The sermon tonight was a killer one, and although I think I'm still trying to process it all, I wanted to share some of it with you because it is SO encouraging. Our pastor (http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons) has been working his way through Luke and this weekend he talked about the part in ch. 18 that talks about those that have left (or been willing to leave) all they know for the gospel have a reward, not only in the future, but now also. So, knowing that the prosperity gospel which rewards it's followers with wealth and health in exchange for faith is not truth, what is that reward that we experience now? First, it is getting to belong to a community of believers (ideally the church in Acts 2); Second, it is knowing that I am and forever will be justified by Jesus' death on the cross on my behalf. He saved me from God's wrath, which in my case means he's saved me from thinking I might be good enough because of my goody two shoes nature. What a relief! So when I stand before the Father, ALL I have to claim is Jesus' blood. What good news!
Our pastor also talked a bit about our reward of eternal life, and what a beautiful picture he painted of heaven! In the end, God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and we will get to be a part of it! A new universe that is exactly as God wants it, where all the beauty and the wonder and the love that we know now is absolutely pale and lifeless in comparison. When I think about all that makes my life so wonderful now and then think about heaven, oh man, I get so excited! I won't be afraid any more! I won't do the things I shouldn't and I will do the things I know I should! There won't be any more dark corners or bad guys or boogie men! I can't even comprehend my understanding of love expanding any more than it already has in this last almost 2 years of unreal joy in marriage (and I know that it will continue to grow as I age!), but in heaven I will experience God as Love! There won't be any separation between me and Jesus ever! Those sunsets and sunrises and thunderstorms and flowers and mountains that floor me now will be laughable in the sight of the new world! The pleasures of a body that works and of laughter and of the smiles of kids and of the feeling of swimming and of the enjoyment of good food - all completely pale in comparison. Oh, that heaven would come soon! That tension of now and not yet...of knowing wonderful things now and of knowing that better is coming, of knowing that tears now will lead to overflowing joy, of knowing that Jesus has rescued me now and of knowing that He will be enough in the end... oh, what glorious tension.
1 comment:
so glad you shared! we missed church this week. I used to get kind of scared of the thought of dying and going into the unknown called heaven, even as a Christian, not wanting to leave a good life...but like you said, anything good in this life doesn't compare and this isn't our home, this life on earth is just a speck of time. It does put things in perspective. It helps diminish fear and worry and makes the things that seem radical now really aren't and we need to live that way.
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