So Much More to Life

Introduction

o “Ahhh… the good life”

o “Life is hard, and then you die”

No matter how we view this life, at some point we must confront the reality of death

- The great questions of life, “Where did I come from? Why am I here? What happens when I die?”

this last question will be our focus this morning, and it was the focus of the Sadducees question as they sought to trap Jesus

- Who are the Sadducees?

religious leaders, often did not get along with the Pharisees, we don’t have much information on them

they rejected the supernatural elements of religion- spirits, angels, life after death

Read Luke 20:27-40

Big Trees- We live in a world that is full of amazing beauty and many wonderful things that God gives to us, but it is also a world filled with sorrow, loss, pain, disappointment, and ultimately, for each one of us, death.

But, God offers to us the hope of something so much greater to look forward to. Through faith in Jesus, we have the promise of resurrection to eternal life with God in heaven.

The Battle for Truth

A. God’s Word is the foundation for all we believe

B. Truth is under attack

1. The Sadducees approach was very similar to many people's view today, throwing out any element of supernatural belief and only hanging onto moralism (or their definition of moralism)

a. The ridiculous nature of their question showed how ridiculous they thought the idea resurrection

b. If you were maybe the 5th brother, but at least the 6th and 7th, you think you would realize that this is not a good idea! Something about marrying this woman is not good for your health!

c. They were attacking what they knew Jesus taught as truth

2. Titus 1:16- They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

C. We must believe, share, and defend truth

1. Matt. 22:29- Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God."

2. Titus 1:9- “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”

The Glorious Hope of Resurrection

A. “What happens when I die?”

1. I hope I go to heaven

2. We can have hope- not crossed fingers hope, but hope of something sure!

a. Illustration- I hope

B. Without the promise of a life to come, we have no lasting hope

1. The Sadducees believed that rewards and punishment for right and wrong actions were limited to this life alone

a. A simple look at the world around us shows us the far off that is

2. This system of marriage provided the only hope for “life” after death. In their minds they lived on only through the lives of their children

a. Levirate marriage- commanded in the Old Testament

3. Jesus makes a clear distinction between this age and the age to come (34-35)

C. What will it be like?

1. Free from death (36)

a. Immortal bodies

(1) 1 Cor. 15:50-55 “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

b. No need for procreation

2. Relationship- No need for the marriage relationship (35)

Illustration- We all have a desire for meaningful relationships- Landon with Eliana and her friends

a. All believers were created to live in perfect union with God, both now and in the age to come. Everything about a healthy marriage on this earth has been designed by God to reflect our relationship with God Himself.

b. The Marriage relationship gives us an imperfect glimpse of the perfect relationship we will one day have with God himself

c. When that relationship is realized in Heaven, we will no longer need the imperfect representation- we will have all we need, completely satisfied in Him

3. We are God’s Children

a. Rom. 8:15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

(1) He is the perfect father

b. Rom. 8:23-24 We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved.

(1) That relationship will be fully realized in heaven when we are with him forever

The Implications of Resurrection

A. The reality of life after death means that we will all one day give an account

1. Death is certain

2. This life is a vapor

B. We will be judged based on our response to Jesus- we either accept him as our Lord and Savior, or we reject him for something else

1. Our eternal life is not based on our works, or we would all be in big trouble. It is based on our response to truth

2. It’s a personal decision

C. The Pharisees agreed with Jesus on the issue of the resurrection

1. It’s not that we agree with many of the teachings of the Bible, or even if we make them a part of our lives and do what’s right the Pharisees did that

2. We must believe Jesus is who he says he is and we must trust in him completely for our salvation

Conclusion

- To be honest, this life isn’t always easy, we will go through difficult times, but we have a much greater hope than our years here spent here in this world.

- At some point we all have to face the hard questions of life- Where did we come from? What are we here for? and What happens when I die?

- It is my hope that you know the answer to that question. God tells us that we can know.

So What?

- Do you know what your future holds?

- What is your relationship with Jesus?

o Child of God

o We can search for satisfaction and acceptance in relationships, but only Jesus can truly satisfy

- Are you believing, sharing, and defending the truth?