The Redemption Of Our Body Is Drawing Near, Straighten Up And Lift Up Your Heads - Ian Robson
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Summary
The sermon focuses on the imminent redemption of the body, drawing from Luke 21 and Romans 8. The central message is that believers must remain upright and lift up their heads because their physical bodies are destined for a glorious transformation. This freedom is secured by recognizing that the yoke of sin has been broken at the cross, placing believers under grace rather than the law or the bondage of sin.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Lifting up our heads for the redemption of our bodyLooking at Luke 21, Jesus tells believers that when terrifying end-time events and global distress begin to take place, they should straighten up and lift up their heads because their redemption is drawing near.
Eagerly waiting for our new resurrection bodiesPaul explains in Philippians and Romans that creation and believers groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for our adoption as sons and the transformation of our weak, suffering bodies into glorious resurrection bodies like Jesus has.Philippians 3:21
God's promise to break our yoke and make us walk erectIn Leviticus, God promises to dwell among His people and break the bars of their yoke, bringing them out of slavery so they can walk erect rather than being bent down by the heavy burdens of life.Leviticus 26:11
Refusing to let sin remain our masterSin weighs and bends us down, but under the New Covenant the yoke of sin has been broken at the cross; because we are under grace, sin no longer has to rule over us as our master.
Rejecting the devil's lies about our sinful natureSatan whispers lies to make us believe we cannot break free from our sinful flesh, but we must recognize his voice as a liar, turn to the Lord to have the veil removed, and experience daily freedom and transformation.
Overcoming condemnation by the blood of JesusJust as sin bends us down, condemnation and discouragement try to weigh us down every time we stumble; however, we must silence the accuser by standing on the truth that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
The danger of an unforgiving spiritJust as Jesus healed a woman bent double by a spirit of sickness for 18 years, He calls us to be freed from things like an unforgiving spirit, which Satan uses to bind and destroy us.
Forgiving others as we have been forgivenIf we harbor bitterness, grudges, or refuse to forgive those who have harmed us, we risk facing judgment and missing out on the kingdom of God, because God expects us to extend the same massive forgiveness we received.
Praying to be delivered from temptation and evilWhen we pray the Lord's Prayer, we must genuinely mean it when we ask God to forgive our sins as we forgive others, and pray that He does not lead us into the temptation of holding grudges.
True reconciliation versus superficial healingUnlike temporary psychological fixes, God offers true reconciliation where we take our hands off our brother's throat, drop our bitterness, and are fully restored to love and peace.
Staying alert and praying for strength to standJesus warns us in Luke 21 not to let our hearts be weighed down with dissipation and the worries of life, but to keep on the alert at all times and pray for strength to stand before the Son of Man.
God's design for man to be uprightFrom the very beginning of Scripture, God's plan was for man to live blameless, upright, and fearing the Lord, with God Himself acting as the lifter of our heads.
Exchanging God's glory for human foolishnessRomans describes how humanity exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for idols and degraded passions, becoming foolish while choosing to bow down before created things rather than the Creator.Romans 1:22–23
Standing by the power of the Holy SpiritThe upright will behold God's face, and throughout Scripture—whether Ezekiel, Daniel, or Paul—people were enabled to stand on their feet not in their own strength, but through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.Psalms 11:7
Guarding against deviousness like CainProverbs warns us against being devious in our ways; like Cain, who responded to God's warning with a fallen face and a hidden heart before killing his brother, we must avoid playing games with God.Proverbs 14:2
Exposing everything to the light for complete restorationWe must earnestly desire to see God's glory and allow Him to expose and cleanse any area of our lives where we are not straightforward, trusting Him to fully restore us so we can stand erect.
