Resurrected Hope: Hope for the future.
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday.
Any of you kids know why we call it palm Sunday?
This is the day before Easter that Jesus rode into Jerusalem.
His triumphal entry.
A day that in Jesus time was one filled with hope.
We read in the book of John the crowd took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 12:13.
The word Hosanna that the people cried was a word of hope.
The Hebrew word literally means save now, save please!
A hopeful cry for deliverance.
The people of Jesus day were crying for deliverance from Roman oppression.
They were seeking a king to come and overthrow the current political powers.
We know today that there is greater meaning behind the term, and a greater need than the overturning of the current political powers.
The true and real need is salvation from sin, that we can have a relationship with God.
Pray
Last week I began with the question - How is hope doing for you these days?
Perhaps you thought about it some during the sermon, perhaps over the course of the week.
I ask that question again this morning because we need hope.
I want to follow that up with another question this morning though as well.
What is the great sustaining hope of your life these days?
What hope do you have that sees your through difficulties and trials?
What hope do you have as you wake up in the morning?
We look at the world around us and while there are some bright spots, overall the human race is not doing well.
Depression in the United States…
Affects over 18 million adults (one in ten) in any given year.
Is the leading cause of disability for ages 15-44.
Is the primary reason why someone dies of suicide about every 12 minutes. – over 41,000 people a year.
Depression Internationally… Statistics by WHO
Affects over 300 million people worldwide, regardless of culture, age, gender, religion, race or economic status.
Is one of the most debilitating conditions on the world, with severe depression rated in the same disability category as terminal stage cancer.
Is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and WHO considers it a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.
Our world is in a crisis of hope.
Many people don’t have the confident expectation that something good is coming.
Something solid to build their lives upon.
This is precisely the need we have been talking about for the past couple of weeks.
There is a great need in our world today for a resurrected hope.
We need to take a short trip on a rabbit trail for a moment.
I want you to know this morning, if you are struggling with depression/anxiety this morning, it is so good that you are here, and there is hope.
Recognize the symptoms.
Tell a few trusted friends.
Press into the church community.
When we are depressed, the temptation to withdraw from community is intense.
Part of the church’s task though is to prevent despair from becoming a viable option by keeping the door open the the presence of our Savior.
To encourage and fight against hopelessness.
As a church we should be understanding of doubt and depression, not by offering quick, easy answers that aren’t really answers at all.
Sometimes we simply need to sit with one another.
There is a book - Why do Christians Shoot their wounded?
The author writes - I have seen many dedicated Christians stymied in their spiritual and emotional growth because they don’t receive the nurture of a gracious environment. Their fellowship may be docrtinally sound, but the people are harsh, legalistic, and judgmental.
It seems as though I always have one or two patients who are sincere Christians but come form very rigid churches where they do not experience grace. I generally attempt to help them grow within their fellowship. But try as they will, it seems that the fellowship stifles their lives. Sometimes the only way they can grow in their appreciation of God’s grace is to find a body of believers who practice grace more.
That is something that I pray for us as a church, that we are a church that practices grace.
That we would not be a harsh, graceless church, but rather a grace filled family of believers.
Find a christian counselor -
Maintain discipline -
Sleep normal -
Eat regular healthy meals-
Maintain spiritual disciplines - read your bible, pray, even if for only a few minutes per day or a few verses at a time. Focus on the verses that show God’s grace especially.
See a doctor -
There are very real physical things that may be causing our depression. A good doctor may be able to help get you back on track.
I am not completely opposed to medications when they are medically necessary.
But I also believe we need to be careful to not use medication to simply numb the mind and bury the issues.
Depression can be a physical problem, but often it is so much more and involves poor physical habits, such as adequate rest, nutrition, physical activity.
Recognize the symptoms.
Tell a few trusted friends.
Press into the church community.
Go to a Christian counselor.
Maintain discipline.
See a doctor.
Getting back on our main track -
Depression is a very real part of life, something that is clearly reflected in scripture as well.
Read the book of Ecclesiastes - Solomon’s recounting of the ups and downs of life, or Lamentations, poems about the destruction of Jerusalem.
Consider just for a moment, the pain, the trials, the heartache you have experienced in your life, and now multiply that across the whole world.
It would take a truly astonishing hope to overtake the heartache of this world.
That is precisely where Jesus enters in.
In Matthew 19, Jesus is having a discussion with a rich young man.
Through that conversation, Jesus shows the man that his heart truly lies with his possessions, not with the Lord.
His disciples, astonished by the conversation that took place and Jesus telling that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich person to get into heaven.
Jesus tells them that this is possible with God’s doing.
Peter then responds
Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
This is another display of Peter saying the first thing that comes to mind.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Jesus words in this passage tell of something new.
The recreation of the world.
Truly I say to you, in the new world.
Then he says -
Everyone who has sacrificed family and possessions for his sake, will get it back and abundantly so.
They will receive a hundredfold AND inherit eternal life.
This is a promise of the renewal of all things.
Jesus is not talking about heaven.
He is talking about the earth itself.
παλιγγενεσία
① state of being renewed, w. focus on a cosmic experience, renewal
ⓐ after the Deluge (so Philo, Mos. 2, 65, but the idea of the παλιγγενεσία of the κόσμος is gener. Stoic and originated w. the Pythagoreans: M. Ant. 11, 1, 3; Philo, Aet. M. 47; 76) Νῶε παλ.
• κόσμῳ ἐκήρυξεν 1 Cl 9:4.
ⓑ of the renewing of the world in the time of the Messiah, an eschatol.
• sense (Schürer II 537f; Bousset, Rel.3 280ff) ἐν τῇ παλ.
• in the new (Messianic) age or world Mt 19:28.
This is God recreating the earth as it was meant to be
without sin.
Our minds go to, why did God allow sin in the first place.
If you want the real answer, I don’t know.
However we might justifiably reason like this:
God allowed the fall.
God has good reasons for everything he does, including what he allows.
Therefore, God had good reasons for allowing the fall, whether or not we can discern them.
Scripture doesn’t tell us directly why God permitted sin to enter the world.
But it does provide us with materials from which we can construct a consistent and reasonable explanation.
We know that ultimately the things God does are for His glory.
Which is why he will also do this act of restoration.
The the book of Isaiah
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
And how glorious that will be!
Isaiah continues
But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.
These verses are about total newness.
This is reflected in the climax of Revelation 21
In Revelation 21 John recorded what he saw in his vision from the Lord.
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.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Our world as we know will be made new.
This is truly amazing.
This is hope giving.
As believers, we don’t just die and go off to some separate place that has no bearing or familiarity.
We don’t lose everything.
Heaven is not riding on a fluffy cloud as it is so often portrayed.
That is hard to hope for.
Really, who would want that?
Paul in Rom 8 tells us.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Creation is groaning for the day of its redemption.
God is reigning it in until creatures and creation are released into the glorious times ahead.
Jesus describes the coming kingdom of God as the renewal of all things.
He displayed this through his ministry on earth.
The blind regained sight, the deaf heard, the lame walked.
He displayed this ultimately through His resurrection.
The greatest illustration of His message was revealed through the empty tomb.
He inaugurated the restoration process -
Jesus started the process at His resurrection.
What did Jesus do after his resurrection?
He walked around, he ate dinner, he talked to people.
He did normal things in a scarred, yet glorified body.
The scars were there as proof as the deed He had accomplished.
In fact the word Jesus used to describe the new world in Matthew 19:28.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
This is the same word that Paul uses to describe the
complete change of life, rebirth of a redeemed person
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
We will explore that more next week as we look at the power of the resurrection.
The power of the resurrection is the regeneration of our lives both now and tomorrow.
I want to close this morning looking specifically to the future hope that we have.
John Eldredge has shared thoughts on what it might be like as we enter eternity.
One morning you will wake.
And sunlight will be coming in through the windows.
You will hear the sounds of birds singing in the garden.
The delicious sense of summer will waft in on the breeze.
As you open your eyes you will realize that your body feels young and whole.
No tormenting thoughts will come in to assault you.
You realize that your soul feels young and whole.
You hear laughter outside and the sounds of running water, and you know it’s going to be a wonderful day.
The promise of the renewal of all things is the most beautiful promise ever spoken.
And it is true.
And if you have placed your faith in Christ, it is yours.
Christian, be hopeful—
be the most hopeful person in this world—
because our hope is not in the present, but in a Person,
a Savior, a Sovereign;
In Jesus Christ who has promised a future glory and an everlasting kingdom to all who have come to Him in saving faith.