August 19, 2018  ANTICICIPATING THE KING OF GLORY  Ps.24, John 20:11-18                    

While David was living in the cave of Adullam, there seemed to be little hope that he would ever be victorious over his great enemy, King Saul.  David gives eloquent expression to his hopelessness in

I Samuel 27:1 “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines.” His brothers and all the malcontents of Israel had gathered around him like a bedraggled gang of the homeless, huddled in a dark corner of the land expecting to be captured by Saul and probably executed. Sad state of mind from truly sad conditions in their land.

Then in a series of remarkable providences, really acts of God, David was rescued, Saul died in battle and the rightful king came to the throne. KING DAVID!!  He triumphed wonderfully and that seeming gang of THE HOMELESS surrounding him were elevated to positions of prominence, power and rule within the land that had rejected them.  They followed their KING INTO GLORY.

THE ASCENSION of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS OUR ROAD TO GLORY TODAY! HIS ASCENSION TO GLORY IS OUR WAY OUT OF OUR VARIOUS CAVES OF ADULLAM

IN THIS BEAUTIFUL 24^TH PSALM DAVID IS ANTICIPATING SUCH A WONDER AS THE ASCENSION AND IS LEADING US TO ANTICIPATE THE GLORY OF THE KING IN OUR OWN LIVES

 BECAUSE OF THE ASCENSION

Theme: WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE GLORY OF OUR KING

            Down through the history of the church, Pastors have used this Psalm as part of their worship services on ASCENSION Sunday.  The Psalm is teaching us that OUR GREAT GOD is bringing his glory into our worship and into our lives. This is a great comfort to us as we struggle through life. the inspired prophet David was already anticipating such an event!

I want to emphasize two points that the PROPHET DAVID was seeing in this coming event:

 I. THE ASCENSION OF JESUS IS LIFTING US INTO HIS GLORY Vs. 1

    This is the first thing David saw in this prophetic Psalm, David’s prophetic vision of things to come! David was not seeing the actual event! David was seeing the KIND OF THING that was going to happen!  David was seeing the KIND of THING that would lift us into God’s eternal glory!

            Key words: “founded, established” Words communicating certainty of God’s fixed KINGDOM REALITIES. When Jesus ascended into the eternal glory (Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:9-11) He took all believers with Him onto His eternal throne. This is clearly stated in Ephesians 2:6 and is therefore not open to debate. Just as we are united with Him in His resurrection (Romans 6:5), so we are enthroned with Him in His ascension.  AND HE “IS LIFITING US INTO HIS GLORY!”

Kingdom reality: You have been enthroned and you are being enthroned.

 While this is so wonderfully true, terrible things can happen to US!

            Yesterday our family received the sad news that a young man we knew had been seriously injured in a traffic accident and had died in his father’s arms. That father had graduated from our Westminster Academy and had been a close friend of our son, Greg. A dreadful personal sorrow.

 BUT JESUS COMFORTS US WITH THE GLORY OF HIS ASCENSION AND THE PROMISE OF OUR OWN ASCENSION.  This leaves our Caves of Adullam behind.

Quote: John Owen: “This assumption [Ascension] of our Lord Jesus Christ into glory, or His glorious reception in Heaven, with his state and condition therein, is a principle article of the faith of the church – the great foundation of its hope and consolation in the world… Page 10, Tim Chester

Mary Magdalene is a case in point– The crucifixion of Jesus made her think she had been jerked back into her own CAVE OF ADULLAM – The sinful life-style that had held her in bondage before she met JESUS!  NO! NO! NO!

• On Resurrection morning, walking through the garden near His tomb, sobbing her heart out.  She thinks she is seeing the gardener.

Speaking to her there, that  “Gardener” simply pronounces her name, “MARY”.  ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING MOMENTS IN HISTORY: She recognizes Him, cries out RABBONI.

Commentator (Carson (646) says this is like Thomas (20:18) “My Lord and MY God!”  Jesus is establishing a relationship of such phenomenal glory that there is no human vocabulary to describe it, the surpassing beauty and power of this relationship, just by speaking her name.

JESUS “IS LIFTING HER UP” OUT OF HER CAVE OF Adullam onto the throne beside Him

        Enabling her to see the full glory of the CROSS, THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE         OUTPOURING of the Holy Spirit, FULL SWEEP OF THE SAVIOR’S REDEMPTIVE WORK!

       This was a great glory for her, the glory of God engulfing her in forgiveness and enablement to  follow Him! To serve Him with Joy and Expectation of Eternal Communion in Glory!

WHAT A WONDER IS THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SIN, COULD THERE BE ANY GREATER COMFORT?

WHAT A WONDER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ENABLEMENT TO BREAK THE GRIP OF SIN

            AND BEGIN A LIFE OF HAPPY OBEDIENCE TO THE SAVIOR

 THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS DOING NOW FOR YOU AND ME, HIS PRESENT WORK IN OUR LIVES!

            JESUS IS LIFTING US OUT OF OUR SINFUL PRE-OCCUPATION WITH OUT SINFUL WAYS

            JESUS IS TURNING OUR EYES TOWARD HIS OWN GLORY, HIS OWN MESSAGE.

            TOWARD THE JOY OF SERVING JESUS WITH ALL OUR HEARTS

MY FIRST POINT: JESUS IS LIFTING US INTO HIS GLORY!

2^ND Key Point:

II. WE ARE THE TEMPLE WHOM GOD IS FILLING WITH HIS GLORY I Cor. 3:16

t This Psalm 24 Ascension prophecy is fulfilled in I Cor 3:16

• The Psalm is prophesying that THE KING OF GLORY will enter His Temple.
• This KING OF GLORY begins entering His Temple when He pronounces Mary’s name!
• Christ’s Love for Her fills her with His Glory, and is filling all of us with HIS GLORY
• This is typical of believers everywhere.
• WE ARE HIS TIMPLE, HE IS FILLING US WITH HIS GLORY!

 

CRUCIAL QUESTION: WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? V 8, 10, frequent O.T. question

• Best Answered in Exodus 34:5-9
• Notice that GOD “Descended with the cloud and stood with him there.. Personal, face to face, Like Jesus with Mary, but here proclaiming two words “Yahweh, Yahweh”– Personal name rightly understood displays God’s full GLORY
• THEN: the rest of 6 and 7 summarizing His NATURE and focusing on last of v 6 into vs. 7 – >>>>ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE<<<<
• 24:10 “Yahweh Tsvaoth” (יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת)”- LORD OF HOSTS = Vast Army of Angelic Aids providing love in every conceivable form and with an infinite depth of supply.
• A Host of scripture texts support the wonderful reality that this is a key to the whole Bible, A FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK IN O. T., IN GOSPEL, A REFUGE FOR US ALL!
• I John 4 tells us twice GOD IS LOVE!! an infinite depth of wonder and joy unspeakable

 

Concluding Application

WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE GLORY OF OUR KING

LEAVE THOSE CAVES OF ADULLAM BEHIND

TWO NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS ENCOURAGE US

 

II Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

This is not something YOU do.  It is something Jesus has DONE

YOU simply rest in His finished work 

II Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

You do not shine light into your heart

God does through the face of Jesus Christ

His awesome Redemptive work shines His infinite love into your

life.

MOVES ME TO SING THAT BEAUTIFUL PRAYER ass I close:

LET THE BEAUTY OF JESUS BE SEEN IN ME

ALL HIS WONDERFUL PASSION AND PURITY

O THOU SPIRIT DIVINE

ALL MY NATURE REFINE

TILL THE BEAUTY OF JESUS BE SEEN IN ME