Moving Forward To The Past

Larry Siegle
12/24/23 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: Moving Forward To The Past - L Siegle

Faith Fulfilled:  Forever From First to Last

(Romans 10:17)

INTRODUCTION

1.  The title of this series is, “Faith Fulfilled:  Forever from First to Last”

2.  This next part of the series is, “Moving Forward to the Past”

3.  The apostle Paul told Timothy to “rightly divide” the Word of Truth (II Tim. 2:15)—

      the Greek word has medical roots as a compound word, “ortho” and “tomeo” (“to

       cut straight”)—orthopedics, “set straight” (correct) something.

      a.   The first 39 books of the Bible (OT) contain promises, and prophecy, looking

            forward, toward the intended goal…

      b.  The last 27 books of the Bible (NT) contain the realization, or fulfillment of the

            promises and prophecies contained in the OT.

4.  Today I want to take you are a journey…beginning first with what is known as the

      Protoevangelium—(Gen. 3:15)—the term means “first gospel”

      a.   What God said to the serpent in the Garden of Eden must have made NO sense

            to Adam and Eve:

            1)  All of Redemptive history is bound up in this brief verse—“first gospel”

            2)  It takes seeing ALL of the elements TOGETHER, because EACH of them, when

                  taken separately makes NO sense…

      b.  People take EACH, INDIVIDUAL story in the Biblical narrative and try to make

            sense of it SEPARATELY and much of the religious world just gives UP.

THE ‘BIG PICTURE’ ELEMENTS PICTURES PROGRESSIVELY

1.  This side of the room is the OT—(beginning with Adam and Eve, Abel, Enoch, Noah,

      Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses—the law, the Old Covenant, Judges, Kings, Prophets).

2.  “Natural” aspect (Heavens and Earth)—We see God working behind the scenes in

      the lives of individuals…

3.  This side of the room is the NT—(gospel accounts, Acts, establishment of the church,

      God’s purpose of the ages (Eph. 3:11) is unfolded (based upon ALL of the elements

      contained in the OT, through the events pictured in the book of Revelation.

4.  “Spiritual” aspect (New Heavens and Earth)—We see the REALIZATION of all that

      God foretold, pictured, promised, prophesied “come to pass” in TIME, MANNER, and

      PURPOSE that HE intended “from the very beginning).

THE PROMISED “SEED”

1.  The “promise” of the “seed” was carried forward through Israel (Isa. 9:6, 7)

2.  The “fulfillment” was with the events of Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:30, 31)

3.  The “seed” of the woman was “made flesh” and “tabernacled” among us (John 1:1,

      14).

4.  People waste so much energy arguing over the time and the date of the birth of

      Jesus—the text does not explicitly tell us—BUT the world pauses for a moment in

      time to express the reality of the event.

SEPARATE OR TOGETHER?

1.  This is NOT a picture of “THEM” (OT) vs. “US” (NT)—Between this side of the room

      (OT) and that side of the room (NT)—there is an inseparable “connection”—the

      CROSS.

2.  Hebrews 11—is that which REACHES across the distance (isle) as the “bridge”

      between the OT and the NT and brings ALL of God’s people together into the “one

      faith” (Eph. 4:4, 5).

GOD’S PURPOSE FROM BEGINNING TO END

1.  God knew the very “end” from the “beginning” (Isa. 46:10)

2.  Through the course of time, God was using all of the INDIVIDUAL elements and

      bringing them TOGETHER for HIS good purpose (Rom. 8:28)

3.  When seen INDIVIDUALLY, some of the “elements” from Genesis to Revelation do

      not make sense---but when seen TOGETHER, the totality of God’s purpose becomes

      clear and unmistakable.

      a.   The word “know” is used 964 times in the Scriptures.

      b.  We can “know” what we “know” while at the same time, are not able to “know”

            what we do not know (Rom. 8:22, 26, 28).

4.  The mother and baking a cake (ingredients)—tasted SEPARATELY.

      a.   Flour, baking soda, and baking powder, salt, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, hot water.

      b.  These individual ingredients do not taste delicious when eaten separately.

      c.   But when mixed together properly, placed into the pan in the oven, TOGETHER

            the end result is AMAZING.

CONCLUSION

1.  In order to appreciate the Bible, it must be SEEN as ONE story made up of hundreds

      of INDIVIDUAL PIECES.

2.  The individual pieces of a puzzle do not often make sense until properly placed

      together and then seen together as ONE WHOLE

3.  The entire course of redemptive history was the manifestation of God’s love for

      humanity and the fulfillment of ALL of His promises so that WE today can enjoy and

      honor the results of what God has done.

4.  Sometimes our own lives do not make sense when our focus is on ONE individual

      problem, circumstance, or situation.

      a.   The totality of God’s purpose manifested in our lives CAN be seen when

            understood TOGETHER as “all of the pieces” have been molded together into

            making us to become the people that God wants us to be.