https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHdB1dYAteA

约翰·派博：不要浪费你的生命

Share未编辑过的AI翻译

上帝对我很仁慈。当我17岁的时候在高中，有些东西活了起来。我几乎可以准确地说出克林顿夫人的英语班。某种永生不死的东西复活了。我已经与耶稣同行了。所以并不是信仰复活了。这是一种觉醒，让我意识到生命只有一次的重要性，以及它的结局。永远，没有第二次机会，没有重来，就像你拍视频一样。在一次测试中没有失误，一次生命，然后是永恒。1964年，我们高中有一本叫做《草叶集》的文学杂志，我在上面发表了一首平庸的诗。这首诗的质量现在对我来说已经没有什么不同了，但是回想起它的负担是吸引我的，因为它是一个活生生的证据，一种感觉，我只有一次生命，一次生命，我可以永远毁掉它，也可以永远不毁掉它。这首诗出版了，里面有一节诗。它是从一个老人的角度写的。我写这本书的时候才17岁。它叫《逝去的岁月》。在这首诗里，最后一段诗是这样写的:长久以来，我一直在寻找大地所隐藏的意义，就像我的青春一直在徒劳地寻找一样。现在，在我接近生命的最后几年，我的寻找已经开始，我必须重新开始。在高中毕业的那些日子里，我内心的一切都在告诉我，绝不，绝不，绝不能发生这种事。到了生命的尽头，65岁的时候，我说，我想不明白。我不知道是怎么回事。只是随波就流，只是做下一件事，只是绝望地四处闲逛，努力快乐，而不去想，哦，别让我去想这是怎么回事，也别让我去想只有一次生命有多沉重。别让我想这个。我只想做下一件事，希望我不会陷入内疚和沮丧之中。我不想以这种方式结束生命，那样的话，那种负担，那种只有一次生命的沉重感和奇妙感就永远不会离开。曾经，我仍然在想，我还剩下什么？我不知道还剩下什么。一年。等一下，这是个好地方。天气凉爽。我父亲去世时87岁。那就是22年。我不知道。我只知道一件事别浪费。这就是你所拥有的，然后是结果。这就是你得到的全部，然后是结果。所以我心中升起了一股强烈的使命感。很多人会问“我们从哪里来？”问题，这很重要，但对我来说，它只对“我要去哪里”这个问题重要。我想知道目的。我想了解设计。我想知道我在努力做什么，我从哪里来？如果这和那件事有关，我想知道。但最主要的是，我只想知道为什么。你知道，德国人也有Vohare和投票权。我们只是，为什么？Vohare是，为什么？意思是，为什么会发生这种情况？回顾过去，因为伏都是为什么？目的是什么？这一切的意义是什么？我会投他的票。的家伙。我想知道我要去哪里？为了这个目的而观察它。我想知道为什么宇宙，为什么颜色声音，爱，恨，恶，善，运动，休闲，工作，灵魂，身体，政府，艺术，美，蚊子，蚊子。我想知道为什么。笑声，婚姻，疾病，战争。我。你现在这个时候，为什么？这对我来说是最大的问题。我和你有一个小时的时间。为什么？为什么？这里应该发生什么？我每周日都会带着这个问题去讲道坛。这里应该发生什么？在这个时刻，这条信息的重点是什么？你为什么来参加这个会议？你希望永远发生什么？你希望你生命中的这一刻产生什么样的连锁反应？所以那个负担，那个惊奇，那个重量，在我17岁的时候降临在我身上，而且它永远不会消失。我为什么存在？上帝对我很好，因为在接下来的七年里，其中四个在惠顿学院，三个在富勒神学院，在接下来的七年里，直到我24岁或25岁，所有的大碎片都就位了，它们从未改变过。我很幸运。你们中的一些人在70岁时需要一些大的东西，而另一些人在17岁时需要。永远不会太迟。但对我来说，上帝对我很好，从17岁到24岁，所有重要的部分都到位了。从那以后，我一直在努力把我的注意力集中在狭窄的地方，因为我不是一个快速阅读的人，也不是一个全面思考的人。我是一个善于分析的人我能处理一小段经文并从中榨取精华，但除此之外我就无能为力了。所以我只想把重要的问题放在中心。当我把所有的东西都挤在一起时，我想挤啊挤啊挤，直到最后一滴重要的东西都消失了。这就是我要向你们这些普通人推荐的。让我强调一下我在2000年所强调的。当我对一天的人群讲话时，我对他们说，你们知道，这都是大学生，你们的大多数情况都不一样。你不需要知道我说了什么。我现在对你们说，你不需要知道很多事情，你的生活就会有很大的不同。我和那些20多岁退休的老年人交谈，你不需要知道很多事情。很多事我都不知道。我年纪越大，知道的就越少。这不仅仅是因为我忘记了，因为我意识到越来越多我不知道的事情。我必须努力不去关心这些，以免我试图了解他们，然后失去对我所知道的东西的把握。但你确实需要知道一些真正重要的事情，并愿意为它们而生，为它们而死。那些能带来持久改变的人。我特意选择了持久这个词，因为我想到的只是你们的普通奶奶，或者爸爸妈妈，或者这个房间里的每个人。你不会有一个著名的全球差异，但这不是本质。为了在这个世界上有一个持续到永恒的持久的差异，你不必知道很多事情。你必须掌握一些东西，一些伟大的东西。如果你想让你的生命有意义，如果你想让涟漪效应永存，那么你就应该把自己奉献给一些伟大的事情。你不需要有高智商，你不需要有高情商。你不需要长得好看或者财富。事实上，财富几乎肯定会成为阻碍，不一定，但几乎可以肯定。耶稣说，你不必来自一个很好的家庭，那两个人会碍事的。你不需要去一所好学校。你不需要去任何学校。但你必须知道一些伟大的、庄严的、不变的、明显的、光荣的东西，并被它们点燃。这才是生命的意义所在。所以我要提三件我在17岁到24岁之间明白的事情，我在余生中一直在努力，试图辨别它们的深度。想往下推，往下推，再往下推，并把它们的应用尽可能广泛地推到生活和文化的每一个方面。这三个发现将定义不浪费的生命。第一，绝对至高无上，超然纯粹。那些没有R-C线轴工作的人会知道我在说什么。那里自我存在，自我维持，无比美丽，全知，全智，全统治，全支持，全定义，无限宝贵，全满足的上帝。有这样一个上帝。他存在，他在所有的创造，所有的救赎，所有的历史，所有的文化中的目的，是为了显示他的荣耀，为他的救赎的人永恒的，不断增加的享受。这是第一个发现。一个长句子。缩短它。有一位伟大圣洁的神，他的意思是叫人认识他，把他当作神来珍重。有一位伟大圣洁的神，他要我们真实地认识他，并适当地珍惜他。有时跑步帮助人们记住他的意思是真正被认识和珍惜。他的意思是光照耀，热沸腾，关于他的圣洁的存在。你知道，我很确定，在这次会议上，上帝的名字Yahwei在旧约中被使用了600多次，它来自单词B到B。出埃及记03:14，摩西对神说，他们问我，谁差你来？我该怎么跟他们说？神说，你告诉他们，我是差你来的。我的名字是Iam我这辈子都在努力弄清楚。有一个人认同自己是我，这意味着什么？处理它。我就是这样。我没有起点。我将没有结局。你不是。我什么都不依靠。一切都取决于我。没有什么能定义我。我定义一切。我不受任何东西的控制。我控制一切。我是一切只是。你可以用一生的时间来接受上帝的名字，他是谁，他是什么，他改变了一切，不是吗？我的意思是，如果你生活在一个上帝面前，一切都会改变他只是上帝，就在那里，宇宙就像他口袋里的一颗花生。只是这个类比对宇宙来说太大了。于是我遇见了这位神。他开始活过来，我知道在它的阴影之外，从他的拇指之外的东西。你就是知道，对吧？你知道，如果我的生命要有一个永恒的目标不被浪费，他必须告诉我那是什么，就这么简单。他得给它下定义。我不可能只考虑他的存在，仅仅考虑他的存在，我会说，我想我要这么做。你在开玩笑吧。他是上帝。你什么事都完全依赖他。你要决定你的人生该怎么过。叫醒。。。。。。。叫醒。。。。。。。他走了。最后，在富勒神学院的丹·富勒和乔纳森·爱德华兹的帮助下，《上帝创造了世界》这本书是我人生中最重要的五本书之一，在这本书的帮助下，我明白了人生的目的是什么。上帝设计了宇宙，创造了它，控制它，治理它，运行它。将使它圆满有序。我要重复我说过的话，以便在所有的创造，所有的救赎，所有的历史，所有的文化中，他可以显示他的荣耀，为他的人民永远和不断增加的享受。所以，明白神对神的旨意是基本的，忘记我对自己的旨意是正确的，这个顺序是非常重要的。上帝的安排先于我的职责。你对宇宙的设计是什么？我只是其中的一小部分。这一定是你的设计。对我来说，这是一种定义生命的事工，定义发现，看到神是多么彻底地高举神的旨意。我想这是我最激动的事情了。不知道为什么，我就是这样。我想上帝创造宇宙的目的是彻底的上帝欢欣鼓舞就像铁拳一样握着我。我不能离开，我不能逃避。我觉得这令人振奋。我们悲伤地说，这是一条断层线。这是一条分裂家庭、教会、文化和世界的断层线。人们要么觉得上帝为宇宙设定的令人振奋的目的令人振奋，要么感到愤怒。很少有人在听到这个词后会保持中立。对我来说，这一直是神学和经验的中心问题。这个月我在《第一件事》上读了一篇GeraldGermit写的关于福音派的文章。他把我们分为传统主义者和旋律派。他知道这是一个词。它们是后现代的，后保守的，后命题的，它们有各种各样的名字。他说这一运动的特点之一是拒绝陈旧的启蒙思想，拒绝思想和情感的分裂，拒绝思想和情感的分裂。我在想，什么？什么假期？当然，我知道他在说什么。当这些东西被分割了，你变成了一个陈腐的，死气沉沉的，传统的DOS培训师，改革教会，你将失去一代人。毫无疑问，你会失去我的。

上帝以上帝为中心的宇宙目的这个问题对我来说，无论是在神学上还是在情感上都很重要。它一直是开启精神生活和灵魂生活的钥匙，是决定性的启示和无处不在的兴奋。直到今天，40年后，从那17到24年的神学院生活到今天，上帝对宇宙的崇高旨意让我翱翔。我喜欢这样想，是的，我坐在桌前准备这样的演讲。我喜欢它。我只是坐在那里。是的，是的，让我再说一遍。我只是喜欢思考神，神，神是宇宙的意义。然后你翻开圣经，你会发现它无处不在。我女阿，将我的众子从远方带来，从地极带来，就是我为自己的荣耀所造的一切。我使以色列全家紧紧依靠我，好叫他们作我的子民、我的名、我的赞美、我的荣耀。我们的列祖在红海背叛了至高者，他却为自己的名拯救了他们，为要彰显他的大能。为了我的名，为了我的赞美，我暂缓我的怒气。我为了你克制它，为了我自己，为了我自己。我这样做是为了我的名字应该是什么？亵渎？我的荣耀，我不给别人。你觉得以赛亚这样写对我们来说意味着什么，就像，天哪，太无聊了。这是自大狂。我不这么想。我想他的意思是让我们在尘埃和灰烬中忏悔后翱翔。天父，时候到了。愿你荣耀你的儿子，使儿子也荣耀你。真是父子俩的阴谋啊。我现在要荣耀你，叫你也得荣耀。我也要因你得荣耀，叫我也荣耀你。我会一起做的。父亲会组队让宇宙对骑兵有自己的看法。他在那日降临，要在他的圣徒身上得荣耀，又在一切信的人身上显为希奇。所以随着时间的流逝，这一点变得越来越清晰，越来越清晰上帝创造救赎的规则，是为了彰显他的荣耀，尊崇它，充分利用它。但在第一个发现中，在我给你们的时间里，我们只研究了一半。为什么？也许我们不该问，但这是我的问题。你为什么要这么做？上帝吗？你为什么要在一个充满创意的世界里展出？天上到处都在述说上帝的事，其他一切也都在述说。为什么你为什么要那么做？然后他的回答是，因为我想被你荣耀。我想被你惊艳。我想让我所有令人满意的美丽的无限价值反映在你身上。这就是为什么我要以上帝造物的形象来展示有意识的理性，这样我就能尽可能充分地反映出我是谁。这就是为什么我要在这个宇宙中展示我以我的形象创造了你，他展示了他的荣耀我说，是他救赎之民永远加增的福乐。所以这对我来说意义重大。在我22到24岁的人生中，这是我最深刻的体会。对我来说，上帝荣耀的价值体现在我对它的珍惜程度上。上帝荣耀的价值、美丽和价值，在我珍视它、享受它、尊重它、喜爱它并对它感到满意的程度上恰当地反映在他身上，超过了地球上的一切。如果有什么东西比我的心，比我的激情，比我的感情更多，那就是比他更荣耀了。这对我来说绝对是不可思议的。这其中的含义需要一辈子的时间才能弄清楚。神让我们知道他荣耀的丰富，是为了让我们珍惜我们的价值，我们的享受，当然，为了这个目的，我们知道。想想看，为了上帝的爱而活的精神生活可以作为副标题，当他向我们显示他的荣耀时，他没有得到任何荣誉。如果我们觉得无聊，那就不会。我不在乎我们知道多少。事实上，我们知道得越多，他的形象就越糟。如果我们觉得课文枯燥无味，就仔细听。这是一个非常有争议的文本，不是因为它含糊不清，而是因为它所说的。但我不打算去讨论有争议的部分。我只讲最明显的部分。这是罗曼的9点22和23分。神要显出他的忿怒，这是他荣耀的一部分。神要显出他的忿怒，彰显他的大能。所以他的荣耀有两个方面。还有很多。神要显出他的忿怒，彰显他的大能。以极大的耐心忍受。这是他的另一个荣耀，愤怒的器皿，准备毁灭。这是圣经中我最喜欢的一句话。为了让你们知道这是什么意思，我们有一个目的，他会告诉我一些关于目的的东西。为什么愤怒，为什么权力，为什么病人？噢，是的。告诉我这可能会帮助我知道如何生活和不浪费生命。他说了什么？神显明他的忿怒，显出他的大能，并且多多忍耐，将那可怒的器皿豫备好，好叫人知道他丰盛的荣耀。怜悯的器皿？对他们有什么好处？无聊？我不这么想。不是意思。享受什么，拥抱什么，欢欣鼓舞什么，赞美什么，尊敬什么，为什么而生，为什么而死，这是显而易见的。他丰富的荣耀显明在怜悯的器皿上。两块显出他丰盛的荣耀，作为怜悯的器皿。这样做，如果你要支持一百人，让慈悲的器皿喜乐地领受，让慈悲的器皿高于一切，让慈悲的器皿惊叹，让慈悲的器皿荣耀，让慈悲的器皿反映为他们生命中最令人满足的宝藏。当然，这就是为什么他从愤怒到忍耐无所不为。他这样做是为了财富，他们是无限的，要临到怜悯的器皿吗对他们来说。对他们来说，他为我们准备了荣耀。我们将永世长存，生生不息。你知道，我用“不断增加”这个词。你听起来可能有点好笑，天堂也能承认程度。因为我是有限的。约翰·派珀的心和头脑都是有限的。上帝是无限的。他丰富的荣耀，是我所要知道的，是我心中所要享受的，是无限的。我很好。这是什么意思？这意味着我不能一次全部接受。其实，我永远都不能疲惫，永远都不能。所以我的理解是，我将用永恒的时间攀登一座又一座上帝威严的山脉。大约30亿年后，当我把自己拉到我能看到的范围的边缘时，它将延伸到数百万英里的距离，一段又一段又一段的荣耀尚未被认识，被珍惜，被真正地认识和珍惜。这样，他因被真实地认识而得荣耀，我们也因适时地爱他而得喜乐。当我们对他最满意的时候，他就在我们身上得荣耀。这是第一个发现。这辈子就够了。对这个24岁的年轻人来说，现在他对自己的人生目标充满了激情，这意味着我应该加入他的行列。我的意思是，这对我来说太明显了，就好像这里没有什么可考虑的。我同意了。如果这是你创造宇宙的目的，我就在那里。这就是我想做的。我愿如此活着，如此死去，好让你的荣耀显得无比珍贵。就是这样。这才是没有浪费的生命。停止。现在。回家了。无论你吃还是喝，我父亲都会一遍又一遍地给我写信，儿子，无论你吃还是喝，无论你做什么，都要为荣耀而努力，这意味着尽一切努力让他看起来伟大，这现在我明白了，意味着如此珍惜他，如此重视他，如此满足于他超过人类所有可能的幸福，你让他看起来比你生命中的任何东西都更有价值？这就是它的意思。我们在天上的父啊，愿你的名是什么？我喜欢主祷文。这是祈祷。我是说，每句话都是请愿书。我以前以为这是鼓掌。你好，愿你的名字像你一样神圣。是的，但这是愿你的名字被尊为圣。我每次祈祷时都带着它，我几乎每天都在祈祷，我就从这里开始。哦，上帝，愿你的名字在这里被尊为圣，被尊为圣，被尊为圣，被尊为他者，超然而纯洁。或者她喷了几句华丽的话，说了几句什么都觉得没意思，被尊为无限珍贵，被尊为无比满足。哦，愿这一切今天就发生在这里，然后发生在诺埃尔、塔利森·卡森、本、亚伯拉罕和巴马斯身上，发生在他们的妻子和十二个孩子身上。现在我的教会和城市和会议和部门Leganir和列国，导致这个评估了你的名字，珍惜你的名字。来吧，来吧，来吧。这就是我们在主祷文的第一句话中所祷告的。这都是关于他的名字的威严荣耀被拥抱，被爱，被珍惜，被尊敬，被尊敬，被赞美，这样世界就会看到我们说，你们的上帝一定是了不起的。让服务的人去吧，这也是我现在正在努力做的。用神所赐的力量服事人，使我们能愿神藉著耶稣基督得荣耀。他是永远掌权的。因此，第一个发现的含义是显而易见的，如果上帝就是我，如果他创造宇宙是为了展示他丰富的荣耀，为怜悯的器皿，为了让他丰富的荣耀的无限价值在我们的生活中显而易见。然后我的人生就被定义了。你不是在看着我吗？目标和成就是有区别的。你知道吗？我是说，我是个罪人。我在这一点上失败了。我所做的就是定义。我知道我在地球上是什么，否则上帝会评判我是否接近。我妻子的判断肯定和你不一样。可能你只认识那个老师，那个牧师。我的孩子们认识另一个人。我妻子认识另一个男人。我的长辈认识另一个人。我喜欢保罗说，时候未到，不要论断人。我甚至都不评判自己。到那日，耶和华必施行审判，显明人心里的隐情。那是令人颤抖的一天。我了解自己的心吗？我不喜欢。我知道一些，其余的我相信我仁慈的救世主。这就引出了第二个发现。接下来的两个比较短。发现二的必要性在于，在上帝的目的和我加入他的能力之间存在着巨大的障碍，所以他的目的是让我如此珍惜他，以至于我的生与死都反映出他是多么的有价值。问题是，我恨上帝。我想成为上帝。为某些人而活。我不为别人而活。我们会说我想成为上帝。自我否定不是我的天性。现在。当有人告诉我什么是我喜欢的，什么是我不喜欢的，什么是我不爱的，什么是我不爱的时候，从我面前消失。天哪，这是一个很大的障碍。还有，还有一个原因，那就是，他恨我。正因为如此，上帝的愤怒如此沉重地压在我身上，昨天应该把我压在地狱里一千次。

那么，如果所有人都是ras的孩子，那么上帝的目的将如何实现呢？保罗明确地说，每一个都是注入，二，三。这是第二个发现。耶稣基督，上帝的儿子，化身，不仅成为我看到和品尝上帝荣耀的手段，而且在克服这些障碍的行为中，他自己成为荣耀的顶点。我看不见。这说得通。耶稣基督以神人的身份进入世界，他做了一些事，掩盖并征服了我的堕落，吸收了上帝的愤怒，所以我现在可以看到并品尝我被设计要看到和品尝的东西。在救赎的过程中，他成为我所要看到的荣耀的顶点。这是第二个发现。让我给你们讲三段经文来解释我想说的。因为这在早期就存在于金块中，但直到最近几年才变得更加清晰。我想我已经随着时间的推移，变得更加以基督为中心人那么我是20年前。我爱从某种意义上说，以神为中心。我可以争论很长时间。也许我们的c，我今晚会讲到这个，为什么在你的事工中应该尊崇上帝的圣洁，而不是基督。然后他将把国度交给父，上帝将是万有之主，这将是一个很好的起点。但我觉得我可能没有做到应有的平衡。我甚至不确定我现在的平衡在哪里。让我给你们三个文本。亚西亚人既在爱上得胜，神就照自己的旨意，在耶稣基督里预定了我们得儿女的名分，使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞。所以很清楚的是，我的命定，通过耶稣基督被上帝收养，是为了让上帝的荣耀得到赞美。所以现在我们已经澄清了荣耀的顶点，启示，它的恩典。赞美不是无聊。这是狂喜。这就是兴奋。你是命中注定的。你们在耶稣基督里都得蒙恩，使希腊的荣耀得着称赞，达到最高峰。第二条短信。提摩太二号，他救了我们。提摩太后书:有一夜，他救了我们，召我们蒙召，不是因我们的行为，乃是因他的旨意和恩典，就是万古以前，他在基督耶稣里赐给我们的。所以这恩典，就是我们借着耶稣的救赎工作所当赞美的荣耀的顶点，是在未有世界以先赐给我们的。所以我很清楚上帝创造宇宙的目的就是来到这里，因为恩典是通过耶稣基督赐予的。在宇宙存在之前。这就是我们。这是呼吸。我比以前更清楚地看到了宇宙的目的，在这条信息的前半部分，耶稣，化身的中心，通过他救赎，在万物存在之前，灰色流向我。还有一个文本。启示录13章8节说:“创世以前，名字没有记在被杀羔羊生命册上的，那兽要胜过一切。”

在宇宙存在之前，有一本书，它有一个名字。这是《羔羊的生命记》的名字，他很轻。耶稣基督为罪人被杀，这是宇宙的意义，因为宇宙的展示是为了彰显上帝丰富的荣耀。神丰富荣耀的顶点是他恩典荣耀的丰富。荣耀丰富的顶点是恩典，耶稣基督为像我这样的罪人钉在十字架上，掩盖上帝的愤怒，掩盖我的堕落，征服我的罪，使我看到他已经变得惊人的荣耀。很神奇的。神的目的是要彰显他的荣耀。荣耀的顶点是他的恩典。恩典的顶点是耶稣基督。而最顶点，最高潮的时刻揭示了荣耀在基督里的恩典，就是他的死。对于像我这样的罪人，他做了什么？他做了什么？好吧，在这个会议上的其他人，有，我们会说，但我只是总结一下，因为你怎么可能不想说呢？他成了我的祸根。他承担了我的罪的谴责。罗马书8章3节。神将那无罪的显明出来，好叫我在他里面成为神的义。这样，我的罪孽算在他的名下，他的公义也算在我的名下。我现在从神的忿怒中解脱了，也从我的罪疚中解脱了。因为所有这些，因为所有这些十字架的工作，血的工作，死亡的工作，上帝的主权在新约的所有应许之后对我起了作用，你知道那些是什么。我要使你们敬畏我，也不叫你们离开我。面子是免费的。如果他在二八监狱，忏悔是自由的。第二，到基督这里来是白白赐给我的。约翰福音06:44新生是白白赐给我的。约翰:三八。这意味着我的堕落，我的死亡，我的盲目，我对上帝的厌恶和憎恨，都消失了，然后重生了。不然为什么我要为上帝的中心而不是我的中心而兴奋呢？我爱上帝的中心。哦，保护我，上帝，哦，保护我，不要把正确的教义变成自夸的手段。现在我能看到，如果他除去了所有忿怒的障碍，所有罪和罪的障碍，然后用脸的礼物，悔改的礼物和重生的礼物克服了我的堕落，我现在能看到什么？哥林多后书四章。四。福音之光，基督之荣耀。谁是上帝的形象？再说一遍，发现总结。上帝的旨意是为人所知，为人所珍视，而我对他的珍视是堕落和愤怒的巨大障碍。上帝派遣耶稣基督来到这个世界，他掩盖并征服了我的堕落，吸收了上帝的愤怒，在这过程中，他成为了荣耀的顶点。我现在可以看到最后发现的第三条。在我说之前，让我，让我把它们联系起来。不要跳过这个。让我把它和我的生活目标联系起来。那么这对未浪费的生命有什么影响呢？只是缩小了它的焦点。现在，我活着，我死了，都是为了证明上帝在基督身上的荣耀，为像我这样的罪人钉在十字架上，是无限宝贵的。不浪费的生命耶稣的生命比生命更宝贵。

你们知道保罗说过:“我为基督的缘故，已经样样都受了损失，当作弃绝的，为要得着基督。。这就是我生命中对到达那里，住在那里，呆在那里的渴望，一切都像垃圾一样，与认识耶稣相比，我可以在他里面找到。没有自己的公义，来自法律，但因信基督的公义，公义的信仰设计取决于信仰的上帝的公义，我可能知道他的力量复活，我可以分享他的痛苦，成为像他一样在他死后，如果以任何可能的手段，我可能达到死人复活，永恒在我的王，我的一切满意，所有荣耀的耶稣。发现三:在基督里最能显明神的荣耀和荣耀的生活，就是为爱的事奉而喜乐受苦的生活。

彰显神荣耀无限价值的生命，在为罪人钉十字架的基督身上彰显至高。最清楚地表现这一点的生活是为爱而受苦的幸福生活。最后我将给你们一段文字，并对它做一个评论。登山宝训，马太福音第五章大概十一到十六章。仔细听，看你能不能在我指出来之前把线索拼起来。人若辱骂你们，逼迫你们，捏造各样坏话攻击你们，你们就有福了。喜乐。这很疯狂，对吧？在那日要喜乐。应当欢喜，因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的。因为在你们以前的先知，他们也是这样逼迫他们。你是世上的中坚力量。盐若失了味，怎能叫他再咸呢？除了被扔出去，践踏在人们的脚下之外，什么都不是。你是世界之光。造在山上的城，是不能向人隐藏的。像一盏灯，放在篮子下面。要放在灯台上，照亮全家。你们的光也当这样照出来，叫人看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们的父。这就是宇宙存在的意义。问题是，什么是光？盐是什么？你是盐。你是光明。当人们品尝它的时候，他们会说，哇，很香，哇。这是不寻常的。这篇文章有什么不寻常之处？不寻常的是什么？不是好事。做好事并不罕见。有很多做好事的异教徒。没人看着他说，天哪，没人。什么是不寻常的，什么是真正咸的，什么是真正明亮的，什么是非凡的，什么是不可能的？有一件事是在逼迫面前喜乐，因为有天上的赏赐，这世界是做不到的。他们没有报酬，如果有人用谎言殴打他们，他们不会高兴的。但是你可以。如果你这样做了，如果你对这个奖励如此满意，你有福了吗？妇人辱骂你，逼迫你，用各样的言语毁谤你。如果你对你的回报感到满意，你真的可以继续为恨你的人做好事，那么你就应该高兴，因为你的回报是巨大的。令人高兴的是，你的咸度打破了记录。人们会带你去的。我吃的东西里都应该有。这是难以置信的。太棒了。如果只是除非有一位伟大荣耀的神来满足人类破碎的欲望，否则这一切都不可能完成。奖励是什么？耶稣在约翰福音17章24节祷告说，父阿，我在那里，叫你所赐给我的人同我在那里，看见我的荣耀。就是这样。如果你想要更多的奖赏，没有比被钉在十字架上被杀的上帝的羔羊的荣耀更大的了，他的名字永远在书中。所以我恳求你，不要浪费你的生命。仰望耶稣。在他身上，在他为你所受的苦难中，你可以找到神恩典荣耀的顶点。在他身上找到这一点。在他身上找到吧。然后拥抱他。你要对他如此满意，以至于你的生与死都证明他是你的至宝。

God was very kind to me. When I was 17 years old in high school, something came alive. I can almost pinpoint the class Mrs clinton’s class in English. Something came alive that has never died. I was already walking with Jesus. And so it wasn’t faith that came alive. It was an awakening of the wonder and the weight of having one life to live, and then its outcome. For eternity, no 2nd chances, no retakes, like when you do a video. No doovers in a test one life and then eternity. In 1964, we had a high school literary magazine called Leaves of Grass, and I published a mediocre poem in it. And the quality of the poem makes no difference to me whatsoever now, but looking back on the the burden of it is what grips me, because it was an evidence of that coming alive, of the sense of, I got one life, one life, and I can blow it forever or not. So that poem is published, and in it there’s a verse it. It’s written from the perspective of being an old man. I’m 17 years old when I’m writing it. It’s called The Lost Years. And in the the verse, the last verse, goes like this Long I sought for the earth’s hidden meaning long as a youth was my search in vain. Now, as I approach my last years, waning my search, I must begin again. And everything in me in those days toward the end of high school, was saying that must never, never, never happen. Come to the end of life, 65 right now, and say, I can’t figure it out. I don’t know what it’s about. Just coasting, just doing the next thing, just potsing around desperately, trying to be happy while not thinking, oh, don’t let me think about what this is heading for, or how heavy and weighty it is to have one life. Don’t let me think about that. I just want to do the next thing and hope I don’t sink in guilt and frustration. I don’t want to come to the end of that way, then that burden, a sense of the weight and the wonder of having only one life never left. Ever, I still think, what have I got left? I don’t know what have got left. A year. A-A minute, this would be a great place to go. It’s cool. 20 years My dad was 87 when he passed away. That’s 22 more years. I don’t know. I just know one thing don’t waste it. This is just all you’ve got and then the outcome. And that’s all you’ve got just one and then the outcome. So there they’re rose in me, this tremendous sense about purposefulness. A lot of people get worked up with the Where did we come from? Question, and that’s important, but to me, it’s only important for the Where am I going question. I want to know purpose. I want to know design. I want to know what am I trying to do, where I came from? If that’s relevant for that, I want to know about it. But mainly, I just want why. You know, the Germans have Vohare and vote too. We just have, why? Vohare is, why? Meaning, why did this happen? Looking at the past, cause And Votu is why? What’s the purpose? What’s the point of it all? That’s the one I’ll vote to. Guy. I want to know where am I heading? And watch it for so purpose. I want to know why the universe, why color sound, love, hate, evil, good, sports, leisure, work, souls, bodies, government, art, beauty, mosquitoes, mosquitoes. I want to know why. Laughter, marriage, disease, war. Me. You now this hour, why? That’s the biggest question for me. I’ve got an hour with you. Why? Why? What should, what should happen here? I go to the pulpit with that question every Sunday. What should happen here? What’s the big point of this message in this moment? Why are you at this conference? What do you want to happen forever? What ripple effect do you want to come from this moment in your life? So that burden, that wonder, that weight, came on me about age 17, and it just doesn’t go away. Why do I exist? And God was very kind to me, because in the next seven years, so four of them at Wheaton College and three of them at Fuller Seminary, in the next seven years, till I was 24 or 25, all the big pieces fell into place, and they’ve never changed. And I am so fortunate. Some of you need some big pieces put in place now at age 70, and others at age 17. It’s never too late. But for me, god was so kind to me that from 17 to 24, all the big pieces were put in place. And all I’ve been doing since then is trying to keep my focus narrow, because I’m not a fast reader, and I’m not a comprehensive thinker. I’m an, I’m an analytical guy who can handle a little piece of scripture and milk it, but I can’t do much else. So I just want the big questions to say central. And when I push on them, with all of them, I want to squeeze and squeeze and squeeze until the last drop of significance is out of the big things. And and that’s, that’s what I would commend to all of you average folks. Let me stress for you what I stressed in the year 2000. When I spoke to the one day crowd, I said to them, you know, this is all college students and and and your mostly not same thing applies. You don’t have to know I said. And I say to you now, you don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a huge difference. And I’m talking to the older folks, retired in twentysomethings, you don’t have to know a lot of things. I don’t know a lot of things. The older I get, the less I know. And that’s not just because I’m forgetting, because I’m aware of more and more things that I don’t know. And I have to work hard not to care about that lest I try to know them and then lose my grip on what I know. But you you do need to know a few great things that really matter, and be willing to live for them with all your might and die for them. The people who make a durable difference. I choose the word durable significantly, intentionally, because I’m thinking of just your average grandmama, say, or mom or dad, or just your average person in this room. You won’t have a famous global difference, but that’s not of the essence. In order to have a durable difference in the world that lasts till eternity, you don’t have to know a lot of things. You have to be mastered by a few things, a few great things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect to go to eternity, then you want to give yourself to a few great things. You don’t have to have an high I-Q, you don’t have to have a high EQ. You don’t have to have good looks or riches. Fact, riches will almost certainly get in the way, not necessarily, but almost certainly. Jesus said, you don’t have to come from a fine family, that two can get in the way. You don’t have to go to a fine school. You don’t have to go to any school. But you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, glorious things and be set on fire by them. That’s what makes a life count. So I’m going to mention three of those things that came clear to me between 17 and 24, and that I’ve just been working on the rest of my life, just trying to discern their depths. Want to push down, down, down, and their application as widely as I can push it into every avenue of life and culture. So three discoveries that will define the unwasted life. Number one There is an absolutely sovereign, transcendently pure. Those who’ve no R-C spools work will know what I’m talking about. There self existing, self sustaining, incomparably beautiful, all knowing, all wise, all governing, all upholding, all defining, infinitely valuable, all satisfying God. There is a God like that. He exists, whose purpose in all creation, in all redemption, in all history, in all culture, is to display his glory for the everlasting, ever increasing enjoyment of his redeemed people. That’s discovery number one. A long sentence. Shorten it down. There is a great holy God who means to be known and treasured as God. There is a great holy God who means to be known truly and treasured duly. Sometimes run helps people remember He means to be known truly and treasured duly. He means for light to shine and heat to boil in regard to his holy being. You know, I’m sure, being at this conference, that god’s name Yahwei is used over 600 times in the Old Testament, and it comes from the word B to B. Exodus 03:14, moses says to God, when they asked me, who sent you? What should I tell them? And God says, tell them, I am sent you. My name is I am And I’ve just spent all my life trying to figure that out. What are the implications that there is a being who identifies himself as I am? Deal with it. I simply am. I had no beginning. I will have no ending. You’re not. I depend on nothing. Everything depends on me. I am defined by nothing. I define everything. I am controlled by nothing. I control everything. I am everything just. You can spend a lifetime just coming to terms with the name of God, who is, what that he is, that he is, changes everything, doesn’t it? I mean, just, everything changes if you live in the face of a god who simply God, simply there, and the universe is like a peanut in his pocket. Only that’s way too big of an analogy for the universe. So I meet, I meet this god. He starts coming alive, and I know beyond the shadow of it, out he thumbs things. You just know, right? You know, if my life is going to have a purpose that is durable and last into eternity and isn’t wasted, he’s got to tell me what it is, period. He’s got to define it. There’s no way I can come up with this in view of just his existence, just his sheer existence, that I’m going to say, I think I’m going to do this. You’re kidding. He’s God. You are absolutely dependent on him for everything. And you’re going to decide what to do with your life. Wake up. Wake up. He’s gone. So I, with the help of Dan Fuller at Fuller Seminary and Jonathan Edwards, in the end, for which God Created the World, one of the top five books of my life, it became crystal clear to me what the purpose of life is. God designed the universe and created it and controls it, governs it, runs it. Will bring it to consummation in order. And I’ll just repeat what I said, so that in all of creation, all redemption, all history, all culture, he might display his glory for the everlasting and ever increasing enjoyment of his people. So getting god’s purpose right for God became foundational forgetting my purpose right for me, and that order is all important. God’s design before my duty. What’s your design for the universe? I’m a little part of it. That must be your design. For me, it has been a life defining, ministry defining discovery to see how radically God exalting god’s purpose is. I suppose this is emotionally gripped me as much as anything. Don’t know why that is, just the way I’m wired. I suppose that god’s purpose for the universe is radically God exulting just holds me like an iron fist. I can’t leave, I can’t escape. And I find it exhilarating. And with with some sorrow, we say, this is a fault line. It’s a fault line that divides families, churches, cultures and the world. Either people find god’s God exulting purpose for the universe exhilarating, or they are angered by it. Very few people are neutral once they hear it spelled out. For me, this has been the central issue theologically and experience. Was reading an article in 1st Things this month by Gerald Germit on evangelicals. And he’s divides us up into traditionalists and melarists. And he knew that was a word. And the melus are post modern, post conservative, post propositional, and there’re all kinds of names attached to them. And one of the issues he said characterizing that movement is a rejection of the old, stale enlightenment, bifurcation between the mind and the heart and the between thinking and feeling. And I’m thinking, what? What by vacation? And of course, I-I know what he’s talking about. When those things are divided, and you become a stale, dead, traditional dos trainer, reformed church, you’re going to lose a generation. Just no doubt about it, going to lose me.

This issue of god’s God centered purpose for the universe has been for me, both theologically and emotionally central..It has been the key to the life of the mind and the key to the life of the soul, the all defining revelation and the all pervading exhilaration. To this day, 40 years later, since those 17 to 24 years in seminary in college, to this day, god’s God exalting purpose for the universe causes me to soar. I love to think about Yes, I sit at my desk preparing for talks like this. I love it. I just sit there. Yes, yes, oh, let me say it again. I just love to think about gods, godness, gods being the point of the universe. And then you go to the Bible, and you find it everywhere. Bring my sons from Afar, my daughter, from the ends of the Earth, everyone whom I created for my glory. I made the whole house of Israel cling to me that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise and a glory. Our fathers rebelled against the most high at the red sea, yet he saved them for his names sake, that he might make known his power. For my names sake, I defer my anger for the sake of my praise. I restrain it for you, for my own sake, for my own sake. I do it for How should my name be? Profane? My glory, I will not give to another. What do you think Isaiah means for us to theo when he writes like that, like, god, that’s boring. That’s a megalomania. I don’t think so. I think he means us to soar after we’ve repented in dust and ashes. Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that the son may glorify thee. What a conspiracy of the son and the father. I’m going to glorify you now so that you will be glorified, and I will be glorified in you to glorify me, that I might glorify you. Will do it together. Father will team up and make the universe have its point on cavalry. He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marvel at in all who have belief. So it’s just gotten clearer and clearer and clearer as the years have gone by that God creates redeems rules in order to put his glory on display, to exalt it, to make much of it. But in that 1st discovery, that long that I gave you, we’ve only dealt with half of it. Why? Maybe we shouldn’t ask it, but that’s my question. Why would you do this? God? Why would you go on display in a creative universe? Everywhere the heavens are telling the of God, so is everything else. Why would Why would you do that? And And his answer is, because I want to be glorified by you. I want to be marveled at by you. I want to have the infinite worth of my all satisfying beauty reflected back to me in you. That’s why I’m going on display for conscious rational in the image of God creatures, so that there would be a fullest possible reflection back to me of all that I am. That’s why I’m going on display in this universe in which I’ve created you in my image, he displays his glory four, I said, the everlasting, ever increasing enjoyment of his redeemed people. So this is absolutely massive for me. In my 22 to 24 years, this is where this came home to me. Massive to me that the value of god’s glory is reflected in how I treasure it stadium. The value, the beauty, the worth of god’s glory is appropriately reflected back to him in the degree to which I treasure it, enjoy it, embrace esteem, delight in and am satisfied with it over everything on the planet. And if there is anything that has more of my heart, more of my passion, more of my affections, it is glorified above him. This was absolutely amazing to me. The implications take a lifetime to work out. God makes known the riches of his glory for our treasuring our valuing, our enjoying, and of course, to that end, our knowing. Think the life of the mind for the sake of the love of God could have been the subtitle When he reveals his glory to us, he doesn’t get any honor. If we find it boring, it doesn’t. I don’t care how much we know. In fact, the more we know, the worse it reflects upon him. If we find it boring a text, listen carefully. This is an incredibly controversial text, not because it’s vague, but because of what it says. But I’m not going to go to the controversial part. I’m just going to go to the really, really, really obvious part. This is roman’s 09:22 and 23. God desiring to show his wrath, which is part of his glory. God desiring to show his wrath and make known his power. So there’s two aspects of his glory. There’s lots more. God desiring to show his wrath and make known his power. Endured with much patience. There’s another piece of his glory, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Here comes my favorite phrase in all the Bible. In order to you know what that means, we got a purpose, he’s going to tell me something about a purpose. Why wrath, why power, why patients? Oh yes. Tell me this may help me know how to live and un wasted life. What does he say? God shows his wrath, makes known as power and do as with much patience, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory. For the vessels of mercy? What for them? To be bored? I don’t think so. Not the meaning. What to enjoy, to embrace, to exultant, to praise, to honor, to live for die for Surely that’s obvious. The riches of his glory made known for the vessels of mercy. Two pieces make known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy. Get it like this if you got to support hundred For the vessels of mercy to receive with joy, for the vessels of mercy to treasure above all things, for the vessels of mercy to marvel at, for the vessels of mercy to glorify, for the vessels of mercy to reflect as the supremely satisfying treasure of their lives. Surely, that’s why he does everything from wrath power to patience. He does it so that the riches, and they are infinite, will come upon the vessels of mercy for them. For them, he’s prepared us for glory. We will spend an eternity everlasting, ever increasing. You know, I use the phrase ever increasing. Might sound a little funny to you, that heaven could admit of degrees. It’s because I’m finite. John Piper has a finite heart and finite head. God is infinite. The riches of his glory that are meant to be known by my mind and enjoyed by my heart are infinite. I’m fine. What does that mean? That means I can’t take it all at once. In fact, I can’t ever exhausted, ever. So my understanding is that I will spend an eternity climbing one mountain range of god’s majesty after another. And in about 3 billion years, as I pull myself up over the edge of the range that I can see there, will stretch off into the millions of miles of distance, range after range after range of glory yet to be known, duly and treasured, known truly and treasured duly. So he gets the glory in being known truly, and we get the joy in loving him duly. He is glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. That’s discovery number one. That would be enough for a lifetime. And the implication for for this 24 year old, now passionate for purpose in his life, is that I should join him. I mean, this just seems so obvious to me, like there’s nothing to be thought about here. I’m on board. If this is your purpose for the universe, I’m there. That’s all I want to do. I want to so live and so die as to make your glory look supremely valuable. That’s it. That’s the un wasted life. Stop. Now. Go home. Whether you eat or drink, my dad would write me over and over again in letters, son, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory, which means do everything to make him look great, which now I understand, means so treasure him, so value him, so be satisfied in him above all human possibilities of happiness, that you make him look more valuable than anything in your life? That’s what it means. Pray, then, like this Our father in heaven, how would be your name? I love the lord’s prayer. It’s a prayer. I mean, every one of the sentences is a petition. I used to think it was an acclamation. Hello, be your name is like you are hallowed. Well, he is, but it’s Let your name be hallowed. And I’m with it every time I pray, and I pray almost every day, I start right here. Oh God, may your name be hallowed here, hallowed, hallowed, sanctified, revered as holy, revered as other, transcendently and pure. Or she sprays phrase magnificent, phrase what and found boring no way, revered as infinitely valuable, reverered as supremely satisfying. Oh, may this happen right here today, then in Noel and Tallithan Carson and Ben and Abraham and Barmas in their wives and twelve children. And now my church and the city and the conferences and ministries like Leganir and out to the nations, got come cause this valuing of your name, treasuring of your name. Come come, come do this. That’s what we pray in the 1st sentence of the Lord prayer. It’s all about the majesty glory of his name being being embraced and loved and treasured and revered and honored and praised, so that the world will see us and say, your God must be awesome. Let him who serves, which is what I’m trying to do right now. Serve in the strength that God supplies, so that in everything, god may get the glory through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the dominion forever. So the implication of discovery number one is plain If God is is I am, and if He created the universe in order to go on display with the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy, in order that the infinite value of his riches of glory might be obvious in our lives. Then my life is defined for me. You know, don’t you watching me? That there’s a difference between purpose and achievement. You know? I mean, I’m a sinner. I fail at this. All I’m doing is defining. I know what I’m on the Earth or God will judge whether I have come even close. My wife would have a different judgment than you. Probably you only know the the teacher, preacher guy. My kids know another guy. My wife knows another guy. My elders know another guy. And I love Paul saying, do not judge before the time. I don’t even judge myself. The Lord will judge on that day when he brings to light the secret things at the heart. That’s a trembling day. Do I know my own heart? I don’t. I know some, and I trust my merciful savior for the rest. Which leads now to discovery number two. In these next two are shorter. What necessitates discovery number two is that there’s a massive obstacle between god’s purpose and my ability to join him in So his purpose is that I would so treasure him that the way I live and die would reflect how supremely valuable he is. And the obstacle is, I hate God. I want to be God. Live for some. I don’t live for nobody else. We’re going to say I want to be God. Self denial is not in my bones. Now. When anybody telling me what I can like and not like doing, not do love and not love, get out of my face. God, that’s a pretty big obstacle. And and, and it has another piece to it, namely, he hates me. Because of that, the wrath of God is on me with such a weight that it should crush me in hell a thousand times yesterday.

So how will god’s purpose then ever be achieved if all human beings are children of ras?.Which Paul explicitly says, every one of them is in infusions, two, three. And here’s the 2nd discovery. Jesus Christ, the son of God, incarnate, not only becomes the means of my seeing and savouring the glory of God, but in the very act of overcoming these obstacles, becomes himself, the apex of the glory. I couldn’t see. That makes sense. Jesus Christ enters the world as the Godman, and he does something that covers and conquers my depravity, absorbs the wrath of God, so that I can now see and savor what I was designed to see and savor. And in the very doing of that redeeming He becomes the apex of the glory I was designed to see. That was discovery number two. Let me give you three passes, just scripture that shed light on what I’m trying to say. Because this, this was there in nugget in the early years, but only in recent years has it become clearer. I think I’ve become over the years a more cristocentric person then I was 20 years ago. I love being theocentric, in a sense. I could argue a long time. Maybe our c And I will talk about this tonight, why it’s appropriate to exalt God in His Holiness as the theme of your ministry, rather than Christ. And then he will hand over the kingdom to the Father, and God will be all in all, would be a good place to start. But I think I might not have had the balance where it should. I’m not even sure now I have the balance where it should. Let me give you three texts. If Asians won in the in love, god predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. So what’s clear there is my predestination, my adoption into god’s family, through Jesus Christ, is designed to bring about praise for the glory of grace. So now we’ve got a clarification of the apex of glory, revelation, its grace. And the praise is not boredom. This is exaltation. This is exhilaration. You are predestined. You are adopted all through Jesus Christ, unto the praise of the glory of Greece at the peak. Text number two. 2nd Timothy One nine, he saved us. 2nd Timothy One night he saved us, called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus, before the ages began. So now, this grace, which is the apex of the glory we are to praise through the redeeming work of Jesus, was given to us before the world existed. So this is massively clear to me that god’s purpose for creating the universe was to get here, because the grace is given through Jesus Christ. Before the universe exists. This is us. This is breathtic. I’m on to I’m onto the purpose of the universe with way more clarity than before In the 1st half of this message, jesus, central incarnate, redeeming through him, gray streaming to me before anything exists. One more text. This is Revelation 13 eight The beast will triumph over everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Before there was a universe, there was a book, and it had a name..And here’s the name The Book of the Life of the Lamb who was slight. You couldn’t put a clearer point on the universe Jesus Christ Slain for sinners, the point of the universe, because the universe went on display to show the riches of god’s glory. The apex of the riches of god’s glory are the riches of the glory of his grace. The apex of the riches of the glory is grace is Jesus Christ Crucified for sinners like me to cover the wrath of God, cover my depravity, conquer my sin and enable me to see the glory he has become amazing. Amazing. God’s purpose was to display his glory. The apex of that glory is his grace. The apex of the display of grace is Jesus Christ. And the apex, the climactic moment of the revelation of the glory of grace in Christ, was his death. For sinners like me, what did he do? What did he do? Well, others in this in this conference, have, and we’ll say it, but I’ll just summarize, because how can you not want to say it? He became a curse for me. Glaciers 03:13 He bore the condemnation of my sin. Romans eight, three. God made him to be seen, who knew no sin, so that in him I might become the righteousness of God. So my guilt is credited to him, and his righteousness is credited to me. I’m free now from the wrath of God and free from the guilt of my sin. And because of all of that, because of all of that cross work, blood work, death work, the sovereignty of God kicks in behind all the promises of the new covenant for me, and you know what those are. I will put the fear of me in you, and I will not let you turn from me. Face is freely given. Repentance is freely given if he’s in’s Two eight. Secondly, 02:25 Coming to Christ is freely given to me. John 06:44 New birth is freely given to me. John Three eight. Which means that my depravity, my deadness, my blindness, my distaste for God and my hatred of Him, is gone, then born again. Why else would I be exhilarated by god’s Gods centerness not having me at the center? I love god’s god’s centerness. And Oh, protect me, god, oh protect me from turning right doctrine into a means of boast. How subtle is sin in the Calvinist heart and every other What now am I able to see if He removed all the obstacles of wrath and all the obstacles of guilt and sin, and then has been overcoming my depravity by the gift of face, the gift of repentance and the gift of new birth, what can I now see? 2nd Corinthians Four. Four. The light of the Gospel, of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God? Say it again, MRS Summary of Discovery. Number to Between Gods purpose to be known and treasured, and my treasuring him is a massive obstacle of depravity and wrath. God sends Jesus Christ into the world, and in his covering and conquering my depravity and absorbing god’s wrath, in doing that, he becomes the apex of the glory. I am now enabled to see Last discovery number three. Before I say it, let me, let me connect that. Don’t jump over this. Let me connect that with my purpose for living. So how does that affect the un wasted life? Well, just narrows its focus. Now, I live and I die in order to show that god’s glory in Christ, crucified for sinners like me, is infinitely valuable. The unwasted life is a life lived to show that Jesus is more precious than life.

You know, ha Paul said it For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse in order that my gain Christ..That’s the longing of my life to get there, live there, stay there, everything like rubbish, compared to knowing Jesus that I may be found in Him. Not having a righteousness of my own, which comes from law, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from faith that design the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, that I may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, if by any means possible, I might attain the resurrection of the dead and spend in eternity with my king, my all satisfying, all glorious Jesus. Discovery number three The life that most clearly displays the all satisfying worth and glory of God in Christ, is a life of joyful suffering in the service of love.

The life that displays the infinite value of the glory of God, manifest supremely in Christ, crucified for sinners..The life that displays that most clearly is a life of happy suffering in the service of love. And I’ll just close by giving you a text and make a comment about it. The Sermon on the Mount, chapter five of Matthew Roughly eleven to 16. Listen really carefully, see if you put the pieces together before I point them out. Blessed are you When men revile you and persecute you, say all kinds of evil against you falsely. Rejoice. It’s crazy, right? Rejoice in that day. Be glad for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the Earth. If the salt has lost its flavor, how shall its salting as be restored? It’s good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You’re the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden neither to men. Like a lamp and put it under a basket. But on a lampstand that it may give light to all her in the house. And so in the same way, let your light shine so that men may see your good deeds and give glory to your father. That’s what the universe is for. The question is, what’s the light? What’s the salt? You the salt. You’re the light. And when people taste it, they say, wow, tangy, whoa. That’s unusual. What’s unusual in this text? What’s unusual? Not good deeds. Good deeds are not unusual. Plenty of pagans full of good deeds. And nobody looks at him and says, whoa God, nobody. What’s unusual, what’s really salty, what’s really bright, what’s extraordinary, what’s impossible In this text? one thing joy in the face of persecution, because of a reward in heaven, the world cannot do it. They’ve got no reward, and they’re not going to be happy if anybody’s beaten them up with lies. But you can. And if you do, if you are so satisfied in this reward, blessed are you? Women revile you and persecute you and say All kinds of slanders against you. Rejoice for your reward is great if you are so satisfied in your reward that you really can keep doing good for people who hate you. Happily, you’re off the charts salty. The people will take you. That should be on everything I eat. That’s incredible. That’s awesome. I that just can’t be done unless there’s a great, glorious God who satisfied the broken so of man. What’s the reward? Jesus prayed in John 1724, father, I ask that those whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory. That’s it. If you want a reward beyond that, there isn’t one you can’t get greater than the glory of the crucified slain Lamb of God, whose name is over the book from all eternity. So I plead with you, don’t waste your life. Look to Jesus. Find in him and in his suffering for you, the apex of the glory of god’s grace. Find that in him. Find it in him. Then embrace him. Be so satisfied in him that you live and die proving that he is your supreme treasure.