Restoration 10:10

The other day I read about some unusual cars. The cars had been made out of various materials. One car was a racing car which had been fashioned out of steel wire. Another car was a two seater, which had been made out of sand and was being displayed on a beach. There was another vehicle which had been shaped out of snow. Then there was a motor which had been moulded out of concrete. Last of all but not least there was a blue looking car which had been chiselled out of ice. Artists are a strange breed of people. They create things in a most extraordinary way. I wouldn’t think of making a car out of snow, sand, wire, ice or concrete. I have a friend who worked for Rover. He never made cars using those kinds of materials either. Some people are remarkably creative. But there is one who is the greatest creator of all. Without this creator no artist would have any materials to use. The creator who I’m referring to of course is God.

In the NT book of Eph 3:9 the Apostle Paul said that, ‘I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning’. New Living Translation

I want to draw our attention to these words uttered by the Apostle Paul, ‘God the creator of all things’. God is an extraordinary Creator. The things which God has designed are spectacular. The things that God has brought into existence are amazing.

Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

James Irwin was an astronaut who walked on the moon in 1971. He describes what it was like looking down to earth from outer space. He said,

‘The earth reminded us of a Christmas tree ornament hanging in the blackness of space. As we got farther and farther away it diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine. The beautiful, warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. Seeing this has to change a man, has to make man appreciate the creation of God and the love of God.

Some people think the idea of a seven day creation in Genesis is silly. That’s because they don’t realise that God is an extraordinary creator. Did you know that days on the planet Mercury are about 2 Earth-months long. Jupiter rotates so fast that a day goes by in less than 10 hours. Mars has days that most resemble ours: 24 hours, 37 minutes long. Even though Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun, its lack of a real atmosphere makes the sky very dark even during the day. The length of a day depends which planet you’re on. This is why the Bible says ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day’. God is not bound by our days or our time. We live in space-time universe, but God is free to act without those constraints. God is a unique and remarkable creator. But not only did God create the universe.

Deut 4:32 ‘God created man on the earth’. God designed our physical structure. Psalm 139:13 b

(God knitted) ‘Me together, in my mother's womb". Our earthly parents procreated us by nature but our heavenly father created us by design. God knitted me together in my mother’s womb. What a fine piece of knitting that’s what I say. We sometimes forget how special our physical attributes are.

Your ears

Your ears are still growing, even though the other parts of your body have stopped.

If you lived to be 1,000 years your ears would be as large as an elephant.

Your hair

The hair on your head is as strong as aluminium metal. A narrow stretch of rope woven from human hair has supported the weight of a small car.

Your skull

Your skull is as strong as steel though proportionally it weighs only one fifth as much.

Your teeth

The hardest part of your body is the enamel on your teeth. It is even harder than ivory.

Your hands

Your hands are probably the most complex instruments capable of performing thousands of jobs with precision. Just to grasp something uses many muscles joints and tendons. From the shoulders to the finger tips. Taking a spoonful of soup, for instance, involves more than 30 joints and 50 muscles.

Your feet

During an average day, your feet take a sledgehammer pounding equivalent to more than 1,000 tonnes. They can support the weight of a 90kg man. This is achieved by an astonishing arrangement of bones and joints, for a quarter of your bones are in your feet.

Your eyes

You blink twenty five times every minute. Each blink takes you about one-fifth of a second. Therefore, if you take a ten-hour car journey, averaging forty miles per hour, you will drive twenty miles with your eyes CLOSED.

Your heart

The human heart beats about 1000,000 times a day and about 40 million times a year. Normally it beats 70 times to the minute, but it often changes its rate to keep pace with music or the rapid beat of drums. It can be made to pulse to almost any rhythm and automatically picks up the beat.

You may not have noticed it, but you are a little lopsided. Usually the left leg is a little smaller than the right. One arm is longer, one ear is bigger and there is likely to be more hair on one side of the head than another. God designed our physical attributes.

Psalm 139:13a for you created my inmost being;

God created the universe and he created our physical bodies. But the Bible says that he breathed his breathe into us and as a result we became a living soul. We are flesh and blood.

But we are also spiritual beings also. You have none physical attributes like a conscience. You can't X-ray or take a photograph of a conscience. You can't see it but you can feel it. You know that you have emotional nature as well as a body. Your physical brain controls your movements and responses. But you also have an immaterial mind. With that immaterial mind you reason and make valid judgements. This side of your human nature is called 'soul'. The soul like the body has a purpose. The Westminster confession of faith asks the question 'What is the chief end of man?' The book then gives the answer stating that’ Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God and fully enjoy God forever’. Your soul was made to love God and enjoy God forever. St Augustine said, 'God you made us for yourself, and the heart of man is restless until it finds rest in you'. Do you have this rest for your soul? Just because we have pleasure does not mean we have purpose. Just because we have success doesn’t mean we have satisfaction.

Ralph Barton was a top international cartoonist. He, left a suicide note and pinned to his pillow before taking his own life:

"I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world. But I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day."

Man was created to fully enjoy God and glorify him forever. Are you living out this purpose tonight? If not you can know God as your personal saviour tonight.

You see the Bible says that God can create a new you. Israel ’s famous earthly king King David understood that God could create him anew. King David wrote about it in Psalm 51.10. He said,

"Create in me a clean heart o God and renew a right spirit within me".

London in crisp suit for interview. Avoided puddle splashes from the roadside, kept away from workmen and grimy scaffolding, took care not to spill any curry down my clothes in China town. Waiting for train felt a light tap on my right shoulder and a little warm spot on my face. Pigeon did a whoopsy on me. Rubbed face with back of hand pooh now on hand. Got tissue to wiped mess off shoulder pooh seeped through tissue onto finger. I washed in station rest room and took coat to cleaners.

Sometimes our outward appearance gets messed up. But sometimes our inward condition gets messed up also. The human heart gets tarnished by the trials of life. The thoughts we think can make our minds unclean. The words we speak can be unpleasant. The things we do can be messy and inappropriate. When this happens God is able to make our souls clean and renew our moral standing.

If you should ever go to London I would encourage you to visit the Stardome at Madam Tussaudes Museum. It has an advanced star projector, which provides its audience with intense visual affects. The projector makes you feel as though you are actually traveling through space. Interest in space travel of course has intensified with the advancement of technology. Perhaps you personally would like to explore the universe if you got the opportunity. A little experiment was once carried out by the Hayden planetarium in New York City. The museum ran a genuine advertisement in some New York newspapers. The advert asked for people who would like to make their first journey to another planet. Within days 18,000 people responded to the advert thinking that they might get a chance to explore the universe. The people had to write out an application from. After giving their personal details they were also asked their reason for wanting to leave earth. The returned applications were handed to a panel of psychologists. The psychologists reviewed the application forms and made a conclusion.

The vast majority of folks who wanted to start a new life on another planet were discouraged with the world. They wanted to leave earth because they were so depressed and didn’t like living on it. They wanted to go to another solar system because they were very unhappy with the human race. They wanted cheering up.

The Bible talks about a man who was very depressed. He was a visually impaired man. His blindness forced him into a life of loneliness and poverty. The blind man wanted a way out of his sad world. And the good news is he found a way out. The blind man didn’t leave the planet. But what happened was the power of God came into his world. The man’s eyes were supernaturally healed. Jesus Christ entered into this man’s darkness and shone a light of hope. You may be a little discouraged tonight. You may be somewhat depressed. If you are, cheer up because God wants to bring some joy into your life. Jesus Christ wants to enter into your difficult situation and make you happy.

Mark 10:46 “As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" MK 10:48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" MK 10:49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. MK 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." MK 10:52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

What Bartimaeus did

1. Bartimaeus recognized the authority of Christ: He shouted “Jesus, Son of David”. Mark 10:47 Jesus Son of David was not a genealogical statement. It wasn’t like saying “Joseph Kevin's son, help me”. Son of David was much more than a family tree thing. “Son of David” was a messianic title. The Messiah is the one who fulfils all the OT prophecies. The Messiah is the ultimate liberator who establishes God's kingdom on earth. This was how Bartimaeus’ saw Jesus.

Bartimaeus could have shouted ‘Jesus the carpenter's son have mercy me’. But Bartimaeus saw Jesus as being more than a carpenter's son. Bartimaeus could have shouted, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ . But Bartimaeus knew that Jesus came from a place far greater than Nazareth. Bartimaeus could have said ‘Jesus you are a very good man. Have mercy on me’. But Bartimaeus didn’t say that he saw Jesus as more than a good man. Bartimaeus could have said ‘Jesus you're our national leader have mercy on me’. But Bartimaeus saw Jesus as more than a national or inspirational leader. Bartimaeus said ‘Jesus Son of David’. Bartimaeus sees Christ as the unique Son of God.

Recognising Jesus as God was the key to the healing of Bartimaeus’ eyes. Recognizing Jesus as God was the key to Bartimaeus’ happiness. Recognizing Jesus as God is the key to blessing. Recognising Jesus as God is the key to saving your soul. Do you recognise Jesus as the unique Son of God? If the answer is yes you could be on your way to a great healing. If you accept Christ's supreme authority in everything you will book your place in heaven.

2. Bart understood the character of God as merciful: " Have mercy on me"10:47

Bart understood that Jesus would be merciful and show leniency towards his circumstances.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a great French military and political leader who had a significant impact on European history. A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offence twice and justice demanded death. The mother became emotional and started to reason Napoleon saying,

"I don't ask for justice, I plead for mercy’.

Napoleon responded to her comments saying

"But your son doesn’t deserve mercy,?’

"But Sir’ the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.?

"Well, then, Napoleon said, "I will have mercy’. And so the emperor did. Napoleon spared the woman's son.

God is better at showing mercy than anyone. Bartimaeus believed that Jesus would have compassion on him. Do you believe that God would be merciful to you if you asked him for forgiveness of sins? Do you believe that God would be kind to you if you asked him for help? Do you believe that God would be sympathetic to your circumstances?

3. He had faith:

Mark 10. 50 ‘Throwing his cloak aside, Bart jumped to his feet and came to Jesus’.

A blind man would not normally throw away his cloak. He would place it carefully where he could feel for it to pick it up again. Bartimaeus wasn’t worried about finding his cloak. He some how knew that he would be able to find his cloak easily. Bartimaeus had faith to believe that God would heal his eyes. Bartimaeus believed that Jesus would make him to see. And so it is, to become a Christian and be happy, you must have faith.

I once read a news report about The Lutheran Church in Denmark. It was not sure what to do with a pastor who has gone public with his atheism. In a newspaper interview, Thorkild Grosboell openly said he believes 'there is no heavenly God, there is no eternal life, and there is no resurrection.

If you think like this Jesus cannot help you. This is why the Bible says “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Bartimaeus succeeded because he had faith. Do you have faith? Do you trust God?

“Our faith comes first and is our most important asset. If our nation lost much of its material treasures, these could be re-created by our free vigorous people. If we loose faith we are indeed lost”. Bartimaeus had faith. Not everyone has the same faith in Jesus as Bartimaeus.

What Jesus did

1. Jesus stopped and called Bart 10.49 MK 10:49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you."

It is interested to note that Jesus said to his disciples “call him”. There were a lot of people present on this occasion. Christ's voice could have been drowned out by the crowd.

Because he was God I'm sure Jesus could have supernaturally called in a loud voice. Bartimaeus would have been able to hear Jesus clearly. But Jesus does not call Bartimaeus in a loud voice.

Instead Jesus asks his disciples to “Call him”. Here is a challenge for us Christians to evangelize. Who are you calling? Who are you inviting to church? Who are you welcoming in the name of Christ? Who are you appealing to get saved? Jesus is about to do a great miracle for Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is about to be supernaturally healed. But what was the key to this healing? Did Jesus ask the disciples to walk on water? No. Did Jesus ask the disciples to start speaking in tongues? No. Did Jesus ask the disciples to put all their money into the temple collection? No. Did Jesus say you want to be thankful that you are not blind like Bartimaeus? No. Did Jesus say poor Bartimaeus there's nothing we can do for him except pray? No. Jesus said to the disciples “call him”.

Do you want to see a miracle? Then call people in the name of Jesus. But they might not come. Then call them again. But my friends are difficult. Never mind call them. If you see someone discouraged in the office tomorrow say 'Cheer up on your feet Jesus is calling you”. If you feel down and out “Cheer up on your feet Jesus is calling you”. If you think you are being ignored by folks “Cheer up on your feet Jesus is calling you. Hearing the simple call of God is a great key for getting a miracle.

Now Bartimaeus had a choice. Bartimaeus could stay were he was in the road side begging or Bartimaeus could come to Jesus. You see Jesus didn't say to his disciple's go and kidnap Bartimaeus and bring him to me. Jesus didn't say go and hijack this blind man so I can do a miracle in his life. Jesus simply said call him. Bartimaeus had the choice as to heed that call or not. As Jesus himself said many are called but few are chosen. Bartimaeus could have remained in his pitiful condition. I don’t want anything to do with Christianity God’s made me blind’. Bartimaeus could have stayed by that road side. But instead Bartimaeus heeded the call and came to Christ. Have you heeded the call? Have you by faith come to Jesus? Are you as a Christian drawing nearer to God? Do you follow when God calls?

Please note we also need some help to hear God's call. The disciples had to say to Bartimaeus “Jesus is calling you”. Bartimaeus was relying on other men of God to point him in the right direction. They were not perfect men. The disciples had their faults. They were not men with religious PhD's. There were in those days Bible scholars Like the Apostle Paul and the eloquent Apollos. But not many of the disciples were intellectual or experts in religion. But one thing they did know they knew when Jesus called Bartimaeus. They were able to help Bartimaeus saying Jesus is calling you. Had they not have communicated this message Bartimaeus may have been none the wiser. These ordinary everyday people helped Bartimaeus hear the call of God. Sometimes you need the ears of others before you can hear yourself.

Once I purchased a car and started to have problems with it. Skilled mechanics couldn't' find the problem.

One morning one of my neighbours heard me trying to start the engine. He put his head over the garden fence; ‘your starter motor’s broke’ he suggested. He was right I had the starter motor replaced and the problem was solved.

My neighbour’s hearing did what others could not do. And so it is the disciples helped Bartimaeus hear what he would not have otherwise heard.

2. Jesus asked Bartimaeus if he had any special requests. Jesus said to Bartimaeus "What do you want me to do for you"? MK 10:51 what a lovely thought this is. God wants to do something for you. Imagine God ask in you that question. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

“I want to see” said Bartimaeus. By the grace of God Bartimaeus' request was granted.

God answers prayer.

In September of 2007 our 27 year old son suffered injuries from a motorcycle accident. As his mother and I arrived at the hospital the night he was brought in, we had already begun praying that his life would be spared and injuries would not be life threatening. Others were contacted and joined us with their prayers. The first x-rays indicated a broken clavicle and a lower back fracture. Later, in the middle of the night, the word came of a broken neck. I asked to see the xrays and was shown a dark line across a spinal neck bone which indicated it was fractured. More prayer was offered up for this new problem and that there would be no paralysis and quick healing. God answered this prayer! Later that day, a full body cat scan was done and the line on the neck that was there on the e-room X-ray was missing! Gone. History. Yes, there were back and clavicle injuries but not life threatening. I believe our Lord God took this neck problem and fixed it on the spot, because we asked Him to.

What can God do for you? You might not have a bad neck or be blind. But God can still do something for you. It might be your dream to get married. God can make that dream come true. You might want forgiveness of sins. God can give you forgiveness and make it as though you’ve never sinned. You might want to break the hold of an addiction. God will help you break that addiction.

“What can I do for you” What do you want God to do for you tonight?

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

In 1995, a new television film called ‘Smoke’ was released into the cinemas. The movie was about a man who was enthusiastic about photography. The photographer visited the same place every day at the same time. He took his camera to the very same spot and he stood on the very same corner, of a crowded City Street. Then he’d point his camera, at the very same view, press the click button and take a photograph. He took the pictures because he wanted to show that nothing ever stays the same.

You can stand still, unmoving in the same place, but all around you things are evolving. As for the photographer in the movie Smoke, he clicked a different picture every day. The changes depended on the time of year or the type of weather. As he visited the same location, at the same time, he pictured people walking along the pavement. It wasn’t always the same people, some were different. But even if it was the same people, on another day they were wearing different clothes. Each new day also brought a different set of circumstances in the people’s lives. One woman had died so of course next day she was out of the picture altogether. Depending on a host of other factors, the photographer proved that reality (seen through the eye of a lens) over 365 days can never be duplicated. In the film, the photographer conducted his experiment for eleven years. Every morning at the same hour he left his shop and visited the same street corner and he clicked a single picture with a 35 mm camera. Over time, he accumulated 4000 images. The 4000 photos were taken in exactly the same place, at exactly the same time, of exactly the same view, but each photo told a different story. The pictures gave a unique perspective in the variation of the street’s shades of light. They highlighted a unique perspective on the streets activities. A unique perspective on the people, the speed they walked, the clothes they wore, the problems they faced, and the blessings they had. Same place, same time, same camera, same picture angel, same distance and same view. But each photo had a unique image and outlook.

We might make a similar comparison in our relationship with God. The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. God never changes. That would be very boring for us, if God was a dead God. But He’s not a dead God. He’s the Living God. And because he’s the living God our perspective of God will change. This is one of the reasons why heaven is not going to be boring. Heaven is the same place and eternity is a long time but it’s not going to be boring because you can have a new perspective on God every day. You can have a better understanding of Jesus this time tomorrow morning. Yesterday you knew that God loved you but today you might realise that God loves you much more than you think he does. Right now we might consider ourselves blessed. But tomorrow God could favour us more and our perspective on God’s blessings would change. He’s the same Jesus, same Lord, and the same Saviour. But he gives us a different encounter. The character of God remains the same. But the mercies of God are new every morning. The grace of God is in a constant state of flux. The word of God never changes but the revelation of God keeps coming.

The Bible records various occasions when the disciples had a new perspective. They learned something new about God’s power everyday. They discovered things about Jesus which they never realised about him before. We are going to read about one of those occasions. In this incident the disciples saw the human appearance of Jesus change into that of a heavenly being. They had a new perspective. The Rabbi who they followed suddenly became the God they wanted to worship.

Bible reading Gospel of Mark 9:2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

MK 9:5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

MK 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

MK 9:8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

MK 9:9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.

MK 9:11 And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

MK 9:12 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."

There are some implications in this transfiguration incident for us. How do we get a new perspective on God? And what happens when we do get a new perspective? Hopefully these questions can be answered for you now.

‘After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain’.

Here’s the first clue as to how we can get a new perspective in the things of God. The Bible says that ‘Jesus took Peter, James and John’. The word took provides a little insight as to the way Jesus can give us a new perspective. The Lord didn’t only ask the disciples to follow him. Jesus didn’t simply command them to ascend the mountain. Neither did Jesus just invite them to climb. The context is more forced and contrived. ‘Jesus took, His disciples’. The word translated took (Gk Paralambano) implies to ‘take with oneself as an associate or companion’. The word took means, to choose out from a large number. Jesus was deliberately introducing the disciples to a particular experience. And so it is with the Christian.

A new perspective comes when God organises the daily activities of his people. A new perspective comes when the Holy Spirit directs us into a new venture. A new perspective comes when Jesus guide’s us into a new understanding of who he is. Jesus ‘took’ the disciples. He compelled them to go with him. Read the Bible and you will see that Jesus sometimes took His disciples into a village. Other times he took them into the temple. Sometimes Jesus took the disciples into a garden. Other times He took them out to sea on a boat. Sometimes Jesus took His disciples into a synagogue. Sometimes he took them to a house. Jesus deliberately set the daily schedule for his disciples. He seized their commitment and captured their imagination. And so it is for us. A new perspective comes when Jesus is allowed to organize our lives.

What about you today? Can God take you to a place where he wants you to be? Could God take the Straits church a step further in his purposes? If so the church will get a new perspective. It will get a new perspective of the community, fellowship and evangelism. What about us as individuals? Can Jesus take us to another level of Christian service? If so we’ll get a new perspective of God’s blessings and rewards.

Have you ever considered what might have happened if the disciples were reluctant to ascend the mountain? The disciples could have protested. They might of uttered silly things like ‘Jesus, we’re not going to walk all the way up the mountain, it’s too high’. ‘Don’t you think its a little cold up there on top of the mountain Lord? It’s going to take us a long time if we have to walk all the way up there boss. Why don’t you teach us down here? It will save hours of travelling. If we stay down here we won’t have to climb so we’ll save our energy and we can pray longer’.

If the disciples had that kind of attitude they would not have ascended the mountain. They would have missed out on the transfiguration one of the greatest events in world history. A new perspective can depend on how manageable we are as Christians? Can Jesus take you anywhere? Will you let the Lord take you into a particular place of worship? Young folks can the Lord take you into a particular career? Can God lead you into new friendships? Can we really accompany Jesus down the road of suffering? Or have we put any limitations on our commitment this morning? Are there any no go areas in our lives for God’s purpose? Or can Jesus take us anywhere? The Lord took Peter, James and John, up a high mountain. This brings me to the second point about a new perspective. A new perspective comes at high points.

Jesus didn’t take the disciples into a mysterious forest. This new perspective was not going to come from a dark, shady, complex wooded area. Neither was it going to emerge from down in the valley. We can learn so much when we are low in spirit and short on encouragement. But this new perspective for Peter, James and John was not coming from a low point. They may have passed through a few valleys on the way. But Jesus took them up through the valleys. Jesus ascended upwards and beyond base camp. Jesus took them higher, to the peak. The Scripture, specifically states High Mountain.

Sarah Dowerday was a girl born with one leg. She received a lot of attention in America many years ago for climbing to the top of Mt. Reiner in Seattle Washington. A CBS news camera crew went along with her when she made the climb. When Sarah finally reached the snow-capped peak one journalist asked her a question. ‘How do you feel, now that you’ve climbed this mountain?’ Sarah answered quite simply, "Once you have experienced the peak, your life is never the same,”

And so it was for the disciples. Jesus gave them a new perspective and their lives were never the same. The Lord called Moses up to the mountain and Moses was never the same. Mount Sinai was a spiritual high point for Moses. God took civil activist campaigner Martin Luther king up to an experientially high mountain. After that M.L. King was never the same. I want to encourage you this morning. For one reason or another you may have been low in spirit this week. If you are, know this, your next high point is closer than you think. The disciples were only one journey away from seeing Jesus transfigured. They were only one climb away, from seeing Jesus change from a nice carpenter into the radiant Son of God. You may be just one day away from a wonderful answer to prayer. You may be only one week away from getting your next financial breakthrough. You may be only one month away from a significant improvement in your health. What would be your next high point in life? Seeing a backslidden Christian return to the Lord? Having another baby? Getting another job? Witnessing the conversion of one of your close relatives? Being filled with the Holy Spirit? You may be much closer to these things than you realise. As we open our lives to the will of God. The will of God will open our lives to his blessing. A new perspective should bring a higher understanding of what God can do for us.

But lastly it’s worth keeping in mind that a new perspective may cause us to feel very uncomfortable. Note after Jesus had glowed like a nuclear power reactor infinitely more radiant than the sun. Verse six says that Peter ‘did not know what to say, they were so frightened’. Do you really want a new perspective on God? If you want a new perspective you may have to come out of your comfort zone.

We go through difficulties in life and we often say to folks ‘we have the peace of God in our trials and tribulations’. We quote psalm 23 ‘He leads me beside still waters’. We quote that magnificent New Testament verse ‘Let the peace of God rule your hearts’. The peace of God most certainly is an indispensable part of the Gospel. But there’s another part to the gospel, there’s an uncomfortable part. The gospel talks about a cross and we all have our crosses to bear. And there’s also a scary part to the gospel like, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge’. Or ‘work out your salvation in fear and trembling’. The Bible says these things. (1 Proverbs 1:7. Philippians 2:12)

After the disciples witnessed the transfiguration the Bible says, they were so frightened they didn’t know what to say. One commentator says the Gk wording implies that they were so afraid they wanted to run away. When did God last scare you?’ A new perspective may well cause adrenaline to rush through our veins. Some of us would go into a holy panic if we had to knock the door of the house over the street and invite its occupants to come to our church service tonight. Some people have been given a new perspective on hell and they’ve lost sleep over it. When did God last scare you?