Church would stand as we read the word together in honor of god’s word, the Apostle Paul, back in Romans, he’s gonna be saying to us in chapter 8, uh, an area we’ve been familiar with, but we pick it up in a new section.
Chapter 8 verse 23. I’ll read there.
If you read nice and loud, beginning at verse 24, He says, not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body.
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope.
For why does one still hope? For what he sees.
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Likewise, the spirit also helps in our weaknesses for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered.
Next. First, Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of god.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love god.
To those who are called Listen to this now. According to his purpose.
For whom he for new? Just that statement alone. God cannot learn anything. He knows it all.
Is that awesome? He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he predestined these he also called, whom he called these he also justify and whom he justified, these he also glorified.
In the name of yashua, Jesus, and all god’s people said, Amen. Amen. You may be seated at church.
We’re looking at a message series now titled, we are on our way. We’re on our way.
And what possibly can that mean, uh, but what the ending arguments of the verses of Romans chapter 8 bring to us?
It’s one of the most beloved chapters in all of the entire Bible to those who read the Bible all the way through.
Uh, you start reading in Genesis. You go to Malachi.
You pick it up in Matthew, and you read all the way to Revelation. And I love that.
By the way, if you’re new to the Bible, this is why I know many churches, and I’m sorry to say this, but there are many churches today that will never open up the old testament.
I think they are actually I have to confess. I’m sorry.
I don’t think they’re a new testament church if they don’t open up the old testament.
How can you be a new testament church if you don’t know what the old testament says?
He said, what do you mean by that? Because you’ve gotta read the old testament.
You gotta read the You gotta find out what god was saying to Moses and to Abraham and to all the others, including David, the great king, to find out all those promises given, how do you know if he’s been fulfilled?
That’s why the new is written because will record what was promised.
Hey, remember it was said there? It was fulfilled here. With listen, all of the promises.
How will you ever know? Of their fulfillment.
And so we have a very, very special man giving us this teaching uh, Soul of Tarsus or as we know him by his, uh, new name, Paul.
But as we look at these things today, keep this in mind, we’re on our way.
By the way, honestly, technically, every single one of us are on our way somewhere right now.
She said, what do you mean? I’m just sitting here. Time is ticking. Is it not? Yes. Yes.
Ty listen. You’re on your way somewhere. The Bible speaks of an eternity.
And you and I are on our way. And yet god has provided salvation.
We talked about that last Wednesday night.
By the way, last Wednesday night, if you were not here, that’s okay.
If you weren’t, you’re forgiven, but we’re going through the book of Hebrews and Many people accepted the lord last Wednesday night because they found out that everything that The book of Leviticus, for example, was speaking about with sacrifices and blood and the high priest and all of the ordinances to bring about forgiveness was brought to understanding and to full knowledge in that letter of the book of Hebrews, remarkable, and you need to know that.
Church jot this down if you would, Ecclesiastes, Akhlesiastes, we have to do this book someday.
Uh, maybe we should do it next. It’s spectacular.
Eklesiastes chapter 3 verse 11 says, he has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also, he has put eternity in their or our hearts eternity.
It’s something within us that we think. We think about forever.
We think about is their life after death? Job said that.
The oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job, Job says, is there life after death?
That is a question that every person has. And yes, there is life after death.
But what you wanna make sure that you experience is the love of god, and the forgiveness of god, and the grace of god, the favor of god.
And anything I tell you outside of that, according to the will of god, it’s not acceptable.
He wants your life to be blessed And as we look at this today, we look at number 1, and it’s this in verse 23, and that is the heartbeat of heaven.
Mark that down if you would in your note taking the heartbeat of heaven, we find it in verse 23.
Not only that, but we, notice, circle the word we also, who, circle who, have the first fruits.
We’ll come to that in a moment.
Of the spirit, referring to the holy spirit, Genesis 1, the spirit of god.
Hovered upon the face of the earth, the spirit of god, even we, again, yet a circle we and ourselves circle that, groan within ourselves.
Circle that. Eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body, this physical body, Now listen, you may not be a believer, but you just listen carefully regarding verse 23.
Is it not true that in your life’s existence, that you see this great need.
Number 1, to be accepted, to be loved. God calls that adoption. We’ll see this in a moment.
Secondly, what about the redemption of your body?
Your body in this world is subject to pain, cancer, sickness, and death.
According to the Bible, god is gonna give you a new body. I can’t wait for that day.
And, uh, again, we’ll study this more and more, but this all of a sudden becomes what really ought to be the heartbeat of heaven.
For those of us who know the lord, We’re living here now, but we wanna be used by him as he’s invited us to be practical, to be used by him, to show the love of god, but to speak the truth.
To have a life that is activated regarding the things of god. Yeah. Not the things of materialism.
Those are simply tools. Think I mentioned to these this to you before.
Whatever you possess in life, god’s given you those things to be a steward of them.
Whatever your gifts and talents are, For example, are you a piano player?
Then play your piano to the glory of god? Are you a contractor?
Then what those skills do it to the glory of god? It doesn’t mean yet to build only churches.
We’ll pass dry. Does that mean just build church? No.
Build whatever you have opportunity to build, but as you’re doing it, know that your skill and your talent, you use it with all effort to the glory of god.
Are you an engineer? Are you a a parent, are you a a a teacher?
Do it to the glory of god as we’ve made mention before.
But know this, heaven’s throne within us is true. See, that’s a big statement. See, wait a minute.
Doesn’t god dwell in heaven? Of course, he dwells in heaven, but did not god say that I will make my tabernacle among you Didn’t we learn last week or last Wednesday that god says that a Jeremiah and out of the book of Ezekiel, I’m gonna put my spirit in you I’m gonna reside within you.
What an amazing thing. Is god in heaven? Yes.
But according to the theology of god, god is also omnipresent.
That’s one of the characteristics of the almighty god. The omnipresent of god. He’s everywhere.
King David said, I cannot go anywhere and not find god there. He’s there.
He said if I take the wings of the morning and flee to the outermost parts of the earth or the sea, he said if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there.
Heaven, obviously, heaven is heaven.
The Bible speaks it to us in human terms where It is an actual dwelling.
It is a dwelling place. It is a reality. Listen, it is in existence.
But you and I know so little about heaven in our reality.
We’ve been given some details in the bible, But according to the scriptures, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven to those who believe is within you.
For those of us who know him, we understand that the very heartbeat of our existence is interesting.
Let’s be honest. The more we follow him, the more heaven gets inside of us and and the sense of it all, and the glory of it all.
And we look and we see what’s happened in the world.
And it breaks our heart to see the difficulty in hardship and war in the world while at the same time we have comfort knowing that this is god’s word in effect.
This world is out to destroy itself.
Jesus said, if I didn’t return back to the earth, there’d be no flesh left on the earth. Why?
Because man will blow himself up. We’re children of destruction without god.
But the Bible again tells us, as I mentioned in ECClesiastes, the 311, he’s put eternity in our hearts.
Every single one of us realizes that there’s this thing inside that’s either full or empty of who you are.
Think of it. Can you remember, have you been a follower of Christ so long that you have forgotten what it’s like to feel empty in life.
When we were empty in life, we tried to fill that hole.
We tried to fill it with religion, Give me some more rules, maybe drink, sex, drugs, rock, and roll.
I don’t know what it was, but your life was empty, and you were on this pursuit to try to have a meaning to the existence of your life.
The true existence of your life can only be experienced. And god. Amen.
There’s no doubt about this. And so when he talks about this remarkable thing, heaven can have a very throne room in your heart.
That word first fruits, by the way, I love that.
We talked about this last time, uh, together, but please, let’s let’s look at this meaning again.
Uh, obviously, if you’re Jewish, you recognize immediately the, uh, that must that comes from the feast of 1st fruits.
That’s exactly correct. The 7 feasts of Moses, all of them.
By the way, all of them have new testament fulfillments in recorded in the life of Christ except 1.
Out of the 7, one is missing. You’re gonna be thrilled if you know your Bible.
Which one’s missing? It’s the feast of trumpets.
Does not the believer wait to hear a trumpet? Yes.
Is not the believer according to the Bible waiting to hear the call up of god’s people together by virtue of a trumpet?
You didn’t do amazing? First fruits, it simply means this the beginning of the sacrifice or the best we would say, the first of what has been received.
What you’ve harvested, the first and the best goes to god.
The first of what has been taken in.
The best, the most precious of that which you have gotten in value and worth. First fruits.
So look at this. He says, not only that, but we also have, uh, who have the first fruits of the spirit.
The Bible says that the spirit gives life. Of course, look in your Bible. That’s capital s.
Some of your Bibles have holy spirits. The same difference. The spirit of god gives life.
And the scriptures announcing us that to those of you who have the spirit of god, You have the first fruits that god provides.
And I gave you a hint a moment ago of what that first fruit is. It’s eternal life.
Is amazing. Sometimes I sound like a broken record, and you’ve heard me say this many times, but I’ll say it again.
When JRR Tolkien was witnessing to some guy by the name of CS Lewis and Oxford University.
CS Lewis warmed up as an atheist to tokens belief and gave him a token thumbs up and said, I’ll tell you what.
Okay. There’s no doubt. The Jesus you speak about, he’s good.
And toking, being the great brain that he was, came right back and said, that can’t be true.
That’s not possible. Jesus cannot be good.
Token is the 1 and see us lose the in in that argument, broke out and said, how can Jesus be good if he’s just a very good person when before he died on the cross said, if you believe in me, you will live forever.
What? He says, listen.
If if you crucify me in 3 days, I’ll be resurrected from the dead.
He says if you turn to me, and if you were to die, you’ll never die.
Okay. That’s, as I said before, those are the words of a lunatic.
Honestly, or the lord.
You can’t say he’s good because, uh, and leave him at that.
You can’t say he’s a prophet and leave him at that.
Listen, he’s either the lord that he says in scripture or that he’s a lunatic.
You can’t tell it both ways.
And yet all of this was given to us in god’s word, and there should be the heartbeat of that proof within us as true followers.
Isn’t it remarkable? Church family that the precious man Abraham.
I highly recommend the book by AW Tozer. The pursuit of god.
And one of those chapters, uh, tozer writes about the struggle that Abraham hears from god and god says, Abraham, take your son, your only son, and go to a mountain that I will show you.
And, uh, we know that it’s Mount Moriah.
Go to Mariah, through the land of Mariah, and they’re offer up your son, Isaac.
And, um, it’s I find it fascinating because From the moment that god spoke to Abraham to go offer up Isaac, it was a 3 day journey.
Read your Bible carefully. It was 3 days journey.
And when god went to offer up Isaac, which by the way, Isaac was old enough to overpower his old dad, his old man.
Isaac was old enough. Are somebody school pictures got this little boy? Oh, no. No. No.
Isaac is somewhere in his late twenties. Abraham is ancient.
And the word in the Hebrews is awesome. It says that they went together.
The word the word together, they went in agreement. Father, here’s the wood. Here’s the fire.
Where’s the sacrifice? And Abraham says, son, Yah lord, Yahweh.
Will provide himself a sacrifice.
And the Bible tells us that Isaac laid down on the altar.
And Abraham went to because here’s the deal. Here’s here’s where you and I come in.
Are you the descendant of Abraham for Realsies? Listen carefully.
Abraham in gut wrenching terror of obedience, fear, thinking, this is my son. I love him.
But god said, from through his DNA, from my loins through him, the promise will come.
The pro the The nations of the world will be blessed, but god has just told me to sacrifice my son.
Listen, the god or the bible doesn’t accept you and sacrifice. So what’s going on here?
Abraham picks up his dagger to plunge it into the chest of his son. Thank god it never happens.
The angel of the lord stops him but the point was this. Can I make it uh this way?
God, this is killing me.
It’s breaking my heart, but I know what you’ve promised me And I know that you love me, and I know that you love my boy, and I know that you’ve given me a promise.
You’ve also told me to do this.
So I believe this, that even if I should kill my son as you’ve requested, you will raise him up from the dead.
That’s how much Abraham believed. He knew.
And all of us who believed in god’s promises like that.
Understand what it is to know the nature of our god.
There’s a big bat going on in the world that you and I cannot see right now invisible as it were between 2 gods.
Now there’s only one god, but there’s demonic powers. And that’s what’s colliding over Israel right now.
That’s what’s colliding over many parts of the world right now.
Strange things are going on in our world around us that can only be blamed because evil is being perpetrated because evil is loose.
And evil can be personified. Satan is the chief architect of evil, obviously.
But thank god. In the midst of all of this world right here right now, god can take up the throne of your heart and live there by faith, believing what he has said.
Duteronomy chapter 26, Moses said in verse 10, then you shall set it before that is the 1st fruits offering before the lord your god and worship before the lord your god.
Verse 11, so shall, uh, rejoice.
So shall you rejoice in every good thing which the lord your god has given you and your house.
So everything should be for the believer of the firstfruits, everything. Today drawing breath. Living life.
Set it before the lord. Right? It doesn’t have to be on a certain day.
It can be all the time. It’s an attitude. It’s a realization. It’s a understanding.
It’s faith in god. The feast of 1stfruits, listen to this. This freak me out.
The feast of 1st fruits given by god to Moses to pass down to the children of Israel was at springtime, a celebration.
On the Hebrew calendar, it was to be celebrated on 16th Nissan.
I don’t know how to say that word properly, but n I s s a n, which places it 2 days after the feast of unleavened bread And 3 days after Passover, which places it, passover 3 days after the first fruits.
And that is laid out in Leviticus chapter 23.
What’s very interesting about that, Isaiah 66 verse 1 says, thus says the lord, heaven is my throne.
The earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? Question mark.
And where is the place of my rest? He’s challenging. Where can I you’re gonna build me house?
Can you contain me in a house? No.
But isn’t it amazing that god will relegate himself to the human soul if you’re willing to accept him and to know him personally.
And in that in that moment, you become in god’s redemptive power. Think about it. God’s redemptive work.
Isn’t it amazing that he’s the the god who redeems that you become as it were 1st fruits from his efforts.
What does god’s harvest look like? What does god’s first drawing in look like. It’s life.
But the Bible says all of us have been sold into sin, slavery.
That’s why god gave the 10 commandments to point out our flaws, to point out our sins.
It tells us how to relate to god and to man, and the moment the moment it tells us how to relate to god.
The first commandment. We failed the first commandment.
The moment we read the holy law, we find out that we are unholy.
Remarkable. We need his mercy and his forgiveness.
The 1st fruits of the spirit, god’s gift of eternal life. Promised throughout scripture.
I find it awesome and comforting that it’s the god of the Bible whose promised life, forgiveness, redemption, salvation.
We didn’t make that up, people. So, yeah, yeah, I’m sure we did.
Man wrote the Bible and wrote that in there. Uh, you need to read your Bible.
Because the Bible doesn’t flatter man’s actions.
The Bible is god’s revelation of his redemptive act and his plan.
But when it says that we have the 1st fruits of the spirit, it it implies as we’re gonna be looking at a very deep seated reality.
And I wanna be asking you, do you have this reality in your life?
Now church family, mark this down if you would, a little theologically deep if, uh, if you would, but, um, in your mind, step back 2000 years ago as I read this.
The reason why is because this is what Peter quoted. Joel chapter 2 verse 28.
God said through the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams.
Your young men shall see visions.
And also, on my men servants and on my maid servants, I will pour out my spirit in those days.
This is from the prophet Joel or Joel.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness.
Hey, all of a sudden, those of you who know you’re a new testament. You’re saying, I recognize that.
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood. Why?
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the capital o or capital l o r d.
That’s the name of god.
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved.
Watch this. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, there shall be a deliverance as the lord has said among the remnant whom the lord calls.
What an awesome and powerful truth. What’s interesting, just chew on this for a moment.
The feast of 1st fruits 2000 years ago on the weekend that Jesus was crucified 3 days later, he rose again from the dead.
Did and and in between that, you’ve got the feast of unleavened bread.
Did not Jesus say, I am the bread of life.
If you eat what I offer, you’ll never hunger again.
And the Bible says that the leadership picked up stones to kill him.
Because in John’s gospel, it’s recorded that Jesus said, why is it that you wanna kill me?
Is it because of the miracles? And they said, no.
It’s because you’ve equated yourself with the lord. We’re gonna kill you.
I understand where they’re coming from, but they didn’t understand who was speaking to them, and they didn’t understand that what was happening in front of them been prophesied in scripture.
The Bible said, you wanna watch for the Messiah, Isaiah 35. Here’s a clue.
He’s gonna open the eyes of the blind. He’s gonna raise the dead and cleanse the lepers. Isaiah 35.
Remarkable. In the life of the believer, god resides in the very heart and the very being.
You know what’s awesome? None of us none of us to know the lord have to be reminded to know the lord.
The followers of Christ, when you wake up in the morning, do you have to, like, set a little sticker by your mirror?
Remember remember, No. Isn’t it? Listen. I hope you can agree with me on this.
He’s the first one that greets us in the morning. Yeah.
Have you noticed when we’re waking up, we’re like, is it? Is it my day off?
I had the I’m sorry, but I had the I don’t know what happened last night.
I woke up to I I woke up this morning And I’m wondering, why is my alarm going off?
It’s my day off. See, my sabbath is on Mondays. I thought it was Monday today.
And I was content just to stay in bed until I started to come to my senses, and it was This is the lord’s day.
And that’s enough to catapult you out of bed, uh, right then and there. You know?
That was so weird. I I know I usually don’t have that problem in the morning. It was strange.
And in that sense, he’s the resurrection god. Right?
But what I just read to you a moment ago in Joel in the book of acts chapter 2.
I know this is New Testament book of acts chapter 2.
It says, but Peter, Peter standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to the people, men of judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem, Let this be made known to you and heed my words, but this is what was spoken of by the prophet.
Joel. Remarkable. Awesome. James chapter 1 verse 18. James 118.
Says, of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Those given life.
There’s friends, listen, I’m not asking you to and you you if you’re visiting, I’m happy to tell you.
Did we pass the plate to take your money? We’re not gonna either. You know why?
Cause we don’t want that to be a distraction to you.
We literally trust god to provide the operational needs of this church and the growth of this church by god speaking to his people.
He said, are you crazy? Probably, but god speaks to his people.
So listen, you can’t fault this for getting you in here and then going after your wallet, And did you see anything?
Do you do you read anything in the seat pocket in front of you saying wanna become a member?
We don’t have a membership.
We had to write a letter when we were becoming incorporated a long time ago, 30 3 years ago, we had to write a letter to the IRS to explain to them that we will not have membership because that was a big deal to the IRS.
What do you mean by this? We will not have membership because it is legal, not to have membership.
It’s just that nobody does it because when you have membership, then you ask them for things like money, for commitment, this, that, and the other.
And we don’t believe in that kind of pressure.
Look, I’m trying to be casual.
I have jeans on for those of you who wanna be casual.
And then the other day, I had a sport coat on, and those who want me to be more formal said, thank you for wearing your sport coat.
So listen, I would rather have a t shirt on right now, but because we love you, I’m wearing this thing right now.
Why? Because Polson will become all things to all men that some might be saved. Okay.
God wants you in heaven. No.
You can’t be a member because that would cloud your relationship between you and god.
We’ll get we would get in the way. So, no, Go go to god direct. Yeah.
Think of this. And, no, we don’t want your money because god knows how to provide That’s why when the the COVID I don’t know about if you know this or not, but the COVID whoever the COVID crazies were in our government.
They just started they just started giving out money to everybody. You got money.
Some people told me I’m making more money at home. That’s a sin. I mean, seriously sick.
Think about that. That’s nuts that a government would do that?
And we got a check from the government for 1,000,000 of dollars.
And the accountant walks into my office.
She says, I think I know your answer I I was so flattered by her.
Of course, we’ve been working together for decades, but she says, I think I know your answer on this.
Just have to run it by you.
We just gotta check for for this this much millions from the, uh, COVID relief.
And I said, here’s here’s what you’re gonna tell them. No. I’m serious.
We serve the god who provides.
And if we accept your money, then we are not trusting him sent it back That’s that’s that’s why you can go online.
You can go online and search a church to see if they took money.
And, uh, now I’m gonna get letters now from pastors who took money.
Read my lips. I’m not gonna read your letter. Okay?
If you’re if if you’re bothered by that, ask god to forgive you to be okay.
Uh, but you you should have read the fine print, by the way, of that gift because they can call that gift back if they need it.
So you’re gonna be hurting when that day arrives, if it hasn’t already arrived.
The second thing we see here is heaven’s appeal is a reality within us.
Heaven’s appeal.
The Bible tells us that heaven where we’re going, there’s no remembrance of former things.
The Bible says in heaven, there’s no tears. There’s no sickness. There’s worship. There’s joy.
There’s the presence of god. Imagine that. Imagine that Isaiah saw the presence of god in Isaiah chapter 6.
God allowed him to see heaven, and he described it.
You ought to read it later in Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1. It’s absolutely awesome.
And Isaiah is just absolutely undone. At the glory of heaven.
Now we as believers, we’re stuck here for now, but we know where we’re going.
We’re on our way.
And the appeal about heaven is a reality.
Because god said so. Even we ourselves groan. Let’s be honest, we groan. We groan.
Even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting. Isn’t that perfect? What a statement?
We are grieved over the condition of the world, as I said earlier, and we’re tempted to become fearful and burdened, but we’re not permitted.
We’re not allowed to be fearful. God says, do not become timid.
If we’re timid, we are to repent of that because we’re not trusting in him.
It’s not due to the fact that we know better you guys.
It’s due to the fact that something is very wrong in this world, and we all know that.
But we have this internal knowledge or sense or concern that god has placed within us.
Because as Ecclesiastes says, there’s eternity in your heart. That might be why you’re here today.
You know something’s up. You sense it.
The word grown here, Stanazo in Greek, it means to exhibit pain or to show evidence of pain.
Physical pain, emotional pain, non physical pain. Think of that.
The world in the spiritual realm, there’s pain.
The word suggests that things are out of sorts, disjointed, misaligned, and skewed, groaning.
Our bodies are groaning. Nature is groaning. The world is groaning.
These are not pleasant things, but they’re real things, but listen to this. Heaven’s appeal is a reality.
When you look at the world groaning, just know this.
In fact, I just told Matt just before I came out here, I said, you know, we were singing that song.
We were singing in those worship songs, and there was a line. I forgot what line it was.
And I said, you see that line right there? That line, I because he’s a young man.
I’m I’m an old man. He’s a young man.
And I told him, I said, you see these truths about scripture.
They become they’re they’re they don’t become more true. They’re true.
But as you get older, the reality of them becomes truth to you because you’re starting to live it.
Wow. It’s it’s it’s like you arrive at the truth that’s always been parked there as you get older.
It’s awesome. Growing older as a believer. And when god’s word says this, it’s like, yep.
And, uh, the reality of heaven gets more exciting, more comforting.
We’re on our way there. Do you have that assurance you’re supposed to?
I love, for example, Daniel, one of my favorite personalities of the entire Bible, Daniel, Daniel lived, you know, that guy was taken captive.
Israel and had sinned against god and god had warned Israel and warned Israel and warned Israel.
And he said, because you won’t listen to me, I’m gonna send you into captivity.
You won’t listen to any of my prophets.
You rebel against everything I’ve told you to do written down in in the Moses, and you just won’t listen and nebuchan Ezra comes for the 3rd time, by the way.
Three times he came.
The final time he took with him, Hanania, Michelle, and Azariah, And Daniel, you know them as meshek, Shadrach, and Abednego, those are their Babylonian names.
That’s their pagan names that were given to them. By nebuchanezer.
Daniel, the Bible tells us, as god gives Daniel the end time prophecies, of what’s to become of Israel and the world in the last days.
God tells Daniel, but Daniel seal up the book. The time is not yet.
You will be gathered to your fathers. And you will be at peace.
What a beautiful thing to say?
You’ll be gathered to your fathers We know that Jesus and Luke’s gospel spoke about Abraham.
In what we call Abraham’s bosom, the comforting place of all those who passed on in eternity that believed would go to this place where Abraham was at until the door was opened in heaven.
The Bible tells us that the resurrection of Christ But the appeal of heaven, I don’t wanna suggest that I’m talking about some lame brain disconnect from what’s going on in the world around us.
We’re to be absolutely engaged in everything that we’re doing to the glory of God.
As I said earlier, but church family, please be aware of this.
Is that we are to be constantly comforted that if we were to die today, we would see the lord and that is a very beautifully humbling reality.
It’s the prophets that sits said salvation is of the lord.
His very name You guys, didn’t we go through his name last week, or was it on Wednesday?
Remember his name? Yeah? Yes. Do you remember?
Does anybody remember y a h does anybody remember what his name what that means? No.
It’s actually, uh, it’s actually Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No.
But but the the name the name of the name of the Hebrew god is yeah.
He god is his title he has a name. Remember this?
We talked about the difference between Judaism and Islam or Christianity and Islam.
Remember, Muslims don’t know the name of their god. But the Judeo Christian doctrine, we do know his name.
Yeah. And do you remember what his name means? Listen. Listen. Uh, didn’t I Wasn’t I speaking somewhere else?
I could have been. Was it here?
Yahoshua, Joshua, yah yahweh, Jesus, same meaning. Same meaning.
Salvation saves. Salvation. That’s his name. His name is Salvation.
Isn’t that beautiful? Somebody mentioned one who praises. No. That’s the meaning of the word Jew.
Jude, Judith, Judah, is one who praises, one who praises.
Hallelu There you go. You just did it. You know, it’s amazing, by the way.
I I I, again, broken record all the way. I’ve been all over the place.
In countries, I don’t know the language.
But every time somebody slams their finger in the car door, they always use a certain name when they’re cussing.
How is that?
I’ve I have founded in Italy, in Russia, Croatia, in Monter Negra, I have found it to be true in, uh, you name the country.
I can’t understand a word they’re saying. But they drop their keys or whatever and out goes his name.
How do you figure that? No one. Again, you did that none no.
I didn’t hear Buddha ones. I digress.
It’s the appeal of heaven. And the Bible says that we are to be eagerly.
I love this word eagerly. We’re to be eagerly waiting. That should dis define our lives.
The word means to experience expectation. When’s the last time you experienced expectation.
Why is that something you really got excited about something? She said, well, pastor, it’s been a long time.
Well, I got good news for you.
When the kingdom is enthroned in your heart, friends, you experience expectation that is the urgency of waiting as in having somewhere to go.
I love do you have somewhere to go? Oh, yeah. To be in the getting ready mode.
You know that, expecting that which has been long waited for.
Didn’t Simeon say that when Joseph and Mary took Jesus on the 8th day to the temple?
You remember Simeon the old man?
It says that he had waited all his life for the expectation of Israel.
And Joseph and Mary are standing there, and he takes the babe, and he says, this child is for the rise and fall of many in Israel.
And the world for that matter. And he says, now, lord, I have seen thy salvation.
Let your servant depart in peace. What an amazing listen.
The Christian ought to live like that. When I say Christian, you guys know what I mean, right?
The Christ follower. I don’t even like using the word Christian anymore. So abused. The Christ follower.
The apostle Paul says to live as Christ and to die his gain.
To be absent from this body physically is to be present with the lord at any moment.
What a great confidence that we have Galatians chapter 5 verse 5 says, for we through the Holy Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
You know what that means? You I would tell the Sunday school class this way.
By the Holy Spirit, we’re all excited and we wait because god’s gonna pick us up And when he does, he’s gonna receive us as being righteous.
We’re not righteous, but remember, the sacrifice makes us righteous.
The righteousness of that you possess is not based upon your works. Are you guys awake?
The righteousness that you possess is not based upon your works. If it is, you’re in trouble.
If the righteousness you have is imparted like it was to Abraham, by god, when god says so, now you’re in a good place.
You see, true righteousness is based upon what god does, not what we can do.
Philippians 3 verse 20.
For our citizenship, by the way, that Greek word is politic, for our politics is in heaven.
From which we also eagerly wait for the savior, the lord Jesus Christ. Isn’t that beautiful?
Our passport, our true politics is in heaven Hebrews chapter 9 verse 28.
So Christ was offered once to bear the sin sends of many to those who, what is it?
Eagerly wait for him. He will appear a second time.
Oh, That means you can’t appear a second time unless you’ve been here the first time.
Apart from sin for salvation, You know what that means?
That means if he sovereignly decides to come back today, the issue is completing Salvation. You see what a minute?
I thought my Salvation is complete. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s complete, but you still have this body you’re dealing with.
This body’s gotta be changed. When that comes, when that happens, It’s of god.
It’s done by god. And then thirdly, we look at this under this point, it is this, the heartbeat of heaven, is that heaven’s love is a constant contact.
The love of god, heaven’s love, god’s love for us, causes the believer to have a a perpetual connection with god.
How is that true? How can that be true? Are we making this up? Not at all.
Look at verse uh 23. It says for the adoption, the redemption of the body.
Two key words, adoption, redemption. He mentioned adoption in earlier studies. The full rights, this is amazing.
The word adoption means full rights, completeness, the taking in of 1 by will, by choice, by self determination of another to adopt, which is a Roman concept Listen, in in Israel, the firstborn is everything.
I mean, there’s some exceptions to that. In god’s word, right?
The firstborn is highly elevated in in, uh, in Israel, but didn’t god kind of blow that out of the water a few times when he chose to?
Was David the firstborn? No. Nope. You can’t even name his brother’s names, but you know David.
Right? Think of that for a moment. Um, hey. Listen. Very powerfully.
Was Isaac the first born? Nope. But the promises come through Isaac. Why?
Because it’s all of faith and it is all based on god’s promises.
Our faith is on his promises. Our faith is not in the level of our faith. Hey, god.
You have to bless me because I’ve got big faith. God will say, who are you talking to?
I’ll talk to Santa Claus if you wanna talk like that. It’s not how it works.
The object of your faith. What is it? Who is it? And then redemption.
The word redemption means to take out and away from. It’s important as to aspects to it.
Redemption is being taken out of and taken away too.
You just you just don’t wanna be taken out of God takes you out of sin, out of the lostness of this world, and he places you into his heavenly family.
And that’s why he writes eternity in our hearts.
That’s why he sets up his throne and your very existence.
I’m wondering if this is difficult for some to understand.
I’m thinking, gosh lord, please help us all to get this But do you remember, of course, reading where Solomon built the temple?
And all along the way, god was telling David, you know, I didn’t ask you for a house.
Did you know that, everybody? It was on David’s heart to build god a house.
And god said, look, David, David. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. You wanna build the house?
You know, you wanna build me else?
Here’s the thing, but I cannot he told David, I cannot be contained in a house. In a temple.
I love that. But I’ll tell you what. I’ll show up. Solomon gets it completed.
David funded it. Solomon completes it.
And the before the priest ever got into the temple, guess what happened? Anybody know?
The shekinah glory of god appeared from inside the temple emanating out, and it said it was so thick and so brilliant that the priest could not make their way in.
If god can do that to material construction, Do you not think that god is saying to us?
It’s not about the building. It’s about your heart. It’s about your life. It’s personal.
And you know that. Thank god, look, we’re here right now. We’re not in Jerusalem right now.
There is no temple. If that’s where he was at, that’s where we’d be.
No wonder why he says behold.
I stand at the door of your heart and I knock.
If any man will open up, I will come in and sup that is eat with him and I becoming 1.
But an but an amazing god This love that he has for us, Romans 815 tells us for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba.
Father. I wanna read to a quote by Doctor.
Harry Ironside. I I love reading Ironside. If you ever get a book, any book of his is excellent.
We are children by birth, but sons by adoption.
In the full sense, we have not yet received all of that adoption, it, uh, it will all be consummated at the lord’s return.
When a Roman father publicly acknowledged son and legal heir to all that he has, he would do so at the forum.
The ceremony was called the adoption.
All those born into his family were called his children, but only one The one adopted was called his son.
So we have been born again by the word of god and thus indwelt by the spirit or the holy spirit.
We are his adopted sons. This will be fully manifested in the most public way when on that day, We are changed into our savior’s likeness and is coming for us to claim us as his own.
Doctor Ironside wrote And that is true. You’ll be like him in image.
You will not be a god. There’s one god. Amen. But he has his sons and his daughters.
And that’s why ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Joel, all of them prophesied that in eternity, around the throne of god, but not only be those of Israel, but those believers of the gentile world.
Isn’t that? I I just I love that.
Now this, I’m gonna read you.
If this does if if this doesn’t bless it, bless you. It’s from it’s from me.
It’s if it blesses you, then god gave it to me.
Jesus painted for us a graphic image of just how much we are the sons and daughters of the father by teaching us the theology of the prodigal.
As bad as the prodigal was, I called stupidized by sin, He never listen.
He never ceased to be the father’s son.
In fact, what is implied is that the father was inter seeding for his son, not aborting his son.
A Roman adoption was a legal, irreversible transaction that resulted in the ownership of all God says I adopt you into my family.
I love that. You cannot be born into the family of god. You have to be born again.
Into the family of god. And he does that by adoption. God picks.
I don’t know if adoption is in your family, adoption is in our family, it’s awesome.
If you’re if you’re praying right now, should we adopt or not?
Maybe maybe you should pray and ask god because that’s that’s that’s the theology God practices is that he adopts those who according to the scripture have nowhere else to go.
Isn’t that beautiful? You read the you read the new testament, and it says that it’s the outcast predominantly, not exclusively, the queen of England made that very clear.
She said, listen, I thank god that it says that in the scripture that he died, uh, for the common people, not not many noble, not many.
And she said, not many noble.
She says, I’m noble, I’m blue blood, but the word says not many noble, not any noble.
She says I was saved by an m. Did you know that? I was saved by an amp.
Looks like it. I saved by an ew. Queen of England. Boom. Save by an end.
It didn’t say any. It says many. Remarkable god.
Awesome god. And then finally, we’ll have to end with this is verses 2425, is this that hope of heaven.
Heaven’s assurance is our hope. Thank god for that.
Verse 24 for we were saved in this hope. You should come to Christ, friend. You should come to messiah.
That’s why he’s called that. You can experience salvation. The word right here is saved.
That word means to be saved, to be safely put to be in, uh, to experience a safe arrival, uh, to be rescued, to be brought safe passage through life.
You and I need a safe passage through life. More than ever. Amen.
And if violence breaks out across America, which is highly probable, if not predictable, And our nation goes crazy.
And all of those that have crossed into our borders who have come for bad reasons, and there are many, and I’m not guessing.
I am being told.
What if they do on a grand scale, what they did Israel the other day.
Just know this here and now.
If all of that atrocity befalls your physical life, like it did, many Israelis know this.
God says, though you were to die, yet you shall live. Yeah.
Know this, in this world, we’re not none of us will live forever in this world.
And if we are martored for the name of god The moment you stop breathing is the moment you start breathing in eternity with him.
And that ought to excite you to no end. Assurance. Assurance. My goodness.
I’m gonna go quick. I have 11 seconds to give you these verses.
Jeremiah, Old Testament prophet chapter 1 verse 12, uh, then the lord said to me, you have seen well for I am watching over my word to perform it.
That’s what god said. Ezekiel 2414. I am the lord. I have spoken.
It shall come to pass. I will do it. I will not go back. I will not spare.
I will not relent according to your ways and your deeds. You will be judged declares the lord your god.
He said and by the way, remember, he judges those he loves. I will not change my word.
Assurance of hope. Numbers 2319.
God is not a man that he should lie.
Or a son of man that he should change his mind, has he said and will not do it, or has he spoken and will not fulfill it?
Ezekiel 1228. Almost done. Ezekiel 1228.
Therefore, say to them, thus says the lord god, none of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the lord god.
Wow. Matthew 517. Jesus said, do not think that I’ve come to destroy the law or the prophets.
I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Most assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one yacht or one thiddle, will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Jesus stood and he announced everything that the prophet said, everything Moses said, is gonna come to pass.
That was an amazing statement because he’s actually announcing on the fulfillment of everything that they talked about.
Just watch and see. It’s a remarkable thing the continuity between god and what he has said throughout his prophets and what we see in the person of Christ.
It’s all Stan.
I’m I’m gonna read this last verse to you, and I’m I’m having you stand to encourage you.
It’s truly over.
Blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ who?
According to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled. That does not fade away. Reserved in heaven for you.
I like that. Who are kept by the power of god through faith for salvation.
Listen, ready to be revealed in the last time. Heavenly father, we come before you today.
And we can hear the words echoing of Joshua as he spoke to the children of Israel choose today whom you will serve?
The pagan deities of your fathers?
Or the one true god, and he, with exclamation point, said, as for me and my house, We will serve the lord.
Amen. My dear friends today, while heads are bowed and eyes are closed, right where you’re at.
You can say yes. You can say yes to the scriptures, yes to the will of god, yes to the gift of god, Yes.
I want my sins not covered. I do not come with animal blood.
I do not come to an earthly temple.
I come asking you almighty father to apply the blood of your only begotten son, the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world.
To take away my sin, I trust you, lord. Write my name in your book of life.
Come and live inside of me. Make my heart your throne.
We pray this in the name of Yashua Jesus. And all god’s people said, Amen.
God bless you. We’ll see a Wednesday night church. God bless you.