I’ve been reading a book recently entitled Souls in Transition. The author is Christian Smith, a professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. This book is the result of a series of interviews with young adults as they enter adulthood. While there are some very encouraging things about the future of the church that I read in this book, there are also some rather troubling things as well.

There is a decreasing percentage of young adults who believe the full teaching of the Bible. More and more, young adults are taking the parts they like and leaving the hard parts or simply reducing the Christian faith to a simple moral lifestyle. It is, as a recent Tennessean article calls it: “believe in Jesus and be nice” theology.

What are we as part of the church of Jesus to do with this growing development? In the past few months, I’ve read of two rather distinct approaches to this.

Last summer I studied the “Emerging Church Movement,” which reflects one approach to this. This movement encourages people, particularly young people, to question and challenge everything they have been taught before and come up with their own composite set of whatever they want to believe. While I strongly disagree with this approach, the emphasis in this is to let people think what they want. If they want to make up their own set of teachings on what they believe the Bible teaches, that is fine. Such people believe that if young leaders want to lead the church in that direction, let them go. It often results in a rather wholesale disposing of the previous 2,000 years of church history or ignoring what God has been doing in His church over the past 2,000 years.

The other approach is reflected in an article in the newspaper which I read recently. Some churches are taking this shift very seriously and are starting to work very hard at teaching the youth and young adults to really know and understand the Bible. The emphasis is moving away from providing fun activities for young people to serious engaging with God’s Word and the teaching of Scripture.

As I reflect again on the things I read about and learned from last summer, this seems to be the only course that a true follower of Jesus can take. Not that I am against having fun or doing fun things! The Christian life should be filled with fun and joyful things! Yet we must be teaching the truths of the Bible and wrestling with those things that are difficult and wrestling with the demands that Scripture places on us as far as our lives and beliefs are.

Why do I mention this at this point? At a recent Council meeting we were discussing our work here in Faith Church and what it will look like in the next 5-10 years. I proposed to them at that time that we begin a very concerted effort in “handing the reigns” over to the younger generation. Many of those who have been leading so faithfully over the past 20-30 years are nearing retirement and while I don’t believe that God ever encourages us (perhaps never allows) a person to retire into a state of inactivity, it is time to let younger members assume more and more of a role in leadership. It is their church already now just as much as anyone. It will be their church even more in the next several years.

The Council is in the beginning stages of planning an all church retreat where these things can be discussed and worked through more intentionally. I would ask for you to pray for this retreat and the plans that will entail this transition. We are all “souls in transition.” We are all at different stages in our lives. At this point, it is important that we face this transition as a church so that future generations may continue to worship and serve our Lord faithfully in this community.

Pastor Jerry September 2010

What I Learned in Summer School

During the week of July 19 I attended a class on baptism offered at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. When I was in seminary we studied theology and the sacraments but never a course specifically dedicated to the sacrament of baptism. I was curious as to how a professor could fill up four seven-hour class periods just focusing on baptism and I was intrigued since there is so much debate and discussion about infant baptism in particular.

The first two days the professor, Dr. John Fesko, focused on the history of baptism from the days of the early church to the present. Over the next day, Dr. Fesko did a quick but comprehensive study of themes relating to baptism in both the Old and New Testaments. Finally on the last day, he brought things together and summarized the doctrine of baptism and what its implications are for those in the church today.

While I learned many things about baptism, the thing that impressed me the most was the reminder that baptism is the visible Gospel. This means that whenever we baptize a child or adult, we should be directed first and foremost to what God has done throughout all of history to bring salvation to His people. This reached its climax when Jesus suffered, died and was buried and rose again. When we celebrate baptism, the thing we should all see more than anything else is what God did through Christ to bring us salvation.

Second, baptism points us to the relationship we have with God in the covenant. As you look through the whole Bible, you see that God does not relate to people without the structure of the covenant. Just as circumcision was the sign of the old covenant in the Old Testament, baptism is now the sign of the new covenant in the New Testament. This sign points us to Christ and His sacrifice. However, as a sign of the covenant it means that we enter the relationship with God with the understanding that if we accept being in that relationship, we are blessed. If we reject God’s law and working, then we can expect to receive the punishments of the covenant.

Third, baptism is also a sign of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost and baptism is the sign that assures that those who believe in Christ also have the Holy Spirit poured out on them.

Finally, baptism points to the reality of the coming new creation. This new creation has been started already through the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but will finally come to completion when Jesus comes again.

So what happens more practically when we baptize an infant in our church? First, God is telling us to remember and celebrate what He has done for us in Christ. Baptism points to the death and resurrection of Christ.

Second, the child whom we baptize is part of God’s covenant family. He has a special place within that family. Baptism says that this is one of God’s children and God expects this child to grow up and follow Him. If the child does, she will receive the blessings of the covenant: salvation. If she does not, then she can expect to receive not the blessings of God, but the punishments coming from disobedience. This means that baptism marks the child, not as one whose salvation is guaranteed, but one of the covenant family. As such the congregation promises to pray for, nurture and help rear this child so that some day, she will stand before the congregation and publicly state that she belongs to Christ and believes in Him.

And third, when we baptize a child, we are saying that neither he nor any of us are on our own. Baptism points to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit who will work in the child and in all of us to bring us to repentance and belief.

I’m hoping to incorporate more of these things more specifically throughout the coming weeks. Thanks again for the opportunity to learn again and broaden my horizons as well as deepen my knowledge.

Pastor Jerry
August 2010

Ephesians 1:4-6 “Why Does God Only Elect Some?”
Introduction:

When I was a kid, the scene was played out hundreds of times each day in neighborhoods all over the country. Two kids out of group of kids are designated as captains for a game of baseball, football or basketball. The first captain begins by calling out the name of the best player. The other captain follows by choosing the second best. And so the process continues until all the others are used up. Sound familiar?
Now, where were you usually chosen in this process? I don’t recall ever being chosen first. I usually was picked toward the middle, but at times I would be at the end or close to it. Why? The captains wanted the best possible team. So they chose the ones with the most ability first and the least ability last. If you are not very good, then at the end the newly formed team would huddle and you could hear them discussing, not the positive things you would contribute to the team, but which one of the few remaining ones would do the least damage to the team. This type of choosing was based purely on ability and skill.
We are used to and very comfortable with that type of choosing aren’t we? Later on this year, we will vote for a new governor. We will be making our choice based on whom we think will be the best person for the job. The choice will be made on the basis of merit or worthiness.
This morning we are beginning a series of five sermons looking at the basics of our salvation as found in one of our confessions, the Canons of Dort. This morning, we look at the doctrine of election as found in the Bible. The Bible teaches that God chose to save some people from all the people of this world. Now did God do this as children do when they choose teams or we choose governors or presidents? Does He pick the best and leave the ones who are not qualified behind? We look at the basics of the teaching of election as discussed in Ephesians 1:1-14. Let’s read Ephesians 1:1-14.

I. The Persons Involved in Election
II. The Time and Action of Election
III. The Purpose and Result of Election
IV. Some Practical Implications

I. First, let’s look very briefly at The Persons Involved in Election.

In Ephesians 1:4, Paul says, “For He chose us in Him.” God, almighty and all powerful is the author of our election and the One who chooses us. The object is “us”, believers of all time who have believed in Christ. This choosing was done in Christ. God chose us to receive salvation through the death of Jesus Christ. That is not so difficult to grasp. What makes it difficult is how and when this all occurred.

II. So we look at The Time and Action of Election.

Verse 4 states that the time was “before the creation of the world.” Even before we even existed, indeed, before any person or thing ever existed, God chose those who would come to believe in Christ. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 says, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.” This means that God’s actions are part of a well thought out plan.
This also emphasizes the fact that we have nothing to do with this choice. We did not even exist yet and so could not arrange to be chosen. Some say that God knew who would believe and so chose on that basis. However, when we look at the word Paul uses for “choose” we find that this is not a possibility.
What does Paul mean by the word “chose?” The picture here is of one large group of people and some of that group are literally selected out from the others based purely on the initiative of the one choosing. For example, imagine this morning I would choose some of you to sing a solo. Imagine that I had the authority to insist that you do this. Out of this whole group, I chose 5 of you to do this, whether you wanted to do this or not. Perhaps I would do this because of your singing ability. Perhaps I would do this for any reason that might occur to me.
The point is that previously all of you were members of an audience but after I chose, five would be soloists and the rest would still be the audience. Out of the whole human race, God chose only some to believe in Jesus.
Now let’s admit that this sounds rather heavy-handed, doesn’t it. Because God is God, He gets to do whatever He wants to do. That can be a very frightening thought to be in the hands of such a powerful God who can do whatever He desires.
But in verses 4-5, Paul points out that this choosing is done in love. God is not acting out of anger or with malicious intent. Rather, God is motivated by and acting completely out of love.
Look at what God does when He chooses Israel to be His people. Out of all world’s nations, God chose Israel to be His people. Was it because they were so good, so lovable and obedient? History shows that this was certainly not the case for they continually resisted being His people. God knew this, but because He loved them, He chose them anyway. Love is the overwhelming attitude that shapes God’s election of His people.
This is important for us to let sink in. God does act according to His will and pleasure in choosing some. But His will and pleasure are motivated and shaped by His tremendous love. God’s actions are always motivated and shaped by love.

III. Now let’s look at The Purpose and Result of Election.

Verse 4 says that the purpose is for us to have a new standing before God: holy and blameless. God chose some so that they would become “holy” both now and later. Holy literally means specially set apart for service to God. They are set aside by God to serve Him and live for Him. God wants those whom He chooses to do special things for Him.
God also made them to become “blameless.” Those who are chosen are no longer viewed as guilty of their sin. These people are now declared to be not guilty, even though they are in fact, very guilty. God’s electing not only brings a person to conversion, but helps a person live a holy life as well.
The purpose is that when Jesus comes again, those who have been chosen by God can stand before God with a new legal standing: holy and blameless. Romans 8:30 says, “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
The result of God’s electing us is that we now have a new relationship with God based on God’s grace. We are adopted into the family of God. God adopts us, gives us His Spirit so that we literally become His children. God, the mighty and powerful Lord, now becomes “Abba” or “Dad” to us. Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Moreover, we also receive grace freely through Christ, the ONE he loves. Before we existed, God put us and Christ together in His own mind. He determined to make us His own children through the work of Christ. Even before Christ died for their sins, God chose some that this death would be effective for. These people will have their sins paid for by the death of Christ.
Again all of this emphasizes the fact we did nothing at all to deserve this. That is not very popular today even among Christians. For example, Cristina DeLorean, the ex-wife of the late failed auto maker John DeLorean, once said in an interview in Contemporary Christian Magazine, “I did not know how to reach God. . . I did not know how to bring Him into my life. . . I decided I was going to be born again. . . I wanted to be a Christian, a born again Christian.”
I am happy that she decided to accept Christ, but she did not decide to be born again. A baby doesn’t decide when to be born. Just as none of us chose to be born, none of us can choose to be born again. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 says, God “has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” “Grace” means that what we receive is not based on what we do or who we are.
That is why verse 6 says that all this is done to the praise of God. God is the one who has done all this and in doing all this He is glorified. He alone deserves all the praise and glory. We cannot say anything about ourselves except that we don’t deserve what God gives us. In spite of this, He chooses us because He deeply loves us.

IV. What are Some Practical Implications from Election?
First, let’s look at our attitude toward this teaching. What is important to realize is that this teaching is part of God’s word. It was not invented by John Calvin or Augustine, or any theologian. It is directly from God and it is not based on any human speculation or construction.
Not only that but election is found throughout the Bible. God chose Israel to be His people. Now in the New Testament, he is choosing a new people once again. We have pointed out just a few verses that show that this morning.
This means that we must humbly accept it even though we cannot fully understand it. We must accept the fact that before this world was created, God chose some to be saved and allowed others to be, in the words of the Canons of Dort, “passed by.” We know it because that is what God has said in the Bible. But to leave it there is not right.
This teaching of election should shape our attitude toward ourselves in two ways. First, election is an incentive to holiness, not an excuse for sin. There is a great deal of security since God has chosen us. But that security cannot be used to condone nor encourage sin. We cannot think that since we are saved, we can live any way that we want.
That is one of the chief criticisms of this teaching by others. “If you know that you are saved, then you can live any way you want, and it won’t make any difference.” However, remember we are elect so that we will be holy and blameless. Election forbids sin and insists on holiness. In fact, the only real evidence of election is a holy life.
Second, election should also be a stimulus to humility, not a ground for boasting. Some think that to believe that you are one of God’s chosen people is about the most arrogant thought anybody could entertain. And it would be if we thought that God chose us based on our merits. But in fact, God chose us in spite of who we are.
We are not God’s favorites and so superior to other people. Calvin Miller writes of once leading a student seminar at a college. In the seminar he referred to Gandhi who, at the moment of his assassination, had blessed his assassin. One of his students responded, “Do you believe that Gandhi was a Christian? If he never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, he is in hell right today.” Miller had to say “How true,” but he also said that he reluctantly agreed. He writes, “I have this awful fear that in heaven, just beyond the throne, outside the circle of beasts and elders, will be the self-righteous, smiling smugly all through eternity and saying, “I told you so!” Our election should never be the basis for us saying to others, “I told you so!”
Election should never become the ground of pride and assuming privilege. Rather, God’s election has the purpose of saving men to share in his work. When God chooses or elects us, we become agents in His plan and purpose. This is a great privilege, but it is a privilege that often brings with it hardship, rejection and loss just as it did for Christ.
But what about the fairness of God’s electing some and leaving others behind? It would be great if we could speak only of our election. But it is, in fact, the case that some are chosen and the others are passed by, left behind. We cannot just let that pass us by without it striking us hard.
We should never become fully comfortable with the teaching of election. If we do it means that we have forgotten that some are passed over. Now those who are passed over are getting what they deserve. They have sinned and rebelled against God. They had opportunities to respond but did not. But the Bible says that if we were left to our own designs we would do the exact same thing. We would reject the good news of the gospel as well. Still God saves us by choosing us to receive the Spirit to move us to accept the gospel. We are the ones who are getting what we do not deserve!
That should prompt us to ask, “Why us and not them?” One answer that the Canons of Dort gives is that some are left behind to demonstrate God’s justice. The world needs to know that it falls under the judgment of God. Some are not saved so that others may know what life without God is like. Neal Plantinga calls these people “justice exhibits.” But that still doesn’t solve the problem, for why are we chosen to be “mercy exhibits” instead of “justice exhibits?”
The answer is one which we cannot adequately give. John Calvin, at this point says, “Who are you, O man to question God?” We should not question God but question our understanding of God. Do we have it all perfectly straight or has God only told us part of the story? Maybe something is missing that would allow us to understand fully or at least somewhat better.
Remember, God is a God of justice and love. No matter how it may appear to us, God will not act unjustly. Nor will He act in a way that is not motivated by love.
In the meantime, we should press on with our mission activity. Let’s not become glib about this and say, “Well, if God has chosen them to be saved, He will see to it that they are saved.” It is very well possible that He has also chosen you to be the instrument in His hand that will bring that person to salvation. We are in absolutely no position to write anyone off as being not part of the elect.
We must preach the gospel and pray that many more will be saved. Those who believe have been chosen by God to be saved in Christ. Those who believe have been chosen by God to be the ones who proclaim the good news of salvation to those who do not yet believe. Let’s humbly thank God for the first calling, and eagerly serve Him as we fulfill the second.

Jeremiah 29:1-14 “How Do I Know What God’s Plan for My Life Is?”
Introduction:
This past week, I learned something very important about my computer. I learned that never, under any circumstances, never ever try to print something while backing up your hard drive onto an external hard drive. When you do that, it messes up the printer spool files. Or in more technical language, the computer gets confused and it won’t print anything to anywhere anymore.
I had to call technical support to have an expert do fix it. More than that I had to give control of my computer to him in order for him to figure out exactly what went wrong and to fix it. And it took him about 3 ½ hours to do it! I was trying to follow for a while but eventually I started reading while on the phone with him, glancing up occasionally to see what was going on. I wanted to know what he was doing, but it was far too complicated for me to deal with.
There are times when we look at what is going on in our lives or what is going on around us and we know we are in over our heads. We need someone to help us out. We need someone with a plan. And we believe God has a plan, but when it comes to the details, there are times we simply aren’t sure what God’s plan is for us.
This morning we look at the question, “How Do I Know What God’s Plan for My Life Is?” What does God want me to do with my life or with the set of circumstances I am now facing in my life? What we look at this morning shows us that God’s promise of hope and the assurance that He has a good plan for us.
First a bit of background may be helpful. These events occur in the last 200 years or so of the Old Testament age or about 600 years before Christ was born. The northern kingdom of Israel had been carried away into captivity some time ago already. 3 years before these things in Jeremiah 29 happen another 3,000 people from Judah were taken captive and brought to Babylon. Soon much of the rest of the nation would join them in Babylon as well.
The verses we read this morning are part of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote from Jerusalem to the captives in Babylon. The people that Jeremiah writes to were in another country, longing to know what God’s plan was for their lives. The message God brings them through Jeremiah brings them hope for God tells them that He does have a plan. Read Jeremiah 29:1-14.
I. A Place of Despair
II. God’s Message: “Get Used to it”
III. God Promises Hope and a Future
IV. The One Requirement

I. the people in Babylon were in a Place of Despair.
They had been captive in a foreign land now for three years already. Even more, there were some false prophets who were misleading the people. They said that in only a few years, Babylon would be finished. The people would soon return home very shortly.
The result was a large dose of false hope and despair among the people. They were told that their captivity would soon be over. But there were few signs that this was indeed the case and now God tells them that what these prophets had been telling them was completely false.
God’s people were in limbo, not knowing what they should do or what God had in mind for them. They were in Babylon, hating it and wondering what to do so far away from home.
If you are between jobs, that may give you a feel for what they were going through. You don’t know what is going to happen next. You know God has you but you don’t know where God may be leading you.
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles helps them to deal with this. But Jeremiah’s message is really God’s message to the people there.

Before we look at that message, let’s look at the places of despair that people may feel they are in today. Circumstances in our lives can make us uncomfortable and prone to despair. Perhaps you are currently living here far from home and it is not really where you want to be but it is where you have to be right now. Maybe it’s a job or career that is going nowhere. Maybe it is unemployment that brings you despair. Maybe a family relationship or issue with a spouse, child or a parent. Maybe you are facing a health problem that is making you despair. God’s message speaks to us in our despair; what does He say?

II. God’s Message to the people was: “Get Used to it” in verses 4-9.
That may seem very cold, but what is God telling the people in saying this? First, God says that He was the one who deported them to Babylon in the first place; it was no fluke! This didn’t just happen to them; God carried them there. The people had sinned against Him and they were in Babylon as a punishment from God.
Now the people were to settle down in the foreign land of Babylon. They no doubt had tasks to perform for their captors, but they could otherwise lead a relatively normal life. They were to be farming and marrying, just as they would normally do. The exiles were to pursue as normal a way of life as possible and wait in submission for God to deliver them, however long that might be.
You can imagine how this message was received by the people there. “Settle down and live here for a while? You can’t be serious! This is not our home!” But what God is saying to His people is be content with where you are now.
Once when the philosopher Diogenes was sunning himself, Alexander the Great visited him and said, “Ask any favor you wish from me.” Diogenes responded, “Please move out of the sunlight.” To which Alexander said, “If I could not be Alexander, I would be Diogenes.” Diogenes was content just being in the sunlight. The people are to be content with where they are.
Albert Einstein once said, “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes; when you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That’s relativity.” The people felt like they were on the hot stove and longed to be with the nice girl. God is telling them to be content with where they are, but that is difficult when you don’t like where you are.
But what God says next is even harder to accept. They are also to seek the peace and prosperity of the city in which they are living. They were to pray for its welfare and not its downfall. They were to work for the empires so that it would prosper, have peace and prosperity: shalom.
This would be even harder for the people to accept. They could likely handle “getting used to it.” But to work for the ones who captured us and pray that they will prosper? That was too much.”
But this is really very practical advice to the people. Babylon was very strong and if the people tried any resistance, it would easily be crushed. Besides if Babylon prospered, God says that they too will share in some of the benefits; it will be better for them as well.
But more importantly, God is teaching them a lesson about their relationship with Him. Jeremiah is separating the people from all the things that they were basing their hope on. They could not rely on their homeland back in Palestine and all that meant. They could not rely on their traditions or their temple. They could not rely on an army, or their own nation. God took away all the props that the people had been relying on. Now He will teach them to rely on Him alone.
Does the message of “get used to it” still apply to us? If we face circumstances that are very difficult, is God saying to us this morning: “Get used to it!”? Get used to that job or that relationship? Get used to that pain, sickness or injury, or that loneliness? We have to be very careful here.
However, let’s remember why God told the people this: to help them to see that they must rely on Him alone, rather than relying on their own abilities. When God says “Get used to it!”, He may in fact be saying: “Throw yourself on me!”
I read at one time that it is very difficult for pigs to look up. Their necks are not built to look up, but down so that they can root around for food. Their eyes are set low as well. The only way a pig can look up is to turn him on his back; take him off his feet.

There are times when we are so engrossed in ourselves, seeking after what we want instead of what God wants, we may have to become somewhat “piggish.” Sometimes God has to lay us on our backs, take us off our feet in order for us to look up and see his hand and his care and His blessing. That is seen in the next two verses.

III. God Promises Hope and a Future.
In verses 10-11, God promises the people that they will return from the land. When Babylon’s 70 years are completed, God will act on behalf of his people and fulfill his promise to bring them back. God will not forget about them and their needs but will bless them once again.
God will do this because God has plans for hope and a future for them. These are some of the most beautiful words in Scripture. “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God has a plan for them and that makes all the difference in the world. Think of the hero in an action movie. The heroes are in a terrible fix with no apparent way out. Suddenly, there is a ray of hope because one of them has a plan. Now in the movies, sometimes the plan works, sometimes it doesn’t. But, regardless, it still gives hope.
God says “I have a plan for you and it will work.” God would not just save their necks from their captivity. It is long range plan which means that He has a goal, a specific purpose for their lives as a people.
This is a plan that will help them to prosper and not harm them. The people thought at this point that God intended to harm them. He brought them to this awful forsaken place. He told them to settle in, because they were going to be there for a while. They thought that God was really out to get them.” God says that his plan is really for their peace and welfare.
God plans to give them hope and a secure future. The real hope of the future that would make a difference for the people was a hope of an ongoing relationship with God. They felt as though God had let them down. God knew that they had broken away from Him. The only hope would be for the people to have that relationship with God restored once again. In verses 12-14, God spells out how that could happen.

IV. The One Requirement is seen in verses 12-13.
The people must seek the Lord. Only when they would come and pray to Him with their whole heart, only then would He hear them. God cannot grant the blessings of the covenant to rebellious people. Obedience, loyalty and fellowship must be there.
They must genuinely call out to the Lord in prayer. Not just the prayers of people who want out of a jam right away. They must pray to restore the relationship they had broken with God. Corrie Ten Boom, once asked this question about prayer. She wrote: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” God wants their prayers to be like a steering wheel which is used to direct your life, not a spare tire only pulled out when you need it.
They must, in God’s words, “Seek the Lord with all their heart.” They need to repent and turn to the Lord once again. This is a wholehearted willingness to give up self for the Lord.
Jeremiah’s letter assures them that if they seek God in this way, he will certainly answer them. God says that when they pray, He will listen to them. When they seek Him, they will find Him.
And then in fact all will be restored as we see in verse 14. God will gather all the people from the various places where they had been scattered and reunite them in the Promised Land once again. They will once again live in the land that symbolizes all the hope and the future that God had promised to them so long ago. God will bless them with peace, “shalom.” “Shalom” was what they were to pray for the Babylonians. If they repent and trust the Lord, God will bless them with “shalom.”
So how can we know God’s plan for our lives? First, know without any doubt that God’s plan for you is good and that He desires the best for you. Sometimes Christians think that God has some terrible plan for them just because He is God. God’s plan for you is good and will be for your good even in those things where we cannot see it.
Second, some believe that God’s plan must be the opposite of what they enjoy and like. If they enjoy being at home and being with family, they are terrified that God is going to send them to some remote part of the world to serve Him there! God’s plan often includes or incorporates things we love and things we enjoy doing. As long as it is within obedience to God’s law, God wants us to enjoy our lives serving Him doing the things we love to do and are good at doing.
Third, we must be patient. We live in an instant world where we want information and answers right away. We can Google things and within seconds get all kinds of information and so we are increasingly uncomfortable with not knowing things, particularly when we want to know God’s plan. God’s timing is not ours and so we may not know immediately what God’s plan may be for us. We must continue on and trust that in due time, God will show us of what He has in store for us, and in the meantime, grow in that close relationship our Father desires to have with Him..
Finally, God wants us to live in hope. We should have the right kind of hope based on the right facts. Where does real hope come from according to Jeremiah? Real hope comes from seeing that God is the one who controls and governs all things. Real hope comes from recognizing that we must seek him with all our hearts if we are going to have true hope and peace.

If you have that hope already, remember that hope and take courage from it. If you have accepted Christ into your life, He will bring you hope and a future in spite of the despair you may feel now. It is not His plan to harm you, but to give you hope and a future. That is God’s plan. Let’s make sure we continue to look to Him as we are used by Him to bring shalom.

Revelation 21:1-8 “What Will Life in Heaven Be Like?”

Introduction:

What is the state of Alaska like? I’ve never been there but I can read about it or watch a documentary about it. Some of you have been there and you could tell me what it is like to visit there, but until I would go there, I wouldn’t really be able to know really what it was like. I would have to experience it to really know. Some of us have been to Kenya and we know what it is like. We can describe it to you, show you pictures but until you would go there, you wouldn’t know what it is like. You have to experience it to know what it’s like.
What is heaven like? Well, we have some ideas of what it is like based on what the Bible says, but like places we have not been, we don’t know for absolutely certain what it will be like until we get there. And those who are there can’t come back and tell us. We are limited to what the Bible says. We can learn, we can speculate but we can’t know all the details until we go there.
This morning we look at another question that was submitted to me last fall. This morning the question is simply, “What will life in heaven be like?” Revelation 21:1-8 paints somewhat of a picture of what heaven will be like. What John is talking about in this passage here is the new creation. Let’s read Revelation 21:1-8 and see what this life will be like.

I. The New Creation Described
II. Life in the New Creation
III. The Residents of the New Creation
IV. Preparing for Heaven

I. The New Creation is Described in verses 1-2.

The new creation is called a “new heaven and a new earth.” John, the author, says the old heaven and earth have passed away. Moreover, the new heaven and earth will be very different from what we know today.
Verse 1 also says that in this new heaven and earth, “There was no longer any sea.” This does not mean that there will be no lakes or oceans in heaven. The “sea” in the Bible was much more than just a large body of water. It was mysterious, vast, powerful and often very ruthless to those who sailed on it. Psalm 104:25 says, “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number.”
Last Saturday, we took Levi to Lake Michigan to give him a taste of the beach and this big lake. He looked at the vast expanse of water with the waves crashing and clung to his mom. From his young perspective, the sea was dangerous and threatening. That is how the people in the ancient world viewed the sea.
As such, the Bible writers often used the sea as a way of describing evil. In Isaiah 57:20, Isaiah writes, “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.” Isaiah compares the wickedness of the world to the vast tossing sea which is always moving about and stirring up trouble.
Look at Revelation 13:1: “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” The beast, which represents all that opposes the rule of Christ, comes out of the sea.
The sea is a picture of all that is evil and opposes the rule of God. And so when John says that the sea is gone, he is saying that the power and mystery of sin no longer exists in the new heaven and earth. Heaven will be a pure, sinless and as such an amazingly beautiful place.
That is also why John uses the picture of a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. A bride is perfect and beautiful in her husband’s eyes. Heaven will also be pure, sinless and beautiful.
Verse 2 then describes the church of Jesus as the new creation as “the holy city, the new Jerusalem.” Why is the church in heaven described as a city? In a city there are many people who are living and working together. What John is saying is that the church in the new heaven and earth is a community of believers.
Heaven will not be a bunch of individual Christians sitting on a bunch of individual clouds singing hymns and strumming harps. Calvin Miller tells of a conversation he once had with a man who had recently become a Christian. One day he said, “Pastor, you know this new eternal life I have – well, I’ve been thinking about it. What are we going to do all day long for eternity?” Calvin Miller said, “We’ll praise the Lord.” “Forever – for ten million years! – we’re going to stand around and praise the Lord?” Calvin Miller said, “Well, yes,” The man asked, “For millions and millions of years? Couldn’t we just stop now and then and mess around a little?” Miller kidded him about his “dumb” questions but he had to admit that similar questions of his own. How meager our understanding of heaven!
Mark Twain, who was by no means a Christian, offered a wise bit of insight to this restricted view of heaven when he said, “Why would anybody want to picture heaven as consisting mainly of the performance of activities he now neither can nor wishes to do.”
Heaven will be a community of people living, working and praising God together; we will be doing meaningful and wonderful things! Think of the good things that we enjoy doing on earth now. In heaven it will be at least that and far, far more.
Right now that is not the way the church on earth is at all. People find it hard at times to agree and work with each other and even to love each other. But those times when we worship, work and live together in the love of Christ are those times that can remind us of what heaven will be like.
Most important is that we will have life eternally free from the effects of sin. Think of the sins each of us struggle with on a daily basis in our lives. Think of how the effects of sin cause us pain and trials through illness, death and sinful behavior.
There once was a shipwrecked mariner who had spent several years on a deserted island. One morning he was thrilled to see a ship offshore and a smaller boat coming toward him. When the boat reached the beach, the officer in charge handed the marooned sailor a bundle of newspapers and told him, “The captain said to read through these and let us know if you still want to be rescued.”
Life on this earth can be very, very hard. However, in heaven all of the things that hurt us and stress us out and overwhelm us will be gone.

II. The Life in the New Creation is described more fully in verses 3-5.

The most important part of that life is that God will dwell fully with us. That is a promise from God that has its roots deep in the Old Testament. God had promised Abraham and his descendants already in the book of Genesis that He would be their God and they would be His people. The Israelites built a tabernacle which was a symbol of God’s presence with them, but it was still only a symbol.
When Jesus was on earth, that promise was brought closer to fulfillment. John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God dwelt with us in bodily form but only for a short period of time.
But now in the new Jerusalem, God will dwell with His people forever. God’s promise will be completely fulfilled for God will be with us fully and personally in heaven.
Now we must be cautious that this doesn’t become too familiar. C.S. Lewis tells about his grandfather who used to say he “looked forward to having some very interesting conversations with St. Paul when he got to heaven.” Two clerical gentlemen talking at ease in a club! It never seemed to cross his mind that an encounter with St. Paul might be a rather overwhelming experience even for an Evangelical clergyman of good family! Heaven will be a marvelous but a humbling experience. We will have God with us, but God will still be God.
Verse 4 describes yet another aspect of life in the new heaven in that when the new heaven and earth come, God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Think about all the tears that you have shed in your life. Tears of bitterness, depression. frustration. disappointment, grief and sadness. Think of all the tears you will likely shed in the rest of your life. In the new heaven and earth, God will dry them all like a mother wipes them from her child!
The reason there will be no more tears is because there will be no more death. Death is a very big part of the tears that we shed on this earth. But if death is gone, so will the tears that it brings.
And in fact, it will be a brand new life in a brand new world. In verse 5, God Himself speaks: “I am making everything new!” Notice that God does not say, “Someday, I will make everything new.” But now, at the present time, I AM making all things new.
The day of no more death, pain and sorrow is coming and we are moving slowly to that day when we all will be in our true home and that is important to realize. There is an Orthodox Jewish tradition that maintains that every Orthodox Jew’s house must have some part of that house unfinished. Even if it is the most elegant house, some part of it must look like it is not finished. Why? It is a reminder that its occupants are only pilgrims and strangers on the earth. The incomplete part says: “This is not our real home; our real home is in eternity.”
That is a good bit of symbolism for Christians. Our real home is in heaven, not here on earth. Let’s live in a way that reflects where our true home is.

III. Who are The Residents of the New Creation?

Verse 6 says only those who are thirsty will inherit the new heaven and earth. The ones who are thirsty are the ones who truly love the Lord. Think of how good a cold glass of water is after we have worked hard in the heat and are thirsty. These people have the same longing and desire only for the Lord. Those who are thirsty are those who have responded by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; they will live in the new heaven and new earth.
John especially mentions those who have endured and overcome all the persecution. They are the ones who in spite of all the blows of life, have kept their faith secure in God. We face difficulties in our lives that test our faith. We may face a job that is very stressful or unfulfilling. We may face family relationships or issues that are difficult and painful. We may face a health crisis and we don’t know what the end result is going to be. All these things test our faith and we may wonder what God is doing or what He wants us to do. Those who endure and overcome such things are the residents of the new heaven and earth. They are the ones who have withstood and persisted in spite of the uncertainty and the pain. They can be assured that they will someday reign with God in heaven.
However, that doesn’t mean we can ease up in our thirsting after God. On March 6, 1987 Eamon Coughlan, the world record holder at 1500 meters, was running in a qualifying heat at the World Indoor Track Championships. With two and a half laps left, he was tripped. He fell, but he got up and with great effort managed to catch the leaders. With only 20 yards left in the race, he was in third place – good enough to qualify for the finals. He looked over his shoulder to the inside, and, seeing no one, he let up. But another runner passed Coughlan on the outside a yard before the finish, thus eliminating him from the finals.
Coughlan’s great comeback effort was rendered worthless by taking his eyes off the finish line. We need to press on in life with God, not only in the hard times, but in the good times as well.
Then verse 8 gives the list of those who will not live there. They are the ones who throughout their lives never accepted Christ. They were comfortable with their lives without God and so never responded to the Lord. They will now be on the outside of the new heaven and earth. All these will not enjoy the benefits of the new heaven and earth.

IV. It is crucial for us to make sure that we are Preparing for Heaven.

The critical question for each one of us is, “Do you believe in Jesus?” How does one obtain eternal life? A man was traveling once in a strange country and he asked a local boy where a certain town was. The boy replied, “I don’t know ‘where’ it is, but I can tell you how to get there.” The Bible is silent about many things that we are curious about regarding heaven and eternal life.
The Bible is not silent about what we must do to get there. We must simply believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. God wants you to believe so you can be in His wonderful new creation and live in His marvelous grace.
Now for those who do believe, let’s take comfort in these words this morning. There is a time coming when Jesus will take us to our real home to spend eternity with Him.
Eric Barker, a missionary from Great Britain, spent over 50 years in Portugal preaching the gospel, often under adverse conditions. During World War 2, the situation became so critical that he was advised to send his wife and eight children to England for safety. His sister and her three children were also evacuated on the same ship. Although his family was forced to leave, he remained behind to carry on the work. On the Sunday following their departure, Pastor Barker stood before his congregation and said, “I’ve just received word that all my family have arrived safely home!” He then proceeded with the service as usual. Later, the full meaning of his words became known to his people. He had been handed a wire just before the meeting informing him that a submarine had torpedoed the ship, and everyone on board had drowned.
He knew that because all were believers they had reached a more “desired haven.” Although overwhelmed with grief, he managed by the grace of God to continue his work. The knowledge that his family was enjoying the bliss of Heaven comforted his heart. Everlasting life means that we will someday be home with the Lord along with all others who have believed in Him.
But in the meantime, let’s not just endure this world as we await that. Jesus never tells us to just wait around. Jesus calls us to be busy working to build the kingdom on earth. We do that by living a life of obedience to Him, but obedience recognizing that we are living in God’s grace.
We also do that by sharing the life we expect with those around us in whatever way we can. We need to be sharing our lives and the life with Jesus with those around us who don’t have the assurance of going to heaven.
Life in heaven will be marvelous. Life now with our loving Father is preparing us for that wonderful life that is coming.

Helpless

It started with the rain on Saturday. I drove to church to make sure everything was set up in the Fellowship Hall for the service the next day. As I drove home Mill Creek was already full to the top and starting to cover the pasture where it often floods in a lot of rain. And the forecast said more rain was coming… a lot more. Later, as we drove to the creek to look at the water rising, we realized that if this continued, we would likely be stuck in our house for there would be no way for us to leave our subdivision.

When we got back, I got a call from my brother-in-law in Michigan. When I heard his voice I could tell there was a problem. It was about Katy, my big sister. They didn’t know what had happened yet, but she was having stroke like symptoms and she was in the hospital.

And all the while, it continued to rain. We had been watching the weather because with the heavy rain was the possibility of tornados as well. It was storm cell after storm cell, “freight-training” their way up along a stalled weather front. They were predicting a lot more rain and a lot of localized flooding. We soon began to think about all the rain and that we may indeed not be able to get out of the subdivision to go to church in the morning.

Then the phone rang again. It was my brother-in-law again. They suspected that Katy had had a brain aneurysm and they were taking her to a major hospital to do emergency surgery. I had dealt with a church member who had a brain aneurysm in my church in Iowa. She collapsed in a restaurant, went into a coma and died within a few hours. That episode raced through my mind. My sister? A brain aneurysm? I knew it was serious and I asked if I should come up to be with the family. He said he didn’t know but it was too early to say.

And the rain continued. The water now was racing over the creek banks, flooding into houses and sweeping buildings down the road. Cars were submerged on Interstate 24 and one person had drowned there. Officials were telling everyone to stay home. It was too dangerous to be driving when there was major flash flooding all over the area.

Then my niece called with an update on Katy. They weren’t able to find the aneurysm and she was not doing well. I asked her if I should come up. Her voice faltered and quivered. “Uncle Jerry, I really think you should.” At that moment, I was terribly afraid that I was going to lose my big sister. I had this fear that she would not survive whatever it was that had gone so horribly wrong in her brain.

And then both worlds collided. I realized that I could not go up to be with her even if I wanted to. The roads around us were all flooded, the major roads were flooded and even so there were no more flights out and those what were were being cancelled. I wanted to be with my sister but I was unable to leave my house because of the flooding.

I am one who tries to fix things. I like to fix broken things in our house. I like to try to fix broken relationships if possible. I like to give it a try at the very least. And this horrible thing was beyond my fixing. I could do nothing at all but wait and pray. It is one of the few times in my life that I can recall feeling totally helpless.

Psalm 29:10-11 says:
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

In spite of the helplessness that we sometimes feel and in spite of the horrible devastation and loss that we have experienced around us in the recent flooding, God sits enthroned above it all. However, God is not removed and distant; God is with us, giving us strength and blessing us with peace. I felt helpless but it helped me to remember again that in all our lives we are helpless and we need God’s presence and strength in every part of our lives.

Pastor Jerry June 2010