The Supremacy of Christ: Finding Your Greatest Hope Beyond the Headlines

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] Would you pray with me? Father, I ask that you'd help me now to be faithful to your word. And I ask that you would come and cause us to experience a personal, close enjoyment of Jesus Christ in all his supremacies as our greatest hope. I ask for this now in Jesus' name. Amen.
[00:00:32] And I used to think when I read 1 Peter 3.15 that says, always be ready to make a defense to anyone who has a reason for the hope that is in you, that it meant, Piper, you need to nail down three or four solid historical arguments for the resurrection.
[00:01:01] and you need to nail down three or four solid historical arguments for the authority and truth of the Bible.
[00:01:15] And I thank God that there are people who are called to do that because those arguments really do exist.
[00:01:23] I don't think that's mainly what this verse means because this church, those five churches throughout Asia Minor, to just ordinary folk.
[00:01:37] You know, from chapter three, they're slaves.
[00:01:40] They didn't know anything.
[00:01:41] They didn't have any education.
[00:01:44] Last thing they had was access to our sophisticated, intellectual, university-trained historians.
[00:01:57] What then did it mean?
[00:02:00] I think when he said this, that last phrase mattered.
[00:02:06] has mattered be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you it's in you so as i look on you i believe that the vast majority of you in this room
[00:02:27] right now and probably those watching have that hope that you are counting on eternal life You're counting on going to heaven instead of hell.
[00:02:42] You're counting your sins being forgiven.
[00:02:46] You're counting on all your guilt to be removed for one reason, Jesus.
[00:02:54] I think for the vast majority in this room, somebody put a gun to your head right now and say, renounce Jesus or you're dead.
[00:03:01] You would not renounce Jesus.
[00:03:04] I believe that.
[00:03:05] That's the kind of people I think I'm preaching to.
[00:03:08] and I think Peter would just say to you so give a reason because you've got them you've got them there in you here's what chapter 1 that's chapter 3 verse 15 to 1st Peter here's chapter 1 verse 3 according to the great mercy he has
[00:03:30] caused us to be born again according to God's great mercy he caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you who
[00:03:48] by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
[00:03:58] So if somebody asks you this afternoon, so what are you hoping in? You say, I'm hoping in eternal life. Death is a doorway to Jesus. I believe all my sins are forgiven. I don't have any guilt
[00:04:13] anymore because of jesus and i'm going to spend eternity happy with jesus and they'll say why do you believe that what will you say well there's two answers right there you say because i've been
[00:04:30] born again second you say reason number two jesus was raised from the dead now if you're like me you think that's not enough got to give a reason for the reason and then you got to give a reason
[00:04:56] for the reason for the reason odd infinitum until you get to an absolutely incontrovertible argument and guess what there is no such thing meaning Satan and all unbelievers can always say why like a four-year-old you cannot give a four-year-old enough answers for why anything
[00:05:31] exists somebody will always say at reason two reason three reason four reason five why do you believe that and i get paralyzed well i don't have number three ready or four or five. So you don't give one. That's not good. I think Peter meant when somebody asks you for
[00:06:03] reason for the hope that is in you, you should say, because I have been born again by the living God. End of conversation. That's not a conversation stopper for most people, but they will ask. So
[00:06:17] why do you think that or what in the world is it? And you might say, that's all for now. We We can talk later, but that's why, that's my reason." And they walk away thinking, what is that?
[00:06:38] And at midnight that night, because the law is written on their heart and they are created in the image of God and they know God and they're suppressing all kinds of knowledge of God, their heart's gonna say,
[00:06:53] I wonder if you need to be born again to enter the kingdom of God.
[00:07:00] You've done your job.
[00:07:03] There are other reasons you can give, lots of them from your own experience.
[00:07:06] Just don't be paralyzed by the fact that your reason for the reason for the reason is not yet in your head.
[00:07:13] That may be a philosopher's job or a historian's job.
[00:07:17] Your job is to say why you believe, and you've got a reason.
[00:07:21] Yes, you do.
[00:07:22] You may not think anybody else thinks it's enough.
[00:07:25] It's enough for you.
[00:07:26] You're going to die for it, right?
[00:07:30] You got a reason.
[00:07:34] not dying for nothing.
[00:07:39] I think one of the reasons we can give is this, the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
[00:07:50] That's what this Advent season is, the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
[00:07:58] So it seemed good to me in thinking through this message that we should spend time at the beginning of the series here lingering maybe a little longer over the supremacy of Jesus, namely the reality that there is no being in the universe
[00:08:21] or outside the universe that is greater or superior to Jesus Christ, including God, because Jesus is God. I have a burden. I suppose this is the reason I was led to this.
[00:08:41] i have a burden for you for the church today that the cultural and political spectacles are being thrust at you all day long it's on your phone just so on your flat screens at home they're being thrust at you like these cultural phenomena
[00:09:06] these political international affairs are the main thing these are supremely important people are talking about these so talk about these type into your favorite ai assistant let's just say chat gpt what are the great realities being discussed in our world today that's what i did
[00:09:42] answer the geopolitical order is fracturing climate change is irreversible infertility causing demographic collapse in the western countries space as the new arena of great power competition the credibility of legacy institutions has collapsed or more immediately national guard
[00:10:04] shooting in washington or hong kong fire or russia ukraine or last night's stockton shooting which will be all over the news when you get home those realities and many like them and they're cycling through all the time are presented as the great issues right those are the great issues of our day
[00:10:32] just ask Chad GPT. And my concern is that you, the sons and daughters of the living God, born again, never to die, living in the presence of God forever, would believe it. They're not.
[00:11:08] They're not, I'm here to say. It's what everybody's talking about. How can it not be supremely important but we're like a submarine whose sonar has just gone out like and all the alarms go off this this is important because a turtle is swimming by and we can't detect
[00:11:38] an aircraft carrier five miles away so here at the beginning of the message in the series i'd like to try to reorient our sonar on the supremacy of christ colossians 1 18 says in everything christ is preeminent in everything so consider the supremacy of his deity equal with
[00:12:14] god all of his attributes radiance of his glory exact imprint of his nature infinite boundless in all of his excellencies the supremacy of his eternality mind-boggling for a child and for me he never had a beginning christ never had a beginning alpha omega consider the supremacy
[00:12:42] of his constancy never changing his character his virtues his commitments the same yesterday today and forever consider the supremacy of his knowledge makes the library of congress look like a matchbox makes all that information massive ai data centers look like a farmer's almanac which
[00:13:11] by the way is ceasing to print this year after 200 years makes quantum physics in anything that that ever entered Steve Hawking's head.
[00:13:23] Looked like a first grade reader.
[00:13:27] The supremacy of his wisdom.
[00:13:29] He's never been perplexed.
[00:13:31] Nobody can counsel him.
[00:13:35] He's never been confused about anything.
[00:13:39] The supremacy of his authority on heaven and earth.
[00:13:45] No man can do anything without his permission.
[00:13:48] He raises up kings.
[00:13:49] He puts down kings.
[00:13:51] The supremacy of his providence.
[00:13:53] Not a bird falls from the sky without his dictation.
[00:13:58] No hair turns white or black without his decree.
[00:14:05] Jesus Christ, the supremacy of his word, he upholds the universe with it.
[00:14:13] He holds all beings, molecules, atoms, subatomic particles that nobody's ever yet discovered.
[00:14:19] He holds them all together.
[00:14:21] The supremacy of his power.
[00:14:23] He walks on water.
[00:14:24] He cleanses lepers.
[00:14:25] he heals the lame, he opens the eyes of the blind and makes the deaf hear, makes storms to rise and raises the dead with one word.
[00:14:39] The supremacy of his purity, he's never sinned, not one millisecond of a lustful thought or pride or undue anger, pure.
[00:14:56] The supremacy of his trustworthiness, He has never, never will break his word, keeps all of his promises.
[00:15:02] The supremacy of his justice, he will render all moral accounts settled either on the cross or in hell.
[00:15:11] The supremacy of his patience, I wouldn't exist without his patience.
[00:15:25] Just postponing judgment further and further out so that more people can repent.
[00:15:30] the supremacy of his sovereignty and his servant like obedience he chose to embrace the cross the supremacy of his meekness lowliness tenderness he won't break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering flax the supremacy of his courage he intentionally walked into the mouth of the lion and died for us
[00:16:01] the supremacy of his wrath I think of all the big shots in the world today that huff and puff and brag and boast they're gonna cry out for the rocks to fall upon them so they don't have to face the wrath of the lamb that's coming
[00:16:18] the supremacy of his grace to cause us to be born again to a living hope supremacy of his love willingly dies for us and the supremacy finally though it's not finally we're just scratching service of his gladness jesus christ has been happy in the
[00:16:43] fellowship of the trinity forever and ever and ever and always will be in fact i think the happiness of the trinity is the energy that created the universe so that he could share it compared to jesus and his manifold supremacies world affairs are as nothing
[00:17:14] that's based on a text behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as the dust on the scales all the nations are as nothing before him they are accounted by him as
[00:17:29] less than nothing and emptiness to whom then will you liken god or what likeness compare with him so let's make a turn it's not a very big turn from the supremacy of christ to supremacy of christ our hope because that's what my assignment from kenny is
[00:17:58] to talk about the supremacy of Christ as our hope there are three ways that hope is used in the New Testament and three ways that you use it almost every day and they're the same one hope is a strong emotion of confident expectation
[00:18:32] it's a feeling something the heart does like uh romans 15 13. by the power of the holy spirit you abound in hope second it is the thing you hope for and third it is the ground or basis of your
[00:18:58] hope all three of those are called hope for example you say to the coach of the timberwolves what are you hoping for in this game or how you how your players feeling about this game
[00:19:12] and he says they're full of hope they're full of hope we're going to win this game that's the feeling inside and then you say to him what are you hoping for and he says victory
[00:19:31] victory is our hope that's the second use of the word hope and third he says okay three seconds left to your ball bringing it on the side what's your hope the ant man we're gonna give it to Anthony Edwards he is our hope what does that mean means it's
[00:20:02] the basis of your hope you all use the word that way three three different ways the feeling the goal the ground everybody uses the word hope that way so does the New Testament I've already mentioned Romans 15 13 by the power of
[00:20:17] Holy Spirit you abound in hope that's feeling this energy inside and then there's the ground Colossians 127 Christ in you the hope of glory because he's in you you're gonna make it to glory and the one I want to spend the rest of our
[00:20:35] time on is the goal what are you at the beginning of this Advent season at this point in your life, whether you're old like me or young like kids, what are you hoping for? What's
[00:20:50] the goal? What is your greatest hope? And I want to persuade you that it ought to be, and I think for most of you, if you think it through, is a personal and warm, close enjoyment of Christ
[00:21:22] in all his supremacies a close personal enjoyment of christ in all his supremacies should be your greatest hope greater than seeing loved ones again when you die greater than never being sick never being diseased or depressed or wounded or sad or lonely ever again greater than
[00:21:51] never sinning again, greater than being glorified with Jesus, and greater than being a part of the new heavens and the new earth. So I want to persuade you of that fact. Your greatest hope right now should be, and forever, a close personal enjoyment of Jesus Christ in all
[00:22:30] His supremacies. If it's not, listen carefully and pray that He would become that for you.
[00:22:41] I'll give you three reasons, they're very short, for why that should be your greatest hope number one because that's what Jesus wants for you number two that's what Paul experienced and number three that's what the new heavens and the new earth are for let's take those one at a
[00:23:09] time this is what Jesus wants for you here's how he prayed for you and we know it's for you because he says in verse 20 I'm not only praying for these but for those who would believe on me through
[00:23:24] word that's personally prayed for every christian in this room and here's what he's praying for you verse 24 father i desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where i am
[00:23:43] to see my glory he wants that he's asking the father grant that you you christian would be with him to see his glory that's got to be your hope because that's what he wants for you
[00:24:11] paul in titus 2 13 calls that the blessed hope hope we are waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great god and savior jesus christ that's what jesus was praying for you
[00:24:31] to experience as your greatest hope a close personal enjoyment of christ in all his supremacies jesus wants that for you number two paul experienced this remember philippians he's in jail and he's writing to his beloved philippian church that supported him so
[00:25:05] lovingly and he says i am hard-pressed this is verse 23 of chapter 1. i am hard-pressed between the two namely going to heaven or staying in ministry my desire is to depart and be what are
[00:25:27] the next two words oh you should know this not to scold you with christ to depart and be with christ for that is far better than anything here.
[00:25:47] Is it?
[00:25:48] To you.
[00:25:50] That's the issue this morning.
[00:25:52] Is a close, personal enjoyment of Christ your greatest hope?
[00:25:58] So you could say that with Paul.
[00:26:00] Better to depart and be with him.
[00:26:03] He adds this in 2 Corinthians 5.8.
[00:26:05] Yes, we are of good courage and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord, with the Lord, at home with the Lord.
[00:26:25] I live a 10-minute walk from here.
[00:26:27] I was walking over today, and somebody picked me up, bless your heart, because they had not plowed the sidewalk on the bridge.
[00:26:36] And I was giving thanks for this car that stopped and also wondering about the people who tramped all the way to the North Pole.
[00:26:47] LIKE, I WAS SO TIRED, I LOOKED AT TRUMP, TRUMP.
[00:26:52] ANYWAY, I LIVE 10 MINUTES FROM HERE AND I LIVED THERE FOR 42 YEARS, FOR TWO.
[00:27:01] WE RAISED FIVE KIDS IN THAT HOUSE.
[00:27:05] WE WENT THROUGH THE DEEPEST MARITAL WATERS IN THAT HOUSE.
[00:27:10] WE, GOODNESS KNOWS, SPREAD DOZENS OF THANKSGIVING FEASTS WITH 12, 16, 18 PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE.
[00:27:22] IT'S HOME.
[00:27:23] I LOVE THIS HOUSE.
[00:27:25] GOD HELP ME NOT LOVE IT TOO MUCH.
[00:27:28] I LOVE THIS HOUSE.
[00:27:29] I LOVE COMING HOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO THE HOUSE.
[00:27:33] HOWEVER, THE REASON GOD GAVE US THIS HOUSE WITH ITS TATTERED CARPET AND CHIPPING PAINT AND ROTTING EVE'S IS TO REMIND US, IT'S NOT YOUR HOME.
[00:27:52] HOME IS GREAT.
[00:27:54] HOME IS GREAT, AND YOU GOT A BETTER ONE, AND IT ISN'T A RETIREMENT COMPLEX IN PHOENIX.
[00:28:02] IT'S JESUS ANY DAY!
[00:28:13] PAUL EXPERIENCED THAT, AND I WANT TO MAINTAIN IT.
[00:28:19] I'M OLD.
[00:28:21] I THINK I'M OLD.
[00:28:25] I USED TO SAY 60 WAS OLD, AND THEN I TURNED 60, AND I SAID, THAT'S NOT OLD.
[00:28:33] AND I USED TO THINK 70 WAS OLD, AND THEN I TURNED 70, AND I SAID, THAT'S NOT OLD.
[00:28:39] AND I USED TO THINK 80 WAS OLD.
[00:28:41] It is, I think, I got about six weeks to go.
[00:28:55] So here's the point of that nonsense.
[00:29:00] Every night, I lie down, I think, my heart could stop before I wake up.
[00:29:06] Of course, that's true for you too, but it's even more true for me.
[00:29:12] Is it okay between you and Jesus?
[00:29:16] How is it with you and Jesus?
[00:29:19] Because if you die in your sleep at 3 a.m., you see him.
[00:29:25] He better not be a stranger.
[00:29:30] So I say to him, I love you.
[00:29:35] I trust you.
[00:29:37] And you know what he says back to me?
[00:29:41] He says it back every night.
[00:29:43] He says, you, John Piper, are not destined for wrath, but to obtain salvation through your Lord, me, Jesus Christ, who died for you so that whether you wake or sleep, you will live with me.
[00:30:07] That's 1 Thessalonians 5, 9, and 10 in case you want to use it.
[00:30:15] What a way to lay your head down on the pillow.
[00:30:19] No condemnation.
[00:30:21] I died for you.
[00:30:23] You die tonight coming home.
[00:30:29] So second argument for why you should make A close, personal enjoyment of Jesus in all His supremacies adds your greatest hope is that Paul experienced it and called us into it.
[00:30:47] Last argument for why you should do that, namely that the heavens and the earth, the new heavens and the new earth are designed for that.
[00:31:06] So now it's true.
[00:31:07] it's true that the cosmos all the galaxies and the numbers you they have to create words for these numbers that all the galaxies the solar system and the earth and all the mountains and rivers and oceans and everything broken on earth and everything broken in us the whole creation
[00:31:37] and the new humanity is going to be set right it's going to be new in every way that is good it's going to be new that is our christian hope it is but i want to make something crystal clear
[00:31:55] and the kids listen up because you should ask your mom and dad about this at lunch today Jesus Christ today carries the universe in his pocket like a peanut you got that remember say what did he say about peanut he said Jesus Christ carries the universe in his pocket like a peanut
[00:32:25] compared to the glories of the creator of the universe the cosmos is as nothing compared It's pretty amazing, I admit.
[00:32:39] I love astronomy and biology and just opening my eyes, crossing the bridge.
[00:32:45] I love this world.
[00:32:48] I do.
[00:32:49] I'm glad it's going to be made new.
[00:32:52] It's nothing compared to Jesus.
[00:33:02] Here's the text for that.
[00:33:05] Do you remember in the great eight, there's no greater chapter in the Bible than Romans eight.
[00:33:12] Do you remember verse 17 where it says, if you suffer with him, you'll be glorified with him.
[00:33:21] All right.
[00:33:21] If you Christian are willing to deny yourself, take up your cross, follow him, suffer with him, whatever is required of you to be faithful to him, you're going to be glorified with him.
[00:33:36] Here's the next thing he says.
[00:33:38] The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons.
[00:33:53] It's not the other way around, folks.
[00:33:58] We're not waiting for the new creation.
[00:34:03] It's waiting for us.
[00:34:08] The main thing in Romans 8 is not, oh, wow, there's going to be a new heavens and a new earth.
[00:34:16] That's where we're going.
[00:34:18] it's the other way around the whole creation is saying oh wow the children of god are going to be made glorious and we're going to be part of that that's amazing this universe is about you glorified
[00:34:33] like jesus that's just incredible no it's not incredible it's true i'll say it again i mean paul says it again verse 21 the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain what the freedom of the glory of the children of god takes your breath away we don't
[00:35:08] inherit the glory of the new creation it inherits ours it's a peanut it's a peanut and you shine like the sun in the glory of your father if you have a close personal enjoyment of jesus
[00:35:38] in all his supremacies so what's the main point of that romans 8 section what's the main point The main point is that the new heavens and the new earth are designed to celebrate the glory of the children of God.
[00:35:57] That's why the universe exists.
[00:35:59] The universe exists to celebrate the glory of the children of God.
[00:36:10] What is that glory?
[00:36:13] It is the glory of Christ, because you have been brought into it and glorified with His glory.
[00:36:24] And why do you share that glory?
[00:36:28] It's a good reason to give in 1 Peter 3.15.
[00:36:31] Why do you share that glory?
[00:36:34] Because you have a close, personal relationship of enjoyment with Jesus in all His supremacies.
[00:36:47] So I conclude, at the beginning of Advent, at the Lord's table that we're gonna have in just a moment, I conclude that a close, personal enjoyment of Jesus Christ in all His supremacies is our greatest hope because, one, that's what Jesus wants for you, two, that's what Paul
[00:37:16] experienced and invites you into, and three, that's why the new heavens and the new earth ARE COMING FATHER I KNOW I FEEL PROBABLY A GREATER BURDEN FOR THIS BECAUSE I'M OLD I DO PRAY IT FOR THE YOUNGER PEOPLE SO THAT THEY DON'T WASTE THEIR LIVES THINKING THAT THE NEWS
[00:37:48] OR MUSIC OR SPORTS OR MOVIES ARE THE MAIN THING THEY'RE A PEANUT I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD EXALT Christ. We're going to sing and may we all feel you, Christ, are the feast in the house of Zion.
[00:38:12] I ask this in your name, Jesus. Amen.