Jesus Reveals the Father

From my reading in Matthew 11 this morning:

"At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.'" (verses 35-37)

What a passage!  We look into the fellowship of the Father and Son; we witness God's sovereignty in revealing Truth to people; we see His heart for children and the child-like; we see the greatness of grace to God's own, who share with Jesus in the knowledge of His Father; we ponder the Son's revelation of His Father.

How shall I respond?  

* By humbly bowing before the Lord and joining Jesus Christ in expressing gratitude to the Father for His sovereign grace and will.

* By gladly celebrating the unity, love, and glory of the Father and Son, and the Son's knowledge of His Father.

* By gladly wondering at (not doubting) the choosing mercy and grace of the Son to reveal the Father to many.

* By thanking God for His gift of repentance (see 11:20-24) to me.

* By pleading with the Lord to reveal His Father to others, including through me as I speak the truth of Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Dear Rocky family, let us earnestly pray that the Savior's gracious, saving choice would settle on many as we share His gospel with others call them to "come to" Him-- at home, at work, in shops and restaurants, at school, in hospitals, in battle zones, mission fields, everywhere. 

 

Sermons and Weeping

Here is a quote from Charles Spurgeon: "A sermon wept over is more acceptable with God than one gloried over."  I have been pondering this today and am challenged and humbled.  I wonder, does Spurgeon mean to address the preacher or the listener?  Or both?  

Jim Elliot and Nate Saint

Last Sunday, when I preached on 2 Chronicles 14:11, I spoke of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and their teammates who were all killed by Auca Indians in Ecuador, martyred for the cause of Christ and His gospel.  Today I was reminded that the very day of this sermon, January 8, was the 56th anniversary of these men's death-- Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian.  I was two and a half years old on that day.  The impact of their lives, ministries and deaths continue to impact the evangelical missions movement today.

Tim Challies has provided information regarding helpful resources for you to learn more about these men and their work and families. I encourage you to check out his blog where this information was posted on January 9 and entitled "The Ecuadorian Martyrs" (www.challies.com).  One resource he lists is a talk by Nate Saint's son, Steve, given at the 2005 Desiring God Conference.  I attended that conference and, like Tim Challies, I was deeply moved and challenged.  (I think Steve lives in the Orlando area, and I would love to invite Steve to speak here at RBBC during a future missions conference.)