Something New

Revelation 21:1 – 5

Everything New

The story is told at one Presbyterian General Assembly, the moderator announced; “The next number will be an address by Rev. James McCosh, chancellor of Princeton University. Subject: “the immortality of the soul.” Time allotted: 15 – minutes.” (Joke)

Three (3) things will change in eternity.

A. The physical stuff will change!

1. There will be NEW heaven and a NEW earth.

2. Romans 8:19 – 22

a. “Eager expectation” for the sons of God to be revealed.

b. “Subjected to frustration” as the result of sin in general....

c. “Bondage to decay” (everything deteriorates).

3. Physically we al have an appointment with death and the judgement.

(Ill.) Cathedral of Milan – three archways, entrances have marked on them:

1. “All that pleases is but for a moment.”

2. “All that troubles is but for a moment.”

3. “That only is important which is eternal.”

***** Some have suggested we give a 100 year test: “Will this matter in 100 years?” *****

B. The relational stuff will change!

1. God dwelling with us. (Not just as the Holy Spirit, but also as Father and Son)

2. 2 Corinthians 5:14 – 17

a. Eternal destiny CHANGED = “Convinced”

b. Lifestyle CHANGED = “live... no longer for themselves...” (For Jesus)

c. Mind CHANGED = “from a worldly point of view” (not focused on the flesh)

c. Believes = new creation.

(Ill.) Traveler in China in Kwelin noticed a sign that read “Eternal life for sale.” Looking in the building he saw row upon row of black caskets. It was a coffin/casket factory.

(Ill.) Irishman passing a cemetery on day paused at a startling inscription on a tombstone. It read; “I still live.” After scratching his head in puzzlement the Irishman muttered; “If I was dead, I’d be honest enough to own up to it.”

***** We are born in sin and dead to God by nature. Life is lived for the self. We think like everyone else thinks.

Jesus changes all that! “The old has GONE, the new has come!”*****

What happens is God has initiated an EXCHANGE (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). EVERYTHING we have (sin, death, hell) for EVERYTHING Jesus has (righteousness, life, and abundant and eternal life).

C. The emotional stuff will change! [Revelation 21:1 – 5]

1. The ultimate cure for emotional pain? [God]

a. “EVERY tear” (God will wipe them away.)

b. No grief – no death.

c. No crying (there will be no cause or need to cry)

d. No pain (emotional, physical, spiritual)

2. Problem is we are living in “the society of the victim.”

a. Everybody wants to portray themselves as the victim. Why?

1.) Victims get sympathy and attention. (Explain “slavery”)

2.) Victims get bad behavior excused (and the innocent blamed).

b. The only “victim” in the universe is God.

1.) God owns the world, BUT we rebelled.

2.) God gave us directions and instructions (law) BUT we broke them and are on a path of self-destruction.

3.) God the Father sent God the son (Jesus) to demonstrate His love AND we crucified Him.

4.) God freely gives us His grace offering us love and restoration, BUT we continue to reject Him.

***** God does not want our sympathy, attention or His behavior excused. God DOES want to heal us from our sin, unrighteousness, and pain. *****

D. What now? The person, here, now, and later...

1. The body will die, then be resurrected to one of two eternal destinies.

2. The soul will live in eternity with or without Christ.

3. The spirit (mind) will either glory or suffer now and then later.

(Ill.) There is a rock that is 100 miles by 100 miles. Imagine that once every 1,000 years one little bird comes to sharpen its beak on the rock. When the rock is warn away by a single bird sharpening its beak every 1,000 years... then a single day of eternity will yet to have gone by.

***** God wants you to spend eternity with Him. *****

1. Resurrected to eternal “heaven.”

2. To be eternally with you.

3. To wipe away every tear.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 1:6]

***** What happens in eternity starts now. *****

Sin... failure is the common problem. It causes physical death. It causes spiritual death.. It creates emotional turmoil, chaos, and pain.

What you must do... “A,B,C’s”

Acknowledge the sin in your life. Accept personal responsibility for your actions and attitudes.

Believe in Jesus. Believe in a way that makes a difference in your behavior.

Choose new, abundant, and eternal life in and through Jesus by confessing with your mouth “Jesus is Lord.”

Where Faith and Action meet

James 2:14 – 26

Where Faith and Action meet.

 

I.         Many of us are comfortably in control.

 

            A.        My personal background.

 

                        1.         Control was an absolute, most of the rules were designed around strict control.

 

                                    a.         No alcohol (drugs, etc...) because alcohol relaxes a person and causes them to lose control. (Changes personality, date rape drug of choice.)

 

                                    b.         No dancing because dancing is designed to encourage lust. (Dad pulled me form my elementary school’s spring program because the school planned a “square dancing” section.)

 

                        2.         Control can make us oblivious to need.

 

                                    a.         I was not trained to sympathize or empathize with others because these would give others leverage and possible control.

 

                                    b.         Essentially my family training made me blind to see others needs.

 

                                                1.)       I miss or am offended by subtlety and hints. (And sometimes directness.)

 

                                                2.)       I have to be deliberate to sympathize or empathize.

 

                                                3.)        I have to turn on my “radar” to pick up on needs.

 

            B.        This is a general problem: Needs make us think.

 

                        1.         Thinking helps us to stay in control.

 

                                    a.         James’ illustration:

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” [James 2:15 – 16]

 

                                                1.)       This assumes the ability to see the need and the ability to do something about the need.

 

                                                2.)       The meeting of physical needs is part of James’ definition of religion and faith.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” [James 1:27]

 

                                    b.         Jesus also had a similar definition. [Matthew 25:34 – 46]

 

                                                1.)       So does that mean our eternal salvation depends on what we do and do not do with the needs of others?

 

                                                2.)       According to Jesus, yes. (This was in context of the story of the Master giving talents (unit of money) to his servants and what they did with them.

 

                        2.         If we allow ourselves to feel any compassion we are in danger of losing control.

 

                                    a.         Compassion requires our time and resources (which God gave to us to invest... see the story in Matthew 25).

 

                                    b.         Compassion is not comfortable but it is critical.

 

II.       When we become disturbed by need we do something.

 

            A.        Typically we like to wait for the thing to become critical.

 

                        1.         In other words, we wait until we become annoyed, alarmed, or angry enough to do something.

 

                                    a.         We might see a need but want someone else to do something about it.

 

                                    b.         Problem is that it builds a certain frustration level that is expressed in unhealthy ways like complaining, being critical, holding grudges.

 

                        2.         This is our version of living day to day.

 

                                    a.         “Today has enough trouble to keep me busy.”

 

                                    b.         Anything that breaks into “today” is unwelcome.

(Ill.) Wisdom from the mission field: If you get one thing done from your to do list, you’ve had a good day. If you get nothing done on your to do list, you’ve had a better day. (Why? Because you got something done on God’s to do list.)

 

            B.        James talks about faith and works.

 

                        1.         We tend to put them on opposite polls.

 

                                    a.         No one can be saved by works (as opposed to grace)

 

                                    b.         The Bible is clear: no one can be saved without producing works (sometimes called “fruit”)

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” [Matthew 3:8]

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” [John 15:4]

“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” [1 Timothy 6:18 – 19]

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” [Ephesians 2:10]

 

                        2.         Reality: they are compliments on opposites. Trouble is we have theological traditions that emphasize to the probable exclusion of other important elements of faith. (Source: Dr. Muholland)

 

                                    a.         “Head” religion, emphasizes TRUTH. (“conservative”)

 

                                    b.         “Hand” religion, emphasizes COMPASSION. (“social gospel” and “liberation theology”)

 

                                    c.         “Heart” religion, emphasizes FEELING (and sometimes relationship). (“charismatic” and “holiness”)

***** The existence of someone doing something else and seeing salvation differently questions our existence and means of salvation. *****

 

            C.        What about Paul’s grace and James’ works?

 

                        1.         Paul is addressing grace and faith as a means of salvation (beginning). However, Paul understood judgement to be based on our works (result).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” [2 Corinthians 5:10]

(Also see Romans 2:5 – 8, 1 Corinthians 3:8)

 

                        2.         James addresses works and faithfulness as the exercise and result of salvation. (Another word for that is sanctification.)

 

III.      We must allow faith to open our eyes to circumstance.

 

            A.        “Broken Window” theory.

 

                        1.         Circumstances (and physical context) not belief or knowledge is the main determination of behavior.

 

                                    a.         Belief becomes situational, fluid, depending on our rationalizations.

 

                                    b.         Control becomes the determining factor.

 

                        2.         Two types of belief:

 

                                    a.         Belief = knowing.

 

                                                1.)       “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.” [James 2:19]

 

                                                2.)       Knowing is not changing or choosing obedience.

 

                                    b.         Belief = doing.

 

                                                1.)       “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” [vv 21, 22]

 

                                                2.)       In other words: “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” [v 24]

(The other side of this is that works without faith is just as dead.)

 

            B.        James’ point is that faith is practical.

 

                        1.         Jesus said, above everything else, the true believer must get two this right.

 

                                    a.         Love God and love others. [see Matthew 22:37 – 40, Mark 12:30 –31, Luke 10:27]

 

                                    b.         James implies that service is love.

 

                        2.         The “love language” of service is the only one the community understands.

(Ill.) Missionary in Taiwan talking to a group of people. They did not have a high opinion of Buddhist monks because “they do nothing to help us.”

 

                                    a.         Our problem is we are results oriented rather than people oriented.

 

                                    b.         We check the “bottom line” (buildings, bodies, and budgets) rather than eternal impact. (Often confuse the two thinking they are the same.)

 

IV.      Somehow we need to let God have control.

 

            A.        Greek ideal: “apathetic”

 

                        1.         Stoics believed in the destruction of emotional attachment and involvement.

 

                        2.         Epicureans believed in abandoning themselves to the pleasure of the moment.

 

                        3.         Both had the ultimate goal of “apathy.”

 

            B.        Christian ideal: “action”

 

                        1.         If you notice a need and have the means, you are required to act compassionately on that need.

 

                        2.         If God is at work in you, you are required to act on faith.

 

                                    a.         Look past the circumstances.

 

                                    b.         Faith = action

Blogged with the Flock Browser

"Words for Living" part 5 (published January 9, 2008 in "The Coummunity Voice.")

Many thanks go to the Community Voice and thoughtful readers who have given me the chance to express a few “Words for Living.”

The story is told of a newspaper editor who painted a truthful picture of a wedding. He described the bride as ugly beyond reason. The groom was depicted as a good-for-nothing that belonged in jail. The reason for this brutal commentary was the editor wanted to tell the truth, once before he left town the next day. Unfortunately, telling the truth once is about all anyone can get away with... maybe. At least listen once.

There is only one way to be “saved,” “go to heaven,” or whatever you want to call it. Paul put it this way, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Romans 6:23] Read that verse again. What do you see?

Notice the word “wage” is plural. In other words, “death” (spiritual not just physical) results in eternal separation from God. The old fashion word is “hell.” It is the ultimate and final payout. Fact is, before you get there, you go through pain and misery. They are a severe mercy, intended to get your attention and turn you around.

Another thing that you should see when you read Romans 6:23, is that “sin” is singular. How many guys have looked at a woman and thought “thoughts?” How many ladies have told or listened to a juicy story about someone? Anyone ever tweak the truth ? Remember its one sin not many sins that earns us our payment.

God does something that is unfair. Rather than punishing us, God offers a gift. This is not a “good-God bad-God” act. This is God taking the hit for us. This is God knowing that we cannot earn or deserve “eternal life” (salvation). He offers it to us as a gift through the unfair suffering and sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus did not do anything wrong. It is our sin that Jesus paid for on the cross. That’s what we celebrate on Easter.

After a morning of hunting in northern Minnesota, I made it back to the lodge for lunch. The police were organizing a search for an experienced hunter that had not returned the night before. He was one of my friends and I didn’t even realize he was lost. After lunch I trudge back out to help save him. Just before sundown he walked past me. He was so confused it took him awhile to recognize a friend. He insisted, like any sensible man, he was not lost. I walked with him, letting him lead, until after dark. At this point, he turned and asked, “Got anything to eat?” I suggested we head for the lodge, he agreed. They packed him in an ambulance when we got back. He was dehydrated, frost bitten but safe.

At some point, my friend had to recognize his need and accept help. How about you?

Blogged with Flock