Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20021117.htm
JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY Part XV: Learning To Take Our Relating To Christ SERIOUSLY (Psalm 118:22-23; Isaiah 8:14-15; 28:16 with 1 Peter 2:1-10)
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

It is one thing to say we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, but it is a different thing to live abundantly when facing life's challenges:

(1) The week I started to prepare this message, our family heard from a severe physical crisis a Christian couple we know is facing in another state. The lady had been so upset she had spent time crying in her hotel room as her husband lay very afflicted in the hospital.

On the other hand, I remember as a hospital chaplain working in the seventies at the Baylor University Medical Center, and visiting a dear Christian lady who knew she had only an hour to live. When I asked her if she was ready to meet the Lord, her face glowed, and though cluttered with all sorts of tubes going in and out of her mouth and nasal passage, she moved her head up and down in an emphatic motion, and motioned with her hand for the nursed to remove the tubes! She was a peace in the midst of the biggest challenge she had ever faced.

Sometimes we Christians can handle life's challenges, and other times they get us down. WHY?

(2) On November 17th, I awoke to prepare for our Sunday services, and found our power was off. In looking outside and seeing all the downed limbs that had fallen under the worst ice storm to hit Litchfield County in decades, I decided to make a quick trip to the Church and see if we had power there for the day's services! Bob Pepper who was working for the fire department stopped me at the South Road turnoff, saying there had been a big fire at the Nepaug Reservoir, and no traffic was allowed in the area. He claimed the Church had no power, and neither did most of Northwest Connecticut!

Many of us sat through cold days with no running water and ate "cold" cut sandwiches and apples in our winter jackets without taking a shower and wondered how the rest of the world was doing!

It was easy to fret, wasn't it?! Or, did we abound with joy and thanksgiving?!



We have all seen it in ourselves or others -- a CONTRAST in the QUALITY of HANDLING life's challenges. WHY does this occur, and WHAT is the SOLUTION?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I see some Christians living disorderly, restless or shameful lives though they WANT to honor God, while OTHERS seem to have it all together,' living orderly, peaceful, honorable lives no matter WHAT they face! Why, and how may I live the latter way?"

1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
3. Psalm 118:22-23, Isaiah 8:14-15 and 28:16 with 1 Peter 2:1-10 all reveal Jesus Christ as a UNIQUE metaphorical "ROCK," a Rock that produces STARKLY CONTRASTING LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCES depending on HOW one RELATES to Him:
1. In Ancient Israel, everyone knew how contrasting were the results a builder would experience based on whether he rejected using the odd-shaped cornerstone sent to him from the quarry, and thus hindering his building's structural integrity, or whether he used it for the welfare of his building project.
2. This fact was applied to teach lessons in Scripture as follows:
1. In Psalm 118:22-23, God is shown one day making Israel, a nation that has been viewed as insignificant or bothersome to the world, and making her the cornerstone nation of Messiah's coming reign.
2. This figure was used by Jesus and the Apostles of Himself: where Israel first rejected Jesus, one day God will install Him as the Chief Cornerstone and King of the Messianic Kingdom, Mtt. 21:42-43.
3. Well, 1 Peter 2:1-10 combines this Psalm 118:22-23 figure of Christ as God's Chief Cornerstone with other Messianic references regarding Christ as the Stone in Old Testament prophecy, and that to show the starkly contrasting experiences men have based on how they relate to Christ as follows:
1. In Isaiah 8:14-15, when Israel was tempted to be terrified at the invading Assyrians, God commanded Israel's faithful believers to respect and trust Him, and He would function for them as a stone wall of protection. However, were they to fail to trust the Lord, God would become a rock to cause them to stumble or be injured as the Assyrians invaded, cf. E. J. Young, Isaiah, v. I, p. 311-312.
2. In Isaiah 28:16, when Israel heard of the invading Assyrians, they trusted in the falsehood that Assyria would pass them by and not do them much harm when just the opposite was true. Yet, God would found in Zion a strong, immovable Stone of truth and stable protection in the Messiah, and all who would trust in Him would not be shaken. Indeed, instead of "making haste" to flee oppressors, those who trusted in Messiah would know meaning, order and rest in life, Ibid., Young, volume II, p. 286-288.
3. Accordingly, 1 Peter 2:1-10 picks up all these pictures of Christ as a "Stone" or "Rock" and combines them into a package of blessing for those who take Christ seriously enough to trust in Him:
1. Though Jesus had been rejected by Israel, causing her to miss out on God's eternal life and fellowship, those who trust in Him as Savior become part of God's spiritual temple as "stones" connected to the Messiah, the Chief Cornerstone, 1 Peter 2:5-6.
2. Consequently, unlike unbelievers who live in fear of ominous threats in life, those who rely on Christ will not experience this dread described in Isaiah 8:14; rather, they would be protected from a loss of peace foretold in Isaiah 8:15, and be able to praise God for His grace unto them, cf. 1 Peter 2:8-9.
3. Hence, unlike the faithless who believed in lies rather than trusting God, those who rely on Christ in life's crises will enjoy inner rest, honor and order in living, 1 Pet. 2:6 and Isa. 28:16.

Application: If we habitually struggle with fear, anxiety, unrest, shame and disorder, we must FIRST (1) take the GOSPEL of CHRIST SERIOUSLY and BELIEVE in Him as our ROCK of SALVATION to escape eternal hell and receive God's gift of eternal life. (2) Then, as BELIEVERS, we must view our daily WALK as SERIOUSLY needing CHRIST'S help, and (a) trust His Word relative to ALL that causes us anxiety, unrest, shame, disorder, etc., and (b) DEEPLY CLEAVE to Him in faith and obedience to His Word as a WAY of LIFE. (c) We will find Jesus to be a ROCK of stability, protection, honor, rest and order!

Lesson: Since (1) WHETHER we trust in Christ determines IF we enjoy God's ETERNAL LIFE, or experience ETERNAL HELL, and (2) as WHETHER we rely on Him in LIFE as BELIEVERS determines IF we experience a fearful, restless, disorderly, meaningless and shameful life OR peace, rest, order, value and honor in our lives, we need to take our NEED for Christ SERIOUSLY, and CLEAVE to Him in FAITH!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

Years ago, a dear pastor friend named Art VanCampen whom my wife and I knew in the Berean Fundamental Church fellowship in the Midwest shared with a group of us younger ministers under his oversight of God's provision for him in a cold, Nebraska winter.

He had resigned a pastorate to become a missionary to Brazil when, at the last moment, the whole missionary endeavor collapsed. Art was left trying to make ends meet with his wife and six young children with no source of regular income. They acquired temporary housing in an unused house that had no heat to ward off the frigid Great Plains' winter. Offsetting that cold took some doing: I often remember weeks of below-zero Fahrenheit temperatures and wind chills in the minus 30 to 50 degree range while pastoring in Nebraska!

Art testified he acquired odd carpentry jobs to keep the family in food throughout that winter. Yet, even though they had no heat, not a single member of his family even acquired a cold all that winter!

I remember the elderly pastor, Art summing up this experience with tears welling up in his eyes, and saying to us younger ministers gathered around the picnic table, "Men, don't ever doubt God's ability and willingness to provide for your livelihood needs! God cares for you, and He will see you through anything you face!"



Art VanCampen went home to be with the Lord years ago, but his testimony given to us that day is something I will never forget. It came in handy during our recent ice storm here in Litchfield County

We must trust in Christ for salvation, yes. But, BEYOND that, may we take the life of faith SERIOUSLY, and SERIOUSLY CLEAVE to CHRIST as our ROCK when we face ALL the storms of life that come our way. Then we will see frustration, fear, disorder, shame and unrest become exchanged for His perfect peace, joy, order, honor and rest of the inner man.