The only thing that will provide a keel, a rudder, a wheel, an acre, is this glorious blessing that Jesus came to give, namely God is true.

God speaks truth. God is firm. God's an anger. God is not fickle. God does not flop around.

God is there. Unchanging, it is glory, and is truthfulness.

It is good news that God's great blessing comes to us in Christ.

In this episode of Light and Truth,

John Piper opens Acts 3, 22 to 26,

to show us three of these blessings for our encouragement.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on December 23, 1990.

Oh, that God would give me the enablement to persuade you this morning that he is on his way to you laden with blessings today.

And that if you would turn to him and draw near to him in faith,

you would receive blessing beyond anything you have had or enjoyed before.

This text is about blessing. Did you hear it in verses 25 and 26?

Let me read those again, and you look for that word.

You are the sons of the prophet speaking to Israel now. and of the covenant which God made to your

father saying to Abraham and in your posterity, shall all the families of the earth be blessed?

Note the word, blast. God having raised up his servant, sent him to you first to bless you in turning every

one of you from your wickedness.

So twice now in those two verses, this rich word, blessed, and blessing is given.

And when it says in verse 26 that he's coming to Israel first

to bless them, that's rich with hope for us non-Israelites.

Because that means we're second.

I would be real happy to be second in line for God's blessing.

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