Job begins and ends after the pattern that Jesus speaks of, that the Old Testament anticipates him in his suffering and in his glory. We saw the sufferings anticipated in the first two chapters and throughout the book, and now comes the glory as the Lord restores the fortunes as Job returns out from under the curse.
Job is not about you. Job is not about me. Job is about Jesus. So when we come to this book we need to say, “Show me Jesus.” It is about Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus and his curse-bearing, Jesus and his defeat of the devil, Jesus and his acquisition of glory. That’s what Job is all about.
The King may appear to come in weakness and seem inept to accomplish his end, but the Bible promises that no matter how weak it may look, King Jesus will have dominion over all the earth. In the same way, he who has little now will be given more at the end.
The word of God is always effective: it accomplishes what it intends. To the faithful, it reveals the kingdom of God. To the faithless, it further obscures the kingdom. Listen carefully to Pastor Tony as he helps illuminate what mysteries this parable holds for us today regarding the manner of the kingdom.
The Servant (Christ) was given as a covenant by our Creator God to offer restoration and forgiveness to a world estranged by sin. He offers freedom to those held captive by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Because of our vital union with Christ, we now share in that same anointing. In light of this, let us sing a new song!
Jesus as the servant of God is described in Isaiah 42 as being upheld, and loved by the Father, and as having the Spirit poured out upon him to empower him for his work. Jesus was the better ensurer of victory than Moses, a more acceptable sacrifice than the types and shadows of the law, and equipped with the Spirit to proclaim God’s will. Thus equipped, the servant does actually accomplish all the Father gives him to do in patience and with gentleness.
As we think about Christ’s church, what should we expect for her trouble and state? Should we expect her to diminish as the wicked world around us prospers? The answer is in the meaning of mystery: what was once hidden is meant to be revealed. We can look back to the promise to Abraham to receive the nations as his heritage and here we are in 2024, in Fort Wayne, IN, and we gentiles have our lives hidden in Christ. God is sovereign and we can trust his promise.
Why did the Kingdom of God appear to come powerlessly? If the kingdom is here, why does it appear so powerless? Why is it that so many people reject it? Why did the religious leaders of Christ’s time reject the kingdom? If the kingdom is here, why haven’t all our enemies been over thrown. Christ’s response to these questions is simple, yet profound: the sower sows a word.
In this sermon, Pastor Tony looks at why Jesus communicated through parables, why his message seemed to come without power, and when the promised punishment would come. Jesus used parables both to reveal secrets of the kingdom to those with faith, but also to conceal his meaning from unbelievers. The sermon focuses on what the Parable of the Sower reveals about the nature and reception of God’s kingdom.
As we come to this text, we see again, that Christ’s ministry and the coming of his kingdom forces a decision. We see two groups of people. One group, the crowds, believe the claims of Christ and they want to draw closer to him–they stand on the inside of the house with him. Second, there’s a group that stands on the outside. Their determination is that he’s insane, or not just that he’s insane, but that he’s evil. These are the very same questions this text forces on us.
Is he deity? Is he delusional? Or, is he a deceiver?
Take heed how you hear this word.