A0324_Folly of a Space Station
Date: 29th July 2007 (Sunday PM) Ref: A0324
Place: Kambah P.S.
Title: Folly of a Space Station
Text: & Rev 21:1-7
Illust: Since 1961, more than 400 human beings have ventured into space. Now aboard the International Space Station astronauts are working to improve life on earth and extend life beyond our home planet
The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space. The station is in a low Earth orbit and can be seen from earth with the naked eye: its altitude varies from 319.6 km to 346.9 km above the surface of the Earth. It travels at an average speed of 27,744 km per hour, completing 15.7 orbits per day. 1 complete orbit every 91.2 minutes.
I. Improve Life On Earth
A. A Noble Ideal
i. It is a noble thing, it is an amazing thing, fascinates me. The engineering complexity, the electronics, the people – imagine living in a totally hostile environment for between 3 & 6 months with just 2 other people circling the earth.
ii. Only issue is that while NASA & the other space agencies involved have noble goals, they are looking in the wrong place. Despite all of our science, all of our technology, have we really improved life on earth, sure maybe now we do have Velcro, but does that really improve your life that much.
iii. Man is always trying to improve his lot without recourse to his creator. One of the things that is quite amazing is the number of Astronauts that have some form of Christian belief. – Or some other religious understanding. – When you see the circle of the world laid out before your eyes. ~ Declares God!
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (NKJV)
B. Real Problem
i. Major folly, the problem is not our technology the problem is that man is separated from God by sin and our basic sinfulness will always be at the core of all of humanity’s problems. Paul wrote:
Romans 1:20-21 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (NKJV)
The result of this wilful ignorance:
Romans 1:28-31 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; (NKJV)
ii. This is more like the picture of our present age & can’t see any science experiments on the ISS changing that.
II. Detractors
A. Space Station
i. Understand me this PM, I am into the Space Station, I am just saying that the NASA hype for its purpose is not going to be effective. Certainly others see the same thing. Consider it to be a waste of money. $130bn US all up – lots of aid to the developing world, a lot of fresh water units to desperate nations.
ii. The ISS is scheduled to last until 2017. Do you know where it ends up? As one critic the physicist Robert Park has said:
"NASA must complete the ISS so it can be dropped into the ocean on schedule in finished form."
iii. In any endeavour there are going to be those with the dream & those who will criticise
B. Kingdom Detractors
i. It is the same in the Kingdom of God. Those who will criticise and mock you. – They can be members of your own family, they can be close friends, colleagues, people you witness to in the street. – Not comprehend the dream. Why you do what you do. It has always been that way:
2 Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; (NKJV)
Area of giving – ‘you give how much to that church?’ – Well I can guarantee nowhere near $100bn. – Your giving will be challenged
Area of commitment. ‘How many services do you go to, that’s a bit over the top?’ – Revivals, Outreaches, Impact teams, conferences, rally’s .... There will be a challenge to your commitment.
ii. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, this was his dream, his desire, yet he had to do it in the face of serious opposition.
Nehemiah 4:6-8 6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. (NKJV)
iii. Paul seems to indicate that the greater the opportunity the more greater the opposition:
1 Corinthians 16:9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (NKJV)
III. Pilgrims
A. Virtual Reality
i. Finally tonight I want to look at the fundamental truth that we need to keep focussed in our minds & that is that this world is passing.
I spoke about ‘Second Life’ this AM, the online Computer simulation where you can have a job, buy property cars, have relationships with others all in make believe, all stored on some computer somewhere. – The computers could crash, an earthquake could destroy the centre and all data. Gone. It’s not real, its not permanent. Well neither is this life.
Psalm 103:15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. (NKJV)
ii. We have a very short time on this earth, we have a destiny with death, every single one should the Lord tarry and we not be raptured.
Job 21:13 They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave. (NKJV)
iii. Even more final than that, any material legacy we might leave behind – Will be gone. Our text this PM & vs 1 – The new heaven & earth. This one will be gone. All of our exploration, our possessions our careers gone.
B. Pilgrims
i. We need to live for the life to come. Live for eternity as your focus. Because no matter what the opposition, what the cost, Jesus said it will all be worth it
Mark 10:29-30 29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. (NKJV)
ii. Remember why we do what we do, why we have revivals / outreach / impact teams – not to fill up your or my calendar – But to fill eternity – See people saved making heaven their home.