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Well today's text is quite strange when you
first hear it.
Just these three little sentences that we have
here, three little verses which seem to say
strange things in a strange way.
And yet it really is the standard teaching
of the Bible and it's only strange because
of our lack of Christian understanding.
And furthermore, it's very important in the far
-reaching implications that it has for a Christian
understanding of the world.
They're three of the most important little verses,
although I suspect there's not many people who
have got them as a memory verse.
They're not particularly emotional verses, they're not kind
of devotional verses, but they actually are intellectually,
theologically, very important verses.
Thank you, Peter.
So what I'm going to do today is
to start straight into them, unravelling the strange
sounding text that they are, then try and
place it in the context of 1 Peter,
so as to make sure that we've unravelled
it correctly, because it's important to keep reading
whatever text you read in context.
Then compare it to the Bible generally, partly
as another check on interpretation to make sure
that we've got it right, partly to be
confident that we can draw wider implications than
just from 1 Peter, because I'm wanting to
suggest this actually is not just the 1
Peter view of how to deal with the
kinds of issues 1 Peter is raising, but
this has wider implications for a Christian understanding
of the life, the world, the universe, and
everything as well.
So before we make the implications, which you
see on the right hand side, where we're
going to do a great dash through eight
of them at the end, we need to
compare it with the Bible as a whole.
If I get through this study this lunchtime,
it will be an extraordinary exhibition.
You're going to have to work fairly hard
and we're away.
You ready?
First thing to notice about the text is
the number of subjects, not, I don't mean
by subjects is not topics, but people, but
I can't say the number of people, because
some of them are angels and some of
them are spirits, the spirits, so the number
of subjects.
If we just look at the number of
subjects there, you'll start the unravelling process.
Firstly, they're spoken of prophets, prophets who spoke
of the grace to come, prophets who searched
and inquired and to try to find out
what time it was and what and how
it was to happen, prophets who had the
spirit within them predicting the sufferings and glories
of Christ that were to come, prophets who
learned that they were serving not themselves but
serving us.
The second person or persons is the Spirit.
The Spirit here is called the Spirit of
Christ.
Notice this Spirit of Christ is pre-Jesus.
The Spirit of Christ is a lot of
the little testimony to the fact that Jesus
is, that the Son, God the Son is
pre-existent, that God became man because the
Spirit of Christ existed before Jesus was born
and the Spirit of Christ is at work
in the prophets predicting the coming of the
Christ.
The Spirit of Christ is the same as
the Spirit of God.
In Romans chapter 8 verse 9 you'll find
them used interchangeably and synonymously.
The Spirit of Christ, just another way of
speaking of the Holy Spirit or the Spirit
of God, and he is at work in
prophets predicting Christ's glories after his sufferings and
possibly revealing their role.
Verse 12, it was revealed to them that
they were not serving.
The passive is a very frequent Jewish way
of talking about the work of God.
So possibly the Spirit is revealing their role
as well.
For the Spirit's not only in the prophets,
you'll notice the Spirit is also in the
evangelist in verse 12.
For the gospel is preached through those who
preach the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit but it is the Holy Spirit who
preaches the gospel.
The evangelists are but the the means by
which the Holy Spirit preaches the gospel and
this Holy Spirit who preaches the gospel has
been sent from heaven.
That is he does his father's bidding and
the son's bidding.
For when Christ rises to sit at the
right hand of God he has given the
Holy Spirit whom he pours out on the
earth he sends the Holy Spirit in order
to preach the gospel.
Third person or or subject to note is
Christ.
The Christ who is going to suffer and
whose glories will follow.
Both the sufferings and the glories are in
the plural all manner of sufferings and all
manner of glories predicted in the Old Testament
but now spoken of in the past tense.
It's now spoken in the present tense the
glories we are now seeing the glories that
are to come because the sufferings have already
happened.
The fourth one is the evangelists.
The evangelist told you the things that the
prophets predicted but didn't understand.
The evangelists have come recently on the scene
for they now you now have been told
they've only come recently and they have preached
by the Holy Spirit not just the way
the prophets preached by the Holy Spirit because
they preached by the Holy Spirit understanding what
it was about which the prophets didn't.
The next group are the angels who are
mentioned quite surprisingly for us at the end
of verse 12.
Even the angels long to look into these
things they like to they'd like to peep
in as outsiders they don't have it they
are not the prophets they are not the
evangelists and they are not the people who
have received the gospel but they would long
to know the things that we now know.
And the last group is the first group
mentioned that is you.
The people to whom the grace of God
has come the people to whom the salvation
of God is coming that which was prophesied
about you that it would come and has
now in part coming and is yet to
come.
They're experiencing it now and yet it's to
come in the future.
Pick it up at the end of the
pick up verse 9.
For you are receiving the goal of your
faith the salvation of your souls that is
the salvation of their souls is the goal
at the end time but it's a goal
that you are already receiving now.
And so they are participating in the qualification
that they are going to get at the
end just like you are participating in an
education now you are getting an education now
so that one day you will be educated.
We hope or some of us hope.
Now the people have been served by the
prophets though.
Notice that what the prophets did they did
for the people.
They have been spoken to by the evangelists
and they are envied by the angels.
Extraordinary people that we're speaking about here.
Those who have heard the gospel by the
Holy Spirit through the evangelists are the people
that the prophets of old were serving and
the angels are envying.
Second step in unraveling the text is to
look at the events.
The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets
predicting the sufferings of the Christ and the
subsequent glories.
The prophets then went seeking and searching and
inquiring to find out how this was going
to happen and when it was going to
happen and what it meant.
But they were told that it was not
for them it was for a later group
that the message had been sent.
These things have happened although they're not referred
to directly in the passage.
But the passage is written from the viewpoint
of them having happened.
So that the Spirit of Christ now through
the evangelists has preached the gospel of the
sufferings and glories of Christ bringing the predicted
grace and salvation to these people and bringing
to the angels the longing the desire to
be party of it.
Third step now that we've done those two
first steps it's virtually done for us is
just to notice the sequence of events.
The Spirit of Christ is at work in
the Old Testament.
The sufferings come before the glories.
The revelation was not all complete but for
a time was released and hidden.
Information was given but it was given in
a hidden form.
Christians hearing the gospel not only have the
salvation and grace that have been predicted but
also the prophets and angels envy because they
have received the further revelation.
The whole revelation has been fulfilled.
What the others wanted Christians now have.
The salvation and the grace which was to
come in the time of the prophets has
come in the gospel and is yet to
come in the Lord's return.
Let me read the passage for you again
now and see having gone through that little
exercise unraveling whether the two three verses make
better sense for us in the reading this
time.
Concerning this salvation the prophets who spoke of
the grace that was to come to you
searched intently and with the greatest care trying
to find out the time and circumstances to
which the Spirit of Christ in them was
pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ
and the glories that would follow.
It was revealed to them that they were
not serving themselves but you when they spoke
of the things that have now been told
you by those who have preached the gospel
to you by the Holy Spirit sent from
heaven.
Even angels long to look into these things.
Unusual little verses aren't they but I think
we've, I think I've unraveled what it's about.
Let's make sure by putting it into context.
So this is a quick revision on what
we've done in the last couple of weeks
on the context of 1 Peter 1 through
to verse 16 or so just to see
what's happened.
Peter in verses 1 to 3 is writing
to God's elect, the elect in Christ Jesus
who are scattered.
That is in the judgment of God's people
when God scattered the people of Israel by
the Assyrians and God scattered the people of
Judah by the Babylonians so there are the
scattered people of God throughout the world and
they have become the strangers and aliens in
the world.
They're refugees they've got no longer the homeland
of the promised land.
But now through the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ verses 4 and 5 they have
been reborn and so now they've been reborn
into an inheritance.
Like Israel of old they had an inheritance
the promised land but these people unlike Israel
of old they have a heavenly inheritance one
which will never perish spoil or fade like
Palestine did.
And as this inheritance and this inheritance rather
is kept for them in heaven.
It's not in Palestine it's in heaven and
it's kept for them and they are being
guarded verse 5 you'll see they are being
guarded for it.
Though this guarding is fairly extraordinary as I
tried to indicate to you last week.
The guarding takes place through the power of
God by God being at work refining their
faith and his means of refining faith is
sufferings.
So the various sufferings they're going through as
the aliens and strangers of this world as
the dispersed exiles in the world this suffering
they're going through is God's way of refining
their faith so that they will be kept
guarded for the inheritance that is kept in
heaven for them.
So they rejoice now even though they are
going through terrible sufferings.
They rejoice not in their sufferings because they're
masochists but they rejoice in their sufferings because
of the results of the suffering the outcome
of their suffering namely the salvation that it
will come to them on the last day.
So 1 6 they rejoice in the salvation
that's coming.
Verse 8 they rejoice in Christ the very
basis of that salvation that is theirs.
They rejoice verse 9 in the process of
gaining this salvation of receiving this salvation which
then brings us to this text.
This salvation that they are rejoicing in the
prophets spoke of and spoke of in terms
of the sufferings of Christ followed by glories.
Suffering and glory are part of the gospel
message and therefore it's not surprising that they're
now living in suffering awaiting the glory that's
where they're at you see.
Though the prophets didn't know when or how
it would happen but you have now been
told in the gospel what it's about.
Therefore verse 13 prepare your minds for action
be self-controlled set your hope fully on
the grace to be given you when Jesus
Christ is revealed.
When looking at the context it's important not
only to look the verses that lead up
to it but also the verses that flow
from it.
If we've understood verses 12 and 10 11
12 properly the therefore should follow on naturally
and the conclusion of verse 13 should be
seen and apparent to us.
Well given that we are going through the
sufferings at the moment given the fact that
we are rejoicing in the salvation that's yet
to come given the fact that the salvation
that we've got prophets and angels long to
know about but it's a riot for us
which is why we're filled with such joy
at having it given the fact that we
are in this situation we're going to prepare
our minds for action we're going to be
self-controlled we're going to set our hope
fully on the salvation on the grace that
is to be revealed when Christ Jesus returns.
That's what we've got to keep our eyes
on because if you put your eyes on
your sufferings you will be overwhelmed by despair
rather than by joy.
It's the perception of where the sufferings are
leading to the salvation that is coming that
we can rejoice.
All right if we're getting a feel for
these three verses in themselves and in their
context let's compare them briefly with the rest
of the bible because the wider context is
the bible and that wider context may modify
our understanding of them and because I want
to suggest to you that there are these
very wide implications that flow from these little
verses and so we've got to make sure
that it is something that is true of
the bible as a whole and not just
of 1 Peter chapter 1.
What are the ideas?
Three ideas I pick up to give biblical
parallels.
The ideas of the sufferings and the glories
to follow, the relationship between the old testament
prophets and the new testament evangelists and the
place of angels and prophets.
They seem to be three key elements to
what this is about.
The sufferings and the subsequent glories.
Well in Genesis chapter 15 verses 12 to
16 Abraham's descendants are to go into a
foreign land into slavery before entering into the
promised land of inheritance.
The idea that you've got to go through
sufferings before you come to the glories is
riddled all through the old testament like that
in Genesis 12.
What was that verse?
Genesis 15 sorry 15 verses 12 to 16.
But he's saying this is the prophecies about
the Christ.
I mean I can show you about the
Babylonian exile and Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel
all promising that out of this exile will
come great glories of the kingdom of God
in the future.
But he's talking here about the glories and
sufferings of the Christ.
Well in the old testament it's full of
those too.
I mean the very earliest prophecy about the
Christ comes in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15.
I'm going to lecture a lot of these
references quickly now.
Where God says to the serpent I will
put enmity between you and the woman and
between your offspring and hers.
He will crush your head and you will
strike his heel.
Or again in Psalm 2 the great psalm
of the Messiah.
The kings of the earth take their stand
the rulers gather together against the Lord and
against his anointed.
God then says I will proclaim the decree
of the Lord.
He said to me you are my son.
Today I become your father.
Ask of me and I will make the
nations your inheritance the ends of the earth
your possession.
The expectation of the old testament of the
Messiah is that he will go through a
terrible time of opposition but God will vindicate
him.
Well take the famous passage of the suffering
servant in Isaiah 53.
Look how it's introduced at the end of
52.
Where the prophet says but you will not
leave in haste or go in flight for
the Lord will go before you.
The God of Israel will be your rear
guard.
See my servant will act wisely.
He'll be raised up and lifted high and
exalted and just as there were many who
were appalled at him.
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of
many man and his form barred by on
human likeness.
So will he sprinkle many nations and the
kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told they will
see and what they have not heard they
will understand.
See the servant will be suffering.
He will be destroyed and he will people
will look at him and be appalled at
his very appearance.
But he will surprise them because in his
death in his resurrection actually great things are
going to happen.
So that all the nations will be astonished.
Well come to Psalm 22.
Most of you know Psalm 22 even if
you don't know it because of verse 1.
The Lord's my God my God why have
you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from my words
of groaning?
Which is the words of Jesus at the
time of his crucifixion.
Oh my God I cry out to you
day and night but you do not answer.
By night I am not silent.
I am a worm not a man scorned
by men despised by the people.
All who seek me mock me.
They hurl insults at me.
The suffering of the psalm goes on through
the first 18 or so verses.
I'm poured out like water and all my
bones are out of joint.
My heart was turned to wax.
It's melted away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd
and my tongue sticks to the roof of
my mouth.
You lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me.
A band of evil men have encircled me.
They've pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones.
People stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments amongst them and so
it goes on.
But halfway through the psalm verse 22 a
radical change takes place as he recognises what
God is going to do.
I will declare your name to my brothers
in the congregation.
I will praise you for he has not
despised or disdained the sufferings of the afflicted
one.
He has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry.
All the ends of the earth will remember
and return to the Lord and all the
families of the nations will bow down before
him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord and he
rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast
and worship and all who go down to
the dust will kneel before him.
Those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him.
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
They'll proclaim his righteousness to a people yet
unborn for he has done it.
See Psalm 22 which starts off with the
most abject horror of this world.
God forsakenness.
Turns out to be a great psalm of
the praises that are going to go through
all the world, through all history.
All glory is going to come to God
because of this one who has been God
forsaken.
The sufferings leading to the glories is what
is predicted of the Christ repeatedly through the
Old Testament.
Enough.
What about the second set of parallels?
That is the relationship between the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
For the Old Testament predicts unknowingly for the
sake of the New Testament.
Look what Jesus himself said to the disciples.
I tell you the truth many prophets and
righteous men long to see what you see
but did not see it and to hear
what you hear but did not hear it.
He said the same kind of thing in
Luke's gospel in a slightly different context.
At that time Jesus full of joys for
the Holy Spirit said I praise you father
Lord of heaven and earth because you have
hidden these things from the wise and learned
and revealed them to little children.
Yes father for this was your good pleasure.
Notice how God hides things as well as
reveals things.
All things have been committed to me by
my father.
No one knows who the son is except
the father.
No one knows who the father is except
the son and those to whom the son
chooses to reveal him.
Then he turned to his disciples and said
privately blessed are the eyes that see what
you see for I tell you that many
prophets and kings wanted to see what you
see but did not see it to hear
what you hear but did not hear it.
See Jesus also teaches that the people and
the prophets didn't know what now has been
revealed.
The same thing happens on the road to
Emmaus.
Remember at the resurrection when Jesus walks with
two people when he arrives at their home
he says how foolish you are and slow
of heart to believe all the prophets have
spoken.
Did not the Christ have to suffer these
things and then enter his glory?
And beginning with Moses and all the prophets
he explained to them what was said in
all the scriptures concerning himself.
What was said?
What was said was he had to suffer
these things and enter his glory.
And who said it?
The prophets said it.
But did the people understand it?
No.
Before it happened people didn't understand it.
It was not understandable.
No one could make sense of it.
Or again in Luke chapter 24 when he
meets with his disciples in the upper room
just later in the same chapter he's, whoops,
he said to them this is what I
told you while I was still with you
everything must be fulfilled that is written about
me in the law of Moses the prophets
and the Psalms.
Then he opened their minds so that they
could understand the scriptures.
He told them this is what is written
the Christ will suffer and rise from the
dead on the third day and repentance and
forgiveness of sins will be preached in his
name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem.
See they had the scriptures but they didn't
have the mind to understand the scriptures.
And what the scriptures were about was the
Christ must suffer and rise on the third
day.
But that was something not understandable until it
had happened.
It is interesting see the Old Testament preaches
and speaks about the coming of the Messiah.
The Old Testament speaks and preaches about the
coming of the suffering servant but as far
as we know before the time of the
Lord Jesus Christ nobody had ever said that
they were the one and the same person.
Some were looking for a suffering servant some
were looking for a Messiah but no one
was looking for the two who actually were
the same.
Because it is unthinkable that the ruler of
the universe will be the man who comes
to be executed.
What kind of ruler is that?
How do you put those two things together?
I know there's a suffering servant coming.
I know there's a king coming.
I don't know that they are one and
the same.
And so the work of the Old Testament
was to talk about things they didn't understand
and it's frequently the case.
They are really writing for us in Romans
chapter 4 we read about Abraham that it
was credited to him as righteousness.
The words it was credited to him were
written not for him alone but also for
us to whom God will credit righteousness.
For us who believe in him who has
raised Jesus from our Lord our Lord from
the dead.
Why was the story in Genesis 15 written?
Or for whom was it written?
It was written for us who are Christians.
Or Romans chapter 15 verse 4 everything that
was written in the past was written to
teach us so that through the endurance and
encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
The Old Testament was written for Christians.
Or 1 Corinthians chapter 10 speaking of the
exodus events.
These things happened to them as examples but
were written down as warnings for us on
whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
Oh it happened to the people out in
the wilderness that they perished that they gave
themselves over to idolatry and were so killed
etc.
It happened to them but it wasn't written
for them.
It was written for us who's the us.
The ones upon whom the fulfillment of the
ages has come.
That's who it was written for.
The people of the end time.
Those of you who of course were at
mid-year conference and those of you weren't
you really did miss out on something but
never mind next year we're planning another one.
Those of you who will remember 1 Corinthians
chapter 2 verses 6 to 8 which I
wasn't allowed to talk to you about.
But remember in that passage about God's secret
wisdom that was not revealed.
If it had been revealed then the rulers
of this age would not have crucified the
Lord of glory.
You see God had his will.
He made his will known but he made
it known in such a way that it
was a secret.
But when it happened you look back and
say oh look it was there all the
time.
Why didn't I see it?
Why didn't I understand what was there?
It was revealed in the Old Testament in
a hidden fashion.
Or in Romans chapter what is it now
what I've got here.
Yes there is 1 Corinthians 6.
Sorry I thought I didn't have that one.
I just told it to you.
In Romans 16 there it is.
In Romans 16 there is one more that
says the same kind of point.
Now to him who is able to establish
you by my gospel and the proclamation of
Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the
mystery hidden for long ages past but now
revealed and made known through the prophetic writings
by the command of the eternal God so
that all nations might believe and obey in
him.
Now that's like the passage we're dealing with.
When you first read you think what was
that?
Just read it again for me will you
a bit slower.
To God who is able to establish you
by my gospel the proclamation of Jesus Christ
according to the revelation of a mystery hidden
for long ages past.
See there is a secret, a hidden message
of God and it has now been revealed.
Where has it now been revealed?
You expect him to say it's now been
revealed in the gospel but that's not what
he says.
It's now been revealed in the prophetic writings.
That is the message was there but you
couldn't see it.
Then the event of the death and resurrection
of Jesus happened and you look into the
old testament and lo and behold it was
there all along.
I just didn't see it.
So it has been revealed in the old
testament but only revealed in hindsight.
It's not revealed beforehand even though it was
predicted beforehand.
It was told to them beforehand.
They wrote it down beforehand but it's only
seen in hindsight.
So the relationship between the old testament and
the new testament, the strange relationship that's there
in 1 Peter 1 you see is actually
scattered through all kinds of other parts of
the new testament as well.
It's not just 1 Peter 1.
And the third topic angels and prophets, the
third set of parables.
Well the angels, what about them?
Well in Mark 13 we're told that they
don't know everything.
They don't know about the day, not even
the sun, not even the angels of heaven
and yet they know the rulers of this
world see the glory of the plan of
God in the church.
God's intent was that now through the church
the manifold wisdom of God should be made
known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose which
he purposed in Christ Jesus.
That is when people gather together in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
new born again people seeking their inheritance in
heaven and being guarded through faith by the
power of God, when that people get together
as God's people then the angels actually see
the victory has happened and they are looking
at what is happening.
The angels are perceiving and looking into the
victory of Christ in the church but they
still are on the outside, they still don't
know how God did it.
Angels have a purpose and function, they are
ministering spirits sent to serve those who are
being saved.
And so in Hebrews makes a very strong
point through Hebrews 1 and 2 that it's
not to angels that God has subjected the
world to come and later in the same
chapter we are told for surely it is
not angels he helps but Abraham's descendants.
But if you may think of angels as
being superior, greater, more significant than humans but
you're wrong.
Angels are actually there to serve us.
They are the ministering servants.
And what about the prophets?
Well the prophets did speak of the sufferings
and the glories to come especially Daniel 12
is a good example of it.
But Daniel 12 cannot be right, Daniel 12
is the same as Hebrews 2 is not
right.
I'm sorry verse 4 you'll have to look
up yourself it is significant.
I can't remember it.
Daniel 12 6 I'll tell you something about
the computer world it's not as good as
the Bible.
Let's turn back to the Bible and see
Daniel 12 whatever it is saying.
And of all the bits and pieces that
I've quoted so far the hardest book to
find is Daniel.
Yeah I got it Daniel 12 4 But
you Daniel, I'll give you time I'm sorry
about the front seat row it's very hard
to see through me there isn't it.
Thank you pardon it's the madness of the
architects who designed this lecture theater and put
the overhead on the left hand side instead
of the right hand side and handist.
We're ready Daniel 12 verse 4 But you
Daniel, close up and seal the words of
the scroll until the time of the end.
Many will go and they'll and go here
and there to increase knowledge and then I
Daniel looked and there before me stood two
others one on the bank of the river
and one on the opposite bank and one
said to the man clothed who was above
the waters of the river how long will
it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled.
The man clothed in linen who was above
the waters of the river lifted his right
hand and his left hand towards heaven and
I heard him swear by he who lives
forever saying you'll be a time times and
half a time when the power of the
holy people has been finally has been finally
broken all these things will be completed.
I heard but I didn't understand so I
asked my lord what will be up the
outcome of all this he replied go your
way Daniel because the words are closed up
and sealed until the time of the end.
Many will be purified made spotless and refined
but the wicked will continue to be wicked
none of the wicked will understand but those
who are wise will understand.
See Daniel has prophesied the great victory of
the messiah after terrible sufferings but when he
tries to find out what it's about he's
told close it up it's not for you
but what time will it happen well after
a time and a time and a time
and half a time you know I don't
know yes I know you don't know but
the one you still cannot find out what's
on the mind of God which is true
isn't it because you can't by your empiricism
and rationalism find out what's on my mind
can you you don't know what I'm thinking
about at this very second no none of
you know no matter what test you care
to run and doesn't know how long you
rationally reflect about it you'll never know because
I've got a very short memory and I've
forgotten now too it's hidden for eternity that
thought there's no way you can know you
can search you can inquire you don't know
what is on the mind of the other
thing you can't know my mind why do
you think you'll know God's mind unless God
reveals it so it says very important things
about how we know secondly the spirit prophets
and evangelists it is the spirit of Christ
the Holy Spirit who works in both prophets
of old and evangelists of now the prophets
who spoke didn't predict but the spirit of
Christ within them made the predictions it is
the spirit who does it not the prophet
and it's the evangelist who does the evangelist
who tell the gospel but it is really
the Holy Spirit who does the work of
talking in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13
Paul thanks thanks God that the Thessalonians when
they heard his words heard it not as
the words of men but as it really
is the word of God at work in
you see I'm speaking here I'm explaining things
to you here I'm telling you what the
Bible is saying here but it is the
spirit of God who is writing it on
your minds and hearts and conscience that is
why this lecture is not like any other
lectures why we open and close in prayer
because what is taking place is a spiritual
transaction in the communication of information not just
a cerebral transaction that is taking place in
the New Testament all God's people have the
spirit of Christ in them just like the
prophets did it's what he said in Acts
chapter 2 and in Romans chapter 8 fulfilling
the prophecy of Numbers 11 29 Numbers 11
29 that all God's people would know God
like the prophet of all new God because
all God's people have the spirit of God
within them that is why all God's people
today can prophesy and that is why the
evangelists have superseded the prophets because in the
end what is the spirit of prophecy in
Revelation 19 10 it is the testimony of
Jesus the word of God for today is
Jesus Christ crucified risen that's God's word for
today and all Christians have it on their
hearts and on their minds and on their
lips and as they prophesy they evangelize thirdly
the angels they are not superior to humans
they are not ones for whom Christ died
they are not the rulers of glory as
we are they are no better off than
we are in fact we are better off
than they are they are but servants of
those who are to be saved fourthly the
Old Testament it comes to light in the
New Testament I mean the gold is there
all along but it is only in Christ
that we can see its value and find
it it was written for the Jews only
in a secondary manner it was primarily written
for Christians the New Testament is what makes
the Old Testament the book that it was
meant to be the prophets of Israel were
the servants of the New Testament people of
God and therefore we must now as Christians
read mark learn and inwardly digest our Old
Testament our Old Testament for it is ours
given by God for us and let's not
be surprised when we find the Jewish people
who reject Jesus do not understand the Old
Testament as Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians chapter
3 for if you do not accept the
key to the puzzle you will never understand
the puzzle because the puzzle has been written
in a way to make sure you will
never understand it until you get the key
once you've got the key everything else starts
to make sense Christ and his sufferings and
glory are the key and you see it
in his crucifixion and resurrection which brings us
fifthly to biblical interpretation as we see the
connection between the Old and New Testaments so
we can start seeing the connection between the
New Testament and us that is the Old
Testament was written at a different time in
a different culture than the New Testament but
yet God wrote it for the New Testament
people therefore the key to the audience was
determined not by the date in which it
was written or by the culture in which
it was written but by the event that
had happened namely Jesus suffering and glory you
and I now live in a different date
than the New Testament we live in a
different culture than the New Testament but the
key element of our reading is the event
of the death and resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ that is the Old Testament and
the New Testament were written for us to
whom the Spirit has spoken through the evangelist
who brought you and I the gospel there
is in other words no real for some
of you this is going to be completely
over the head and forget it well remember
that I said it because when it comes
to you there is no real hermeneutical gap
between 60 AD and 1997 AD the gap
is between BC and AD that's the real
gap first century world 20th century world is
the same world it's the world this side
of the crucifixion we don't live in B
in A sorry we don't live in AC
you know things are before Christ but it's
not AC it's not after Christ we don't
live after Christ we live AD that is
in the year of the Lord the year
happens to be 1997 but the number is
unimportant the AD is what is critical and
that gap between BC and AC means that
you actually only understand the BC literature the
Old Testament literature when you come to the
AD to the year of the Lord sixthly
point F the suffering and glory see God's
plan of salvation in Christ is suffering followed
by glories death followed by resurrection which is
the explanation of the present situation of Christ's
people in becoming a Christian we must count
the cross we must deny ourselves we must
take up the cross we must follow Jesus
and as we await the glory to be
revealed we must expect the sufferings of a
God rebellious world to come upon us as
it came upon him and so we will
share in the sufferings of Christ come with
me to 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 13
and you'll see it's the theme that's going
to run through 1 Peter 1 Peter chapter
4 verse 13 12 dear friends don't be
surprised at the painful trial you're suffering as
though something was strange were happening to you
but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings
of Christ so that you may be overjoyed
when his glory is revealed the sufferings of
Christians are normal it is to be expected
it is to share in the sufferings of
Christ without sharing in the sufferings of Christ
you cannot expect to share in the glories
that are to be revealed Christianity may be
a bed of roses but there are very
very big thorns in the rose bush and
you can't have the blossoms without the thorns
you can't have the glory without the sufferings
all who desire to live a godly life
in Christ Jesus will be persecuted that is
part of it seventhly then this passage tells
us implications about God's grand plan the world
is not aimlessly wandering through some random events
heading towards some entropy God is in control
bringing about his final purposes and while we
can't discover them by rationalism or by empiricism
God has revealed it to us through the
prophets of Israel which have been explained to
us in the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ if and only if you have the
gospel peace the key piece of the gospel
the sufferings and glories of the Lord Jesus
Christ that you will understand the plan of
God but one day this plan will be
brought to completion when he is finally revealed
to all people in his return on the
day of judgment and finally the text has
implications for us personally if you're not a
Christian this passage is saying and I've said
it all the time haven't I Jesus is
the key the story is quite unexpected even
the prophets who were predicting it didn't expect
it even though they had the spirit of
God within them they still didn't guess what
was going to happen the story is quite
unexpected if you're not a Christian learn about
Jesus well done you've made it to campus
Bible study keep coming keep reading the Bible
for yourself keep looking because it's in the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that the
Holy Spirit speaks today if you are a
Christian well then prophets and angels would love
to be where you are for what you've
got and so don't take for granted read
study and understand the word of God thank
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