Listen to Him: Why Jesus is the Prophet You Must Hear

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Please join me in standing as our Lord invites us to worship Him this morning.
[00:00:51] I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
[00:00:58] Every day I will bless you and bless your name.
[00:00:59] I will extol you and praise your name forever and ever.
[00:01:03] Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.
[00:01:10] Indeed, He is great to be praised.
[00:01:13] Let's join our voices together singing this morning, hymn number two, O Worship the King.
[00:01:29] O Worship the King
[00:01:35] He worshipped the King, all glorious above,
[00:01:42] Who gratefully seen His power and His love,

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
As She lay the vendor in the ancient of days,
[00:01:55] The hill and its winder,
[00:01:58] And girded his praise
[00:02:02] O tell of his might
[00:02:06] O sing of his grace
[00:02:09] Whose world is of light
[00:02:12] Whose day of peace reigns
[00:02:15] His chariots of wrath
[00:02:18] The deep under clouds form
[00:02:21] And for his is bath
[00:02:25] On the wings of the soul
[00:02:28] The earth with its roar
[00:02:33] Of wonders untold
[00:02:36] Almighty your power
[00:02:39] Has founded the whole
[00:02:42] Has established and fast
[00:02:45] But hath changelessly free
[00:02:48] And now it has cast
[00:02:51] Like a mantle
[00:02:53] The sea
[00:02:55] Your crown did not care
[00:02:59] What the tongue can recite
[00:03:02] It brings in the air
[00:03:06] It shines in the light
[00:03:09] It springs from the hills
[00:03:12] It descends to the flame
[00:03:15] And seemingly distilled
[00:03:18] In the blue and the rain
[00:03:23] And the light
[00:03:24] And the light
[00:03:25] And the light
[00:03:25] The sun and of dust
[00:03:27] And feeble as snow
[00:03:30] He knew who he was
[00:03:33] Nor find you to fear
[00:03:36] Your mercies of tender
[00:03:39] Have found to be ill
[00:03:42] Our maker, defender
[00:03:46] Redeemer and friend
[00:03:49] O hear us, my
[00:03:54] Hear us, my
[00:03:55] Hear us, my
[00:03:56] Hear
[00:04:06] us, my
[00:04:06] Lord our
[00:04:07] Let us sing
[00:04:08] the hymn
[00:04:09] of praise
[00:04:12] Praise
[00:04:13] his fame
[00:04:14] Praise
[00:04:15] his fame

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Praise
[00:04:24] Almighty God and everlasting King, we find great joy in singing these words that You
[00:04:31] indeed are our Maker, our Defender, our Redeemer, and our Friend.
[00:04:39] We praise You and declare Your mighty acts of salvation for Your people that we have
[00:04:44] just spent the entire month of Advent, the season of Advent, celebrating that Jesus Christ
[00:04:49] came to be God with us.
[00:04:52] We worship You in the splendor of Your majesty and of Your wondrous works, and we speak of
[00:05:00] the might of Your awesome deeds.
[00:05:02] Lord God, we, Your people, gather this morning because You have brought us out of darkness
[00:05:07] into Your wondering light to declare Your greatness, for You alone are the one who supplies
[00:05:14] abundant goodness.
[00:05:17] And we praise You this morning that You indeed are gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
[00:05:22] and abounding in steadfast love.
[00:05:27] As we gather for the last Lord's Day of 2025, we know that You have been good to Your people
[00:05:33] and that You have led us, and we pray that You would give us faith and strength to trust
[00:05:39] in You more in the year to come.
[00:05:42] But now as we worship You, we pray that You would lead us by Your Holy Spirit, that You
[00:05:47] would speak to us clearly through Your Word, and that You would encourage us greatly in
[00:05:51] what You are doing.
[00:05:52] In the world.
[00:05:54] We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.
[00:05:57] Please remain standing and turn with me in your hymnals for our corporate voice of faith
[00:06:03] this morning to page 871.
[00:06:06] It's questions 23 and 24 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
[00:06:20] We'll read these responsibly.
[00:06:22] Beginning with question 23.
[00:06:24] What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
[00:06:30] Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king,
[00:06:39] both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.
[00:06:44] How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
[00:06:48] Christ executeth the office of a prophet.
[00:06:52] In revealing to us by His Word and Spirit the will of God for our salvation.
[00:07:00] Amen.
[00:07:01] Please be seated.
[00:07:08] And now turn with me in your Bibles.
[00:07:10] There are Bibles at the end of each pew if you need one.
[00:07:14] And turn with me to Acts chapter 3.
[00:07:18] Acts chapter 3, our New Testament reading.
[00:07:21] We'll be verses 11 through 26.
[00:07:26] And just before what we are reading, the lame beggar has been healed.
[00:07:32] And this is just after Pentecost, the beginning of the Holy Spirit coming upon the early church.
[00:07:38] That's the setting for us for our New Testament reading.
[00:07:41] Acts chapter 3, verses 11 through 26.
[00:07:45] Let's hear now the Word of God.
[00:07:47] Let's hear now the Word of God.
[00:07:47] Let's hear now the Word of God.
[00:08:17] The God of our fathers glorified His servant Jesus,
[00:08:21] whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate,
[00:08:25] when he had decided to release Him.
[00:08:28] But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.
[00:08:34] And you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead.
[00:08:38] To this we are witnesses.
[00:08:40] And His name, by faith in His name, has made this man strong,
[00:08:46] whom you see and know.
[00:08:47] And the faith that is through Jesus has given this man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
[00:08:54] And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
[00:09:01] But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled.
[00:09:09] Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
[00:09:13] that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
[00:09:17] That He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
[00:09:22] whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke
[00:09:26] by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago.
[00:09:31] Moses said,
[00:09:31] The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.
[00:09:36] You shall listen to him and whatever he tells you.
[00:09:40] And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.
[00:09:45] And all the prophets...
[00:09:47] The prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came after him also proclaim these days.
[00:09:54] You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers,
[00:09:58] saying to Abraham,
[00:10:00] And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
[00:10:05] God, having raised up His servants, sent Him to you first
[00:10:08] to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.
[00:10:14] The grass withers and the flower fades,
[00:10:17] but the word of God will stand forever.
[00:10:20] Amen.
[00:10:22] Children, at this point in time, we want to invite you forward for our children's message.
[00:10:44] Good morning.
[00:10:47] Good morning.
[00:10:48] Oh dear, this weather is making everyone a little dreary this morning, isn't it?
[00:10:53] Well, I hope you enjoyed a good Christmas and you remember all Advent season we lit these candles
[00:11:00] and they represent to us, show to us who Jesus is for us.
[00:11:06] You remember peace, hope, love, joy, and the Christ candle on Christmas Eve?
[00:11:11] And this morning in our sermon passage, we're going to hear yet another promise,
[00:11:17] who Jesus is.
[00:11:18] And it tells us that Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a prophet that was promised.
[00:11:24] Now, how many of you know what a prophet is?
[00:11:27] Anyone?
[00:11:28] All right, what is a prophet?
[00:11:34] Someone who speaks for God.
[00:11:36] You're exactly right.
[00:11:38] And so we saw all throughout Advent all those promises from the prophets.
[00:11:42] Remember that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem of the stump,
[00:11:47] and the root of Jesse, right?
[00:11:49] All those promises we heard about Jesus.
[00:11:51] And this morning, we're going to hear another promise, that he's a prophet.
[00:11:55] But do you know what God tells us that we must do to Jesus?
[00:12:01] The big takeaway about who Jesus is.
[00:12:04] If Jesus is a prophet and he comes to tell us the truth about God,
[00:12:08] and he is the Son of God, then Scripture tells us we must listen to him.
[00:12:14] That's what it says.
[00:12:15] It's what we just read.
[00:12:17] Peter said that he is a prophet like Moses, and we should listen to him in whatever he tells you.
[00:12:23] So, I want to ask you one more question this morning.
[00:12:26] How do you listen to Jesus?
[00:12:30] How do you listen to Jesus?
[00:12:33] You listen to the Bible, that's right.
[00:12:36] Jesus is the Word of God, who put on flesh and dwelt among us.
[00:12:40] Everything in the Bible reveals to us who God is.
[00:12:43] How else can we listen to Jesus?
[00:12:46] Yep.
[00:12:47] That's exactly right.
[00:12:54] We can pray to God and tell him to lead us, and God leads us by his Bible.
[00:13:00] We already heard that.
[00:13:01] And what else?
[00:13:02] How else does God lead us today?
[00:13:04] His Holy Spirit, right?
[00:13:06] Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to guide us.
[00:13:09] So, the big takeaway this morning, and this is a bit of a spoiler for the adults in the room,
[00:13:17] too, is that we are to listen to Jesus in the Bible and by his Holy Spirit leading us.
[00:13:25] Okay?
[00:13:26] Is that awesome or what?
[00:13:27] Let's pray and thank God that he leads us by his Spirit and his Bible.
[00:13:31] Let's pray together.
[00:13:31] Dear God, we thank you that Jesus reveals to us who you are.
[00:13:41] Help us listen to him.
[00:13:46] Amen.
[00:13:46] Amen.
[00:13:46] Amen.
[00:13:47] In Jesus' name.
[00:13:48] Amen.
[00:13:50] All right, you can go back to your seats.
[00:14:03] I'm not sure if it's the weather or no fire this morning, but they just, you know, didn't
[00:14:07] have the same energy they've had.
[00:14:11] Well, I invite you to take your hymnals and join me in standing as we sing hymn number
[00:14:15] 111.
[00:14:16] This is My Father's World.
[00:14:18] This is My Father's World.
[00:14:33] And to my listening ears, all ages sing and help me.
[00:14:42] This is my Father's World.
[00:14:46] I rest me in the hot.
[00:14:48] The rocks and trees, the skies and seas and the wonders cold.
[00:15:02] This is my Father's World.
[00:15:10] The birds, their carols, praise, Κβς Applicaonım
[00:15:15] and sing together with love.
[00:15:15] The morning light, the midday light, the flowers there make their space.
[00:15:24] This is my Father's world, he shines in all that's fair.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
In the rustling grass I hear him laugh, he seems to me a repairer.
[00:15:43] This is my Father's world, oh let me never forget, that through the world he was so strong, that he's the rule for me.
[00:16:01] This is my Father's world, the battle is undone.
[00:16:11] Jesus.
[00:16:13] Let's pray together.

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them.
[00:16:34] Indeed, the world in its fullness is yours.
[00:16:39] Help us to remember that truth as we receive now your tithes and our offerings.
[00:16:43] We ask that you receive them for the building up of your church and the going forth of your kingdom.
[00:16:49] We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
[00:16:52] Please be seated.
[00:17:13] Amen.
[00:17:25] Amen.
[00:17:28] Amen.
[00:17:43] Thank you.
[00:18:13] Thank you.

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Thank you.

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Thank you.
[00:19:31] Please be seated.
[00:19:43] And let's go to the Lord now in a time of prayer.
[00:19:57] Almighty God, you are the most high.
[00:20:02] You are the God who called Abram and graciously promised that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars.
[00:20:13] You are the God who made a covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and Jacob to be their God.
[00:20:21] And by your mighty hand and outstretched arm, you rescued that people out of a bondage in Egypt and gathered them to yourself to be a kingdom of priests.
[00:20:36] And in your mercy, Lord, you are the God who dwelled with them in the tabernacle and later in the temple.
[00:20:43] And in your goodness, you gave to Israel your divine word, your laws.
[00:20:50] And you gave them promises for how to live holy lives in that land of promise you gave to them.
[00:21:02] Our Father, how much are we today like your people then, Israel?
[00:21:08] You've made promises to us.
[00:21:09] You have rescued us from our bondage in Jesus Christ.
[00:21:13] Our bondage to sin and death and misery.
[00:21:18] You've made us outside of your covenant with Israel, your covenant people in the church, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
[00:21:29] And our Lord Jesus is our perfect prophet who now gives us commands of how we should live lives in your presence.
[00:21:37] As we await his second coming.
[00:21:42] To usher in.
[00:21:43] To usher in the new heavens and the new earth.
[00:21:47] But like Israel, Lord, we are prone to wander.
[00:21:51] We are prone to rebel against you.
[00:21:54] You who are holy and true and righteous and good in all that you say and do.
[00:22:00] But we are weak in our flesh.
[00:22:04] And so I pray this morning that you would enliven our hearts and minds to continue to grow us in our obedience to your word.
[00:22:12] And to our listening.
[00:22:13] To the Holy Spirit's guidance.
[00:22:16] I pray that you would continue to impart your wisdom.
[00:22:19] So that we can live lives that bring glory to you.
[00:22:23] So that others may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.
[00:22:29] And so this morning, God, I pray for those who are struggling with persistent sins in their hearts.
[00:22:39] Whether it be anger or lust or envy.
[00:22:43] Or pride or gluttony.
[00:22:46] I pray that you would bring sharp conviction.
[00:22:51] That you would give us eyes and ears to see our sin and not to be deaf to them or blind to them.
[00:22:58] So that we can turn away from our sin.
[00:23:00] And turn to you in newness of life.
[00:23:05] We praise you that you are a God who is rich in love and abounding in steadfast mercy.
[00:23:10] That you are slow to anger.
[00:23:11] But we do ask that you would be at work.
[00:23:13] Purifying us as a loving Father would.
[00:23:19] As another year comes to an end, we praise you that you are the God who is in the midst of your people.
[00:23:25] Who is working to spread your kingdom.
[00:23:28] We pray that you would allow us to trust you with the times that have already passed.
[00:23:34] And in all the days to come.
[00:23:35] For you alone are worthy of our hearts' trust.
[00:23:39] We praise you this morning.
[00:23:41] We love you and we pray these things.
[00:23:43] Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
[00:23:45] Amen.

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Amen.
[00:24:09] How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he should give his only Son to make a wretch his treasure.
[00:24:33] How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns his face away, as wounds which mar the Chosen One brings many sons to glory.
[00:25:03] Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders, ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers.
[00:25:30] It was my sin.
[00:25:33] That held him there until it was accomplished.
[00:25:44] His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.
[00:25:58] I will not boast in anything.
[00:26:03] No gifts, no power, no wisdom, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection.
[00:26:24] Why should I frisk from his reward?
[00:26:30] I cannot.
[00:26:32] I cannot.
[00:26:33] I cannot give an answer, but this I know with all my heart.
[00:26:44] His wounds have paid my ransom.
[00:26:50] Amen.
[00:26:51] Amen.

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I invite you to turn with me in your Bibles for our next sermon.
[00:26:58] Amen.
[00:26:59] Amen.
[00:27:00] Amen.
[00:27:01] Amen.
[00:27:02] Amen.
[00:27:03] Amen.
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[00:27:05] Amen.
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[00:27:07] Amen.
[00:27:08] Amen.
[00:27:09] Amen.
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[00:27:11] Amen.
[00:27:12] Amen.
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[00:27:15] Amen.
[00:27:16] Amen.
[00:27:17] Amen.
[00:27:18] Amen.
[00:27:19] Amen.
[00:27:20] Amen.
[00:27:21] Amen.
[00:27:22] Amen.
[00:27:23] Amen.
[00:27:24] Amen.
[00:27:25] Amen.
[00:27:26] Amen.
[00:27:27] Amen.
[00:27:28] Amen.
[00:27:29] Amen.
[00:27:30] Amen.
[00:27:31] prophet like Moses, in Deuteronomy chapter 18, verses 15 through 22.
[00:27:37] But first, let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.
[00:27:42] Gracious God, we come before you asking your help, because only in your light do we see
[00:27:49] light.
[00:27:49] Only in your light do we see clearly.
[00:27:53] And so we pray now on this cold and rainy morning that you would illuminate our hearts
[00:28:00] and minds with your Word, that you would apply it to our hearts.
[00:28:05] In Jesus' name, amen.
[00:28:09] Deuteronomy chapter 18, verses 15 through 22.
[00:28:16] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you from your brothers.
[00:28:25] It is to him you shall listen.
[00:28:28] Just as you desired.
[00:28:30] The word of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said,
[00:28:35] Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, or see this great fire anymore, lest I die.
[00:28:44] And the Lord said to me, They are right in what they have spoken.
[00:28:47] I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers,
[00:28:51] and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
[00:28:57] And whoever will not listen to my word,
[00:29:00] that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
[00:29:05] But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak,
[00:29:11] or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.
[00:29:17] And if you say in your heart, How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?
[00:29:23] When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true,
[00:29:28] that is a word that the Lord has not spoken.
[00:29:32] The prophet has spoken it presumptuously.
[00:29:35] You need not be afraid of him.
[00:29:43] This morning I want you to begin, this morning I want us to begin,
[00:29:48] by envisioning, picturing in your mind a place.
[00:29:52] Mount Horeb, or Mount Sinai as it is called elsewhere.
[00:29:56] This is where Israel has won.
[00:29:58] They have wandered out of Egypt, been delivered out of Egypt.
[00:30:02] They have wandered through the wilderness, they have been provided for with this manna from heaven,
[00:30:07] and now they are out at this mountain.
[00:30:10] And at the foot of this mountain, they see these magnificent, awe-inspiring sights of God's power.
[00:30:20] It's at this mountain that Israel sees and witnesses the fire and smoke, the thunder,
[00:30:25] and people are terrified.
[00:30:28] But they are not terrified because God is silent, they are terrified because God is speaking.
[00:30:37] And so they go to Moses and they tell him,
[00:30:41] listen, Moses, please do not let God speak directly to us anymore.
[00:30:48] He is too great, he is too mighty, we will die if we are in his presence.
[00:30:56] And so they go to Moses and they tell him, listen, Moses, please do not let God speak directly to us anymore. He is too great, he is too mighty, we will die if we are in his presence.
[00:30:57] And so they go to Moses and they tell him, listen, Moses, please do not let God speak directly to us anymore. He is too great, he is too mighty, we will die if we are in his presence.
[00:30:58] And so from that moment on, Israel is sort of in an in-between.
[00:31:02] They need God to speak and to guide them, and yet they remember, they fear, they can't
[00:31:08] bear for him to speak directly to them.
[00:31:12] They need a mediator.
[00:31:15] They need someone who will go up that mountain and receive that revelation from God.
[00:31:22] They need someone to represent them before God, and more importantly, they need someone
[00:31:27] who will represent God before them.
[00:31:32] That mediator is Moses.
[00:31:35] And it is from Moses that we receive this promise this morning of a prophet like him.
[00:31:42] This quintessential prophet is not one who just forecasts the future, but one who conveys
[00:31:49] God to his people, one who conveys God's character, God's word, God's commandments,
[00:31:56] God's promises.
[00:31:57] God's promises to his people.
[00:32:00] We've just spent the Advent season considering how Jesus fulfills those promises out of the
[00:32:07] prophets, but God's word also reveals to us that Jesus is not only the fulfillment
[00:32:13] of those promises, he is the promised prophet.
[00:32:18] Jesus is that quintessential prophet because he reveals to us completely who God is and
[00:32:25] what God asks of us.
[00:32:27] So let's look at this promise of a prophet in Deuteronomy chapter 8 and its fulfillment
[00:32:33] in Christ Jesus this morning.
[00:32:36] As we look at Deuteronomy 18, the context is helpful here.
[00:32:39] Those first 14 verses in Deuteronomy 18, if you look there, you would notice that Israel
[00:32:45] is forbidden from continuing in these Canaanite practices.
[00:32:51] What were those Canaanite practices?
[00:32:53] Well, they were practicing child sacrifice.
[00:32:55] They were practicing divination.
[00:32:56] They were practicing divination, fortune-telling, sorcerers, all of these pagan attempts to
[00:33:03] understand a divine will, but God tells his people, you are to be blameless before me.
[00:33:12] You are not to seek guidance in that way.
[00:33:15] It is in this context that we receive this promise of a prophet.
[00:33:22] The takeaway of this passage is that there will be a prophet.
[00:33:25] A prophet to end all prophets.
[00:33:28] And through this prophet, divine guidance will come to God's people in a straightforward
[00:33:34] and simple fashion.
[00:33:35] We see that beginning in verse 15.
[00:33:37] Verse 15, we read, God will raise up for you a prophet like you from among you, from your
[00:33:43] brothers.
[00:33:45] It is to him you should listen.
[00:33:49] To him alone should you listen.
[00:33:55] The prophet continues the process of God speaking to his people.
[00:34:00] He has been speaking to them all the time throughout their lives as his people together
[00:34:06] on their journey.
[00:34:07] And just as in verse 16, the Lord was heard at Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai on the day of
[00:34:13] assembly, so there will come a day when he is heard through this prophet.
[00:34:19] What God is saying here is that I'm going to keep speaking.
[00:34:23] It is your job as my people.
[00:34:25] Israel and the church now to keep listening.
[00:34:29] Now Mount Horeb should set off some alarm bells in our mind and Deuteronomy 9 and also
[00:34:35] in the middle of Exodus.
[00:34:36] What happens there?
[00:34:38] It's recorded that the people of Israel, they are waiting for Moses to come down off the
[00:34:43] mountain for 40 days.
[00:34:45] They have seen those sights of God's power and his might.
[00:34:49] And what are they doing?
[00:34:51] They are building a golden calf.
[00:34:53] They are fashioning an idol.
[00:34:55] They worship that idol.
[00:34:58] They also attribute to that idol their deliverance out of Egypt.
[00:35:05] It's a terrible picture of a wayward people.
[00:35:12] And we see that that took place under the complicit leadership of Aaron.
[00:35:16] That's Moses' brother.
[00:35:18] That's Moses' lieutenant.
[00:35:20] Another picture of weak leadership.
[00:35:23] It's a reminder.
[00:35:25] It's a reminder of the principle that strong leadership matters.
[00:35:28] And so the larger context for Deuteronomy 18 is actually a section on the leadership
[00:35:33] of God's people.
[00:35:35] In chapter 16 we see a chapter that speaks to the leadership of the judges.
[00:35:40] Chapter 17 speaks to the leadership of kings.
[00:35:43] And then in our chapter, chapter 18, it speaks of priests and prophets.
[00:35:49] Leadership of God's people matters.
[00:35:52] And so it is.
[00:35:53] And we come to this archetype of the leader of God's people in the Old Testament, Moses.
[00:36:01] What stands out about Moses?
[00:36:05] If someone were to give you a pop quiz and ask you to write down the way Moses stands
[00:36:09] out in Scripture, the way that he's unique, I wonder what you would say.
[00:36:15] Scripture tells a pretty interesting tale about Moses.
[00:36:19] It tells us that he is the only one whom the Lord knew first.
[00:36:20] It tells us that he is the only one whom the Lord knew first.
[00:36:21] It tells us that he is the only one whom the Lord knew first.
[00:36:22] It tells us that he is the only one whom the Lord knew first.
[00:36:23] Now, let's take a look at a question from John about how Jesus found Moses.
[00:36:24] Well, Joseph saw Moses filming the
[00:36:41] in the shop.
[00:36:47] Joseph saw Moses.
[00:36:49] Joseph saw Moses.
[00:36:50] He was shocked.
[00:36:51] He was shocked.
[00:36:52] He was surprised.
[00:36:53] the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, and for all the mighty power and
[00:36:59] all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. So Moses was the
[00:37:07] prototypical prophet, but he was unique in so many ways. He was one of one, one of close communion
[00:37:17] with God. Moses was unique in other ways. He was the deliverer of God's people. He's the covenant
[00:37:26] mediator. Psalm 99 tells us that Moses was a priest. Moses was a ruler of God's people.
[00:37:37] Throughout his ministry, Moses instructed Israel. He warned Israel to live faithfully before their
[00:37:44] God. And so we see that Moses was a believer of God. He was a believer of God. He was a believer of
[00:37:47] God. He was a believer of God. He was a believer of God. He was a believer of God. He was a believer of
[00:37:47] God. And so we see a very unique profile here of who Moses was as a prophet. But Moses as a prophet
[00:37:53] was commissioned by God, sent by God to give his message to Israel. So much so that God is
[00:38:01] sovereign over Moses' words, the very words that he speaks. I wonder if you remember Moses'
[00:38:09] objections to answering God's call in Exodus chapter 3. What does Moses say there?
[00:38:16] He tells God two or three different times, are you sure about this? I can't speak too well. Are
[00:38:23] you sure about this? And then lastly, what does he say? Isn't there anyone else you can send to do
[00:38:29] this? God provided the very words that Moses would speak, and that becomes a blueprint for other
[00:38:36] prophets in the Old Testament as well. So he's a unique prophet, but he exemplifies all the
[00:38:46] prophets in the Old Testament. He's a spokesperson and the benchmark for prophets that would come
[00:38:50] after him, the blueprint. We see that in Deuteronomy 18. We see three characteristics for an authentic
[00:38:57] prophet. In verse 18 alone, we see the first characteristic of an authentic prophet is that
[00:39:04] they obey God's call in verse 18. Moses is not self-appointed, although we know that at one
[00:39:12] point in time Moses was trying to be self-appointed. He's not self-appointed. He answers God's
[00:39:16] call to go and be his servant, speaking to Israel on his behalf. And that becomes how God
[00:39:26] raises up other prophets. You think of the call of Jeremiah as well. Prophets were raised up out
[00:39:32] of God's people to speak to them from among your brothers, verse 18 says. The second characteristic
[00:39:39] is that they welcome God's word. Verse 18, God says that he will put his words in his
[00:39:46] prophet's mouth. Moses welcomed God's word. And then the third characteristic, a prophet of God
[00:39:56] imparts God's message. Moses speaks what the Lord tells him to tell, to impart. Moses does not create
[00:40:05] his own message. Moses does not pull something out of thin air. No, Moses tells Israel everything
[00:40:11] that God has commanded him to tell them. Moses doesn't hoard.
[00:40:16] He doesn't hoard that message. He doesn't keep it for himself. God's word is to go forth.
[00:40:22] And so God's prophet obeys his call, welcomes his word, and imparts his message. That is what
[00:40:31] the quintessential prophet does. And that way Moses in the Old Testament was the quintessential
[00:40:37] prophet. And so what does it mean for us that a prophet like Moses will be raised up?
[00:40:46] What does that mean for us? That's what we'll look at in our second point. But to apply this to
[00:40:50] ourselves for a moment, we are not that different from Israel. Our problem far too often is that
[00:40:58] we're listening to all the wrong people. Israel going into that promised land were to not listen
[00:41:03] to the voices and the noises around them. They were not to listen to the Canaanites.
[00:41:10] It's sort of like if you've ever been to a children's birthday party, and you go to this
[00:41:15] large place, like a trampoline park, and you go to this large place, and you go to this large place,
[00:41:16] but then when it's time for cake, where do you go? You go into a room that's like 10 feet by 10 feet,
[00:41:23] and everyone crams in there all at once, right? And then there's cake and presents and 20 kids
[00:41:29] and 40 adults. And can anyone understand anything? No, it's so loud. It's so loud,
[00:41:36] it's impossible to hear what anyone next to you is saying. Today in our internet age,
[00:41:41] life is a lot like that. Everyone has claims to say,
[00:41:46] this is the way, everything else is wrong, this is how you should live.
[00:41:52] And that's like the world Israel was walking in, looking for answers in all the wrong places.
[00:41:57] Israel was turning to sorcery or fortune telling, trying to read signs in the stars.
[00:42:03] But what they needed to do was listen to God's chosen spokesman.
[00:42:09] So this promise then of a prophet like Moses means that there will not be confusion for God's people.
[00:42:17] We won't have to wonder where we should look to hear God's will for our lives.
[00:42:24] There will be one clear, definitive word, and that comes in the person and work of Jesus Christ,
[00:42:30] the Son of God. God will keep speaking to his people. It is our job to keep listening to him.
[00:42:39] You see, Jesus fulfills the promise of a prophet like Moses, but Moses was a shadow.
[00:42:46] He's a shadow that's cast on the wall. We see an outline in Moses' life and in his ministry as a prophet.
[00:42:54] One who would deliver God's people, one who would mediate, one who would speak for God.
[00:42:58] But in Christ Jesus, we see the full picture with the lights turned on.
[00:43:04] The substance is completely revealed. The shadow is better understood.
[00:43:08] The God who spoke through Moses is now the God who speaks through his Son.
[00:43:14] And so we use that phrase shadow to talk about the fact that God is a shadow.
[00:43:15] We use that phrase shadow to talk about the fact that God is a shadow.
[00:43:16] We use that phrase shadow to talk about the promises of the Old Testament because it shows us a general idea of what God will do.
[00:43:26] And Jesus is the fulfillment of that shadow.
[00:43:29] And so for our second point, let's consider the fulfillment of this prophecy.
[00:43:34] Where do we see in the New Testament that Jesus is a prophet like Moses, and what does that mean for you and I?
[00:43:42] Well, in our New Testament reading this morning in Acts chapter 3, we read of,
[00:43:46] Peter speaking in Solomon's portico after the healing of a lame beggar.
[00:43:51] The crowd's filled with amazement. They can't believe what they have seen.
[00:43:56] And it would have been so easy for Peter to be like, yeah, you know, we did this. We're great. We're awesome.
[00:44:01] But Peter points directly to God and to his mighty works.
[00:44:09] And then he shares the gospel.
[00:44:12] In verses 22 through 23, Peter says these words about Jesus.
[00:44:16] Moses said,
[00:44:18] In other words, Peter makes it abundantly clear.
[00:44:38] Jesus is this prophet.
[00:44:39] He is the promised prophet, like Moses.
[00:44:45] And we should...
[00:44:46] The testimony of the entire New Testament is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
[00:44:54] Jesus is welcomed as this Messiah and this prophet early on in the Gospels.
[00:45:00] After he raises a young man from the dead, he is proclaimed a prophet.
[00:45:05] Jesus also applied the title prophet to himself in Luke chapter 4.
[00:45:10] Perhaps you'll remember that scene.
[00:45:12] It's the first time that Jesus teaches in the synagogue.
[00:45:15] He sits down and he opens the door.
[00:45:16] He opens the scroll to Isaiah 61.
[00:45:19] And in Isaiah 61, he reads of this prophecy that he is the fulfillment of.
[00:45:26] He says this,
[00:45:27] The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,
[00:45:32] to bind up the brokenhearted,
[00:45:35] to proclaim liberty to the captives,
[00:45:39] and to open the prison to those who are bound.
[00:45:45] And finally,
[00:45:46] Revelation 19 verse 10 teaches us, the end of Scripture,
[00:45:52] that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
[00:45:57] What that means is that Jesus, then, is the most authoritative, righteous proclaimer of the Word of God.
[00:46:09] As our prophet, he passes along what he receives,
[00:46:12] and he also brings a new revelation of grace,
[00:46:16] and truth.
[00:46:18] Jesus is the promised light of the world,
[00:46:21] who shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.
[00:46:26] He is the Word of God, by whom God speaks to us.
[00:46:31] Jesus is born from amongst Israel,
[00:46:34] from amongst your brothers, as the prophecy would say.
[00:46:37] And yet, he is for the nations,
[00:46:40] because his word spreads throughout the world.
[00:46:44] The prophet is from among Israel,
[00:46:46] and yet, is a prophet for all the world.
[00:46:53] Jesus is a prophet like Moses.
[00:46:55] He is also superior to Moses.
[00:47:00] How is Jesus superior to Moses?
[00:47:02] Jesus was a prophet, like other prophets.
[00:47:07] But now, the prophet of God is not one who is filled with the Spirit.
[00:47:12] This prophet is the one who sends the Holy Spirit,
[00:47:15] without measure.
[00:47:17] He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us
[00:47:23] in paths of life and truth.
[00:47:28] Jesus rescued his people back to God on his redemptive mission on the cross,
[00:47:33] but he also teaches us in the law,
[00:47:36] and in the way that he lived.
[00:47:40] Jesus proclaimed judgment on sin.
[00:47:43] And Jesus goes beyond Moses in being the mediator of a new revelation.
[00:47:52] In Christ, God has revealed more of himself than has ever been known.
[00:47:59] And so Jesus, as the mediator between God and man,
[00:48:03] just as Moses was the mediator between God and Israel,
[00:48:07] Jesus is that for us.
[00:48:10] He displays to us
[00:48:12] that he is a prophet like Moses,
[00:48:13] but superior in his signs and wonders that he performed,
[00:48:18] and his authority that he spoke with as the Son of God.
[00:48:24] We talked about how Moses was unique in that he was one whom God knew face to face.
[00:48:31] But who has a closer communion with God than his only begotten Son,
[00:48:37] who is God of God, light of light, very God of very God?
[00:48:43] And lastly, Jesus is greater than Moses,
[00:48:47] because unlike Moses, he is able to lay his life down for his people.
[00:48:53] If you remember, after the golden calf, Moses is burning hot with anger.
[00:49:00] He throws the tablets down, they get smashed, and then eventually he goes to God and said,
[00:49:05] take my life and let me suffer in their place.
[00:49:09] He offers himself up as a sacrifice.
[00:49:12] But God does not accept Moses' sacrifice.
[00:49:15] Why is that?
[00:49:18] Only a sinless substitute can atone for the sins of his people.
[00:49:24] Moses was not sinless.
[00:49:26] Where Moses could not die for his people, Jesus could, as he told us in Mark chapter 10.
[00:49:31] The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
[00:49:42] Jesus is like Moses, and yet superior to him in every way.
[00:49:48] So what does it mean for you that Jesus is your prophet?
[00:49:51] We read this morning in our Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 23 and 24,
[00:49:55] that Jesus reveals to us by his word and spirit the will of God for our salvation.
[00:50:04] In other words, before his incarnation, Jesus was revealing himself through the written word,
[00:50:11] through the authors of Scripture.
[00:50:14] During his incarnation, his ministry on earth, he was revealing himself through his mighty signs and wonders
[00:50:19] and through his preached word.
[00:50:22] And now he does so through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
[00:50:27] and through the finished, complete revelation in the Bible.
[00:50:33] Jesus has revealed to us all that we need.
[00:50:36] The complete, whole message of God concerning our salvation is given to us
[00:50:40] in the pages of Scripture.
[00:50:43] The only thing that you need is to listen to him.
[00:50:49] And the truth is, that's such a relief, to have one voice to listen to, one voice to trust.
[00:50:55] God has not left us to wonder who we should listen to or who we should follow.
[00:51:00] He has fully spoken. He has clearly and finally spoken.
[00:51:04] He has definitively spoken, and it is his Son to whom we should listen.
[00:51:08] We're not in that crowded room at that birthday party where there's so much noise going on you can't hear anyone.
[00:51:15] There's one voice alone to listen to, and it is Christ and his revealed word.
[00:51:24] Well, we began by thinking about Israel at Mount Horeb
[00:51:29] and that frightening standoff they now have with God.
[00:51:34] That great need for a mediator.
[00:51:35] Someone who would go up the mountain.
[00:51:38] To represent God to them and to represent them to God.
[00:51:42] And how Moses filled that role.
[00:51:45] The tragic part about that story, in Exodus particularly,
[00:51:50] is that God desires to dwell with his people.
[00:51:53] He wants to be with them.
[00:51:56] All of Moses' work as a deliverer was so that God could dwell with his people.
[00:52:01] So that he could tabernacle with them.
[00:52:05] But because of Israel's sin and confusion,
[00:52:08] we see that separation.
[00:52:12] But Jesus Christ has come.
[00:52:15] Not only to mediate our relationship to God,
[00:52:18] but to reconcile us to God.
[00:52:22] Jesus put on flesh and dwelt among us.
[00:52:26] And he reveals himself as the prophet greater than Moses.
[00:52:32] I want us to wrap up this sermon this morning by considering a different scene on a different mountain in Scripture.
[00:52:38] In Matthew's Gospel, the account of the Transfiguration,
[00:52:42] you'll remember that Jesus goes with three of his disciples up a high mountain.
[00:52:48] And he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun.
[00:52:55] And who is there to greet them on top of this mountain?
[00:52:59] Who is there to testify to Jesus as the Messiah and the prophet who is promised?
[00:53:05] Moses and Elijah.
[00:53:10] The prototypical prophets of Israel.
[00:53:12] And if that were not enough,
[00:53:14] God speaks from a bright cloud clearly on that mountain of Transfiguration.
[00:53:19] And what does God say?
[00:53:21] He says,
[00:53:22] This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.
[00:53:27] Listen to him.
[00:53:30] Listen to him.
[00:53:36] He is the prophet who was promised.
[00:53:39] He is the Son in whom his Father is well pleased.
[00:53:42] Listen to him.
[00:53:44] Let's pray together.
[00:53:46] God, we thank you for your word and this reminder that we need nothing more from you
[00:53:53] than what you have revealed in your word
[00:53:57] and in your Son, Jesus Christ.
[00:54:00] We praise and thank you that you give the Holy Spirit to us to lead and guide us.
[00:54:10] And we pray that you would apply this truth to our hearts and minds this morning.
[00:54:16] Indeed, that we would listen to the voice of Jesus our Lord and Savior
[00:54:21] on the pages of Scripture and through the leading of his Spirit.
[00:54:26] We pray that you would be our vision.
[00:54:30] In this life and in the next.
[00:54:34] We pray these things in Jesus' name.
[00:54:36] Amen.
[00:54:42] I invite you to stand with me and sing our closing hymn together.
[00:54:48] To the praise of God, hymn 642, Be Thou My Vision.
[00:54:52] Let's stand and sing.
[00:55:00] Be Thou my vision, O Thou my heart.
[00:55:15] Thou the only to be safe and Thou art.

[00:55:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Thou my best thought, my day and my night.
[00:55:26] Be Thou my vision, O Thou my heart.
[00:55:28] When He was sleeping, Thou your presence my light.
[00:55:38] Be Thou my wisdom and my true word.
[00:55:45] I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.
[00:55:52] Thou my great Father, I Thy truth swear.
[00:55:57] Thou in me dwelling, and I in thee one.
[00:56:08] Be Thou my candle, she is all my light.
[00:56:15] Be Thou my deity, Thou my delight.
[00:56:22] Thou my soul-shelter, Thou my eyes-gatherer.
[00:56:30] Praise Thou, the air and wind, O Thou, Thou, my God.
[00:56:39] Riches I think Thou doest in deep praise.
[00:56:45] Thou my inheritance now and always.
[00:56:52] Thou in me dwelling, and I in thee one.
[00:57:00] My King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
[00:57:08] My King of heaven, my victory won.
[00:57:15] May I reach heaven so Thou runneth so.
[00:57:22] Heart of my own, my Lord, ever be Thou.
[00:57:30] Take me, my vision, for Thou art Thou.

[00:57:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
As you go, go with God's blessing.
[00:57:43] The Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:57:45] The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:57:49] The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:57:52] And give you peace both this day and forevermore.
[00:57:55] Amen.
[00:57:56] Amen.

[00:57:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Thank you very much.
[00:58:06] Glory in excelsis Deo.
[00:58:15] Glory in excelsis Deo.
[00:58:20] Glory in excelsis Deo.
[00:58:23] Glory in excelsis Deo.
[00:58:25] Amen.