BRIGHTER & BRIGHTER UNTIL THE FINAL DAY
Prov. 4:18
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Driving to work, a man had to swerve to avoid a box that fell out of a truck in front of him. Seconds later, a policeman pulled him over for reckless driving.
2. Fortunately, another officer had seen the carton in the road. The policemen stopped traffic and recovered the box. It was found to contain large upholstery tacks.
3. "I'm sorry sir," the first trooper told the driver, "but I am still going to have to write you a ticket."
4. Amazed, the driver asked for what. The trooper replied, "Tacks evasion.”
B. TEXT
“But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches...] the perfect day.” Prov. 4:18, AMP
C. THESIS
1. Recently I went through a time of comparing myself with other Christians. Of course, most of them look like they’re doing so good, and this caused a bit of negativism about my own life. I felt like this wasn’t right nor pleasing to the Lord.
2. God brought to my mind Prov. 4:18 and challenged me to make this the view of my life & destiny. So I want you to do the same as we look at “Brighter & Brighter Until the Final Day.”
I. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO!
A. THERE IS COMING A “PERFECT DAY”
1. Right now we are in the “Night” time of prophetic history: sin, evil choices, and ignorance are ruling. But we have found Jesus, the Light of the World, who has come into our hearts to lighten our darkness.
2. But there is coming the “Day of the Lord,” in which Christ will return to Earth, take over the world, and set up His earthly government. He will banish all evil-doers and give the righteous resurrected bodies, and we will never die or get sick again. The righteous will be incredibly rewarded and be given mansions in God’s eternal city, New Jerusalem. There we will experience joy for all eternity.
3. In the N. T., the Day of the Lord is referred to variously as "that day" (2 Tim. 4:8), the "last day" (John 6:30), the "Day of wrath" (Rev. 6:17), the "Day of judgment" ( 2 Pet. 2:9), the "Day of the Lord" (1 Thess. 5:2), the "Day of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:24), the "Day of Christ" (Phip. 2:16), or the "great day of God" (Rev. 16:14).
4. After the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus will set up His Kingdom on this present Earth and establish worldwide rule for 1,000 years. King Jesus will overthrow all the evil governments, consign evildoers to hell, bind Satan in the bottomless pit (Rev. 19:19-20:3; Isaiah 24:21-22), cause wars to cease (Ps. 46:4; Micah 4:1-3; Isaiah 2:1-4) and establish his reign over the whole world (Isaiah 11:1-5). Since there will be no tempter and no sin, the world will be released from the curse of sin (Rom. 8:20-22).
a. Trees will "sing for joy" (Ps. 44; 96:12-13).
b. The nature of animals will be changed (Isa. 11:6-9; 65:35).
c. Deserts will blossom (Isa. 35:1, 6).
d. Thorns and thistles will be healed (Isa. 55:13).
e. People's handicaps will be healed (Isa. 35:5-6).
f. Death will be almost unheard-of (Isa. 35:5-6).
B. OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST IS LIKE THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN
1. Have you ever gotten up before dawn and watched a Sunrise? First the night begins to lighten on the horizon; then yellow and pink streaks come across the sky. Then the light grows brighter and brighter until the giant flaming ball of the Sun comes up over the horizon. The Sun’s heat and brightness continue to get stronger until it arrives directly overhead with its brightest and fullest light and heat.
2. This is what Prov. 4:18 is describing, except the Sun represents the Sun of Righteousness – Jesus! He has begun arising in our hearts (2 Pet. 1:19). His predawn light has entered our hearts. Truth, morality, understanding, etc., have dawned in us. A transformation has begun. The Light of God’s knowledge is getting brighter and brighter in us. Our consciences, devotion, and character are growing in Christ. It’s a progressive thing, and as long as we cooperate with Him, it’s as certain to carry us to maturity as that the sun will move to its zenith at the equatorial meridian.
3. All Creation is waiting in breathless wonder for the full manifestation of the Sons of God (Rom. 8:19,22); we are being transformed, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord! But our transformation is only at its beginning now and, as shortsighted as we are, we can’t see the end product of what we will be. If it’s this good and it’s still night around us, imagine how powerful the light of God will be in us when It reaches its full!
4. That’s why the apostles said things like, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18) and “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2). Be assured, God’s purposes and plans can’t be thwarted; we are moving toward our full adoption as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
5. So what should be the outcome of these truths? We should be positive and optimistic people!
II. CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE OPTIMISTIC
Optimism is defined as “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.” In other words, it’s a positive outlook based on the conviction that things are going to get better! We Christians have every reason for optimism. Why?
A. GOD IS A GOOD GOD
1. The God of the Bible is motivated by love in all He does. He wants to save and bless all humans with eternal life.
2. He’s not like the gods of other religions -- motivated to uphold his greatness or punish without mercy. Instead, the true God voluntarily humbled Himself, took on human form, and suffered at the hands of His creatures, in order to save us. His over-riding motive is His LOVE. Praise God!
B. GOD IS WORKING FOR OUR GOOD
1. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Rom. 8:28.
2. God is NOT working for HIS own good, but for OUR good! What an amazing statement. If God be for us, who can be against us? If we are mistreated in this life, still God will turn it around in the next life. Believers will be the focus of God’s blessings! [See the “Beatitudes,” Mt. 25:35-43, Luke 16:19-26]
C. HE’S IN CONTROL
1. “For dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations” Psalm 22:28. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings” Dan. 2:21, NASV.
2. The world will have chaos because there are many people who are sinning & violating the will of God. But despite that, God is still moving history in the direction He wants it to go. He’s in charge and intervenes when He sees it’s necessary.
D. HOPE IN TRIALS
1. Peter could say, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” 1 Pet. 1:6,8-9.
2. When we rely on Jesus in trials, they serve to make Him all the more real and comforting. When everything’s going our way, we don’t really need Him, but trials cause us to grow more dependent on Him. Thank God for trials!
3. Trials have a beginning, a middle, and – thank God – an end. Our trials will only last a short season, then we will have them no more. All we face now will soon be a thing of the past. Hang onto God. Everything will be righted soon!
4. God shall supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, Phip. 4:19.
III. HOPE WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE
A. YOUR LIFE’S NOT BEYOND REPAIR
1. Peter said, “God....has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Pet. 1:3. Why does Peter mention “new birth?” Because in a world of despair has dawned a wonderful event -- the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
2. The resurrection of Jesus is a reversal of the downward trend of sin and death. Death is now working backwards!
3. The Apostle John said, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” 1 Jn. 3:9.
4. HUMOR
a. Two ladies were trying to impress each other with how spiritual they were. Finally, one of them left.
b. The remaining one turned to her husband who’d been sitting there quietly and said, “She’s a good Christian, but I live closer to the Lord!”
c. Her husband looked over his spectacles and said, “Neither one of you are crowding Him any!”
d. We all need to be closer to God.
B. GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE
1. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jer. 29:11.
2. We are optimistic of a positive future because God is bigger than our circumstances and can take us places we could not go on our own.
3. How exciting that our futures are wide open!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: POTATO, EGG, OR COFFEE?
1. Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It was one problem after another.
2. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.
3. He put a potato in one pot, an egg in the second, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil. After 20 minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potato and egg out and placed them a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out into a cup.
4. Turning to her he asked. "Daughter, what do you see?" "A potato, an egg, and coffee," she hastily replied. "Look closer."
5. She did and noted the potato was soft, the egg was hard, and the coffee had a rich aroma. "Father, what does this mean?"
6. “Each of the three faced the same adversity - the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in hard, but became out soft. The egg was fragile. but became hard. The coffee, however, was unique; it had changed its environment (the water) into something new!”
7. "Which are you?" he asked. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you need an attitude adjustment in your perspective on life?
2. How many need extra prayer for some difficult circumstances? How many want the new life of Jesus working inside them to bring about God’s transformation and destiny?
3. Prayer.
