The sermon tonight comes from Matthew chapter 17. Please join me there. When I was preparing for my presbytery exam, knowledge of the English Bible, there was a study guide that was given out and I went through and I simply learned the study guide, thinking that would be adequate. When they asked me the questions, the examiner worked from the study guide. And so I literally knew every question that was asked of me, chapter and verse. It looked very impressive until someone said, did someone give him this exam? And he said, well, I gave him the study guide. And so then I looked very unimpressive in that moment. There is a list of passages that went through that were considered significant that every minister ought to know where they are. The transfiguration was one of those things. It's this exalted experience, this exalted thing that has happened. There's a wrestling and struggling, trying to work out what exactly are we supposed to understand from this? What exactly are we to do with this? When I work through a verse, sometimes when a story is being told, a narrative in the Bible, for me, sometimes that's the hardest thing to preach from. There's a story, and then you're supposed to tell people what to do based on a story. Well, stories can have, they have multiple layers, they have multiple meanings, and yet we're not supposed to over-spiritualize things, and I'm not supposed to say, oh, he was on a mountain, and a mountain represents this, and therefore this, and these people went, and so therefore this, and as I struggled and wrestled and went through, sometimes I'll have to go look and see. Is there something specific that we're being told to do in the midst of the story? Well, there's a good way to apply the scripture. If you're being told something to do in the midst of the scripture, that's the application. You should go ahead and do that. Well, in Matthew 17, we see a specific voice being announced, and the voice says, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. So we're gonna look carefully at Christ. We're gonna look at who he is. We're going to be looking at what he has said in the ways that you and I are to listen to him. Matthew chapter 17. Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud said, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, get up and do not be afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, tell the vision to no one until the son of man has risen from the dead. And the disciples asked him, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? And he answered and said, Elijah is coming and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah already came and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the son of man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist. Pray with me. Our Father, as you have placed us in history here and now, we are part of a great train rolling along from the past, from everlasting to everlasting. Bless us as we look to the past, seeing what you have said, seeing what you have done, and seeing our place now. as we look to Christ, what he has said, what he has done, and what he would do in us, and what we all look forward to, Christ's return. Our Father, bless us now as we look to Christ, as we hope to follow him, as we hope to glorify you, as we walk in newness of life. Bless us now and speak to us by your Son, It is in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Listening to God's son, our first step is trust Jesus' providence. Providence is specifically what God has provided, what he is providing. He gives to us, he acts with a specific discretion throughout history and currently in our lives. In verse one, six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. There is a level of discretion to Jesus's providence. He doesn't speak all things to everyone all at once. We see even in the midst of the 12, he would pull out three and lead them away on a high mountain by themselves. We follow Christ's teaching, we also follow Christ's example. This is an example of prudence, discretion, and wisdom. As Jesus spoke to the disciples, even following what had taken place, he speaks to them about prudence at that time. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead. Every gift is not right for every man. Everything that is spoken doesn't need spoken to everyone. Everything is not to be distributed. In your own life, there is a necessary level of discretion and a necessary level of prudence. All information is not for anyone, but some information is for someone, or every bit of information is for someone. Jesus, even in the midst of his disciples, was dealing with people whom he had given specific gifts, specific rights, and specific things that they were to do. It is also the case in the midst of the church. 1 Corinthians 12, 17 through 20, if the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? We are arranged by our gifts with different responsibilities, with different works to do, and different jobs to do. Ephesians 4, 11 through 16 describes this as well. He gave gifts, or he gave offices, or he gave responsibilities to people. You have been given a work, you have been given a job, you have been given a position in this life. Acts 17, 26, he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation. You are intentionally placed where you are with specific gifts, specific abilities, and specific work to be doing. Ephesians 2.10, you are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for works that he prepared beforehand that you would walk in them. I invite you to be encouraged by that Some of us feel as if we are an accident or our life is an accident. Some of us feel as if we have messed up so badly by this point in our lives that we've ruined God's plan for us. This is never the case. It's never the case. Some people even get to the sad, sad place where they think God is done with them and they should go ahead and take their own lives. This is never the case. It's never the case. You are where you are on purpose. You are who you are on purpose. The gifts you have been given are specifically on purpose for good works that you will be walking in them. First Thessalonians 1, 2 through 4, we give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers, constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren, beloved by God, His choice of you. This is the reality of your life your life here and your eternity. Jesus Christ is specific and purposeful in all that he does. Tied to his choice of you, Ephesians 1, 4, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him. You and I have been given necessary roles in life, necessary roles in the church. Doing our part can be extremely broad, as broad as loving God and loving our neighbor, but doing your part can also be very specific. There are people that God have placed in your life within the boundaries of your reach that you are responsible for. Think for a moment of the term responsibility, response, ability. you are able to respond to some people around you. You have a response ability to reach those people who are near to you, to do the work that Christ has given you to do as you have been placed specifically where you are. Now there will certainly be discouragement and disappointment. We would like every seed that we plant to grow. every seed that we water to grow. We would like the people that we try very hard to love to respond in a reciprocal way and love us back. We can look at Christ and see that even with him who did all things well, we will not always enjoy that fruit in our lives. Jerusalem rejected Jesus. and was destroyed for it. We work and we labor and we love in the name of Christ with goodwill, we render service as if to the Lord and not to men. We see the hope and the joy and the glory that we labor for. is more than the fruit that we would see from the people that we're just able to reach and water and feed and care for and pray for and love and bless. In Psalm 16, 11, you will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand, there are pleasures forever. Even the discouragement and disappointments, the rejections that we face, God uses these two together for good, for you, if you love him, if you are called according to his purposes. Even though we have the opportunity for full discouragement and full disappointment from time to time, we do also have the hope of Psalm 27, 13, and 14 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. We have the full hope and full expectation that Christ will be using every sorrow, every grief. We will indeed sow in tears and we will indeed reap with joy. It is our hopeful expectation. It is likely that we won't have everything we want. Are you surprised? But it is certain you will have everything you need and everything you need to glory in the Lord forever. Be encouraged. Be encouraged by that. So our next step, number two, is apply necessary prudence and discretion. Verse one, again, six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. Then following, verse nine, as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, tell the vision to no one until the son of man has risen from the dead. What would it be like to be Peter, James and John walking down the mountain with Jesus? You just saw him go nearly full glory in their presence. You just saw Moses. You just saw Elijah. The cloud just came and God just spoke to them and they come down and everybody says, so what'd he say? And they have to say, sorry, can't tell ya. What is that situation? How do you bear that? How do you deal with that? Well, it is necessary in life. Everything you know, you are not to be telling to people. Even matters of your own heart. You can't be sharing your heart with everyone. There are things that will create Ties, emotional ties. There are things that if you speak in the presence of someone, even though you may imagine that they are wise now, might show themselves a fool later. And speak out of turn. It is a dangerous place. We see here Jesus operating with this prudence and this discretion. This is about timing with Jesus. He just displayed infinite, eternal truth to them, showed them glorious, glorious things, and then he said, shh, don't tell anyone. Don't tell anyone. Again, not all information is for everyone at all times. Proverbs 23, nine, do not speak in the presence of a fool. Take this as part of this warning, Proverbs 12, 18, there is one who speaks rashly like the thrust of a sword. Information that you would give to someone who will not act with prudence and wisdom. They can turn around and they can use that and bring it out at just the wrong time to cut someone. There is one who speaks rashly like the thrust of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. You and I operate with the understanding from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So these things that you would say to others, you're giving them access to your heart and to the strings of your heart. There are dangerous entanglements that happen and people then have the ability to wound and to injure. There's a wisdom and a discretion to this. James 1.19, be quick to hear and slow to speak. And yet we are given this blessing of Proverbs 24, five and six. We operate in the midst of the church. It says in a multitude of counselors, there is victory. It is good and necessary to go and get counsel and to get direction from others. But wisdom and prudence say have tested counselors, tested friends, and work with tested words. A tested counselor, 1 Timothy 3, gives us the guideline for who are to be the overseers, the leaders in our midst, the elders in our midst. They are to be tested. Hebrews 13 describes that we are to listen to our leaders, that is, listen to our elders. 1 Kings 12, 12 through seven, give us that dangerous area where the new king only listened to peers and would not listen to leaders. Tested words that we deal with, tested words that we trust. Act 1711, the Bereans were more noble. All the things that were preached to them, they went to the scripture and examined carefully to make certain that these things were so. A necessary prudence, a necessary discretion. We each have immediate guardians in our lives. Growing up, I had parents to listen to, to guide me. I have immediate guardians in my life now. I have the elders in my church. I have the elders of Presbytery. These guardians also have guardians over them. We have the Presbytery to turn to. We have the Synod to turn to if we're being harmed by our immediate guardians. We've had very sad experiences in the church throughout history, and the RPCNA is no exception. In the midst of a session, there can be harm that's being done. We have presbytery to go to for help. Harm can be taking place there. We have an international assembly to go to. Now, even though I say that we are careful and not all information is for everyone, James 5, 16, Therefore, confess your sins to one another. Everything is for someone. Every part of your heart needs help. Every part of your heart needs counselors. Every part of your heart, all information, you need someone who can rebuke you for your sin. All of us need that. I've worked with an accountability friend, a man who's invited to rebuke me for my sin. He's an old friend, and he lives far away. In the last several months, I've decided I need somebody closer. I want a closer mentor. I want somebody who's older than me. I want a superior. I want somebody that's a member of the same court that I'm a member of, that if I won't listen, if I won't repent, he can bring charges. I have that man in my life. Every part of my heart and life needs someone that can rebuke me. We need this in our lives. It is a part of necessary prudence, necessary discretion. The Father speaks and says, listen to him. Christ admonishes us. Christ warns us about our own hearts. He warns us about our lack of discretion. He warns us about our sin. We sing in the Psalms of the ways that our sins can even overwhelm us like waves. We see Peter as wonderful as Peter is, as beautiful as Peter is, and delightful, and strong, and courageous, to the point where he would go and lay his life down for Christ. He makes great testimonies. But here we see, as Peter is with Jesus, he's been brought along, when he sees something going on, it's as if he has to speak to it. Peter said to Jesus, as this scene is going on, Moses and Elijah show up and Peter thinks, this is the time for me to talk. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. What happens here, while he was still speaking, A bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, what happens here, God interrupts Peter. Peter's talking, and God talks over top of Peter. While Peter is saying his thing, God announces, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him. Imagine that setting. What is that moment when God says, listen to him? Rather than you speaking right now, you listen to him. There is a yielding for us in the course of our lives to fall back and to listen to Christ. Our third step is trust Jesus as the perfect light. I go back and forth, it seems. Sometimes I imagine God has done things and God works and he uses illustrations. You know, I'm a graphic designer. I could be up here and I could be giving you a slideshow right now with drawings and pictures that I would be using to illustrate my points. and I would do something bad if I did that. So I'm not. I look and I see Jesus can do that. Jesus can use illustrations whenever he wants. He works and I wonder, it's like, oh, did he think, oh, I'll use this as an example of me, or when he was creating the world and he created the sun, did he make the sun on purpose so that we would look and see its glory and say, like Jesus. Did he use the seasons as an illustration? Or did he make the seasons as an illustration? I'll show them my faithfulness. I'll make the seasons as faithful as me. That when I wake up, the green things and the spring and the flowers start to come out, they'll say, like Jesus. Like Jesus. Jesus, when he was transfigured, he was transfigured before them, his face shone like the sun. I invite you to at least consider, where does the sun shine like Jesus? as an example for us to look and remember his glory, to marvel. I think of times in the early morning where it's chilly in my house and I walk forward into the sunroom and it hits my feet and my legs when I don't even see it and I'm thinking, oh, that's nice. What is that? And I look down and the sun is warming me. Is it like Jesus? We look and we see that God uses this. The Lord is my light. and my salvation. The Lord uses this, for you light my lamp, the Lord God illumines my darkness. We look in Exodus chapter 13, the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them by the way in a pillar of fire by night to give them light that they might travel by day and by night. John 8, 12, then Jesus again spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Hebrews 1, 3, and he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature. And he upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. In Psalm 104, one and two, bless the Lord, oh my soul. Oh Lord, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a cloak. We turn to Christ and we trust him as our perfect light. Our next step is bear the testimony of the law and the prophets. Moses and Elijah show up. I wrestle with how this is going on. I wrestle with why it's going on. I wrestle with how did they know it was Moses and Elijah? They were waiting for Elijah to come. That was a part of their understanding. Elijah is going to come. And in the book of Kings there is a description of Elijah. He was a hairy man and he wore a leather belt girdled about his loins. Maybe, you know, they were waiting for Elijah and this hairy guy shows up. in light, meeting with Jesus, and they're like, oh, Elijah. We've been waiting for him. Did Moses show up? And how did he do it? Moses showed up. How did they know? Did he pull a Charlton Heston and just shows up with his Levite robe and his commandments and his staff? And are they like, oh, Moses and Elijah. Here they are. Scripture also tells us that God spoke to Moses face to face, like a man speaks to his friend. Did Moses show up and Jesus says, Moses! Happy to see this man that he spoke to long ago as a friend. Here he comes. Why is this going on? And why is this happening? We don't see other prophets showing up, coming to speak to Jesus. I don't think they hang out in heaven and an angel says, hey, anybody wanna go say hi to Jesus? Something much more intentional had to be taking place at this point. When I think of the law and the prophets, and we examine the scripture, I say something much heavier was taking place when Moses and Elijah shows up at the transfiguration. 2 Kings 17, 13, yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets, and every seer saying, turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments, my statutes, according to all the law, which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you through my servants, the prophets." The law and the prophets bear witness to the guilt of Israel and mankind. I submit for your consideration, I am not declaring this. This may be a judicial situation, and we have two witnesses coming forward against Israel and Jerusalem at that point. It would make sense for Jesus to say, Moses, did you tell them? Did you give them the law? And Moses says, I gave them the law. Elijah, did you warn them? I did. We all did. We warned them all. And by the testimony of two or more witnesses. It's also possible at this point that there's something of a presbytery exam going on, that Jesus himself is being examined. Have you kept the law? I have kept the law. Have you kept the prophets? I have kept the prophets, and this is so. Deuteronomy 17.6, on the judicial side and the condemnation side, on the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. He shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. Hebrews 10.28, anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Moses shows up and there is this testimony that's going place or this examination that is taking place. Nehemiah 9.26, but they became disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to you and they committed great blasphemies. We could keep going through But John 5.45, Jesus says, do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. If this is the case, it gives a different nuance or maybe a different meaning to Matthew 5.17. Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Is he coming to judge at that point? Is he fulfilling the law and the prophets because they have become fully guilty, they have filled up their transgression in rejecting the son? The prophets have been sent, the prophets have been sent, the prophets have been sent, and then the son is sent and they say, let's kill him and have the inheritance. And Luke 24, 44, now he said to them, these are my words, which I have spoken to you while I was with you, that all things which were written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Now you and I, would we fare any better than Jerusalem and the Jews if Moses were to show up to testify against us? and the prophets were to show up to testify against us. In Romans 3.23, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But Romans 3.21, come to the law and prophets with me with this one, and here's the other possible application, the presbytery exam or trial portion that I mentioned. But now, apart from the law, The righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. You and I are saved by the righteousness apart from the law, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Christ examined and being without sin. This also lines up with exactly what we saw in Hebrews 1, 1, and 2, that God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets, and we can say Moses, and we can say Elijah, in many portions and in many ways, in these last days, he has spoken to us in his son. Remember, he said, this is my son now. Listen to him. Hebrews 1 is a beautiful picture of exactly what has been going on there. And then in verse 3, the picture of Christ in his transfiguration and his glorification, and he is the radiance of his glory in the exact representation of his nature. And as we kept singing through the Psalms, every time Jesus and the Lord and Yahweh, Jehovah is called the light, talks about him upholding the world. And here it is again in Hebrews 1.3, he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of his power. And then the salvation that we have by his intercession, when he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the majesty, excuse me, at the right hand of the majesty on high. Now you and I, we can look and we can see God doing all things well, doing all things perfectly, and yet, tied to this, let's take on the glory of God for a moment and the weight of him. So our fifth step is remember the weight of God. Somehow, at this point, Peter's okay when Jesus goes transfigured. He's looking. and we've got a face shining like the sun, garments of light, and Peter's like, oh, it's time for me to start speaking at this point. Now, later on though, they're terrified when God speaks. When the cloud comes and God says, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, they're terrified. It continues on. I don't know what the change is, but John understands from that point on, it's okay to be scared when Jesus starts to shine. In Revelation 1, 9 through 18, John gives the description of being on the Isle of Patmos. He hears the voice, it's like the sound of many waters, and for some reason that didn't make him fall down. He turns around and to see who's talking and he sees this description again, the one whose face is shining and he falls to the ground like a dead man. And in the same fashion that Jesus responded on the Mount of Transfiguration when people fell down when the Father speaks, he walks over and he touches him and he says, get up. Somehow, For you and me, as Christ loves us and enjoys us and has displayed a perfect love for us, and I'm submitting to you that that's the perfect love, the perfect love that cast out fear. It isn't our perfect love towards him. We don't pull that off, but it is his perfect love towards us. Our sixth step then is get up. Verses seven and eight, and Jesus came to them and touched them and said, get up. and do not be afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. Come with me to Romans 8.34. If Moses and Elijah were there bearing witness against the Jews, it would make sense to fall down. Romans 8.34 then, Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died. Yes, rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. You can feel fully condemned, you can feel fully guilty, and we ought to. But still, Christ comes and he touches you and he says, get up. I have died for you. I have paid the penalty for your sin. So this transfiguration now, doing a simple word search, I found it again in 2 Corinthians 3.18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in you to change you. to transform you into the very image of Christ. And what did the Father say of Christ at this point? But this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Take this and consider this transfiguration and this love for the Son from 1 John 3, 1 and 2. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us. And this is John who was there and saw this. See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we would be called children of God. Back to, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, that we would be called children of God, and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him. because we will see him just as he is. How about that for the transfiguration? The change. You are my children. In you I am well pleased. Get up. Get up, and when he appears again, we know that we will be like him. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we, we would be called children of God, and such we are. So you and I are brought and put into this amazing place that He has called us to come to Him, that He has revealed Himself to us with a particular desire and a particular purpose for each of us, to predetermine exactly where we would be in the boundaries of our habitation and to give us good things. So on 103.5, I bring this to all of you who can join me in feeling weak. He who satisfies your years with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. A hope, a blessing, a transfiguration for all of us. All of us who are calling on the Lord. And what does the father say of Christ? This is my beloved son and whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. And we follow Christ in joy and glory and hope. Even as we walk through the promise of death in this world, we have great expectation for what he will do. Pray with me. Our Father, we thank you for the beauty and the majesty of your word. We thank you for the coherence of your word that we can look from the beginning to the end and see that you speak to us the truth in love. We rejoice in you. We rejoice in your good purposes. We rejoice in Christ Jesus. Please bless us, your people, to follow Christ, to listen to him, to walk in love and in prudence. Father, may we get up seeing that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. It is in Jesus' name we pray, amen.