The Gospel is Jesus Christ February 7, 2016 Dr. Robbie D. Phillips

Testing 1 2 3. Can you hear me? Okay. Obviously, I've been under the weather this week, and I apologize for my voice related to that if you're an elder out of town this weekend in Elder raise your hand so I know you're here. Glenn and men in Vijay and then maybe Caleb Heights. When will you guys be exiting greeters at the end of the service? Cuz I don't want to go back there and share the wealth of what's what's going on in my throat. So if I'm not shaking your hand and glad-handing very much this morning. It's an act of kindness on my part. I went to the doctor and she said it's viral and not contagious but I don't believe her because it's been getting worse instead of better. So I've been trying to pop pills and and get better but I kept thinking I get better by Sunday, but I'm still still got my throat bothered me a little bit. I think it's the adversary working against a little bit because I am more excited about preaching this sermon this morning then then I have been about many sermons. I'm always excited about preaching cuz I love sharing the truth, but I'm especially excited about sharing what I'm going to share this morning and I don't think it's going to be that long so so pay attention because it might be a might be done quicker than you think but I think it's vital. We've been talkin boys are going to drive you guys nuts to hear me sound like that the whole time.

We've been we've been talkin about the gospel itself and last week. I mention that really what we're talking about is what the central to Christianity our movement. I love the restoration movement. I love the independent Christian church because we were founded on the idea of not being a denomination with a whole list of things outside of scripture required of members and leaders. But instead we were founded be a movement that Focus just on the New Testament and on Jesus and on the early church Hazard model and our example, so one of the slogans that that was birth early in our movement was in Essentials unity in nonessentials Liberty in all things love so calling us to say we need to be unified on those things that are essential we need to be gracious on those things that are non-essential. So instead of a church that takes non-essentials issues and says, this is our stance on all these issues. You must see them this way or you're not a member in good standing instead. We have flexibility in Freedom in areas that are Essentials for people to hold different views for those gray matters in scripture and in all things the spirit in which we handle ourselves with one another should always be a spirit of love and I love that as a slogan for our church other slogans for a church or we speak where the scripture speak. So what you can find clearly taught in the scriptures we stand on but where the scriptures are silent we are silent so we don't offer opinions that aren't based on scripture released require those out to be held. We're not the only Christians are there Christians all throughout the world in different denominations of different churches who love the Lord will be in heaven. Okay, so we're not exclusive that way. We're Christians only Minutemen. We focus on those sorts of Essentials and saw the past few weeks. We've been talking about the gospel itself in my mind when you want to answer that question. What is essential the answer is what is essential centers around Jesus Christ and the gospel. Does that sound fairly reasonable to you now? That's a distinction because sometimes we say what the essential is the Bible and what we need is the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Is it in that gives us the freedom to say any passage anywhere from Genesis to revelation we can go into it as I will look at this passage. This means that it is essential that you believe the Bible divided over in the in terms of different interpretation of non-essential issues. There are non-essential tissue issues in Scripture that we don't have to agree on right? I love the fact that we take communion every Sunday. I love that about our movements, but that's not required. That's not mandatory Christian churches that don't take communion. Every Sunday aren't going to get in a lesser Heaven. They're not less saved. When wet then. We are you understand that distinction. That's a non-essential issue. I love and cherish who we are the church but there are many more practices that that we gravitate to because we love them but we don't project them and make them essential and suddenly say well that church over there. They only take communion once a quarter and therefore they don't love Jesus as much as we do we focus on the essentials and we don't say what about the central is any passage of scripture that we can argue about what is essential is the gospel and Jesus Christ. That is the heart of Christianity is so that's what we've been talking about these past couple of weeks. And by the way review I want to talk about the past two Sundays. Don't case my voice is bothering you. It's not hurting me one bit. So if you're sitting there thinking this is killing me to hear him talk that way know that it's not hurting me any I've got enough drugs in my system. I feel good.

I'm at dance in the church. Could you know I would never would never do that the first week if we spend a couple weeks on this when we talked about the fundamental fact that the gospel is historical. So what we Proclaim when we proclaim the gospel, we proclaim the good news of the completed work of Christ on the cross not moral advice. That's an important distinction turn back. That's something that separates Christian from every other world religion. What we Proclaim is a historical event. We We Don't Preach moral advice but this here's what you must do in order to be in good standing with God hears the path Buddhism. You got to rise to a certain level of inside so that you can move into Nirvana or like all the different religions that have a God who says here's what you must do to be in good standing with me for Christianity is different. It's not about what meat we must do it is about what God has done. Through Jesus Christ on the cross. So the gospel the core Christianity what stands out and preach about the work of God in history that God came to her Flesh and Blood his own son so that he could play the price so that he could do the work. We proclaim the good news not advise not morally bison is so easy to slip off a preaching about the historical gospel in the good news of what Christ has done and slip into here's all the things that you need to do in order to be in good standing with God we preach the gospel, which is good news the historical reality of the completed work of Christ. 2 Romans 8:1 Paul says therefore. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because his work is complete. We don't have to finish it. We don't have to go to church a certain number of Sundays. We don't have to read her Bible a certain amount of time before suddenly a huh. I've crossed that threshold. I've done my Reward Points up to enough levels to get into heaven instead. The good news. It's called good news. For reason is the announcement that God has won the victory over sin and over death. And he offers us his victory. He offers us his righteousness his goodness as a gift for God so loved the world that he gave his only son this amazing good news would not perish but would instead have everlasting life didn't come into the world to condemn the world John 3:17 continue, but that the world might be saved through him. And so the gospel is historical. Secondly. We talked last week about how the gospel calls for worship from you and I Rib roll up on the goodness of God so that his goodness might overpower are human Idols those battles in her heart the send that we struggle with the things that won first place in our heart. We struggled and the cure for that is not simply pushing up our sleeves and having stronger will too much preaching including a lot of my preaching historic like it's just somebody pounding on your will. Where every week the preacher says you should and you should and you are and why don't you and you're sure that you shouldn't use you as a wish you would all over herself in the name of Grace. That's not the gospel. And that's not how we JCPenney buddy here change your own life. If you're ever ever conquered sin. If you have conquered sin, please stand up and give a testimony. And yet we will spend decades and decades wrestling with sin wrestling with struggles with a fallen price for decades and still in her heart. We Harbor gossip or worry or fear or anxiety in such a way that it controls our life. Because we fundamentally misunderstand that the gospel is the good news that Christ has completed our Salvation And when we fundamentally understand that truth than that gospel calls forth from us worship. We focus on the goodness of God Romans. 2:4 Paul says it is the kindness of God that leads you to repentance the understand that it is not this blankety-blank fear-mongering that happens in the church and happens in every other world religion that says hate our God is a powerful God and you'd better do the right thing or you're going to go to hell forever. Go to the New Testament letters and you find me Paul preaching about hell. What you find Paul preaching about is Christ again. Again. We were in a couple weeks ago read Philippians were pause cuz all that matters is that Christ is preached. The gospel is preached again, and again and again and he says it wrong with this the kindness of God. It's the Revelation is the understanding the faith of the good news that God has provided our salvation out of his love. Out of his heart is that good news that calls forth for us from us worship so that we dwell on the goodness of God so that we see his Beauty in such a way that at thrift shop in friend has less of a grip... Transforms us what our eyes are open to his goodness. And we see how amazingly precious is that he forgives us again and again and loves us again and again and we become enamored with the amazing goodness of God in such a way that we become less enamored with those sins those Idols those stuffed atoot for the goodness of God our hearts were made to dwell on. So the gospel understood correctly at the proclamation of the news of what Christ has done and when I understood correctly, it calls forth from us worship, you know, sometimes we don't worship because it's not our favorite song. Sometimes we don't worship because we're mad at somebody. Sometimes we don't worship because maybe we're just too busy. Or we didn't like something. What does any of that have to do with the fact that Jesus Christ gave his life for you?

Say that not to lay a burden on you say that to give you the gift of of letting scales drop from your eyes to give you the gift of saying we ought to come every Sunday and say thank you for letting me worship. Thank you John, but you guys practice this week. Thank you that you got on stage and I get that you're saying from your heart songs that glorify Christ. Thank you for giving us the opportunity and worship. And sometimes we have scales on our eyes we were waiting for something else Christ has already completed his work for you and he merits your full worship. And that's good news is good news. You you can let go of that Olaf Ava just turned the corner if it would just be a little more what I liked or didn't like her excetera excetera and you just say this is about Jesus. I need merits My Worship. What if you got assigned to some other country a dramatically different culture because of your job and the only churches there were dramatically different than the culture you're accustomed to would you stop worshipping?

Would you say well I guess for the next three years while I'm working this job. I just want to worship Jesus. Or would you say it's not about whether it fits me perfectly. It's about Christ calling forth that worship. When we struggle with generosity for example something that Christianity cause us to be open-handed and generous with their money or resources to the church into charity When we struggle with that you don't need a preacher to come say we should give more and kind of pound on your will what you need is a preacher that will help you understand that Christ is your wealth But he is gloriously valuable that everything else pales by comparison. They giving everything you have to him will make you richer than holding on to while you have. That that did everything put in his hands is a million times more than what it is when you hold on to it. But he wants to do immeasurably more than we can even imagine in our lives and in our church. If we let them Meet the Amazing truth of the Gospel call us to worship.

That's what we talked about last week. This this week. I want to talk about another aspect of the gospel. Maybe those Central aspect of the Gospel. The gospel is Jesus.

Now that may sound not controversial but that's a specific statement. Okay, the gospels not some sort of plan in Scripture that we pick out and find the gospel is a person. The gospel is Jesus Christ. The good news is what God planned and Christ planned and what was fulfilled in the life of Christ's death burial and Resurrection. That's the gospel is historically surround. It's tied to a person it's not a system of theology or system of thought or path to higher level of understanding or Insight. The gospel is Jesus Christ look up 1st. Peter 1 10 says all this started for bus reading through 1st Peter 1 and 2. He talks about in first 10 house what he's telling us here in Peter. Is that something that used to be not understood Clearly Now revealed and look and I or is this He says concerning this salvation.

Boy, that was Amplified Learning.

Concerning this salvation the prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come to you searched intently. And with the greatest care trying to find out the time and the circumstances to which the spirit of Christ and them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven even angels long to look into these things until Peter says the prophets in the Old Testament. They were trying to figure out what it is that God is doing and now that the gospel is being preached the full identity of Jesus Christ. As God Son sent the save us now, it's all clear. It's revealed. They understand that it wasn't about them. It was about us it was about that day that was coming. God was going to say anything through Jesus Christ that that's the climax. The cross is the climax and the Heart of all of scripture and the rest of scripture submits to it. Everything is understood who Jesus Christ and through his identity. This is the same thing. Peter is echoing. What happened to Luke 24 when we talked about this a couple of weeks ago after his resurrection, Jesus meets a couple of disciples on the road to Emmaus. They're not quite sure what he wants going on to discourage. And so he teaches them any breaks bread and their eyes are open and they say it's him it's him he's resurrected and then he teaches them other gospels talk about this 40 day. Of teaching. So there's this 40-day hermeneutical seminar that Jesus Christ teacher who would like to sit at the feet of Jesus learning how to understand scripture. Can you think of any other teacher any other Professor any other person that you'd like to say? Yeah, 40 days at the feet of Jesus scripture tells us that he's been 40 days teaching the disciples and here's what it says. He taught them and beginning with Moses and the prophets explain to them what was said in all of the scriptures concerning himself. He said to them this is what I told you all. I was still with you and continues in verse 44. This is what I said to you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms that he opened up their mind so that they could understand the scriptures. He told them this is what is written the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. I think about that. So the apostles had this 40-day seminar with Jesus. Who should we trust to tell us how to understand the Old Testament? I would guess the apostles when you there a lot of people out there that got books and DVDs and videos and they will tell you all kinds of things because the Old Testament will sell baby. It's exciting. I can check this chart to Israel to this date. You got to watch the news and be worried about that and they start doing all these things that Jesus and the apostles never did. Let me save you a lot of time and money if they're telling you stuff that Jesus and apostles didn't tell you you don't have to know it. It might be interesting some of it might be after it speculation. But we don't need to know it. The New Testament is sufficient. Life Death teaching and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the early church to the apostles is sufficient for you and I and then becomes our guide for Faith and practice for understanding scriptures. But you often I think we slip away one professor said it this way about preaching and preachers.

He said not only do most ministers not preach Christ in the Old Testament They Don't Preach Christ from the New Testament. The preacher has looked into the text even into the New Testament to find himself and the congregation not to find Christ. You can do this even in the New Testament in the gospels. The sermon therefore is consequently about the people in the gospels and not the Christ. That is the gospel.

The most fundamental issue. Is this question? What is the bible really about is the Bible basically about me and what I must do or is it about Jesus and what he has done is the Bible about the objective and the indicative Amy's ride too often we spend a lot of energy trying to find something neat or interesting in scripture. So the people will be impressed with us as preachers and teachers called I would have never seen that how interesting that they don't we go for a wonderful lesson, and we talked it away and Christ is not preached as Paul says in Philippians is the heart of Christianity. The heart of ministry will be with the Lord and that would be a good thing or I could stay. I think I'd rather stay because it gives me a chance to preach the gospel more. That's the heart. And too often even the pulpits me included historically God's been working in my life for a number of years. Especially I think since 2005 he's been working in my heart and an opening up scripture and leading me to others and having me study more more than I would ever studied on my own to help me. See that Christ is the center of scripture. I know you think will I knew that before you said that Robbie. Well, maybe I'm a little more stubborn and the Lord had to work with me and helped me realize that my job is a preacher is not to come up with something fantastically interesting and novel whenever I come to the passage of scripture so that people say the how interesting but it's my job is to point people to Christ because he's the heart he's the one that will lead us to change and transformation and salvation. For example, if I'm going to call here in a moment came to the same conclusion, but I came to it before I read him. So He somehow got it for me. When I was doing my dissertation. I study the men A Narrative of the Old Testament and my question I asked my dissertation was what's the spiritual impact of studying The Meta Narrative of the Old Testament narrative that just simply need the big picture overview of what's going on in the Old Testament. How does that impact you spiritually I got the idea when I was reading at 7 and Steven stands up when they're accusing him of preaching the wrong things and he stands up. He essentially gives a man A Narrative of the Old Testament. He says to those leaders and Israel crucified Christ who stand against the early church. He said you don't get it. Do you and then he skips a stone across the Old Testament and it says don't you see what God was doing here and here and here and he points to the trajectory of what's going on in scripture. He shows them here is what God is doing don't get obsessed with the trees and miss the forest. Don't be so fascinated by this little twig of that little twig. I'm not talkin about finding Christ and every little twig in the Old Testament I'm talking about The man in the big picture of what God is doing and therefore seeing the places in which the trajectory points toward what God is ultimately doing as his final word about his relationship between humanity and him and that is Jesus Christ on the cross. It's out when I study David and Goliath I realized for years. I heard sermon and Prince sermons that were wrong about David and Goliath how many times have you heard a sermon about David and Goliath that essentially said here are five smooth stones for you to succeed in life. Everything like that David David was David persevered even though they said you can't do this is one of those stones and David didn't depend on the armor. We don't depend on the weapons of man. We depend on only spiritual weapon. Where David is the hero in the story of David and Goliath and we are pounded on our will depending on you need to be more like David. Here's the five little tools you need to take away with you today. And you need to take these Stones perseverance spiritual tools and go forth and conquer. That is not biblical.

When you start reading the men in there that the Old Testament guess who the hero of David and Goliath is it is not David. I was shocked when I first realize that I'm glad so I scanned back over but when you read the big picture guess what the hero is God? The story of David and Goliath is the story of God coming through yet one more time to rescue Israel from itself. What's the directory God is saving Humanity again? And again and again from themselves from their own sins? And so the hero that story is God. He happened to use David but David's not the hero we might be able to hear or understand. It becomes moral advice. You need to pick up your five smooth stones and figure out how you are going to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. You need to figure out how you are going to take the spiritual insights and go forth and Conquer it said it once again of saying that God rescue centers. And that truth Autumn melt our hearts and worship before God so that we give him our whole selves in a way that moral advice could never call us to him. I'm talking about obedience at 11 that far exceeds moral advice. So in case any of your hearing me and saying what he's teaching and easy believism or some sort of loosey-goosey Grace Gospel that says whatever God Saves I have a beautiful relationship. Stop that sort of thing. I'm talking about something much more dramatic than Church attendance to reading your Bible. I'm talking about being so enamored with the goodness of God. When you said scripture that you give him your whole self. You're getting your children. Like I want to be a missionary to go to college and stay here in the states. If they said I would you pray with them to North America do some people feel called to Ministry and their parents proud of it. Because whether church we not get our hearts to God we bought into this moral advice. I'm going to be doing so I can look down on others. What if not asking for your career John was admitting that he had my phone because he feels overwhelmed by life and I can relate as a young man. I know you think what am I going to do? Which direction we're going to go? I remember when I was choosing to move out of East Tennessee away from all my family and friends and go to California for college. My dad sat me down and said, why would you want to go to California Sun? There's nothing out there, but fruits Flakes and nuts. He was completely against it. I pray for days. I thought of Luke 17. Where Jesus says the Widow bugs the judge and she loves the judge enough to the judges. All right, I'll give you an answer. He says your heavenly father will do that even more so cuz he's much better than this judge Hoover Lance because the pressure night Scott should I go should I go should I go everyday walking to class should I go or should I go every chance I could again and again and again and answer from God because I wanted to give myself to him regardless of what family and friends and Common Sense said don't go out and borrow loan to California. You've got a scholarship here. And why don't you stay here and let them pay for your school. Why are you going to go to California and go to college out there? While I was walking up and down the bleachers on the baseball field at Milligan College while I was a student and God spoke to me and I'll be honest. It's one of the few times we were God just kind of spoke to me. So I'm not one of those guys who hears God every other day and maybe I should be I'm not saying that's good. But that was the moment when I clearly felt like he said, all right. Here's the answer to that question. What's important Robbie is your relationship with me? It's okay. You can do that at Milligan. You can do it in California and this particular circumstances. I'm not going to tell you one place or the other is the right place, but you know in your heart which one's right. Susan told me that I need to go to California because I knew for me leaving my old stomping ground getting to a whole new place was the best way for me to grow spiritually it was the best way for me to say I'm going to give all my attention to God and what he wants to do in my life. So I moved to California didn't know a soul didn't know a soul out there cuz I was borrowing money to go to school leaving the school that it scholarship me. How much sense does that make when I get out there didn't have any money in my pocket, but I have a job waiting. I was going to start working in the meal plan. When is the office. My mailbox key my information and then they surprised me and said by the way, the meal plan doesn't start for a week and your job doesn't start for a week to early. So I was walking from that office back to to the mailbox to give me Teach You Think of Laura I can fast but not for a week. I mean, you're lucky to get a couple of meals skip that up and you know, I mean a week I hadn't told him. I had told my parents every time they ask I said I'm fine. Play money got all taken care of because I didn't have a lot of money and I didn't want them to feel burdened by so I literally have nobody. How to place to sleep but no food. So I'm thinking Lord. This is not very funny. You know, I mean I made this decision because I was committed to you supposed to do am I supposed to fast for a whole week that even possible when I got to my mailbox there was an envelope in my mailbox. They just assigned me on mailboxes that they were not pre-assigned. They sign them as you show up. No one knew I had a mailbox I'd even spoken to someone from that office to the 300 feet across campus to the mailboxes when I open my mailbox. There is an envelope with 520's animal card that said with with man things are impossible. But With God all things are possible. To this day. I don't know how that happened. You know, it's just Judy in here. Laura Stewart's mother can't think of juice last night. Oh, well, some of you were there on Wednesday night when she told an amazing story about God telling her to write a check to somebody and I told a friend who knew this story about me. I said I was sitting here thinking of California. I'm going to pass out out out of my out of my chair. Four years later when I graduated from PCC. A church contacted me that preach for for 7 month by priests in a tiny little Church in North Hollywood, maybe 40 people and not more than five of the same ethnicity and they were the sweetest little group and I preach to them for 7 months cuz they were that without a preacher didn't know what to do in between preachers and I got it. I got a call that said that church came into a lot of money unexpectedly and they paid off your student loans.

People said why would you do that? You got no money there. Why would you do that? Because Christ is so good to us. And that goodness is a demonstration that he can be trusted that we can risk. We can place our faith in him. We can step out and say Lord. I trust you if you're calling my son or daughter be a missionary. My dad said he down to do not be a minister. Do not be a minister. I drove off and I think we truly have not given our whole selves to the Lord. Even when we manager checkbook with the average giving in North America is 2.3%

So for average and we all decided to tithe, we've quadrupled our budget.

Again, I'm not pounding on your wheels not trying to should on you. I'm inviting you to see Christ to see his Beauty in such a way that you start to say. Maybe I can just take big risk. Whether it's witnessing to my friend that I'm scared to witness to or it's giving more generously or plant Fanning the flame of a call to missions in my child's heart and says, they know you don't want to do that and you want to play me I can relate to it. My kids say things to me sometimes and I want to say no you don't want to do that.

listen serving God being a missionary living in a tent is a richer life than saying no to that impulse of the spirit so that you can hold on security. Take when we're not generous with our money or time our families. It's really not about money or time our families. It's about trusting something more than God. Trusting the sense of security we get by having a fat bank account or trusting the sense of control we have when we say our kids know you really want to steer this way or steer that way you don't want to really want to be a missionary now. Don't make anything in there and look at the world today. I mean what happens if your child comes to you and says, I think God's calling me to go to Egypt to preach the gospel. Where to go to the Middle East I think God telling me to witness diocese to love my enemies all of us. What a milli table. That's not God. There's no way that's got the distance between a challenge and us not trusting. God is way too short sometimes. When we look at history when we focus on what God has done. our hearts need to open so wide that we see that we realize we can trust God that he is good and loving the cross is this permanent demonstration of God's intentions for you and I So God is the hero of David and Goliath. When you see that meant a narrative you see the trajectory that God is constantly saving people because what is heart is about as loving and redeeming and restoring us and that big picture meta narrative. That's what shapes the way we look at scripture when we talked about a year or so ago. The joy of the Lord will be your strength and Nehemiah. It's such a hard situation in the life of Israel. They've just come out of captivity back to Jerusalem. The city is in trouble and you're the leader save the people in the midst of sobbing the verse right before that verse is that the people are sobbing uncontrollably and Amaya says the joy of the Lord will be my first read that I thought is that some sort of stupid shallow buck up little camper, you know from their leaders. What are they thinking the people are crushed by their own sin? They look at the crumbled City for wee one day look at a couple America and no at the church. We didn't listen to God that we let our culture going to hell because we still loved our own security too much what our hearts be broken one day. Every single day should go farther and farther away. Can we relate to this moment where Israel realize it's there since it's their selfishness that cause the whole city to be in trouble their own nation. And so they're sobbing because they realized you know going in X off that was our own doing those seven years away. God warned us again and again to the prophets and we ignored him and so they're crushed in the leaders get up and say the joy of the Lord will be your strength and I say she's my friend. What the hell you talkin about?

In this moment, can we have joy? How can we make crushed with our own sin and be anything but depressed and down they buy your gots it in your life. Never depressed by your sin never look in the mirror and say the truth is I'm worthless. You have broken relationships with your family and it's your fault. Is there somebody missing at Thanksgiving every year and you know what you're doing.

So what do we do when our sin weighs us down like an anvil and Amaya says you backup you look at the big picture you look at the meta narrative. You look at the direct trajectory you say what is true about God's been so those who said the joy of the Lord is your strength? What they do. Next is in this long prayer. They rehearse the history of Israel for all those people. There are Sabe. They don't you remember how you saved us from Israel. Don't remember how I provided from The Rock in the desert and they recount the faithfulness of God to remind them. This moment is not about you. It's about God and you have a God who looks at you with your and saves you the joy of who God is in the light of your sin and failure will be your strength. Amen. Christianity is the gospel for the broken hearted. It's the gospel for those who don't have her life together for the gospel of those who say send controls me and I hate it and it calls me to hurt my loved ones and I'll never get away from this. It's the gospel that comes to you broken and says God will save you he will redeem you scripture that God is saving and Jesus is the ultimate expression of God's Will and heart right word was with God in the beginning and then that word that essence of God's heart. His identity is being his will his mind that word became flesh and 1/2 that flash news The Flash went around healing and went around forgiving and went around preaching about how good God the father is Jesus. Is that ultimate expression. of God's identity What author said it this way more land on this note. He said Jesus. Just wanted your status. I mention his pain. He said Jesus is the true and better and I want to read you his words.

The worship team can come forward will end on on this reading. I'll try to read it slowly cuz I want you to capture this again. This isn't about finding Jesus behind every twig in the Old Testament. It's about seeing the trajectory of what God is doing what is heart has on it from the very beginning from Walking In The Garden in the cool of the evening to the restoration of humanity in Revelation 21. What is God's heart about in Jesus is the expression in the Fulfillment of God's heart. So this author correctly said Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden his garden as much stuff for Garden at his obedience is imputed to us. Jesus is the true and better able who's salice Lane has blood that cries out not for our condemnation before our acquittal Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answers the call of God and leave the familiar Comforts of home into a world that he doesn't know yet. Jesus is the true and better Isaac who not only offered who not only offered by his father sees me. He was not only offered by his father on the mount. But it was truly sacrifice for us all well. God said to Abraham now, I know you truly love me because you did not withhold your son your only son for me. Now. We at the foot of the cross can say to God now, we know you love us because you did not withhold your son your only son whom you love from us. Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blows of justice that we deserve so that like Jacob so that we like Jacob only received the wounds of Grace that wake us up and a cyclist. Jesus is the true and better Joseph who's at the right hand of the king and forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his power to save them. Jesus is the true better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lords and mediates the New Covenant Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses Moses who struck with the rod of God does Justice gives us water in the desert. Jesus is the true and better job. He is truly innocent suffer and then he intercedes for and saves his stupid friends. That might be my favorite one. Jesus is the true and better David whose Victory becomes the people's Victory, even though they didn't lift a stone to accomplish it themselves. Jesus is the true and better ask who didn't just risk losing an Earthly Palace, but lost ultimately the Heavenly one who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life who didn't say if I perish I perish but said when I perish I perish to save my people, he's the true and better Jonah who was cast out of the storm so that you and I could be brought in out of the storm is the true Passover Lamb. Here's the truth Temple. He is the true peace is a true priest is the true lab. He is the true sacrifice. The Bible is not about you and me. The Bible is about Jesus Christ. It's designed to open a window on the goodness of God and call forth from us worship. worship Christ Alone is our savior not our works not our heritage, not our grandparents or anything else. Not even good habits and good qualities. We might have cuz even our righteousness itself is like filthy rags before God Scripture says until Christ. Alone is our savior Our Redeemer. We're going to stand and sing this song. I'll be in the back pretty members be in the back and the front. If you have a decision about Christ of the church that you want to make come find me fever. Come find me or one of the prayer team for all of us pay attention to the words of this song sing them with your heart to Christ. Who merits our worship please stand?