Sermon for 9/3/2006
Luke 20:27-44
Introduction:
Silly Questions:
Are eclipses confusing to roosters?
If a wedding goes off without a hitch, was it successful?
I read in the paper that a submarine sank. Isn’t that their job?
WBTU:
A. My sermon doesn’t have much to do with Labor Day except resting from our weary labor here on earth. This morning we are focusing our thoughts on heaven.
B. Luke 20 is a chapter full of questions. Begins with leaders in the temple asking Jesus, “Who gave you authority to do these things?” Jesus throws a question at them, “John’s baptism- was it from heaven, or from men?”
C. Catch Jesus in something he said so they ask, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” All very good questions. Now we have another question and it is silly.
Thesis: This sermon is brought to you by the letter “S.”
For instances:
1. Sadducees. Vs. 27
B. The Sadducees were the religious elite of their day. They were known for their arrogance and rudeness. They had high positions in the nation and in the temple because of their ancestors. They had a monopoly on the high priestly line. They held the bulk of the seats in the Jewish ruling council. They were rich because they made their money from the temple. They were sympathetic toward Rome.
C. What did they believe? Whatever was convient at the time, a lot like certain politicians. Ask them in private what they really believe, they don’t believe is the main thing. They denied the existence of angels and demons. They were skeptical of anything supernatural like miracles. They didn’t believe in the resurrection, the continuation of the soul after death, or even in a future judgement. They didn’t believe in the resurrection so nothing really mattered except they didn’t want to lose their positions, that mattered. They believed that everything in life is up to the man, believe in yourself theology.
D. While the Sadducees may be dead and gone, their ideas are alive and well, even in the Church. Many denominations have Sadducees in their ranks. Polls come out every once in a while on a particular denomination and it is amazing how many ministers who preach every Sunday, really do not believe in the basic teachings of Christianity.
2. Seven brothers. Vs. 28-33
A. This is a silly question but is it? On the surface it sounds so ridiculous. The Sadducees may have borrowed this idea from the ancient book of Tobit, which tells the bizarre story of a woman who married seven times only to have each husband strangled in the bed chamber on the wedding night. This story has a touch of humor because these brothers are so stupid as to marry the black widow.
B. In the law of Moses there is a stipulation that if someone’s brother dies without any children, then the remaining brother must marry his brother’s widow to carry on his brothers estate and to provide children for his brother. We see in the book of Ruth this being the case. Now, we also know from the book of Ruth that a brother or close relative did not have to obey this command. Boaz was not the closest kinsman redeemer. Boaz redeemed Ruth because the closest kinsman redeemer refused to carry out his obligations to his relative. As a matter of fact, this law of the kinsman redeemer was rarely followed unless the widow was very attractive or wealthy.
C. they have racked their brains to come up with situation so as to discredit the whole idea of the resurrection. It is amazing the thoughts and questions that are brought out from those who are unbelievers. Some people will apply their minds to the Scriptures and ideas of God not to increase belief but to increase unbelief.
D. when W. C. Fields was on his deathbed, a visitor found him reading the Bible. Asked what he was doing, he replied, "Looking for loopholes, my friend. Looking for loopholes."
D. They are trying to reduce the doctrine of the resurrection to an absurdity. Making it sound like those with a logical mind would never believe in the resurrection. They presented this “straw man” scenario in an attempt to trap Jesus and make Him look like a country bumpkin. Get people to laugh at Jesus and to laugh at God.
E. The issue they bring up is whose wife will she be in the resurrection. Who ever said that there was marriage in heaven? The Bible up to this point doesn’t discuss it. They are making the mistake of thinking that the way things are on earth are the way things are going to be in heaven. They don’t believe in heaven and so they make a mockery of it.
3. Serious. Vs. 34
A. Jesus doesn’t take their question lightly. Notice he doesn’t laugh with them, nor does he dismiss their question as silly.
B. Jesus was concerned about their souls and so he answered in a dignified way.
D. The word that is often heard in our day is, “Whatever.” Nothing is taken seriously. We want to be entertained and just have some fun. In many ways we are like the TV show Seinfield, we take nothing seriously.
E. People of faith should take affronts to our beliefs seriously. Not to ridicule those who are skeptics, but to answer them in different manner than they answer us. IF we don’t take the faith seriously, who will?
E. Also, Jesus came from heaven and so he is an expert on heaven.
4. Saved. Vs. 35
A. Considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead.
B. We know from the book of Revelation that the only one worthy is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Also we read, (Rev 3:4 NIV) Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.(Rev 3:5 NIV) He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
C. (Rev 7:13 NIV) Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"(Rev 7:14 NIV) I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
D. Everyone is raised but only those washed in the blood of the Lamb will be worthy to participate in that age. (John 5:28 NIV) "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice(John 5:29 NIV) and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
5. Spouses. Vs. 34-35
A. Jesus knows that in this life there is marrying and being given in marriage.
B. In heaven there is no such a thing as marriage. The Lord Jesus is an advocate of a “new age” movement. While Jesus does not mean what this terminology means today, the fact remains that Jesus was teaching a “new age” that is very different from the “old” age. The old age is here and the new age is in heaven. Resurrection is not the restoration of life as we know it here, oh no; it is the entrance into a new life that is completely different and much better.
C. The fact that there is no marriage after the resurrection may be good news to some who have unhappy marriages, but for those who have good marriages, it seems kind of sad. Edna at the radio station was greatly upset.
D. The good news is that we’ll love each other more, just not as husbands and wives. We’ll be ourselves beyond our best and will be more loveable and more capable of loving than ever before.
E. J. Vernon McGee said that if we want to continue to live with our spouses, I don’t think God is going to deny us. It will just be different.
E. Some might be sad that there is no physical pleasure or sexual intimacy in heaven. Take the greatest times of joy and pleasure in our marriages and this is nothing compared to the joys that await us in heaven.
F. Will we know each other in heaven? At the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah. Yes, we’ll know each other, just better.
6. Sempiternal- Vs. 36
A. This word means dateless, endless, and eternal. In reference to us it means we have a beginning but no end.
B. (John 11:25 NIV) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;(John 11:26 NIV) and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
C. THERE’LL NEVER BE CREPE ON THE DOORKNOB, No funeral train in the sky; No graves on the hillsides of Glory, For there we shall nevermore die; The old will be young there forever, Transformed in a moment of time; Immortal we’ll stand in His likeness, The stars and the sun to outshine!
7. Sons of God. Vs. 36
A. On this earth, sons are to be servants to the fathers, daughters are to be servants to the mothers. Honor our fathers and our mothers. However, in heaven, such distinctions will have little meaning.
B. In Vs. 41-44 we see that Jesus makes mention that David called his coming Son, the Messiah, Lord, when it should be the exact opposite. Jesus was the Son of David through Mary. Because Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world, David called him the Lord. However, in heaven such distinctions of father and son will not exist. We will all be children of God, sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father and that is the only thing that will matter.
C. (1 John 3:1 NIV) How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(1 John 3:2 NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
8. Scripture. Vs. 37
A. The Sadducees only accepted as authoritative the first 5 books of the Old Testament, the Torah.
B. Therefore, Jesus quotes from the book of Exodus. When the Lord appeared to Moses he introduced himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
C. Notice that God does not say that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These three had died over 400 years before this account in Exodus.
D. If someone comes up and says, “I was your father’s friend,” this implies that either there has been a change in the relationship or that your father has died. But if one comes to you and says, “I am your father’s friend,” that tells two things: your parent is among the living here and there is an ongoing relationship.
E. To put it another way, if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are nothing but dust, God cannot now be their God!
F. Two things are involved here: 1) When God spoke to Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were with God and God still had a relationship with them even though they were dead. They were alive to God! 2) Resurrection is coming.
G. We now have the Scriptures and it tells us what we need to know about death, heaven and resurrection. Many unanswered questions but we have what we need.
9. Soul. Vs. 38
A. For to him all are alive.
B. I’m on my way to that fair land, where the soul (of man) never dies. Where there will be no parting hand, where the soul (of man) never dies. Dear friends, there’ll be no sad farewell; there’ll be no tear-dimmed eyes, where all is peace and joy and love and the soul of man never dies.
C. D.L. Moody said, “One day you’ll read that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe it, for at that moment I will be more alive than ever before!”
D. Death did not separate these men from God and death will not separate us from God unless we don’t know Christ. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8- To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Invitation:
A. All are going to die (unless the Lord returns, but in essence we will all die).
B. All are going to be resurrected.
C. Death is a one time thing. One man said, “I do not fear death but what after?”
D. The second death is eternal. (Rev 20:14 NIV) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.(Rev 20:15 NIV) If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
