Finding Heaven When You're Walking Through Hell

Keep your Bibles open to with me Colossians 3, will you?

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I am mindful that we have persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who risk their lives to gather for worship weekly. Of course, there is no substitute for gathering together in person. Let’s gather in person as soon as possible – we need to be in the Lord’s House on the Lord’s Day.

Today, I want to speak to you about finding a path forward in this time of great turmoil. The title of my message is, “Finding Heaven When You’re Walking through Hell.”

One of the most famous quotes in presidential history was Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” The problem with that quote is it is simply untrue. As long as there are spiders, rattlesnakes, murderers, and terrorists and criminals on the loose, there is plenty of room for fear. There are real and powerful threats to your well-being today. As the news media highlights continually in our day, we have real threats to our safety and security. There is rioting in the streets of many of our largest cities spread throughout our nation. We have witnessed a handful of shameful officers not worthy of the uniform that threaten the George Floyd’s of our day. Let’s pray together for people of the uniform – our police force as a California officer was ambushed and killed just yesterday. Let’s pray for their safety but also their discretion in how they use their authority. Protestors painted defund the police along the streets of our nation’s capital, just one block from the White House.

How do we find a path forward in this time of turmoil? We have a global pandemic that affects your lungs and has suffocated more than 100,000 Americans. Plus, there is a global slow-down of the economy that threatens the existence of day labors for their next meal. Yet, against all these very real threats to your life, there is something higher, larger, and unseen. There are higher realities, unseen realities that make every one of these threats tolerable, if you are a believer.

Colossians 3 pulls back the curtain on these unbelievable rich realities. I want to bring this powerful reality home to you in the moments to come. I want you to feel the unshakable, mind-blowing spiritual realities that are in Jesus Christ.

1. See a Different Way

Look with me at verse 3: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). If you’re going to navigate these tumultuous times, you need to see your life in a different way – a much different way. You need to see your life as one who is wrapped up in the life of Jesus. When He died, you died. When He rose, you rose. When He comes, you’re right there with Him, attached to His hip as if it were.

Five times in four verses Paul refers to Jesus Christ: “with Christ” (Colossians 1:1a),

“where Christ” (Colossians 1:1c),

“with Christ” (Colossians 1:3),

“when Christ” (Colossians 1:4a),

and “with Him” (Colossians 1:4b).

You need to see your life in a different way. You need to see your life wrapped up in His life. By the way, how do you see yourself? What IS your identity? What’s the first thing you’d say about yourself when you introduce yourself?

A mother finds her identity in her children – “I’m a Stay at Home Mom.”

A young professional finds her identity in her medical career - – “I’m a Nurse.”

An academic finds his identity in his degrees - – “I’m a Professor.”.

An abuse victim finds his identity in his struggle– “I’m a Victim.”

But you ultimate identity is you are hidden in Christ: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

1.2 Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay was an exceptional pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, a dominant pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was 8-time All-Star as well as a 2-time Cy Young winner, retiring in 2013. Nicknamed “Doc” Halladay, he retired from baseball after the 2013 season and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 in just his first year of eligibility. But he also secretly struggled with an addiction to prescription drugs for much of his career. He didn’t want anyone to know about his struggles. He left rehab early, Brandy said, because he had been recognized and someone had snuck a phone into the facility. Doc was nervous about word of his stint in rehab leaking out. His widow, Brandy reports that Doc actually lost 3 inches of his height in order to continue pitching. These addictions played a part when Halladay died in a plane crash in 2017. His autopsy revealing he had several substances in his system as he piloted his aircraft. “I think he felt like he needed to hide his mistakes because he didn’t want anyone to think he wasn’t as good as they thought he was,” Halladay’s sister said of the famer baseball pitcher.