Exalted Savior on the Right Hand of God

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon by contrasting the popular 'American dream' of a trouble-free life with the biblical reality that man is born to trouble and Christians will…

Martin uses the concept of the 'American dream' as a cultural contrast to the biblical teaching on suffering, highlighting the popular notion of unconditional happiness versus the scriptural truth that man is born to trouble.

like have heard the phrase, the American dream. Next year being an election year, you're going to hear a lot more of that as various candidates seek to promote themselves and their agenda in order to help us attain the American dream. Now for many, a vital part of this American dream is the assumption that with the right combination of money, technology, government control, or non-control of the market forces, every American should be born, should live,

4:22 - 5:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What better place to land as the capstone of this section of Peter dealing with believers and their response to suffering than to fix all the days of the soul upon an exalted Savior.

He uses the analogy of himself preaching from the pulpit, having previously climbed the steps and placed his Bible, to explain the grammatical structure of 1 Peter 3:22, where a present action is predicated on past actions.

I labored long and hard to try to come up with a linguistic parallel that would help you to understand how the Word of God comes to us in this text. And I think this is at least close to it. If I were to say to you, I am now preaching from this pulpit, having climbed the steps to this platform, having placed my Bible...

12:11 - 12:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details Christ's post-resurrection appearances for 40 days, His physical and bodily ascension into heaven as witnessed by His disciples, and the nature of heaven as…

Martin highlights the disciples' reaction of 'disbelieving for joy' when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection, illustrating the overwhelming and almost unbelievable nature of His physical presence.

They are touching Him and the rest, and this is too good to be true. It's too good to be true. They disbelieve for joy. What a strange conjunction of things.

17:55 - 18:03 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You get your significance of biblical figures from the Bible. And if you can get some sidelights and highlights from Middle Eastern culture and from ancient practices fine. But you don't exegete the Bible by means of the…

He uses the analogy of an archaeologist's spade or an expert linguist's discovery to warn against exegeting biblical figures primarily through secular or cultural means, emphasizing that biblical significance should come from the Bible itself.

You get your significance of biblical figures from the Bible. And if you can get some sidelights and highlights from Middle Eastern culture and from ancient practices fine. But you don't exegete the Bible by means of the archaeologist's spade or the expert linguist's discovery of documents from the secular world. And when we turn to the scriptures to let the scriptures expound this imagery we find that the imagery of the right hand is basically a position of honor and preeminence and predominantly a position of authority and rule.

34:12 - 34:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You get your significance of biblical figures from the Bible. And if you can get some sidelights and highlights from Middle Eastern culture and from ancient practices fine. But you don't exegete the Bible by means of the…

The story of Solomon seating Bathsheba at his right hand is used as an example from 1 Kings 2 to illustrate the concept of a position of honor and dignity.

Jesus says to every overcomer I will share the position of honor and preeminence given to me by my Father I will share it with you as you overcome by my grace and by my strength. That's why when Bathsheba was ushered into the presence of Solomon in 1 Kings chapter 2 Solomon said set a throne at my right hand and have my mother sit there to show before all who came into their presence the place of honor and dignity assigned to his mother. But it is primarily a position of authority and rule. Psalm 110 makes this abundantly clear The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand

36:10 - 36:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that Christ is your pattern of suffering that leads to exaltation.

He recounts the inscription on a Scottish Covenanter tombstone, 'all those evil spirits can do is stir up men to chase the people of God to heaven,' to illustrate the ultimate futility of persecution against God's sovereign plan.

to be let loose upon His people to the point of martyrdom in the language inscribed on that tombstone that the covenant enters in Scotland, all those evil spirits can do is stir up men to chase the people of God to heaven. That's all. Well, it's rage to chase them up to heaven. I love the words.

48:12 - 48:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Heed the warning of the reigning Lord: Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way. Don't provoke Him.

Martin uses the metaphor of a 'paper tiger' to describe what God's anger is NOT, emphasizing that the reigning Lord's wrath is real and potent, not to be provoked.

It ends with these words, Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way. Go, that sovereign to anger. Don't provoke Him. His anger is not the anger of a paper tiger.

53:32 - 53:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Pay more attention to the doctrine of suffering, preparing for potential future persecution and opposition.

He describes the current state of religious freedom in America as a 'fool's paradise' compared to other parts of the world, urging listeners to prepare for potential future suffering and persecution.

And, dear people, I say again without claiming to be a prophet, if God does not turn the tide with a mighty visitation upon our national life, the time is coming when you will wish perhaps you paid more attention to Suffering 101. What will you do? What will you do if the authorities appear to bar? What will you do if and when these doors are barred for public assembly?

54:29 - 55:07 Read in full sermon