Sermon Tone Analysis

Open your Bibles at Is 52 (Rom 8)

The myth of progress

Do you believe in the myth of human progress?

Some people believe that human ingenuity can solve the world’s problems.

Mind you they have some substance to their beliefs in some areas if you look back through history…

In the 1700’s most parents expected to bury 3 or 4 of their children.

From 1800 to 1950 child mortality halved from around 43% to 22%; by 2015 around 4.5%.

That’s progress!

But of course that contributes to the earth’s population explosion.

So we will have to lift our game.

We’re running out of room and resources on planet earth… so we will have to go further afield.

But, even as we speak… very wealthy entrepreneurs are racing one another to conquer and colonise space.

So people simply say… look at how far we’ve come!

We can do this!

Politicians tell us if we just elect the right ones (them) and they can finish the job and usher in Utopia for us.

Scientists tell us that we can do anything we set our minds too.

Entrepreneurs push the boundaries.

So perhaps smart people using science and logic can ensure a very bright future for humanity?

Many say yes: Utopia can be enjoyed by all… if we all play along.

But we don’t all play along.

The world and its inhabitants are both beautiful and evil.

They are right in saying evil can be fixed… but they are dead wrong, eternally wrong in thinking that ordinary humanity has it within our means to fix it.

We don’t.

We haven’t… because we can’t.

We’re the problem not the solution.

Ushering in Utopia takes more than education, courage, money and hard work!

Humanity has tried for thousands of years… but it can’t stop or fix evil.

Genocide and Hiroshima; Myanmar junta, Ukraine; ethnic cleansing and gossip and lies just keep right on marching on, making misery and death and hell the reality… to one degree or another.

Is Utopia possible?

How can we get there?

For the last few decades Christianity has had a substandard definition of utopia... that unfortunately doesn’t intrigue the world very much.

The Wrong Question: How can people get to heaven?

If someone asked you… What is the point of being a Christian?

what would you reply?

Well, it’s only Christians that go to heaven when they die.

(Right????).

But when we try to tell them about heaven… it’s sounds boring.

A bodiless eternal existence with endless harps and choirs and nothing to make life interesting.

People switch off and say they’d rather go elsewhere with their mates.

Do we actually believe that people should be Christian because God wants to save human souls to be with him forever in heaven?

That raises all sorts of questions:

What is going to happen to planet earth?

Is a human soul a human person?

Did Jesus come as a soul to rescue souls… was Jesus’ body left in the grave?

Is Jesus a human soul or person in heaven?

Today?

Big Mac and wrapper

So let me ask this: What plans does God have for the material world?

When God made this creation (as we read in Gen 1) was it like a person buying a Big Mac from MacDonalds?

When you buy a Big Mac it comes in a box lined with a serviette and in a big paper bag… but we just want the Big Mac inside.

The rest is baggage to be disposed of.

When God made the world he made the earth and everything on and in it and the moon and sun and stars.

Was all of that just baggage that he discards when he gets human souls with him in heaven?

Tom Wright in his book “Surprised by Hope” says for too long, ever since the reformation really, we have asked an insufficient question about salvation.

We ask “How can sinners get to heaven to be with God?”

And the answer is: “Jesus died for our sins so we can go to heaven to be with God when we die.”

Now don’t get me wrong…

Heaven is important… but is it the end of the world?

What do you think… is God going to discard the physical creation… including our bodies?

More importantly… far more importantly… what do you think the Bible says?

What does the Bible say happened in Gen 1 and 2 after God brings order to every aspect of creation?

He didn’t say “Well, that’s got the packet done… shame it won’t last long!”

And there’s the box, not bad, but it’ll be gone soon!

NO WAY!

And God said, “It is good”.

That’s amazing and beautiful and morally perfect.

I LIKE THAT! That’s very good!

A Better Question: How can God finish his Gen 1-2 project?

Instead of asking “How can the souls of sinners get to heaven when they die?”

What about asking a better question.

Given that man’s rebellion brought curse and misery and pain and suffering and death on the earth… How can God finish Gen 1/2 project?

How can God and mankind walk together on a pristine, glorious, holy, good creation once again?

Let’s think about the gospel records of Jesus’ ministry....

If Jesus came to die for our sins… why do the gospels contain the three year ministry of Jesus?

Each of the four gospels has essentially two parts.

(Two have birth records)

But all four have accounts of most likely a three year ministry of Jesus… and an untimely and early death.

They devote varying amounts of material to each part.

But all have accounts of his ministry and his death.

Why those two aspects?

Are these accounts of a glorious social work that Jesus devoted himself to for three years preaching and teaching and healing and miracle working… that was tragically cut short when the religious leaders and the Romans collaborated to kill him?

Or was there four accounts of the untimely death of Jesus… with long introductions?

The prophet Isaiah says that the Servant of the Lord, comes to bring heaven on earth.

They types and shadows will disappear when the Servant comes to bring Utopia to earth.

Right in the middle of the Servant of the Lord passages…

As Jesus walked around Israel ministering and healing… he is perfect Israel relaunching the plan God began in Gen 1 & 2.

He is the Lord returning to Zion, God’s holy city in Is 52:7 when he goes to Jerusalem.

His are the beautiful feet that bring Good News!

What Good News?

Peace, glad tidings, salvation… Your God reigns!

Not evil.

Not Rome.

Not Satan.

Messiah has arrived!

Hear the angels at his birth.

Watch his miracles.

Hear his teaching.

See the blind… see.

Hear the deaf… hear.

The cripples walk.