THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: A BIBLICAL EXPLANATION OF HOPE {PART 1}
REVELATION 14:13
Sermon Objective: Christians hope is not bound TO this world but makes all the difference for life IN this world.
INTRO
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Rev. 14:13)
Dr. W. A Criswell, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas Texas, said on one occasion on an airplane flight he found himself seated beside a well-known theologian. He desperately wanted to start a conversation and they did get to talk. The man told Dr. Criswell about how he had recently lost his little boy through death. Dr. Criswell listened as he told his story:
He said he had come home from school with a fever and we thought it was just one of those childhood things, but it was a very virulent form of meningitis. The doctor said we cannot save your little boy. He'll die.
And so this seminary professor, loving his son as he did, sat by the bedside to watch this death vigil. It was the middle of the day, and the little boy whose strength was going from him and whose vision and brain was getting clouded said, "Daddy, it's getting dark isn't it?" The professor said to his son, "Yes son it is getting dark, very dark." Of course it was very dark for him. He said, "Daddy, I guess it's time for me to go to sleep isn't it?"
He said, "Yes, son, it's time for you to go to sleep."
The professor said the little fellow had a way of fixing his pillow just so, and putting his head on his hands when he slept and he fixed his pillow like that and laid his head on his hands and said, "Good night Daddy. I will see you in the morning." He then closed his eyes in death and stepped over into heaven.
Dr. Criswell said the professor didn't say anymore after that. He just looked out the window of that airplane for a long time. Then he turned back and he looked at Dr. Criswell with the scalding tears coming down his cheeks and he said, "Dr. Criswell, I can hardly wait till the morning."
(“Can't Wait Until Morning” as told by Rev. Steve Gallimore)
Hope.
Christian hope.
It stands in striking contrast to the despair of the world. It gives color to our world – even in the midst of grief. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Paul says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
In the past I have used the Book of the Revelation to explain and illustrate key Biblical concepts to you. Those include great doctrines like, Sovereignty, The Fear of the Lord, The Holy Spirit, Christian Perseverance (faithfulness), the Resurrection, Atonement, Repentance, and Prayer. In some cases, the words themselves are never used in the book but the doctrines are present and even a guiding force for the author. An example is the word “sovereignty.” It is never used but to deny that sovereignty is not illustrated and essential to the book would be ridiculous.
There is another such concept (or doctrine) that falls within this category; hope. The word “Hope” is never used in the book; but to deny that the Christian’s Hope is not a guiding force for the book’s author would be … again … ridiculous.
Christian Hope is not only a significant reality to The Revelation’s author it is a bedrock principle of the Christian faith as a whole. It is a permanent fixture of our faith. The New Testament (and the Old) cannot be understood without a proper understanding of hope. Hope is so wonderful that it deserves our attention this morning and, I assure you, will bring praise to your lips! Revelation is saturated with the Christian hope. In the book we “see” hope realized. It is hope fulfilled.
Christian hope stands in stark contrast to the world’s mood and perspective. Have you noticed lately how much despair there is in the news? It seems every facet of life is discouraging for the secularists. The economy, the job market, international affairs, military affairs, (need I go on) all have indicators that are discouraging. Just this week I heard a journalist say “it seems the entire globe is going through a nightmare.” Hope is at an all time low … if you are a secularist.
Hope was not a characteristic of the secular world in the first century either. The word was seldom used. Only occasionally do you find it in writings of that time period. When it was employed it was almost always used in a context that refers to something illusory or even wishful thinking. Secular burial inscriptions reveal no content suggesting hope of an afterlife. Paul was right in suggesting the world was “without hope and without God” (Eph. 2:12ff; 1 Thess. 4:13).
But hope holds a key place in the life of the saint. As I said, it is a permanent fixture. It is imparted by the Holy Spirit and is designed to encourage us and strengthen us during tribulation.
I have discovered a few things about hope. What I have discovered is taught in the Scriptures, illustrated in The Revelation, and evidenced in the life of Christians who are experiencing hard times.
HOPE IS: A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER AND PRESENCE OF GOD
Hope is a testament to the power and presence of God. Therefore, our hope has a sure foundation. It is not wishful thinking. Christians are never given reason to despair in the Scriptures. We are, rather, hope-filled because we serve the “God of Hope.” (Romans 15:13). In fact, Paul teaches us that serving the God of hope fills us with hope and drives away despair. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” We are not simply whistling as we pass the grave yard; we have something … SOMEONE … not bound TO this world that makes all the difference for life IN this world. Experience teaches us that Christian hope is one of the most beautiful responses of the human heart. It keeps us alive and buoyant when the human condition around us is despairing and unbearable.
1. Christian hope is not escapism. It is trustful anticipation; particularly anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises. Our hope, though not fully realized is real and assured. It can be referred to as “inaugural eschatology” – a firm conviction of the reality I would call “already but not yet.”
2. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is where hope’s reality is nestled. It is called “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3) because it is constant and unfading. The dwelling of Christ within the human heart is the fount of hope. As Colossians 1:27 says, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Hope is more than expectation. But it includes expectation. Hope is inherently positive and is yoked closely with confidence and desire. Our culture often uses the phrase “I hope so.” But this is, in many cases, thinly veiled pessimism – it is more of a testimony that we doubt something will change. Biblical hope believes and anticipates, looks for and expects fulfillment and change. The hope generated by the Spirit of God within a believer’s heart is an echo of a heavenly reality. To have such hope would be silly apart from the reality of the person and pledges of the Almighty.
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100? $200?" Another voice yelled angrily, "We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs and Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son The son Who’ll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I’ll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?" “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters” "$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10"
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let’s get on with the collection" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I’m sorry, the auction is over." "What about the paintings?" I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything"
Much like the auctioneer, God’s message today is: "The son, the son, who’ll take the son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. Including hope that transcends this world.
As the great hymn, “The Solid Rock” says: Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
HOPE IS:
• A Testament to the Power and Presence of God
HOPE IS: A CONFESSION OF HUMAN LIMITATION
Hope is also a testament to the limitations of being human. It encourages humility as we discover our finiteness. Hope is based upon a trust in God. It is most essential when we (humans) are incapable of bringing about necessary change. It, in such times, clings to God and His promises.
The devotional, “Our Daily Bread,” (January 1, 1985) had an article titled: FAITHFUL FOR A PROMISE. It declares that a promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence and gives us 12 promises for the Christian to claim.
* God’s presence -- "I will never leave thee" (Heb. 13:5)
* God’s protection -- "I am thy shield" (Gen. 15:1)
* God’s power -- "I will strengthen thee" (Isa. 41:10)
* God’s provision -- "I will help thee" (Isa. 41:10)
* God’s leading -- "And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them" (John 10:4)
* God’s purposes -- "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)
* God’s rest -- "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)
* God’s cleansing -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)
* God’s goodness -- "No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)
* God’s faithfulness -- "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake" (1 Sam. 12:22)
* God’s guidance -- "The meek will He guide" (Psalm 25:9)
* God’s wise plan -- "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)
Hope shows us our limitations. It shows us our need for the faithful, living and loving God to provide for us.
HOPE IS:
• A Testament to the Power and Presence of God
• A Confession of Human Limitation
HOPE IS: THE SAINT’S PROTEST AND PLEA FOR JUSTICE
Hope is also a protest within the Christian spirit.
• It proclaims that the current state of the world is not the ideal will of God.
• It proclaims that God has something better to offer.
• It gives us an aura of anticipation as we await all things to be made right.
• It prays for God’s “will to be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) and then seeks to be God’s agent of change!
One writer says:
Biblical and Christian hope does not mean living in the clouds, dreaming of a better life. It is not merely a projection of what we would like to be or do. It leads us to discover seeds of a new world already present today, because of the identity of our God, because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope is, in addition, a source of energy to live differently, not according to the values of a society based on the thirst for possession and competition. … As we embark on this Life, we are lead to create signs of a different future here and now, in the midst of the difficulties of the world, seeds of renewal that will bear fruit when the time comes. … From the very beginning, Christian hope kindled a fire on the earth. (http://www.taize.fr/en_article343.html)
This author understands the power of Hope. Hope recues us from paralysis and equips us to make things better. It resists merely setting back cursing the darkness and compels us to shine a light and make the world a better place.
Hope does not merely say “Things are bad, God will have to intervene” Hope says, “Things are bad God will have to intervene … here am I use me!”
I heard a story from the life of a famous preacher. This one is close to home for me since it is about the homiletics professor at the seminary I attended; Dr. Fred Craddock.
Dr. Craddock tells a story about vacationing with his wife one summer in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One night they found a quiet little restaurant, where they looked forward to a private meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. Craddock leaned over and whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn’t come over here." He didn’t want anyone intruding on their privacy. But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. "Where you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice.
"Oklahoma," Craddock answered.
"Splendid state, I hear, although I’ve never been there," the stranger said. "What do you do for a living?"
"I teach homiletics at the graduate seminary of Phillips University," Craddock replied.
"Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I’ve got a story to tell you." And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with Craddock and his wife.
Dr. Craddock said he groaned inwardly and thought to himself, "Oh, no! Here comes another preacher story! It seems like everybody has at least one."
The man stuck out his hand. "I’m Ben Hooper," he said. "I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn’t married when I was born, so I had a pretty hard time. When I started to school, my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and lunch time because the things they said to me cut me so deep. What was worse was going to town on Saturday afternoons and feeling like every eye was burning a hole through me, wondering just who my father was.
"When I was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to our church. I would always go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in the church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. ‘Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ he asked. I felt this big weight coming down on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. ‘Wait a minute!’ he said. ‘I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.’ With that he slapped me across the rump and said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.’
The old man looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, "Those were the most important words anybody ever said to me, and I’ve never forgotten them." With that, he smiled shook hands with Craddock and his wife, and moved on to another table to greet old friends.
And as he walked away, Craddock – a native Tennesseean himself – remembered from his studies of Tennessee history that on two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected to the office of governor men who had been born out of wedlock. One of them was a man named Ben Hooper.
That’s what hope can do for you friends. It doesn’t just help you with dying like my first story – Christian hope empowers you to live! To REALLY REALLY Live! In fact, Peter call it a “living hope.”
1 Peter 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
WRAP-UP
Well, that’s about as far as we are going to get today. I will tell you more next time.
HOPE IS:
• A Testament to the Power and Presence of God
• A Confession of Human Limitation
• The Saint’s Protest and Plea for Justice
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“The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia” from Eerdmans Press was the inspiration for much of this sermon. I would recommend referring to it if you would like to know more on Christian Hope. J Moltmann’s “Theology of Hope” and C. F. Moule’s “Meaning of Hope” are also worthy resources.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
