The Only One Whose Life Was Described Before It Began| Max Lucado | The Only One | Oak Hills Church

49:23 As you move back to your seats this morning, would you do me a favor and would you maybe turn to someone you don't know, tell them your name, tell them you're glad to see them here today. I'm having a really hard time moving on from this moment, and I want to make sure that I'm being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Just in case, just in case, what He says, what He does is far more important than this masterful, wonderful, one-of-a-lifetime sermon that I have prepared for you.

50:22 Did I hurry past? Is there anyone who needs prayer? Is there anyone? Just making sure. You don't be embarrassed. It's a safe place. Does anybody else want to come forward for prayer? This is a safe place to do it. okay just making certain still sensing my heart that there's something going on We bless you, Lord. we bless you thank you anybody else okay amen let's get going Oh, thanks.

51:25 We're so organized, aren't we? I just got out here ahead of you. Thank you, Lord, for the ministry of the Blessed Spirit. We do not want to budge if you're not ready for us to. Thank you for these moments in which we open our hearts to receive you as you deposit your word. Forgive our speaker, his sins are many. Help us to see Christ as Christ, through Christ. And all the church said. Passwords are going to be the end of me. everyone wants one have you noticed the bank has to have a password the pharmacy has to have a password the email server has to have a password I think my dog Andy wants a password and not only do they want a password they want this cryptic complicated impossible to remember impossible to decipher impossible to crack password.

52:36 In fact, I don't know if you've noticed it, but these software companies have installed this little gremlin whose job is to make fun of your wimpy passwords. Have you noticed that? You create a password and it sends you a signal. Too weak, too weak, too weak. Ha, ha, ha, look, you know, you can't come up with anything better than that. Such a sissy password. Come on. It's pathetic. In fact, did you know there's a list of passwords that if they ever made it, they can't make it anymore? That's too weak. Why would 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 be too weak? Who could crack that? Here's one. Password. Can't get far with password. now this one I thought that's pretty clever until somebody said well just go to the top of your keyboard go to the Q and turn right I would have used that but now I know I can't that doesn't work anymore that doesn't work I don't remember let me in please and this one it's a secret Those passwords are no longer acceptable.

53:57 Apparently, there was an employee of the Disney Corporation that created this as a password. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Huey, Donald, Goofy, Sacramento. When asked why, the answer given was, well, I was told that I needed six characters and one capital. the password crazy world in which we live wouldn't you agree but we comply raise your hand if you've ever created a password we all have because we have to and yet we appreciate the importance of passwords because we want protection and in order to prove our identity we create these passwords so we can prove we are who we claim to be.

54:52 Jesus did the same, not with passwords. But he knew that we would question we would wonder. We knew that we would second guess his claims. So he proved, he documented, he verified his identity. Again, not with passwords. Although it would be interesting to think what password he would use if he needed one. Maybe this one, one true king or Satan basher. I like that one. Or one and only about God-man. And this one, I'm coming back. All those would work for Christ, but he didn't need a password. He did something far greater. He left proof in fulfilled prophecy. He is the only one whose life is described before it began. This is lesson number five in a 12-part series in which we're unpacking features of the life of Christ, achievements that can only be attributed to him. And he is the only one in all of human history whose life was described before it began. No one else has ever enjoyed such advanced publicity. No other book other than the Bible contains a quantity and such a quantity of fulfilled prophecies. Not the sayings of Buddha or Confucius. Not the book of Mormon or the Hindu Veda. The Bible stands alone. Not just a book of prophecy, but as a book of completed or fulfilled prophecy.

56:45 prophecy the word comes from which means to speak in advance to speak before to speak on behalf of someone to declare things before they actually happen prophecy biblically speaking is not a good guess not a hunch not a safe bet it's never partially accurate it's never somewhat accurate. It's always unpredictable, always unexpected, never conjecture. And it always has multiple contingencies, a variety of features that no person could control or fabricate or manipulate. So much so that as you read what God says and you look in the future, the desired result of God is that you would say, okay, that is going to happen.

57:42 And that's exactly what we have in the life of Christ. So let's just zoom out for just a few paragraphs and consider this. The plethora of prophecy. They're everywhere. The Bible contains hundreds of declarations that became actual historical events. Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would fall into the hands of the Medes and Persians. And it did. Jeremiah predicted specifically, how did he know this? He said the time of captivity for the Jewish people in Babylonian captivity would be 70 years. And that's exactly how long it lasted. Daniel outlined in chapter 2, then again in chapter 7, four coming empires. His prophecy was spot on.

58:37 God claims to be the only one who knows the future God said in Isaiah chapter 46 I am God and there is none like me when you see a bold word please read it out loud I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times what is still to come God and God alone knows the future remember we've already pointed out he lives outside of time Time lives inside of him. Consequently, he could issue this challenge still in the book of Isaiah, who compares with me. Speak up. See if you measure up from the beginning. Who else has announced what's coming? So what is coming next? Anyone want to venture a try? Isaiah 44.

59:30 We call that laying down the gauntlet. But God backs it up. fulfilled prophecy in the Bible is jaw-dropping and eye-popping. Scholars estimate that the Bible contains 2,500 prophecies, 2,000 of which have been fulfilled. What are the odds of such an accomplishment? Less than one in 10 200s. That's one with 2,000 zeros. I don't get that number. I appreciate how Dr. Charles C. Ryer helps explain it. In order to find one person, he said, in whom 100 prophecies were filled, we would need 200 billion earths. 200 billion earths, each with a population of 4 billion people to produce one person with 100 accurate prophecies without errors.

1:00:33 in proper sequence. Yet that's what we find in the life of Jesus. In fact, 33 specific prophecies were fulfilled in one weekend in the life of Christ, the weekend of his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Prophecies foretold that he would be betrayed, that he would be forsaken by his friends. prophecy foretold the actual price of his betrayal and what would be done with the betrayal money the scourging of Jesus the presence of false witnesses at the trial gambling for his garments that was prophesied death by crucifixion that was prophesied the offering of vinegar the piercing of his side the mockery of bystanders even the fact that no bone would be broken in his body and the place of his burial.

1:01:33 I mean, stack them up one after the other. What are the odds that all of these prophecies and many more would be fulfilled in the life of one person? He is the only one. Fulfilled prophecy makes the case that Christ is the Christ. That's the purpose of prophecy. to authenticate the identity of Jesus. No wonder the apostle Peter urged his readers think about the words the holy prophet spoke in the past. The words of prophecy verify the identity of Jesus. One of the favorite words in the Bible when it comes to prophecy is fulfilled, fulfilled. Matthew used this word at least a dozen times in relation to prophecies that were fulfilled.

1:02:29 We won't take time to look at them all, but here are some that you'll recognize. The virgin birth. You remember the story. Joseph proposes to Mary. Mary says yes. Joseph has no reason to expect anything except a delightful engagement with his soon-to-be bride-to-be. boy was he in for a surprise the virgin Mary tells Joseph she is pregnant an angel tells Joseph that the Holy Spirit deserves the credit for the pregnancy the angel tells Joseph to marry her to name the baby Jesus Joseph obeys and according to Matthew this was all fulfillment of prophecy. He wrote, all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. Matthew reflects back on the book of Isaiah, and he picks that prophecy up and says, Wait a second. That was fulfilled in the life of Christ.

1:03:47 I mean, we're barely verses into the book of Matthew, and he's already pointing out fulfilled prophecy. Chapter 2, he wants to do it again. This time he talks about how Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Such a rinky-dink. One camel town. Who would be born in Bethlehem? Well, that was the opinion of a prophet by the name of Micah, who lived, hang on to your hat, 700 years before Jesus.

1:04:21 Seven centuries prior to the birth of Christ, he wrote this, but you, Bethlehem, David's country, the runt of the litter, from you will come the leader who will shepherd rule Israel. the little town of Bethlehem, was chosen in advance as the birthplace of Christ. And so it was when Herod inquired about the birth of the king, he heard this answer. In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote. Matthew chapter 2 and verse 5. No one would have selected Bethlehem as the birth of Jesus, but the prophet saw it coming. And no one would have envisioned Jesus as an immigrant to Egypt. But the prophet did.

1:05:16 An angel told Joseph that jealous Herod was out to getting. And so Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet out of Egypt. I called my son. You see what the Holy Spirit is doing through the pen of Matthew? He's making a case for the legitimacy of Jesus. Not with passwords, but with prophecy. What was prophesied about the Messiah was fulfilled in the life of Jesus. So many examples. Just a couple of more. After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus went to the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Why did he go to that remote area?

1:06:11 So that a prophecy might be fulfilled. Matthew chapter 14. Jesus healed the sick. Why? Out of love, for sure, but also to fulfill the prophecy. The scripture says that it might be fulfilled. which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, he himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases. Jesus was all about compassion, but he was also about completion. He had written this story before the story began, and he was completing, he was connecting the dots. He wanted people to say, okay, God said this would happen, and it happened, so I'm going to trust Jesus. you might remember Jesus' first sermon it was not the sermon on the mount but it was a sermon he preached in his hometown called Nazareth and when he went to the synagogue and was given the chance to speak the son of God took the word of God and he opened it up to the 61st chapter of the prophet Isaiah and he began his message by saying the spirit of the Lord is upon me he delivered the message or the reading from the book of Isaiah, and then he concluded it by saying, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

1:07:35 There's that word again, fulfilled. Jesus taught that he was the fulfillment of the Hebrew Bible. Well, one time he even said this, if you believe Moses, you'd believe me, because he wrote about me. Moses, way back then, was writing about Jesus. John chapter 5 and verse 4. Do not think that I've come to do away with the law, he said in the Sermon on the Mount, or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, I came to fulfill. Christ is the fulfillment of prophecy after prophecy.

1:08:13 Interesting, Locato, but what difference does that make? Impressive. But I've got a cranky boss. I've got too many deadlines I've got an achy neck I've got a challenging week what does all this have to do with me simple Jesus wants you to know that you can count on his voice that he has an explanation he has an authoritative opinion as to how to lead your life and to the degree that you and I listen to him, things move well. To the degree that we trust anyone less than him, things are gonna go haywire and he wants to demonstrate to you over prophecy, over prophecy, with prophecy, with prophecy that he can be counted on and that his word is reliable and don't we need that?

1:09:18 Don't we need an authoritative verse voice to listen to. We've listened to our bowling buddies enough. We've listened to drinking buddies enough. We've listened to grandpa and grandma. Everybody has an opinion. But we need one opinion that works. That's what I needed. A few years ago, I woke up one summer morning. I looked in the mirror, and there were brown splotches all over my body. from top my head to the tips of my toes, little splashes like ink blots of brown all over my body. I could not figure out where they came from. We were on vacation. We were at the coast. And I'm not a big ocean guy, but my kids loved the beach, loved the beach, and so I was hanging out with them.

1:10:15 I spent the better part of the day in the ocean. And I wonder, did I get bit by something? Did the ocean water do that? So I kind of retraced my steps. I thought back what I had done the day before. Did I get in a wrestling match in a mud pit? Did I go to a tattoo training seminar? Did I get in a paintball contest and lose? and then I remembered that the night before after I got out of the shower my skin felt so dry because I'd been in the sun all day and so I used my wife's body lotion generous splashes all over my body I thought could that be it so I fished around and I found that bottle of hand lotion and I took it to Dillon she didn't even show any sympathy toward her husband She didn't even try to contain her laughter.

1:11:16 She said, Max, that's not body lotion. That's bronzer. I was a little embarrassed but at least I had an authoritative opinion now you're not covered in bronzer but you may be covered in bills you may be covered with questions you may be hiding under the covers out of fear what you need dear friend is an authoritative version an authoritative voice if I can say you don't really need another podcast or newscast or somebody's opinion don't you need your maker's opinion and to prove to you that he is serious when he says things like I'll be with you to the end of the age to prove to you that he is serious when he inspires words like there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

1:12:26 To prove to you that he was dead serious when he said, I am coming quickly. He gives you fulfilled prophecy so that you will go first to him. Let him be the voice you hear in the middle of the night when you cannot sleep. let him be the voice that comforts you when you have to face fear all by yourself let him be the voice that's the purpose of prophecy it authenticates him as the only authority in life so that you can say what the disciples said in John chapter 1 we have found the one that look at this Moses and the prophets wrote about he is Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth we have found the one whom the prophets wrote about so my closing question to you is have you found the one have you found the one the only one everything changes when you do the story is told about Albert Einstein on the train and when the conductor came by picking up tickets. The physicist couldn't find his. He looked in his coat, looked in his trousers, looked in his briefcase. Finally, the conductor said, that's okay, Mr. Einstein. Everybody knows who you are. I know you bought a ticket. He said, I know who I am, young man. What I don't know is where I'm going. You and I could say those words at times. We don't know where we're going. We need someone to tell us. And when you find Jesus, you find the authoritative verse, and he authenticates his voice with prophecy. Finally, this thought. Not only does prophecy fulfill itself in Christ, prophecy causes us to lift up our eyes and know what's going to happen in the future.

1:14:33 This is interesting. Of the prophecies about Christ, one-third concerned and were fulfilled at his first coming. But did you know that two-thirds of the prophecies about Jesus have to do with his second coming? He tells us what to expect. He tells us that the church, the saved, who are on the earth at the day of his calling, the church is going to be raptured and will be immediately taken into the presence of Christ. He tells us that each and every individual saved by God's grace will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to hear our well done, good and faithful servant. He tells us that we will spend seven years in heaven enjoying the marriage supper of the Lamb. He tells us that while there is celebration in heaven, there will be tribulation on earth.

1:15:32 The teaching of Christ speaks to that seven-year period that is to come. You do not want to be on the planet during the tribulation because though the first three and a half years will be somewhat pleasant, the Antichrist will turn against the world midway through and all chaos will erupt and the world will spin out of control with the exception of a wonderful evangelistic harvest at the end of those seven years. At the end of those seven years, we'll be ushered into the completion of the Garden of Eden, a millennium, a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth in which you will reign with Christ, I will reign with Christ in a glorified body, no aches and no pains and no questions. And at the end of that thousand years, there will be the great white throne judgment. If you've said yes to Christ, you won't even be close to that judgment. That's a judgment for the lost, those who have rejected Christ, in which the books of life will be opened.

1:16:30 And if their name's not found in the book of life, their request to be done with Christ will be honored, and they'll be separated from him for eternity. And then the rest of us, at the conclusion of those thousand years, will begin our eternal glory with Christ. Those are prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Having seen all the prophecies already completed, can we not trust that he knows what he's saying about the future? I heard just a couple of weeks ago about a young family. They have a five-year-old and a three-year-old, and they were having movie night. It wasn't a violent movie or out of place or inappropriate, but it was a bit rambunctious for the five- and three-year-old and the father concerned that his kids were getting nervous watching the movie. Fast forwarded to the very end so they could see the happy ending.

1:17:26 And once they had seen the happy ending, he went back to where they were and they watched the rest of the movie in peace. If you're in Christ, through prophecy, God gives you a picture of the happy ending so that you can lead your life in peace. He's the only one to ever do that. others may have their guesses they may prognosticate they may speculate but only Jesus speaks with authority and he doesn't need a password he's the only one thank you Lord thank you for speaking to us with such definitive authority please blow away any cloud of doubt so that we can stand firm on the foundation of faith through Christ we pray. Amen.

1:18:20 Amen. And so at this point in our service, we always give the church, everybody a chance to say yes to Christ. By God's great grace, we're seeing people saved every service. Every single one. It's stunning what the Lord is doing. But we just want to make sure if there's anyone here who's not sure of your salvation, that we've given you a straightforward and clear explanation. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we can spend forever with him. But he is forever the gentleman, never goes where he's not invited. So we open the door to him, welcome him into our hearts. Would you like to do that? If so, follow me as I lead this prayer. And at the end of the prayer, if you're ready to say yes, I'll ask you to stand up.

1:19:13 We'll give you a round of applause and help you take your first steps. Let's all pray together. Jesus, I'm not perfect for I have sinned, but I believe in you. Save me. Change me. Forgive me. I give you my life. In the name of Jesus, we pray.

1:19:37 Amen. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Let's raise the lights. and if today's your day, your spiritual birthday, would you stand up so we can give you a round of applause?