Great and awesome God, we do trust that You will speak through Your Word today. Father, we thank You. You have already spoken to us this morning. You've spoken to us clearly through Your Word and reminded us that we need not ever envy the wicked who seem to be living it up on this earth. Father, thank You for the truth You've given us. I pray You would continue Open your word in our hearts and our minds that we would continue to be renewed in how we think so we'd be different in how we live for the sake of Christ Jesus and for your glory. We pray all these things in Christ's name. Amen. Good morning, Grace Fellowship Church. Today is June 1st. And I want to address something that we will all come across this month, if we already haven't, even today. I have this morning, somebody greeted me and reminded me, jokingly, where's our pride flag? This is pride month in this country, made up by sinful man, this thing, this month, that some have declared, starting with Bill Clinton back in 1999, he said that June was gay and lesbian pride month. And then Barack Obama annually proclaimed from 99 through 16 that this is Pride Month. And then Joe Biden declared it LGBTQ and Pride Month in 2021. Now, Donald Trump, he doesn't recognize this and no proclamation is made. But you will certainly see this alluded to. If you haven't already, you will. Brother Corey, the very flag that was flying out of the place he worked was because June was Pride Month and that began this flag being flown. We obviously know this is wicked on many levels. And we all have this desire to minister to people that would not see the wickedness of the whole gamut of what Pride Month entails, the colors, the flag, the statement. I think we all understand and I want us to understand that that pride, God hates pride. And if we're going to minister to people about something as heinous as Pride Month, we ought to make sure that we're not proud people about anything. Proverbs 16, 18, pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Well, we'll stand back and say, that pride, you're going to be destroyed because of that pride. All of your pride is going to come crashing down upon you when you stand before God and answer for the ways you're celebrating these things that he hates. James and Peter both say God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. There is not, pride is nothing that is acceptable before the Lord. There are a couple of things that we see in the New Testament that pride is taken in. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. So you're going to boast, boast in the Lord. Romans 15, beginning in verse 14. I myself, Paul says, am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, and able to instruct one another. But at some points I have written to you very boldly by the way of reminding you because of the grace given me by God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and by deed. Paul says, I have some pride. I have some pride in what God's doing through me to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. So pride is nothing that God has for us. If we're going to boast, we are to boast in the Lord. And God looks down and laughs at the rulers of this world that would make something as detestable as LGBTQ a month we're supposed to be proud of, or they're supposed to allow pride in. But he also hates our pride. I know I step on toes sometimes. I have a really hard time with people that tell me they're proud to be an American and want to yell about the flag that somebody else is flying. We don't take pride in anything but the Lord. If we're going to boast, we boast in the Lord. And if we go to these people in our pride, in our arrogance, and we want to tell them how horrible their flag is, we better check ourselves for our own pride. and the things that we're proud of. Proud of our straightness. There's not one in here that's not sexually immoral. Not one. But God. The person that's proud because they've never been gay. Take no pride in your sexual immorality that came out in other ways. Boast in the Lord who saved you from your sexual immorality before you start judging those who are flying this wicked flag. God opposes the proud. He gives grace to the humble. Do not be proud as you fight against pride. Amen? But God boasted what he's done, boasted who he is, boasted his truths. and how they affect your life and my life and the lives of the people that we care about, that are headed to hell because of their pride in something God hates so very much. Okay, turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter. 1 Peter, we're in chapter 1, we'll be in verses 10 through 12 today. And I'm hopeful that today we all walk away understanding the supreme glory of salvation. I wrestled a lot with the title because the title to me isn't even clear, but it's the best I could come up with about the supreme glory of salvation. This is the thing that we ought most to focus on as we live our Christian lives is salvation. It's what Peter is drawing the attention to of these people. But before he says to go on how to live, he says this is why you live that way concerning this great salvation. So please stand and I'll read verses 10-12 of 1 Peter 1. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully. Inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but you. And the things that have been now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things into which angels long to look. You may be seated. Just this morning we sang a couple of hymns that spoke to the glory of God in creation. How creation is so God-glorifying. The glory of God in a sunrise or a sunset. We'll be driving around in the car and my daughter will constantly want to point out to my wife and I the beautiful sunrise or sunset. And she attributes that to God. God is glorified by those beautiful images that He creates. Well, I went to school at the University of Colorado, as most of you know, and I remember I lived in Louisville my last two years, and I remember driving into Boulder every day to go to class or to basketball practice, and I would be driving into the Rocky Mountains, and they were breathtaking, glorious. I didn't know it then or didn't think of it. I probably knew it then. I didn't know it, but not consciously that that was God's creation and it was glorious. I remember, you know, going out to the mountains to, to Cal and Brenda's cabin. And, and I remember going out there and just looking out over the vast array, the one view they have from their living room. And before it was even their home, we went down to that place to look out, just glorious, breathtaking, all created by God. The glory of God in the creation of human beings. The design of how a baby is knit together, and the ways we come from this thing that looks like a tadpole, and the image of God, we're grown and made into this thing, and then the human eye and how it works, all glorious things. God is greatly glorified and to be praised because of all these things he's do. The parting of the Red Sea, the glory of God. The feeding of 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. Glory. Glorious things. Daniel being in a lion's den and preserved. What a glorious act of God. But none of these things can even compare with the glory brought to God by the salvation of his people. Just this morning, Pastor Jason took us through Psalm 73 and was showing us that we have something far greater. What is that? Heaven. Glory. Far greater than anything here that we see wicked people enjoy or be blessed by. There is no reality that brings more glory to God than the reality of our salvation. That is the supreme glory of God is salvation of His people. And that is what Peter is going to get at in this passage. He's showing us that, well, first of all, I want us to think about this as we go through today. Do we actually meditate on and think about how great this salvation truly is? This salvation that he's been explaining, Peter's been explaining in the first nine verses. The things we've looked at for the last couple, three weeks. Dwelling on this reality, do we jump for joy in all circumstances? The Old Testament prophets, Peter says, the New Testament apostles, the Holy Spirit, and even the angels. See the supreme glory of God in the salvation of his people. Peter is writing this to encourage and give hope and put steel in the spines of his listeners. God's elect exiles. And I'm hopeful that's what he'll do today for us. In Ephesians 1, the glory of God in this salvation, Paul talks about, blessed be the God and Father who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing, even before he chose us. And he goes on to say, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, this salvation, to the praise of his glorious grace, the epitome of his grace, the epitome of his glory, this salvation that we received. This inheritance we have obtained, he says in verse 12 again, so that we who are first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. Who is the guarantee of our inheritance, the Holy Spirit, until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. The supreme glory of salvation. Salvation being the pinnacle of God's graciousness, His glory. What all His creation points to, is the salvation of His people. So Peter begins this sentence, concerning this salvation. This salvation, whereas God's elect exiles, those who are foreigners living in a land that's not our home. We've been born again to a living hope. We are new creations. This salvation that caused us to be new creations with this hope of eternity that is always alive, alive even now. This salvation has caused us to have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven. It's being kept in heaven where no one can touch it. The defilement of this earth, the darkness of this earth, the perishability of this earth, none of that can touch this inheritance we have. This is the salvation he's talking about. The salvation is going to reveal to us in the last time. And it's guarded by the power of God through faith. We are being guarded for this salvation. The salvation that has us jump for joy, even as our faith is tested, because we know these trials that make us sorrowful are simply proving the validity of our faith and of our future. And so we jump for joy as they come. And even though we don't yet see Jesus, we've not seen Jesus and we don't see Jesus, we fully believe in him and we trust in him and we love him. This is the salvation. This is the salvation that Peter is talking about. The salvation that caused us to jump for joy with gladness that is inexpressible and full of heavenly focus. this salvation that we're experiencing even now, the salvation of our souls, what a great reality salvation is. Concerning this salvation, Peter says, and he's emphasized so far the the results of our salvation, that's what he's emphasized, but what is it that we are saved from? You see, if I'm drowning in the river and I am going under and I can't swim, and someone throws me a life preserver and saves me, I am saved from drowning. There's something I am saved from. Well, this salvation that we're looking at, this salvation that Peter's talking about, what have we been delivered from? Why can we jump for joy at all the trials now that sadden us? Romans 5, for while we were still weak and at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. for one who will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Concerning this salvation, this salvation, we are saved from the wrath of God. the just punishment for our sins. Eternal torment and damnation, we're saved from that. First Thessalonians 1, 9, For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. We are delivered from, saved from the wrath of God, his violent, righteous, settled rage against our sins. Delivered from that. Colossians 1, he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We are saved from the dominion or the domain of darkness. We are saved from the darkness of eternal hell, brought in to the light of his son. Romans 6, we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing. so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin, for one who has died has been set free from sin. We have been set free from, we have been delivered from, we have been saved from sin even now. We are no longer slaves of sin because of this great salvation. Jump for joy. Concerning this salvation, The prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours. The Old Testament prophecy about God's gracious salvation. This salvation is so glorious that this is what the prophets prophesied about. The grace of the salvation that is to be yours, he's saying to these, to be ours. Isaiah 12, two, behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and will not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and my song, and it has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. What is this salvation that Isaiah is prophesying about? He didn't know, but the Holy Spirit had him write about this salvation, prophesying about what would be yours to these elect exiles, ours. Isaiah 45, 18, for thus says the Lord who created the heavens, he is God, who formed the earth and made it, he established it, he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, there is no other. I did not speak in secret in a land of darkness. I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, seek me in vain. I, the Lord, speak the truth, I declare what is right. Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, you survivors of the nations. Survivors of the nations. Survivors of those who would be saved from all the nations. They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols and put up pride flags and keep on praying to a God they cannot save. Declare and present your case. Let them take counsel together. Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there's no other God besides me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. Turn to me and be saved, God says through Isaiah. There's this salvation that he's prophesying about that he would never see with his own earthly eyes. Isaiah 49.6, he says, In other words, it's too small a thing just to be for Jacob and his tribes, just for Israel. Salvation in all parts of the earth is coming, says Isaiah. Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52.7, the messianic psalm, Isaiah 52. Isaiah 32.10, Joel 2.32, There is salvation coming Joel says there's salvation coming to Jerusalem. There's salvation coming for those who God calls. Zechariah 9.9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you. Righteous and having salvation is He. humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The prophet Zechariah, he's prophesying about a king who would bring salvation. He'd come riding in Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. The prophets were prophesying about salvation. Concerning this salvation, Peter says, the salvation I've just described, the prophets wrote about it. They prophesied about it. This thing that would be yours, that you've now obtained, elect exiles. When Jesus himself preached in the synagogue, he opened the Old Testament, he opened the book of Isaiah, the prophets, Luke 4, 16, and he came to Nazareth where he'd been brought up and was as is custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He enrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of the sight of the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all the synagogue were fixed upon him. And he began to say to them, today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." This salvation, this salvation that Peter has talked about was prophesied in the Old Testament. Jesus pointed to Old Testament prophecy to say, I am the fulfillment of this salvation. that was promised, prophesied by. Now not only did they prophesy, these prophets prophesied about this salvation, this Messiah. The Old Testament prophets searched diligently for the who and when of God's grace appearing. So these prophets prophesied of these things. And they didn't know what they were talking about, and they tried to dig in to figure out the who and the when of this grace that would be appearing. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, Isaiah and Zechariah and Joel and Moses and Samuel and Micah, all the way from Moses to Malachi. This salvation, our salvation, the prophets prophesied about this grace that was to be yours. They searched and inquired carefully. Both, one means to exert considerable effort in care and learning. The other, seek diligently, seek intently, inquire carefully. It is just basically repeating a word here. Understand this, this salvation is so glorious that these prophets who are prophesying about this salvation, they were searching and seeking diligently. searching and seeking diligently, they were finding out this salvation was so, so important, so much the pinnacle, that they were diligently digging into their own writings, their own prophecies about this grace, inquiring what person or time. They're looking at these prophecies to find the who and the when, this Messiah, this salvation. You see, Salvation was so important. This Messiah coming was so important. These prophets, that's what they spent their time trying to figure out. What is it? Who is it and when? This salvation is so glorious that that's what they spent their time on. This salvation, I'm afraid we don't focus on all that often. But that's what they were focused on. When would this salvation arrive and who would be the one to bring it? They desperately wanted to know. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating. This salvation is so important that what the Holy Spirit was doing was giving these prophets these prophecies indicating this thing's coming. The Spirit of God, the message he's bringing is there's salvation coming. The Spirit of Christ in them, in the prophets, was indicating. The Spirit of God was speaking. 2 Peter 1.21, For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was giving these prophets the prophecies about this coming Messiah, the salvation of God. And because the prophets didn't know through whom or when this salvation would come, they sought carefully looking for what the Spirit of God was indicating in them. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating, when He, the Holy Spirit, predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories." The sufferings of Christ that we see in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, the sufferings that He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our inequities. He was smitten by God and afflicted. He was crushed by God Himself. He was forsaken by God the Father. He was mocked and beaten by sinful men. All of these sufferings, the prophets wanted to know who and when. The Spirit was giving these prophecies about the sufferings of Christ. And they didn't make sense to them. They didn't know. They wouldn't see. They couldn't see. They were being, the Holy Spirit was speaking through them about these coming things, and this salvation was so valuable and so important, the coming Messiah was so much the focus, this is what these prophets studied to try to figure out. This salvation that they were so intent on studying and digging into, figuring out the word of God, the who and when, that I'm afraid we often take for granted. This salvation, this salvation was so important that the Holy Spirit prophesied about it and the prophets themselves dug in to try to figure it out. You see, we give glory to God for the sunshine and we should. God is glorified in the creation of a baby and he should be glorified. How the human eye works is an incredible thing. What a brilliant God. What great glory to God because of this creation. It pales in comparison to the glory of God and the saving of His people. That is the pinnacle of the glory of God. This is what the prophets were digging into. Knowing who this Messiah was. Knowing who this suffering servant would be. And when He would come. when He, the Holy Spirit, predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. The sufferings of Christ, the Messiah, the salvation of God, was going to suffer and then subsequently there would be glories. Like they were looking out and they were seeing this first suffering, this advent of this Messiah where He would suffer and then looking farther out He would have glory. There would be glories that would come. Who is He and when is He coming? The subsequent glory, Psalm 2, 6-9, The glory that will be His, this coming Messiah, He was going to suffer and then He was going to reign. Who and when? These prophets wanted to know. The Spirit is guiding us. In Isaiah 53, we see the glories of the many accounted as righteous because of his sufferings. Psalm 110, he's now sitting at the right hand in heaven. So the Holy Spirit is indicating via these Old Testament prophets of the suffering and subsequent glories of the salvation of God, the Messiah. This is what, remember we looked at this in Luke not too long ago, when Jesus is on the road to Emmaus talking to two disciples. And he said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus in interpreting the scriptures to the men on the road to Emmaus said look the Old Testament is full of Prophecy about the suffering which you just saw this Jesus of Nazareth go through and then his future glories This This was so important to these prophets, that they were prophesying these things, not fully understanding them and digging in to see this great salvation. A salvation that we too often take for granted, I'm afraid. Matthew 13, 17, Jesus tells His apostles, For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. These Old Testament prophets through whom the Holy Spirit indicated the who and the when of salvation the supreme manifestation of God's glory. These prophets were diligently searching for what their own prophecies meant. The apostles and these people saw and they heard. The Messiah, the Christ, Jesus himself, the fulfillment of all of God's grace in the salvation of his people, they saw. the salvation that came through Jesus Christ. This is what the prophets were seeking. They wanted to see so desperately. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. These prophets prophesying about the coming Messiah, not knowing who or when, that's what they're digging in. Who's it going to be? When he's coming? It's important to remember what are these prophets looking for? They're not looking for anything as they're digging in, but this great salvation. Because that is the ultimate glory of God. The most gracious act of God is salvation. How, when, who was what they longed to know. The who and when revealed by the New Testament preachers. It was revealed to them, these Old Testament prophets, who were diligently seeking who and when, seeking this great salvation, that they were serving not themselves, but you. The Old Testament prophets would never see what these elect exiles saw, would never see what the apostles saw, would never see what you and I saw. They would never see the answers manifest to the who and when that they were diligently seeking. In the things that now, that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you. Uangaliso, to tell the good news. In the things, so it was revealed to these Old Testament prophets, they weren't serving themselves. In other words, they were prophesying about something they would never see. even though they dug in to try to find it. Who and when? These things that have now been announced to you through those who bring you the good news, the evangelists, those who evangelize to you. The answers of the mysteries of the glorious grace, this gracious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. This man, this God-man born of a woman, the Messiah, Yeshua, His name, Jesus, Yeshua, God who saves. This was announced to these people through those who preached the good news. What is it that the New Testament apostles or evangelists talked about? They talked about this great salvation. That was the message they went out with. They didn't go out with any other message. They went out with a message of salvation. That's how important This is. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but you and the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Once again, this this gospel, this salvation being talked about Jesus Christ, so important that the Holy Spirit has empowered these New Testament apostles to tell you this good news. And what news are they going to tell you? about salvation to be found through Jesus Christ, this salvation. They did not preach anything different by the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1.8, but you, the apostles, will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the end of the earth. The Holy Spirit will enter you, and then you will have the fullness of the gospel, the full message, and the power to go out and tell people. And these elect exiles reading Peter's letter They were the result of them going out to the ends of the earth. Acts 4.31, and when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Paul, who was informed and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, brought the good news of salvation to God's elect as well. 1 Corinthians 2, and when I came to you, brothers, When I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified and making Israel great again. Now he doesn't say that, does he? I came knowing nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's the good news that I came to tell, Paul says. That is what's important here. Salvation, this salvation that Peter's writing about. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. And my speech and my message were not plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." The message of salvation brought to you by Paul, Paul says, but was by the power of God, the Holy Spirit. How glorious this salvation is to be brought by the Holy Spirit to his people. This is the message that they preached. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, For we know, brothers, loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel, the good news, came to you, not only in word, but also in the power and in the Holy Spirit with full conviction. It was revealed to them, Old Testament prophets, they were serving not themselves, but you in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you. by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. 2 Timothy 1.8, therefore go, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. Paul's telling Timothy he would suffer for the gospel. This salvation that comes through the gospel would be what Paul, Timothy, and all of the apostles would suffer for. What would they suffer for? The gospel, the good news that would bring what? This salvation that Peter's talking about, born again to a living hope. With an inheritance kept in heaven that keeps us jumping for joy in our trials because it's this salvation. This is what they came to talk about. The Old Testament prophets, the Old Testament prophets, they prophesied the message of the Holy Spirit about this great salvation. They diligently inquired into the who and the when of this salvation. The New Testament apostles would suffer for the message about this salvation. This glory, this grace of God, the pinnacle of God's glory to be found in salvation. This is what was important and what they talked about. This salvation. are the things into which angels long to look. The angels stooped down to see salvation. This salvation, the thing the prophets prophesied about, the things that the Holy Spirit via the apostle revealed to God's people, this salvation were things into which angels long, the word means desire very much, angels desire very much to look. The word, paracupto, para, beside, cupto, bend forward, stoop. Look into, desire to learn. The picture is the angels stoop down. They look down. And what are they looking down for? Salvation. They're looking down to see salvations take place. This is what they're longing to look into, this great salvation that you've obtained by the grace of God, elect exiles. This is what they're so anxious to see, Luke 5, 15, 7, just so I tell you, that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15, 10. Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angel of God over one sinner who repents. The angels rejoice over one sinners who repents. The angels look down. I get this picture of the angels looking down. They're stooping down to witness a salvation. And then high fives and cheering ensue anytime someone's saved. Louder, louder cheers than when the Packers score a touchdown to win the Super Bowl. Louder cheers than that in heaven. Every time they see a salvation, they look down, ooh, in Davenport, Iowa, look, there's another one. Praise the Lord, hallelujah. They're cheering and they're slapping high fives. Ooh, look, there's one in Seattle, Kenya. And they're praising God. Ooh, look, there's one in West Liberty. There's one everywhere. And they're praising God for what? The salvation of one more soul. It's so important, this salvation that you've received. The angels look down to see it and rejoice over it. The prophets longed to see the who and the when. The New Testament apostles, they suffered for this gospel. It's so, this salvation, this message, this salvation that you have, that you have, Kathy, it's so valuable. This is how the Spirit of God, this is the message the Spirit of God has brought. This is how important it is. The angels are cheering every time they see one. Revelation 7, 9. as I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. Salvation, this rejoicing over salvation will take place for all eternity. This salvation that you obtained, it's yours for all eternity. This salvation the prophets looked for and longed to know, he's appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation, the supreme glory of God. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be our search inquired carefully. and crying what person or time the spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. The Old Testament prophets, they prophesied and searched carefully concerning salvation. The who and the when the Messiah would come and suffer and then be glorified. They didn't study diligently to find a better earthly nation. They didn't look into the Scriptures to find health, wealth, and prosperity for God's people. They were looking for the Messiah. They were looking for the manifestation of the glory of God in the salvation of His people. That's what they were looking for. They weren't even looking to see how beautiful sunsets would be in the future. Or they weren't looking to see the glory of God and the creation of a human being. Or how the eye works. They were looking and studying to see this salvation. Verse 12, it was revealed to them. the Old Testament prophets, that they were not serving themselves, but you, that they would never see the salvation of God with their earthly eyes. In the things, the full gospel, Jesus, his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension, that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you. The New Testament apostles who preached the good news, they didn't suffer and preach for Telling people of a better life now. They didn't preach, make Israel a Christian nation. They preached the good news of salvation via Jesus Christ, one person at a time. Those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. The Holy Spirit indicated the prophecies through the Old Testament prophets and then enlightened and empowered the New Testament apostles or evangelists to proclaim the message of this salvation. Things into which angels long to look. Angels looking for salvations that they can rejoice in. Not looking at nations rising and falling. Not more of God's laws being implemented in a certain landmass. That's not what they're looking for. They're looking for salvations. Not looking for more power or wealth for God's people. Oh, there's another one in Davenport! Praise God! Hallelujah! Salvation belongs to the Lord! Oh look, in Siaya, Kenya, another person saved! Hallelujah! Salvation is the most glorious thing that God does. Of all His glories, it is the supreme glory of God, the salvation of His people. And that's what the angels longed to see. That's what the prophets wanted to know about. That's what the New Testament preachers suffered and died for. And salvation is the reason for the Incarnation. Salvation is the reason for the Incarnation. Jesus came to save sinners. Luke 19.10, for the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. Again, He didn't come for a better life now. While He's the best model we could ever follow, He didn't come to give a model of how to live your earthly life. He came to seek and save the lost. And how will He do that now? With the gospel going forth from those of us who have seen the goodness of God and salvation, who've experienced it. 1 Timothy 1.15, the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of who I am the foremost. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in Him is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Jesus didn't come to bring greatness to America or to Israel or to England or any landmass. Jesus didn't come to bring health and wealth and prosperity or better life now for His people. Jesus came to bring salvation. Salvation, the supreme glory of God. This is what the Old Testament prophets longed to understand and to witness. This is what the New Testament apostles suffered to deliver. And this is what the angels longed to see. This salvation, Peter says, this salvation he's just described in the first nine verses. Concerning that salvation, closing thought. Of all that God has done in creation and throughout history, nothing displays his glory more fully than salvation. This salvation, the grace of God that is now ours, beloved, is what the prophets longed to understand, what the apostles boldly proclaimed, and what the angels longed to witness. Salvation is the supreme glory of God, which is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Let us never treat it lightly. Let us live in awe and gratitude and in full devotion to the one who saved us for his glory. One of my hopes, one of my thoughts is we actually treat salvation too lightly. We often focus on the glory of God in many other areas, which is appropriate. and right and good, but we don't focus on the glory of God in salvation. I'm talking to my oldest daughter, so many temporal issues she has, so many things that she's struggling with, and my message to her is to point her back to Jesus Christ, to which she wants answers now. My answers now won't do you much good. I have one answer for you. And his name is Jesus Christ. And then you could rejoice in these trials. But you see, making her life better now, while I really would like to do that, that isn't focusing on the glory of God's salvation. Do we actually see this salvation in the ways Peter's describing this salvation? That it would lead us to, like the prophets, this is what they desired to know about. This is what the New Testament apostles and disciples and evangelists, this is what they suffered for and died for, was for the gospel, for the sake of the elect. This is what the angels long to see. Let's participate in that. Let's elevate salvation, our own, that we then could be joyful in all things, in all these trials. That we then could remember the main thing we have to give people is the message of the forgiveness of their sins to be found in Jesus Christ. That's what we really have to give them. more than anything else. To God be the glory of great things he has done. So love you the world he gave us his son. Let's stand and sing hymn 19. To God be the glory. Hymn number 19.