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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/scott-macleod/preposition-of-hope-help-home/
It's interesting, I couldn't help but remember when he mentioned about sleeping in a window. I used to work for the telephone company for 20 years before I went into the work full-time. I used to work up in the air, 25, 30 feet.
I used to sleep up there. I discovered a very good way of doing it, you know, you'd lock your knees backwards and lean forward on the strand and occasionally your knee would snap forward and you were thankful for that landing belt that held you from falling.
So it's amazing what we can get used to and what we can get accustomed to. Anyway, that was just my weird thinking. Now, let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Just maybe a few brief comments to send us home encouraged by the Word of God.
We've had a lot of reference to the Word of God and I am a big promoter of the Word of God and spending time studying the Word of God, I don't think there's a better skill you could develop and God is there able to help us.
Been saved now 21 years and I would highly recommend you get a Newberry Bible. A tremendous amount of study that man put into that book with all his little notes. Something that I've just appreciated in the last year is what is known as his prepositional chart that is in the middle of the Bible between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
And if you take time to study his diagram of prepositions that are used in the Word of God, it is absolutely amazing and it shows you the inspiration of the Word of God. You've got roughly 19 prepositions and they come in about 33 different forms.
Now, that's about as deep as we're going to get so stay awake, keep with me. We're just going to show you some really interesting differences. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse number 10. Simply call this a preposition has to do with hope and notice the difference.
We'll read it in the English and then we'll just make a reference as you read it again. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10, And to wait for his son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Now that all sounds the same to us, from, from, from. Interesting when you look at his chart, if you can picture a circle, there's a preposition for from which means a dot is in the center and you're moving out from the midst.
Then there's another preposition where you're on the edge of the circle and you're moving from the edge. Now the Spirit of God changes it. Come back to verse number 10. And to wait for his son from the midst of heaven, whom he raised from the midst of the dead.
Here's where it changes. Even Jesus which delivered us from the edge of the wrath to come. Now that's a tremendous change. If that was the only verse I had, that is a guarantee from the Spirit of God that the church will never go through the tribulation.
That's a preposition to do with hope. Now let's turn quickly to the book of James chapter 1. And after a message with what we heard, I guarantee I will not go over time. Or I will be dealt with tonight severely.
He's not, he's still old enough to spank me and he's done that in the past. James chapter 1. Look at verse number 5. I don't have time to develop the context here, but it's various trials, diverse temptations for the perfecting of ourselves.
And look at verse number 5. If any of you lack wisdom, I think we would all readily agree that plenty of times we lack wisdom, understanding what's happening in our life. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not and it shall be given him.
Let him ask of God. Why is it that when we're in a trial, you and I, here's what the wicked old heart does. God has left you alone. It's all dark. You're in this by yourself. And we get this mental idea that we got to pray to God who is way up there because I'm way down here in the midst of this trial.
I'm all left alone. You know what the Spirit of God does in a context that is showing us trials of various colors? Let him ask of. It means right by the side. That's how close God is to you, dear child of God.
He hasn't left you alone. He hasn't abandoned you. We read about the one this morning that was abandoned. And because he was forsaken, you and I are promised we will never be forsaken. So don't let the devil, don't let the world, don't let the flesh convince you that here I am.
God has left me alone. And you almost got to reach your hands to heaven and roar louder because God's way up there. The Word of God says, if you lack wisdom, ask of God that is right by your side. Now let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
That's a preposition to do with help in a time of need. And now we'll just finish with a few to do with home, heaven, where we're going. I was recently looking at this again. And it is true, the Word of God is living.
And there's always more and more that is in it. So don't be afraid to revisit things that you once studied. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And let's look at the context here, verse number 6. And it's quite interesting.
The apostle Paul through the Spirit is developing this idea of being unclothed and clothed with the eternal body. And here's what he says in verse number 6. Therefore, we are always confident and knowing that...
Now in our Newberry Bible, you'll see that this next expression is all one word. Whilst we are at home. That is one Greek word. Takes five English words to kind of get that one word. So let's read it again.
Therefore, we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body.
Here's the word again. And to be present. To be at home with the Lord. Now, here's what I was enjoying. A couple of weeks ago, I turned 45. And, you know, I've been living in this body now for 45 years.
And I've got to admit, I really enjoy it. I'm very comfortable. This feels at home. This is me. This is right. This is perfect. So you go traveling as a preacher. And I know Christians mean well. And they welcome you to their home.
And they say, listen, our home is your home. Make yourself at home. Our fridge is your fridge. Wadadadada, on and on it goes. Now, what would happen if I got up at 3 o 'clock in the morning and I decided to clean the closet of the master bedroom?
There'd be two very surprised people sitting up in the bed going, this is our home. You just told me to make myself at home. You see, even though we mean well and we have good intentions, there is something that you're not able to do when I'm a visitor.
What is my point? We buy a new home on earth. We move in. It takes time to adjust and to make it our home. You know what the word of God tells me? The minute I leave time and open up my eyes in heaven, no adjustment is needed.
I'm at home. I don't have to work at it.
You know, Christ doesn't have to come along and try to convince me, yeah, this is really it. This is where you're going to be forever. Not at all. The word of God says to be absent away from home, away from this home.
And the instant, the moment I step across the boundary of time into eternity, do you know what I call it? It's the eternal sigh of, yes, I'm home. This is right. This is where I belong. Never to leave.
How wonderful. We took our brother mentioned it will go through the tiles. Couldn't you just go through the tiles right now? Get up there. That's home. Don't make this home. It's not. It's temporary, even though we enjoy it.
That's our eternal home. God. Give us help to keep our eyes on it quickly. Come back to verse number eight. Here's where this preposition that was a little side group verse number eight at the end. We read it again.
We are confident. I say willing rather to be absent from the Lord from the body and to be present with the Lord with we're going to look at three different widths. Do you know what this with is? It's the idea that, for instance, Murray's over there.
If I was to start to move from here toward him. That's what the word means. So in the very context where he's contrasting the leaving of a body home and moving to home, he uses this lovely Greek preposition.
That means movement toward what you're focused upon. Not wonderful. I love acts where Stephen is being stoned and the life is still in his body. Any sees home. Jesus standing.
What a focus. What an object is not a wonder.
He didn't get all occupied with the stones and the pain.
God gave him a vision. Look where you're going home.
I would love God to give me just a little vision. Scott, you're going home. Might make me labor for him, wouldn't it? Now, let's come quickly to the next one is going to be Philippians. You thought I forgot there.
I thought I did too. Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. We'll blame it on being 45 couple of weeks ago. Philippians chapter 1 verse number 23. Here's a second with and the Apostle Paul once again is the writer through the Spirit of God and we have a little different meaning.
Verse 23 of Philippians chapter 1 for I am in a straight betwixt to having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. Not the idea now of there's an object before me and I'm in movement toward it.
You ever seen two people walk down the road side by side? That's the word. You know what Christ guarantees me. Not only is he the object that I'm going to move toward but when I'm with him in heaven, he said you're going to be right by my side forever.
Not wonderful. That's quite a that's quite a prospect to have finally, let's go to Luke chapter 23. And this is I think really the best one what the Lord said to this man that got saved beside him and it was said to a man that only has been saved maybe one minute.
Doesn't have time to come off the cross and do some tremendous work for God. He just simply put faith in the Lord Jesus and Luke chapter 23 verse number 43. Here's what it says. And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
Do you know what this with means? Not the idea of movement towards. It's not the idea of walking side by side with someone. This with means to be actually right in the midst, right in the center. You ever sometimes wonder heaven.
Okay. So there's going to be billions and billions and billions of Christians. I mean, how am I ever going to see him? You know, little old insignificant me. I don't really mean a whole lot. I haven't done a whole lot for the Lord Jesus.
So I guess I'm going to be lucky just to get kind of a nosebleed seat way off in the bleachers and I'll have the spirit to binoculars and I'll be able to go. Well, I think that's him. It looks like him.
No, dear child of God. Here's a man saved about one minute. Hasn't given out a gospel track. He's not a preacher. He's not a missionary. He's just a simple believer. And the Lord Jesus looks at him and linked with the kingdom.
He says, you're going to be right in the midst with me. Not on the edge. Right in the center. And that's right. It's so lovely as the gospel records bring you the transfiguration and only the gospel of Matthew percents.
The king does this after the glorious past and those glorious words are passed and the disciples are on their face because of the tremendous display of the glory of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. You know, Matthew records and he touched them.
I serve a king. That not only wants me with him. He wants to touch me. Not wonderful. Our brother made mentioned from Canada that we have a royal wedding. Well, royalty, whatever. Did you know that they're coming to PEI in the month of June?
Now, you're all want to go and want to come and people will line up. They will try to figure out where royalty will move in the route. Because they want to see royalty. They want to touch, reach out and touch royalty.
Isn't it wonderful that the king were linked with? He's interested in wanting to touch me. Not me wanting to touch him. May God encourage me from these few thoughts preposition of help preposition of home preposition of hope that I might want to in time reach out and learn just a little bit more of him.
He is worth it.