Born and Risen

1 Timothy 3:16

Pastor Colin Smith delivers a sermon focused on 1 Timothy 3:16, delving into the meaning of godliness. He explains that being godly means being set apart for God, belonging to Him, and becoming increasingly like Him over time.

Pastor Colin emphasises that Jesus Christ is central to achieving godliness. Referring to the verse, he highlights six marvellous statements about Jesus, revealing that through Christ, believers can fulfil their God-given purpose.

He delves into the “mystery of godliness,” explaining how it involves beholding Jesus’ glory, which transforms believers into His likeness. Pastor Colin underlines the incarnation of Jesus, God becoming man, and the vital roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in this divine plan.

He further explains that knowing God requires Him to reveal Himself and granting believers the ability to see His revelation in Jesus. Humility and a childlike spirit are necessary to truly understand and accept this divine knowledge.

Concluding, Pastor Colin emphasises the power of the resurrection, vindicated by the Spirit, as proof of Jesus’ divinity and love. He encourages believers to continue in godliness, strengthened by the knowledge of Christ’s manifestation and their future vindication in Him.

1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,000 Youíre listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 2 00:00:07,000 –> 00:00:15,020 To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website open- the- bible-dot-org. 3 00:00:15,020 –> 00:00:17,480 Letís get to the message. 4 00:00:17,480 –> 00:00:19,959 Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:19,959 –> 00:00:22,020 Well good morning everyone. 6 00:00:22,059 –> 00:00:28,400 If you would open your bible at 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. 7 00:00:28,400 –> 00:00:33,740 This verse is the focus of our reflection in these weeks leading up to Christmas. 8 00:00:33,740 –> 00:00:40,720 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 where we read these words. 9 00:00:40,720 –> 00:00:45,439 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. 10 00:00:45,439 –> 00:00:51,919 He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit. 11 00:00:51,980 –> 00:01:03,240 Seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 12 00:01:03,240 –> 00:01:07,820 The mystery of godliness. 13 00:01:07,820 –> 00:01:16,279 We saw last week that to be godly means very simply that you’re God’s man or God’s woman. 14 00:01:16,279 –> 00:01:20,779 God has set apart the godly for himself. 15 00:01:21,139 –> 00:01:28,860 A person who is godly knows that above everything else, he or she belongs to God. 16 00:01:28,860 –> 00:01:36,320 A godly person loves God, walks with God, lives for God, desires God, and so over time 17 00:01:36,320 –> 00:01:40,620 becomes increasingly like God. 18 00:01:40,620 –> 00:01:42,980 Godliness is what you were made for. 19 00:01:42,980 –> 00:01:46,739 God made us for himself. 20 00:01:46,779 –> 00:01:53,199 But the impulse, of course, of our fallen human nature, is not to be God’s man or God’s 21 00:01:53,199 –> 00:01:58,419 woman but to be, as it were, our own man, to be your own woman. 22 00:01:58,419 –> 00:02:00,459 So how can you be godly? 23 00:02:00,459 –> 00:02:06,779 How can you fulfil the purpose for which God made you, and live the life to which God calls 24 00:02:06,779 –> 00:02:08,020 you? 25 00:02:08,020 –> 00:02:14,419 That is the theme of this verse, and Paul refers to it as the mystery of godliness. 26 00:02:14,899 –> 00:02:21,899 How you can live the life for which God made you and to which He calls you. 27 00:02:22,539 –> 00:02:27,580 And we saw that this word mystery in the Bible has a very distinct meaning. 28 00:02:27,580 –> 00:02:30,940 It doesn’t mean a puzzle that you can’t sort out. 29 00:02:30,940 –> 00:02:37,660 Rather in the Bible a mystery is very simply a secret that God has revealed, though its 30 00:02:37,660 –> 00:02:42,100 full wonder is still to be made known. 31 00:02:42,100 –> 00:02:44,899 So what then is this mystery of godliness? 32 00:02:44,899 –> 00:02:49,660 In other words, the secret that God has made known, though its full wonder has still not 33 00:02:49,660 –> 00:02:51,380 been revealed. 34 00:02:51,380 –> 00:02:55,740 What is the secret of how you can live the life to which God calls you, the life for 35 00:02:55,740 –> 00:02:57,059 which you were made? 36 00:02:57,059 –> 00:03:01,979 And the answer to that is that the mystery of godliness is Jesus. 37 00:03:01,979 –> 00:03:08,020 Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness, He! 38 00:03:08,059 –> 00:03:14,559 And then follow six marvellous statements about our Lord Jesus Christ. 39 00:03:14,559 –> 00:03:19,100 So get this established in your mind and in your heart it’s our focus in the lead up to 40 00:03:19,100 –> 00:03:20,539 Christmas this year. 41 00:03:20,539 –> 00:03:26,880 The open secret that God has revealed, though its full wonder is still to be made known, 42 00:03:26,880 –> 00:03:37,300 is that through Jesus Christ, that is particularly when Jesus Christ is in you you can fulfil 43 00:03:37,300 –> 00:03:43,759 the purpose for which God has made you and live the life to which he calls you. 44 00:03:43,759 –> 00:03:49,360 Now we are going to focus then on how this actually happens. 45 00:03:49,559 –> 00:03:59,080 And who this Christ is who comes to dwell in those who draw near to him in humble faith? 46 00:03:59,080 –> 00:04:06,679 How can you indeed grow in this godliness to which God calls you, which is made possible 47 00:04:06,679 –> 00:04:11,419 for you in and through Jesus Christ. 48 00:04:11,419 –> 00:04:16,359 Well there is a great principle in the Bible that has sometimes been described in these 49 00:04:17,239 –> 00:04:27,040 words, becoming by beholding and it’s stated most clearly in 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 50 00:04:27,040 –> 00:04:30,739 and verse 18 where Paul says this. 51 00:04:30,739 –> 00:04:43,760 We all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the lord are being transformed into the 52 00:04:43,760 –> 00:04:47,739 same image from one degree of glory to another. 53 00:04:47,739 –> 00:04:56,480 So, notice that he’s telling us very clearly how we are changed, how we are transformed 54 00:04:56,480 –> 00:04:59,559 into the image of the lord Jesus Christ. 55 00:04:59,559 –> 00:05:02,079 We’re being transformed into the same image. 56 00:05:02,079 –> 00:05:03,179 How does it happen? 57 00:05:03,179 –> 00:05:05,799 Here’s how it happens. 58 00:05:05,799 –> 00:05:10,079 Beholding the glory of the lord. 59 00:05:10,079 –> 00:05:12,119 Becoming by beholding. 60 00:05:12,160 –> 00:05:17,839 You become more like Jesus inasmuch as you behold the glory of the Jesus you seek to 61 00:05:17,839 –> 00:05:19,059 become like. 62 00:05:19,059 –> 00:05:25,519 Is that not then why Paul moves so quickly from the mystery of godliness, how you can 63 00:05:25,519 –> 00:05:30,980 live the life to which God calls you to the greatness and glory of Jesus because the more 64 00:05:30,980 –> 00:05:36,760 you behold this Jesus in all of his glory, who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated 65 00:05:36,760 –> 00:05:41,959 by the spirit, seen by angels and so forth, the more we behold his glory, the more we 66 00:05:42,119 –> 00:05:46,320 will be transformed into his likeness. 67 00:05:46,320 –> 00:05:51,959 That is why in the weeks up to Christmas then with our hearts set on godliness we want to 68 00:05:51,959 –> 00:05:54,600 behold the glory of Jesus. 69 00:05:54,600 –> 00:06:03,640 Right here in this verse the glory of Jesus born and risen, the glory of Jesus seen proclaimed 70 00:06:03,640 –> 00:06:08,959 and the glory of Jesus believed on and glorified. 71 00:06:08,959 –> 00:06:14,260 For the first two of these today I hope you have this wonderful verse open in front of 72 00:06:14,260 –> 00:06:15,260 you. 73 00:06:15,260 –> 00:06:20,320 Great, indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. 74 00:06:20,320 –> 00:06:23,019 Here it is. 75 00:06:23,019 –> 00:06:31,059 He was manifested in the flesh. 76 00:06:31,059 –> 00:06:36,899 Now here very obviously we come to the heart of the Christmas story. 77 00:06:36,899 –> 00:06:45,480 Because we’ve just heard the work became flesh and dwelt among us. 78 00:06:45,480 –> 00:06:52,119 God became a man in Christ Jesus. 79 00:06:52,119 –> 00:06:56,839 And of course what Paul is saying here is that the incarnation, that’s God becoming 80 00:06:56,839 –> 00:07:01,859 a man in Christ Jesus, the incarnation is a mystery. 81 00:07:01,859 –> 00:07:09,140 That is, it is a secret that God has revealed, but its full wonder is still to be made known. 82 00:07:09,140 –> 00:07:15,019 Let’s gaze into this mystery as we prepare for Christmas this year. 83 00:07:15,019 –> 00:07:25,540 God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were all actively engaged in the miracle 84 00:07:25,540 –> 00:07:28,760 of the incarnation. 85 00:07:28,760 –> 00:07:36,019 The incarnation God becoming man in Christ Jesus happened at the initiative of the Father. 86 00:07:36,019 –> 00:07:41,559 The Father sent his Son into the world. 87 00:07:41,559 –> 00:07:50,119 There’s a remarkable statement in Hebrews 10 and verse 5 on the work of the Father in 88 00:07:50,119 –> 00:07:54,239 regards to the birth of Jesus Christ. 89 00:07:54,880 –> 00:07:56,559 We read this. 90 00:07:56,559 –> 00:08:00,200 When Christ came into the world he said, 91 00:08:00,200 –> 00:08:05,899 sacrifices and offerings you have not desired but 92 00:08:05,899 –> 00:08:13,239 a body you have prepared for me. 93 00:08:13,239 –> 00:08:20,440 Isn’t that a remarkable statement, that Jesus should say to the Father, 94 00:08:20,559 –> 00:08:24,700 you’re the one that prepared a body for me. 95 00:08:24,700 –> 00:08:31,200 The Father, in other words, was the designer of the incarnation. 96 00:08:31,200 –> 00:08:33,880 Marvel at this. 97 00:08:33,880 –> 00:08:44,719 The Father designed, architected if you like, a body for the Son. 98 00:08:44,820 –> 00:08:52,320 The incarnation, in other words, is a miracle designed by God Himself that therefore only 99 00:08:52,320 –> 00:08:57,479 God Himself can know its full wonder. 100 00:08:57,479 –> 00:09:00,260 Why a body? 101 00:09:00,260 –> 00:09:09,299 Why did the Father design a body so that God could become man in Jesus Christ? 102 00:09:09,299 –> 00:09:13,960 Why this design of the incarnation that came from the Father Himself? 103 00:09:14,700 –> 00:09:16,599 Three reasons. 104 00:09:16,599 –> 00:09:26,780 Jesus took our flesh so that by becoming one with us He could live the life to which God 105 00:09:26,780 –> 00:09:32,020 has called us and live it on our behalf. 106 00:09:32,020 –> 00:09:35,580 That’s why God became a man in Christ Jesus. 107 00:09:35,580 –> 00:09:43,039 Second, Jesus took our flesh so that He could offer this perfect 108 00:09:43,039 –> 00:09:50,359 life that He lived on our behalf as a sacrifice for our sins. 109 00:09:50,359 –> 00:09:55,880 Hebrews 10 makes this very very clear in the statement that we just looked at. 110 00:09:55,880 –> 00:09:57,419 It begins by telling us… 111 00:09:57,419 –> 00:10:05,099 Hebrews Chapter 10 and verse 4, that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats 112 00:10:05,099 –> 00:10:08,619 to take away sins. 113 00:10:08,619 –> 00:10:13,679 So all that was happening in the Old Testament with all of these sacrifices being made day 114 00:10:13,679 –> 00:10:17,299 after day, week after week, and year after year… 115 00:10:17,299 –> 00:10:22,179 None of it could actually take away sin. 116 00:10:22,179 –> 00:10:24,179 And the book of Hebrews goes on to say… 117 00:10:24,179 –> 00:10:31,099 Consequently, therefore, because the old testament sacrifices could not take away sin, consequently 118 00:10:31,099 –> 00:10:36,159 when Jesus came into the world He said a body you have prepared for me. 119 00:10:36,960 –> 00:10:43,000 In other words, I have come to do what the sacrifices in the Old testament could never 120 00:10:43,000 –> 00:10:44,000 accomplish. 121 00:10:44,000 –> 00:10:46,020 I have come to be the sacrifice. 122 00:10:46,020 –> 00:10:48,739 I have come to take away sin. 123 00:10:48,739 –> 00:10:54,559 And it is for this reason that Jesus Christ became one with us. 124 00:10:54,559 –> 00:10:57,239 I have come to do your will, Christ says. 125 00:10:57,239 –> 00:11:01,500 Hebrews chapter ten and verse seven. 126 00:11:01,500 –> 00:11:08,280 And that will involved not only God becoming a man in Jesus but Jesus laying down that 127 00:11:08,280 –> 00:11:13,840 perfect life that he lived as a sacrifice for our sins, which is why the New testament 128 00:11:13,840 –> 00:11:23,679 emphasizes that Jesus suffered in the flesh, took our place, he was our substitute, he 129 00:11:23,739 –> 00:11:31,280 went to the cross for us, he bore our sins in his body on the tree, he could not have 130 00:11:31,280 –> 00:11:40,580 done that except that the body was designed and that God became man in Christ Jesus. 131 00:11:40,580 –> 00:11:44,940 He became one with us in the flesh that he could live the life that God calls us to live 132 00:11:44,940 –> 00:11:47,179 so that he could lay it down as a sacrifice. 133 00:11:47,219 –> 00:11:55,200 The third, and this is marvelous, he took a body like ours so that he could transform 134 00:11:55,200 –> 00:11:58,380 it in his resurrection. 135 00:11:58,380 –> 00:12:06,599 In a resurrection body that would become the pattern and the prototype of ours. 136 00:12:07,200 –> 00:12:16,840 Look of the marvel of this miracle of the incarnation designed by God the Father for 137 00:12:16,840 –> 00:12:19,780 your eternal good. 138 00:12:19,780 –> 00:12:25,419 Not only was the Father involved though, as the designer here, a body you have prepared 139 00:12:25,419 –> 00:12:34,659 for me, but the Holy Spirit was directly the operating agent in the bringing about of the 140 00:12:34,659 –> 00:12:36,659 incarnation. 141 00:12:36,659 –> 00:12:39,580 This is repeated three times in the Christmas story. 142 00:12:39,580 –> 00:12:46,580 You remember the words of the angel to Mary, the angel answered her when she asked, how 143 00:12:46,580 –> 00:12:47,580 will this be? 144 00:12:47,580 –> 00:12:55,299 How will the one who is promised come to be born since I am a virgin and the angel answered 145 00:12:55,299 –> 00:13:00,059 the Holy Spirit will come upon you? 146 00:13:00,059 –> 00:13:03,059 The power of the most high will overshadow you. 147 00:13:03,059 –> 00:13:07,960 Therefore the child to be born will be called wholly the son of God. 148 00:13:07,960 –> 00:13:15,780 Matthew tells us that Mary was founds to be with child from the Holy Spirit and the angel 149 00:13:15,780 –> 00:13:21,900 revealed to Joseph, do not fear to take Mary to be your wife for that which is conceived 150 00:13:21,900 –> 00:13:27,080 in her is from the Holy Spirit. 151 00:13:27,099 –> 00:13:35,260 So gaze into the marvel of this mystery, that God the Father designed a body for God the 152 00:13:35,260 –> 00:13:45,479 Son, but it was God the Spirit who formed the human nature of our Lord Jesus Christ 153 00:13:45,479 –> 00:13:50,039 in the womb of the virgin Mary. 154 00:13:50,039 –> 00:13:54,500 Great indeed is this mystery. 155 00:13:54,500 –> 00:14:07,780 Here is the secret that God has revealed though it’s full wonder is yet to be made known. 156 00:14:07,780 –> 00:14:12,580 And not only was it the initiative of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, it 157 00:14:12,580 –> 00:14:20,080 was very clearly, the incarnation, was very clearly the choice of God the Son. 158 00:14:20,080 –> 00:14:27,880 God the Son freely and willingly chose to leave the glory of heaven and to be born of 159 00:14:27,880 –> 00:14:29,039 Mary for us. 160 00:14:29,039 –> 00:14:33,919 We have this in Philippians and Chapter 2 that most of you know well, though he was 161 00:14:33,919 –> 00:14:36,479 in the form of God. 162 00:14:36,479 –> 00:14:40,559 He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. 163 00:14:40,559 –> 00:14:41,559 But what did he do? 164 00:14:41,559 –> 00:14:43,000 What did the son of God do? 165 00:14:43,239 –> 00:14:52,380 He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men. 166 00:14:52,380 –> 00:14:55,799 Look at what God the Son has done. 167 00:14:55,799 –> 00:15:01,359 He exchanged the riches of heaven for a manger in Bethlehem. 168 00:15:01,359 –> 00:15:07,479 He exchanged the praise and the worship of angels for the insults and for the mockery 169 00:15:07,479 –> 00:15:09,520 of men. 170 00:15:09,520 –> 00:15:16,719 He exchanged the joyful fellowship with a Father that He had always known from all eternity 171 00:15:16,719 –> 00:15:21,000 for a life in which at one point, He would cry out in utter darkness, 172 00:15:21,000 –> 00:15:26,780 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? 173 00:15:26,780 –> 00:15:35,039 And He made this choice, not under any degree of compulsion, but freely and willingly out 174 00:15:35,039 –> 00:15:38,719 of love for you. 175 00:15:38,719 –> 00:15:41,260 We are gazing into a mystery here, aren’t we? 176 00:15:41,260 –> 00:15:44,799 I mean, this staggers the mind. 177 00:15:44,799 –> 00:15:50,820 God has revealed the marvelous truth of the incarnation, but the more you stare at it, 178 00:15:50,820 –> 00:15:56,440 the more you say, well, the full wonder of it has not yet been made known. 179 00:15:56,440 –> 00:16:02,359 But do you see how clearly and how deeply God loves you? 180 00:16:02,679 –> 00:16:13,340 The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, operating together as one for what? 181 00:16:13,340 –> 00:16:18,640 For you and for your salvation. 182 00:16:18,640 –> 00:16:24,359 It was for this reason that Jesus Christ came into the world. 183 00:16:24,359 –> 00:16:37,099 Great indeed is the mystery of godliness, he was manifested in the flesh. 184 00:16:37,099 –> 00:16:45,500 Now this word manifested means simply made known. 185 00:16:45,500 –> 00:16:54,320 And here it’s important to observe that in order to come to know god, 186 00:16:54,320 –> 00:16:57,460 two things needs to happen. 187 00:16:57,460 –> 00:16:59,859 The first is that God must make himself known. 188 00:16:59,859 –> 00:17:03,179 You know we’ll never find God unless he makes himself known. 189 00:17:03,179 –> 00:17:07,079 He’s invisible, no one has ever seen God. 190 00:17:07,079 –> 00:17:13,180 And God has made himself known in Jesus, that’s the wonderful truth of the incarnation. 191 00:17:13,180 –> 00:17:15,260 John chapter 1 in verse 18 192 00:17:15,260 –> 00:17:19,119 No one has ever seen God. 193 00:17:19,119 –> 00:17:27,060 But the only God who is at the Father side, he has made him known. 194 00:17:27,060 –> 00:17:29,719 But here’s the problem. 195 00:17:29,719 –> 00:17:34,640 Even this side of the incarnation, 2000 years on from the incarnation, 196 00:17:34,640 –> 00:17:37,160 God has made himself known in Jesus Christ. 197 00:17:37,160 –> 00:17:39,239 God became man in Jesus Christ. 198 00:17:39,560 –> 00:17:41,260 God has come into our world. 199 00:17:41,680 –> 00:17:48,839 But, the world into which he has come cannot see what God has made known in Jesus. 200 00:17:48,839 –> 00:17:52,300 John says it this way in the words that were read for us earlier, 201 00:17:52,300 –> 00:17:59,640 He, that is Jesus was in the world and the world was made through him. 202 00:17:59,640 –> 00:18:05,239 Yet the world did not know him. 203 00:18:05,239 –> 00:18:08,359 God made himself known in Jesus. 204 00:18:08,359 –> 00:18:14,800 Yet millions and millions of people today are no nearer to God 205 00:18:14,800 –> 00:18:17,479 than if Jesus had never come into the world. 206 00:18:19,280 –> 00:18:27,619 Something else must happen if people are to come to know God in Jesus. 207 00:18:28,280 –> 00:18:31,380 Now this is seen all over the New Testament 208 00:18:31,380 –> 00:18:33,099 and it’s so very very important. 209 00:18:33,140 –> 00:18:38,380 You see it particularly in a fascinating interaction 210 00:18:38,380 –> 00:18:42,800 between Our Lord Jesus and one of his disciples Philip. 211 00:18:42,800 –> 00:18:46,760 This is in John 14 and verses 8 & 9. 212 00:18:46,760 –> 00:18:51,459 Philip one of the disciples says to Jesus 213 00:18:51,459 –> 00:18:54,719 Lord show us the Father and it is enough for us. 214 00:18:55,500 –> 00:18:58,660 And Jesus then says to Philip 215 00:18:58,660 –> 00:19:02,599 Have I been with you so long 216 00:19:02,599 –> 00:19:06,540 and still you do not know me. 217 00:19:09,040 –> 00:19:10,599 Still you don’t know me. 218 00:19:11,880 –> 00:19:13,579 I’ve come into the world. 219 00:19:15,199 –> 00:19:18,599 You’ve been in the circle around me for years. 220 00:19:19,380 –> 00:19:22,079 Still you do not know me. 221 00:19:23,640 –> 00:19:26,339 Still you’re acting as if something else needs 222 00:19:26,339 –> 00:19:27,739 to happen for you to be brought 223 00:19:27,739 –> 00:19:29,280 into a relationship with God. 224 00:19:29,280 –> 00:19:32,000 Still you’re sitting out there on the fringe. 225 00:19:33,640 –> 00:19:35,739 Don’t you understand Philip? 226 00:19:35,739 –> 00:19:39,079 Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. 227 00:19:40,739 –> 00:19:42,839 Do you see the quandary here? 228 00:19:42,839 –> 00:19:44,939 God has made himself known in Jesus. 229 00:19:44,939 –> 00:19:46,359 Jesus has come into the world 230 00:19:46,500 –> 00:19:47,619 Jesus has come into the world 231 00:19:47,619 –> 00:19:50,619 and here’s someone who’s in the circle around Jesus. 232 00:19:50,619 –> 00:19:54,160 And yet still he does not know him, 233 00:19:54,959 –> 00:19:56,459 even after years. 234 00:19:57,540 –> 00:19:59,880 Now that reminds us of this very important truth 235 00:19:59,880 –> 00:20:02,739 that if a person is to come to know God, 236 00:20:02,739 –> 00:20:04,140 two things must happen. 237 00:20:04,140 –> 00:20:06,520 One is that God must make himself known, 238 00:20:06,520 –> 00:20:10,359 which he has done in the sending of his son into the world. 239 00:20:10,359 –> 00:20:14,380 But second, we need God to give us the ability 240 00:20:14,400 –> 00:20:18,780 to see what he has made known in Jesus. 241 00:20:19,939 –> 00:20:21,599 Now that very important truth of course 242 00:20:21,599 –> 00:20:24,780 is written all over the Christmas story. 243 00:20:25,739 –> 00:20:30,739 How in the world could shepherds out in the fields 244 00:20:30,760 –> 00:20:33,119 keeping watch over their flocks by night, 245 00:20:33,119 –> 00:20:35,739 how could they ever have known 246 00:20:35,739 –> 00:20:39,040 that a baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem 247 00:20:39,040 –> 00:20:43,040 was actually God manifested in the flesh? 248 00:20:43,040 –> 00:20:44,780 There’s only one answer to that question. 249 00:20:44,780 –> 00:20:48,380 How could they know God told them? 250 00:20:48,380 –> 00:20:50,219 So in order for them to come to know, 251 00:20:50,219 –> 00:20:51,800 it needed not only that God would come 252 00:20:51,800 –> 00:20:53,819 into the world in Christ but that God will reveal 253 00:20:53,819 –> 00:20:55,660 what he had done in Jesus Christ 254 00:20:55,660 –> 00:20:57,939 and that he did through the angels 255 00:20:57,939 –> 00:21:00,040 who appeared to the shepherds who said, 256 00:21:00,040 –> 00:21:02,979 do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy 257 00:21:02,979 –> 00:21:04,819 that will be for all people to you. 258 00:21:04,819 –> 00:21:07,180 Is born this day in the city of David 259 00:21:07,180 –> 00:21:09,119 a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 260 00:21:09,119 –> 00:21:10,719 This is gonna be a sign to you, 261 00:21:10,719 –> 00:21:13,459 you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes 262 00:21:13,459 –> 00:21:14,780 and lying in the manger. 263 00:21:14,780 –> 00:21:16,280 And when the angels left, 264 00:21:16,280 –> 00:21:19,079 the shepherd said let us go to Bethlehem 265 00:21:19,079 –> 00:21:21,040 and see this thing that has happened 266 00:21:21,040 –> 00:21:25,540 which the Lord has made known to us. 267 00:21:27,579 –> 00:21:29,040 If the Lord hadn’t made it known to them, 268 00:21:29,040 –> 00:21:30,180 they would have spent the whole night, 269 00:21:30,180 –> 00:21:32,060 the next night and the rest of their lives 270 00:21:32,060 –> 00:21:33,479 out on the hills, wouldn’t they? 271 00:21:33,479 –> 00:21:35,380 They’d never have come to know Jesus. 272 00:21:36,880 –> 00:21:38,579 But the Lord made it known to them. 273 00:21:39,520 –> 00:21:41,119 And that’s why they came. 274 00:21:42,859 –> 00:21:45,339 And of course it was the same with the wise men. 275 00:21:46,599 –> 00:21:51,599 How could these kings from remote lands possibly ever 276 00:21:52,479 –> 00:21:56,680 have known where and when the Savior was to be born? 277 00:21:56,680 –> 00:21:59,680 The answer very simply is God told them. 278 00:22:00,660 –> 00:22:04,040 He sent a star to guide them. 279 00:22:04,040 –> 00:22:07,560 It went Matthew tells us before them, 280 00:22:07,560 –> 00:22:12,560 until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 281 00:22:15,199 –> 00:22:17,760 Now, these are not just features of the Christmas story, 282 00:22:17,760 –> 00:22:20,880 this is a theme that runs right through the gospel 283 00:22:20,880 –> 00:22:22,920 and applies directly to our own knowledge 284 00:22:22,920 –> 00:22:25,380 of God today which is why it’s so important. 285 00:22:25,380 –> 00:22:27,699 You see the same thing with Simon Peter. 286 00:22:28,680 –> 00:22:30,439 You remember that after the disciples 287 00:22:30,439 –> 00:22:31,819 had been following Jesus, 288 00:22:31,819 –> 00:22:33,140 and remember from the incident 289 00:22:33,199 –> 00:22:36,040 with Philip, that not all of them are seeing clearly 290 00:22:36,040 –> 00:22:39,859 that Jesus is indeed God in the flesh. 291 00:22:39,859 –> 00:22:41,439 But there was an occasion, 292 00:22:41,439 –> 00:22:44,260 at a place called Caesarea Philippi, 293 00:22:44,260 –> 00:22:47,660 where Jesus directly asked the disciples, 294 00:22:47,660 –> 00:22:51,300 who do you say that I am? 295 00:22:52,400 –> 00:22:53,880 And Peter stepped forward, 296 00:22:53,880 –> 00:22:56,300 and in one of his great moments he said 297 00:22:56,300 –> 00:23:01,219 you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 298 00:23:02,199 –> 00:23:04,640 Do you remember what Jesus said to him next? 299 00:23:06,199 –> 00:23:08,359 Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, 300 00:23:09,579 –> 00:23:12,699 flesh and blood has not revealed this to you 301 00:23:12,699 –> 00:23:16,420 but my Father who is in Heaven. 302 00:23:18,219 –> 00:23:20,380 Now friends it’s the same for us. 303 00:23:21,359 –> 00:23:23,640 How can you come to know God? 304 00:23:24,579 –> 00:23:25,760 Two things must happen, 305 00:23:25,760 –> 00:23:29,880 one, God makes himself known in Jesus 306 00:23:29,900 –> 00:23:31,479 and that’s what we celebrate at Christmas, 307 00:23:31,479 –> 00:23:35,859 second, God gives the ability to see 308 00:23:35,859 –> 00:23:39,260 what he has made known in Jesus. 309 00:23:40,739 –> 00:23:43,579 So here’s the problem that our world faces, 310 00:23:43,579 –> 00:23:45,180 Paul puts it this way, 311 00:23:45,180 –> 00:23:50,180 our Gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. 312 00:23:52,119 –> 00:23:54,939 God comes into the world in Jesus Christ, 313 00:23:54,939 –> 00:23:58,180 manifested in the flesh, unveiling his glory 314 00:24:00,699 –> 00:24:02,599 but there’s a blindness in human nature 315 00:24:02,599 –> 00:24:05,760 that can’t see the glory of God, even when it’s revealed. 316 00:24:07,560 –> 00:24:09,040 And what’s the answer to that? 317 00:24:09,040 –> 00:24:10,920 Well, the Apostle Paul puts it this way 318 00:24:10,920 –> 00:24:13,119 in 2 Corinthians chapter four in verse six, 319 00:24:13,119 –> 00:24:16,439 God who makes the light shine out of darkness 320 00:24:16,439 –> 00:24:18,400 or into darkness says, 321 00:24:20,579 –> 00:24:23,839 he makes his light shining into our hearts 322 00:24:24,880 –> 00:24:28,719 to give us the light of the knowledge 323 00:24:28,760 –> 00:24:33,199 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 324 00:24:35,479 –> 00:24:36,959 That’s how a person becomes a Christian. 325 00:24:36,959 –> 00:24:40,280 God shines a light into the heart 326 00:24:40,280 –> 00:24:44,680 and you begin to see in Jesus what you never saw before, 327 00:24:46,459 –> 00:24:49,119 and every Christian has a personal testimony to that. 328 00:24:51,000 –> 00:24:52,959 Now, does that then mean 329 00:24:53,880 –> 00:24:57,239 that a person who does not yet have 330 00:24:57,300 –> 00:24:59,219 a living relationship with God 331 00:25:00,140 –> 00:25:02,939 needs to just sit around 332 00:25:02,939 –> 00:25:06,560 and wait until God shines the light into their hearts? 333 00:25:06,560 –> 00:25:07,900 Is that the implication? 334 00:25:07,900 –> 00:25:09,020 No. 335 00:25:10,119 –> 00:25:11,660 Listen to these words of Jesus. 336 00:25:11,660 –> 00:25:13,140 They’re very important 337 00:25:13,140 –> 00:25:18,140 on how you can come to know the truth of Jesus Christ, 338 00:25:18,280 –> 00:25:21,400 how you can come to know God in Jesus Christ. 339 00:25:21,400 –> 00:25:24,640 Matthew 11 verses 25 and 26. 340 00:25:24,640 –> 00:25:26,699 Jesus declared, 341 00:25:26,699 –> 00:25:30,859 I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 342 00:25:32,380 –> 00:25:36,500 that you have hidden these things 343 00:25:38,099 –> 00:25:41,060 from the wise and the understanding 344 00:25:41,060 –> 00:25:45,680 and revealed them to little children. 345 00:25:47,599 –> 00:25:52,599 Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 346 00:25:53,260 –> 00:25:57,060 Now, ponder these words with me for a moment 347 00:25:57,060 –> 00:25:59,239 because they are telling us, 348 00:25:59,239 –> 00:26:01,140 this is the Son of God telling us 349 00:26:02,020 –> 00:26:03,939 how we can come to faith, 350 00:26:03,939 –> 00:26:05,699 how we can know, 351 00:26:05,699 –> 00:26:08,920 how the light will come into our hearts. 352 00:26:08,920 –> 00:26:13,079 First the negative, then the positive. 353 00:26:14,000 –> 00:26:15,739 The negative is, it is not 354 00:26:15,739 –> 00:26:19,439 a matter of intellectual ability. 355 00:26:20,439 –> 00:26:22,800 You have hidden these things, 356 00:26:22,800 –> 00:26:27,459 hidden them from the wise and from the understanding. 357 00:26:29,359 –> 00:26:32,880 It is not a matter of intellectual ability. 358 00:26:32,880 –> 00:26:35,739 Friends, that is the greatest good news 359 00:26:37,520 –> 00:26:41,599 because we are all born with very different degrees 360 00:26:41,599 –> 00:26:45,219 of intellectual ability 361 00:26:45,219 –> 00:26:48,959 and if knowing God was a matter of intelligence, 362 00:26:48,979 –> 00:26:52,079 it would be downright unfair 363 00:26:52,079 –> 00:26:54,540 because a few folks would have a huge advantage 364 00:26:54,540 –> 00:26:56,060 over all the rest of us 365 00:26:57,339 –> 00:26:59,760 but Jesus says no, that’s not how it is. 366 00:27:00,680 –> 00:27:04,339 Actually Father, you’ve hidden these things 367 00:27:04,339 –> 00:27:06,300 from the wise and the understanding 368 00:27:06,300 –> 00:27:07,199 which simply means this, 369 00:27:07,199 –> 00:27:09,000 the person who thinks they know it all, 370 00:27:09,000 –> 00:27:10,319 they don’t know it at all. 371 00:27:11,319 –> 00:27:13,239 You never come to a knowledge of the truth 372 00:27:13,239 –> 00:27:14,979 by thinking that you know it all. 373 00:27:15,939 –> 00:27:20,939 Intelligence gives enormous advantages in life 374 00:27:21,979 –> 00:27:24,099 but it gives no advantage whatsoever 375 00:27:24,099 –> 00:27:25,739 when it comes to knowing God. 376 00:27:27,239 –> 00:27:29,780 Coming from a stable in a prosperous family 377 00:27:29,780 –> 00:27:32,260 gives you enormous advantage in life 378 00:27:32,260 –> 00:27:35,260 but it gives you no advantage whatsoever 379 00:27:35,260 –> 00:27:38,819 when it comes to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. 380 00:27:38,819 –> 00:27:40,939 Here you are brought up in a Christian home, 381 00:27:40,939 –> 00:27:42,619 all of these advantages. 382 00:27:42,619 –> 00:27:43,859 That gives you no advantage 383 00:27:43,859 –> 00:27:46,060 when it comes to the knowledge of the truth. 384 00:27:46,979 –> 00:27:50,020 The danger is that you might become stuck up and arrogant 385 00:27:50,939 –> 00:27:53,339 and think you know it all. 386 00:27:53,339 –> 00:27:54,579 And you know what? 387 00:27:54,579 –> 00:27:56,660 The marvel and the mystery of Jesus Christ 388 00:27:56,660 –> 00:27:59,760 will remain a mystery to you. 389 00:27:59,760 –> 00:28:01,000 That’s a tragedy. 390 00:28:01,900 –> 00:28:02,739 Tragedy. 391 00:28:04,140 –> 00:28:05,959 Think you know it all. 392 00:28:08,579 –> 00:28:09,719 But flip that round, 393 00:28:09,719 –> 00:28:11,300 you may have drawn 394 00:28:11,300 –> 00:28:14,239 the most miserable combination possible 395 00:28:14,239 –> 00:28:15,400 out of the gene pool. 396 00:28:19,280 –> 00:28:22,300 You may have suffered every social, educational, 397 00:28:22,300 –> 00:28:25,300 or economic disadvantage imaginable. 398 00:28:27,660 –> 00:28:30,140 But when it comes to the greatest riches 399 00:28:30,140 –> 00:28:32,040 a person can ever know, 400 00:28:33,339 –> 00:28:38,339 the door of opportunity is wide open for you 401 00:28:38,880 –> 00:28:41,199 on one condition. 402 00:28:42,819 –> 00:28:43,859 And what is that? 403 00:28:43,859 –> 00:28:45,260 Please if we can just show that verse 404 00:28:45,260 –> 00:28:47,579 one more time at this point. 405 00:28:47,579 –> 00:28:52,579 You need to come to God as a little child. 406 00:28:56,180 –> 00:28:58,959 You have hidden these things from the wise 407 00:28:58,959 –> 00:29:02,780 and understanding and revealed them to who? 408 00:29:02,780 –> 00:29:04,000 Little children. 409 00:29:04,780 –> 00:29:08,780 That means that you need to humble yourself 410 00:29:08,780 –> 00:29:11,739 today before God. 411 00:29:14,040 –> 00:29:16,420 That means that if you ever want to know 412 00:29:16,420 –> 00:29:18,699 the greatest truth, the greatest mystery 413 00:29:18,699 –> 00:29:20,579 that has ever happened in the history of the world 414 00:29:20,579 –> 00:29:21,959 if you want to come to know God, 415 00:29:21,959 –> 00:29:24,119 if you want to come to know what he has done 416 00:29:24,119 –> 00:29:26,859 in Jesus Christ and who he is for you, 417 00:29:26,859 –> 00:29:29,079 you’ve got to come with a humility that says 418 00:29:29,079 –> 00:29:30,959 Lord, I need you to teach me. 419 00:29:31,619 –> 00:29:35,000 I don’t have this in and of myself. 420 00:29:36,880 –> 00:29:37,719 How could I? 421 00:29:39,160 –> 00:29:44,160 Humility, dependence, trust, love. 422 00:29:49,680 –> 00:29:52,199 Before an open Bible, 423 00:29:52,199 –> 00:29:56,540 Lord, teach me. 424 00:29:57,060 –> 00:30:00,180 And Jesus says, 425 00:30:00,180 –> 00:30:02,979 this is how the light comes into a heart. 426 00:30:02,979 –> 00:30:03,819 God is for you. 427 00:30:03,819 –> 00:30:06,520 God wants you to come to a knowledge of the truth. 428 00:30:06,520 –> 00:30:09,260 Light will come to you as you come before him 429 00:30:09,260 –> 00:30:11,339 with a humble spirit, 430 00:30:11,339 –> 00:30:14,079 seeking to know what he has revealed in the Scripture 431 00:30:14,079 –> 00:30:17,099 with regards to his son Jesus Christ. 432 00:30:19,859 –> 00:30:22,500 See, Mary captured this powerfully 433 00:30:22,500 –> 00:30:25,939 in her beautiful song that we know is the Magnificat. 434 00:30:26,839 –> 00:30:29,739 Look, chapter 1 verse 51. 435 00:30:29,739 –> 00:30:33,380 Mary uttered these marvelous words. 436 00:30:33,380 –> 00:30:37,180 God has scattered the proud 437 00:30:37,180 –> 00:30:39,780 in the thoughts of their hearts, 438 00:30:39,780 –> 00:30:43,420 but he has exalted those of humble estate. 439 00:30:43,420 –> 00:30:47,540 Scatters the proud, exalts the humble. 440 00:30:47,540 –> 00:30:49,219 You had nothing going for you. 441 00:30:49,219 –> 00:30:51,140 You’ve got the greatest door of opportunity 442 00:30:51,160 –> 00:30:52,420 wide open in front of you 443 00:30:52,420 –> 00:30:54,180 if you will come as a little child 444 00:30:54,180 –> 00:30:57,300 and if you will come in a humble teachable spirit 445 00:30:57,300 –> 00:30:59,900 and allow God himself to teach you through his Word. 446 00:31:01,979 –> 00:31:06,199 Then she says, he has filled the hungry with good things 447 00:31:06,199 –> 00:31:08,939 but the rich he has sent away empty. 448 00:31:08,939 –> 00:31:10,839 In other words, if you think you’ve already got it all, 449 00:31:10,839 –> 00:31:13,060 if you think your life’s just full and fine as it is, 450 00:31:13,060 –> 00:31:14,599 you go away absolutely empty 451 00:31:14,599 –> 00:31:15,520 and you never come to know 452 00:31:15,520 –> 00:31:17,260 what God has done in Jesus Christ. 453 00:31:17,260 –> 00:31:19,660 But if you have a great hunger and thirst in your soul, 454 00:31:19,660 –> 00:31:20,660 Oh God will feed you. 455 00:31:21,400 –> 00:31:22,300 So Paul says, 456 00:31:22,300 –> 00:31:25,160 I will grant you plenty of fruit 457 00:31:25,160 –> 00:31:27,699 in your knowledge untold. 458 00:31:27,699 –> 00:31:31,579 I ll grant you abundant fruit 459 00:31:31,579 –> 00:31:35,140 in the knowledge that you call me master. 460 00:31:44,900 –> 00:31:48,560 Paul had every privilege imaginable in life, 461 00:31:48,680 –> 00:31:52,079 he was manifested in the flesh. 462 00:31:54,079 –> 00:31:58,239 Now, how do we know that he was manifested in the flesh? 463 00:31:58,239 –> 00:32:03,160 How do we know that Jesus really is God with us? 464 00:32:03,199 –> 00:32:04,619 Well, we know it in this way, 465 00:32:04,619 –> 00:32:09,040 that he was vindicated by the Spirit, 466 00:32:09,040 –> 00:32:12,239 vindicated by the Spirit. 467 00:32:12,239 –> 00:32:13,500 And supremely, of course, 468 00:32:13,500 –> 00:32:15,920 Jesus is vindicated by the Spirit 469 00:32:15,920 –> 00:32:19,439 through his resurrection from the dead. 470 00:32:19,439 –> 00:32:22,839 And the resurrection of Jesus also is a mystery, 471 00:32:22,839 –> 00:32:25,079 a secret, that God has revealed, 472 00:32:25,079 –> 00:32:28,359 though its full wonder is still to be made known. 473 00:32:28,359 –> 00:32:31,140 And again, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit 474 00:32:31,140 –> 00:32:33,260 were all actively involved 475 00:32:33,260 –> 00:32:35,439 in the miracle of the resurrection. 476 00:32:35,439 –> 00:32:37,739 It was at the initiative of the Father. 477 00:32:37,739 –> 00:32:40,560 The Father, Paul says in Galatians 1-1, 478 00:32:40,560 –> 00:32:43,599 raised him from the dead. 479 00:32:43,599 –> 00:32:45,439 And yet, it was through the agency 480 00:32:45,479 –> 00:32:48,619 of the Holy Spirit 1-Peter 3 in verse 18 481 00:32:48,619 –> 00:32:50,160 and several other places. 482 00:32:50,160 –> 00:32:52,239 He was put to death in the flesh 483 00:32:52,239 –> 00:32:55,680 and he was made alive in the spirit. 484 00:32:55,680 –> 00:32:59,060 And yet, it was also the work of God the Son himself 485 00:32:59,060 –> 00:33:01,439 because he says in John chapter 10, 486 00:33:01,439 –> 00:33:04,560 I lay down my life and I take it up again. 487 00:33:04,560 –> 00:33:06,359 I have authority to lay it down. 488 00:33:06,359 –> 00:33:08,079 I have authority to take it up. 489 00:33:08,079 –> 00:33:10,199 No one takes my life from me. 490 00:33:11,880 –> 00:33:13,640 And just as in the incarnation, 491 00:33:13,660 –> 00:33:15,579 there are two things that must happen 492 00:33:15,579 –> 00:33:18,500 in order for us to know this wonderful truth, 493 00:33:18,500 –> 00:33:20,780 not only that Christ should be raised from the dead, 494 00:33:20,780 –> 00:33:23,140 but that God should make it known. 495 00:33:23,140 –> 00:33:25,160 How did the women who went to the tomb 496 00:33:26,180 –> 00:33:28,739 know that Jesus was risen from the dead? 497 00:33:30,219 –> 00:33:32,520 Well te answer is God told them. 498 00:33:32,520 –> 00:33:33,439 God told them. 499 00:33:34,300 –> 00:33:36,239 Of course, we’re surrounded by a kind of idea 500 00:33:36,239 –> 00:33:37,560 that people keep coming up with, 501 00:33:37,560 –> 00:33:39,819 oh, this was just the apostles’ way of coming up with, 502 00:33:39,819 –> 00:33:42,520 you know, this is how we can have a power base 503 00:33:42,560 –> 00:33:44,140 and so they developed this story. 504 00:33:44,140 –> 00:33:45,880 No, it would never have entered their head 505 00:33:45,880 –> 00:33:47,180 if God had not told them. 506 00:33:48,199 –> 00:33:49,040 He is not here. 507 00:33:50,900 –> 00:33:51,800 He is risen. 508 00:33:54,160 –> 00:33:56,640 Now let me end on this point just very briefly. 509 00:33:56,640 –> 00:33:58,479 How does this help us to be godly? 510 00:33:58,479 –> 00:34:02,599 Do you see how great is the love of God for you? 511 00:34:04,260 –> 00:34:08,820 And do you see how a new and different life is possible 512 00:34:08,820 –> 00:34:11,959 the more you see the greatness of Jesus Christ 513 00:34:11,959 –> 00:34:14,280 and the mystery and the wonder of who he is 514 00:34:14,280 –> 00:34:17,479 manifested in the flesh and vindicated by the Spirit, 515 00:34:17,479 –> 00:34:20,580 the more deeply you are going to have confidence 516 00:34:20,580 –> 00:34:24,800 that you can in fact change and grow into his likeness 517 00:34:24,800 –> 00:34:27,679 in as much as he lives in you. 518 00:34:27,679 –> 00:34:29,360 He lives in you. 519 00:34:30,760 –> 00:34:32,080 And I want us to remember this 520 00:34:32,080 –> 00:34:34,320 especially from this morning, 521 00:34:34,320 –> 00:34:37,060 that you will be helped in your pursuit of godliness 522 00:34:37,060 –> 00:34:39,179 from the knowledge that the Savior, 523 00:34:39,179 –> 00:34:41,179 God manifested in the flesh, 524 00:34:41,199 –> 00:34:42,739 he really does know you. 525 00:34:43,879 –> 00:34:47,100 When you’re tempted Jesus can say, I’ve been there. 526 00:34:48,020 –> 00:34:52,080 When you grieve, Jesus can say, I’ve been there too. 527 00:34:53,659 –> 00:34:57,000 If you have conflict in your family, 528 00:34:57,000 –> 00:34:58,320 Jesus has been there. 529 00:34:59,899 –> 00:35:04,020 And if you are lonely, Jesus has been there too. 530 00:35:04,020 –> 00:35:06,179 He knows life in the flesh. 531 00:35:07,340 –> 00:35:09,780 If you’ve been let down by a trusted friend, 532 00:35:09,780 –> 00:35:11,260 Jesus has been there. 533 00:35:11,260 –> 00:35:13,639 If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure 534 00:35:13,639 –> 00:35:15,479 of what God is calling you to do, 535 00:35:15,479 –> 00:35:17,239 well Jesus has been there too. 536 00:35:19,120 –> 00:35:23,500 If you have been abused, Jesus has been there. 537 00:35:25,199 –> 00:35:27,820 If you should find yourself in great darkness 538 00:35:27,820 –> 00:35:30,600 and loose all sense of the love of God 539 00:35:31,600 –> 00:35:34,620 and find yourself crying out why? 540 00:35:35,520 –> 00:35:37,399 Jesus has been there too. 541 00:35:38,340 –> 00:35:41,300 He knows the reality of life in the flesh 542 00:35:41,300 –> 00:35:44,580 and therefore this is a Savior to whom you can come. 543 00:35:45,699 –> 00:35:47,520 He’s been tested in every way as we are, 544 00:35:47,520 –> 00:35:50,060 yet without sin, therefore with confidence, 545 00:35:50,060 –> 00:35:52,239 let us come to his throne of grace 546 00:35:52,239 –> 00:35:54,979 and receive from him the mercy we need 547 00:35:54,979 –> 00:35:58,379 to help us in our time of need. 548 00:35:59,459 –> 00:36:03,179 Then I want you to remember this, that your Savior lives. 549 00:36:03,179 –> 00:36:04,479 At the very heart of our faith 550 00:36:04,479 –> 00:36:07,959 is not simply remembering a Jesus from long ago 551 00:36:07,959 –> 00:36:10,820 but living in the power of a resurrected Jesus 552 00:36:10,820 –> 00:36:15,000 who truly is God with us, God at work in us 553 00:36:15,000 –> 00:36:18,959 by the power and presence of his Holy Spirit. 554 00:36:18,959 –> 00:36:22,899 Nothing could be more futile 555 00:36:22,899 –> 00:36:26,919 than to put your trust in a bogus Savior. 556 00:36:27,840 –> 00:36:32,139 But Jesus Christ has been vindicated by the Holy Spirit. 557 00:36:32,179 –> 00:36:34,500 He arose from the dead on the third day 558 00:36:34,500 –> 00:36:39,500 and he says, because I live, you will live also. 559 00:36:42,459 –> 00:36:43,300 I end with this. 560 00:36:43,300 –> 00:36:47,879 The Bible tells us a story about a very godly man 561 00:36:48,360 –> 00:36:50,300 who was tested. 562 00:36:51,179 –> 00:36:55,100 He suffered the loss of what he enjoyed 563 00:36:55,100 –> 00:36:57,860 and of the people that he loved. 564 00:36:58,459 –> 00:37:03,459 And the one remaining person in his life that he loved, 565 00:37:03,899 –> 00:37:08,320 his wife gave up on God. 566 00:37:10,179 –> 00:37:12,360 And she said to him, Job, why don’t you curse God and die? 567 00:37:12,360 –> 00:37:17,360 In other words, she took the view 568 00:37:17,939 –> 00:37:20,760 that since God had taken away the people he loved 569 00:37:20,760 –> 00:37:22,459 and taken away the things that he enjoyed, 570 00:37:22,459 –> 00:37:24,199 what was the point in being godly? 571 00:37:24,459 –> 00:37:29,459 And Job said this, I know that my Redeemer lives 572 00:37:32,260 –> 00:37:35,719 and at the last he will stand upon the earth 573 00:37:36,780 –> 00:37:40,020 and after my skin has thus been destroyed yet 574 00:37:40,020 –> 00:37:44,360 in my flesh I will see God. 575 00:37:46,800 –> 00:37:51,280 Your Savior knows and your Savior lives. 576 00:37:52,199 –> 00:37:55,500 He is God manifested in the flesh, 577 00:37:55,500 –> 00:37:57,419 he was vindicated by the spirit 578 00:37:57,419 –> 00:38:02,419 and one day your faith in him will be vindicated too. 579 00:38:04,600 –> 00:38:08,500 Father help us therefore to press on in godliness 580 00:38:09,399 –> 00:38:13,100 and grant that seeing the wonder of your amazing 581 00:38:13,100 –> 00:38:18,040 and saving love for us and the glory of the Christ 582 00:38:18,120 –> 00:38:21,540 who has come and the Christ who lives. 583 00:38:21,540 –> 00:38:24,479 Grant that we may be greatly strengthened 584 00:38:24,479 –> 00:38:26,199 to love you and to serve you 585 00:38:26,199 –> 00:38:28,840 and to give ourselves back to the love 586 00:38:28,840 –> 00:38:30,560 with which we have been loved, 587 00:38:30,560 –> 00:38:34,439 for these things we ask in Jesus name amen. 588 00:38:37,379 –> 00:38:38,639 You’ve been listening to a sermon 589 00:38:38,639 –> 00:38:41,040 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible 590 00:38:41,040 –> 00:38:46,040 to contact us, call us at 1-877-Open365 591 00:38:46,040 –> 00:38:49,780 or visit our website openthebible.org.

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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What is the secret to living a godly life? The answer does not lie in some technique, program, or discipline, but in a person. Pastor Colin leads us through 1 Timothy 3:16, which scholars suggest may have been an early Christian creed or hymn. In it, you will discover 6 marvelous statements about Jesus. These

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