Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Oct. 25 sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 6:35 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Luke, chapter 9, verses 28 through 36. And the sermon is entitled the Glory of God delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell.
[00:00:16] I am grateful for the opportunity. And I just want to say a word of thanks, too, to many who stepped in last week on a moment's notice to take care of prayers and the service and everything, especially to Brian Clabo. I appreciate him standing in the gap last week. Today, grab your Bibles, go to Luke chapter number nine. Luke chapter number nine.
[00:00:38] As we are looking at a very pivotal chapter in this book, as Jesus is ultimately turning his eyes, his direction toward Jerusalem. And we're going to get there. But as we see through these revelations, to those that are following him very closely, Jesus is trying to show everybody truly who he is.
[00:01:04] And as we read this together today, my prayer is that everyone in this room sees Jesus for who he truly is.
[00:01:13] And as we look at God's word, we're thankful that we can do it together. Maybe you remember that process that, that you studied in science class where animals transform in stages when they start out something different looking as a juvenile, and then they transform to almost a different creature when they become an adult or in the adult stages of their life.
[00:01:40] We call that word metamorphosis. You remember that now, right? And that word, metamorphosis, it's what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, okay? It's also what happens when a.
[00:01:55] Excuse me, when a tadpole becomes a frog.
[00:01:58] And so when you think of that tadpole that starts out as a little egg in the water, that becomes a tadpole with gills, that grows lungs and legs and then transforms into this weird looking frog with a tail kind of thing that's trying to walk and trying to swim, and then eventually that frog absorbs its tail and you have Prince Charmin. That's what you have. After all that's done, Prince Charmin.
[00:02:26] You have a frog, a beautiful frog, right? I don't know if those two words go together, but that transformation in the life of a frog or a butterfly is what we're gonna talk about, what we're gonna see in scripture today.
[00:02:42] And I will explain that in just a little bit when we understand what the transformation, a transfiguration is God is showing us through Jesus himself.
[00:02:58] Matthew and Mark, in their Gospels, they use the Greek word metamorpho. It's where we get our word metamorphosis as they describe the Transformation that that happens on the mountain that we're gonna see today.
[00:03:16] And so what we really need to have in our minds as we start out this message today is when you see a tadpole, when you look at a tadpole, you're actually looking at a frog.
[00:03:29] And when you look at Jesus, you are seeing God himself.
[00:03:37] And so that's what comes off the pages of Scripture. And today my prayer is that you will get a glimpse of God's glory. And that as we read about it, that not only we see the transformation that happened in Jesus life, but here's the ultimate transformation.
[00:03:57] Your life, my life should be a transforming process that Jesus hand and his finger is leading upon of our entire lives.
[00:04:09] And so we want to live lives that are metamorphosized into that which is something different than we started out as.
[00:04:19] So today, how does God get the glory from your life? Let's look at three things. Look at Luke, chapter nine, starting with verse number 28.
[00:04:33] And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings.
[00:04:39] He took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray.
[00:04:45] And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered. His raiment was white and glistering.
[00:04:53] And behold, there talked with him two men which were Moses Laius, who appeared in glory and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
[00:05:05] The first thing that we need to look at today is what happens in this meeting on the mountain. You need to see the meeting on the mountain.
[00:05:15] Can a prayer meeting show the glory of God?
[00:05:20] Absolutely. Can I ask you this church, what's the most important day of your week? Don't answer that out loud, please.
[00:05:28] As Christians, we believe that Sunday, as we gather and we worship and we lift up Jesus Christ in this place. Amen. This is an important day, but I want to challenge you. If you want to see God at work, you come to a prayer meeting at Clifford Baptist Church.
[00:05:45] Because prayer meetings show God's glory in ways that we can never imagine. A couple months ago, the Wednesday night group gathered and we were praying for a dire situation in a missionary's life. And I want to tell you this. God showed up, and God stepped in. And God answered that prayer.
[00:06:06] I believe that with all my heart.
[00:06:09] It's not happenstance or just by chance. I believe when God's people, God's people pray together, God shows up.
[00:06:19] Well, guess what?
[00:06:22] On this mountain, Jesus was praying.
[00:06:27] And we understand that as Jesus prays, he's not trying to manipulate anything. He's just trying to make sure that his life, his direction is about his Father's business, that he's following his Father's will. And I pray that that's what our lives, that's what our prayer needs to be. Every one of us needs to make sure that we are doing what the Lord would have us to do.
[00:06:51] But as Jesus is on this mountain, we're not sure if it's Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor. But what we understand in the Bible is God uses mountains to reveal himself.
[00:07:04] And as Jesus is there praying, he takes three of the inner circle of disciples with him, the closest three to go on this mountain, because he wants to make sure he's doing God's will.
[00:07:17] Many times in Scripture, Jesus separates himself from the world to go to the mountain, not to look at them, not to be awed by them, but to make sure that he is in prayer, seeking out his Father's will. We think of the mountains in the Old Testament, Moses and the burning bush. You remember that story, right? That is where God showed himself. You remember Elijah confronting the prophets of BAAL on the mountain. You remember the sermon on the mount, or you remember in Acts, Chapter 1, the Ascension of Jesus.
[00:07:53] All of these are mountaintop experiences.
[00:07:58] And I want to say this.
[00:08:00] God worked in every single one of these situations. And so today, maybe you're going through the busyness of life and you've just got a busy season. Maybe you need to separate yourself for just a little while and you need to get apart and go to the mountain and spend time with God.
[00:08:20] And when you do that, God can get the glory out of your life on these mountains.
[00:08:28] In Scripture, we see heaven and we see earth come together.
[00:08:33] And I want you to see that. That's what's happening here. A little bit of heaven and a little bit of earth are coming together in this moment. And as they come together, Peter, James, and John blessed to be able to see part of what is going on.
[00:08:49] Jesus is praying. And I want to tell you this, that scripture tells us that the other three disciples are sleepy.
[00:09:01] Now, I'm not going to try to be holier than thou, but I want to tell you sometimes my prayer time turns into sleeping time.
[00:09:10] And you know what that tells me?
[00:09:12] I'm praying at the wrong time of the day.
[00:09:16] I need to pray earlier on in my day.
[00:09:18] But we look at these disciples, they are sleeping. And Jesus is trying to figure out exactly what his Father wants him to do. Look at verse number 29. It says this. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was Altered and his raiment was white and glistering. Jesus is the only one on the mountain praying. And there is a transformation that is happening in him in a physical way. The Bible calls it a transformation or a metamorpho that his appearance is changed, his face becomes altered, it becomes brighter in color, his clothing is radiating with the brightness of light. And Jesus is displaying the God's glory in this moment.
[00:10:06] Personally, I believe that this is some of what you and I will see in heaven. One day the glory of Jesus Christ will illuminate a place that we call heaven. And I believe we're just getting a glimpse of that today.
[00:10:21] But notice who else shows up on this mountain.
[00:10:26] Bible says that Elijah, Moses, both Old Testament saints are there.
[00:10:33] And why would, why would they show up?
[00:10:37] Well, remember God has had his hand on both of their lives in the Old Testament. They have very unique experiences in our Bibles in God's word.
[00:10:51] So as we look at this conversation, look at, look at verse number 30. And behold, there were there talked with him two men which were Moses and Elijah, Elijah or Elias, who appeared in glory and spake of his decrees which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
[00:11:08] So remember, both of these godly men stood in the gap for God in the Old Testament. They stood in the gap. And what Jesus is doing now is he is standing in the gap for God. Moses led God's people with the commandments. And Elijah stood for God against the false worship and the false prophets that were there. And both of them had God's hand upon him when they left the earth. Remember Moses in Deuteronomy 34:6 left this world and God buried him. That's what the Bible tells you. God buried Moses. No one knows where Moses is buried because God buried him. That's a very interesting fact. But also if you think about Elijah, Elijah left out of this world and a chariot and horses of fire and a whirlwind and he was called to heaven. He did not have to experience a physical death.
[00:12:08] But the Bible says they're talking about something. Look again with me, verse 31 and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
[00:12:24] What are they talking about?
[00:12:26] They're talking about how Jesus is going to leave the world.
[00:12:29] Do you see that?
[00:12:31] What's going to happen to Jesus now? Imagine it hadn't happened yet. We're going to get to it in just a second. Imagine being asleep while God's glory is in view.
[00:12:44] Imagine being asleep when God shows up on the mountain. Imagine missing God being there.
[00:12:52] Man, if I was in this situation, I'd be shaking my head right? That's what happens when we miss out. And I'm gonna use our prayer meetings. If you don't come to prayer meeting, guess what? You're missing a chance to experience the glory of God.
[00:13:07] If you say church, I don't need church. You are missing a chance to experience the glory of God with the saints of God.
[00:13:16] God shows up here every Sunday morning. I believe that with all my heart.
[00:13:22] And I want you to know that we can miss out on God's glory if we are sleeping well in this glory.
[00:13:34] As Jesus is transformed or transfigured, we see Elijah, we see Moses there with him.
[00:13:41] And they're talking about how Jesus is going to leave this old world. He is going to face eternity and his face is turning to Jerusalem because that's his Father's will. This is going to become a primary focus for Jesus from this moment on.
[00:13:59] As Moses and Elijah follow God's will for their life, Jesus is now going to follow God's will for his life. And that will will take him to Jerusalem, to a cross to lay down his life for the sin of the world.
[00:14:16] This meeting on the mountain is amazing, but it is one that the disciples are found sleeping today.
[00:14:29] When's the last time you met God?
[00:14:34] If the last time that you met with God is when God saved you, something's going on.
[00:14:43] In a very real way.
[00:14:47] God showed up beside a man's that was dying this week in my family.
[00:14:54] God showed up.
[00:14:57] And I want you to know no matter what you are facing, you need to take time to meet with God.
[00:15:07] Maybe it requires you to get away and go to the mountain.
[00:15:11] Maybe it requires you to get in your prayer closet. Maybe it requires you to just get away from everything and center on yourself to figure out God. What? What do you want me to do? The meeting on the mountain was about Jesus laying down his life for sinners and that he was going to turn his face toward Jerusalem.
[00:15:31] Today we need more Christians that are willing wanting to honor God with their lives.
[00:15:42] We need to have more meetings with him.
[00:15:46] I want you to see the second thing.
[00:15:48] Look at verses 32 and 33.
[00:15:53] But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep.
[00:15:59] And when they were awake, they saw his glory and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass as they departed from him, Peter said unto him, jesus, master, it is good for us to be here.
[00:16:13] And let us make three tabernacles. One for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.
[00:16:20] Not knowing what he said, the second thing you need to see today is a misguided suggestion.
[00:16:30] A misguided suggestion.
[00:16:33] Now, all of us probably have experienced a mountaintop moment where you were so on fire you knew you met God and you didn't want it to end, right?
[00:16:43] Maybe it's been a revival. Maybe it was the time that you were saved. Maybe it was a good conference that you went to. I don't know. Maybe it was a good worship service, but you haven't had a time that. If that's what God is like, I want that all the time.
[00:16:59] That's where Peter is.
[00:17:01] Peter says, what an experience.
[00:17:04] Notice, Peter becomes the focus here as they wake up.
[00:17:10] In doing so, they see Jesus in all his glory, the brightness shining around him. And just thinking of what they have been missing, we don't know how long the conversation has been going on. We don't know how long it's been happening. But Peter awakens to this.
[00:17:27] But I love these three, because John and Peter would later write about this experience.
[00:17:36] John 1:14. Here's what John says about this experience.
[00:17:42] And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
[00:17:52] Peter writes in second Peter, chapter number one, verses 16 and 18. Listen to Peter's words. He says this.
[00:18:00] For we have not followed cunningly devised, devised fables. When we made known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus. Listen to this. Peter says, but we were our witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory. When there came such a voice from him, from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven, we heard and when we were with him, the Holy Mount.
[00:18:32] Peter and John writing about a time that changed their lives, a time where they met God and they knew Jesus was God.
[00:18:45] Both of these men recognize this glory is not of himself. It comes from the Father.
[00:18:51] But Peter wants to bottle this up and he wants to keep it. And he wants to live in this moment forever. Maybe Peter thought, okay, this is it. This is the moment. I'm going to heaven. But he wants to build tents. It's a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles.
[00:19:09] And he wants to just stay there forever. Let's just camp out here forever.
[00:19:15] As we think about this moment and the response Peter and the others had slept through, he doesn't want Jesus to go to the cross. He doesn't want Jesus to turn his eyes toward Jerusalem. He wants to stay here in this moment with the glorified Jesus for all eternity. Let's just stay here.
[00:19:37] But also with this recommendation to build three tabernacles, he is putting Jesus, Elijah, and Moses all on equal ground.
[00:19:50] Here's what he's saying. Let's build a tabernacle for Jesus and one for Elijah and one for Moses.
[00:19:57] And as you see, they're all on level ground.
[00:20:01] And so this was a misspeaking of Peter.
[00:20:04] He wanted to bottle this moment up. But this moment was not one. It was greater than he. It was greater than John and James. It was greater than Moses and Elijah. This was a God moment.
[00:20:19] Maybe you have wanted to hold onto something that you thought that you felt connected you to God.
[00:20:26] Listen, when you and I come down off of that mountain, here's the news. We can't stay on the mountaintop forever.
[00:20:37] Next week's sermon. Guess what? Jesus comes back off the mountain.
[00:20:42] We think that our Christian life is about the mountaintop moments, and it's not.
[00:20:47] We may get a glimpse of them, a glimpse of who God is. We may experience God in a way we never have before. Hold on to those moments, trust those moments.
[00:21:00] Grab hold of those glimpses that God gives us, that he's showing us that he's in control, that he's in charge, that he wants to lead our lives.
[00:21:10] But listen, no one, no one is equal to Jesus, no matter how great they are, no matter the stories that you read about, no one is equal to Jesus.
[00:21:27] And so that's where Peter goes wrong. Jesus can't avoid the cross. Jesus can't stay on the mountain. There's more work to do. And so, as you see at the end of verse number 33, Luke captures this, that Peter didn't know what he was saying.
[00:21:46] Have you ever stuck your foot in your mouth?
[00:21:49] I do it all the time.
[00:21:52] I'm ashamed to say. I do it all the time.
[00:21:54] But sometimes what we want isn't what God wants.
[00:22:01] We need to seek through the glory of God, his will for our lives.
[00:22:08] And as we see this suggestion by Peter, it's one that he should have just bit his tongue, kept quiet about, kept to himself. Because that's not the answer.
[00:22:20] Well, look at verses 34 and 30 through 36.
[00:22:26] While thus.
[00:22:28] While he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared. As they entered into the cloud, there came a voice out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved Son. Hear him.
[00:22:40] And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone.
[00:22:45] And they kept it closed and told no man. In those days, any of those things which they had seen.
[00:22:54] The third thing that we want to see about the glory of God today is this. You need to see that Jesus is the man of God.
[00:23:00] Jesus is God.
[00:23:03] If we go on the mountaintop or a great experience, if we had a good conference, if we have a great worship service and you leave here and say, jeffrey preached a good sermon today, not a funeral. That's on my mind. I'm sorry. A good sermon today. You've missed the mark.
[00:23:21] You missed the mark. If you come into a worship service and you say that music was great, Pastor John led a great service of music today, and that's the highlight. You've missed the mark.
[00:23:34] Here's what we need to do today when we leave.
[00:23:38] We need to leave here together as believers of God, saying, praise be to God, Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ as he leads us us today.
[00:23:48] Our focus is Jesus. Now, we can compliment people and we can compliment the instruments that played wonderful job.
[00:23:57] But listen, if we miss Jesus, we've missed it all.
[00:24:04] And if you leave a worship service and you miss Jesus, you've missed it all.
[00:24:10] On this mountaintop experience, we've gotten just a glimpse of God's glory through the passages in scripture today. His outward change, his transfiguration, that metamorphosis that took place in his life, that bright light that radiates from him, from his face, from his clothing. That's just a glimpse of what it's like to be in the presence of God. We've seen the Old Testament heroes of faith and discussing how Jesus is going to leave this world.
[00:24:44] But now something else happens. A cloud shows up and it comes and it overshadows them. This is not a storm cloud, but it was the visible presence of God. Many of you remember in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Exodus and Numbers, first Kings, this pillar of cloud led those believers. In the Old Testament. It was a sign of God's protection, of his direction, and of his presence in their life.
[00:25:19] And so guess what? God shows up on this mountain again, reminding him that he is with them. As that cloud overshadows them.
[00:25:31] Then that voice, that booming voice of God is heard audibly.
[00:25:37] What does that voice say? Look at the end of verse number 35. It says this. This is my beloved Son.
[00:25:45] Hear him.
[00:25:47] This is my beloved son. Hear him three times in Scripture.
[00:25:54] Only three times do we hear the audible voice of God.
[00:26:01] The first time at Jesus baptism. We've already seen that in Luke, chapter three, verse 22, Thou art my beloved Son. In thee I am well pleased.
[00:26:12] That's the audible voice of God.
[00:26:15] We see it here at his transfiguration, and we see it before his crucifixion. In John, chapter 12, verse 28, Jesus says this, father, glorify thy name. And God's voice says this, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
[00:26:36] Some of us in this room have tried to make a deal with God.
[00:26:41] God, if I hear your voice, then I'll listen.
[00:26:45] How many of you made that deal? Don't raise your hand. I've made that deal with God. God, if I hear your audible voice, I will follow you. Well, listen, you're gonna miss out on God's glory if you wait for an audible voice. If he only said it three times in Scripture, the likelihood of you hearing the voice of God is next to none.
[00:27:06] But here's what I do know.
[00:27:08] God may not speak to me audibly, but God moves in my soul through his Word.
[00:27:16] And so today, when we think about this mountaintop moment as that cloud overshadows them and his voice gives a clear confirmation and clear direction, the confirmation of the truth is this.
[00:27:31] This is my beloved son.
[00:27:35] When that voice booms out, can you hear God's voice between a father and a son?
[00:27:45] Maybe you're a son in this room or you're a daughter in this room and you've heard the voice of your father before saying how much they love you.
[00:27:54] Now, I know mamas have their relationship. I'm not trying to take away from mamas here, okay?
[00:28:01] But when a boy hears his dad say I love you, there's no greater feeling in all the world.
[00:28:10] This is the voice of God saying, this is my beloved Son. It shows that relationship between the Father and the Son.
[00:28:20] To those on the mountain that are listening, they understand that God is at work in the life of Jesus. But it's also encouragement to Jesus as well that God is with him. He is present, he is overshadowing, he is involved. What's going on? And even at the cross, God's love will be seen.
[00:28:47] It's a voice of confirmation that Jesus is God's son.
[00:28:56] It's also a word of direction.
[00:29:00] Just two words.
[00:29:04] Hear him.
[00:29:06] Do you see those two words? If you have a copy of God's word, circle them, underline them. Hear the word of God. Listen to him. Above everything they have learned, everything they know, Jesus word now supersedes it all, and God gives clear direction. Hear, what Jesus is saying here doesn't mean let it go in one ear and. And come out. The other here means this.
[00:29:35] Live your life by His Word.
[00:29:41] Today.
[00:29:43] Today, when we think about this meeting on the mountain, this is a call to hear the word of God. It is called to make God's word a priority in our life. Not just to hear it in church, but to live it out day by day.
[00:29:59] As this cloud overshadows and the voice gives clear direction and clear confirmation, we see in verse number 36 that it's all gone.
[00:30:15] Luke writes this, Jesus was alone.
[00:30:19] Now, I believe that's just reference to him by himself, because I don't think Jesus was ever alone while he walked this earth.
[00:30:28] He always had his Father's hand upon him, guided him.
[00:30:33] But it says this. They told no one.
[00:30:36] They didn't tell anybody about this.
[00:30:40] What a different generation.
[00:30:42] If this happened in today's time, it wouldn't last two minutes before social media knew about it, right?
[00:30:56] Let me ask you this question.
[00:30:59] What does this message about the glory of God and a glimpse into the deity of Jesus Christ give us?
[00:31:08] Number one, every person in this room, do you see Jesus for who he truly is?
[00:31:18] This was an opportunity for these three disciples to see Jesus for who he truly was. He is God.
[00:31:28] Every person in this room today needs to understand and see God for who he truly is.
[00:31:37] Jesus Christ is Lord.
[00:31:42] The second question is, do you seek God's will through prayer?
[00:31:47] Don't you dare underestimate the power of prayer.
[00:31:54] The third thing I want you to see today is our lives must be changed.
[00:32:00] We see a change or a revelation in who Jesus is, our lives must be changed as well.
[00:32:08] Romans 12, 2 says this, Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God.
[00:32:19] You've got to be transformed.
[00:32:23] 2nd Corinthians 3:18.
[00:32:26] But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image. From glory to glory. Even as by the Spirit of the Lord, our lives can be changed.
[00:32:47] And if I'm the same when I first met Jesus as when I leave this world, the change of God did not happen like it should have in my life.
[00:33:01] The metamorphosis did not take place.
[00:33:05] Here's the message of the day.
[00:33:07] Jesus Christ wants to change your life.
[00:33:11] He wants to get the glory out of your life.
[00:33:16] May we live for God's will and for God's glory day in and day out.
[00:33:25] Today, maybe you have never had one of those moments that you met God.
[00:33:33] You knew Jesus was God and you surrendered your life To God.
[00:33:38] Today can be that moment.
[00:33:41] And I don't want you to leave here saying, hey, today the preacher. Preacher was good, music was good, lunch is going to be really good.
[00:33:53] I want you to leave here today saying this.
[00:33:57] I met Jesus today.
[00:34:00] Jesus spoke to me. Jesus showed this, revealed this to me today. I spent time with Jesus every Sunday morning, every Wednesday night.
[00:34:12] Should be mountaintop moments for believers today as we leave.
[00:34:19] If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, don't you walk out of this door and not let him change who you are.
[00:34:29] His perfect life, his death on an old rugged cross paid for your sin and my sin. It is the only thing that could change us. It's the only thing that can save us. His resurrection on the third day gives you life. It gives me life and a hope for a future.
[00:34:48] Praise be to God for that.
[00:34:50] May God get the glory today.
[00:34:55] Let's pray, Father. God, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord, for just giving us a glimpse of your glory.
[00:35:03] And Lord, as maybe we desire those mountaintop moments, God, today I pray, Lord, that you will just open our eyes, open our hearts to your will for our lives, Lord, as believers all over this church today spend just a moment bowing their head. God, I pray, Lord, that they have met you in this place today.
[00:35:26] I pray believers lives are giving glory to Jesus Christ.
[00:35:31] And Lord, if there's something that is not right there, may we fall before you.
[00:35:38] May you forgive us. May you change us. May you make us more like you. We pray, Lord, for that one whose life needs to be transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
[00:35:54] God, I pray that your spirit will work in that life and in that heart today.
[00:35:59] God, we give you this moment of invitation.
[00:36:02] We pray transform us to be like you.
[00:36:08] We love you. In Jesus name, Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11am for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-946-0555.
