Pastor Quinn • January 16, 2022
Delight Uncovered: God delivers more than we ask, not less
Is the pursuit of God and the pursuit of pleasure two separate paths? Many make that assumption—that life with Jesus is a boring, sterile experience. They are dead wrong. Jesus came to undo everything that is wrong with our world as a result of sin's curse. He also came to multiply our joy and deliver delight beyond our wildest dreams. Note that when Jesus begins to reveal his glory, it isn't by going to a hospital to cure every ailment. Instead, he starts at a local wedding, one of the greatest sources of joy in this life. The truth uncovered for us this week is that life with Jesus is not a life with less delight, but infinitely more.
The Messiah is an important person. You stand when he enters the courtroom. What he says must be obeyed. If you are the one on trial, his determinations make a big difference in how your life will continue. You might be quite nervous if the judge is about to arrive. John invited people to turn their nervousness to repentance. He says that the arrival of the Judge is imminent, and the kingdom of heaven is near! You are invited to hear John, repent, and believe the good news of the coming Savior.
The judge is an important person. You stand when he enters the courtroom. What he says must be obeyed. If you are the one on trial, his determinations make a big difference in how your life will continue. You might be quite nervous if the judge is about to arrive. John invited people to turn their nervousness to repentance. He says that the arrival of the Judge is imminent, and the kingdom of heaven is near! You are invited to hear John, repent, and believe the good news of the coming Savior.
People think of “hope” as being an optimistic desire. “I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend” simply means that is what you want to happen. Your hope doesn’t mean that will happen. It might pour all weekend. Yet, that is the best the world can offer—an uncertain enthusiasm, a cautious anticipation. Optimism is the cause of that shaky type of hope. In a world as hard as this one, we need more than shaky hope. Jesus gives us better. He has given us the unbreakable promise of resurrection, a promise rooted in his own resurrection. More, he has given us the promise of eternal life in a breathtakingly beautiful heavenly home. What is the effect of Jesus giving us such promises? We are given a better type of hope . . . a certain hope. We watch and wait for the life that is to come, with the certainty that it will come. For Jesus has made a promise. And one thing Jesus never does is lie!
