The Throne

Intro

He Is Risen!

Congregation: “He is risen indeed!”

[Thank worship team]

Good morning Bethel Church, and good morning to our network of rural churches that are joining us live on YouTube. And if you are new here, I want to extend a special welcome to you. If you would, there are “i’m new” cards in the seat in front of you.

*Gift at Welcome Center

Today we will be continuing our study of The Kingdom. If you are reading out of the Bibles in front of you, our passage can be found on page 835.

TRANS: Pray

Opening Hook

What is your story?

I grew up in the generation that was told “you can be whatever you want to be.” So I became a pastor. Obviously.

No before that I was going to study audio engineering, then I realized most audio engineers don’t make any money. So I changed my major to business. What was I going to do with that degree? Business.

No, to tell you the truth I had no idea. I just hoped it would all turn out ok, right?

Though it is nice to think “you can be whatever you want to be,” but how am I supposed to know what I want to be? That changes!

I asked my 5 year old a few weeks ago, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” She said, “well, I want to be a police officer so I can speed.” (We were just talking about how police officers have to speed to catch up to people who are speeding. Apparently that left an impression on her)

Then she said, “But I also want to be a doctor, and a firefighter.” so on and so forth.

Imagine two options: You can write your story, or you can receive your story.

It may sound appealing to be the writer, but how often do we find that what we try to find purpose and meaning end up in a dead end? We have a thirst for meaning, and it may take years or decades, but we end up agreeing with King Solomon who wrote, “meaninglessness, meaninglessness, everything is meaningless.” Go read Ecclesiastes if you don’t know what I’m saying.

His point was this: whatever we find meaning in, it was all run out. Nothing lasts. Degrees end up in a box somewhere, awards end up in the garbage, we lose jobs, we lose interest in hobbies, etc.

Here’s our problem.

Problem: Our efforts to write our own story leads to despair.

Why do I say despair? Because at the end of the day, we have an instinct for wanting our lives to matter. But when we try to be the author of our own purpose, all we can come up with are things that will eventually disappear and we know it.

That brings us back to our dilemma, we can write our story or we can receive our story.

TRANS: In our short time together today, I want to make the case that when we receive our story from our Maker, we find ultimate purpose, value, and identity.

Point #1: God’s story is the story of reality.

The Creation Account Establishes Order

In the beginning there was chaos, and after the creation week there was order. God sets the pattern of creation for our benefit of work and rest, so that we will also enter God’s work of creating order out of chaos.

The Creation Account Establishes Humans as the Climax of Creation Genesis 1:26-27

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

1. Humans were created last; all of creation seemed to be preparation for humanity’s arrival.

2. Humans were the product of divine deliberation (God said, “Let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26).

3. The creation of humans is described as more intensive and extensive than any other creative act.

4. Although each act of creation was described as “good,” the creation of humanity was evaluated by God with the superlative “very good” (Gen 1:31).

5. Humans possess exalted status over other creatures, as bearers of God’s image.

What was the nature of the temptation? “The knowledge of good and evil.” It seems that the serpent is offering something to the man and woman that is proper for only God to know (Gen 3:22). It may be that this knowledge also has to do with the authority to define good and evil. If so, the temptation from this tree is to “be like God” or replace Him.

But God made a promise, a promise to Adam and Eve before they received the consequences for their actions:

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

15 I will put enmity between you (the snake) and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

From the line of Eve there would come a wounded victor. This promise of being “wounded” was fulfilled in Christ on the cross, and ultimately the victory was fulfilled on Easter Sunday.

TRANS: All of the Bible tells a story, a story that helps us understand our story.

Matthew 28:1–10 ESV

1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The resurrection was not just some religious thing that we still celebrate for some reason. Leftover tradition maybe. No. It was the most impactful moment in history that echoed through the centuries. It was the crasendo of thousands of years of God’s plan slowly being revealed. It was the ultimate fulfillment of the promise to crush the head of the serpent.

So I will make a claim here. To the same degree of objectivity as when someone says “2 + 2 = 4,” Scripture claims “Jesus rose from the dead.” By “objectivity,” I mean “whether or not anyone else beliefs it, it’s true.” Or “whether other opinions exist, it is not subjective preference, Jesus is not my favorite “flavor” of religion.” No. Jesus rose from the dead, in history, as shown by the facts and evidence left for us to examine including the eyewitness testimonies I just read. Jesus, rose from the dead.

J. (or Jim) Warner Wallace served as a cold case homicide detective in Los Angeles California. His record of accomplishment for being able to solve crimes that had gone unsolvable for many years is phenomenal. Because of his prowess, he appeared on multiple crime solving documentaries on television.

He was also a very outspoken atheist for many years. His father was a hardened atheist and he had decided that he would be the same, until one day. He and his wife decided that they would go to church, just once, to see if they could gain any practical insights on how to raise their children.

However, he was challenged by the minister, that declared  “Jesus was the smartest man in the history of the world. In addition, all of Western civilization was founded upon the messages that he spoke.” Jim thought, this can’t be true. These statements are an overreach. Or are they true?

Jim became curious and decided to consider using his highly tuned technical skills to investigate the gospel narratives of Jesus. The forensic evidence that he found was compelling. His reasoning led him to conclude that the Christian message is true.

Jim wrote a book that talked about his conversion called “Cold Case Christianity.” He outlines the evidence that persuaded him, and how his training as a cold-case detective gave him the skills to carefully examine the historical evidence and eyewitness testimony. Of course, he became a Christian because he realized… Jesus rose from the dead.

I spend significant time on this point for this reason, Christianity is true. Jesus is who he said he is and he did what he said he would do. But it is not simply that Jesus’ identity is clear, we must respond to the claims and commands of Jesus.

Here’s the truth, we don’t write our own story. We belong to God’s story.

Point #2: You are part of God’s story.

Notice what the women who visit the empty tomb are told: “Go and tell.” Meaning, this event is going to change everything, and everyone needs to know about how God’s story is unfolding.

This is the crux of the Bible, God is writing his story and you are a part of it.

Are you a friend, or are you an enemy? Are you one of the priests or one of Jesus’ followers who is running to spread the good news?

The followers of Jesus went through a whirlwind of events in 7 days, but it is this moment in history - the resurrection - that leads to the last moment in the story.

Big Idea: Jesus entered on a donkey, hung on a cross, and now sits on His throne.

Jesus is King. He is the author. And not only is he the author, but he has already explained how the story of the world will end. He will make All. Things. New.

According to Revelation 21-22, we do not go to God at the end of all things; rather, God comes to us to live among us.

Bible professor and pastor W. Gary Phillips has shared an exciting insight about the unity of the Bible by showing remarkable parallels between the first three chapters of the Bible and the last.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1)

“I saw the new heaven and a new earth” (21:1)

“The darkness he called night” (1:5)

“There will be no night there” (21:25)

“God made the two great lights” (1:16)

“The city has no need of sun or moon” (21:23)

“In the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (2:17)

“Death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning.” (21:4)

Satan appears as deceiver of mankind (3:1)

Satan disappears forever (20:10)

Shown in a garden, into which defilement entered (3:6-7)

Shown in a city, nothing that defiles shall ever enter it (21:27)

Walk of God with man interrupted (3:8-10)

Walk of God with man resumed (21:3)

Initial triumph of the serpent (3:13)

Ultimate triumph of the Lamb (20:10; 22:3)

“I will surely multiply your pain” (3:16)

There shall be no more pain (21:4)

“Cursed is the ground because of you” (3:17)

There shall be no more curse (22:3)

“Man’s dominion broken in the fall because of the first man, Adam (3:19)

Man’s dominion restored in the rule of the new man, Christ (22:5)

First paradise closed (3:23)

New paradise opened (21:25)

Access to the tree of life disinherited in Adam (3:24)

Assess to the tree of life reinstated in Christ (22:14)

They were driven from God’s presence (3:24)

They shall see his face (22:4)

TRANS: [text]

Application #1: Trust the King as He writes your story.

Recall the video we watched where Mark tells the story of becoming a Christian, and then God taking care of him through getting him that job. What happened as a result of that? Trust.

Trust the King.

Jesus is working whether you see it or not.

We have a tendency in the west to equate good fortune to God being with us, and when bad things happen He has abandoned us. But consider the old chinese parable:

A long time ago, a poor Chinese farmer lost a horse, and all the neighbors came around and said, “well that’s too bad.” The farmer said, “maybe.” Shortly after, the horse returned bringing another horse with him, and all the neighbors came around and said, “well that’s good fortune,” to which the farmer replied, “maybe.” The next day, the farmer’s son was trying to tame the new horse and fell, breaking his leg, and all the neighbors came around and said, “well that’s too bad,” and the farmer replied, “maybe.” Shortly after, the emperor declared war on a neighboring nation and ordered all able-bodied men to come fight—many died or were badly maimed, but the farmer’s son was unable to fight and spared due to his injury. And all the neighbors came around and said, “well that’s good fortune,” to which the farmer replied, “maybe.” And so the story goes.

TRANS: [text]

Application #2: Worship the King by submitting to His story.

Jordan Taylor Illustration

“For more than 10 years, I was entrenched in mysticism and self-discovery.

I practiced witchcraft and performed spells. I became an oracle-card reader and enrolled in classes to sharpen my psychic abilities. I used crystals as a means of healing, protecting, and manifesting. I believed in astrology, manifesting under a new moon and cleansing and recharging my energy under the full moon. I worshiped nature and worked with goddesses. I found my spirit guides and let them lead the course of my life. I’d talk to “Spirit/Source/Universe” and believed I was speaking to my “higher self.” I believed I created my own reality and I was my own god, in control of my life. I thought I finally knew my purpose—to heal the collective, raise the vibration of the planet, and help others heal and do the same.

But behind it all, I grappled with darkness, deception, and a yearning for more.”

Jordan found Jesus, though, when her search to create her own story led to a depressing dead end. She realized this: “New Agers often think there are multiple ways to God. You just have to find “your truth.” None of this is true. The truth is that there aren’t multiple ways to God—there’s one. His name is Jesus.”

And on Friday, she posted on her facebook page.

“The crucifixion will forever make me weep with a repentant heart. I pray that feeling is never lost on me when I think about Jesus willingly going to the cross on my behalf.

Because He took it all on Himself, I get to live free from the consequences of sin and death. What He did, none of us could do.

Jesus is the ultimate example of sacrificial love. The blameless Son of God knew He was going to the cross and He served before doing so. He broke bread and washed feet. And then He died brutally so that we could live free. There is no love like this except for in Him.”

Conclusion: Trust in Jesus. Receive the story of your life from the Author, the life-giver, the healer, the good King. When our efforts fail, there is grace. Worship Jesus today as we remember what he did for each of us 2,000 years ago.

Pray

THINK ABOUT IT/TALK ABOUT IT:

Share a time when you felt overwhelmed or discouraged because your own plans didn't unfold as expected.

How can the desire to control our own story hinder our ability to experience God's redemption and fulfillment?

Discuss the significance of understanding God's story as the story of reality.

How does this perspective shape our understanding of our own lives and purpose?

How does the realization that we are part of God's story impact our identity and sense of belonging in the world?

How does trust in God's sovereignty bring hope and assurance?

Share examples of how submitting to God's story through worship has brought transformation or peace in your life.

How can we practically worship the King by aligning our lives with His story and purposes?