a tragic statement. God in human flesh, the word of God comes and is made flesh, and tabernacles among us, as we see in Josh and John chapter 1 and verse 14. He came to his own, and his own received him not. He is accused of being a blasphemer, a wine bibber.

And even his own disciples would flee when Judas betrays him. But where is he now?

The joy that he had with the Father before the world was. In John 17. But now he has a name that is above every name. And that at his name every knee should bow and tongues should confess that he is Lord.

He is the radiance of his glory.

5. We Are Citizens of Another Place

Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 4. You see, the problem with us is that we sometimes don’t survive the difficulties. How many passages in the New Testament address the difficulties that believers endure and the struggle to persevere? Almost every book in the New Testament deals with that in some respect. Why is that? Because first century believers struggled with the same thing. And 21st century believers will too. Because lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 12, but he that endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24 and verse 13. We get discouraged. These people experience discouragement. You know, times during Jesus’ ministry, it says he was grieved in his heart at their unbelief. He had to chide his disciples because their understanding at times was so shallow.

He got discouraged. He understands discouragement.

Sometimes circumstances in our lives are less than we would want them to be.

And we get discouraged. In those times we need to recall something. That we are citizens of another place. That glory is awaiting us. And Philippians 3 mean more to me, these passages than ever. As Paul encourages the church at Philippi to follow his example. He says, follow the pattern that you have in us. And then in verse 18 he says, For many walk, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. And I think that’s the temptation for all of us. Those who have once set their affections on heavenly things have now become allured again by the world.

And we can find ourselves to be enemies of the cross of Christ yet again. He says, Many walk like this. And he’s telling the church at Philip, don’t succumb to this in your difficulty and trouble. Those who set their minds on earthly things, whose glory is in their shame, whose God is their own appetite. I want to do it, so I’m going to do it.

He says, that’s not who we are. He says, our citizenship is in heaven. From which we eagerly wait. And that’s the hard part. Moses and Elijah had to do that. Job had to do that. They had to wait. We eagerly wait for a Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of the power that he has, even to subject all things to himself. We have a heavenly citizenship.

6. Persevere unto Glory

Are we going to persevere unto glory? One of the problems I think we have in this time is that we have it pretty good here. I said, we have a hard time really identifying with wanderings and deserts. Have you wandered in a desert lately? Was that last week? You slept in a cave, really. Didn’t you? A hole in the ground? Look, I don’t even go camping. I want no part of sleeping, even on level ground. I like my bed. I like my room regulated to 68 degrees at night when I sleep. Got to worry about the electric bill, but I want to tell you, I like it comfortable when I sleep.

Well, I know this isn’t the prettiest place in the world. And sometimes we have to go other places to see prettier things than tomb. Or magnolia. Magnolia is getting a little more pretty as you head north. But we have it pretty good here. And yet sometimes we moan and complain about our circumstances. If we’re going to make it to glory, as those other examples of faith did, we’re going to have to learn. As Paul said, whether I abound in things or have meager things, he says, I have learned to be content. The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything that comes their way. And we need to quit living for the things that do not last.

Don’t get focused too much and too long on the comforts of the world around us. Because they will never be all that we dreamed they could be. And we will forget to appreciate what we already have. We get discouraged. You’ve been discouraged lately. Maybe you’re discouraged now. Is there something about your circumstances now that cause you to be discouraged? How can we change that?

Well, I talked about how to be encouraged. We ought to pay attention to the three things he said. Number one, he said, you need to worship. Get the focus off of yourself. Encourage someone else. Again, get the focus off of yourself and count your blessings. What do we have to be thankful for? Well, I can think a lot of things. The fact that we’re associated with the Lord’s people is one reason. That we live amongst talented servants who can teach and instruct and encourage us. Just look at this comfortable facility, again, regulated by very good temperature, 72 degrees. Look at our material prosperity that most of us enjoy. Healthy children. And what if your children are faithful to the Lord? Listen, that’s a blessing. Beyond all of that.

How valuable is it to know the truth that saves your soul when so many don’t possess that truth and the hope of eternal life? If we find ourselves so discouraged that we want to give up on our faith, we’re not thinking about and focusing on the right things and not doing what that song said. Give thanks that we sang. Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done. I read another piece from a fellow. He talked about four things that guarantee success. And I want to share those things with you because I believe they have spiritual parallels for the four points that I’m now making. A guy named Richard Fairbanks said, there are four things that guarantee success.

And the first thing that he said was, you need to put a smile on your face. And I think that equates to this idea of learning to be content. Number two. We need to learn to be content, and we need to expect the fact that some difficulty is going to come our way, as we saw in our study of Zachariah this morning, and then turning over to 1 Peter. You know what else he said? He said, You need to put a song in your voice. Job, in the midst of his suffering in chapter 35 and verse 10 says, Where is my Maker? He gives me songs in the night. I think of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16. What are they doing? Singing hymns to God.

We need to keep glory in view. The third thing that he said was, you need to put a sparkle in your eye. And finally, we need to stay busy in the Lord’s cause. And the fourth thing that he said was, you need to put a bounce in your step. We can make it to glory if we will do these things. We can be like these examples that we’ve read about in Scripture. I’m going to say more in a sermon, I think, in the next several weeks, maybe a month or two. I want to talk about being a pillar. The Bible talks about pillars. We need to try to be one of those. You know that passage in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15 says that the church is the pillar and support of truth.

Conclusion

You know, our journey as Christians really is from pillar to pillar. As we’ll see again tonight as we look at Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12, the promise that Jesus says, I will make you a pillar in the house of my God. Our journey is from pillar to pillar. And we must persevere in the course. Because where are you now? Where are they now? One day very soon that question will be asked about you and me. As our time here on this earth will not be very long. This is really just the introduction of a lesson that I’m going to preach tonight, actually, from the book of Acts. So I hope you’ll come back tonight at 5 o’clock. How has the story of Jesus affected you?

Can you say, though I am weak, I am strong. Though I am poor, I am rich because of what the Lord has done for me. You can only have that confidence and assurance if you submitted your life to the King. If you’ve forsaken this world’s pleasures and the authors of Satan to turn from vain things to serve a living and true God and the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Have you put him on in baptism? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord. That’s what Saul of Tarsus was instructed to do. That’s what he instructs us to do. The way afterwards will not always be smooth and easy. But it’s the best life to live. It’s the life of hope.

It’s the life of knowledge. It’s the life of interaction with God’s people and encouragement from them. Where are they now? That’s a question that’s going to be asked of you one day. And will the answer be? He or she went on to glory. Because they aligned themselves with the risen King Jesus Christ. Stay the Course, brothers and sisters. Don’t falter in the good fight of faith. Be strong. And we shall have heaven. And that’s where our citizenship is. If you need to respond to the invitation of Jesus Christ, while there’s time and opportunity, come now as we stand and sin.