Good morning. Welcome to Free Race Baptist Church. If you're visiting uh with us, a special welcome to you. And uh we do meet again this evening uh at 5:00.

Uh so uh you're welcome back this evening. Our our uh Pastor Butler is on vacation this uh this week and next week. Uh Pastor Cam uh will be preaching this Sunday and next Sunday. In regards to other announcements, just a reminder that there is no um Wednesday night Bible study in July and August.

So that will begin in September. So just a couple of weeks away and that will begin. Speaking of September, uh Sunday school is going to begin in September. It'll begin uh on September 6th.

That's the first Sunday in September. And uh we have four couples uh husband and wife uh will be teaching it and they will be going through the catechism. So the first half hour will be memorization catechism. Uh the second half hour will be um um gonna say games.

I don't think probably games, but it'll be something a little a little bit lesser less um focused uh maybe art or things like that. Um activities uh for them in the second half hour. So that starts at 9:30 and goes till 10:30. Uh so there's a half hour break between uh between the Sunday school hour and the worship hour.

Uh there is going to be a meeting up here at the piano after the morning service for anyone who thinks their children they'd like to have their children in the Sunday school. Uh the Sunday school is for ages uh 3 to 10. Um and three being a hard number on the bottom end uh because they obviously can't be doing two-year-olds uh uh with 10 year olds. So a hard a hard a hard cut off at at three.

They must be three and older. Uh so if you think your children or you want to put your children in uh then please meet up here so they get a sense of how many in terms of numbers because there's going to be some layout of costs of material uh purchased. So if they have an idea of approximately how many might be coming to it then they'll purchase according according to that number. So please uh please keep that in mind.

Um, and if you have questions about what they will be doing, uh, that'd be a great opportunity to to speak to to Arjun or to Grant, uh, uh, there, two of the teachers along with their wives. So, I believe that's it for announcements. Um, please turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 28. Psalm 28 to begin worship this morning.

Psalm 28. We'll read verses 6 to9. Six to the end of Psalm 28. Beginning at verse 6.

Blessed be the Lord because he has heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted in him and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise him.

The Lord is their strength and he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Save your people and bless your inheritance. Shepherd them also and bear them up forever. Amen.

Well, please turn with me in your hym books to the first hymn that we will sing which is 23B as in Bob. 23B as in Bob and the fifth stanza we'll sing without the music. I'll ask you to please stand. out of he down to sleep.

He lay me the quiet for our to the path of righteousness for his walking. our yet will I hear the hill for th with me and my bless. to my table as part of my for the whole world. Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me.

And in God's house forever more shall we please be seated and let's go to God in prayer. Our gracious and our loving heavenly father, we come into your presence now this morning through your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And through his blood, we thank you, Father, that we have an advocate with the father even this day in the person of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we know that we do not come with clean hands, but rather we are affected by that sinful nature that still remains with us.

Yet, Father, how we praise you that we are the redeemed of the Lord, that we are your children, and that that we have that precious righteousness of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. that does wash us, that does cleanse us, that does cover us from all of our sin and all of our iniquity. So Lord, we praise you this day that we come into this place as worshippers of the high king of heaven, that thrice holy God. We pray Lord that we would hear from you this day that you would be pleased to smile upon us and give to us your presence uh uh this day uh that where Christ is preached, where Christ is lifted up, we know that you have promised to present yourself amongst us.

And so Lord, how we pray that we would hear from you this day and that you would receive our worship, you would hear from us that we would that our worship would be uh that would be um respectful and mindful of the God that you are. How we praise you, Father, that you have blessed us in the week past with employment with uh with with health and strength and and and food and all these things. Father, we give you our grateful thanks. Truly, you are a kind God and a good God in providing these these daily things uh these daily uh needs and and measurements to us.

And we pray Lord we would be a thankful people a a people that truly would recognize these things do not come from our own hand but rather they come from your goodness, your kindness. Even though this world is affected by sin, yet Father, this this world still continues to uh to give glory to you. And even as the farmer plants the seed, Lord, it's you that brings forth the harvest and causes things to grow and and uh blesses us with so much. And for that we we do thank you and we praise you.

We give you our grateful thanks this day aresh. Lord, we ask your blessing this day to also be upon our pastor, Pastor Butler. Strengthen him, Father. We thank you that he can enjoy this time of of relaxation and and holiday and vacation.

We pray that you just bless this own this time for him and cause him, Lord, to be regenerated and and re renewed and um given the strength that he requires for the uh for the year ahead. And we just thank you, Lord, for the fact that you are a God who's gracious, who is kind, who gives us uh times of refreshment and times of relaxation, and these things come from your hand. And we thank you for that and pray Lord that you'd just be pleased to bless him and Rebecca as well. Lord, we do pray for those amongst us who are not well, who perhaps could not come this day or who are permanently uh uh restricted from coming into your house because of different ailments.

We pray Lord that you'd bless them this day and cause them to know your strength, your help from on high. We pray that they would be strengthened in the inner man this day as they tune in or as they were to listen or read your word. Father, we pray that your spirit might attend to them and that you would bless them and lift them up and and uh cause them to be able to sing praises uh from uh from their from their bed or from their home this day that you would be honored and glorified even even this day and bless return them to health and strength of those you have determined uh to to bless with uh with returning health. We pray Lord they would know that uh this day and that you'd bless them.

We do ask you Lord your blessing to be upon other churches in our in our local city here as well. cause them as as we pray for ourselves that you'd present yourself amongst us. We pray, Lord, that you'd be present with them as well, where your name is lifted up, where your name is is declared, where Christ is declared from pulpits this day in this city. We pray that you would be pleased to bless that word and cause it to not to return to your void, but we pray that it would that it would that it would in have its intended blessing in each and every heart and and mind that that that is attuned uh to the word of God this day.

Lord, we do pray for those who are unsaved in our own congregation, other congregations. We pray, Lord, that you would be merciful and that you would uh that you you would promise that you do save uh those who would call upon you, those who would trust in you and believe in you. And so Lord, how we pray that you would extend that salvation to hearts and to souls this day. That you would cause the them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and entrust their never dying soul to uh to to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one who has paid that penalty for sin and unrighteousness and cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness.

Cause them this day, Lord, to to look and to believe uh in Christ, in Christ alone. We do pray. Lord, we do ask your blessing to be upon uh those uh those in persecuting countries. Lord, as we prayed in the last hour for them, we continue to pray for them, Lord, as though we were in chains with them.

We pray that you would minister to those who are in chains or who are uh separate from their families, from their churches. Lord, we know that you're you you smile upon them. And we pray that you would smile upon them this day. We recall to them scripture.

Recall to them your goodness and kindness. And we pray Lord that through these circumstances, through these through these means that you would be pleased to extend your kingdom that you would that you would be pleased to broaden your church and call sinners to yourself and to cause father uh the church of Christ to uh to to march forward, march onward and not uh to not to not be discouraged this day, but rather be encouraged that the that the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords is building his church. And he has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail. Although it may seek to to discourage, it may seek to uh to trip up the church, yet Father, the Church of Christ will continue to grow.

And for that, we truly give you our grateful thanks that you have promised that. And we uh we we we we we commend uh that promise to to those people who who genuinely do suffer for the cause of Christ this day. So Lord, we pray your blessing be upon Pastor Cam as he brings the word a little later. We pray that you'd be pleased to own the preaching.

uh give uh give him what he stands in need of. Give emotion and health from on high to to preach your word and as as hearers that we pray Lord that we would hear the word and also that we would leave this place and do the word. Uh we we would be doers of the word of God. We do pray.

So Lord, we ask your blessing upon this worship service. Uh we pray that we would hear from you and you'd be pleased to to to give to us your presence uh in this hour. We do pray these things in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Well, please turn with me in your hymbooks to 446 446. I'll ask you to please stand and uh the music will probably stop on the fifth verse. So, we'll sing that ac capella. So 446 I'll ask you to please stand all else to be Take thou my best my day or I breaking or sleeping my presence my true word.

I am with thee and thou with me. Lord, thou my great father my true son. Thou me dwelling and I with thee. Thou my battle shield sword for my thy soul shall thou my praise Thou me thou from my God which is I empty praise.

Thou my inheritance thou and thou and thou holy first in my heart. I King of heaven, my treure th King of heaven, my victory, may I reach heaven, heart of My own heart still be my vision. Oh rul seated. Uh please turn with me in your Bibles uh to our regular Bible reading which is uh John chapter 8.

John chapter 8. We'll be reading the first uh 36 verses and pick up the rest of the chapter next week, Lord willing. So just a a brief a brief introduction introduction to the chapter just so we kind of have a a sense of what maybe to listen for or what to uh what to notice along the way. Uh I think verse uh verse six is um is ultimately the uh the it's the it's the question that's being that's being they're testing the Lord um or uh or perhaps uh quizzing the Lord uh on on his validity.

And uh so there therefore that's what it says in verse six uh that they they were testing him that they might have something of which to accuse him. And ultimately that's what their desire was to accuse our Lord Jesus Christ. And so in this chapter with that in mind that they're testing him uh he comes back with many I am statements in this in this chapter. So you hear the I am uh come come through many times.

That's ultimately how Christ defends himself. It's a presuppositional uh position that he takes. He doesn't ask for he doesn't seek proofs. Well, you know, look at the miracles I do.

Look at this. Look at that. Uh he just assumes that I am uh who is speaking to you. And so it's that presuppositional.

It's the triune God uh um of scrip and scripture that ultimately will serve uh as um as that that that that foundation of truth and knowledge uh that that these people need to look to. They were looking they were looking to uh to quiz him and to befuddle him but ultimately we know that that could not be done. This was the lord of lords, the king of kings, our savior and uh he is the the triune god and uh and any questioning would never bring that into dispute. uh but rather they're going to be met uh with with concretness of who Christ really claimed, who really Christ really was.

So, we're going to pick up the last verse of chapter 7 because it kind of sets the stage. Otherwise, it it appears um verse one of chapter 8 appears kind of a bit about in it comes from nowhere. So, verse 53 of chapter 7 says, "And everyone went to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives." Now early in the morning uh he came against the uh he came again into the temple and all the people came to him and he sat down and taught them.

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in in adultery and when they had set her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say this?" they said, testing him that they might have something of which to accuse him.

But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger as though he did not hear. So when they continued asking him, he raised himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest, even to the last.

And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, he said to her,"Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord."

And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn condemn you. Go and sin no more." Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The Pharisees therefore said to him, "You, sorry, the Pharisees said to him, you bear witness of yourself. Your witness is not true." Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I came from and where I am going."

The judge um you judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the father who sent me. It is also written in uh in your law that the testimony of two men is true.

I am one who bears witness of myself and the father who sent me bears witness of me. Then they said to him, where is your father? Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my father. If you had known me, you would have known my father also."

These words Jesus spoke in the treasury as he taught in the temple, and no one laid hands on him. for his hour had not yet come. Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away and you will seek me and will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."

So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself because he says, "Where I go, you cannot come." And he said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world.

I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am he. Uh you will die in your sins. Then they said to him, "Who are you?"

And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have come uh I have many things to say and to judge concerning you. But he who sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I heard from him." They did not understand that he spoke to them of the father.

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself, but as my father taught me, I speak these things. And he who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him." As he spoke these words, many believed in him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, you will be made free?" Jesus answered them,"Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.

Therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." Amen. Let's pray. Our gracious and our loving heavenly father, we thank you, Father.

You promise that when we abide in you and your word abides in uh in your word will abide in us, that father, there's great satisfaction in that. and how we pray that you would be pleased to bless this next hour of of of preaching. We pray Lord as we abide in your word that truly we would as it were abide in you and you'd be pleased to bless the preacher, bless the hearer. Uh may your spirit come upon us that we might hear from Christ himself this day uh from this pulpit.

So Lord, we do we do look to you and pray that you would be pleased to be merciful to us this day. smile upon us and cause us to enter into your presence now through the preaching of your word and that we'd be blessed by it and your word would not return to you void but rather it would be sent and it would be blessed of you and it would do its work in each one of our hearts and we pray these things in Jesus precious name. Amen. Well, please turn with me in your hym books to the last hymn before we go to the preaching and that is uh hymn number 1B as in boy 1B and I'll ask you to please stand once again.

A blessed man who died to share his The savior's wait for slight shall For he is the growing tree of spring. It is it is it are all fresh and free in all he will He So the wind the wind will blow all the way for sinners with the rightous The ghost, the righteous, the way will be done. Good morning to everybody. It's good to be in the house of the Lord with all of you.

You can turn in your Bibles with me to Philippians 3. Uh Philippians chapter 3. We're going to look at the importance of our knowledge of Christ this morning and use particular verse in Philippians 3 as a base camp to explore some other texts that highlight and stress and emphasize and underscore the significance of the Christians knowing of his savior. Philippians 3, we have of course that epic statement, extended statement or set of statements from the apostle Paul with regards to his former state as a Pharisee as one who was in opposition to Christ and counted those things gain which were not truly gain.

And when he came to a knowledge of Christ by grace through faith, he counted all of those former things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ his Lord. And that's the verse we're going to read, which is Philippians 3:8. I'm going to read that verse and then we'll pray and we'll have a look at some of these other texts that speak to our topic. Philippians 3:8, the word of God.

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. Amen. Well, let's go to our God in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time in worship, the preaching of your holy word.

We do pray that you would be with us. Help us to be focused upon your word, upon your truth. Do cause us by that measure of your holy spirit which the risen and exalted Christ sends forth to us to have our souls focused upon the blessed truth of Jesus Christ our savior. Do cause us to have minds to receive your word uh to not be distracted by other things but to be wholly focused on this aspect of worship.

We do pray that this would be not unto our own glory, but to your glory, to the glory of our triune God, that the Lord Jesus Christ might be exalted upon the praises of this gathered congregation. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen. uh in his meditations and discourses on the glory of Christ, the old English Puritan John Owen uh with a pen animated by an overwhelming burden to quote declare some part of that glory of the Lord Jesus Christ which is revealed in the scripture wrote these following words of the surpassing worth of the Christians knowledge of Jesus Christ.

It's an extended quote, but I want it to to frame our minds and capture our souls as we explore some texts that speak to the importance of our knowledge of Christ. John Owen wrote, "His glory, Christ's glory, is incomprehensible, and his praises are unutterable." That real view which we may have of Christ and his glory in this world by faith, however we can obscure that knowledge which we may attain of them by divine revelation, is inexpressibly to be preferred above all other wisdom, understanding, or knowledge whatever. Yay, doubtless saith he, I count all these things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.

The revelation made of Christ in the blessed gospel is far more excellent, more glorious, and more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness than the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable, can contain or afford. Without the knowledge hereof, the mind of man, however, priding itself in other inventions and discoveries, is wrapped up in darkness and confusion. This therefore deserves the severest of our thoughts, the best of our meditations, and our utmost diligence in them. For if our future blessedness shall consist in being where he is and beholding his glory, what better preparation can there be for it than in a constant previous contemplation of that glory in the revelation that is made in the gospel unto this very end that by a view of it we may be gradually transformed into the same glory.

It it should come as no surprise to us as Christians that the knowledge of the one who is the very namesake of our high and holy religion is of the utmost importance and significance. It's it's in our name. We are Christians. Uh our religion is Christianity.

And so therefore, our identity as Christians and our religion of Christianity are emptied of meaning and significance if we are not to one degree or another conversent in the knowledge of the one who is the very source of our pilgrim existence. that having created us, having sustained us and having redeemed us, he is the very creative and providential and redemptive source uh of all that we are. He is the one who fashioned us from the dust of the ground. Who upholds us by the word of his power.

The one who took to himself our nature in order that he might perfectly redeem a multitude of sinners from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. This one is worthy of honor, worthy of being praised, worthy of being adored, worthy then to be known known by his people. And so to the end of fixing upon our minds the importance of the knowledge of Christ, we're going to explore seven ways in which the scriptures set this forth. We we may say seven vistas by which divine revelation in the Bible discloses the importance of the Christian's knowledge of Christ.

And those seven ways are these. First, that Christ is the scope of the whole of scripture. Secondly, that Christ is the telos, that is the endor purpose of all creation and providence. Thirdly, that Christ is the champion and mediator of the covenant of grace.

Fifthly, that eternal life hinges upon the knowledge of Christ. Sixth, that Christ is the sum and substance of the Christian gospel. Seventh, and I missed a number, so this is sixth, that Christ is head and savior of the church. And then lastly, that our present and future glory, our present hope and future glory are in Christ.

And so let's look first then at the first way in which the Bible sets forth the importance of our knowledge of Christ. And that is that Christ is the scope of the whole of scripture. the the Bible in fact in our own chapter uses that word scope at verse 14 speaking with regards to himself the the the apostle Paul he says I press forward I press toward the goal that is the scope for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus so when we apply it in this language that Christ is the scope of the whole of scripture we're saying that Christ is the aim the target the thing that scripture the one that scripture looks forward to. And so we see the importance of the knowledge of uh the Christian's knowledge of Christ in this reality that Christ is the scope, the the the end, the target, the goal of special revelation in the holy scriptures.

This refers to the goal of supernatural revelation. When we ask ourselves the question, what is the goal? What is the design? What is the intent of these things that we have on our laps and these things that we hold in our hands?

It is to set forth Christ as the savior of men. The revealing of the son of God who took upon himself man's nature for our redemption and recovery. This asserts that the Old Testament was written to promise and anticipate the incarnation of the son of God. the testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

And that the New Testament was written to record the fulfillment of what was previously anticipated and to open up the blessed truth that all the promises of God are in Christ. Yes, and are in him. Amen. Quite simply, the Bible in its entirety and in its trajectory is ultimately about Christ.

Not only is he the divine author of the scriptures, but he is the one to whom the whole of the sacred page bears witness. Now, let's go to our Bibles then to have a look at uh just a couple places, just two, where this reality is set forth. And the first place, a familiar location of holy scripture that you can turn with me to is Luke 24. Whenever a discussion of the intent, the scope, the end design of the scriptures, whenever that arises, the one of the first places that the Christian ought to go and historically that the church has gone in addition to other places, John 5 for example, Acts 3, to which we will also go, it is Luke 24.

And this is of course that wonderful occasion where the risen Christ appears first to two disciples on the road to Emmas and then a little bit later in the day, 7 miles I think it is away uh in in Jerusalem. And we see here that the the Lord Jesus Christ is uh addressing their downcastness. Um he wants to lift their spirits. He wants to untrouble their hearts.

But he also wants to equip them for the apostolic task that's set before them because they're going to go forth into the hostility of an opposing world. And so they need to know what is the chief object of the Christian faith. And notice this language that we have. Um first um first in verse 44, notice then he said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms concerning me."

And Luke provides this summary narration and he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. This this language um was previously used by these disciples hearts that were opened on the road to Emmas in verse 32. They said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us?" the reality of the holy scriptures.

Christ Christ here is is basically engaging in what we may call a hermeneutical self- testimony. That is an interpretive self- testimony. He read the scriptures according to his human nature. He learned the scriptures growing in wisdom and understanding and he saw in them the reality that he was the one to whom all those things pointed.

It it's not unreasonable given what we read here that Christ opened the scriptures and what that means is as Gil notes he he instructed them concerning the true meaning of the sacred pages the law of Moses the prophets and the psalms that is the entirety of the Old Testament. So, it's not unreasonable to suppose that Christ in this postresurrection pre-asses Bible study directed his joyfully incredulous disciples to Genesis 3:15 to show that he is the hero born of woman who crushed the serpent with his heel to Leviticus 16 showing that he is the fulfillment of that great day of atonement. Both the offering priest and the sacrifice that is offered, the offered victim, both the goat slain for sin and the scapegoat that carries their iniquities away, never to be found again. He may have taken them to Numbers 21, showing that he is that bronze serpent lifted up that all who look to him in faith will live.

To Deuteronomy 18:15 to18, showing that he is the prophet raised up from their midst. to Joshua showing that he is the true and greater Joshua who leads his people into that greater rest to 2 Samuel 7 showing that he is the promised son of David whose throne is established forever. He may have pointed to tabernacle and temple to show that he is the fulfillment of the dwelling place of God. He is that king set up upon the holy hill.

The eternal son begotten and given the nations for his inheritance. The righteous sufferer forsaken but not abandoned to corruption. The pierced one whose hands and feet were wounded and whose garments were parted. the Melkchisedcian priest, the rejected stone which becomes the head of the corner to Isaiah 7:1496 in Isaiah 53 to demonstrate that he is Emanuel, the son and child born and given, the one bruised for the iniquities of his people, to all the prophets, for the culminating confirmation that he is the one to whom all of the promises of God are yay and amen, and in whom all the promises of God are yay and amen.

And that we we spent uh whatever that was 2 minutes and 7 seconds exploring just that. And yet that's just a that's just the smallest glimmering of what the Bible discloses of what God in his glorious condescension in revealing his will to the sons of men has shown us with regards to Christ and that Christ himself opened up to his disciples in this postresurrection pre-assescension Bible study. Turn with me as well to Acts chapter 3. Acts 3.

Here we have Peter, one who would have been there at this Bible study that Jesus Christ had given uh echoing his master before these men of Israel, these men and brethren according to the flesh. Notice in in Acts chapter 3, we we have this sermon given in Solomon's portico and near the end we have this language with respect to the disclosure or the witness of all the prophets. Notice in verse 24, yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. Now what are these days?

Verse 18. Those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets that the Christ would suffer, he has thus fulfilled. So the apostle Peter, the recipient of that Bible study, h carries the baton, if you will, of his master in proclaiming to his audience that the design and the intent of the holy scriptures was was not to in the Old Testament set forth this stuff about the nation of Israel and then in the New Testament talk about Christ, but that every page whether from Genesis to Malachi uh God pointed forward forward to Christ. And then from Matthew to Revelation, that revelation by God opens up what God had beforehand disclosed.

All the prophets from Samuel and those who follow. As many as have spoken have foretold these days of the crucified and raised Messiah. John Owen again wrote this. the great design whose lines are drawn in the face and whose substance lies in the bowels of the Old Testament and which is the spirit that enliven the whole doctrine and story of it.

The bond of union wherein all the parts of it do center without which they would loose scattered and deformed heaps is the bringing forth of Messiah the savior of the world. Without an apprehension of this design and faith therein, neither can a letter of it be understood, nor can a rational man discover any important excellency in it. Him it promiseth, him it typifyth, him it teachth and prophesieth about, whim it calls all men to desire and expect. Th this is not the exaggeration of a theologian.

This is not the the hyperbole of an expositor, but the very truth that the Bible discloses for Owen to conclude anything other than that Christ is the great design of the Old Testament scripture, its enlivening spirit, its innermost substance, its organizing principle, is to make nonsense of its testimony, to misapprehend the divine intent, and to completely miss its glorious disclosure. The faithful Christian taught and stable in the word of God reads and confesses Christ as the scope of scripture. Of course, the the New Testament is is about the Lord Jesus Christ. But what Owen wants us to know, what what Christ and Peter before him want us to know is that the Old Testament is about Christ also.

That chapter after chapter, page after page, it points to Christ upon the cross. working out the salvation of men. All of the promises, all of the types, all of the washings, all of the ceremonies point to our blessed savior. The importance of our our knowledge of Christ is seen and that he is the the scope, the aim, the end, the design, the goal, the confluence of all the streams of of divine revelation.

Secondly, then we see the importance of our knowledge of Christ in the reality that Christ is the telos that is the appointed purpose and end goal of all creation and providence. He's not simply that that end and that center and that that vision point, that mark to which special revelation points, but the entirety of the cosmos and its upholding and sustaining is for Christ. You can turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Colossians. But one passage that speaks to this blessed truth in the introductory words, some of the first words of the apostle Paul in Colossians chapter 1, we we find this that according to the glorious mystery of the hypothatic union whereby Christ is very God and very man yet one Christ, he is also the reason for all things and all ages.

He's not not merely one character. Uh if we if we reflect upon the the history of the world, we could we could probably if we spent a measure of time, we could probably call to our minds a number of towering figures in the in the history of the world. We think about conquerors and and generals and and kings and and queens and and various heroes uh pol political geopolitical uh uh and and otherwise Christ when we consider the Lord Jesus Christ, he is not merely one character amongst these others in the history of the world, one towering figure amongst a multitude of them, however less esteemed the others may be. but that one to whom all things tend and in whom all things rest.

And we see this in your Bibles there in Colossians 1. Notice the language beginning at verse 13. Speaking of Christ, he has delivered us from the power of darkness that well speaking of the triune God and then moving into the reality of the the son of God considered as mediator. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him. And notice, and for him, you know, we we we may get we may get lost as Christians, and I would say rightly so, in in the splendor of this language that's opened up about Christ, of of him being the one who has brought all things into existence.

It's a it's a it's a glorious thing to contemplate and it's a glorious thing to think about. And we may in that miss this little this little two-word Greek phrase or two-word English phrase this for him that all of these things in heaven and on earth whether visible or invisible thrones dominions principalities or powers all of these things are for him. And so once again, it's not the preachers's exaggeration and it's not the the theologian's, you know, uh, poetical flourish to say that Christ is the very end of all things, the very telos, end goal of creation and providence. The apostle Paul here asserts to the saints in Colasse that all things were created in heaven and on earth.

But not only that, but that all things are for him. There is not one single thing that exists on the creation side of the creator creature divide that was not fashioned by the omnipotent hands of the son of God. And it it's it's not only that these things were made for the son of God with respect to his person, but also with respect to his work. CH Spurgeon preached this truth, what we may call the Christ and his cross purpose behind all things.

CH Spurgeon preached this on more than one occasion. And in one particular instance preaching on this Colossians text, he preached these words. Jesus is the key of the universe, its center and its explanation. Creation and history are enigmas which can only be understood in the light of the cross.

Calvary is the son of the universe. Stand there, believe in God, making propitiation for sin by the death of his son, and you can understand everything in the light that streams from Calvary. Get away from that great center, and you understand nothing. That Jesus is the key, the the clue, the the the guiding thread through the labyrinth of the history of the cosmos.

He is the one to whom all things point and in whom all things terminate. Our Lord Jesus. If we if if we um we just consider for a moment, we try to try to snatch our minds uh away from looming slumber and try to focus for a moment upon the the vast theater of of all created things. If we consider the the stars stretched out in in their m if we we can exhaust the the expanse uh of the universe in the night sky in a place away from the illuminating interferences of city lights and all of that sort of thing.

When you look up to the to the heavens uh you see the just the magnitude and and the glory of a stretched out creation. Uh when we consider the the sun appointed to to rule the day and the moon to rule the night, the mountains majestic in their strength and the valleys bed with their springing growth. When we think of the the many waters cast out and the innumerable things that are uh teeming in the oceans and in the seas, when we consider in in in our Bibles or just consider in our own contemplations the the myriad of of angels who are marshaled rank upon rank in their heavenly glory who in their particular created glory cannot look upon the glory of the triune God. When we consider all of these things, we're not to imagine all of those things as ends in themselves, variegated splenders, terminating upon their own beauty, but rather these things were made not only by the sun, but for him.

He is the reason for the whole creation, the end unto which every creature was ordained. And hopefully as we move to our third point now that hopefully you can feel the weight feels maybe not the the right term you can you can contemplate and grasp in a measure the weight of the glory of the knowledge of our savior. What a what a what a mercy that it is and what an evidence of grace and what a what a condescending thing it is not in the negative way but in the glorious way of God revealing to us what a wonderful thing it is to get to my point that we can as Christians know the one who has created all things. know the one who has sustained all things and who presently does and know the one who has called us forth from the darkness and madness of sin to life and light in him.

Thirdly, Christ is how do we know or wherein does the significance and the importance of our knowledge of Christ lie? We see it in the fact that Christ is the champion and mediator of the covenant of grace. He's the champion and mediator of the covenant of grace. The scriptural account of divine condescension.

That means God stooping down to our finitude and loneliness in order to communicate and engage in communion and make make contact with us. It's a it's actually a definition of covenant as it pertains to God and his dealings with men. Jim Renahan in his uh exposition of our confession of faith I believe citing qu Cox notes that covenants are the divinely chosen vehicle through which contact and communion are made by God with humanity. And so when we consider the scriptural account of that divine condes condescension, we see that it sets forth Christ as the covenant maker.

He is the son of God, the second of the blessed triune of one substance with him who begat him, equal in glory and in power. He is the covenant maker who condescends to take on the form of us covenant breakers so that as the the covenantally obedient covenant curse bearer he might bring many of us covenant breakers to glory. He is the champion that is the the the single combat vanquishing victor who brings a multitude of sons and daughters to glory by virtue uh of his perfect work. It's a the language that many have used, but CH Spurgeon uses it in his sermon on Christ in the wilderness.

When Christ goes out into the wilderness after the baptism, it uh many many preachers have have and theologians have noted that's an instance of single combat. You've heard this before if you've been around a while. It's an instance of single combat. In the in, you know, the the ancient days of military, we see this in more than one place in the Bible.

The most notable of which is David and Goliath where two opposing armies set out their champions in order to battle one against the other so that to to prevent amongst a number of other things to to prevent bloodshed on either side of the battle. A and so many see Christ go not not that you have to look far or look too deep because it's it's it's just there. Christ goes into the wilderness in an exercise of single combat against the devil. As Spurgeon would say, the lion of the tribe of Judah goes toe-to-toe against the the lion from the pit and emerges victorious.

He is the champion of the covenant of grace. That is, he secures our salvation by vanquishing the devil, sin, and death, that final enemy. Um, we don't need to turn in our Bibles to to Jeremiah 31:31-34, but I want you to turn to Matthew 26. And as you're turning there, we can reflect and remember what Jeremiah, that Jeremiah passage tells us.

It's the announcement of the new covenant. on our way to Matthew 26. The announcement in Jeremiah of the new covenant um is that promise that everyone in that unbreakable new covenant, that unbreakable covenant will know the Lord, that they will have the law redemptively written upon their hearts, that they will enjoy the that blessed Christian boon of the forgiveness of their sins. And in Matthew 26 during the inauguration of the Lord's supper, the institution of the Lord's supper, we read Christ addressing or identifying himself, if you will, as the champion of that promised and unbreakable covenant.

Notice verse 26 of 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat. This is my body." Then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins."

Abraham isn't the champion of the covenant of grace. Moses isn't the champion of the covenant of grace. David isn't the champion of the covenant of grace. Insert name here is not the champion of the covenant of grace.

There is one champion alone and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who in his shed blood ratifies the covenant perfectly and gloriously. Uh Hebrews chapter 8, you can turn there for only a brief moment. Remember what Hebrews is all about.

Hebrews is all about Jesus Christ as that superabounding excellent one to whom all of those articles of old covenant religion pointed to. The argument of the apostle Paul is don't don't go back to the prophets. Don't go back to the ministrations of angels. Don't go back to the ministrations of an earthly priesthood.

Don't go back to all of those old things because the new has come, the better has come. That's the language he uses most frequently concerning Christ and the realities of new covenant blessing. But notice in Hebrews 8 um at verse three, for every priest is appointed, every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary that this one Jesus also have something to offer.

For if you were on earth, you would not be a priest. Since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve the copy and the shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." But now he has obtained a much more a more excellent ministry in as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises. Here Jesus Christ is the hero, the champion, the language of scripture, mediator of the covenant of grace.

That better covenant better than the old covenant. This one who ratifies the promise. This one truly is the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel. And it's a blessing as Christians to know him.

So, it's a blessing as Christians to have a knowledge of this one because beforehand we were at enmity. We didn't care. We didn't we didn't want Christ. We didn't want to know of him.

We wanted to we we wanted to according to Christ's own words in in the Gospel of John, we wanted to hide from him who is the light. We loved the darkness rather than the light because our deeds were evil. We didn't want a knowledge of Christ. But now, having been brought forth by grace through faith to believe in him, it's the Christians joy to know this one who is the mediator of a better covenant.

Since receiving the blessings of that covenant of grace is the only way that humans can enjoy quote from our confession communion with God and comfortable dependence on him. And since Christ is the only one who has secured these blessings, it should be our joy and our reflex the the very joy and reflex of every believer to have an ever growing knowledge of him. Uh fourthly, we see the significance, the importance of our knowledge of Christ in that eternal life, eternal life hinges upon our the very knowledge of Jesus Christ. Eternal life hinges upon the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The holy scriptures which we have already observed testify to Christ as the scope of the whole of them as the tell us of all things. the end goal of all things and as the champion and mediator of the covenant of grace clearly set forth the fact that eternal life is bound up with indeed found in the knowledge of Christ's person. Remember that verse that pastor Butler would have treated many months ago in John 17. the the um sort of that departure discourse of the Lord Jesus Christ comes to a culmination in what has been called the high priestly prayer.

And we see in John 17 at verse three a very pointed statement. Um you know if you want a a definition we ask the Bible what is eternal life? Jesus gives us an answer. It's not shrouded.

It's not it's not some sort of weird ethereal gnostic thing that that only gurus can find are the from the blessed lips of the Lord Jesus Christ who only ever delivers verity and clarity. Though of course he does speak in parables uh so that certain things promised of God might come to pass. But notice in John 17 at verse three, clarity and glory. And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

The the savior with a plainness really that admits no dispute states that eternal life is seen in the knowledge of the triune God and in the knowledge of the incarnate son. a a Christianity that does not emphasize the importance of knowledge. Yes, the importance of Christian uh or excuse me, the importance of Christian doctrine is a deficient Christianity. To have eternal life means to know the one, the only living and true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to know the mediator, Jesus Christ.

I in the passage that our brother Steve read this morning prior to prior to the preaching of the word. Um there are two places there that speak to what we're talking about right now. The importance of the knowledge of Christ seen and that eternal life hinges upon knowing him. In in John 8, the the first verse that though there are more than these that speak to this truth, the Jesus Christ says in verse 12 of of John 8, then Jesus spoke to them again saying, I am the light of the world.

He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. You know, um th this idea of light, this reality of light, this truth concerning light, uh very often has to do with knowledge, with knowing, not with some sort of, you know, heartless, cold, detached knowing, but an in union with Christ, in communion with the triune God, knowing of the blessed truth. Christ is the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

And then notice a little later in the discourse, there is a proposition, a truth statement, something true of Christ that must be known in order to have this everlasting life. Verse 23, and he said to them, you are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world.

I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. Notice, for if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. The Christian believes the uh the indisposable and necessary truth that Christ the son of God is God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father, through whom all things were made.

If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. Turn with me if you're able to to First John. So that's John's gospel. Let's have a look at the testimony of some of his epistles or one in particular, 1 John.

Notice in 1 John 2 at verse 22, who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the father and the son. Whoever denies the son does not have the father either. He who acknowledges the son has the father also.

And then first John 4 notice pointedly with regards to Jesus Christ. We just noted that the Christian must and joyfully does. It is the very ref reflex of his Christian breath to say that Jesus Christ is the I am of the Old Testament. Just as well he is the one who has assumed our flesh.

Notice verse two of 1 John 4. By this you know the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.

So Jesus Christ says that eternal life is in the knowledge of the triune God and in the knowledge of him. And that knowledge is not just some weird ethereal spiritually ambiguous knowing but a very pointed knowing of who this Christ is. very God and very man, yet one Christ and the only mediator between God and man. If Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life, the only way to the father, John 14:6, if there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, Acts 4:12, If there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5, If every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places is in Christ.

Ephesians 1:5. Think about that for a moment. And and and it, you know, it's a it's a statement that is delivered very, you know, very quickly in that long sentence that Paul gives to the the churches at Ephesus. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

If you thought about that for a moment, first with just the the every reality, every spiritual blessing that we have as Christians, from from the the fact and the reality of election and predestination all the way through the blessed scheme and economy of salvation to our final glory, all of those things are are in Christ. See, it should it not then be our heartbeat uh uh our very life's breath to know the one who is the very blessed foundation of all our spiritual blessings. If all of those things are true, then the knowledge of him is of inestimable worth and of the highest importance. It should be our resolute determination as believers to have an ever growing knowledge of the glory of his person and the blessedness of his of his work.

Um I I think what we'll what we'll do if the congregation is okay with it is close with a couple reflections and continue that this evening. I was going to continue the the Galatians the treatment of Galatians 5, but we'll we'll move that to to next Lord's Day. In in closing, because we're running out of time, uh I I want us to to consider a a few things and then we'll close with regards to the importance of our knowing of Christ. It it's said by the apostle Peter to us who believe he is precious.

Christ Christ is precious. that that that altogether lovely one is to be delightful to the eyes of faith to the soul of believing uh of the Christian. And so just three things to consider with regards to this. First, we ought to highly value our time with Christ.

What does that mean? Our our time with Christ. Our our confession sums it up this way. in private families daily and more solemnly in the public assemblies.

We we ought to highly value our time with Christ. The Bible says that this Christ who we are to know and joyfully so walks amongst his his lampstands. He's in the the midst of his churches right now. He's not here according to his assumed humanity that's at the right hand of the majesty on high.

But by virtue of his omniresence and what Turretin may call his covenantal manifestation and the reality that he sends his spirit to be in our midst, Christ is here with us right now. That's something uh we we can't wrap our minds around but that we ought to know and that we ought to glory in. Christ is here and he is the object of worship, the one through whom our worship is given and the one who is uh the very worship leader of the gathered church. We're to highly value our time with Christ in the private families daily, but more solemnly and yes, more importantly in the public assemblies.

When we gather as a church, we're reading a word that testifies to Christ. We're preaching a word that testifies to Christ. We're singing the psalms that are the very prayers of Christ. We're singing the psalms uh uh those of which Christ is the very subject and object, the one who is the precious one.

When we uh when we engage in prayer, our prayer is not going to some sort of ambiguous deity. Our prayer is going to father, son, and holy spirit through the mediation of Christ to whom it is our prayers are raised acceptably to the triune God. We ought to secondly keep growing in our knowledge of Christ. The if he is the most glorious subject that ever there was, then we ought to spend a little bit of time on on knowing the preciousness of this one who is our savior.

Again, it we're Christians. It's in our name. Our religion is Christianity. And so, we are to know the one who is the very aonomous source of our pilgrim existence.

And we are lastly to believe in Christ. If you're here and you're outside of Christ, young or old, here right now, outside of Christ, the the call is to believe in him. Right now, you're you're without hope and you you don't know him. If you remain in opposition and at enmity with him in damning unbelief, you you'll have a knowledge of him in the future.

I it won't be that blessed and joyful and saving knowledge, but it will be the knowledge of one so glorious and majestic in his wrath that you will want to hide yourselves in uh in the rocks and in the trees from the wrath of the one who is altogether glorious. the one who is the judge of the living and the dead. The the scriptures hold forth the promise of this Christ who is the savior for sins, the savior for sinners. The one who came into this world to save us from death, hell, the devil, and from the punishment due for the violation of so holy a God.

So do not leave without confessing this Christ as your own. Blessed to know, glorious to know, so joyful to know this Christ who has saved us from such a thing. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your truth.

We rejoice in your goodness to us that we can reflect upon the glories of our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do help us as Christians to to know this Christ, to to spend time with him, whether in private families daily or more solemnly in the public assemblies. And we pray that we would read of him from the holy scriptures that we would avail uh of even theological treatments that disclose devotional treatments that that disclose the riches and the excellencies of Jesus Christ our savior and might because it is possible only with you every single tongue leave this place singing the praises of our precious Christ. We thank you for the salvation that you have afforded us by grace.

We thank you for the victories of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we would pray that a multitude of newly redeemed tongues across the world this day would sing the praises of so great, a king of kings and lord of lords. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen.

Our closing doxology will be exactly that. 568 the do the doxology. Let's stand and sing. Praise God.

All blessings. Praise him in all creatures. Praise him above the heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.

Now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now made manifest and by the prophetic scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God. For obedience to the faith, to God alone wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Well, please be seated.

We'll have a brief time of prayer. When the piano is finished, you're dismissed.