Mount of Transfiguration

all right so as they explained nation's night uh June 22nd at 6 30. uh this will also be in our weekly reminder email if you're not receiving that email please come see me we'll make sure you get signed up for it okay so hopefully you have gotten to Luke chapter 8 verse uh I'm sorry Luke chapter nine verse 28. if you haven't um that's okay but uh I want to start off this morning with a question um and and this question is going to need interaction right so you're going to have to speak I know sometimes that's very uh scary but don't worry the question is not going to be a dangerous one how many of you have experienced moments of Glory you want to anyone yeah Brian what do we got all the time all right yeah yeah anyone anyone else have a specific moment of Glory in ransford said yeah anyone else Julia yeah absolutely yeah I I want to encourage everyone to think on this because I every one of us have moments of Glory whether we can remember them or not whether they are physical like just shared or whether they're spiritual maybe you remember when God revealed himself and and called you to his own maybe you lived a life that was carnal and then you remember a time in which God saved you and changed your heart and regenerated your mind that's a moment of Glory or maybe you were able to be a part of a baptism of a family member or a friend or even a child we have gotten to experience some of the beautiful realities of children coming to know the Lord with both Travis and and Greg baptizing their children and I remember the the faces of these parents as they were able to baptize their kids but I guarantee you these fathers in here have a greater experience and a moment of Glory that they remember that's far deeper than mine something they will never forget maybe it's holding your niece or nephew or a child that has come into your family for the first time I want you to see that we all have moments of Glory that point us to the great glorious father and his love and grace but we should also recognize as Believers and scripture shows us this that these moments of Glory are shadows they are Shadows of the great reality that is to come because we can recognize that these moments of Glory are moments there are four tastes of what is to come but they end here and now but one day they will no longer have a time frame of ending one day we will be in glory together worshiping the Lord for eternity but this morning what I want us to see in this passage is that these disciples Peter James and John get to experience a glimpse of what Glory will look like in heaven and experience so powerful in their lives that they couldn't help but write about it as they wrote their gospel accounts or wrote their Epistles we see John opens up his gospel saying this in John 1 14 the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory is of the only son from the father full of grace and full of Truth he was so impacted by this moment on this mountain that he couldn't help but start his gospel with this reality and Peter at the end of his life writing to the church is still talking about this moment on the mountain when he saw Jesus in all his glory he says for we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty for when he received honor and Glory from God the father and the voice was born by this Majestic Glory saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased we ourselves heard this very voice from heaven for we were with him on that Holy Mountain this is a moment of Glory that the disciples were a part of but would never forget and the Transfiguration this morning serves as that foretaste of Glory not only for those disciples that day but also for us because what I want us to think about here and I believe how Jesus is connecting this Transfiguration with what he said last week is showing us that this is your reward for following Jesus Faithfully I'm going to show you I'm going to give you a preview of what it is going to look like in eternity when you die to self bear your own cross follow me and you're not ashamed of me in this world and you give up your life for my sake this is what you'll gain because it's not hard to believe that as Jesus was telling his disciples that the Messiah must die on a cross suffer be rejected and then resurrect that this would have been hard saying John 6 tells us this that Jesus gives this saying and the disciples are like this is hard how are we to follow this and so I believe as we walk through Matthew Mark and Luke they give us this answer it's not going to be easy but this is your reward your reward is in heaven it is an eternal reward and I'm going to give you a preview of it here on this mountain but what I want us to see this morning from this passage is that for believers as we follow Jesus this Glory that we will receive the glory that Jesus has ultimately received from the cross only comes after death it can only come from following the cross and following Jesus in his life and his death and for disciples that might mean that it is our Earthly lives that we must give up but for the majority of us it is going to be death to self daily as we saw last week and so this is how we receive this reward of Glory death following Jesus to the cross and I want to show two ways in which we receive this Glory as Believers as we fix our eyes on the cross and as we recognize that Glory only comes after the cross we do this by beholding Jesus in his glory and we do this by obeying his commands so I want us to see that from this passage this morning we receive the prize of Glory by beholding him and obeying his commands so let's read what Luke has to say on the Mount of transfiguration starting in verse 28.

now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray and as he was praying the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling White and behold two men were talking with him Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him and as the men were parting from him Peter said to Jesus Master it is good that we are here let us make three tents one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah not knowing what he said and as he was saying these things the cloud came and overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud and a voice Came From Heaven saying this is my son My Chosen One listen to him and when the voice had spoken Jesus was found alone and they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen this is God's word let us go to him in prayer and ask him to illuminate what we have seen this morning Lord we thank you for your word we thank you that through it we see your character and your goodness and your mercy to your children in it we can behold your glory in it we find ways in which we are called to live and obey your commands and in it we find that we as your children being faithful to you will receive a reward and that reward is Glory and this glory is only received because of the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus Christ and so help us to see him more clearly this morning give us light O Lord and ears to hear what you have to say that we may have certainty of the things that have been taught about Jesus and that we may grow in maturity and love for you as your servant this morning speak through me let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasable and acceptable in your sight my rock and my redeemer it is for your glory and our joy that we praise you this morning in Jesus name amen so for those of you who were with us last week or listened to the sermon I left on a cliffhanger right in verse 27 we saw Jesus say this I tell you truly there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God now the Cliffhanger was what is Jesus saying especially after these hard sayings of Follow Me deny yourself bear your own cross and he leaves this saying for us or for the disciples and for us and most commentators and most uh maybe not most there are there are some back and forth who believe that Jesus is ultimately talking about his death and resurrection that the disciples will see the kingdom of God through Jesus's death his resurrection his Ascension some believe that the kingdom of God is the spirit coming down Pentecost happening in the church growing and some even believe that it's the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.

D all of this culminating in the kingdom of God coming to Earth now some of this may be true and maybe all of it together is true but what I agree with in the commentator commentators and most pastors when you read Matthew Mark and Luke in its literary context so if we're just reading it like the narrative that it is every single time Jesus Calls the disciples to follow him it is followed with this Mount of transfiguration it ends with this some will see the kingdom of some will not taste death and see the kingdom of God and it's followed by Jesus revealing more of his glory and so I'm going to land with a reading this narrative that I believe the disciples are given a preview as I said earlier of what will happen in glory when they are faithful to following Jesus so beholding his glory is the first thing that we are called to do we see this on the Mountaintop as Jesus is taking his disciples to a retreat in prayer Peter James and John he brings and it tells us eight days after these sayings of following the cross Peter James and John went up on the mountain with Jesus to pray now if you've been here for the last couple of weeks you should be highlighting the fact that Jesus again is going to pray and what does this mean for us what does this mean for our readers or or Theophilus as he's reading this for the first time he's probably excited hopefully he's seeing and believing and knowing that something is about to happen because once again we see Luke highlighting Jesus going alone to pray and then following it up with something magnificent and significant happening in his life we see as he's praying the appearance of his face is altered and his clothing becomes dazzling White what a very interesting story that Luke would be writing right what a magnificent magnificent and Supernatural moment for the disciples to be a part of but if you're maybe a Critic and here of the scriptures wouldn't you think this would be a story you'd probably leave off right because this would be super hard to actually grasp and understand and believe that Jesus as a man all of a sudden Alters himself or is altered from within to look like he is no longer human but bright and holy and clean and we know this from Matthew because Matthew tells us in chapter 17 of this parallel story Jesus's face Shone like the sun and Mark would even tell us his clothes became radiant so intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them and so what Luke Matthew and Mark are all trying to do is trying to get us to understand through our own language something that is truly indescribable most theologians would call this an appropriation right we're they are trying to use our language and appropriate what we can understand to describe something that is so Indescribable that our minds could not truly fathom it and speak it and the writers in scripture do this a lot we see in Psalm 92 David writes God will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find Refuge now we know that God isn't some ultimate giant bird right but what he is doing is he's trying to describe the characteristics of who God is and how he cares for his people and so Luke is trying to do the same here and the gospel writers of Matthew and Mark are also trying to do the same in describing something that is so Indescribable so Supernatural and what is happening here on this mountain but I want to ask this question before we move on to what is happening here what is Glory because I I think that for us in the church we can hear this word and we might not actually know how to answer it maybe it's something that we've heard for so long and we're like yeah that yeah Glory I know what that is what is Glory and what is the glory of Jesus what is what is it that we are supposed to get from Jesus manifesting himself in his glory I believe that we're supposed to see everything that is true and beautiful that makes him God that makes his character and nature shine through as Joe Thorne would say it is the manifestation of his magnificence it is his person it is his work this is what we're supposed to see throughout scripture and we see it here on the Mount of transfiguration that Jesus is fully God and fully man as Jesus walked up this mountain I'm sure that Peter James and John were not expecting that this was about to happen Jesus probably sweating carrying his own sack looking normal being fully God or being fully man and fully God ultimately then in prayer revealing himself but we also see in his glory his work the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory but he is also the Creator and sustainer and savior of life so this is what we see throughout scripture this is the glory of Jesus that we see throughout the Book of Luke that Jesus being fully God and fully man is also the Creator sustainer and savior Messiah who has come to save his people this is who the scriptures point us to when it talks about the glory of Jesus and here's why this is significant throughout the Old Testament God revealed his glory through ver a variety of ways to his people in Israel whether it's through the pillar of fire and smoke as Israel walked through the Wilderness or burning bushes as he spoke to Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh that he would set God's people free God even revealed himself through earthquakes wind and water as Moses was on the Mountainside on Mount Sinai but Ezekiel 11 shows us that there is a great tragedy for the people of Israel when it comes to God's glory you see the king of Israel had left the temple and then as you read through the book you get to chapter 6 through 11 and see that Ezekiel is calling to Israel to repent and if they don't the coming of God's judgment was going to be upon them and finally in verse 23 of chapter 11 you see the glory of the Lord which is the presence of God leave the temple and go to the east over the mountains and settle there ultimately what it is showing us and is showing the people of God is that he has removed his presence and has removed his glory from the nation this is their great tragedy and for 500 years the Israelites did not see God's glory because of Israel's stubbornness and rebellious Spirit God stopped speaking to them God stopped revealing who he was and his plan and he stopped revealing his glory to them now just to give you a perspective of what 500 years looks like the United States became a nation in 1776.

that was 247 years ago we would need 253 more years as a nation to reach the amount of time in which God had not spoken or revealed his glory to his people that's how long it had been since God had revealed his glory to them and now on the Mount of transfiguration on this mountain as Jesus is altered in his State his glory is shining through God is once again revealing his glory through the person and work of Jesus Christ this is a huge deal for the disciples being there and seeing that God's glory has finally come back to Israel and this is a big deal for us on this side of the Cross because God has revealed his glory even to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ in his life and death and Resurrection we now have access to the glory of the father and his presence is given to us are sins that once separated us from the love and the presence of the father are forgiven we receive Jesus's righteousness as he takes on our unrighteousness on the cross and we are set free to enjoy unhindered access to the father and because of Jesus and because of that access we can have confidence as the author of Hebrew says to draw near to the throne of grace where there is great mercy and great grace for our times of need as Tim Keller once said there was an infinite gap between God and man and the beauty of the Gospel is that Jesus bridges that gap for us Jesus Bridges the gap unlike any religion that teaches that you have to make a way to be right with God that you have to earn and work your way to find favor with the Lord that is not so through Jesus Christ he has come down he has made a way to restore and bring right relationship to the father through his life and death and resurrection and it is only through beholding him that we will will receive this inheritance of Glory when he calls us home or he comes back but Luke doesn't just stop at Jesus's transformation we find that this prayer Retreat brings two more people into it specifically from the Old Testament and as the story wasn't odd enough right where did they come from ironically these are the same men if you've been walking through chapter 8 and chapter nine this is who the crowd thought Jesus was they thought that Jesus was Elijah they thought that Jesus was one of the prophets of old or Moses returning and as Luke writes behold two men were talking with Jesus Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he had which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem now I'm going to go I'm going to come back to what Jesus Moses and Elijah were talking about in regards to his departure later because it is significant and it is beautiful both for both the disciples and us today but what I want us to see is the significance of Moses and Elijah showing up on the mountain with Jesus to the Jewish people Moses and Elijah represented the whole of the Old Testament Moses the law and the Ten Commandments that had been given to God's people as they entered into the promised land and Elijah represented all of the prophets together so these two men appearing on the mountain with Jesus they weren't there just to hang out they weren't there just to grab some coffee and talk to Jesus about his time on Earth and what he experienced compared to their experience what is being represented here by Moses and Elijah showing up is the pointing of the scriptures in fulfillment of Jesus coming to Earth the prophets and the law all pointed to Christ this is what Jesus tells us disciples in Luke chapter 4 on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection he says was it not necessary for the Christ that he should suffer these things and enter into his glory and beginning with Moses and all the prophets he interpreted to them all the scriptures and the things concerning himself Moses and Elijah being there on the mountain represented the law and the prophets pointing to the one who would fulfill them and they would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ this is why it's so important for us to know our Old Testament guys I love what Alistair Begg says here the New Testament is in the Old Testament but it's concealed and the Old Testament is in the New Testament and it is now revealed and we're able to read both the Old and New in light of who it is pointing to the Old Testament pointing to the coming Messiah the New Testament pointing back to what he has done in reminding us of the reward that we will receive in glory all of it points to Jesus all of it is about Jesus and when we Behold Him through his word this is where transformation comes I want you to see that this understanding of an altered face or an altered um body the Greek gives us this understanding of metamorphosis which is an understanding that our change is from within so Jesus says change didn't come outwardly it came from within and so it is the same for believers who behold Jesus through his word and meditate on the truth and the reality of who he is you see it's the same word that Paul uses in Romans 12 2 when he tells us do not be conformed to the image or do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that by testing you may deserve what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect it's the same word that Paul says in second Corinthians 3 18 that we as Believers with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of Glory to another it is when we behold this glorious savior that we then are transformed into his image from one degree of Glory to another but before we move on to the disciples response and the call to not only behold Jesus but to obey his commands I want us to see something very beautiful from Moses and Elijah showing up on the Mountaintop with Jesus you see Moses and Elijah had been gone for centuries get them showing up in glory with Jesus here shows us that they were kept safe in The Father's hands their appearance proves to us that there is life after this life and there is life for the believer who has put their Hope and Faith in Jesus Christ because that same faith that Moses and Elijah had is the same faith that saves us today it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we will one day be in glory with him and so for those of us who have lost parents and children and friends we can look even at a small glimpse of this passage and know that those who have trusted in Jesus while they may not be here with us right now we will one day be with them in glory and they are in the care of the father because of Jesus Christ and we will see them again because death is not our end death is a doorway into the Glorious reality that we will receive as children of God and I hope that you find comfort in that this morning but let's take a look at the disciples response and not only for us beholding Jesus's Glory but obeying his commands look at verse 32 again Luke writes now Peter and those who are with them were heavy with sleep and that when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with them and as the men were parting from him Peter said to Jesus Master it is good that we are here let us make three tents one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah not knowing what he said anyone ever read the New Testament and you're just encouraged by the disciples right they are constantly asleep when Jesus is praying they seem to have High highs and low lows and including Peter himself which we'll see in a moment but man this this should encourage us that God would use people who fail people who constantly get it wrong people who are asleep when Jesus is taking them on a special Retreat to pray on a Mountainside thank you and then is there any disciple that you and I can relate to more than Peter I mean just eight days ago think about this just eight days ago he was praised because he got the question right who do you say that I am he said you're the Christ of God and now we know from Mark 9 that you Jesus then says yes that is true and then the son must suffer and die and what does Jesus say no that that's not so you will not die I will protect you from that and Jesus says Get Behind Me Satan and so Peter even in that experience has a very high high and in that moment a very low low you go from calling Jesus the Christ of God and then being called Satan you're going to have some emotions running through you but Peter was a man who loved the Lord was enthusiastic about following Jesus but he was also a man who had Valley loaves and didn't always get it right we see this even in the New Testament all the way into Galatians but God still uses him and God still uses these disciples and we should find encouragement when we see these disciples not behaving how we think they should behave or even maybe sometimes how we think we would behave instead of how they would or did but here's the problem that Peter reveals when he speaks and we know it's a problem because God tells them to be quiet right Matthew even tells us that in the middle of what Peter is saying God interrupts him so if God is interrupting you while you're talking you're probably not saying the right thing but the problem that Peter had first was that he was speaking out of ignorance and fear I'm sure that all of us can relate to that right we we say things and we're like oh man I shouldn't have said that and and in the heart or the the root of where what we said where that came from was ignorance and fear the second problem that we see with what Peter had to say was that he was putting Moses and Elijah on the same pedestal as Jesus he was trying to say let us build three tents for all three of this men when in reality is the tent should have only been built for Jesus and I'll show you why in a moment but the third was that he was trying to reverse God's plan of suffering and Glory as Leon Morris says glory and suffering go hand in hand both for our savior and also us as disciples see Peter upon seeing Jesus Moses and Elijah proclaimed let us make tents right now we have to understand what that means in regards to the disciples in that time because I know there are a lot of us in here who love to Camp myself included and we would love to be in this Mountaintop experience just camping out with Jesus Moses and Elijah right so to see Peter's response it's like hey why wouldn't you want to put tents out and camp with Jesus but what he's ultimately revealing is that he wants to perpetuate the experience that is happening right now and not allow Jesus to go to Jerusalem you see the question that we have to ask ourselves is how did Peter actually know this was Moses and Elijah maybe they had some type of robe right a glorious robe with their name inscribed on it that'd be really cool if we got the glory and we get a robe but what I actually think is that Peter was listening to the conversation between Jesus Moses and Elijah and we saw that those three were talking about Jesus's departure and that departure connects with what Jesus said to them earlier that the son of man must suffer be rejected and die at the hands of the priests scribes and Sadducees and then he must resurrect again but what we know from the the parallel passage in Mark and what I just shared earlier is that Peter actually tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem and going to the cross and so here I believe he's doing the same thing and saying let us just sit here and worship let us just sit here and give glory to Jesus and glory to Moses and glory to Elijah let's not go to Jerusalem let's not go to the cross but if we think back there was also a time when this happened earlier in Luke you see in Luke 4 the third Temptation that Satan gave to Jesus was that he would bow down to Satan and receive worship and Glory from the rest of the world and what we saw from that is that what Satan was trying to do was trying to tempt Jesus to take Glory before the cross to take Glory before his suffering but Jesus knows and Jesus responds to Satan and God then responds here to Peter that that is not the ultimate Redemption Redemptive plan the Redemptive plan flows through and goes through Jesus cross for our sins and then he receives Glory it is not the other way around only true it can come after the cross and that is what God is ultimately entering into this conversation that Peter is speaking on showing that Jesus must die he must go to Jerusalem in order for sins to be forgiven in order for you and I to have right relationship with God it only comes through the cross but like I said earlier we often can find ourselves in the same boat as Peter in the same boat as the disciples how easy is it is it for us as Believers to try and avoid the cross but still gain Glory how easy is it us for us to not as Jesus said last week deny our bear our cross but still seek Glory to still seek the things that the Lord promises us as believers without truly understanding that it is only through death to self that we will receive this crown and this reward you see the problem with Peter's response is that he wasn't really listening he wasn't listening eight days ago and he wasn't listening here and now as Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah That Glory only comes after the cross which is why God immediately comes down in a Cloud of Glory and responds and terrifies the disciples so let's look at God's final word as he was saying these things the cloud came and overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud and a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my son My Chosen One listen to him and when the voice had spoken Jesus was found alone and they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen now to us this rebuke may be very familiar especially for parents in here right you get to a place where you're finally like I'm done with you talking I need you to be quiet and listen to me don't say another word just listen to me now that may seem like what's happening and maybe it is just a little bit but there is more to what is happening here for Peter James and John as well as us God is giving a final word of who Jesus is and why we should obey him really he gives three final words that only as as you see throughout Luke's chapter 8 and chapter nine not only does it connect finally answering the question that we saw early in chapter eight who is this man that even controls storms but also why Jesus came and we can only truly know Jesus the only way to truly know him is to know why he came and then we must respond rightly to who he is so let's look at these three final words that God gives answering the question who is this man and telling Peter pay attention the first one we see is God says this is my son now you'll find that all three of these statements find a connection in the Old Testament right so when God says this is my son he's not only referring to just the sonship and the Son of God that we find in the Trinity and the Triune God but what he's actually referring to more is Earthly kingship you see in Psalm 2 we see David speaking of a king of Israel that is his son But ultimately we know that this Psalm is pointing to Christ to the Eternal son who would one day come and receive the royal title that would testify that he is the king of all and then God says he is My Chosen One here God is pointing to Isaiah and connecting this suffering servant this chosen one who was to come and die and suffer for his people we see this starting in Isaiah 41 all the way to the end of Isaiah 53 this suffering servant this chosen one who was to come to set his people free and finally God gives a command to his people and to those disciples that are there that day listen to him and this is echoing Deuteronomy 18 verses 18 and 19 that say I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers and I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them all that I commanded him and whoever will not listen to my words that he shall not speak in my name I myself will will require it of him so in connecting and echoing what God is saying here in Deuteronomy 18 he is saying that Jesus is this great prophet and you are to listen to him all that the father says is confirming to the disciples and to us that Jesus is the Messiah he is the Glorious Son of God who has come as king to rule and Reign Over his creation and to save his people through his life death and Resurrection from the grave and God's command to Peter and the disciples that day is the same to us who follow Jesus listen to him because it is in him that you will find true joy and life and ultimate Glory but it is only after we bear our own cross it is only after we seek to follow him and deny ourselves that we will receive this crown so this morning I want to ask you guys this question how do we respond to this how do we respond to beholding his glory and obeying his Commandments it has to come through worship and I don't mean worship like coming in on Sunday morning and just singing gospel centered songs I mean worship that Romans 12 talks about is your sacrificial living is your life being put on the cross your daily Cross of denying yourself and following after him that is your act of spiritual Worship in reflecting the true reality of who you are as a son and daughter of God and so we must behold his glory and obey his Commandments In Worship and we do this I mean you probably should know this answer already if you've been here long enough and heard me preach long enough we do this in two ways through through his word and prayer and through his people that is the way in which we behold his glory now some of us might say man I wish that I could be on this Mountaintop with Peter James and John right then and then only would I really have a recognition of Jesus's glory in front of me and it would be a lot easier for me to to follow Jesus because I've seen him in glory but let me take you to what Peter says about his experience on that mountain that day we already read that it impacted him all the way to the end of his life but he follows that up with this we have a prophetic word more fully confirmed to which you will do well to pay attention as to a light a lamp shining in a dark place until the day Dawns in the Morning Star rises in your hearts knowing this first of all that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit what Peter is saying here is that yes I experienced the Mountaintop and saw Jesus in his glory but there is something more fully confirmed and that is the word of God given to you given to us can you wrap your head around that that this word that we have is more fully confirmed than Jesus standing in front of him but it's because this word points to Jesus this word points us to the reality of who he is that he is the Creator and sustainer and savior of all and we can worship Him and we can Behold Him as we submit and obey to what he says in his word but it's also important as Believers to behold God's glory through his people and to recognize that every time we step in here on Sunday morning in this gathering this is not like any other Gathering it's not like going to a concert and hearing your favorite songs this is where God's word Goes Forth this is where your life has changed this is where people go from light to from Death To Life it is important that we as Believers gather together weekly that as Hebrews 11 says not forsake the time of coming together and Gathering as Believers so that we can hear God's word so that we can sing with one another so that we can partake in communion together because in this moment we are experiencing a foretaste of what is to come in glory as Revelation 19 and 21 tell us that we will one day Worship the Lord with all tribes and tongues and languages together it's experiencing the glory of God but in this moment in the here and now why it is so important to come and behold his glory with one another is because we are experiencing a foretaste of what glory is supposed to look like and so I would encourage you as I said last week there are times where we can deny ourselves and one of the ways we deny ourselves is by coming to church when it's nice weather outside we don't say nah I'll just come next week I'm not saying some of you do that but I come from a culture in South Florida where that was very prominent but there are other things that we can deny in ourselves in order to be here with the Saints gathered together so we behold his glory through his word and we behold his glory with his people and we we behold his glory in prayer as we saw Jesus starting this Retreat off on the Mountaintop in prayer but finally we are called to obey him we are to truly listen to him not like Peter who's kind of listening but we are to listen Faithfully learning who Jesus is learning his character learning why he came learning what he has called us to do and how we are to live and we are called to Listen by submitting to his will it's not enough to just hear his words but we see throughout scripture we are to obey his commands as James would tell us this is Faith and works together and it's here and it's here when we behold his glory and when we obey his commands that we can have a true hope and know that we will one day be in glory with him you see this fascinating moment of Jesus's life is but a foreshadow of what is to come for those who are faithful to him and it reminds me of C.

S Lewis's last book in The Chronicles of Narnia the last battle at the end of the book he tells Lucy and Edmund and all the children that the term is over the holidays are now here and they have begun the dream has ended this is the morning this great story which goes on forever in which every chapter is better than the one before is now here and this is what we have to look forward to this is the reward eternity with the Triune God in glory going on forever and ever and ever where each day becomes better than the last or as the old hymn says when we've been there ten thousand years right shining as the sun we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun this is what the reward this is the reward that we receive and so as we close in communion I want us to be directed back to that conversation between Jesus Moses and Elijah Luke writes behold two men were talking with him who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which was about to come in Jerusalem you see that word departure here is the same word for Exodus and soon after this Mountaintop moment of Glory Jesus a figure who Moses ultimately pointed to in his Exodus would set his face towards Jerusalem to fulfill his own Exodus knowing that his death and Resurrection would fully and finally set the captives free you see Moses Exodus was a temporary freedom it was a freedom from Egypt but there was not a freedom from sin and the bondage to it but Christ's Exodus does this price Exodus through his life in death and resurrection that frees us from the bondage of sin and the slavery to it and from living a life where we feel we need to earn our way with God to earn favor with him it frees us from identifying ourself in this world it frees us from living a life that masquerades and pretends that we are truly following Jesus and is in this truth that we have hope that we no longer have to do enough to appease God we don't have to muster up good faith or make ourselves clean before coming to him there's nothing that we can do to make us make him love us more or love us less Christ's finished work on the cross gives us that validation and it is in his Exodus that we can Rejoice that we are now truly set free and then we also receive the stamp of approval the delighting of the father when he says to Jesus this is my son this is my beloved in whom I'm well pleased because we are in Jesus we receive the same identification that God is now pleased and delights in us as Sons and Daughters of God and so when we come to the table of communion this is what we are remembering this is what we are reflecting on that Jesus in his Exodus through the breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood has set us free and it is a foretaste of what is to come in glory when we are around the throne at the banquet and feast of the great lamb and we will be free from sin and the shame and anything that Mars us because of it and so when you come today and when you come each week to this table grabbing this bread grabbing this juice be reminded of that truth that because of Jesus's Exodus you are now set free and because of the breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood you now identify with him and his righteousness has been poured out onto you so I'm going to invite you to come and grab the elements and I'm going to give you some time a time of instruction before we take communion together so would you come down and grab the elements