September 26, 1999 - LESSON: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

SERMON TITLE: The World of Tomorrow

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INTRODUCTION:

QUESTION: "What is the best 'evidence' we have that there is something for us to look forward to after death and what do you think it will be like? Will we be joined with our bodies. Both of one's previous spouses and so on."

  1. We do not follow cleverly devised myths
    1. Separate myth from reality.
    2. This is often difficult because of prior and current conditioning.
    3. Remember an old bumper sticker, "Do not confuse me with the facts, my mind is already made up."
       
      1. (2 Peter 1:16 NRSV) For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
         
    4. Live in hope
      1. What kind of hope?
      2. What is the reality of our hope?


        3. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NRSV) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. [15] For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. [16] For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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  2. We draw information from both the Old and the New Testaments
    1. The people of the Old Testament lived in the hope of restoration.
      1. In the midst of his pain Job proclaimed his faith.


        2. (Job 19:25-27 NRSV) For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; [26] and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, [27] whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
         

    2. So to do the people in the New Testament.
      1. Paul could proclaim with utter certainty


        2. (Philippians 3:20-21 NRSV) But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. [21] He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

  3. What can we know about heaven and the new earth for they are part and parcel of the same thing.
  4. One is only an extension of the other.

MAIN BODY:

  1. Heaven is a condition.
    1. The opposite of what we currently possess.
      1. We cannot fully conceive what has been prepared


        2. (1 Corinthians 2:9 NRSV) But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him"--

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      2. We do have some information that we can understand.
        1. There will be no tears. Death, mourning, crying, pain, the first things have all passed away.


          2. (Revelation 21:4 NRSV) he (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."
           

    2. The condition will be peace.
      1. Creation waits for the restoration


        2. (Romans 8:19-21 NRSV) For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; [20] for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
         

      2. All nature will be restored to the perfect harmony of Eden.


        3. (Isaiah 11:6-9 NRSV) The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. [7] The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. [9] They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

(Isaiah 65:25 NRSV) The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent--its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.

      1. The past will not be remembered nor come to mind.


        2. (Isaiah 65:17 NRSV) For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.

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      2. Face to face relationship with God will be resumed


        3. (Revelation 21:3, NRSV) [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
         

      3. Righteousness, that is all right-doing (There will be no doing of wrong)


        4. (2 Peter 3:10-13 NRSV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. [11] Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,[12] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? [13] But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

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  1. Heaven is a place.
    1. Physical place
      1. Earth given to human beings


        2. (Psalms 115:16 NRSV) The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.

      2. Earth made to be inhabited


        3. (Isaiah 45:18 NRSV) For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the LORD, and there is no other.
         

      3. A place is being prepared fro all who desire it and meet the standards for occupancy


        4. (John 14:1-3 NRSV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. [2] In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

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      4. The meek will inherit the earth


        5. (Matthew 5:5 NRSV) "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

      5. All who meet the standards of occupancy become heirs of God's promise and provision of this place


        6. (Galatians 3:7, 29, NRSV) so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham...And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
         

      6. This is a city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God.


        7. (Hebrews 11:8, 10, 13-16, 39-40, NRSV) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going...[10] For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God...[13] All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, [14] for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15] If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them...[39] Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, [40] since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

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      7. A city is being prepared that will come down from God out of heaven to the earth.


        8. (Revelation 21:1-3, NRSV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
         

    2. It will be a family place
      1. The redeemed will build houses and plant vineyards.


        2. (Isaiah 65:21-23 NRSV) They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. [22] They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. [23] They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD-- and their descendants as well.
         

      2. Your descendants and your name remain


        3. (Isaiah 66:22 NRSV) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain.

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  2. Heaven is a wealth of possibilities.
    1. It will be a place of personal mental and emotional restoration and growth
    2. We will be freed from all past liabilities
      1. Memory will be refreshed


        2. (Isaiah 65:17 NRSV) For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.

      2. Emotional and mental ability will be restored


        3. (Revelation 21:1-5 NRSV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; [4] he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." [5] And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

      3. All personal and national conflicts will be ended with the healing of the nations


        4. (Revelation 22:2 NRSV) through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

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    3. Unconditional immortality will be granted
      1. God alone possesses immortality.


        2. (1 Timothy 1:17 NRSV) To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

(1 Timothy 6:16 NRSV) It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

      1. Immortality brought to light through the Gospel proclaim by and through Jesus Christ


        2. (2 Timothy 1:10 NRSV) but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

      2. God grants immortality


        3. (Romans 2:7 NRSV) to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

      3. Immortality imparted at the time of the resurrection


        4. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57 NRSV) What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51] Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54] When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." [55] "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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  1. This is what I believe and in what I have firmly fixed my hope.
    1. Heaven is God's incentive to live a Christ-centered life and the source of our hope.
      1. One evening, in Manchester, Ohio, at an Adult Bible Study, I had a very difficult time attempting to get the people of this very poor and educationally challenged area to understand the meaning of incentive.
        1. I used the illustration of peace work, but that did not work.
        2. I tried several other things which did not work.
        3. In desperation, I thought of the carrot that you held in front of the mule to get the mule to move.
        4. This, because they still used mules and horses to farm, they understood.
      2. Heaven, the new heavens and the new earth, is the incentive that God holds before us.
        1. This is the object of the Christian's hope.
        2. It is not alone immortality, but a substantial immortality.

CONCLUSION:

  1. Billy Graham was a recent guest on the Larry King Show.
    1. Larry King asked Billy Graham if he believed in heaven, "Yes!"
      1. Larry King admitted that he had trouble in believing.
      2. "So you are not afraid of death?" Larry King asked.
      3. "No, I would like to go right now," replied Billy Graham.
      4. Larry King didn't quite know how to respond to Dr. Graham's faith.
    2. We can also have the same confidence in God.
  2. I have no answer for the second part of the question.
    1. That we will have to leave the answer in God's hands.
    2. I am sure that God has a solution.

QUESTION FOR NEXT SUNDAY:

"If we are to believe that we cannot get to heaven solely by our good works (we get there by the grace of God-heaven is a gift), then we shouldn't be excluded strictly because of bad works. Why do we believe in hell?" The sermon will help us to understand how we may, "Escape From Hell."

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