Pastor Nam Park.
Title: "The Enjoyment of Salvation". Jesus training His disciples, with the anticipation of His ascension. He will ascend and leave the disciples to carry the ministry on, without Him. He goes over the enjoyment that is salvation. The difference between seeing the picture of a dish of food, and enjoying it. Enjoying the thrill of having salvation in Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
What are we saved from?
First we say we're saved from our sin. We're saved also from the consequences of sin. Yet the consequences stems from the fact that God is Holy. The most primary/basic reality, that we are saved from the wrath of God.
Why should anyone desire to be saved?
There is an eternal consequence on this side of Heaven. Yet, where is that source of eternal life? The most primary/basic answer, it's the enjoyment of God, Himself.
Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
- Sounds strange? But this appeals to something that we understand: TASTE.
- A delighting that is experiential and excellent.
- Salvation goes beyond being saved from brimstone and fire.
Three facets of enjoyment.
[[1. JOY of God in His Salvation.]]
- Jesus is ecstatic, rejoicing greatly. Something about Salvation that brings delight to our Savior.
- Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- There is delight in the Son. He praises the Father.
- "praise You": confessing in public the goodness of our God.
- "wise and intelligent": those that knew the scriptures well.
- "infants": babbling (this is us!)
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.
- Jesus exalts in Salvation, because it's not for the "have's"... any other religion is about being and getting more access to it. We must come to an end of ourselves and realize that we are at the infant stage, babbling... hoping salvation would come unto us.
The Pharisees were blind because they were the legalist.
The Scribes were blind because they were too technical.
The Saducees were blind because they were the philosophers.
v.21b Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- This is what God delights in. God delights in demonstrating His grace to those that recognize their absolute un-worth.
- God does not take delight in sin and punishment. But He DELIGHTS in the salvation of sinners.
[[2. The Facet of Relationship.]]
Luke 10:22 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
- Jesus has the authority to rescue souls, and this is how it is described.
- Jesus describes salvation within the terms of relationship with the Father.
- Salvation isn't just a "good deal"... But our God is not that calculating. What is offered in salvation is a relationship with God. Savor that. An intimate knowledge of the relationship between a Father and a Son.
- "anyone to whom the Son wills": we are not saved to slavery; but a spirit of adoption.
- Remember the Prodigal Son. The Young man rehearses his speech, but his father comes running down main street to embrace his son.
- Taste and see that our Heavenly Father is good.
[[3. The Facet of Privilege.]]
Luke 10:23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
- Jesus turns to us now. This is a beatitude. A statement that proclaims that you are already in that state.
- These people are blessed because they are witnesses to salvation.
Christianity is about a God that DELIGHTS in saving people.
- It's the difference between having an idea of what marriage is, and actually being married. Marriage is delightful.
- Whatever theoretical knowledge you have about being forgiven; MUCH BETTER to just be forgiven. MUCH BETTER to be adopted into the family of God.
- O Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Plato's allegory of the Cave.
- We have a concept of love. But it's just a shadow of what is true.
- Imagine a man chained to a cave that is open above and behind him. What he would see is a shadow of trees and animals. He thought the shadows wondrous. Yet, when he is set free, the real world would blow his mind.
- The full image of salvation begins today.
Don't reduce your salvation to a religious experience.
Luke 10:20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Luke 10:21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. - Jesus is ecstatic, rejoicing greatly. Something about Salvation that brings delight to our Savior.
- Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- There is delight in the Son. He praises the Father.
- "praise You": confessing in public the goodness of our God.
- "wise and intelligent": those that knew the scriptures well.
- "infants": babbling (this is us!)
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.
- Jesus exalts in Salvation, because it's not for the "have's"... any other religion is about being and getting more access to it. We must come to an end of ourselves and realize that we are at the infant stage, babbling... hoping salvation would come unto us.
The Pharisees were blind because they were the legalist.
The Scribes were blind because they were too technical.
The Saducees were blind because they were the philosophers.
v.21b Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- This is what God delights in. God delights in demonstrating His grace to those that recognize their absolute un-worth.
- God does not take delight in sin and punishment. But He DELIGHTS in the salvation of sinners.
[[2. The Facet of Relationship.]]
Luke 10:22 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
- Jesus has the authority to rescue souls, and this is how it is described.
- Jesus describes salvation within the terms of relationship with the Father.
- Salvation isn't just a "good deal"... But our God is not that calculating. What is offered in salvation is a relationship with God. Savor that. An intimate knowledge of the relationship between a Father and a Son.
- "anyone to whom the Son wills": we are not saved to slavery; but a spirit of adoption.
- Remember the Prodigal Son. The Young man rehearses his speech, but his father comes running down main street to embrace his son.
- Taste and see that our Heavenly Father is good.
[[3. The Facet of Privilege.]]
Luke 10:23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24 for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”
- Jesus turns to us now. This is a beatitude. A statement that proclaims that you are already in that state.
- These people are blessed because they are witnesses to salvation.
Christianity is about a God that DELIGHTS in saving people.
- It's the difference between having an idea of what marriage is, and actually being married. Marriage is delightful.
- Whatever theoretical knowledge you have about being forgiven; MUCH BETTER to just be forgiven. MUCH BETTER to be adopted into the family of God.
- O Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Plato's allegory of the Cave.
- We have a concept of love. But it's just a shadow of what is true.
- Imagine a man chained to a cave that is open above and behind him. What he would see is a shadow of trees and animals. He thought the shadows wondrous. Yet, when he is set free, the real world would blow his mind.
- The full image of salvation begins today.
Don't reduce your salvation to a religious experience.
