No.38 - Raised in Glory

Praise the Lord for the hope of the New Creation.

Verse of the Week

'So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.'

1 Corinthians 15:42-43

What a glorious thought. When Christ returns, our bodies will be transformed. They will be raised imperishable. They will be raised in glory. They will be raised in power. Praise the Lord. Our bodies often feel like they are weak and getting weaker. That will not be our reality in the New Creation. We can keep serving God with our lives, even if it means our earthyly bodies don't last as long. For one day, God will raise us in glory and power, and our bodies will never again break or fall apart.

Our bodies are good gifts we want to treasure them, but like an apple seed and an apple tree, our bodies will be transformed into something far more wonderful. And so we don't need to worry about our bodies now. We can give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.

Encouragements

As well as thinking about the amazing new creation at church on Sunday, and in our life groups, I got to prepare a talk this week on the hope we have as Christians. It was a real joy to meditate on how the hope of life after death can affect how we view life now.

Praise the Lord it is looking like Luci and I have a place to live for the next year, as I continue my ministry training in London. It's a real answer to pray as it seems that we will be able to live close to St Helens, the church we will be attending.

I had the privilege of leading a counselling session at my Cambridge bible course earlier in the week. By God's grace, it went well. I feel like I have benefited from the training I have been given, and now feel better equipped to help serve the church.

Finally, God has been kind in enabling me to make progress with my fundraising efforts. This week, I was focusing on applying to Christian trusts. Though it is too early to know if any of them will be able to support my ministry training, I am grateful to be making progress.

A Little Update

Here are a few of the things we've been up to and some of what we've got coming up. Praise the Lord for his kindness!

The Last Week

Prepped for - Life group, midday bible study, leading church, ministry day, TEAM/ counselling conversation, Evangelistic talk

• Monday - Learned about music licensing for churches

• Monday - Holiday Club meeting (Children's evangelistic event)

• Wednesday - Cambridge bible training course (TEAM)

• Wednesday - Led a 20-minute counselling session in TEAM

• Thursday - Church planning meeting

• Thursday - Life group meeting

• Friday - Pastoral ministry call

• Friday - Music Rehearsal

• Sunday - Played keys in church

  
  

The Next Few Weeks

• Mid-day bible study, Life group, Cambridge bible course, Christian book study group

• 30th June - Music rehearsal

• 1st July - Ministry Training day in London

• 2nd July - Last day of TEAM (Cambridge bible course)

• 2nd July - Holiday Club meeting (Children's evangelistic event)

• 4th July - Running and speaking at an Evangelistic event

• 5th July - Friends wedding at St Helens London

• 13th July - Giving a children's talk on the Psalms

• 13th July - Leading our Church meeting for the first time

• 14th July - Children's ministry training evening

• 16th July - GCU Members meal

• 19th-25th July - Attending Keswick Bible Conference

Prayer Requests

I would love prayers that I could trust God for strength and rest, and seek to do things by the strength he gives me, trusting that he will provide. Specifically, this week, as I continue to apply to Christian trusts, make plans for next year's ministry work, and give an evangelistic talk.

Love and prayers to you all

God bless,

Joshua & Luci.

P.S. - I've recorded another Episode of Delighted By Christ. If you are feeling a bit too tired to listen to a Sermon or read a Christian book, but still want to be encouraged, my hope is that this could be a great way to help you keep delighting in Christ. So if you want to hear more about how I've been delighted by Christ over the last week, feel free to listen to the video below. I hope you may find it encouraging :)

Cambridge Bible Course Notes

The last things

Hell

• Unending Judgment - Mat 25:26

• Imagery used - Fiery pit & Outer darkness

How to respond

• Remember God’s holiness and the wickedness of sin

• Wonder at God’s grace to us

• Remember no one alive is beyond hope

• Pray and share the gospel

• Remember no human on earth is what they will be then

Weep for those going to hell and rejoice in God’s justice

Heaven

• Unending life in perfection

• Imagery used - New creation & Perfect Marriage

• A physical world

• A renewed people

• Enjoying and being enjoyed by Christ our Groom

Understanding OT Prophets - Zechariah

Introduction to the Night Visions (1:1-6)

Night Vision #1: The Rider among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17)

Night Vision #2: The Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)

Night Vision #3: A Man with a Measuring Line (2:1-13)

Night Vision #4: Joshua the High Priest and Clean Garments (3:1-10)

Night Vision #5: The Golden Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees (4:1-14)

Night Vision #6: The Flying Scroll and the Woman in the Basket (5:1-11)

Night Vision #7: The Four Chariots (6:1-8)

Conclusion to the Night Visions (6:9-15)

Introduction to the Oracles (chapters 7-8)

Oracle #1 (chapters 9-11): God will overcome enemies so he can regather his people

Oracle #2 (chapters 12-14): God will rebuild his people so he can reign as world king

Zachariah notes expanded

Historical Context of Zechariah

• Post exile prophet

• 2nd year of Darius’s reign 520BC

• Rebuilding Jerusalem has started but stopped

• People are wondering whether God will keep his promises

• Zachariah was sent to encourage God’s people to finish building

• But his message is also for us to build the church

The Message of Zechariah

• He and his men were symbols of things to come Zech 3:8

• Set the stage for the messiah

The Genre of Zechariah

• 1st half Apocalyptic - end times, imagery, symbols, destruction etc

• 2nd half Prophetic - Hebrew poetry

The Structure of Zechariah 1-6

Introduction to Night Visions: Return to me & I will return to you (1:1-6)

• A. Horse-Riders reporting need for judgement on the nations (1:7-17)

• B. Temple craftsmen defeat the power of the nations (1:18-21)

• C. Jerusalem will be repopulated by nations by God’s protection (2:1-13)

• D. High Priest cleansed and so Satan overcome (3:1-10)

• C. Temple will be rebuilt by the Spirit’s power (4:1-14)

• B’. Temple preaching defeats idol worshippers and removes idolatry (5:1-11)

• A’. Horse-Chariots riding out showing God’s purposes for exile completed (6:1-8)

Conclusion to Night Visions: Wait for the Branch to rebuild Temple! (6:9-15)

Suggested Summary - God will overcome enemies to regather his people from exiles; God allowed exile to happen to rebuild his people (Temple) to reign as king of the world.

The standard pattern of the seven Night Visions:

1. INTRO - Introductory words

2. VISION - Description of what Zechariah sees

3. QUESTION - Zechariah asks the angel what these things mean

4. MEANING - The angel gives an explanation

Introduction to the Night Visions (1:1-6)

• Recap of how God exiled their sinful fathers

• Call to return to God and he’ll return to you

• Focus on a physical and spiritual return

Night Vision #1: The Rider among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17)

• Rider is the Angel of the Lord

• He’s the true heavenly emperor

• He knows what’s going on in his kingdom

• He sees the evil kingdoms

• The exile is over but God’s promises of blessing on his people haven’t happened

Suggested aim - Get on and build the temple / Church

Night Vision #2: The Four Horns and the Four Craftsmen (1:18-21)

• 4 horns representing the power of the other nations

• 4 Craftsmen (temple builders) over throw the Horns

Suggested aim - Building the temple / church drives back God’s enemies

Night Vision #3: A Man with a Measuring Line (2:1-13)

• There are lots of nations bigger than you

• God will act as a wall of fire protecting his people

• God will come

• God sent one will love with them

Suggested aim - Flee Babylon/The world be a part of the Remnant/Church

Night Vision #4: Joshua the High Priest and Clean Garments (3:1-10)

• Courtroom scene - Satan prosecutor, Angel of the lord judge / advocate

• Figure called Joshua represents God’s people

• Joshua’s filthy clothes swapped for rich garments by the fire of exile

Suggested aim - Trust God’s plan to deal with Sin

Night Vision #5: The Golden Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees (4:1-14)

• The people will rebuild the temple

• Through Haggai and Zachariah

• Not by their own strength by by preach god’s word the spirit will help people

• Suggested aim - Trust that preaching God’s word is how the spirit empowers God’s people to build the temple / church

Night Vision #6: The Flying Scroll and the Woman in the Basket (5:1-11)

• Flying scroll represents the curse of the law going through the land

• The cure of the law destroys sinners

• Exile judgment was the curse of breaking the covenant

• Women in the basket represents God’s people’s sin

• The women in the basket gets taken of to Babylon

• House built for the lord in Jerusalem and for evil in Babylon

Summary point - The exile judgment removed idolatry form God’s people

Night Vision #7: The Four Chariots (6:1-8)

• Similar images to the first vision

• Previously the other nations needed punishing

• Now them have been dealt with

Conclusion to the Night Visions (6:9-15)

• Zachariah focuses us on Historical events – enacted prophecy of the future

• We get a High Priest crowned king!

• 6:12 Joshua symbolic of the Branch (Priest and King)

• 6:13 The Branch will build the ultimate Temple

• 6:14 The crown as a pledge of his coming

• 500 years the crown will then sit in the temple to remind them that the messiah is coming

Summary aim - Look to him to come/Christ to build the real temple/Church

The Structure of Zechariah 7-14

• They are half way through building the temple

• Ch7-14 are made up of 2 Oracles

• Ch1-6 Rebuilding of the Temple

• Ch7-14 Return of God’s presence to the Temple

Introduction to the Oracles (chapters 7-8)

• Reminder they were exiled because of their heart hearts 7:12

• God promises he will live with his people - possibly in the ultimate temple

• It will be the ultimate feast with many nations seeking the lord

Question - What will it take for God to be able to live with his people?

Oracle #1 (chapters 9-11): God will overcome enemies so he can regather his people

God will gather all his people

God will watch/guard his temple until he comes as the Messiah on a donkey 9:1-10

God will use his people as his weapon

God will gather the lots tribes by gathering in the nations

Oracle #2 (chapters 12-14): God will rebuild his people so he can reign as world king

The idea of the ultimate battle happening at the cross - God redeeming his people

The idea of God’s people being cleansed

• Refined by sharing in the sufferings of the cross

• During the last days

• With the holy spirit flowing from the cross

• And so protection in the battle

The ultimate Temple - the new creation

• The whole of Jerusalem is holy to the lord

• The lord will return in person as king of the world

• This is when fasting will turn to feasting

• God’s people from all nations will come and worship the Lord

Sum up

• Don’t give up, keep building the temple/Church, even when it feels like nothing is happening

• Trust God’s promises

• Look forward to the future when God is going to make things better

• Look forward to God’s king

• Look forward to God’s kingdom

• Focus in building God’s church, thought the power of God’s spirit, given to us through the preaching of God’s word