Sunday Evening Bible Study

Easter Sunrise, March 31, 2002

A desire for substance

I thought it was kind of interesting that on the Jewish religious calendar, the section of Scripture that was to be read yesterday, March 30, 2002, as a part of the week long Passover/Unleavened Bread celebration, was Exodus 33:12 – 34:26 –

(Exo 33:18-23 KJV) And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. {19} And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. {20} And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. {21} And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: {22} And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: {23} And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

glory – kabowd – glory, honour, abundance; riches; weight

Moses wanted substance in his life.  He wanted to see the important things of life.  He wanted to see God’s glory.

back parts – God’s “afterglow”.  Moses couldn’t see God’s face, but he could see God’s afterglow.

We too have a desire to have “substance” to our lives.  To see God’s glory, we need to look to the face of Jesus Christ.

(2 Cor 4:6 KJV) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus had glory

(John 1:14 KJV) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

glory – doxa – a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory; splendour, brightness

There was a time during Jesus’ three year ministry on earth where Jesus let His glory peek out:

(Luke 9:29-32 KJV) And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. {30} And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: {31} Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. {32} But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

There was glory in the resurrection

We don’t have to see the “Glory of Easter” to know this, we only have to look at the Scriptures:

(1 Pet 1:18-21 NLT)  For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. {19} He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. {20} God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you. {21} Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.

We too can have glory

There is bad glory

(Gal 5:26 KJV) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

vain glory – kenodoxos (“empty” + “glory”) – glorying without reason, conceited, vain glorious, eager for empty glory

(Mat 6:2 NKJV)  "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

The hypocrites in Jesus’ day were looking for the attention and glory that they would get from people.  They were looking for the spotlight, the press releases, and fame.  This is “empty” glory.

Real glory comes from enduring trials

Even though Jesus received glory in the resurrection, the time of His being “glorified” started on the last week, when He would be crucified.

(John 12:20-28 KJV) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: {21} The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. {22} Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. {23} And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. {24} Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. {25} He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. {26} If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. {27} Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. {28} Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

Jesus would repeat these kinds of things several times through the last few days (John 13:30-32; 17:1f)

Real weight and substance (glory) comes in our lives when we endure difficult times.

(2 Cor 4:16-18 KJV) For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. {17} For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; {18} While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our tough times are producing real weight and substance to our lives.  You won’t get easily “blown away” when you have weight in your life.

The “weight”, the “glory” is produced when we “faint not”, but we keep going.

Illustration

Letters to a Stranger

When she didn't respond, I wondered if my words had been wasted

by Susan Morin

It was a bitter January evening in 1992 when the phone rang and my 15-year-old son Tajin hollered, “Mom, it’s for you!” “Who is it?” I asked. I was tired. It had been a long day. In fact, it had been a long month. The engine in my car died five days before Christmas, and I had just returned to work after being out with the flu. I was feeling overwhelmed having to purchase another vehicle and having lost a week’s pay due to illness. There seemed to be a cloud of despair hanging over my heart. “It’s Bob Thompson*,” Tajin answered. The name didn’t register. As I walked over to pick up the phone, the last name seemed vaguely familiar. Thompson … Bob Thompson … Thompson? Like a computer searching for the right path, my mind finally made the connection. Beverly Thompson. In the brief time it took me to reach the phone, my mind replayed the last nine months. As I drove to work last March, some patches of snow were still on the ground, but the river, winding on my left, had opened up and was full of swift-moving water. The warm sun coming through my windshield seemed to give hope of an early spring. The winter of 1991 had been a hard one for me as a single working mother. The three children were in their teens, and I was finding it hard to cope both with their changing emotional needs and our financial needs. Each month I struggled to provide the bare necessities. I faithfully attended church and a Bible study but had very little time for anything else. I longed to serve the Lord in a way that had some significance. So that day I again apologized to him that I had so little to give back to him. It seemed I was always asking him to meet my needs or answer my prayers. “Lord, what can I do for you? I feel like I’m always taking from you because my needs are so great.” The answer to my own question seemed so simple. Prayer. “Okay, Lord, I will commit this time that I have during my drive to work to prayer. Will you give me some people to pray for? I don’t even have to know their needs, just let me know who they are.” My heart lifted as I continued to speak to him during the remainder of my 45-minute trip from New Hampshire to Vermont. I arrived at work and proceeded to open the mail and prepare the deposit. I was in charge of accounts receivable for the Mary Meyer Corporation, a company that makes stuffed animals. I opened one envelope and attached to the check was a note that said, “I’m sorry this payment is late. I have been seriously ill. Thank you, Beverly Thompson.” I can’t explain it, but I instantly knew that this was the person the Lord had given me to pray for. “You want me to pray for her, don’t you Lord?” I asked him silently. The answer came in a feeling of peace and excitement combined, I knew he had just answered my prayer from less than an hour ago! So began my journey of prayer for Beverly Thompson. At first I found it very awkward to pray for someone I didn’t’t even know. I did know one thing besides her name. She owned Chapter 1 Bookstore in Presque Isle, Maine, and she ordered bulk quantities of our plush animals to sell. I didn’t know how old she was. Was she married, widowed, single, or divorced? What was wrong with her? Was it terminal? Did she have any children? The answers to these questions were not revealed as I prayed for Beverly, but I did find out how much the Lord loved her and that she was not forgotten by him. Many days I would find myself in tears as I entered into prayer for her. I prayed that he would give her comfort for whatever she would have to endure. Or I pled for strength and courage for her to accept things that she might find hard to face. One morning, as my wipers pushed the spring rain off my windshield, I saw muted tones of browns and greys. I prayed that the Lord would give Beverly eyes to see that that same drab landscape could be transformed into the greens and yellows of spring by a single day filled with sunshine. I prayed she could find hope even though it might seem covered up in the muted tones of her life and rely on a God who can transform winter into spring. In May, I felt that I should send her a card to let her know I was praying for her. As I made this decision, I knew I was taking a risk. Because I had taken her name from where I worked, I could possibly lose my job. I wasn’t in a position to be without any income. But, God, I told him, I’ve grown to love Beverly Thompson. I know you’ll take care of me no matter what happens. In my first card, I told Beverly a little bit about myself and how I had asked the Lord for specific people to pray for. Then I mentioned how I had come to get her name. I also told her that the Lord knew all about what she was going through and wanted her to know how much he loved her. I certainly knew how much God loved me. When I first moved into this new town, it had been difficult, especially as a single mom. But only a few weeks after arriving, I bought a Bible for 50 cents at a yard sale. When I got home, I found a folded note inside. When I opened it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Dear Susan,” the handwritten note began, “‘he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 1:6).” Obviously, the writer was encouraging another Susan, since I had randomly picked up the Bible. But for me, it was assurance God was personally interested in me!

Summer came and went and I continued to send Beverly cards and notes. I never heard from her, but I never stopped praying for her, even telling my Tuesday night Bible study group the story. They also upheld her in prayer. At times I had to admit to God that I really wanted a response, I wanted to know what Beverly thought about this stranger and her steady stream of notes. Did she think I was completely crazy? Did she hope I’d stop? I took the phone from my son’s hand and immediately my hand went clammy. I know why he’s calling. He’s calling me to tell me to stop bothering his wife. They probably think I’m a religious kook. A million scenarios flew through my mind.

“Hello, Mr. Thompson,” my voice squeaked nervously. “My daughter Susan and I had just been going through my wife’s things and found your cards and notes and your phone number. We wanted to call and let you know how much they meant to Beverly and to fill you in on what happened.” My heart loosened as this grieving husband continued to tell me about Beverly’s last days. “While we were going through her things, we found your cards and notes tied up with a red ribbon. I know she must have read them over and over because they looked worn.” Then he said quietly, “My wife had been diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 48.” I winced at the thought of Beverly’s physical setback, but Mr. Thompson’s next words comforted me. “She never suffered any pain at all. I know now that this was a result of your prayers.” Then he answered one of the questions I had nagged God about. “The reason you never heard back from her was because she also developed brain cancer,” he said. “Our relationship with God amounted to going to church once in a while, but it was nothing that had much effect on our lives,” Mr. Thompson explained. “I wanted you to know that my wife asked to be baptized two weeks before she passed away. The night before she died she told me it was okay for her to die because she was going home to be with her Lord.” As Bob Thompson continued to share his wife’s story with me, the drab landscape of my own life was transformed. As insignificant as my life had appeared to be to me, God used it to shine his love upon another life, resulting in a gift that no one could take away. The experience increased my faith significantly. God took one of the lowest points in my life and added glints of his glory. It made me realize that when we’re willing to be obedient, God works in profound ways.

We can endure because of Jesus

We hold on because of Jesus living in us.

(Col 1:27 KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

(Col 1:27 NLT)  For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.

We can endure our crosses because we know that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

(Rom 8:11 NLT)  The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.

Don’t give up.  Let God use you.  Even in the tough times, let God use you.