I’m currently leading worship at a conference in Derry, (ypc Bible week) great week of Bible teaching for adults, YPC stands for Young Pensioners Conference! Anyway, ‘John Woodside’ is speaking and I hope to convey something of what he says each night here in just a few quick fire points, He’s a great simple Bible teacher, and Church leader, seeing the God given growth of 2 churches under his leadership in Kilkenny (18years) and Drogheda (18 years) in ROI.
So 1st night:
Theme. The King is Coming. (story of the OT) (Gen 1-3)
3 questions that this passage answers are: Who’s in charge, God. Then what’s wrong with the world, Sin. What does the future hold then, there is a redeemer.
From the 1st prophecy in the Bible (Gen 3:15) on, the Bible is always looking forward, sometimes it records the present and mentions the past, but it is always looking forward!
As the Jews would of wrestled these answers it became clear that God was in charge that sin was the worlds and our personal problem, but the question is what was the redeemer like or who would he be? Would he be mighty or humble? Would he be Devine or human? Would he be meek or glorious? Would he be a priest, prophet, king, servant? Who will his people be, the Jews or the gentiles? Would he be forgiving or over ruling Etc.
You can see how the Jews would of been confused! But us looking back at the OT prophecies coming true we can see that Jesus was indeed all of the above.
Jesus is what Isaiah clams, Mighty God (Is 9) and also a servant (Zech 3:8; Is 42:1). He was the great high priest, a prophet and a king. He was both Devine and human.
You see what man couldn’t make sense of God could!
So we’re left with great peace knowing that, as followers of Jesus; God’s word is truly Devine, that He is sovereign and we can have confidence in His goodness. But throughout this assurance, it’s clear we need to pay close attention to Jesus our king, the Jews couldn’t make sense of what sort of a redeemer Jesus would be, and we now know! And maybe we at the moment we can make sense of where God is leading us, or what He is doing with the world! May we rely on His word, His sovereignty and His goodness. And Gaze ever more openly, lovingly and obediently at our King, Servant, High Priest and Sacrifice… JESUS!
Standing or Grace
andy lamberton 
Posted by Richard on January 5, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Good stuff Andy – keep it up!