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GTM -The Rest of The Story - By Russell Kemp Good evening everybody, and welcome to the beginning of our Sabbath. As Steve mentioned tonight, I hope to give you "The Rest of The Story." At this time of year, we hear a lot of sermons, obviously concerning the Passover, and rightfully so, when we consider the significance of that event. And in a little over two weeks, all the baptized members should be taking the Passover. So I'd like to begin by reviewing some of these events
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GTM -The Rest of The Story - By Russell Kemp Good evening everybody, and welcome to the beginning of our Sabbath. As Steve mentioned tonight, I hope to give you "The Rest of The Story." At this time of year, we hear a lot of sermons, obviously concerning the Passover, and rightfully so, when we consider the significance of that event. And in a little over two weeks, all the baptized members should be taking the Passover. So I'd like to begin by reviewing some of these events
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The speaker welcomes everyone to the beginning of the Sabbath and discusses the significance of the Passover. They review the events of the first Passover and emphasize the importance of following God's instructions. They mention the feast of unleavened bread and the miracles God performed to protect and guide the Israelites. The speaker then transitions to the new covenant established through the blood of Jesus Christ, highlighting the need for atonement for our sins. They emphasize the importance of faith and trust in God, drawing a parallel between the Israelites' lack of faith and the need for faith in the new covenant. Good evening, everybody, and certainly welcome to the beginning of our Sabbath. As Steve mentioned tonight, I hope to give you the rest of the story this time of year. We always hear a lot of sermons, obviously concerning the Passover, and rightfully so, when we consider the significance of that event. And in a little over two weeks, all the baptized members should be taking the Passover. So what I'd like to do is I'd like to begin by reviewing and summarizing some of these events. I know that this is old hat, but I think we need to go over it, we need to take a look at it. And I'll try to minimize some of this stuff because I know that we go through a lot of these scriptures over and over again, and then I hope to introduce some certainly seed for thought. But we need to see where we actually are in order to see where we're going. So I'd like to begin with chapter 12 of Exodus, where it gives us the details concerning the first Passover. Because it's important to know exactly where we're heading with this thing. So let's go there as an overview. You know, in verse three, and again, this is chapter 12 of Exodus, and in verse three, God instructs Moses to tell the people of Israel, this is what he said, he says, in the tenth day of the month, they shall take to them each man a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a house. And then in verse five, we're told that this lamb, very important here, this lamb must be one without blemish, we'll look at that later, and of the first year. In other words, it's in the prime of its life, and it's the best that they had. They were instructed to kill the lamb on the 14th of the month, between the two evenings. In verse seven, they were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost. And in the following few verses, they were instructed on how to cook and eat the lamb. Then in verses 12 and 13, he gives us the purpose for these events. And this is what he tells them when he says, and the blood shall be a sign to you upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. There's the term for Passover, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. Now that plague is obviously what he told Moses to tell Pharaoh in chapter 11. And in verse five, when he told him, he said, all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall buy, pretty strong words, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sits upon the throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl that is behind the mill, and also the firstborn of the beast. Pretty strong instruction. And as we know, in verse 49, and I would read it, but I'll tell you, I've got a lot of material, so I don't want to go over overtime. God carried out that promise of the plague. He carried it out. Now, make no mistake here, they were given explicit instructions from God that had to be kept to the letter. There was no, I'll do it my way or I'll do it this way. God made it very clear what they were to do. Had they failed to put the blood on the doorpost as instructed, they would have received the exact same punishment of the Egyptians. When God gives us instructions, we need to take heed. The blood gave them the protection from the death angel that night. Then the instructions he gave to them in verse 14 pertains to us as well today, when it says, And this day shall be a memorial to you, something to remember, a memorial. And you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. And here is where he makes it clear to us when he says, you shall keep it as a feast as a law forever. Now, if you believe we're Israelites or we come under that Israelite nation, we are still required forever to keep that. Now notice this is a law forever and it doesn't change. So it applies today. And so in just a couple of weeks, all the baptized members will keep the feast of Passover. Then in verses 15 and 16, they were instructed to put all the leavening out of their houses and they were to eat unleavened bread for seven days. It doesn't say just get the leavening out. We are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. Then in verse 17, once again, he gives them the purpose in so doing. When he says, And you shall keep the feast of unleavened bread, for in this very same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. In other words, out of the sinful life that they were living in Egypt. And as with the Passover, again, he says, therefore, you shall keep this day in your generations as a law forever. And of course, we collectively as a group of people, a church, will be keeping the days of unleavened bread beginning that week following Passover. Now as you know, the Egyptians were anxious to see Israel out of their land, obviously after the death that they received of the firstborn. And they were willingly, they willingly allowed the children of Israel to depart with their silver, with their gold and other expensive items taken from the Egyptians. So then the children of Israel departed Egypt. Now this is just a quick summary of what took place. However, it wasn't long and the Egyptians came after them with a powerful army and obviously capable of killing all the Israelites. And they were obviously deeply concerned, but God gave them protection both day and night. Now, after they witnessed, this is the most amazing thing, after they witnessed all these miracles, they still lacked faith and trust in God. And they saw the Egyptian army approaching. And they saw this, they told Moses in Exodus 14, in Exodus 14, and in verses 11 and 12. And again, these are the people just witnessed all these miracles. Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt? Why have you dealt with this way with us to carry out forth, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Why did we not tell you the word in Egypt saying, let us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than we should die in the wilderness. Oh, we have little faith is all I can think about. And of course, then God opened the Red Sea. Can you imagine? Can you imagine another miracle like that? He opened the Red Sea and the children of Israel crossed on dry land, but they were followed by the Egyptians, the Egyptian army, but they were finally destroyed when the waters of the Red Sea returned. Now, shortly thereafter, as we go through the preceding chapters, God gave them his laws, his statutes, his ordinances, his judgments. And following that, God entered into a covenant with them where he would provide them protection. He promised to provide a protection and a new promised land if, that if were, if they would obey his laws and keep his commandments. And of course, we know in chapter 24 and in verse 3, we're told that the people said all the words which the Lord has said we will do. And again, in verse 7, all that the Lord has said we will do and we will be obedient. You know, we kind of do that when we go through that fizzle. Anyway, basically, brother, that's the end of the story. They all lived happily ever after after that, right? Well, absolutely not. We know that. We've all read your Bibles. Paul Harvey is the guy that used to say all the time, now for the rest of the story. So let's look at the rest of the story. Think about these things. The Israelites were living as slaves in a very sinful city that worshiped false gods, and they were unable to worship the true God. But God, through numerous miracles, numerous miracles, brought them out of the land of Egypt. And he gave them a covenant. And he promised them protection. And he gave them the promise of a land full of milk and honey. Problem is, brethren, they weren't there yet. They weren't there yet. That land of milk and honey was still a distant travel to the barren land. They had a promise, but it all came with conditions. Here's that if-word again. If they meet the conditions of the covenant, they would indeed be God's people and receive the blessings of the promised land. Now in reality, we know that that never happened. It just never happened. But they constantly complained and sinned as they moved forward to the promised land. They constantly looked back and probably would have actually returned if it hadn't been for God. Miracle after miracle was not enough for them to trust and have faith in God. And as a result, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, not one other single adult that left Egypt reached the promised land. They all died in the wilderness without reaching their goal. Now let me fast forward a little bit to the new covenant. As with the old covenant, the new covenant is established through the blood of the Lamb. Ever since Adam and Eve, we have all been under the death penalty because of our sins. We're told in Romans 5 and in verse 12, that's Romans 5 and verse 12, as by one man sin entered into the world and by means of sin came death. And in this way, death passed into all mankind. And it is for this reason that all have sinned. And of course, we all know Romans 3, 23, that all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. So in like matter, from the old covenant, we are under a death penalty that must be reconciled by the blood of the Lamb. Now Christ gave up his Godhead and his position as the creator of all living things. And he humbled himself to be that sacrificial Lamb, to atone for our sins. Notice in John 1, and we're all very familiar with this, in John 1 and in verse 1, it starts off, it says, in the beginning was the Word. That's speaking of Christ and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And in verse 3, we're told that all things came into being through him. He was the creator of all things. And then dropping on down to verse 14, we read, and the Word became flesh and he tabernacled among us, full of grace and truth. Now notice, as we continue on in John 1, grace is referred to as the Lamb of God. In verse 29, John, as he sees Jesus coming, he says, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And then again, in verse 36, as he sees Jesus walking, he says, behold, the Lamb of God. Very clear that he's the sacrificial Lamb. So Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, without blemish, and in the prime of his life, was worthy to take away the sins of the world. Notice Hebrews 2, notice Hebrews 2, and beginning in verse 9, verse 9 of Hebrews 2. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering death, in order that by the grace of God, he himself might taste death for everyone. That's all of us, everyone. And why was he worthy? Why was he worthy? At verse 10, it says, because it was fitting for him, for whom all things were created, by who all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Brethren, Christ died and suffered after living a sinless life to atone for our sins, ours, yours and mine, not his. Now in Matthew 26, we see where Christ gave the apostles instructions on carrying out the Passover under his new covenant, under the new covenant. Remember, this Passover is a memorial and a law forever, as we read early. So we're to carry out the Passover every year. We've got it coming up in a few weeks. But the procedures have changed with Christ being the lamb slaughtered to atone for our sins. So here's the instruction Christ gave to the apostles. Let's begin in verse 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and he blessed it, then he broke it and he gave it to the apostles and he said, we will all go through this in just a couple of weeks. He said, take eat, this is my body. And he took the cup and after giving thanks, he gave it to them saying, all of you drink of it, for this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. Very interesting. So in like manner to ancient Israel, Christ's blood as the sacrificial lambs gives us the protection from the death angel. Now it doesn't mean this physical body is not going to die, it is, but it will not be a permanent death. As Israelites in Egypt were living in a very sinful city and God led them out from where they were bound in slavery to a sinful Egypt. Today, today, when we follow God's instructions and we repent of our sins, we are forgiven and we are taken out of that slavery from sin in the world we live in today. However, as they departed from Egypt, the Israelites were still pursued by their sinful captors. They weren't going to give up on them. Today, even after repentance, we're still pursued by Satan and the evil world that we live in. You're not out of it. Then the Israelites were baptized as they passed through the Red Sea and when the water passed over the Egyptians, their past life was buried, gone. This cut off the opportunity to turn back. They couldn't turn back. Though many, though many, when we go back and read, many wanted to. And today, today, as we're baptized, it symbolizes our burial and our death, our past life, past life needs to be gone. Then Israel entered into a covenant with God and they were given the promise of becoming God's own people and they lay in of milk and honey. Now, isn't it amazing? All that was predicated on doing God's will and keeping his laws, his statutes, his commandments. After baptism and the laying on of hands, we enter into a covenant with God to keep his will and his laws. We have also been given God's spirit to help us do just that. So like the Israelites, we came out of sin, have been baptized and we entered into a covenant with God. It's a very serious step, very serious step. The end of the story, right? The end of the story. Well, absolutely not. Absolutely not. Like those Israelites, we are still in the wilderness. We are not to be part of this world, but we're still in it. We're not out of it. In John 17, in John 17, while Christ was praying to the Father, he said in verse 15, I do not pray that you would take them out of this world. That was not his intention, but he does say, but that you would keep them from the evil one. Protection, like God promised the Israelites. So we still have to live in Satan's world until we die or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever one comes first. Brethren, we have not reached the promised land, eternal life in God's kingdom. We have not reached that. Could we, could we grumble, complain and turn back and not enter that promised land? The answer to that is yes. It is possible. Sin separates us from God, and unfortunately, brethren, we will sin. I didn't guarantee we would never sin again. John speaking to the church in 1 John 1, in 1 John 1 and in verse 8, he tells us that if we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. In other words, we're lying. Brethren, we must continually repent of sins and we should be growing in the grace and knowledge of God on a daily basis, constantly. So now, as Paul Harvey said, Paul Harvey is the one that coined that, now for the rest of the story, you see, we're not there yet, brethren, we are not there. We must still struggle against human nature. You're still human and the sins of this world we live in, and boy, I'll tell you what a world we live in today. I don't think I'd get an argument out of too many of you how far we've gone downhill of giving a sermon many years ago and what happened to the country I grew up in, and I've got to tell you, it ain't the same country. And Satan would love to spoil God's plans, so he will do everything he can to draw you back into the world. And if you don't think that can happen, I want to ask those of you that have been around the church of God for many years, if you know of anyone that is no longer in any of the churches of God, what happened to them? You see, in a couple of weeks, Passover, and the following days of Unleavened Bread, there are memorials. They remind us of the events that have taken place, and it is a memorial, and it's a law that we're commanded to keep forever. Now the days of Unleavened Bread following Passover, they represent you and I coming out of sin. Putting sin out of our ways for seven days is not only a memorial and a law, but a process that we must continue to keep until we are in the promised land. We ain't there. If we continue to grumble, and we complain, and we lack faith in God, as did the Israelites of old, while still in the wilderness, in our case, this sinful world that we live in, we may never reach the promised land. Some think it can't happen. We began a process with repentance, and baptism, and the laying on of hands, and we can't look back like the Israelites did. Now, I only covered a couple of those scriptures. They constantly wanted to go back. They didn't like living out in the wilderness, and we all remember the story of Lot and how he and his wife were given the opportunity to escape the destruction of the sinful city of Sodom. As they left that sinful city, they were instructed, they were told very clearly, don't look back, don't want to return, don't go back to that sinful city. But in Genesis 19, in verse 26, we were told that Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. She didn't make it to the promised land. As we approach the end of this current age of man, we have been warned what it will be like. We've been warned. There's no excuse. In Luke 17, in Luke 17, beginning in verse 26, Christ warns us that as it was in the days of Noah, so also shall it be as in the days of the Son of Man. In other words, like Egypt and like Sodom, Noah was living in an extremely sinful world. So sinful. Now think about this. It was so sinful that God was about to destroy all living life, with the exception of Noah, his family and the animals that were brought into the ark, he was going to destroy it all. I don't know if we're living in those same days yet today or not, but God's not going to allow that to happen. At that time, he says they were eating, they were drinking, they were living the normal life, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage until the day that Noah went into the ark and the floods came and he destroyed them all. You know, in other words, they didn't see what was coming. They had no idea what was coming. They were content with their sinful way of life. And then in verses 28 and 29, verses 28 and 29, it says it was the same way in the days of Lot. Then in verse 31, speaking of the return of Christ, we are told in that day, let not the one who is on the housetop and his goods in the house come down to take them away. And likewise, let not the one who is in the field return to the things behind. What are these physical things anyway? What are they going to do for you? And then in verse 32, we're told to remember Lot's wife. In other words, don't turn back. We have made a commitment. We've entered into a covenant. We cannot turn back. You see, as Israel came out of Egypt, they were not to return to the way of life they left, but they grumbled and they wanted to turn back. We're told in 1 Corinthians 10, we're told in 1 Corinthians 10 and beginning in verse 1 that we are not to be ignorant of this brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud that protected them and all passed through the sea, another miracle, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Now here's food for thought for a couple of weeks from now when we actually take the Passover in verses 3 and 4. Verses 3 and 4, we're told that they all ate the same spiritual meat. They all drank of the same spiritual drink for that drink from the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. So brethren, in a couple of weeks, we will eat of the body and drink of the blood of that same spiritual rock, Christ. And we need to be very careful not to go the same route that they chose. In verse 5, it explains that God was not happy. He wasn't obviously happy with their lack of trust and behavior so that their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness. And then in verse 6, it tells us that these things, this is really, this is significant. These things become examples for us. That means you and I, brethren, so that we might not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Then we're given examples of these things that prevented them from reaching the promised land. In verse 7, it says, neither the idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and to drink and they rose up to play, neither should we commit sexual immorality as some of them committed and 23,000 were destroyed in one day. And it warns us, it warns us, neither should we tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him and they were killed by serpents. And in verse 10, neither should we complain against God as some of them also complained and were killed by the destroyer. You know, here, once again, we're reminded of the purpose of these things. In verse 11, it says, now all of these things happen to them, it says, this is so significant. All of these things happen to them as an example. And who were they written for? And were written for our admonition on whom the ends of the age are coming. I think we're, we're getting very close to the ends of the age. Things are getting very tough. Yes, brethren, indeed, the end of the age is coming and we, we live in Satan's very sinful world. I don't think I need to bring up, like we could go start talking about all the things that are taking place. I have never seen such insanity in my entire life that I'm seeing in the world that I live in today. But here's my question, couldn't we be drawn back into and held captive by the wilderness that we live in? The answer to that is in verse 12. The answer to it, it says, therefore, let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. We need to give serious consideration to this in a few weeks, as we read in verse 21, where it tells us you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. We live in a very corrupt world. So you see, in just a couple of weeks, we're going to take the Passover, reminding us that the blood of Christ atone for our sins. We eat the unleavened bread as a reminder that we are to become part of the body of Christ. And we get all the leavening out of our houses if we eat unleavened bread for the seven days. To symbolize, to symbolize, that's all it is, our coming out of sin. But that is still not the end of the story. Keeping the Passover and the days of unleavened bread is a memorial. But in reality, overcoming and developing the character of God is an ongoing process. You know, we're not in God's kingdom yet. I don't think so. I don't think any of you are there yet. The rest of the story is what happens from now until the time that we enter the kingdom of God. In other words, brethren, it ain't over till it's over. We need to be developing faith and trust in God and be growing in the grace and the knowledge of God. That's the rest of the story. That's the rest of the story. Ancient Israel never reached the promised land because of their lack of trust and their faith in God. So let's take a look at what takes place and what we do on our journey through the wilderness. This sinful world that we live in, what do we do? As we proceed through the wilderness, like Israel, we're going to face many trials. We're going to face many trials. I don't know about you, brethren, I've already faced plenty of them in my life, and I'm sure I'm not done yet, even though I'm getting up there in age. There is a purpose for trials. We should be growing as a result of those trials. God uses trials as an instrument for our growth. And rest assured, we are all going to face trials. We all need to recognize that our spiritual life is not unlike our physical life, believe it or not. Our physical life, speaking of who we are, you know, speaking, we're born and then we grow and then we eventually mature. So that's all part of the process we go through. And our spiritual life is the same. First we must be born. And Christ tells us that in John 3, let me just turn there and go to verse 3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus, he says that truly, truly, I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So we start a new life. It's a new life, not physical life. Then Nicodemus said to him, how can a man who is old be born? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born? So we're looking at a different birth. Then Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless anyone has been born of water and of spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. You know, once born of the spirit, once born of the spirit, we must grow and eventually mature. That's what the physical life, you know, I gave a sermon not too long ago on drinking milk. Do we just keep drinking milk or do we physically eventually take meat and grow? God does give us his word, the Bible. He gives us those that feed us, the ministers and other people that feed us and the fellowship that we have with one another is all part of that system, all our fellow believers to help us mature. It's all part of the maturing process. But God also uses trials to bring us to maturity. So let's take a look at four reasons that we have trials. Let's look at four reasons why we have trials. Number one, God uses trials to test us. You know, as we grow, we go through various trials of tests. In 1 Peter 4, in 1 Peter 4 and in verse 12, Peter tells us, he said, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which is taking place to test you. There's a purpose, as if some strange thing were happening to you, there's a purpose for it. Peter here makes it clear that sometimes we are tested to see if we will indeed obey God. God tested Abraham to see if he would sacrifice his own son. God tested Moab to see if he would actually build an ark. People must have thought he was really insane. And even Jesus Christ had to be tested to see if he would live without sin. So be aware, when we face difficult trials, that God has a purpose in allowing these things to happen. They're not pleasant. We understand that. We also have trials. Number two, we also have trials simply, simply because we live in a sinful world. In Romans 3, Romans 3 and verses 10 through 23, I'm not going to go through all these. I don't think I'd have time to. I actually had thought about it. Peter gives us a pretty good breakdown of human nature. He gives us a really good breakdown of human nature. Now I was going to go through and read 10 through 18, but like I said, I don't know if I'm going to run over time if I do. It explains what happens to the human nature. But the bottom line is, the bottom line is, as I mentioned earlier, is given to us in verse 23, for all have sinned and all come short of the glory of God. Brethren, we are the product of a fallen race of people. We're the product. We also live in a world of turmoil and natural disasters. Boy, look out. Boy, they are exploding all over the world today. We're going to face those things. It's not easy for us to deal with, especially with all the conflict taking place in the world today, as well as all the natural disasters. I defy anybody, if you're anywhere close to my age or even a little bit younger, if you think we live in the same world. We also live in a world of crime. Do we live in a world of crime? I can't speak specifically of Canada, Australia, and other places, but I can speak to the United States and it's horrible. Sickness, death, it's all part of what we deal with. All of these things create trials that we must face and make decisions on how we will react to these things. We don't lose faith. We can't lose faith. Number three, let's not forget that we face trials because simply of the power of Satan. You think Satan wants you to win? You think he wants God to win? Oh no, he's going to make sure he throws plenty of trials. Satan is not that funny little red character with a pitchfork that everybody makes fun of. He is real and he is powerful. He is our adversary and he will do anything, if whatsoever he can, to destroy the works of God. Face reality, brother, face reality. You know, we're told in 1 Peter 5, and in verse 8, we're told, and I don't know if we just blow through these things or not, we take them serious. It says, be sober, explanation mark, be vigilant, for your adversary, the devil, is prattling about as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he may devour. Brother, he's real. If you don't think he's real and you believe in your Bible, consider what he did to Job. Number four, Christians are on a collision course with the world. We are. Jesus warned of this conflict in John 15, in John 15 and verses 18 to 20, verses 18 to 20. Notice what he says, and he's speaking to you. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Verse 19, if you were of the world, the world would love its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have previously chosen you out of the world, the world hates you for this. Do you think the world loves Christianity? Verse 20, remember the word that I spoke to you, a servant is not greater than his master. And if they, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. Pretty sobering words, gentlemen and ladies. If they keep my word, they will keep your word also. That's a job, that's a responsibility that we have today. Also look at how many suffered and died for Christ. You know, we go to Hebrews 11, very explicit here where Paul talks about, and he's speaking of those that lived in the faith in the latter part of chapter 11. Let's begin in verse 36. In verse 36, and he says, and others endured the trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Any of you been scourged? Yes. And moreover, of chains and imprisonment. Could be coming. I don't know. They were stoned to death. They were sold into, they were brutally interrogated and slaughtered by the sword. We think we have trolls. We think we have trolls. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, oppressed and ill-treated. And through all of this, through all of this, they were still waiting for the promise. Verse 39, but these all, though they had received a good report through faith, did not obtain the promise. Consider the trials faced by the apostles and others that followed Christ after his death. You know, I've got a lot of those here, and I'm sure many of you have looked at these. I probably won't have time to go through them all, but, you know, you look through. It says here Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by the sword. Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead. Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of this tremendous preaching to the lost. I don't probably have time to go through all these, but this is what they went through. And unlike Israel, as we wander through the wilderness, we must continue to maintain our faith in God. We need to continue to stay and live in that hope of faith. The trials we face going forward as Christians are different, they're different. Back to 1 Peter 4, back to 1 Peter 4 and verse 13, it says, but to the degree that you have a share in the sufferings of grace, rejoice. Think on that a little bit, Selah, so that at the revelation of his glory, you also may rejoice exceedingly. That's closer to the end of the story. So let's look at some of the reasons our trials as Christians are different. Number one, you and I do not suffer alone. Again, Hebrews 13, Hebrews 13 and verse 5, let me start in verse 5. We're told to be satisfied with what we have because Christ said, in no way will I ever leave you. No, I will never forsake you in any way. Do we believe that? Do we take that sincerely and honestly? Then Paul tells us in verse 6 to boldly, boldly say, the Lord is my helper and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? So once again, we do not suffer alone. We don't suffer alone. Number two, we actually become partakers of Christ's suffering. And we just read that in first Peter 4 and verse 13, so I won't go into that again. But number three, we're told that there is a design in our difficulties. There's a design in it. In Romans 8, in verses 28 and 29, Romans 8, verses 28, 29, Paul tells us that we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Because those who he did foreknow, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his own son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. So you see, God has a design and a purpose for all the things that he does, all the trials that we face. Number four, finally, finally, after facing all the trials of this life, we can look forward to glory, I'll drop back just a few verses to verse 17 and 18, just a few verses. It says now, if we are children, if we're children, we're also heirs, inheritors of the same thing, truly heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. What a wonderful promise, if, but it says again, if indeed we suffer together with him, is there a purpose for suffering? So that we also be glorified together with him. Verse 18, for I reckon that the suffering of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. So brethren, as we continue to wander through this wilderness, and I'm sorry, we are wandering through a wilderness like the Israelites, we will face trials and temptations. There's no doubt about it, we're going to be tempted to test us to see if we will have the faith and the trust in God. You know, the apostles, after having received God's spirit, they still had to complete their journey without having received the promise, they weren't there. And so it goes with us. In a couple of weeks, will be a memorial of the Passover as described in John 13. Here Jesus and the apostles had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Now I can imagine that they all had a pleasant meal. I'm sure they enjoyed the fellowship and the discussions with each other. And as we will do on that particular night, that Passover night, Jesus even washed the apostles' feet. I'm sure that was really shocking to them, to set up an example of the humility that we need as we go forward. It's not all about you and me. However, at that event, Jesus also revealed the tough times ahead. In John 13 and in verses 21 through 30, I'm not going to go through all of them, but in John 13 and verses 21 to 30, you want to go back and read, Christ explains how he would be betrayed by Judas. Then in verse 36 to 38, he tells Peter that he would deny Christ three times. And I'm sure Peter said, oh, no, man, that's shocking. No, it ain't going to happen. I'm not going to do that. Never, never happened. Now, I'm sure Peter didn't believe that was true, but we're also warned of the tough times ahead in John 16 and beginning in verse 33, Christ says, listen, the time is coming and has already come. Here speaking of both the current and future events, by the way, it says that you shall be scattered each to his own. And you shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the father is with me. We are to be scattered. There's a chance we're going to be alone. He continues in verse 33 when he says, these things I have spoken to you. I've spoken these things to you so that in me, you may have peace. However, that he warns us that he continues on in the world, you shall have tribulation. And Fred sometimes interprets that as temptations. We will be tempted. So we will face trials and tribulations in this world. There's no question about that. But then he tells us to be courageous because I have overcome the world. These are hard things to fashion and take a look at and believe and think of in the world that we live in today. In this world, most of us will go through things that we never thought would happen. I've already gone looking at the world. And many will go through things that we never thought we could. I've had some tough times in life, and I'm sure most of you have. And in spite of the world we live in, Christ tells us in John 14 and in verse 1 and John 14 and in verse 1, he says, let not your heart be troubled. In other words, we can have peace even in perilous times, even in our perilous times. However, as we trek through this wilderness that we're in, on our journey to the kingdom of God, looking for that promised land, we must maintain our faith and our trust in God. Remember, it was the lack of that trust and the faith that prevented ancient Israel from reaching the promised land. But tough times were ahead, and they just couldn't trust God to carry them through that journey until they got to the kingdom of God. In other words, we need to believe God. We need to believe is to exercise our faith in God. Now, belief is a life-changing word, it's a life-changing word. Look at all those that we mentioned in Hebrews 11 and how they acted in faith. They acted in faith because they believed God. Now, acting in faith, we must believe that God exists and that he is the creator. We can't touch, smell. You know, we must have faith that God is in control. When he answers our prayers, we must have faith that Christ died for our sin and our salvation is in his hands. You see, without faith, it is impossible to please God. In Hebrews 11 and verse 6, Hebrews 11 and verse 6, we're told, now without faith, it is impossible to please God. For it is mandatory for the one who comes to God to believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. You see, faith is believing that all the promises of God are true and the things that it is impossible for us to see do exist. We have to take that old faith. We can't feel, smell, taste, hear, or see the things of the spirit, but we must believe that it exists. That's faith. Dropping back to verse 1 of Hebrews 11, because that's the definition of faith. That's the definition of faith. And we're told, faith is the substance of things hoped for, because we do. We hope that these things are true. We hope that this is exactly what's going to take place. And the conviction of things not seen, we're convicted that we don't see some of these things. And then in verse 3, we're told, by faith, we understand that the worlds were created by the word of God, so that the things that were seen were made from the things that were invisible. That's amazing. That's where our faith is. We have to believe that all the promises that God has made concerning his plan, his plan for humanity and the existence of the kingdom of God is true. And apparently Israel lacked that kind of trust and faith in God. And even after seeing all the miracles performed, and as a result, they never saw the kingdom of God. So after Passover, and the Days of Unleavened Bread, we, and that means you and I, brethren, we're going to be writing the rest of the story. How we proceed will determine the end of the story. We indeed face temptations, tribulations in the world we live in today. We face the disappointments and the hurts of our childhood. We face, and often face, the shattered dreams of our working years. And we also face the loneliness and pain of old age, and especially when we lose a loved one. But brethren, that's the reality of life that we live. However, also consider that Jesus was also a man of sorrows. You know, in Isaiah, and we're very familiar with Isaiah chapter 53, and we often read that prophecy of Christ, beginning in verse 3. We read that often. And it tells us, this is what it says about Christ himself. He is despised and rejected by man. He came to save man, and he's rejected by man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as if it were, our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows, you notice that, ours, yet we esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. And here's something we need to take very serious on Passover night. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes, we ourselves are healed. Next, is when it actually speaks specifically of us in verse 6, it says, all we like sheep have gone astray. I don't care who you are, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned each one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. What a terrible thing. And when we consider the Passover lamb, we read in verse 7, he was oppressed. He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearer is done. So he opened not his mouth. You know, Christ also had to suffer the process of what he was about to go through. He knew what he was facing. He knew what he was about to go through. He was aware of it. Remember in Matthew 26, when he told Peter that he was going to die, and then he said to the disciples in verse 38, he said, my soul is deeply grieved, even to death. How would you feel if you knew what he was getting ready to go through? How would you feel? And then we get the sincere, real feeling of Christ as he prays to the Father, saying in verse 39, in verse 39, he says, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Would you want to face what he was facing and knowing what he's facing? He knew he was about to be tortured and die a horrible death. Notice his attitude. This is the attitude that we need to have. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. You know, we all need to adapt this attitude of Christ. We all face difficult times. I don't care who you are. And if life isn't always fair, trust me, it's not always fair. Christ didn't deserve anything that he received. He didn't deserve any of it. But like Christ, his physical life, all these things are temporary. I guess the final question, is it all worth it? Is it worth it? Do you want to reach that promised land? Do we have the faith and the trust in God to finish the journey to that promised land? With the kingdom of God? Apparently, ancient Israel didn't think so. We may be writing the rest of the story right now, right now, but the story already has an ending and it has a, and it's good news, is that it is a happy ending. Christ did indeed die and he shed his blood to atone for our sins, not his, but he did not remain in the grave. He was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of his father in heaven and is waiting for the decision of when to establish his kingdom here on earth. That's what he's waiting for. And if we trust in God and we remain faithful until the end, because you've got to hang out, hang on until the end, we have the opportunity to be part of that kingdom. So brother, let's look at one final scripture because it really lends to that answer. What's the rest of the story, the end of the story? Let's turn to Revelation 21 because this is the end of the story. This is the promise we have from God. If we trust God and we remain faithful, this is the grand finale and the climax that's coming and here's God's promise. Here's God's promise that it couldn't get any better. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth and I've used this at funerals and I'm sure some of you have, but then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. And there shall not be any more death, death will be gone or sorrow or crying, neither shall there be any more pain because the former things have passed away. Think of all the tremendous blessings that God has prepared for us. All those temporary physical things we deal with will be gone. Yeah, we face tough times, temptations, tribulations, other things in the world we live in today. At the end of the story says they will be gone, but we must endure until the end. No more crying, no more pain, no more tears, no more separation from friends and loved ones because as foretold in 1 Corinthians 15, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Continuing in verse 5, and he who sits on the throne said, behold, I make all things new. Then he said to me, write for these words are true and they're faithful. And he said to me, it is done, it is done, I have alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountains of the waters of life. And brother, that is the end of the story. I thank you for giving me the time to go through that with me. So thank you.
