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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Stephen 't Hart > The Grave may be our destination but it's not our destiny | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) 2014 Book of Praise ESV Bible translation Greeting Sing: Psalm 116:1,2,3,4,5 Apostles' Creed Psalm 118:6 Prayer Read: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49; 2 Corinthians 4:7 - 5:10 Sing: Hymn 74:1,2 Text: Lord's Day 22 Sing: Hymn 74:3,4 Prayer Collection Sing: Psalm 116:8,9,10 Blessing |
Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ
Hashtag #YOLO has probably had its day in the sun, but what's behind it is still alive and well. Hashtag #YOLO. You Only Live Once.
- "Took Friday afternoon of and went camping for the weekend, because YOLO."
- "Bought myself a new car, new shoes or a new couch because YOLO."
- "Went skydiving for my 50th birthday because YOLO."
YOLO. You only live once. You only have one life. What you see is all there is, and therefore live life your way, live it to the fullest and take your chances when they come.
And YOLO, then, leads to FOMO. A Fear Of Missing Out. The world is big, but life is short. And while everybody else seems to have something exciting going on in their lives, my life is boring in comparison. I'm worried that life is passing me by, that I’m missing out, and that I won't get to enjoy all there is to experience.
But how about you? How do you try to live your life, and how do you think it is all going? Do you sometimes feel as though your life is in a bit of a dead end, going no-where, achieving nothing? That you’re missing out on life? Are you one of those who hate to miss out on anything, wanting to get maximum pleasure out of life? You might not be so crass about it, and you might not put YOLO on your Instagram pics. But do you live your life with the idea that this is all there is, so get out of it what you can?
- Those of you who are teenagers or twenty-somethings. Do you act like that, always looking over your shoulder, always thinking that maybe there’s something better out there that you’re missing out on?
- Those of you who are married, have a mortgage, working long hours, balancing a job with work at home, or else staying at home to care for the family: do you miss those carefree days of your pre-married life when you were mobile and could do what you wanted?
- Those of you who moving into your 40s and 50s. Perhaps you’re waking up to the fact that you’re getting older, that your body is changing and you no longer have the vigour of youth. Perhaps your financial goals did not quite work out as planned. Perhaps married and family life didn’t turn out as wonderful as you had hoped. Perhaps your job isn’t quite what you wanted but it is not so easy for you to do something else. Do you feel somewhat cheated, do you fear that you’re missing out? Or are you playing catch-up to make sure that by the time you retire you can put your feet up and do what you really want?
- Those of you who are retired, do you see in yourself or in others the idea of a Bucket List to tick off, the determination to see every sight and to experience every thrill before you die. Or, if not that, as you get older and various ailments and illnesses set in, how do you feel about the fact that your body is breaking down? Are you depressed and overly frustrated that you cannot do the things that you want?
This afternoon we'll be focusing our attention on the last lines of the Apostles' Creed, that I believe in "the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting." I think it is true to say that most of us tend to think about the resurrection and everlasting life in the context of our death. It's good to do that, but today I want you to especially think about the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting in the context of our life. What effect does this confession have on how we live our lives now? How does it affect the way that we see ourselves, how we are to live, and what we are to live for? Let's think about these things together as we turn to God's Word in 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 4 and 5, in connection with what we confess in Lord's Day 20. I preach God's Word to you under this heading:
The grave may be our destination, but it's not our destiny
1. Where are you going?
2. What will it be like?
1. Where are you going?
We all know where we are going. We all know that we are going to die. You might fight it, you might deny it, but you cannot avoid it. The best diet, the healthiest lifestyle and the highest safety standards might prolong your life, but if Jesus doesn't return first, the grave is the destination for every person that is born.
In a sense, however, that process of dying has already begun. For the first years of their life most people will grow and to thrive, but it isn't long before we discover that we're not as young and fit as we used to be, that we've passed our peak, and that our bodies have started to wear out. We get sick, our joints get stiff and sore, our teeth decay, we have an accident or break a bone, we get diagnosed with some sort of illness, and our minds become tired. As it says in Psalm 90:9-10,
“For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.”
And that's how we normally see our lives. We start off young and, for most of us, fit and healthy, but all too soon that changes and it's all downhill from there.
But that's not the only way to see our lives. And that's not the way that God sees our lives. Because when we are in Christ, redeemed and made new in him, we are a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come. In Christ we have passed from death to life. And, just as the journey to our physical death has already begun, so our new life is already here! 1 John 5:12 says,
"Whoever has the Son has life!"
And John 5:24 where Jesus says,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
And in that sense, "the life everlasting" isn't the life that is to come, but it is something we begin to experience already now! And what we want to see, and what we pray for, is that we grow in that new life in Christ. And so, while physically we might weaken, spiritually we who are in Christ Jesus will be strengthened! And in this way we do not simply view our bodies as that which is breaking down to death, but we view them as that which God is restoring to life!
And that will then change how we view our bodies, and how we view our lives, already now. If we did not have this hope, then we too might be tempted to eat, drink and be merry, living for the moment and grasping at everything we might want to experience. Because, YOLO, remember, You Only Live Once, they say. And if we did not have this hope, then we would look at others, at how they look and at what they've got, and at what they are up to. And we'd wish that we could be them, that we could do what they are doing. Because FOMO is real, you know. But that's not us, and that's not how we live our lives. Because we know that this life is not all there is. And we know that this body is not all there is. The grave might be our destination, but it's not our destiny. It's not where we will ultimately be.
And an example of this all changes how we view both our bodies and our lives can be found in the apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4. In Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul had to respond to criticism from others who mocked his ministry and his commitment to preaching the gospel. His response was that he was so committed to his ministry that he had given up his own body for the sake of the gospel. And the reason for that was because it was in his body and through his body that Paul could preach the gospel. Concerning the gospel, the message of salvation in Christ alone, he wrote in chapter 4:7,
"we have this treasure in jars of clay, [ that is, his body] to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."
And verse 8-10,
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
And the reason for this, he wrote in verse 15 was
"for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase in thanksgiving, to the glory of God."
The apostle Paul, therefore, effectively gave up his own body, he sacrificed himself, for the sake of the gospel message, and for the sake of those who might believe through his ministry. And his body carried the scars of his ministry in the gospel. But even though those scars caused pain, he did not give up on his service to God, nor did he lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:16 to the first part of verse 18,
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen."
Paul's body, his outer self, that Jar of Clay, was wasting away. He could not go on forever, nor would he live forever. But even as he suffered "this light momentary affliction", he was being prepared, in both body and soul, for "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." He was being prepared for the resurrection of the body, and for the life everlasting. The grave might have been his destination, but the resurrection and eternal life was his destiny. We will see this further in our second point.
2. What will it be like?
When the apostle Paul described his body as a "jar of clay" in 2 Corinthians 4:7, and that he would not lose heart even if his "outer self" was wasting away (verse 16), you might get the impression that he thought your body doesn't matter, that your body is expendable, and that it is only your soul that counts. You might get the impression that it's ok to run your body to the ground, not caring for your body and not treating it well as you live for God. But that's not true. Robert Murray McCheyne was a godly Presbyterian minister in Scotland, well regarded for his piety and his preaching. He graduated from university at the age of 14, and in 1827 he pastored a congregation of over 1000 people at the age of 23. However, Robert McCheyne worked so hard that his health finally broke. Before dying at the young age of 29 he wrote, "God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message." That's a sobering reminder for all of us as we live for Christ and serve him in our bodies. At the same time, however, this present body is not all there is, nor do we idolize our bodies nor concern ourselves with diet, exercise and the like simply for the body's sake. Rather, we remember the purpose God gave us a body, and that was to use it to serve him. And what's more, as we serve him, and as our bodies break down, we do not grieve as those who have no future. For this present body is not all there is. Rather, whereas the present body is wasting away, God is preparing a new body that will never decay!
And so Paul goes on in chapter 5:1,
"We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body) we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
That's what Paul looked forward to: not so much the end to his body here on earth, but the receiving of a new body from God in heaven. Reading on in verse 2,
"For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling."
As our present bodies grow old and break down, we grow weary with them. But notice that we do not long for eternal youth, nor do we lament too loudly for the loss of our bodily abilities. But rather than look backwards, we look forwards, with longing, to a renewed body that God is preparing for us.
But then comes verse 3, and with it, the recognition that our bodies are of great importance. Verse 3,
"if indeed by putting it on (that is, the new body) we may not be found naked."
What Paul means by being found naked, is to be a soul without a body. So what we learn from this verse is that Saul was not looking forward to losing his body. In fact, to be without a body made him somewhat nervous, as if he was naked, unclothed. Paul did not hate his physical body, not even what he described as his "outer self" which was wasting away. He did not have the idea that it was his spirit or his soul that counted, and not his body. Rather Paul knew that we are a body. You cannot separate your physical self from your soul, as if the real you, the inner you, is your spirit and that's all that counts. Not at all! You are your body, and your body is you. To be disembodied, therefore, was not something that sat well with Paul. And yet, that's what we will be, in a sense, when we first die. Because when we die, our bodies will go in the grave and our souls will be with Christ in heaven. Yes, as Lord's Day 22 says, after this life my soul shall "immediately be taken up to Christ my head." And at that point in time, we would be without a physical body. For our resurrected body will come later. That will be given to us on the Last Day. And so Paul is wrestling with this in 2 Corinthians 5. And he asks himself what does he really want? "While we are still in this tent", he wrote in verse 4, while we live in these earthly bodies, "we groan, being burdened." But it's not that we want to be unclothed, without a body! What we really want, verse 4, is to be "further clothed, so that what is mortal (this present body) might be swallowed up by life. And that's what Paul is really looking forward to here: to have his earthly body exchanged for the glorified body that would one day be his. But if he could not yet have that glorified body, then Paul would be ready to depart from his earthly body so that he might be with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:8,
"Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
Because even without a body, for that short time between our deaths and the resurrection of the dead, we will not be disembodied entirely. Rather, you will be with the Lord, at home with him.
And then one day, when the Lord returns, our bodies will be resurrected, and we will be complete once more, with body and with soul. As Lord's Day 22 puts it,
"this my flesh, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious body."
And what will be like is what Paul had already described, as best he could, to the Corinthians in his first letter to them, in 1 Corinthians 15. Turning to 1 Corinthians 15, verse 35 says,
"But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?"
What will we be like? How old will we be? How will we recognise one another, and how will we look? These are understandable questions, but they are also foolish. 1 Corinthians 15:36,
"You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies."
And from there Paul went on to describe how God has made physical bodies for humans, animals, birds and fish. There are heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars, and there are earthly bodies. The point is, God is not limited in what he can create. He has done it before, he will do it again. Don't think that God cannot do this: what you will be, we do not fully know. But God knows. And he will do it.
But there is still more to say with respect to what the resurrected body will be like. For we will be like the resurrected Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:49,
"Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven (Jesus Christ).
And, as it also says in Philippians 3:21, Christ will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
And that suggests to us that while some things will the same with respect to our present bodies and the new bodies God will give us at the resurrection, some things will also change. And the changes will be as those described in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.
"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
We know the limitations of our natural bodies. They are perishable, they break down and beauty of youth will fade. We get old, we turn grey, we get sick, and our bodies no longer function as they ought. In fact, we don't even have to wait until we are old: even when our bodies are in their prime they are not perfect, nor are they glorious. Because our bodies are marked with dishonour, they are marked with sin. Our bodies suffer from our own sin, and from the sin of others.
But the body we wait for will not be like that. The body we wait for will be raised "a spiritual body." Not a spiritual body in the sense of being non-physical, but a spiritual body in that it will be perfect. Not perfect in the sense that it matches the world's perception of beauty and perfection, but perfect in the sense that through it we will be able to perfectly serve and glorify God. Because that's what we were created to be, that's what we were created to do.
And that must change the way we view our bodies and we live our lives today. The life you now live and the body you now have is not the only life, nor the only body you will ever have. If you die before Christ returns, the grave will be your body's destination. Your body will be buried and your soul will be taken up to be with Christ in heaven. But the grave will not be your body's destiny! Because one day the grave will give up the dead and you too will be raised. And then, to use the words of answer 58 of Lord's Day 22, you
"shall after this life possess perfect blessedness, such as no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived - a blessedness in which to praise God forever."
So don't look back. Do not try to cling to your youth or any particular time of your life, nor act as though your best days are behind you. And don't live to serve the passions of your flesh. Don't act as though you need to grab for yourself what you can from life, since you only live once, nor rush here and there with a fear of missing out. But rather, "since I now already feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy" let us live from that joy, seeking God and his kingdom, offering our lives, yes even our bodies, as a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him. Do not be too anxious about growing old, of getting sick, or even of dying. But rather look to Jesus, honour him and eagerly expect the glory of the life, and the body to come. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Stephen 't Hart, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Stephen 't Hart
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