Sunday Sermons

The Hope of Heaven

Mark Dunagan
02/13/05 - Sunday Morning

Hope

In a culture that seems bent on instant gratification, patiently waiting for the object of your hope is not always popular. Paul noted, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:24-25). “This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven”(Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis p. 134). This is an excellent observation, for often unbelievers look at Christians and say, “Well, they are giving up everything here for a better life in the next, but at least I am getting my share right now”. Yet, this is not entirely true. Concerning Abraham, the Scripture says, “for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10), and in another place, “And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:15-16). Abraham clearly had his mind on things above, and yet the Bible in reference to his death says, “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life” (Genesis 25:8). Lewis notes, “Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither” (p. 134). This is what Jesus was saying when He noted, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). In other words, the more you fix your mind on things above (Colossians 3:1ff), the more you will enjoy this life, and the more you will make an impact here for good.

We see the same truth illustrated in Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money”, and, “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt” (5:13). That is, when we make earthly objects our main concern, such objects will cease to provide us with any lasting satisfaction. Lewis observes that health is a great blessing, but when one makes health the main goal in life, all of a sudden you start imagining there is something wrong with you. You can only enjoy your health if you do not make it your constant occupation. Solomon had observed, “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). First, the verse is not advocating a secular “eat, drink, be merry for tomorrow we will cease to exist mentality, because God is factored into this equation. The idea of telling yourself that your labor is good is that of realizing that you did accomplish some meaningful things in this life, but this life is only meaningful if God exists! Kidner notes, “For in themselves, and rightly used, the basic things of life are sweet and good.What spoils them is our hunger to get out of them more than they can give” (p. 35). Going out to eat, having nice things, living in a comfortable house, and other pleasures of this life are great----as long as we understand that they are not the source of our happiness and neither do they add any meaning to our lives. They are simply things, which we appreciate, but which we could also live without and still be completely happy. The verse and context also point out that only God can really enable us to enjoy the things of this life. The Christian, while not being covetous, greedy or materialistic, actually enjoys the nice ‘things’ of this life more than the person who makes such things their constant focus. As a result, we have passages addressed to Christians which reveal Christians tremendously enjoying the things of this life (Philippians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Peter 3:10; 1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy).

Wanting Heaven

Lewis notes, “Most of us find it very difficult to want ‘Heaven’ at all—except in so far as ‘Heaven’ means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise” (p. 135). We see this happening in the life of Solomon who threw himself into grand and exciting endeavors (Ecclesiastes 2:1-10), and found a fleeting yet temporary enjoyment only to discover that such pleasures faded (2:11). Yet Paul, who earnestly longed with be with Christ (Philippians 1:21-23), is the very man who found enjoyment and contentment in the things of this world (Philippians 4:11). Thus, the key to enjoying the things of this life, including possessions, travel, food, and relationships, is to want something else even more. We learn then that we will only truly enjoy our marriages, if we want heaven even more than human companionship.

The path that the fool chooses

Lewis observes that there are wrong ways in handling the concept that nothing in this world can truly meet all our needs. The fool “puts the blame on the things themselves. He goes on all his life thinking that if only he tried another woman, or went for a more expensive holiday, or whatever it is, then, this time, he really would catch the mysterious something we are all after. Most of the bored, discontented people in the world are of this type. They spend their whole lives trotting from woman to woman (through the divorce courts), from continent to continent, from hobby to hobby, always thinking that the latest is ‘the Real Thing’ at last, and always disappointed” (pp. 135-136). I have noticed that the more one focuses on the here and now, the less one enjoys this life. The more one becomes wrapped up in the things of this world it seems that the more one complains about all the little things that spoiled the meal or the evening.

The path taken by the disillusioned ‘sensible man’

This is the person who has decided not to expect too much from life, but unfortunately this is the same person who seeks to subdue such wonderful desires as love, hope and joy. It is easy to fall into the trap of saying, “I was disappointed once, so I am not going to get my hopes up again”. To some people this seems like a very logical and sensible way of living, yet God certainly does not endorse this lifestyle. God wants us being sensible, but He also wants us being filled with joy, and longing for all sorts of wonderful things in the future (Ecclesiastes 9:9 “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life”; “Go then, eat your bread in happiness” (9:7).

Time and chance

“I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). The disillusioned ‘sensible man’ might read the above verse and say, “See, just about the time you get your hopes us for something, life will beat you down”. But may I suggest that for the Christian the above verse is not discouraging. The Christian is prepared for time and chance, because the Christian is living in such a way that if they die today their desires are fulfilled only that much sooner. In addition, time and chance for the Christian means that we have a “chance” to succeed in this life now and then. If races always went to the swift, battles to the strong, possessions to the wise, and wealth to the talented, then many of us would be left out. Consider this verse, “And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22). The wicked, either due to selfishness, internal family squabbling, or having no descendants, end up forfeiting what they have gained. Wealth that is unjustly acquired or wickedly used, ultimately finds its way into better hands and better stewards. It is often the godly person who is on the receiving end of time and chance. The verse, of course, is a warning to people who want the things of the earth to be their reward and the sum total of their goals. The word “chance” here does not mean something gambled, or that one has fallen down on his luck, rather it means an incident, such as a calamity, disappointment, setback, or an unforeseen occurrence. “Not all-powerful fate, but rather God may let things transpire that overthrow those who have apparently had all resources and gifts at their disposal. He may let something meet them and cross their path, events that interrupt their prosperous course”(Leupold p. 220). These are things that man, even with the best human wisdom, cannot foresee or anticipate. “Time and chance are paired, no doubt, because they both have a way of taking matters suddenly out of our hands…for providence operates in secret, and to man’s view life is largely made up of steps into the unknown and events out of the blue, any of which may change our whole pattern of existence at a moment. All this counterbalances the impression we get from maxims about hard work, that success is ours to command” (Kidner p. 84).

The Christian way

“The Christian says, ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. If I find in myself a desire that no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise or be unthankful for these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death” (p. 137).

Objections

There are people who are not happy here, who attempt to ridicule the Christian’s hope of heaven as well.

· “I do not want to spend eternity playing harps”: We need to realize that people who say such things do not have much of an imagination. The harps, crowns, and gold are Scriptural imagery. Crowns are mentioned because we will reign victoriously with Christ and share His splendor, power, and joy. Gold is mentioned to suggest the timelessness of heaven and the preciousness of it. C.S. Lewis noted, “The answer to such people is that if they cannot understand books written for grown-ups, they should not talk about them” (p. 137).

· “But I do not want to leave my material possessions”: Why not? Have they never made you truly happy?

· “But I will miss the mountains, trees, and walks on the beach”: Realize that all these earthly pleasures were nothing more than shadow, and mere taste of greater pleasures to come. “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst again” (John 4:14).