Just before we get started today, I have a quick announcement for you. In addition to being the President of our ministry, Wisdom International, Stephen is also the President of Shepherd's Theological Seminary. That school located in Cary, North Carolina, is having an event next Monday for prospective students. It's called a day at shepherd's. If you or someone you know is interested in seminary education, You can find information at shepherds.edu.
Now, here's today's podcast. Throughout the centuries, people have found their inspiration. taking scripture and putting it into music or scriptural themes. And this, of course, was the testimony of George Friedrich Handel. I think a theologian at Pastor A.W.
Tozer who wrote this, he said, Sometimes our hearts are stubborn and they will not soften no matter how much praying we do. I have found that the singing of a good hymn will melt the ice jam. and start the inward affections flowing again. If you're young in the face, You might not know that the church is Encouraged to sing when it gathers together. Colossians chapter three, it's as if God says.
What I want you to do is start rehearsing today. For that sacred concert on that day.
So we're just. We're just warming up. Today. We're just tuning it up just a little bit. On the Lord's Day.
You know what? I'm asked. Why don't I preach more? You know, people are always asking me to preach longer sermons. It just, you know, tears me up.
Yeah.
Well, they do ask me sometimes, why don't you preach more when we sing less? And I typically respond with, well, that's because music is not a prelude to what matters. Music. Matters. Martin Luther who Began the Reformation, and we still stand on those shoulders today.
Said that music is the handmaiden of theology. teaches us, instructs us. encourages us. When he was living as a monk and would become a church reformer. He was living in a day when congregations didn't sing.
No such thing. The only people who sang were the priests. And professional choirs, and they all sang in Latin, and the German people couldn't understand anything.
So, when he began this, what we now know as the Reformation, he began writing lyrics. In German for the common people, and then he would take those lyrics and attach them to popular tunes. in the community that everybody already knew. And he began to teach. Through that, he composed Many hymns.
We know Mighty Fortress is our God most popularly, but he wrote many. Hymns. He compiled a hymnal and he encouraged his congregation to sing them in the home. at school, at work. to hum them, to learn the lyrics.
and to sing them over. And of course, it helped launch the movement. Music played a tremendous role. One priest, it's interesting, complained about Luther's lingering effects 50 years after Luther died. And this Jesuit priest wrote, And I quote: Luther has stolen away more people with his hymns.
Then with his sermons. I think a theologian and Pastor A. W. Tozer who wrote this, he said, sometimes our hearts are stubborn and they will not soften no matter how much praying we do. I have found that the singing of a good hymn will melt the ice jam.
And start the inward affections flowing again. It's good, isn't it? But throughout the centuries, people have found their inspiration From scripture, taking scripture and putting it into music or scriptural themes. And this, of course, was the testimony of George Friedrich Handel. He was a spiritual descendant of Martin Luther.
Before his death, Uh Martin Luther, before Martin Luther died, Having left the Catholic Church, he married one of the nuns he worked with, married off all the other nuns to priests who trusted Christ alone and followed him. He ordained the first Lutheran pastor. He led the first Lutheran worship service. This movement, they labeled themselves Lutherans, and Luther didn't like it. He complained that they were taking his name and he didn't like that sort of exaltation.
But he preferred the term evangelicals, but they didn't agree. And they thought that it ought to be Lutheran. They knew it would really spite the the church. And they considered it a badge of honor.
Well, 139 years after Luther died. George Handel. was born. He came to faith in the Lutheran church where his parents were members. They attended the worship services that were marked.
Uniquely in that day, to us its standard, but in that day it was marked by preaching the scriptures. and by congregational singing. He would grow up to devote his life to writing sacred music. For the church. He never married.
Devoted. All of his time to writing. Years later, in fact, as a 56-year-old man. He wasn't doing so well. Uh Financially.
Physically, he'd had a stroke which paralyzed the left side of his face and Caused intense pain. He was left-handed and that was somewhat paralyzed. And his writing, his compositions of the Messiah were mere scribbles to many, only he could read them. His musical career at that point was in jeopardy. He could barely afford rent.
Food. He was despondent. He was discouraged. Alone He would find inspiration. In Some of the greatest statements of faith.
Found in Scripture. The one in particular It's a declaration of faith that comes from the lips of another discouraged, despondent man.
So let me pause on George Handel for a moment and take you to that other man whose name is Job. You might take your Bibles and turn to Job chapter 19. And I'll set the stage for this declaration of faith. By going back into chapter 18 briefly. Bildad.
One of the three unwise counselors is delivering his second. scathing speech. to Job. Build that Effectively announces that Job has been abandoned by God, and it ought to be obvious to him. Bildad describes Job's hopeless condition.
four different ways. The first description is of a house that doesn't have any light. He writes in verse five. Indeed. The light of the wicked is put out.
And the flame of his fire does not shine.
Now, he's applying this to Job. The light is dark. in his tent. And his lamp above. is put out.
You're in the dark. Job. There's no light. In your dwelling. Maybe maybe your power has gone uh uh out.
at some point. We are out. Thunderstorm last night, and I wonder. Lightning flashing. Maybe, maybe, it's eerie, isn't it, all of a sudden.
The lights go out.
Now If that happened at a time when you were a child, you know, that was an adventure. The ink. Found a candle and you lit it. Isn't this great? Maybe in your marriage it used to be romantic.
Not anymore, it's just panic. You're wondering when Duke is going to get on your refrigerator and get it up again so your milk doesn't spoil. It's strange to be in the dark. And he's saying to Job. You're in the dark because of God's judgment.
on your life. The second description is of an animal that doesn't have any escape. He says in verse 9, a trap seizes him by the heel. A snare lays hold of him. A rope.
Is hidden for him in the ground, a trap. for him in the path. In other words, Job? God has trapped you and marked you out for death. It's obvious, isn't it?
You're going to die. You're going to die because of judgment. The third description is of an exhausted person who doesn't have any more. Strength. Bildad writes in verse 11: Terrors frightened him on every side and Chase him at his heels.
But his strength is famished. Calamity is ready. For his stumbling, you're just about to fall over, Job. You ought to be terrified. You've obviously, evidently, hidden a lot of sin, and God has not revealed it, but we know.
You're going to die. You've got nowhere to run. How's that for a counselor?
Well, Job is going to agree with Bildad. on the fact that his life is crushed. He is exhausted. He's discouraged. In chapter 19, Job just catalogues.
All that he's experiencing, he's stripped of his Personal reputation, verse nine, his life is like a tree that's been. uprooted. Verse 10. He's lost his sense of friendship. His intimacy with God, his friend.
Verse 11. His extended relatives have Abandoned him. The Septuagint gives us a little further information that his wife. Had cut her hair and sold it to try to feed Job and herself. Everybody had left them.
Children. even mocked him now. Once the great man of the East Now they're making fun of him, verse 18. His business associates. Won't do business with him.
He's bankrupted now. They've turned against him, verse 19. You know, it's interesting. That Bildad, though, thinks that losing fame and fortune is all that matters. And Job rehearses what matters: relationship with God, his testimony in the community.
That's what matters. It makes me wonder how much I value, we value our fellowship with. With Christ. Our testimony of belonging to Christ, would that be our greatest loss? What is it that we would grieve most over?
If we lost it. To him it was His walk with God. that he felt God had abandoned him. He was finished.
Well, that works not only for individuals, but as a church. Body. What do people out there think of us in here? It's always interesting to me to hear what people think about us. Adhere.
What do they think about us? Would they believe that our reputation is tied so closely to Christ that were waiting for his appearing. But they know we are anticipating. Living with him. One day.
And a rather humorous reminder of this issue several years ago in our Church, we were meeting down the street. If you turn left on Triana, head toward the hospital, we're there on the right, seven acres and a little white building down in the nephrology center. We are in the process for paying. For this land, this was a wheat field.
So that we could build. The man in our church told me about one of his coworkers and an experience that had happened to him.
Some of you might have been there, this property. and had one Service. Instead of holding worship services. on our property Then we met here.
Well, this man's co-worker was heading to his office on that Sunday morning to do a little more work, and he realized he'd be traveling in front of our church, and he was going to get caught in that traffic jam. He looked at his watch, and he said, I'm going to get stuck for 10 minutes in front of that church. As he got closer, there's no traffic jam. And then he drives by and he sees the parking lots empty and he said. It's the rapture.
He was terrified he'd been left behind. I thought, you know, as a church, we ought to do that once a year. Go somewhere else, see what happens. Wouldn't it be wonderful that our testimony is so closely associated with the soon coming of Christ? If we don't meet here, people assume that's what happened.
Job's testimony of his relationship with God mattered the most, and that's what he grieves over. He's Evidently, he thinks, fallen out of favor. With God, But even from this deep pit of anxiety and fear and despondency. A discouragement. He's about to deliver this stunning Statement.
Of faith. Let's go there. Chapter 19, verse 23. Job says to Bildad. Oh, that my words were written written down.
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book. Let me read that after a smile, Job. They will be. They will be. Oh, that with an iron pen And lead.
They, my words right now, I'm about to speak, were engraved. In rock. Forever. For I know That my Redeemer lives. And at the last, he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh. I shall see. God. Wow. That will be the text, by the way.
That handle Well Hold. to climb out of the pit he's in. He's going to use that verse. In the final movement of his great The Messiah.
Now, let me break this statement down quickly. There are at least five features in this Declaration of Faith. You have the certainty. of faith. Four I What?
No. Did my redeemer live? You know, I would agree with one author who wrote that you would expect Joe to be certain of nothing about now. But of this he is certain. He knows this much.
You might notice that Job does not say, I hope that my Redeemer is out there somewhere. That's what we often say when we're in our pit, right? Where's God? Where is he? No, he's declaring his faith.
Even though everything around me is uncertain, I know this, I know my Redeemer lives. Secondly, you have the possession of faith. I know that My Redeemer. This is personally possessive. Language.
Job doesn't say, I know that my grandfather's Redeemer lives. I know that my wife's Redeemer lives. I have a child. I know that my child's redeemer lives. I know my Sunday school teacher is convinced his Redeemer, her Redeemer, lives.
No, I know that my. Redeemer lives. Martin Luther used to say: the meat of the gospel is in the pronoun. The Lord is my. Shepherd.
I know that my Redeemer lives. You know the difference between heaven or hell for you and me? It is in that pronoun. Can you say He is My Redeemer. He has this conviction of faith.
his personal possession. This certainty of faith, this personal possession of faith. But he also emphasizes, thirdly, the foundation of faith. This is for all of us. He says, Look at it again.
I know that my Redeemer. Lives. That's that's no throwaway word. But get this. The Redeemer Is evidently alive 4,000 years ago when he wrote this.
Now Paul writes to the Corinthians. Filling in the blanks, that our faith would be meaningless without the resurrection of our Messiah. He did come, he was. He is, he came, he died, he rose again, and shall evermore be. 1 Corinthians 15, a dead redeemer.
is no redeemer. You can't redeem anybody. No, I know that my Redeemer Lived.
Next, Job delivers forth the anticipation of faith. Job goes on to say, For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand. Upon the earth, I gotta tell you, beloved, he's saying a lot more. Then he understands. This is the oldest book.
in the Bible. Written before the Pentateuch. Job is either pre- or patriarchal. Living in that Era He doesn't even have the Pentateuch to read. He didn't have the prophecies to read.
He doesn't have the New Testament. What a prophecy. There's a coming day when Christ will return to earth We now know having the full canon of Scripture. to set up his kingdom. The Apostle Paul fills, again, fills in the blanks in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 27, that one day Christ will personally, literally, physically come back to earth.
Stand upon the earth. and create a kingdom. That will last a thousand years. And after that, create a new heaven and earth. Forever.
It is this. Truth. This future kingdom, which leads us to sing the hallelujah chorus. That's where he took that from. It's Revelation chapter 19, where John the Apostle describes what happens as Christ ascends and stands upon the earth.
Here's what John writes. Then I heard. What seemed to be the voice of a great multitude. like the roar of many waters. And like the sound of mighty peals of thunder.
This is what that choir sounds like, and we're part of it. Crying out, hear the lyrics. Hallelujah. For the Lord our God. Rain.
This is the anticipation of faith. And it's fulfillment that Jesus Christ will rain upon the earth. One day. And we with them. Finally, you have here in Job's statement number five.
The expectation of faith. He says here in verse 26, And after my skin has been thus destroyed, Yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold. Not only is the Redeemer going to reign triumphantly. Not only is he going to establish a kingdom where he physically reigns, Not only is there a future of God personally walking among the Redeemed, Job says, I'm going to be there. I'm going to see my Redeemer.
With my own eyes.
Now, don't miss the fact that he's saying this while sitting at the town dump. He's moved there. He's sitting on the ashes of burned out trash. He's lost his home. It's lost everything.
His only companion would be his wife, who would show up. Hopefully, with some bread to eat. His other companions would be lepers. That's where they lived, too. And it's there where he is judged by everyone, where he is covered with open sores, 29 ailments.
And he says, I shall see God. Let me tell you about my future. I shall see God. In a restored body, This trash heap Is not the end of my story. It might look like it, but just wait.
One day I will see my Redeemer face. to face. You talk about a statement of faith. This is the text. It brought life.
as it were back Into the eyes, the heart, the mind of George Handel. It was. One night in 1741 that he received a package. He had spent the night wandering around the streets, unable to sleep. He returned to find a thick envelope that morning had been delivered.
From his friend Charles Jennings.
sort of an unsung hero. A legacy of light all of itself. He put together a lot of texts of scripture and encouraged in a note Handel to put them into a composition. on the life of Christ. Handle, put that packet on a shelf.
Where it's sat. For 18 months. Gathering dust. One day, no doubt, the Spirit of God prompted him at the lowest of moments. to go to that shelf and dust off that packet and pull out those sheets.
and read the verses. He took them over to his piano. And he began to compose and for three weeks in that little apartment on Brook Street in London, He composed. He barely stopped to eat. or sleep.
At last, after 22 days, straight, A friend made his way into his apartment. and found George Handel at his keyboard with What would become 260 sheets of paper strewn. everywhere. And tears streaming down Handel's face as he said to his friend. I believe I have seen the greatness of God.
himself. And we're still singing it. It's from scripture. We're going to sing it. The Messiah was Handel's musical declaration.
of faith. That experience That pit, those years. inspired. Sacred music. Once again.
This is, by the way, your testimony of faith and mine. No matter where you are, No matter what you're experiencing. No matter what the evidence seems around you. No matter where you might be. This is your statement of faith.
Refresh it today. I No That my Redeemer. lives. Say it with me. I know that my Redeemer Let's
