The Hopeful Church - 30

The Imperfect Church – 30

The Hopeful Church

Introduction

In the book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, author John Ortberg sites a medical study in which 122 men who had suffered their first heart attack were evaluated on their degree of hopefulness and pessimism: "Of the 25 most pessimistic men, 21 had died eight years later. Of the 25 most optimistic, only 6 had died! Loss of hope increased the odds of death more than 300 percent; it predicted death more accurately than any medical risk factor, including blood pressure, amount of damage to the heart, or cholesterol level." Ortberg added his own humorous interpretation to the study: "Better to eat Twinkies in hope than to eat broccoli in despair."[1]

Humans seek after hope like moths seek after light. It’s intrinsic to who we are. Neuroscientist Tali Sharot argues hope is so essential to our survival that it is hardwired into our brains, arguing it can be the difference between living a healthier life versus one trapped by despair.

Studies show hopeful college kids get higher GPA’s and are more likely to graduate. Hopeful athletes perform better on the field, cope better with injuries, and have greater mental adjustment when situations change. In one study of the elderly, those who said they felt hopeless were more than twice as likely to die during the study follow-up period than those who were more hopeful.

It’s pretty clear: hope is powerfully catalytic, and why Dr. Shane Lopez, the psychologist who is regarded as the world’s leading researcher on hope, claimed that hope isn’t just an emotion but an essential life tool.

Emil Brunner, a Swiss theologian, wrote, “What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.” This is what Paul has been trying to hammer into the Corinthian Christians in chapter 15. For the last several weeks we have been slowly making our way through this penultimate chapter of 1 Corinthians. Hopelessness was devastating the church in Corinth. They were denying the reality of the resurrection, meaning that Jesus did not rise from the dead, meaning that they were not going to either, meaning that life is meaningless. Hope is the answer. Hope is always the answer. Now, at the end of the chapter he injects us with a dose of hope.

- 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

TS – this injection of hope is comprised of two glorious truths:

1. THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION

Notice how he begins…” let me reveal a wonderful secret.” That word he uses for ‘secret’ is the Greek word mysterion. He has used this word since chapter 2, a word he uses to refer to the Gospel, God’s plan to save sinners like us. It’s a mystery because human ingenuity and cleverness could never have figured it out. Human wisdom has not understood it. The Gospel isn’t discovered by us, it is revealed by God. A mystery on its own, but clear truth since God has revealed it to us.

Here is this great mystery, this amazing secret…when Jesus returns, Christians who are both living and dead will be raised to meet the Lord and live with him forever. And he uses three phrases to alert us to how this is going to go down. V. 52 – It will happen…

--“in a moment.” The word for ‘moment’ is the Greek word atomos, where we get our word atom. An infinitely small moment. Immediate. No warning.

--“in the blink of any eye.” We get this one. All this will go down in the amount of time it takes for you to blink.

--“when the last trumpet is blown.” This pulls in some OT imagery of triumphant victory.

In a split second, upon Jesus’ return, the moment of triumph will arrive. End of v. 52 – “…those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.” No one misses out on this. Those who have already passed on will be raised. Those who are alive at his return undergo the same transformation, the one he already detailed earlier in the chapter.

- Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies.

Life will win out over death. Our mortality will be engulfed by immortality. The reality of death that has haunted us, that hangs over us like a cloud, will dissipate in a moment, and we will be transformed to live forever. What an incredible truth! A truth, it turns out, that has incredible power.

2. THE RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTION

Being a person who is defined by hope is not just about knowing the right things. It is also about living out that hopeful reality. And that is what Paul turns to next as he closes out this chapter. These truths of the resurrection are immeasurably powerful.

Result #1 – The Death of Death

v. 54-56 – 54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death, the reality that defines human existence, dies. It will be no more. This is so profound that we cannot even comprehend its implications. But we can begin to get a little taste of how good that will be. No more worrying about an illness (no more illness!). No more impatiently, anxiously waiting for the test results. No more middle-of-the-night phone calls that bring devastating news. No more sitting next to a loved one as they breathe their last breath. No more saying goodbye. No more chronic pain. No more weakness. No more disappointment and unfulfillment. No more rejection.

Death was never God’s design. In the Garden of Eden at the beginning of creation, there is no death. There is only life and vitality. There is no weakness. There is no pain. There is no separation. God’s original intent was always life. It was sin that brought death, not God. That’s what Paul just told us in v. 56…” sin is the sting that results in death.” But through Jesus, we have victory over sin and (as he said earlier in chapter 15) our final enemy of death. And with the return of Jesus, God takes us all the way back to his original intent…to live with us forever.

- Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

But the results of the resurrection are not limited to then and there, something that changes out there about us. The results are here and now. V. 58 – So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. Be strong and immovable. Hopeful people are resilient people. Hopeful people are solid. No matter how hard life may get, no matter what challenge they face, they know the best is always ahead. They know Jesus is coming. They know God is sovereign over all things, even the bad things.

In the harsh weather conditions in the mountains, when a storm blows up, animals react in very different ways. Some seek shelter and wait out the storm. Others run away from it, trying to outmaneuver it or delay its destructive power. Buffalo, however, turn headlong into the storm and run towards it. They instinctively know that it is always better to face the storm than to run or hide. They also know they will get through the storm faster if they face it. That is what hopeful people do. They don’t run. They don’t hide. That are not afraid. Not because they are better than anyone else, or because they are stronger than anyone else. But because they trust the Lord of the storm. And they know that no matter how fierce that storm may be, eventually, it is clear skies all the way to the horizon.

TS – here is what I want us to do for the next few minutes. This text at the end of chapter 15 has a sister passage that confirms these truths and expands them a bit. Let’s take the next few minutes and walk through it as well. Turn to . Let me set up the context…these Christians in the city of Thessalonica had a problem. Their problem was that they believed Jesus’ return was imminent, but in their waiting some of them had died. What did that mean? Were those who had died going to miss out on the glorious return of Christ? How did the timing work out of their death and getting into Heaven? Where are their loved ones now in this in-between time? They were made of questions that concerned real people they loved, and the reality of resurrection.

- 13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Notice how he begins…” we want you to know.” He uses a double-negative here that means “we don’t want you to be ignorant.” Much fear, anxiety, and problems come from ignorance. Knowledge is the answer, much like it was for the Corinthians. He wants them to know what has happened, and what will happen, to those “believers who have died.” That word for “died” is the Greek word for “sleep.” He uses it in v. 13,14,15. It is a euphemistic way to refer to death. In sleep there is a stillness of the body, rest from work, waiting to wake to a new day. That, Paul says, is what death is. When Jesus’ good friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus used the same word to say that Lazarus had “fallen asleep” and that he was going to go wake him up. Lazarus wasn’t taking a nap; he had been dead for 4 days by the time Jesus got there. Even the Greek word for cemetery means ‘sleeping place.’ This is a word of hope…death is not permanent. Just as those who are sleeping wake up, the dead will rise.

Now, he tells them he is telling them all this so that they will not grieve like people who have no hope. He is not condemning grief, but hopeless grief. And there is a huge difference between hopeful and hopeless grief. When I first started in ministry, my first two funeral were perfect examples of these two realities. The first funeral I ever did was for Bob, who had tragically died at 58 of an unexpected heart attack. Neither he nor his family were people of faith. His adult children were so distraught by his death they still could not speak several days later at the funeral. It was sad. It was hopeless. The second funeral was for an elder’s wife who had been a Christian for 75 years. The atmosphere at her funeral was almost celebratory. Yes, there were tears and sadness. But there was also a deep sense of joy and victory. Hope-filled people don’t grieve like everyone else…we know better. We know the truth. We understand the reality of the resurrection.

Notice what also happens at Jesus’ return. Not just the arrival of Jesus to settle accounts and re-create all of creation. End of v. 14 – God will bring back with him the believers who have died. So, a couple things with that: if God brings believers who have died back to earth with him, where does that mean they are right now? They are with him now. What an encouraging and comforting thought. But also with that: there is this view out there that says we won’t know each other in Heaven. The only place I guess people get that from is where Jesus said that there would not be marriage in Heaven. Friends, there is no hint that we will not know who people are in eternity. More on that in a minute.

TS - He now makes 4 positive affirmations about what happens when Jesus returns. Some of which echo , others fill in the gaps:

1. RETURN

Beginning of v. 16 – “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God…”

It is the Lord himself, the same Jesus who died for us and rose from the grave. He is not sending some emissary to come get us because he is too busy to do it himself. The Lord himself comes to get his people.

2. RESURRECTION

End of v. 16 – “First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.”

This is a physical, bodily resurrection…not angels on clouds with harps. Real people with their real bodies remade (as Paul detailed in ). And at the same time, who is it that is coming back with Jesus? Those who have died. Wait a minute…how does that work? The believers who have died are coming back with Jesus, but at the same time they are rising from their graves. How does that work? In Paul wrote that to be absent from the body (dead) is to be present with the Lord. So, when a believer dies, they are ushered straight into the presence of God. We find hope and comfort in that. So, when Jesus returns, the souls of believers who have died come back with him, and then at his command to rise, their physical bodies are raised from the dead, transformed and reunited with their souls.

This is a view of death/eternity called “temporary heaven.” When we die we go to Heaven, where God is. But the Bible ends with God coming here, not the other way around. So, we are in temporary heaven, come down with the Lord, are united with our physical (now transformed according to ) bodies. Then we await the judgment of the world, and the creation of the new heavens and new earth, where we will live with Jesus for all eternity. Again, Heaven is not sitting on a cloud playing a harp. Nor is it a never-ending worship service. It is life on a perfect, redeemed Earth, as God originally intended. In Jesus taught about what would happen at the “renewal” of all things. The word he uses for ‘renewal’ literally translates as ‘new genesis.’ God original intent was the Garden of Eden (paradise on Earth) and he is going to take us back there forever.

3. RAPTURE

Beginning of v. 17 – We who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

This verse is where the contemporary idea of the Rapture comes from. According to some popular movies and books, before Jesus returns, there is a secret rapture of the church, God’s people will simply vanish from the earth. I am not convinced the Bible teaches that at all. Does this event sound secret or silent to you? Not at all. The word for ‘caught up’ simply means to be ‘taken by force.’ All this means is that we are forcefully taken up off the earth to meet the Lord. And isn’t that a great phrase! He is coming down, and we are snatched up to meet him there. I think of that says “though you have not seen him” you rejoice. That won’t be true anymore!

4. REUNION

This final affirmation about what happens at Jesus’ return has two parts two it that are both glorious. First, we will be reunited with those believers we have lost. We already looked at this at the end of v. 14 – God will bring back with him the believers who have died. But notice the end of v. 16 and the beginning of v. 17 – First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Together with them! When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ and the living Christians will be brought together.

And together, end of v. 17 – we will meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. Far more importantly than being reunited with loved ones we have lost; we will be reunited with our Lord. Our Lord that we have dismissed by our sin. Our Lord that we have been separated from, yet our hearts have ached for. Our Lord that has saved us and has blessed us beyond imagination. Finally, at long last, we will be united with him, not just spiritually, but physically. Regardless of any end time view…this is the most important aspect of it. We spend eternity with the Lord.

What do we do with that information now? As I said before, being a hope-filled person is not just about knowing the right things but living in such a way that we are defined by this hope. How does that happen? What does a hope-filled person look like? That’s what Paul deals with next in 1 Thessalonians.

- Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

He uses two metaphors that help describe the nature of Jesus’ return to earth, which also help us understand how to live hope-filled right now. The first metaphor is that of a thief. Jesus himself used this metaphor about his return in . Peter uses it in . The Apostle John uses it in and 16. It is all about the unexpected nature of the return. You don’t know when a burglar may come, so it is unexpected.

The other metaphor is that of labor pains. This metaphor is all about the suddenness of his return. Though these two metaphors sound like they are making the same point, there is a subtle distinction between them. John Stott writes, “Suddenly, in the middle of the night, a burglar breaks in. Suddenly, in the pregnancy of an expectant mother, labour begins. At the same time, there is an obvious difference between them. For although both are sudden, the burglar is unexpected, whereas labour (once pregnancy has begun) is expected. So, putting the two metaphors together, we may say that Christ’s coming will be (1) sudden and unexpected (like a burglar in the night), and (2) sudden and unavoidable (like labour at the end of pregnancy). In the first case there will be no warning, and in the second no escape.”[2]

Listen, you may not know when someone is going to break into your house, but you still lock the doors. This is why people install security systems. This is why people invest in self-defense weapons. It may happen tonight. Though the burglar is unexpected, the burglar is not dismissed. We prepare for it. And if you are pregnant, labor pains may come on unexpectedly in the moment, but that does not mean you weren’t prepared for them. From the moment of conception, those labor pains were headed your way. You may not know WHEN labor will come, but you absolutely know THAT labor will come. We call this expectancy. Living in expectancy of a potential/promised event.

The Bible calls that Hope. We live in daily expectancy of his return. We live today in light of that day. We live today defined by that hope.

--suffer with hope because the best is yet to come

--when child is wayward, we trust the Lord will bring them home

--when marriage is struggling, we believe Jesus will win the day

--when job turns sour, we know his plan is better

We live today driven by that hope. Because the return of Jesus does not have just consequences for us, but for every person around us. What if we are ready but they are not ready? While we may long for Jesus’ return, others may dread it.

--pray for/share faith with those who do not know him

So, we live today defined by the hope of his return and driven to give that hope to everyone around us.

[1] John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat (Zondervan, 2001), p. 159.

[2] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Thessalonians: The Gospel & the End of Time, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 109.