August 5th Sermon Evening Service.
Job 28. Hebrews 11: 16-31. Luke 12: 13-21.
A local Priest and Rabbi were fishing by the side of a road. After some discussion they thoughtfully made a sign saying “The end is near! Turn yourself around before it’s too late!” and showed it to each passing car. One driver that drove by didn’t appreciate the sign and shouted at them, “Leave us alone you religious nuts!” Shortly afterwards they heard a big splash. They looked at each other and the Priest said to the Rabbi, “You think we should just put up a sign that says, “Bridge out” instead.”
Job had discerned the difference between the way people in his time looked to accumulate riches rather than God’s kingdom. Their mind set cushioned their life on earth, but it was a dead end.
The wisdom of Job talked about doesn’t come from hindsight, learning from making mistakes, true wisdom comes from God when he’s involved with his people.
William Wordsworth’s words of wisdom when he wrote, “The best portion of a good man’s life is in his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” The wisdom coming from God worked out in acts of kindness, his richness towards God: Jesus said that there is more to life, “Life is not made up of what a person owns.”
William Wordsworth’s treasure kept in heaven where the Lord will reward him.
Many young people today seek wealth through the setting up of a business on the internet. Google tells me that there are 40 young men and women who became billionaires before they were 20 years old.
These rich young people, who will inherit their billions?
The man who asked Jesus to speak to his brother and to tell him to divide the inheritance, got a negative response from Jesus. Why did he think that Jesus would respond and sort out his grievance?
They looked for the Messiah to be a man like Moses were the people came and consulted him to settle their disputes. Exodus 18 Jesus had confirmed to his disciples that he was a judge. John 5: 21-29. But his mission was not to make judgements over people, he had come not to condemn but to give life, an eternal inheritance. In the reading in Luke the man wasn’t looking for an eternal inheritance.
Yet the Hebrew Patriarchs and prophets looked for God’s promised inheritance. The people mentioned in the letter to the Hebrews 11: 16-31 were looking with great faith and hope to enter their inheritance, into the eternal land promised to Abraham by God.
The writer of Hebrews said of these people who lived by faith, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses’ parents, Moses looked and hoped for the promised inheritance.
The Jewish people were expectant of this coming kingdom, their entrance into it through the promised coming of the Messiah. The Jews came to John the Baptist and asked him, “Are you the Christ or should we look for another?”
After Pentecost Peter reminded the Christians in his first letter of the hope of their Patriarchs had been realised in Jesus. “The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory.”
It was only after Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Holy spirit who revealed to the disciples that the kingdom of God was in Jesus.
Acts 3: 17-36
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant,[a] sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
God had foretold the Patriarchs, through the prophesies that the Christ would suffer, even Caiaphas the high priest that year, the head man of the Sanhedrin, God had given him a prophecy that one man would die, so that the nation would not perish. Caiaphas believed that prophecy and acted upon it.
“47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place[a] and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; 50 you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.”
Peter called the crowd listening at Solomon’s Gate to repent so that Jesus would bring in ‘the times of refreshing’ meaning the restoration of the land and throne of King David, HE WOULD SEND JESUS to restore, to bring in the times of refreshing.
Peter and the other disciples for the first time proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ publicly at Pentecost. Now was the time for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah, their Saviour. Caiaphas was a Sadducee they didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection on the last day. They missed it, their stubbornness had been part of problem that God had with the Israelites’. Deuteronomy 9: 6. Acts 7.
Extracts from “The Messiah’s Secret Revealed” Dorothy Newton
The disciples and followers of Jesus then and now in our present day are commissioned by Jesus to take the good news of God’s saving grace to the rest of the world. We enter through faith in Jesus into our commission having received the same inheritance as the disciples.
When we draw water from the wells of salvation, we are drawing out our inheritance in Christ Jesus. All that belongs to Jesus belongs to each believer in Jesus.
Every Christian has gifts of the Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Peter wrote in his second letter, “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Paul wrote that the parts of the body which seem weaker are indispensable, and those parts of the body we think as less honourable we invest with greater honour.” 1 Corinthians 12: 22,23.
Prayer
Father God, forgive us when we are stubborn and turn and look at the wisdom of the world for help and guidance, when we do not recognise the wisdom and the gifts in us that are anointed gifts of God’s grace. Increase in us your Godly wisdom and help us to take hold of our inheritance in Jesus and use it to your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.