100:00:00,280 –> 00:00:04,840Now, think about what is being said here.200:00:04,840 –> 00:00:08,960The glory of the Lord will be revealed.300:00:08,960 –> 00:00:11,300Oh yes, reflections have been seen.400:00:11,300 –> 00:00:12,960The Earth declares the glory of the Lord.500:00:12,960 –> 00:00:16,940There has been some reflection of this in the fire and in the cloud.600:00:16,940 –> 00:00:20,680But the thing itslf is going to be put on display.700:00:20,680 –> 00:00:23,879Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.800:00:24,299 –> 00:00:26,620We are in the middle of a series called900:00:26,620 –> 00:00:29,639Waiting for the Lord think until the truth is revealed!1000:00:29,879 –> 00:00:35,080And today we encounter the words the glory of the Lord will be revealed.1100:00:35,799 –> 00:00:37,680It is the most marvelous statement.1200:00:37,680 –> 00:00:41,680And it answers the question can I actually know God?1300:00:41,680 –> 00:00:43,419And that is a huge question.1400:00:43,419 –> 00:00:49,520Is it actually possible for a person to know God, and how would that be possible?1500:00:49,520 –> 00:00:51,680We are just guessing, speculating.1600:00:51,680 –> 00:00:55,240Is God just a projection of our own imagination, our own prejudice?1700:00:55,240 –> 00:00:59,340How would it be possible for me to actually know God?1800:00:59,740 –> 00:01:02,639Well, the answer is there’s only one way in which it would be possible,1900:01:02,639 –> 00:01:05,099and that is if God has made himself known.2000:01:05,099 –> 00:01:07,260That’s the significance of the word revealed.2100:01:07,260 –> 00:01:10,300Does God, as it were, pull back the curtain?2200:01:10,300 –> 00:01:11,500Has He done this?2300:01:11,620 –> 00:01:16,360And the answer is yes he has, and he’s done it in Jesus Christ.2400:01:16,360 –> 00:01:21,459The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and it’s been revealed in the sending of His Son.2500:01:21,459 –> 00:01:23,739We really can know God.2600:01:23,739 –> 00:01:28,739You can know God in and through faith in Jesus Christ His Son2700:01:28,760 –> 00:01:30,459who He has sent into the world.2800:01:30,500 –> 00:01:33,500And here, hundreds of years before the time of Christ,2900:01:33,500 –> 00:01:37,139Isaiah prophesies that the glory of the Lord will be revealed.3000:01:37,139 –> 00:01:40,760We’re going to see the significance of that for every person today.3100:01:40,760 –> 00:01:44,300So, join us if you can in Isaiah chapter 403200:01:44,300 –> 00:01:47,279as we begin the message Behold Your God.3300:01:47,279 –> 00:01:48,739Here is Colin.3400:01:48,839 –> 00:01:52,760I’ve been thanking the Lord in a special way, really, over these last days3500:01:52,760 –> 00:01:55,300and want you to know what’s been on my mind3600:01:55,500 –> 00:02:02,379When Paul thanked God for a congregation he loved so much in Thessalonica,3700:02:02,440 –> 00:02:08,960he spoke about their work of faith, their labour of love and their patience of hope.3800:02:08,979 –> 00:02:12,679And I thank God for these things in all of you.3900:02:12,679 –> 00:02:17,399Some of you have been blessed, especially with an enterprise of faith.4000:02:17,399 –> 00:02:22,639You see what can be done, you grasp a vision, you run with it, you go for it.4100:02:22,639 –> 00:02:28,059Some of you have been blessed in a special way with an ongoing labour of love,4200:02:28,059 –> 00:02:32,779staying faithful year in, year out, sustaining the life of ministry,4300:02:32,779 –> 00:02:38,940bringing stability to the life and to the ministry of the church.4400:02:38,940 –> 00:02:42,020Some of you have been blessed with the patience of hope,4500:02:42,020 –> 00:02:47,020and you have pressed on through disappointments and through discouragements,4600:02:47,899 –> 00:02:54,779and showing patience as all of us try and offer our very, very best to the Lord.4700:02:54,779 –> 00:02:58,880And so I want to say again this Christmastime thank you to you for your4800:02:58,880 –> 00:03:03,220commitment to Christ, your commitment to the church,4900:03:03,220 –> 00:03:09,639and for the great joy that it is for us to serve the Lord together.5000:03:09,639 –> 00:03:13,559Now, in the run-up to Christmas, we’ve been in Isaiah in Chapter 40,5100:03:13,720 –> 00:03:17,259and I invite you to open your Bible there again.5200:03:17,259 –> 00:03:20,960This remarkable chapter that, as we’ve seen, begins with comfort5300:03:20,960 –> 00:03:23,100and it ends with the renewing of strength.5400:03:23,100 –> 00:03:25,139What’s not to love about that?5500:03:25,139 –> 00:03:28,440And the reason it begins with comfort and ends with a renewing of strength is that5600:03:28,440 –> 00:03:32,199all the way through, it is packed full of anticipations of the5700:03:32,199 –> 00:03:35,199coming of Jesus Christ into the world.5800:03:35,199 –> 00:03:38,380Growing up in Edinburgh, Scotland, one of our traditions was that on5900:03:38,460 –> 00:03:43,679New Year’s Day our family always went to a performance of6000:03:43,679 –> 00:03:47,279Handel’s Messiah in the city of Edinburgh.6100:03:47,279 –> 00:03:49,740Started at noon, ended at three.6200:03:49,740 –> 00:03:54,500And I came as a child to know that marvelous piece of music very well,6300:03:54,500 –> 00:03:55,820as many of you do.6400:03:55,820 –> 00:04:02,539And it’s just striking when Handel launched his whole presentation of6500:04:02,539 –> 00:04:07,300the Messiah, Jesus Christ coming into the world, and wrote that marvelous6600:04:07,339 –> 00:04:10,220and timeless music.6700:04:10,220 –> 00:04:12,419His launch point was Isaiah 40.6800:04:12,419 –> 00:04:15,820If you think about this chapter and if you know the music there,6900:04:15,820 –> 00:04:17,059you’ll see immediately…7000:04:17,059 –> 00:04:17,799Where does it begin?7100:04:17,799 –> 00:04:21,679Comfort ye, ye my people, every valley shall be exalted and7200:04:21,679 –> 00:04:23,779the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.7300:04:23,779 –> 00:04:27,339Oh, thou who tell us good-tidings to Zion, lift up your voice and7400:04:27,339 –> 00:04:29,200say, behold your God,’ and so forth.7500:04:29,200 –> 00:04:31,100All of it comes out of this chapter.7600:04:31,100 –> 00:04:35,500And that’s why I’m saying to you that here is a chapter that is packed full7700:04:35,500 –> 00:04:40,279of anticipations of Jesus so that when the great musician came to compose7800:04:40,279 –> 00:04:44,220a presentation of the Messiah, his starting point, out of all the7900:04:44,220 –> 00:04:48,500Old Testament, was to come again and again and to pick up these great themes8000:04:48,500 –> 00:04:52,799from this chapter that has been in front of us and is open today.8100:04:53,320 –> 00:04:59,420And we’ve noted together, especially from verse 2, that this is God speaking8200:04:59,420 –> 00:05:04,959tenderly to his people, and he’s calling us to speak into a very broken8300:05:04,959 –> 00:05:07,679world in the same tone.8400:05:07,679 –> 00:05:11,140And the question, of course, is, when we speak tenderly into a broken world,8500:05:11,140 –> 00:05:11,899what are we to say?8600:05:11,899 –> 00:05:14,079What is the message that is given to the Church?8700:05:14,079 –> 00:05:16,239What are we to speak into the world?8800:05:16,239 –> 00:05:19,660And we’ve been tracing it from this marvelous chapter.8900:05:19,660 –> 00:05:23,839We are to speak first about God’s abundant provision.9000:05:23,839 –> 00:05:26,040And we saw that from verses 2 and 3.9100:05:26,040 –> 00:05:31,239It’s all about peace being established, and a pardon being secured,9200:05:31,260 –> 00:05:36,600and a payment being made through a person whose way is to be prepared,9300:05:36,600 –> 00:05:40,179who is coming into the world, the person of Jesus Christ.9400:05:40,179 –> 00:05:44,019But we’ve also seen that we are to speak tenderly, and candidly,9500:05:44,019 –> 00:05:47,519and directly about our own desperate need.9600:05:47,519 –> 00:05:49,640And we looked at that last week.9700:05:49,640 –> 00:05:53,220Our lives are beautiful, verse 6, but they’re also fragile.9800:05:53,220 –> 00:05:54,799They’re like the grass.9900:05:54,799 –> 00:05:59,420They’re beautiful because we’re made in the image of God, but our lives are fragile10000:06:00,279 –> 00:06:04,160God blows on us, we are gone.10100:06:04,160 –> 00:06:08,739And we saw how wonderful it is that a Christian believer can say,10200:06:08,739 –> 00:06:15,320now my birth and my life and my death are all in the hands of my heavenly Father who10300:06:15,320 –> 00:06:16,940loves me.10400:06:16,940 –> 00:06:21,040And nothing that happens in all of my life will ever be by random chance.10500:06:21,040 –> 00:06:27,380I am in the hands of God who made me, the hands of God who redeemed me.10600:06:27,500 –> 00:06:30,660And his Word stands forever.10700:06:30,660 –> 00:06:34,839That’s where we came to last week there in verse 8.10800:06:34,839 –> 00:06:40,140The Word of the Lord stands forever, and therefore here is the foundation on which I can build10900:06:40,140 –> 00:06:49,459my life and on which any person can build a life that is sure for time and for eternity.11000:06:49,459 –> 00:06:55,640So here is the great message that is given to the church, that we are to speak into the11100:06:55,640 –> 00:06:56,640world.11200:06:56,640 –> 00:07:00,980And it is a message of God’s abundant provision through the One who will come into the world,11300:07:00,980 –> 00:07:06,299it is matched with a presentation of our own desperate need of this provision, and today11400:07:06,299 –> 00:07:11,519therefore I want us to see how these two things come together in Jesus Christ.11500:07:11,519 –> 00:07:17,339And we’re going to pick up particularly on verse 5, which we passed over earlier and11600:07:17,339 –> 00:07:20,079I did that deliberately to keep it for today.11700:07:20,079 –> 00:07:22,980And then verse 9 through 11, verse 5,11800:07:30,980 –> 00:07:34,459And then verse 9 takes up this great theme,11900:07:43,440 –> 00:07:48,459Now these are the two key words, the words revealed and behold.12000:07:48,480 –> 00:07:49,720And immediately you will see12100:07:49,720 –> 00:07:52,920that these obviously belong together.12200:07:52,920 –> 00:07:55,260The glory of the Lord is going to be revealed.12300:07:55,260 –> 00:07:58,920What has been hidden is going to be made known.12400:07:58,920 –> 00:08:02,160So this is rather like opening a Christmas present.12500:08:02,160 –> 00:08:04,279So here are these gifts and they are under the tree12600:08:04,279 –> 00:08:05,820but they are wrapped.12700:08:05,820 –> 00:08:07,820And we know that something good is there,12800:08:07,820 –> 00:08:10,220it may even have our name on it.12900:08:10,220 –> 00:08:12,720And we may even think that we know what it is,13000:08:12,720 –> 00:08:14,839but we don’t absolutely know for sure13100:08:14,839 –> 00:08:16,359until we get to tear the paper off,13200:08:16,359 –> 00:08:18,500we have not yet actually seen it13300:08:18,500 –> 00:08:21,579until the gift will be revealed.13400:08:21,579 –> 00:08:24,179That’s the word here, the glory of the Lord.13500:08:24,179 –> 00:08:27,359What has been wrapped is now going to be revealed13600:08:27,359 –> 00:08:29,459in the coming of Jesus Christ.13700:08:29,459 –> 00:08:31,720And because the glory of the Lord is going to be revealed,13800:08:31,720 –> 00:08:33,780therefore we are able to say,13900:08:33,780 –> 00:08:35,679and Isaiah calls us to say, verse 9,14000:08:35,679 –> 00:08:37,260behold your God.14100:08:37,260 –> 00:08:38,700Here’s the message of the church,14200:08:38,700 –> 00:08:40,260we’re to stay in this broken world14300:08:40,260 –> 00:08:42,239with great tenderness and love.14400:08:42,239 –> 00:08:43,580Now look at your God,14500:08:43,580 –> 00:08:48,580look at what has been revealed in Jesus Christ.14600:08:49,380 –> 00:08:51,179And of course when something great14700:08:51,179 –> 00:08:53,260and glorious something of great value14800:08:53,260 –> 00:08:55,359is opened, it is revealed,14900:08:55,359 –> 00:08:57,580you want to look at it.15000:08:57,580 –> 00:08:59,280I mean what would you make of a person15100:08:59,280 –> 00:09:01,500who little box and it’s wrapped up15200:09:01,500 –> 00:09:03,940and they open it and it’s a diamond,15300:09:05,159 –> 00:09:06,119and they say, oh right, fine,15400:09:06,119 –> 00:09:09,539and then open the next box and it’s candy,15500:09:09,539 –> 00:09:11,099and you say, now, wait a minute.15600:09:12,099 –> 00:09:14,659Look at what you were just given.15700:09:14,659 –> 00:09:16,419You’re never gonna be given in all of your life15800:09:16,419 –> 00:09:17,820another gift that’s quite like that.15900:09:17,820 –> 00:09:19,140It’s of supreme value.16000:09:19,140 –> 00:09:22,979Don’t pass it to one side as you’ve opened it.16100:09:22,979 –> 00:09:24,780Now look at it, look at it,16200:09:24,780 –> 00:09:28,299and take in what it is that you have been given.16300:09:28,299 –> 00:09:31,159The glory of the Lord will be revealed.16400:09:31,159 –> 00:09:34,099Behold your God.16500:09:34,099 –> 00:09:37,559There’s a revealing and there’s a beholding16600:09:37,559 –> 00:09:40,539and these are the two things that are before us today.16700:09:41,200 –> 00:09:43,919You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith16800:09:43,919 –> 00:09:46,500and we have to pause the message briefly there16900:09:46,500 –> 00:09:48,760but we’ll be back to it very shortly.17000:09:48,760 –> 00:09:51,280The message is called Behold Your God.17100:09:51,280 –> 00:09:54,479Part of a series called Waiting for the Lord17200:09:54,479 –> 00:09:57,000based on Isaiah chapter 4017300:09:57,000 –> 00:09:59,520and don’t forget if you ever miss one of our messages17400:09:59,520 –> 00:10:02,299or if you want to go back and listen to any of them again,17500:10:02,299 –> 00:10:05,140you can do that by coming online to our website,17600:10:05,140 –> 00:10:07,679openthebible.org.uk17700:10:07,679 –> 00:10:10,400and you can also find them as a podcast17800:10:10,500 –> 00:10:12,619by going to your favorite podcast site17900:10:12,619 –> 00:10:15,820and searching for Open the Bible UK.18000:10:15,820 –> 00:10:19,619You can also find a link to the podcast on our website.18100:10:19,619 –> 00:10:21,119Back to the message now,18200:10:21,119 –> 00:10:23,140we’re in Isaiah chapter 40 as I say18300:10:23,140 –> 00:10:25,119and here again is Colin.18400:10:25,119 –> 00:10:28,780There’s a revealing and there’s a beholding18500:10:28,780 –> 00:10:32,619and these are the two things that are before us today.18600:10:32,619 –> 00:10:33,940So hope your Bible is open there,18700:10:33,940 –> 00:10:38,979the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.18800:10:39,900 –> 00:10:41,640What is the glory of the Lord?18900:10:43,099 –> 00:10:46,780And what does it mean for this glory to be revealed?19000:10:49,359 –> 00:10:51,659Let me give you a simple description.19100:10:51,659 –> 00:10:56,659The glory of the Lord is the full wonder of who God is.19200:10:59,200 –> 00:11:03,739It is the splendor of God himself.19300:11:05,380 –> 00:11:06,539And those who know the Bible,19400:11:06,539 –> 00:11:09,880will perhaps immediately think of how earlier19500:11:09,880 –> 00:11:12,280in the Bible story, Moses,19600:11:12,280 –> 00:11:15,159who knew much about God went up the mountain19700:11:15,159 –> 00:11:18,280and on one occasion he prayed with great passion19800:11:18,280 –> 00:11:23,280and intensity, Oh God please show me your glory.19900:11:24,440 –> 00:11:25,799And when Moses prayed that,20000:11:25,799 –> 00:11:27,320he was asking God simply this,20100:11:27,320 –> 00:11:32,320show me the full wonder of who you are.20200:11:32,359 –> 00:11:33,200Ah.20300:11:34,280 –> 00:11:37,000Now, here’s the fascinating thing about Moses’ prayer.20400:11:38,039 –> 00:11:41,799God had already made himself known to Moses.20500:11:41,799 –> 00:11:44,020He’d done that of course in the burning bush20600:11:44,020 –> 00:11:45,799and he done that in the miracle20700:11:45,799 –> 00:11:48,700of the crossing of the Red Sea.20800:11:48,700 –> 00:11:51,299More than that, we are particularly told20900:11:51,299 –> 00:11:56,260that the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.21000:11:56,260 –> 00:11:59,979We’re told that the appearance of the glory of the Lord21100:12:00,020 –> 00:12:02,960was like a devouring fire,21200:12:02,960 –> 00:12:06,960and when the tent of meeting that housed the tabernacle21300:12:06,960 –> 00:12:10,000where God was to be worshiped and the people were to gather,21400:12:10,000 –> 00:12:11,280when that was dedicated,21500:12:11,280 –> 00:12:13,799it’s in the last chapter of the book of Exodus,21600:12:13,799 –> 00:12:17,179we’re told that the cloud of the glory of God’s presence21700:12:17,179 –> 00:12:19,320filled this tent in such a way21800:12:19,320 –> 00:12:22,919that Moses was not even able to go into it.21900:12:23,919 –> 00:12:27,840Very clearly, something of the glory of the Lord22000:12:27,859 –> 00:12:30,099had been revealed already,22100:12:31,179 –> 00:12:33,400but notice how it had been revealed.22200:12:34,619 –> 00:12:37,539It had been revealed in a cloud.22300:12:37,539 –> 00:12:40,140How would you get hold of a cloud?22400:12:40,140 –> 00:12:42,099I mean, that’s saying that although something,22500:12:42,099 –> 00:12:43,900some of the brightness of the presence of God22600:12:43,900 –> 00:12:44,900had been revealed,22700:12:44,900 –> 00:12:49,219it was ultimately, at that point, unknowable,22800:12:49,219 –> 00:12:52,419and it was revealed in a fire, in the pillar of fire.22900:12:52,419 –> 00:12:54,559How close can you get to a pillar of fire?23000:12:54,559 –> 00:12:57,559Not very close, so it was unapproachable,23100:12:58,859 –> 00:13:00,599and then when the glory of the Lord comes down23200:13:00,599 –> 00:13:02,320and it fills this tent of meeting,23300:13:02,320 –> 00:13:04,179Moses can’t even get in.23400:13:04,179 –> 00:13:05,840It’s inaccessible,23500:13:05,840 –> 00:13:08,340and so, something of the glory of the Lord23600:13:08,340 –> 00:13:09,479has been made known,23700:13:09,479 –> 00:13:11,400but the full wonder of who God is23800:13:11,400 –> 00:13:13,159is yet to be made known,23900:13:13,159 –> 00:13:14,919and so, Moses comes before the Lord24000:13:14,919 –> 00:13:18,099and drawn by everything that he does know of God,24100:13:18,099 –> 00:13:21,799he says, show me your glory.24200:13:21,799 –> 00:13:24,320Lord, I’ve seen reflections of the brightness24300:13:24,380 –> 00:13:27,460of your glory in the fire and in the cloud,24400:13:28,640 –> 00:13:30,719but that has given me this great desire,24500:13:30,719 –> 00:13:33,700I want to know the full wonder of who you are.24600:13:33,700 –> 00:13:35,960I want to see your face,24700:13:36,919 –> 00:13:38,400show me your glory,24800:13:39,840 –> 00:13:42,679and you can read in Exodus chapter 3324900:13:42,679 –> 00:13:45,099how God spoke to Moses on that occasion25000:13:45,099 –> 00:13:50,099and said, Moses, you cannot see my face and live,25100:13:50,140 –> 00:13:50,960you cannot live.25200:13:52,960 –> 00:13:56,299And so, God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock,25300:13:56,299 –> 00:13:58,900the Bible says covered him with his hands,25400:13:58,900 –> 00:14:02,020and then God caused his glory to pass by25500:14:02,020 –> 00:14:03,359the cleft of the rock,25600:14:03,359 –> 00:14:06,799so that Moses was allowed to see the afterburn25700:14:08,020 –> 00:14:11,280of the glory of the Lord.25800:14:13,140 –> 00:14:14,380He’d seen an appearance,25900:14:15,820 –> 00:14:17,659he’d seen a reflection,26000:14:18,159 –> 00:14:20,539he longed to see the thing itself.26100:14:25,640 –> 00:14:29,700Last month, marked 50 years,26200:14:29,700 –> 00:14:34,700since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,26300:14:34,979 –> 00:14:37,739and amongst the many programs that were made26400:14:37,739 –> 00:14:39,419to mark that occasion,26500:14:39,419 –> 00:14:42,979CNN ran a piece that included26600:14:43,979 –> 00:14:47,140reference to the pink suit26700:14:47,140 –> 00:14:51,760that was worn by Jackie Kennedy on that day.26800:14:51,760 –> 00:14:55,280Now most of us can immediately picture that pink suit,26900:14:55,280 –> 00:14:57,460I thought why do I even need to put a picture27000:14:57,460 –> 00:14:58,460of that up on the screen,27100:14:58,460 –> 00:15:01,159because everyone has a picture of the pink suit,27200:15:01,159 –> 00:15:05,039the iconic pink suit fixed in our own minds,27300:15:05,039 –> 00:15:08,940why is that, because we have seen many, many pictures,27400:15:08,940 –> 00:15:11,500images of this in newsreel footage27500:15:11,500 –> 00:15:15,320and in magazine photographs and so forth and so on.27600:15:15,320 –> 00:15:18,320We have all seen a representation of the pink suit,27700:15:18,320 –> 00:15:20,479I would be almost certain that not one of us here27800:15:20,479 –> 00:15:23,080has actually seen the thing itself.27900:15:24,280 –> 00:15:27,200And what was fascinating to me about the CNN report28000:15:27,200 –> 00:15:32,159is the pink suits they said has never been cleaned,28100:15:32,159 –> 00:15:35,340that it was given as a gift28200:15:35,340 –> 00:15:37,380to the people of the United States28300:15:37,380 –> 00:15:41,140by Carolyn Kennedy in 2003,28400:15:41,140 –> 00:15:44,200which was nine years after her mother’s death.28500:15:45,059 –> 00:15:48,599And that the gift came with the condition28600:15:48,599 –> 00:15:53,340that it should not be put on display for 100 years,28700:15:53,340 –> 00:15:56,140so 2103.28800:15:56,140 –> 00:15:58,539And even then it would be with the permission28900:15:58,539 –> 00:16:01,799of that generation of the Kennedy family29000:16:01,799 –> 00:16:04,299and not before that time.29100:16:05,140 –> 00:16:08,760Further, the suit is now stored29200:16:08,760 –> 00:16:13,059in the National Archives building in Maryland.29300:16:13,059 –> 00:16:16,859And it is stored in a windowless vault29400:16:17,700 –> 00:16:21,460in an acid-free container29500:16:21,460 –> 00:16:25,599where the air is changed three times every hour29600:16:25,599 –> 00:16:27,960for the preservation of the fabric29700:16:27,960 –> 00:16:30,320and the temperature is maintained29800:16:30,320 –> 00:16:35,320between 65 and 68 degrees.29900:16:35,359 –> 00:16:40,359And so it will be for at least 90 years.30000:16:40,500 –> 00:16:43,419Now all of us have seen images of the Pink Suit.30100:16:43,419 –> 00:16:44,960I refer to the Pink Suit.30200:16:44,960 –> 00:16:46,219Immediately you have a picture30300:16:46,219 –> 00:16:48,840as I have a picture in my mind.30400:16:48,840 –> 00:16:50,900But none of us has seen the thing itself.30500:16:51,780 –> 00:16:54,059It is locked up in a vault.30600:16:54,059 –> 00:16:56,400It is hidden from public view.30700:16:57,539 –> 00:17:02,440But 90 years from now the children30800:17:02,440 –> 00:17:04,479of the youngest children here today30900:17:04,479 –> 00:17:06,939in their old age may be able to go and see it31000:17:06,939 –> 00:17:08,800if it’s put on display in Washington.31100:17:10,359 –> 00:17:13,020They may get to see the thing itself.31200:17:14,640 –> 00:17:16,739Earlier this year Karna and I visited31300:17:16,739 –> 00:17:19,459the Space Center at Cape Canaveral.31400:17:19,459 –> 00:17:20,479Some of you may have been there.31500:17:20,479 –> 00:17:22,680Remarkable experience.31600:17:22,680 –> 00:17:27,479Once in a lifetime just to be up close to the thing itself.31700:17:27,479 –> 00:17:31,760I mean all of us have seen endless pictures of rockets.31800:17:31,760 –> 00:17:33,000But at Cape Canaveral31900:17:33,640 –> 00:17:37,239we were able to see Saturn 532000:17:37,239 –> 00:17:39,920suspended in a vast hangar.32100:17:39,920 –> 00:17:42,500So you can walk all its length.32200:17:42,500 –> 00:17:43,800The sheer scale,32300:17:43,800 –> 00:17:46,640the sheer size of this was utterly overwhelming.32400:17:46,640 –> 00:17:49,760It’s different to see the thing itself32500:17:49,760 –> 00:17:51,400no matter how many pictures32600:17:51,400 –> 00:17:55,000you may have seen over many, many years.32700:17:56,140 –> 00:17:59,239Now think about what is being said here.32800:17:59,239 –> 00:18:03,640The glory of the Lord will be revealed.32900:18:03,640 –> 00:18:05,599Oh yes, reflections have been seen.33000:18:05,599 –> 00:18:07,420The earth declares the glory of the Lord.33100:18:07,420 –> 00:18:09,819There’s been some reflection of this33200:18:09,819 –> 00:18:11,640in the fire and in the cloud.33300:18:11,640 –> 00:18:14,719But the thing itself is going to be put on display.33400:18:14,719 –> 00:18:17,199It’s going to be after many hundreds of years33500:18:17,199 –> 00:18:19,560beyond the time of Isaiah.33600:18:19,560 –> 00:18:21,520We’re going to get something that is more33700:18:21,520 –> 00:18:24,000than reflections of the glory of the Lord33800:18:24,000 –> 00:18:28,739that are unknowable and unapproachable and inaccessible.33900:18:28,900 –> 00:18:32,099Isaiah says the glory of the Lord will be revealed.34000:18:32,099 –> 00:18:35,920What Moses longed to see will be put on display34100:18:35,920 –> 00:18:39,560and it will not be made accessible only to a few like Moses.34200:18:39,560 –> 00:18:41,880All flesh will see it together.34300:18:41,880 –> 00:18:44,699The coming of Jesus Christ will bring about a position34400:18:44,699 –> 00:18:47,739in which any person in the world may come to know God34500:18:47,739 –> 00:18:51,239as he is through His son who is the image,34600:18:51,239 –> 00:18:53,579the exact representation of His being.34700:18:53,579 –> 00:18:55,640God is going to make the full wonder34800:18:55,660 –> 00:18:59,579of who He is made known in Jesus Christ.34900:18:59,579 –> 00:19:01,520And that’s why, when you get to the Christmas story,35000:19:01,520 –> 00:19:03,719you have John saying,35100:19:03,719 –> 00:19:08,719the Word became flesh and dwelt among us35200:19:10,939 –> 00:19:14,880and we have seen His glory.35300:19:14,880 –> 00:19:19,280So the whole Bible story has been leading up to this.35400:19:19,280 –> 00:19:24,280The full wonder of who God is now made known in Jesus Christ35500:19:25,780 –> 00:19:28,640so that the knowledge of God may be accessible,35600:19:28,640 –> 00:19:32,760God approachable to all who will come to the Father35700:19:32,760 –> 00:19:35,920through His Son Jesus Christ.35800:19:35,920 –> 00:19:37,020This is the marvel,35900:19:37,020 –> 00:19:39,479this is why the coming of Jesus Christ into the world36000:19:39,479 –> 00:19:42,560is the center point of human history36100:19:42,560 –> 00:19:43,839and must always be so.36200:19:44,979 –> 00:19:46,900The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.36300:19:46,900 –> 00:19:50,579Now, in the light of this great reality36400:19:50,579 –> 00:19:53,260that we celebrate at Christmas,36500:19:53,260 –> 00:19:54,459what are we to do?36600:19:55,420 –> 00:19:57,359Well, says Isaiah, here’s what you do,36700:19:57,359 –> 00:20:01,000you behold your God.36800:20:01,000 –> 00:20:04,900You look at what has been revealed36900:20:05,939 –> 00:20:07,739and do you notice there that the word behold37000:20:07,739 –> 00:20:11,099comes not once, but it comes three times?37100:20:11,099 –> 00:20:13,800Behold your God?37200:20:13,800 –> 00:20:17,300Behold the Lord God comes with might?37300:20:17,300 –> 00:20:20,020Behold His reward is with Him.37400:20:21,339 –> 00:20:23,839Now, to behold simply means look at, look at this.37500:20:25,199 –> 00:20:27,000The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.37600:20:27,000 –> 00:20:28,400So, look at your God.37700:20:28,400 –> 00:20:29,640Look at His might.37800:20:29,640 –> 00:20:31,119Look at His reward.37900:20:31,119 –> 00:20:32,239That’s what Isaiah says.38000:20:32,239 –> 00:20:34,160That’s what we’re to do.38100:20:34,160 –> 00:20:36,760That’s what we’re called to call other people to do.38200:20:38,119 –> 00:20:40,660What does behold your God mean?38300:20:40,660 –> 00:20:42,819We’ve just started to think about that38400:20:42,819 –> 00:20:44,180and in our next broadcast,38500:20:44,180 –> 00:20:46,939we’ll find out what it means to look at God,38600:20:46,939 –> 00:20:50,000to look at His strength, and to look at His reward.38700:20:50,000 –> 00:20:51,880So, I hope you’ll join us for that.38800:20:51,880 –> 00:20:53,500You’ve been listening to open the Bible38900:20:53,560 –> 00:20:55,219with pastor Colin Smith39000:20:55,219 –> 00:20:58,400and a message called behold your God.39100:20:58,400 –> 00:20:59,780It’s part of our series,39200:20:59,780 –> 00:21:01,060waiting for the Lord.39300:21:01,060 –> 00:21:03,359And if you’ve missed any of the series so far39400:21:03,359 –> 00:21:05,239or you want to go back and listen again39500:21:05,239 –> 00:21:06,079you can do that39600:21:06,079 –> 00:21:07,920by coming online to our website,39700:21:07,920 –> 00:21:11,319openthebible.org.uk.39800:21:11,319 –> 00:21:14,520You can also find pastor Colin message as as a podcast.39900:21:14,520 –> 00:21:16,640Those are on all the main podcast sites40000:21:16,640 –> 00:21:17,479and you can find them40100:21:17,479 –> 00:21:20,280by searching for open the Bible UK40200:21:20,280 –> 00:21:23,520or by following the link from our website.40300:21:23,520 –> 00:21:24,880When you’re visiting our website40400:21:24,880 –> 00:21:27,040don’t forget to check out all the resources40500:21:27,040 –> 00:21:29,199we have for individual Bible study40600:21:29,199 –> 00:21:31,900for small groups and for churches.40700:21:31,900 –> 00:21:34,119There’s also Open the Bible Daily.40800:21:34,119 –> 00:21:36,640That’s a series of short two to three minute40900:21:36,640 –> 00:21:39,920daily reflections based on Pastor Colin’s teaching41000:21:39,920 –> 00:21:42,479and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish.41100:21:42,479 –> 00:21:43,880There’s a fresh one every day41200:21:43,880 –> 00:21:45,160and many Christians find41300:21:45,160 –> 00:21:47,760it’s a great way to start the day.41400:21:47,760 –> 00:21:48,739At Open The Bible41500:21:49,380 –> 00:21:50,959we welcome contact with our listeners.41600:21:50,959 –> 00:21:54,000If you’ve been blessed by Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching41700:21:54,000 –> 00:21:56,060and you’d like to reach out to us41800:21:56,060 –> 00:21:58,459you can write to us at Open the Bible41900:21:58,459 –> 00:22:03,459P.O. box 1420 Cheltenham GL 50 9PG.42000:22:05,540 –> 00:22:07,180That’s Okn the Bible42100:22:07,180 –> 00:22:12,180P.O. box 1420 Cheltenham GL 50 9PG.42200:22:13,939 –> 00:22:16,079Our address and telephone number42300:22:16,119 –> 00:22:19,140and email address are available on our website42400:22:19,140 –> 00:22:23,000Openthebible.org.uk.42500:22:23,000 –> 00:22:25,560Open the Bible is able to stay on this station42600:22:25,560 –> 00:22:28,520and the internet and available as a podcast42700:22:28,520 –> 00:22:31,599because of the generous financial support of our listeners.42800:22:31,599 –> 00:22:33,459That’s people like you.42900:22:33,459 –> 00:22:35,920And if you already give to support the work43000:22:35,920 –> 00:22:37,739thank you so much.43100:22:37,739 –> 00:22:39,079If supporting Open the Bible43200:22:39,079 –> 00:22:40,800is something you’d like to start doing43300:22:40,800 –> 00:22:44,520this month we’re delighted to offer a free gift.43400:22:44,880 –> 00:22:47,079When you set up a new direct debit43500:22:47,079 –> 00:22:48,680to the work of Open the Bible43600:22:48,680 –> 00:22:51,520in the amount of five pounds per month or more43700:22:51,520 –> 00:22:54,319or a one-off gift of £50 or more43800:22:54,319 –> 00:22:57,959we’d love to say thank you by sending you a free copy43900:22:57,959 –> 00:22:59,739of Pastor Colin’s new book,44000:22:59,739 –> 00:23:01,439Hike Through the Bible.44100:23:01,439 –> 00:23:04,839Colin, where did the idea for this book come from?44200:23:04,839 –> 00:23:06,119Well that goes back a long way.44300:23:06,119 –> 00:23:10,000Actually 30 years to a conference I attended in the UK44400:23:10,000 –> 00:23:14,079and at lunchtime I just happened to sit next to a man44500:23:14,079 –> 00:23:17,540who had given his life to serving as a pioneer missionary44600:23:17,540 –> 00:23:21,040to an unreached tribal group in northern Thailand.44700:23:21,040 –> 00:23:24,579His story was absolutely fascinating.44800:23:24,579 –> 00:23:27,380He told me how he had met the tribal chief,44900:23:27,380 –> 00:23:30,079how he built his own home having been invited45000:23:30,079 –> 00:23:32,680to live among these people, learned their language.45100:23:32,680 –> 00:23:35,699When I’m listening to his story, it was amazing.45200:23:35,699 –> 00:23:37,839And then I asked him over lunch,45300:23:37,839 –> 00:23:40,699Tony, I said where in the world45400:23:40,699 –> 00:23:43,280would you begin in explaining the gospel45500:23:43,359 –> 00:23:47,079to people who don’t even know who God is?45600:23:47,079 –> 00:23:51,000And he said, we tell them the Bible story,45700:23:51,000 –> 00:23:52,979and that really started me on a journey45800:23:52,979 –> 00:23:54,859that’s gone over many, many years45900:23:54,859 –> 00:23:59,040because God has introduced his son to us46000:23:59,040 –> 00:24:02,780through an unfolding story that begins in Genesis46100:24:02,780 –> 00:24:04,599and it ends in revelation.46200:24:04,599 –> 00:24:09,079And actually if we follow the contours of the Bible story,46300:24:09,079 –> 00:24:11,560we have the best possible introduction46400:24:11,560 –> 00:24:15,040to understanding, who Jesus is, why we need him,46500:24:15,040 –> 00:24:18,439what he’s able to accomplish, what he’s done for us.46600:24:18,439 –> 00:24:21,400And so, Hike Through the Bible is very simply46700:24:21,400 –> 00:24:24,439an introduction to the whole of the Bible story.46800:24:24,439 –> 00:24:26,079It shows how it’s all pointing46900:24:26,079 –> 00:24:28,079towards the Lord Jesus Christ.47000:24:28,079 –> 00:24:29,560And I hope that it’s gonna be helpful47100:24:29,560 –> 00:24:31,920and encouraging for many, many people.47200:24:31,920 –> 00:24:34,400Well, we’d love to send you Colin’s new book47300:24:34,400 –> 00:24:36,619when you set up a New Direct Debit47400:24:36,619 –> 00:24:39,160of £5 per month or more47500:24:39,199 –> 00:24:42,880or a oneoff gift of £50 or more this month.47600:24:42,880 –> 00:24:44,920Full terms and conditions online at47700:24:44,920 –> 00:24:48,560our website, openthebible.org.uk47800:24:48,560 –> 00:24:50,760and you can give online.47900:24:50,760 –> 00:24:52,520Don’t forget to leave your name48000:24:52,520 –> 00:24:55,599and address, so we can send you your gift.48100:24:55,599 –> 00:24:57,959For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,48200:24:57,959 –> 00:25:00,219I’m David Pick and I look forward48300:25:00,219 –> 00:25:02,660to being with you again next time.48400:25:02,979 –> 00:25:05,420Where can you find God?48500:25:05,420 –> 00:25:08,180Where is he and what is he like?48600:25:08,180 –> 00:25:11,959God hasn’t left you to make up your own answer.48700:25:11,959 –> 00:25:13,920Discover the real answers next48800:25:13,920 –> 00:25:17,760time on Open the Bible.