Vision Series 2023

As Steve has already mentioned,

a few more days will be Good Friday and Easter,

marking the suffering and death of Christ Jesus

on the cross and his burial and resurrection.

The event of Easter is significant not just for Christians,

but for every human.

It's the heart of the gospel,

the good news that Christians proclaim.

It's where humans find hope to face the most unchangeable,

and inevitable threats of human life, our destiny.

Humans all want to know where we are going and heading.

Our ability to put up with the journey increases

according to how desirable the destiny is.

That ability increases as we age,

but our entitlement to the question,

are we there yet,

decreases.

Repeated by a three-year-old,

which is over there joining his church,

that question is cute but irritating.

However, if a 50-year-old man like myself,

growing up,

keep asking this question,

it's just irritable,

and most likely will kick me out of your car.

Humans need to organize

the sequence of individual sensations

and life experience

into a particular story.

When that story leads somewhere,

it gives us hope.

Making sense of our destination

gives us meaning.

What we believe about our future

completely controls how we experience our present.

So how do we make sense

of the unchangeable and inevitable fact

that people are destined to die once?

How do we have a human hope

that can make sense of death

and stand up to it

and help us to face a fear of death,

even triumph over it?

Christians believe Jesus is all about hope,

and in Jesus is a hope

that can face anything.

One of the crucial parts

of the Christian story

has always been deliverance

from death through Christ.

The Bible is full of passage,

like what we have just read

from Romans 8 and 2 Timothy 1.

Jesus is a savior of the world

who has destroyed death

and has brought life and immortality

to light through the gospel.

He saved humans in the hope

of redemption and adoption

to be God's children.

But before we look at Christian hope,

let's look at how our society

addresses the topic of hope

or the lack of it,

in particular with death.

And after that,

we'll look at three characters

of Christian hope.

So, when it comes to hope

and comes to our life

and the inevitable destination of death,

not many people will be chomping at the beat

to ask, are we there yet?

Death is a topic

that many people would like to avoid

because generally,

we feel fearful and sad

and hopeless about the matter.

I came across a TED Talk

by Stephen Cave.

He's a philosopher

and the author of the book

Immortality,

The Quest to Live Forever

and How It Drives Civilization.

His TED Talk

talks about four stories

humans tell themselves

to help us cope with the fear of death.

Every culture in human history

has some story about some magic potion

of fountains of youth

that promise we can live forever.

Ancient Egypt, India, and the Chinese

have this kind of story.

And the contemporary

will tell this story

on the belief that science

will conquer death.

But if you look through history,

the only thing in common

for all those people

that have taken the potion

is that they're all still lying in the grave.

Realizing we cannot escape death

that we tell a restoration story

of somehow people can raise up

and live again.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims

share these orthodox beliefs.

And we invent this story

in the scientific age

into freezing our body

until technology and medicine

is advanced enough

to deal with our ill body.

Too many people

who tell this story

religion is a coping mechanism

for our hopeless world.

Another story

that we tell ourselves

is that we get to leave

our body behind,

to live on

as a spirit or soul

to avoid the messiness

and problems

of having a physical body.

And again,

in our digital age,

we upload our mind

on the computer

to live as an avatar

after we die.

Or lastly,

we can live on

to immortality

in our legacy

through people thinking

or telling about us.

Living on

in the memories

of the living.

I remember

this perspective.

This is the perspective

of my parents

as I grew up.

the demand

of the living

to keep the dead alive

knows no cultural difference.

Many cultures

emphasize the importance

of getting married

and having children

or for having

a biological legacy.

Suppose you're single

or a parent

with mature kids.

Have you bought

into this idea

of the secular society

which feeds

our hopelessness?

All these stories

are humans

trying to create hope

with their actions.

Hope by doing.

Cave's conclusion

is very typical

of many philosophers

of our day and age.

He used the method

of a book.

Just as a book

is spun by its cover

by the beginning

and end,

so are life

are bound

by birth and death.

The characters

within it

know no horizon.

They only know

the moment

that make up

their story

even when the book

is closed.

It makes no sense

for you

to feel

what is outside

of this cover

whether before your birth

or after your death.

And you needn't worry

how long

the book is

or whether

it's a comic strip

or an epic.

The only thing

that matters

is that you make

it a good story.

When dealing

with the terror

of death

many people

have taken on

to live out

a good life story

by living out

their life's desires.

Others

will focus

on the part

of life

that they can

control to live

every day

to the fullest.

What is your

approach to life?

people may be

willing

to agree

that death

remains something

to be feared

because it's the end

of our existence

and all that we have

worked for in life.

Death

is violently

imposing

unconsciousness

on someone

which is considered

a crime.

Death

is an

intuition

of life

that somewhat

and always

only

appears

because something

has gone wrong.

There's nothing

natural about death.

Some contemporary

thinkers

try to neutralize

the terror

of death

by treating it

as an inevitable

step of life.

This account's

most favorite

popular

culture expression

is in

The Lion King.

A young lion

is told that

though lion

eat the antelope

they eventually

die and fertilize

the grass

and the antelope

eat the grass.

So it all

connected

in a great

circle of life.

On the surface

there is

something attractive

about this

circle of life

approach.

Our life

will contribute

to something

to value something

no matter how

many failures

or mistakes

we have made.

But if you

think deeply

think deeper

it's being

recycled

fertilizer

how you want

others

to summarize

your life.

But that is

what our

popular culture

encourages us to do

to deal with

the unchangeable

inevitable

effects of

human destiny

or to accept

hope

or to have hope

is just to

accept the

inevitability

of life.

atheists

philosophers

often consider

religious people

less enlightened

and primitive

because they

rely on something

supernatural

that cannot

empirically

prove to exist.

However

they also

cannot verify

that God

does not exist.

Secular

thinkers

seem to believe

we can rationalize

the terror

and fear

we feel

about death

by insisting

that death

is nothing

to be afraid

of.

But even

a very young

kid

realizes

death is

fearful

because it

means the

end of love.

Death

tears us away

from those

we love

from the

relationships

that make

life meaningful.

We feel

death

because

also because

we are not

sure

that death

is the end.

No one

has been

through death

and come

back to

tell us

what is

on the

other

side.

All is

there,

no one.

Christianity

tells a

different

resurrection

story

because

Jesus

is the

person

that

has

conquered

death.

Christian

hope

explains

why we

feel

death

is so

unnatural

and

help us

to face

even

triumph

over it.

Death

feels

unnatural

because

it's not

part of

God's

original

design.

The book

of Genesis

explains

that

God

did not

create

humans

to age,

weaken,

fade,

or die.

We were

not made

for love

relationship

that ends

in death.

Death

is an

intrusion

resulting

from sin

and our

human race

turning away

from God.

But God

has not

turned away

from us.

The New

Testament

letter

to the

Hebrews

explains

that

God

sent

Jesus

the

immortal

son

of God

into

the

world.

Shame

is

in

our

humanity

and

becoming

subject

to

weakness

and

death

so that

by his

death

he

may

break

the

power

of him

who holds

the power

of death

and free

those

who

all their

lives

were held

in slavery

by their

fear of

death.

God

solved

our

dilemma

of being

trapped

in sin

and death

by becoming

our

substitute.

Jesus

went

before

us

to

the

cross

to

pay

for

the

punishment

of

us

turning

away

from

God.

This

coming

Friday

is

Good

Friday

followed

by

Easter

Sunday.

We'll

speak

more

about

the

Christian

resurrection

story

and how

Jesus

broke

death

and

power

over

us

by

dying

in

our

place

and

pay

our

penalty.

God

saved

Christian

in the

hope

of

being

fully

adopted

as

his

children

and

in

the

hope

of

full

redemption

of

our

bodies.

Christian

hope

does not

only

address

where

we

are

going

and

give

us

hope

for

life

after

death.

Christian

hope

has

also

three

distinct

and

unique

characteristics.

It is

personal,

concrete,

and

fulfilling.

Christian

hope

is

personal

because

Jesus

told us

in

John

14

2

that

he

was

going

to

his

father's

house

to

prepare

a

place

for

us.

We

call

that

place

heaven.

What

mean

imagery

do you

have

when

you

think

of

heaven?

Would

it be

a

picture

of

people

dressed

in

white

robe

floating

on

clouds

with

halves?

There's

the common

misunderstanding

of

heaven

being a

consumer

paradise

where

all the

pleasure

and comfort

human

thoughts

to buy

on

earth

are now

free

for grabs

and

popular

religious

imagination

thinks

of heaven

as a

trouble-free

place

of

ease.

I

believe

secular

thinkers

have some

merit

in

challenging

the

religious

view

of

heaven

especially

since

many

religious

people

live

a

moral

life

legalistically

mainly

to have

entry

to

heaven

but

secular

thinkers

and

religious

people

do not

know

what

heaven

or

Christian

hope

is

about.

18th

century

philosopher

and

preacher

Jonathan

Edward

wrote

a

sermon

titled

Heaven

is a

world

of

love

which

powerfully

conveys

what

Christian

hope

is

about.

I

have

included

a link

to this

address

in the

description

of our

live stream.

I also

have a

couple

of

copies

at the

back.

You

must

read

this

sermon

to

ensure

you

do not

mistake

what

Christian

hope

is

all

about.

The

ultimate

Christian

hope

is

not

some

radiance

or

immortality

but a

relationship.

At the

center

of

heaven

is

a

triune

God.

One

God

in

three

persons

Father

Son

and

Holy

Spirit

united

in

infinitely

dear

and

incomprehensible

mutual

love.

The

three

in

one

God

continuously

pour

love

into

one

another

in

joy

and

delight

becoming

like a

fountain

of

love

that

open

without

any

obstacle

to

hinder

access

and

overflow

to

the

world.

At

work

characterise

the most

loving

relationship

you have

experienced

in this

world

as a

highly

clogged

pipe

compared

to

heaven.

All

earthly

relationship

are

clogged

plight

that only

a tiny

amount

of

polluted

water

comes

through

because

of our

sin and

weakness.

we

will

see

the

great

fountain

of

love

in

Christ

in

person.

We

shall

know

Christ

Jesus'

love

far

beyond

what

we

have

perceived

and

he

has

loved

us

with

a

dying

love.

The

love

between

the

triune

God

one

God

in

three

persons

and

the

love

between

God

and

every

human

is

the

heart

and

core

of

Christian

hope.

nothing

is

more

transforming

than

when

someone

makes

a

powerful

decoration

to

express

an

expression

of

love

towards

us.

And

Jesus

did

that

two

thousand

years

ago.

In

this

world

we do

not

have

a

perfect

holy

and

utterly

other

centered

relationship.

So it

is suitable

for us

to hope

and long

for one.

We hope

for it

because we

have not

seen it.

Like

Romans

8

24

to

25

say

hope

that

is

seen

is

not

hope

at

all.

Who

hopes

for

what

they

already

have?

But

if

you

hope

for

what

we

do

not

yet

have,

wait

for

it

patiently.

In

Christ,

God

demonstrates

his

love

and

acceptance

for

you

beyond

what

we

can

understand

or

imagine.

He

personally

ensured

our

entry

to

heaven

so

that

we

can

experience

the

divine

love.

Christ

has

spoken

the

claim

of

sin

on

us

through

his

suffering

and

death.

We

might

physically

die,

but

death

become

only

an

entry

way

to

eternal

life

with

Christ.

Christian

hope

is also

concrete.

We

must

also

remember

that

eternal

life

that

the

Bible

promised

is

not

simply

that

we

live

forever

in

an

immaterial

spiritual

paradise,

removed

from

this

world.

The

salvation

of

this

world

we

live

in

is

what

Christians

hope

for

along

with

our

soul

and

bodies

which

is

why

Christian

hope

is

concrete.

Chapter

21 and

22 of

Revelation

where

Steve

let us

just stand

in

prayer

describe

the

end

of

history.

We

do not

ascend

to

heaven

but

God's

heavenly

glory

and

purifying

beauty

and

power

descend

to

renew

this

material

world.

Evil,

suffering,

aging,

disease,

poverty,

injustice,

and pain

are forever

removed.

Christians

look forward

to the

redemption

of their

body and

soul

as in

Romans

8.23

resurrecting

into a

new body

as Jesus

did.

Christian

hope

promised

that

we will

not

simply

get our

life

back

but

the

one

that

we

have

will

get

back

a

life

that

we

always

long

for

and

which

we

have

never

achieved.

Christianity

is the

only religion

that holds

our hope

for the

salvation

of this

world

along with

our souls

and body

and it's

not a

thing that

will get

even

better

get

eventually

better

hope

Christian

hope

is

concrete

as

concrete

as

the

resurrection

event

a couple

thousand

years ago

Jesus

Christ

resurrection

has

torn

the

barrier

between

the

ideal

and

the

real

and

provide

a

concrete

hope

to

many

done

and

old

people

it

helps

them

to

say

now

I

have

got

something

I

have

hope

I

have

hope

for

the

future

in

Jesus

the

reality

of

resurrection

helps

the

downtrodden

of the

world

to

get

the

justice

that

will

not

turn

them

the

oppressed

into

an

oppressor

it

can

do

so

because

it

is

not

a

consolation

of

for

life

loss

in

this

world

but

a

restoration

all

of

the

fundamental

reason

Christian

hope

is

concrete

is

because

God

has

given

us

the

Holy

Spirit

as

our

helper

Romans

2

28

tell us

that

the

Spirit

help us

in our

weakness

and the

Spirit

himself

intercedes

for us

and also

in 2

Timothy

1

7

says

for

the

Spirit

God

gave

us

do

not

make

us

timid

but

give

us

power

love

and

self

discipline

Christians

have

the

Holy

Spirit

a

person

in

a

three

in

one

God

as

a

pipe

that

channels

God's

love

to

us

the

experience

of

God's

love

help

us

to

love

even

our

enemies

or

those

that

oppress

us

this

spiritual

pipe

this

Holy

Spirit

pipe

is

not

and

never

will

be

clogged

because

Christians

are

saved

and

called

to

a

holy

life

not

because

of

anything

we

have

done

but

because

of

God's

purpose

and

grace

and

what

Jesus

has

done

for

us

Christian

hope

is

not

about

what

you

have

done

or

need

to

do

but

what

is

done

for

you

in

Jesus

Jesus

has

already

loved

your

enemy

for

you

Jesus

has

already

loved

your

neighbor

as

how

you

would

love

yourself

that

is

how

you

will

change

yourself

and

change

the

world

Christian

believe

this

world

is

made

to

be

a

paradise

but

it

has

been

lost

and

the

book

of

Genesis

tell us

that

before

the

world

was

lost

God

saw

everything

he

created

including

humans

in

his

image

as

good

and

that's

why

Christian

hope

is

fulfilling

the

image

of

God

is

in

the

DNA

of

every

human

some

people

realize

that

this

fact

embraced

a

true

identity

and

became

Christian

others

maintain

a

skeptic

or

call

themselves

an

atheist

but

for

however

long

they

have

tried

has

failed

to

prove

God

does

not

exist

King

Solomon

is

known

to

be

the

wisest

king

ever

on

earth

and

he

wrote

in

Ecclesiastic

chapter

3

10

to

11

that

I

have

seen

the

burden

God

has

laid

on

the

human

race

he

has

made

everything

beautiful

in

this

time

he

has

also

set

eternity

in

the

human

heart

yet

no

one

can

fathom

what

God

has

done

from

beginning

to

end

you

will

have

a

longing

in

you

some

deep

and

unfulfilling

desire

if

eternity

is not

in your

heart

if

eternity

is not

in your

human

heart

you

see

every

beautiful

thing

in

the

creation

while

seeing

at the

same

time

how

sin

tainted

the

inside

of

you

it

is

such

a

burden

on

the

human

race

to

face

a

reality

of

this

mismatch

the

gospel

of

Jesus

Christ

is

by

his

resurrection

he

has

lifted

the

burden

he

has

removed

the

stink

of

death

and

sin

and

restored

eternity

in

the

human

heart

Christian

hope

is

fulfilling

because

the

hole

in

your

heart

is

finally

filled

with

the

right

stuff

that

pumps

the

nutrients

your

body

need

to

thrive

and

grow

there

is

no

longer

a

heart

in

your

heart

that

causes

shortness

of breath

or

restricting

your

movement

you can

leap

walk

run

and

sprint

you can

live out

the life

Jesus

gives

you

and have

it

to

the

full

as

God

originally

designed

it

to

be

as

said

in

John

10

10

Christian

he offers

salvation

as a

gift

that

is

not

conditioned

on

us

living

a

morally

good

and

religiously

observant

life

salvation

and

eternity

do not

belong

to the

good

people

but

to

those

who

will

admit

they

are

not

good

enough

and

need

a

savior

those

hoping

to be

right

with

God

will

get

what

they

want

because

Roman

5

5

said

hope

does

not

put

us

to

shame

because

God's

love

has

been