Shadows to Substance Conference 2023 with Pastor Kevin Hay

The Light of the World in John 8 and Isaiah’s Servant

Kevin hey, right, that's that is that how we say it. That's it. Hey is how we pronounce it. I know it's right. It's a hard last name to pronounce. He just h-a-y. Oh Man, so we're at shadows to substance conference.

You just got done with your session the light of the world Christ tell us a little bit about What you just talked about because we're trying to bring this conference to people who might weren't able to make it.

Yeah, and we want to go over a little bit about what the session was about. So give me the give me the five minutes. Yeah, condensed version. Here we go. The elevator sermon, right? Yeah. Yeah, so, you know, it's a it's a well-known passage obviously John 8 12 through 21.

Yeah, Jesus stands up in the temple and he proclaims I am the light of the world. Yeah, and so on face value we can come up with a few things. We might think that that that text means but for me, it's always important to try to try to understand the context.

Anytime we're expositing a passage of scripture We want to try to put ourselves into the shoes of the original audience and really understand as best we can. You know bridge that gap between the centuries and ourselves in the mindset in this case of first century Jews.

And so that was really the goal. So in this conference Obviously, we're looking at the types and shadows that are found sprinkled and permeated throughout the Old Testament. And that is to say that there are a number of clues and this kind of progressive revelation We find throughout the Old Testament where God is is helping his people to come to understand to know him better.

And in doing so he's ultimately pointing to the one who would fulfill all of these Clues these types these shadows and so Christ of course is the ultimate fulfillment of all the shadows that are to come and so in my sermon We really wanted to key in on The the declaration that Jesus makes and so we looked at a couple of texts from Isaiah.

The Old and New Testaments as One Continuum

Yeah where God is is speaking there through the prophet and declaring that that he's going to send his servant. Who's going to be a light to the nations? And and then also of course as the Jews are celebrating there in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles it has to do with a Couple of different things they have they have water they have light and they're these are the things they're using to celebrate God's provision God's protection.

Yeah in their history and in this case the light is the key focus. And so as Jesus stands up and declares that what he's actually saying is I'm the fulfillment of what was spoken in Isaiah I am a man of the world.

Yeah speak a little bit about how important it is to have that Consistency and to have the togetherness of both the Old and New Testament. We see a movement within Western Christianity mostly with an evangelical and charismatic.

I call it Big Eva mostly I wanted to unhitch Yeah, the old and I Andy Stanley famously last year. That's right itch the Old Testament from the New Testament to where as Bible believing Christians. We see such a beautiful Tapestry through the Old and New Testament.

Can you talk a little bit and why this type of conference is so Important because we're seeing that tapestry through through both the Old and New Covenant. Talk a little bit about the importance of that.

Why do we need that in in in biblical preaching on Sundays on the Lord's Day and going throughout? Life as we as we preach the gospel. Yeah, I think the word is continuity, right? There you go. So as you're thinking about Well, we start from our culture as you've just laid out It is true that that we are New Testament believers and so obviously when we look at the exhortations of scripture and we look at the one another's of scripture and we look at Where we're at so to speak obviously the New Testament is is post cross post resurrection.

And so yeah, that makes a lot of sense that we're gonna look at the New Testament. Okay, what what what's here for us and yet at the same time you look at a book like Hebrews I have no idea what someone like an Andy Stanley does with the book of Hebrews because you literally it's impossible for you to unhitch from the Old Testament when you look at a book like that and I think the book of Hebrews is also a really really great Case study for how we should look at scripture as a whole because what is the author of Hebrews doing?

He's looking back at the robust Theology that's found in the Old Testament absolutely and he's helping New Testament believers understand. How do we apply these things? Yeah, you know, how does this apply to the church?

So really you're if you're unhitching from the Old Testament, you're really disconnecting from. So much of what God has revealed about his character and his attributes, which I believe Is is directly connected to why people, you know really fail to grasp the character and nature of God.

So you're missing out on on a great deal of that progressive revelation as God has revealed himself to us. Well, we should have started with this at the top of the conversation. But for the listeners, let us know a little bit about yourself as well to where you coming from.

Do you pastor anywhere elder anywhere? Where yet where you look I don't even know where you're from. Are you yeah, I'm local so I live in Southern, Ohio. Okay, born and raised in Ohio. I won't hold that against you from Michigan.

Yeah. We have beach of the last two years football, but yeah, we won't get into that. I really want to focus on unity here. But I'll give you that that is true we're in Southern, Ohio if you don't mind.

So it's Minford a little tiny town. Okay near the biggest city close to us would be Portsmouth. Oh, geez, that is tiny if the biggest words, that's right. And so, you know if you're if you if you're drawing a line on a map from Columbus and you go south or Cincinnati you go east those right there.

Okay there. And so yeah, my family has has lived there. We've lived there most of our most of our lives my wife and I both went to Minford High School. And okay knew each other then and I've now pastored churches in Ohio.

We were in Indiana for a few years. Okay, and more recently pastored a church in West, Virginia. And that that season of ministry has come to a close and so now we're we're talking to a couple of churches now.

And okay, we're trusting the Lord for his direction where he's gonna lead us next. But are you trying to stay in the southern Ohio area or no Bible will travel? Yeah, wherever God God would lead us and thankful for a wife who who has that same heart and desires.

Excited about you know, what God's gonna do. I didn't did you say you have children or just you. I do. Yep, so my wife Alicia and I have been married for 16 years. Okay, and we're about to have our eighth child in April.

What'd you when you get married when you were 12, you look young 16 years. I'm 38. Wow, and so we Southern Ohio Sun has been good to you my friend. Thank you. Yeah, appreciate that appreciate that. So we had our first our first baby in 2009 and okay.

She's our oldest and is will be 14 later this year. Wow hard to believe and then we've had a baby. Since then so God God's been very good be fruitful multiply man. Amen. I love to hear it. Yeah, so as we finish this up here.

The Sufficiency and Inspiration of All Scripture

Why is something like this important to those listening? They go. Why would focusing on from shadows to substance? Yeah. Yeah, I know God sent Christ and he's the Son of God. But why do we need to dig in deep and look at those proof texts and understand that like you said the continuity of the entire Bible why is that important?

Yeah. Well first and foremost I think we need to understand that the nature of Scripture, you know, 2nd Sympathy 3 16 all Scripture is breathed out by God right and and actually when Paul wrote that the New Testament canon wasn't completed yet.

So right he's referencing primarily the Old Testament. Yeah point and obviously we would see it as the totality of Scripture. So the nature of Scripture is inspired by God. It's an errand. It's authoritative.

It's sufficient for our lives. And so we need the whole canon the whole counsel of God's Word that he's provided to us. Which is why I'm such a big proponent on expository preaching. You know. If we just bounce around the Bible and kind of tackle our own hobby horses or whatever it might be.

We're really not getting a great diet of what God would have for us. I've used the illustration before that if it were up to me and my own household. Yeah, we would probably have boneless wings hamburgers and pizza.

But because I have a wife who loves me and cares about my health. She actually helps point us in a healthy direction and and to a much greater Sure ultimate extent. That's what God has done for us. He's my wife will sneak in some flaxseed on me, too I like it.

That's right. Yeah, exactly. So God has done rest you need that we need the the totality of God's Word because you think about all the various genres that God has inspired his words. So you think about the law you think about the prophets the the wisdom literature the poetry the epistles.

I mean, it's all there for us. It has a purpose. This in particular. I find it to be really really helpful because you're you're getting the depth Who God is and how he's revealed himself to us in a way that you're not going to really grasp.

Yeah, if you're only reading the New Testament, amen, cool. So as we finish up here. Tell everyone where they can find you your socials where they can reach out to you. Heck who knows? Maybe there's a church listening right now that needs a pastor.

Hey, you never know. So I'm on I'm on Facebook Twitter and Instagram. Don't use Instagram as much Twitter. It's at Kevin. Hey, and then the number four and then for Facebook. It's just my name Kevin. Hey, awesome.

So pretty cool. We'll make sure we link that all up to when this goes out live guys you can check him out and what he's got going on as always we appreciate you guys listening and Chief and a man glorify God enjoy him forever.

Thank you, Kevin. Thank you, brother. God bless. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at dead men walking podcast for full video podcast episodes and clips or email us at dead men walking podcast at gmail .com.