Tag: In my Father’s house

November 5th 2023: James Allan

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

To watch this service, click on the link to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Qb0m20IdcH4?si=aExYp83juHq8zf0M

Psalm 113
Mark 14:26, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

This is a very short verse, which might seem incidental. The Lord Jesus Christ, on the Thursday afternoon and evening, before the Friday on which He was crucified, said many things to His disciples. If you want to get the fullest description in the gospels of what He said, the best chapters to go to are John chapters 14-17. Jesus was there in that upper room with His disciples. In Mark’s gospel we have the record of the institution of the Lord’s supper. After that, we have this little verse, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The gospel writer Mark is known for being brief. He has been described as ‘the gospel writer in a hurry.’ He doesn’t give us long details but he gives us this detail – after the Passover meal had been eaten, they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Lord Jesus Christ had been with His disciples and then He goes out into the night. We look at the familiar events that follow. Jesus speaks about Peter’s denial, they go to Gethsemane and we know about the agony of Gethsemane. Then comes His betrayal, His arrest, His trail before the Jerusalem council, His delivery to Pilate, being beaten before Pilate delivers Him to be crucified. He is mocked and then crucified. Though all that was ahead of Jesus, and before they left that place, what did they do? They sang a hymn.

What was the hymn in Jesus’ mind as He faced all of that? We don’t know what this hymn would have sounded like that the 12 men sang (Judas had departed). But we can think about what they sang. There are two Jewish sources from the second century, both of which set out the proceedings of the Passover meal. They tell us that before the meal was eaten, a family would sit down and sing Psalms 113 and 114. Then after the meal they would sing psalms 115-118 and they would sing Psalm 118 twice.

Some of you might be wondering if these sources are from the second century, this event in Mark was two centuries before, so how do we know Jesus sang these psalms? The rabbis of the second century were writing down the oldest traditions, what had been the tradition for many, many years. So, we can be quite certain that the songs Jesus sang, the Psalms Jesus sang before He went out into the darkness of that night, were psalms 113-118. They are known as the Egyptian Hallel, or the Egyptian Hallelujah. They remember the account of Israel leaving Egypt, making their way as the Lord brought them out. That makes perfect sense. It’s the Passover meal, these are the Passover psalms.

With this background, I want us to look at Psalm 113 and the Lord Jesus Christ singing this psalm. Here was a psalm prepared for Him. Luke 22:22 says, “For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” Everything about these events is determined. Richard Dawkins described the Bible as ‘a complete hotch-potch of books.’ In other words, it’s incoherent. The longer I’ve been a Christian, the longer I’ve been a pastor, the longer I’ve had the privilege of every day being able to study God’s Word in order to preach it, my breath is taken away by this book, which is one coherent whole – from beginning to end. From the very beginning God says, ‘Let there be light,’ and yet there is no sun until day 4. The light is the glory of God. The book begins with creation, light yet there is no sun. How does the book end? With no need for any sun because the glory of God is the light. The Bible begins with a wedding and ends with the marriage supper of the Lamb. There are so many themes, but sometimes there are things like this as well, that takes your breath away.

As we go through this psalm, think of the Lord Jesus Christ singing this psalm. Think about the significance of Him singing it. This psalm was written for a specific occasion. It is a psalm sung for generations by Jewish families, yet one night came, 2000 or so years ago, when it was sung by the Lord Jesus Christ. At that moment, this psalm was prepared for Him. For hundreds and hundreds of years it had been sung, but it was prepared for this moment. “And when they had sung a hymn.” Think of this through that lens. The psalm begins,

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 113:1

If you consider yourself to be on the Lord’s side, to be His servant, here is a call for you. Praise Him! Praise the name of the Lord. There is significance in a name. The name of God reveals who He is. A name tells you something of what a person does. In Hebrew Bibles, there are names of God. The one where you see Lord in capital letters in the Old Testament, it’s the name YAHWEH, the name the Lord reveals to Moses at the burning bush. It shows the self-existence of God. He is the God who is with us. It’s the covenant name of God, the God who promises to be with Israel. To praise the name of God is to praise Him for everything you know to be true about him. You know that He is holy, praise Him for that. You know that he is eternal, praise Him for that. You know that He is faithful, praise Him for that. Praise Him for His love. Praise Him for His grace. Praise Him for everything you know to be true Him.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore!
Psalm 113:2

It is a call to worship but you were called to worship in a great congregation. Think of the congregation who sit in Penuel. Think of congregations who have sat here before. Go back to before there was ever a church in Roch. You are part of a congregation that is ‘from this time forth and forever more.’ You are joining a congregation where the praise will never cease.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised!
Psalm 113:3

Praise God everywhere. Wherever the sun rises, there the Lord is to be praised. That is our glorious future. You might be despondent today when you see the state of this world, but the Bible tells us this is not how things will always be. A day will come when the Lord Jesus Christ will return for judgement, and for His people. He will return and those believers who have died will rise to be with Him. Those who belong to Him will go to Him. He will set up a Kingdom which will be forever, where the name of the Lord will be praised everywhere. In the new heavens and the new earth, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

What is the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ singing these words?

The Lord is high above all nations,
    and his glory above the heavens!
Psalm 113:4

That’s who God is. He is above everything. We are the pinnacle of God’s creation, we are made in the image of God, made to know Him, to be in a relationship with Him. Yet we are in the category of created things. God is above all things. He is high above all nations. The heavens declare His glory, but His glory is above the heavens. In Romans chapter 1 we see His eternal power and divine nature.

Who is like the Lord our God,
    who is seated on high,
Psalm 113:5

Are you still looking through the lens of Jesus Christ singing these words on the night in which He went out, would be arrested and the next day crucified? Generations had sung this psalm at a Passover meal. “Who is like the Lord our God?” He is! For the first time ever, a real man is singing this psalm who really is like God. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3). He is the exact imprint of His nature. Whatever is true of God is true of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of God isn’t like God – He is God.

What does this God who is above all things do?

who looks far down
    on the heavens and the earth
Psalm 113:6

That is a comfort. The God of scripture is involved in creation. He looks far down on the heavens and on the earth. How low does he go? Here is the answer. As far as Mark chapter 14. He took to Himself human flesh, human nature. He became like us. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at the Incarnation, remained what He always was. He did not cease to be the Son of God. He continued to do what Hebrews 1:3 says, to “uphold the universe by the word of his power.” He retains His divine nature, yet He took to Himself something He did not have before – human nature. He retains that human nature now, in heaven.

When the Lord Jesus Christ took to Himself human nature, in His ministry He did all things according to His human nature. That is why we read of Him being tired, being hungry, being thirsty. He was made like us in every way, yet without sin. How low would He go? He went that low. He took to Himself human nature. He would go all the way of Philippians 2. In Philippians chapter 4 we are told of two women who are not agreeing with each other, they are arguing with the church. Paul encourages them to agree in the Lord. Is there a problem with unity in the church in Philippi? It seems perhaps there was some disunity. So, Paul encourages them, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8). He humbles Himself to the point of death.

Is your mind blown by the scriptures here? Here is Psalm 113, sung for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years. And we read in Mark 14 of Jesus singing a hymn. What hymn was it? Here is the beginning of it.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
    praise the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 113:1

He sings it. It describes Him. It describes the God who looks far down on the heavens and the earth. We see how low He goes – to the Incarnation. He goes to Philippians chapter 2. He goes to the cross. What does it all bring about?

He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
Psalm 113:7

The poor from the dust. That’s where we’re all going. You’ve been to funerals and heard those words, ‘Dust to dust.’ What does Jesus do? He raises people from the dust. What else does He do? He raises people from the ash heap, from the rubbish dump. Your life is rubbish. God is clean. He knows all about me. I know the real me, how I can assassinate a person with my words. Maybe your life is rubbish? Jesus died on a rubbish dump. But God looks down to take people from that rubbish dump. Where does he put them?

to make them sit with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
Psalm 113:8

Isn’t that remarkable? You come to the conclusion that you are a sinner. Under the conviction of sin, under a miracle of grace, you see you need Him. Jesus makes them sit with princes. One day we will reign with Him. We are heirs with Christ. What an incredible thought! This God has sent His son, the Son of God has come (Colossians 2), gone to the cross to take all the wrath you and I deserve. At the end of two Corinthians chapter 5 Paul says Christ became our sin bearer. We became the righteousness of God for stop He sees us dressed in His righteousness.

He brings blessing to the sorrowful people.

He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 113:9

The barren woman was under a double curse. Not only was she heading to the grave herself, back to the dust, she doesn’t know the joy of bringing new life into the world. What will life be like for her? For those who follow Christ, they will lack nothing. They may lack things in this world, but nothing can take their inheritance away. Nothing can strip from them the blessing that they have in eternity.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3). In the old Authorised version it says ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions.’ I used to like that. ‘Mansion’ came from a Latin word ‘mansio’ which simply meant a dwelling place. It also means the same in Greek. It’s a room in the Father’s house. Jesus has a building project going on, enough rooms for all His people. You are going to live with Him. That’s the joy of eternal life. God will dwell with His people. You could lose everything in this life and have nothing in the life to come, or you could have nothing in this life and God in the life to come. You could be a millionaire in this life, but money doesn’t help you when there’s a bereavement or a terminal illness. Do you know the blessing of life with God forever more?

October 15th 2023: Alun Johnson

Published on by Penuel Baptist RochLeave a comment

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https://youtu.be/DYQZdQGG4n8?si=-rDYhN_9J3BoIJs0

John 14:4-7

I wonder if any of you can remember your school days? I remember being in class and didn’t have a clue what the teacher was on about but was too afraid to ask, too afraid to raise my hand, hoping someone else would ask. We have a similar situation here, “And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:4-5). Jesus makes this great statement, but the disciples having mental gymnastics, they are confused, not knowing what Jesus is referring to. Only Thomas is brave enough to ask.

The disorientated nature of the disciples. This is part of a farewell discourse. Jesus had predicted his death as a sacrifice for sin, Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial. It is a tough time for the disciples. For Jesus himself, it is a particularly dark time. He is soon to be sacrificed, yet He is ministering to the needs of His disciples. What a saviour we have! Here Jesus gives His disciples grounds for comfort, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3). Here we have the encouragement of the hope of heaven. In verses 4 to 11 we have a second encouragement – in Christ we have a certain way to heaven.

“And you know the way to where I am going.” (verse 4). Jesus is trying to provoke a reaction. Thomas doesn’t hold back. He turns Jesus’ statement on its head, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” He has a refreshing honesty.  God respects an honest, seeking heart, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

Thomas’ statement, “Lord, we do not know,” was the state of the disciples and of our world today.  “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:10). Ignorance is a killer. There is so much ignorance of Christianity in our world today. People are being fed a never-ending atheistic diet. Part of the problem of ignorance is it comes in many forms: some have never been to church and never had a Christian explain the gospel to them. Others know of claims of Christianity and choose to go no further, sitting on the fence. All of us have an inkling we’ve been made for another world, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

There is another form of subtle ignorance. There is a part of Pilgrims Progress where Christian and Hopeful walk along and meet Ignorance, from a town called Conceit. Christian asks him how he will enter the celestial city. Christian warns Ignorance he has come the wrong way. Ignorance probably knows his Bible well, does many commendable things, but he’s lost his way and is ignorant that in Christ alone is salvation. He has turned a blind eye to eternal life. But Jesus says in John 10:1, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” We can see ignorance on many levels around us, yet ignorance is very hard to see in our lives. It takes time to remove it. If you are like that, ask the Lord to show you your ignorance and remove it.

When Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”He gets an answer. And what an answer he gets! Thomas was imagining a physical way but in verse six he got far more than he bargained for, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus says He is the way, the truth, the life – not a way, a truth, a life. He is the real deal – the meaning of life.

This grant statement wasn’t watered-down after His resurrection, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36). “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me] by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

In helping Thomas to find the destination, Jesus provides Thomas with the road and the way, Jesus says he is the way, he is the truth – the whole substance of true religion. Christ meets and satisfies every desire of the human mind. In the Old Testament the priests had to give daily sacrifices. They were not enough to atone for sins. Then, in Hebrews we read, “Such a high priest truly meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”  (Hebrews 7:26-27).

In our natural state we are under judgement. We desperately need our sins forgiven. Jesus is the one answer to sin. Believing and trusting in Jesus saves you forever. We need this truth because we believed a lie – we could save ourselves and there are many ways to heaven.

Jesus is also the life, showing we do not have life outside of Christ, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1). What is wonderful in Ephesians 2 is that it doesn’t stop at verse one! “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Whether you believe in Christ or not our souls will live beyond the grave. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36). It is not just about living forever, it is knowing God. That is the essence of eternal life, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

The Christian life is the best life there is. We are resurrection people. Our cup overflows with blessing upon blessing. Are you truly alive? Jesus is the way. Jesus paid for our sin once and for all. The curtain is torn into two and sinful man can enter into Shekinah glory. Not only is Jesus the way to eternal life, but for all who travel on not road He is our constant companion, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b).

The great privilege of having the Holy Spirit is Jesus is with you throughout eternity. You have the Holy Spirit with you forever. If you are outside of Christ, you are 1,000,000 miles away from Christ.

Jesus also tells His disciple about the destination. He tells them the destination of which He is the way, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus’ Father, God the Father, is the destination. Here is another blessing of the Christian life, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2). We are going somewhere for eternity. Our God is the end of the journey. We are going to someone! To God! There is no better person to spend eternity with. That is what makes heaven, heaven. God is there. Jesus is there. “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:22). Mind-blowing! Wow!

Are you looking forward to going to God? Is that what you were living for? There is a seriousness – no one goes to the Father except through Jesus. Without Jesus you cannot be saved, you cannot get to heaven. Today, if you are not yet saved, you need to be saved, you need Him to be the truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among me by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).