Luke 9:28-36

Today, Pastor Jack tells us that Peter, looking into Heaven’s glory, had forgotten everything else. It was good in that it tells us that the presence of Jesus is Heaven. But, bad in the sense that Peter forgot there was a hurting and lost world at the foot of the mountain.

The scripture says in Romans chapter 12 verse one and two, which is a great witness for us.
It’s a great example for us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, wholly unacceptable to God, which is a reasonable service and not to be conformed to this world.
Don’t become like the world Christian.
If you are becoming more like the world, they need to check and see if you really know the Lord.
We are not to be conformed to the image of this world, but we are to be what’s the word transformed by the renewing of your mind?
That is God’s sanctification work in our lives that you may be able to prove what is the good and acceptable perfect will of God.
Jesus is showing the disciples that when we pray things change and when he prays heaven comes down.
And so as he prayed, the appearance of his face was altered, Jesus’s physical body illuminated.
Listen to this, the word altar or altered as heteros. It’s a great, great word.
It means that it’s the same face or the same Jesus.
But now in a different appearance, it’s the same kind or we would say heterosexual, the same gender hetero.
It’s the same Jesus. But now the glory is coming out of him. What an amazing thing.
It’s the same Jesus.
He just looks different and not this his, oh his robe, you know, he didn’t go behind some rock or some tree or bush or, and change his robe and oh, look how brighter it.
Oh, one of the gospel says that his robe and this is kind of, I I say that in a flippant way but listen, one of the gospel writers say that his robe became wider than any launder ability to whiten.
I love that. Why you guys sorry. But I tried to show you this this morning.
I brought in my one million candle, what flashlight?
And I was going to put a T shirt in front of it, but it just didn’t work.
It wouldn’t have worked in here. But when you, you can’t even look at that light.
When you hit it with a with the fabric, the fabric wasn’t bright white.
Jesus made the fabric bright white.
It’s not the clothes you wear that make you a man.
It’s the man who makes the clothes, the integrity, the person of who you are.
You can put on Christian clothes. You can say my shirt’s born again.
But the question is, are you, do you know the Lord?
I am a Christian just because your shirt says it doesn’t mean it’s true.
Is the man or the woman on the inside, illuminating the room, illuminating the clothes, illuminating the family.
Illuminating the world makes all the difference in the world.
When we go to our jobs, when we go to our homes, when we go to our places, are we being transformed by the renewing of our minds?
Because we’ve spent time in prayer with Jesus.
Heaven comes down among us, things change and we see God moving in our lives, God will move in our lives.
When we seek his face, the center point of the Old Testament comes to life on this mountain top where it says in verse 30 and 31 behold, two men talked with Him.
This is awesome. Again, especially if you’re Jewish, two men talked with Him who were Moses and Elijah who appeared in the glory.
Watch this Jesus is glowing and then Moses and Elijah come into that glowing illuminating moment.
They show up say, wait a minute, Moses been dead. Elijah had been dead for a long time.
Now, wait a minute here, Moses died. God buried him says the Bible in the land of Jordan.
We don’t know where Moses was buried.
The Bible says, only God knows where Moses is buried but it is in the land of what is today Jordan, the kingdom of Jordan.
The Lord, the moment Moses died for when the physical body dies, the spirit of who you are doesn’t die.
Moses was with the Lord. Listen to this Elijah, he’s a radical guy because Elijah never died.
Elijah was the one in the Old Testament that got caught up in the chariot of fire and taken up into the presence of the Lord.
Why are these two figures important?
Just simply this very quickly, Moses represents what the law and the deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt was, which is a type of the world.
Moses delivers the Children of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness wandering which is symbolic of our walk with Christ.
Our born again experience is a Simi Tudor type of crossing over the Jordan river and then entering into a life of walking with God by faith.
But having battles to contend with Moses, Elijah represents all of the prophets in Israel till this day.
It’s true, Moses is the supreme law giver and are obviously highly respected.
But from the ministry of the prophets, it is Elijah. Elijah is their big, wonderful holy prophet.
And so he is. But the Bible also says in the Old Testament that before Christ comes back, Elijah will come and announce the coming of the Messiah.
The second coming of Christ, radical radical things.
Moses and Elijah are there, listen to this very quickly jot it down if you would Exodus 33 9 says, and it came to pass when Moses entered into the Tabernacle that the pillar of cloud that is this glory descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle and the Lord talked with Moses.
This is the church. Are you guys with me?
This is the same glory that talked with Moses as the same glory that Peter James and John are looking at.
It’s awesome. Exodus 1321 and the Lord went before them by the pillar of cloud.
That’s the glory to lead the way.
And by night in a pillar of fire, that’s the glory to give them light so that they go by day and by night and he did not take away the pillar of cloud, the glory by day or the pillar of fire by night.
The glory from before his people.
Israel doesn’t the Bible tell us even that when Israel wanted water and Moses spoke to the rock and then later struck the rock.
Do you remember that the scripture tells us in the New Testament that that rock that gave them water was Christ Jesus was all through the old Testament.
Exodus 40 verse 34 Exodus 40 34 says then the cloud that is the glory of God cover the Tabernacle of meeting.
That is the arc of the covenant and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter into the Tabernacle of meeting because of the glory that rested above it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
And whenever the cloud that is the glory was taken up from the Tabernacle, listen to this, the Children of Israel would go onward in their journeys.
But if the cloud or the glory was not taken up, then they did not journey till that day, that it was taken up for the cloud or the glory of the Lord was above the Tabernacle by day and the fire of it by night in the sight of all of the house of Israel, throughout all of their journey, we see the glory of heaven come down when we’re faithful to follow him.
Yes, absolutely. And when we are faithful to pray and then listen, verse 31 to listen is this when we are listening to learn, we see the glory of heaven come down from above.
When we are listening to learn and simply this and they spoke to Jesus of his decease, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Not going to be labor this. But when you, when you circle the word deceased, you’re going to flip out.
I hope you flip out. I’ve been flipping out all week and preparing for this because everything is, is doused in Old Testament.
There could have been other words that the Holy Spirit could have used for the word decease.
But in the Greek, the Holy Spirit chose to use the word Exodus.
It reads this way and they spoke to Jesus of his Exodus which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Do you see how it’s all replete with Old Testament, symbolism?
And speech, Jesus is going to be exiting now, you and I would say, oh he’s going to go die.
Yes, he’s going to go die. But that’s not how God looked at it.
That’s not how the prophets looked at it. Jesus was gonna Exodus.
He was going to leave this world in the flesh and be glorified by the resurrection.
So how could such a thing be happening and death be the topic there on the mountain top?
What is it that Peter James and John are listening to and then they hear the word Exodus that how they get their mind.
Really? Thinking. Point number two this morning is this when life is exposed.
As we see Jesus is glorious, life exposed. We see the glory of Christ.
Now this is amazing to me from verses 32-33, we learned this that as Jesus Christ was there praying and his glory is exposed before the disciples.
Eternity is in their midst. It’s amazing.
You’re listening to real life with Pastor Jack Hibbs.
You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series. Just go to Jack Hibbs dot com.
That’s Jack Hibbs dot com. And for now, let’s get back to our teaching.
Once again, here’s pastor Jack, the Bible tells us church that Jesus is preeminent before all things and you need to look at what that word means, especially listen, especially if you have a background in a cult or some sort of aberrant church thinking that doesn’t see Jesus as God in the flesh, that word in the Bible where Jesus is preeminent.
It doesn’t mean that he’s first in line, it means that he created the line.
He created the rules, he created everything about it and then he, listen, he stepped into the game.
It’s almost like Milton Bradley coming to your house to play Monopoly. I mean, is that who made mono?
Ok, thanks. It’s like Milton Bradley knocking on your door and say, can we play?
We made the rules, we made the game, but we want to play. Jesus made the rules.
He made all that. There is, is the scripture and then he steps into humanity. He’s preeminent.
We see the glory of Christ.
Now it says, but Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep and when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him as long as they were sleeping, they obviously were not aware of anything.
But when they woke up and they saw it was Jesus praying and they see Moses and Elijah.
The amazing thing to me is this is such a divine revelation that you, you have.
Peter intuitively knows it’s Moses and Elijah. I don’t think they had name tags on.
I think what happened was and, and just forgive me if I’m going too far into this.
But don’t you think maybe just to entertain the romance of this. Here you have Jesus praying.
He’s six months away from going to the cross.
He begins to be illuminated from the inside out Moses and Elijah appear, they speak to them about his coming Exodus out of this life.
And as Peter James and John await to see what’s going on.
Don’t you think for a moment that these three boys knew that Moses and Elijah had stepped either out of eternity into time and space.
We don’t know, did that happen or by in the proximity was the three disciples allowed to see or be involved in eternity?
For the moment, we don’t know.
That’s the cool thing about it, which leads me to wonder what happens when we do pray, what happens when we do worship?
What happens right now? Could it be that the Book of Hebrews tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, by the way again, the scripture teaches Hebrews chapter 12 that we as believers, by the way, it teaches this, technically that there is the church militant and the church triumphant, the church militant.
That’s you and I we’re not home yet.
We’re fighting against sin, we’re fighting against evil, we’re fighting against our own flesh. We are the church militant.
Then there’s the church triumphant.
The church triumphant are those who died believing in Christ and those who died looking forward to Christ Daniel, for example, is part of that, you know, but when you think of the church since the birth of the church, you think of Charles Spurgeon, one of my spiritual heroes, you think of Charles Spurgeon.
He is the church triumphant. He has ceased from his labors. There’s no more fighting against evil and sin.
He’s in heaven above, he’s resting.
The Bible says in the book of Hebrews that we who are the church militant that is down here now, fighting and resisting evil are surrounded by a great cloud.
The word is glory of witnesses.
Now, I can’t tell you with certainty that heaven above is looking down to us beneath. I can’t say that.
I don’t know that but in some way, shape or form, we are surrounded by a big, big cheerleading squad in heaven above.
When we study the word of God, you may be sitting here right now, but there may be some radical, bizarre, awesome connection with eternity.
When we pray, we know that we connect with eternity when we pray and we know that when one sinner comes to know Jesus, what does the Bible say?
Angels in heaven in that moment, begin to rejoice in heaven above.
Whenever someone comes to Christ, angels rejoice, I gotta tell you this has been a week of funerals here at this church, but with every funeral, we saw quite a few people except the Lord at each funeral here in the midst of a funeral.
Do you think it’s in any way sad or any way, sorry that angels would rejoice in heaven above at a funeral when that one person raise his hand and says, I want Jesus.
They rejoice as the Bible. We see Jesus Christ. Preeminent. Listen to this.
Get your pen ready? Are you guys? Are you guys? OK? You’re so, you’re so good.
I gotta tell you guys you’re so good. I, I think you’re sleeping but then I see your face.
If I could just get you guys to come back at third service.
Third service is tough because you know what, third service, they’re just now getting home from whatever they’ve been doing.
Now, you don’t tell third service.
I said that, OK. Moving on very quickly. Jot it down.
This is good stuff right alongside your margins there in your Bible or in your notes. Colossians two verse nine.
Colossians 29 says for in Him that is Christ. Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form.
Is that a radical verse, Father, son, Holy Spirit, the nature of God. How will I know what that’s like?
Look at Jesus Christ, who is God, the fullness of the Godhead revealed in flesh. Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 and 17.
He is Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.
That’s the word preeminent. It doesn’t mean that he was born in that he came into existence.
It means that he is not only in the front of the line.
He is everything he made the line for by Him. All things were created.
Jesus made everything that are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, visible and invisible things, whether they be throne or dominions, that is powers and spiritual entities.
All things were created through Him.
And for him, Jesus is before all things and in him, all things are held together.
That’s a scientific term, By the way, Hebrews chapter 1: verse 1 God who at various times and in various ways, spoke at times past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days, spoken to us by his own son, whom he made to be heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds that is, by the way, cosmos is, you can’t even say it in English.
You know the word cosmos, God, the father made cosmos through the sun.
Jesus made universes upon universes upon universes.
And then you read that 2000 years ago and you think it’s too bad, God didn’t have a telescope because we only see the sun and some planets.
Oh, just wait because as time goes along, we, our technology catches up to the word of God.
And what did the Bible warn us about, not warn us?
Tell us about that Jesus Christ made universes upon universes upon universes.
And what do we see clusters upon clusters of universes? God’s word is so accurate and wonderful.
He is the brightness of his glory, the expressed image of his person.
And he upholds all things by the word of his power. Isaiah 40 verse 28 Isaiah 40 28.
Have you not known? Have you not heard it?
Is the everlasting God, the Lord who is the creator of all the ends of the earth?
I thought we just read that Jesus is the creator. Oh, we did. He’s God. Isaiah 45 12.
I have made the earth and created man on it. My hands have stretched out the heavens says the Lord.
And then revelation 4 11, you are worthy.
They sang oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you, created all things and by your will, they exist and were created.
Jesus is the Lord. And then we also learn this.
We see the glory of Christ now and that we see his position.
Verse 33 we see his position in that it says then it happened as they were parting from him.
Guys watch this Moses and Elijah now begin to dissipate or to I don’t know, ascend wherever they, however they moved out as they were leaving.
You gotta love Peter. In fact, Matthew says that Peter is going to say this Peter master.
It is good for us to be here.
Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Now that’s very sweet to say it’s cute. And he didn’t say 6/10.
He left him out of the deal. They’re gonna be homeless.
I’m not joking because what Peter is asking what he’s saying. He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about.
And it even says in the Bible and look, it says, not knowing what he said, don’t you love that?
He said this, not knowing what he said. Look at your Bible. He said it, not knowing what he said.
Matthew’s gospel. Luke’s uh Mark’s Gospel tells us that this Peter said because he didn’t know what to say.
Don’t you love this guy? Oh my gosh, James. John, look at this.
Look at this build. Let’s build three tents. But what was he implying?
What was he saying? In the Jewish mind? Peter was Jewish. What was he thinking?
The law Moses is here. Oh man, what could be better than that? Elijah showing up too?
This is it. Heaven is now.
The Kingdom has arrived besides James and John, didn’t he say a couple of 67 days ago, eight days ago?
Didn’t he say that to be those standing with him?
Who would not see death until the Kingdom of God comes? We’re in, we made it.
This is awesome. Come on, let’s build three tents for them, Jesus. We’re gonna build you a tent.
Moses and Elijah. So you guys can have a place to live in the kingdom forever. It’s forever.
He’s thinking pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs here on real life radio with his message called When Life Is Exposed.
You know, this message is part of our series called The Gospel of Luke.
It’s a series on the book of Luke and the unveiling of Jesus Christ to this world.
And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life radio.
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