Renovation Church Sermon Podcast

Surprised By Hope | Life After Life After Death

We wonder how we will avoid boredom in eternity because we have been taught to believe eternity is an immaterial realm where we don’t eat, drink, play, create or relate—we just worship all day. 

Living with those beliefs can leave us feeling confused and unsure about eternity, and no one should have to be unsure of what the hope of eternity is.
The Scriptures teach an incredible continuity between this world and the one to come. Discovering this in Scripture has not only strengthened my faith and excitement about eternity, but it has also given me new language to share that hope with those who are far from God, and I believe it will do the same for you.

Today, as it has been each week, will not be comprehensive enough to answer every question you might have about life after life after death or, more simply, life after Heaven. 

Surprised By Hope | Is Hell Real?

The problem of Hell in our time is twofold: 1. The Bible is less clear on the nature of Hell than on its existence. 2. The word Hell conjures up images in our mind gained more from medieval imagery than from the Scriptures and the earliest Christian writings.

Just as many were brought up to think of God as a bearded old man or the “big guy in the sky” stopped believing in that image and so stopped believing in God, there are many who were taught to think of Hell as a literal underground location full of worms and fire, or as a “torture chamber” and so decided that when they stopped believing in that, they stopped believing in Hell.

However, if we are indeed Christians, we do not have the choice to reject believing in something captured throughout Scripture. Even Evangelical Universalists believe in the existence of Hell and that people will go there.

So we are left with one choice—search the Scriptures to try and discern the most biblical understanding of Hell’s nature. I believe most everyone wants that understanding to some degree or another. I would imagine, most of all, we want to be relieved of anything that doesn't line up with the Scriptures, like rage-filled preaching about medieval imagery and calling it hell.

Surprised By Hope | What Is Heaven?

In the previous section of John’s Gospel, Jesus spoke directly to Peter. Now, he broadens his focus to include the other disciples, for they, too, are troubled—not because they rush toward pain, disgrace, shame, or crucifixion but because they are confused and uncertain of what Jesus means about His imminent departure. 

Jesus’ talk about departure and denial disturbed them greatly. It is no wonder the Eleven are profoundly upset. 

The way the disciples are to calm their hearts, Jesus spells out for them—Believe in God; believe also in me. Another way to say it is to trust God and trust me. They can only find real hope and confidence by focusing on God rather than themselves.

The reason He gives for leaving them is a promise—He is leaving to prepare a place for them. His departure is to their advantage. Yes, He is going away, but He is going away to make a home for them.

The language Jesus employs here—Father’s house and rooms—is used in many Jewish sources when speaking of Heaven. Since Heaven is pictured here as the Father’s house, it is more natural to think of ‘dwelling places’ within a home such as rooms or suites in a large resort, not individual mansions.

The point, of course, is not the extravagance of each suite but the fact that Jesus is making such ample provision that there is more than enough space for every one of Jesus’ friends to join Him in his Father’s home. 

Interestingly, this begins to answer our question: What is Heaven?

Surprised By Hope | What Happens When We Die?

It is reasonable to wonder about what happens when we die, and sadly, Christians' varying beliefs on the matter are often not tethered to Scripture. The chaos on this topic creates mistakes in our thinking, praying, liturgies, practices and mission to the world. 

So, we will answer this question today from the Scriptures, and I hope we can dispel all confusion.

While there have been many views and teachings on what happens at death, my goal is to teach the most historically accepted Christian orthodox understanding of life after death. So, if something is particularly challenging for you and you want to reach out, I’m happy to discuss what the scriptures say.

Surprised By Hope | Is Death The End?

It is a human issue. Personal and global events only serve to exacerbate it. Yes, it is mainly in the rearview window now, but we lost over a million of our fellow citizens and 6 million of our fellow image-bearers of God globally to a pandemic. 

Are the cultural patterns we see today not profoundly influenced by that? From the great resignation to the massive separation to the hyper-politicization, while not exclusively a result of our collective loss, they are most certainly influenced by it. Our collective mortality confronted us, and it altered us. 

It heightened our collective fear of that spectre of death. The fear that plagues us is just wrong. No one should live in fear of death.

Palm Sunday | Fulfilled

What does it look like to fully commit to Jesus?

 

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Jesus Revolution | Courage Under Fire | Acts 4:1-12

Our host culture, for many reasons—some understandable—is oppositional to our faith in Jesus. We are unlikely at this stage to face the end of a knife or even lose our job for loving Jesus, but there is still opposition, and if we are honest, we do not want to contend with it.

If you are anything like me, the threat of opposition can create a palpable fear in you. And then, when you give in to the temptation to shrink in the face of resistance to your faith, a wave of shame usually follows. 

“I should have said more…” “I should have said something…” “I knew the truth and I pushed it down.”

But can I encourage you? Fear and shame should not have the power to silence your faith. Every person who practices the way of Jesus should be able to live a courageous faith.

I do not say that without empathy. Rest assured that I completely understand the fear and shame that arise from not being bold about my faith. I am intimately familiar with those emotions. But you can overcome those emotions.

Over the years, especially the last four years, I have gained what can only be called a holy confidence, and that confidence came through repeated exposure to the Holy Spirit. 

Being filled and refilled with God’s Spirit keeps the truest truth at the forefront of my mind—who I am in Jesus is what matters most. I encourage you to embrace that same truth, and courage will come, courage that does not fold in the face of aggressive or passive-aggressive opposition.

In Acts chapter four, Jesus’ followers find themselves similarly faced with a moment that will test their mettle.

Jesus Revolution | Times of Refreshing

“I don’t believe you can be at your optimum without your faith. Sports is sports, it’s a game. My faith is everything. It’s the gas that propels the courage, the truth, keeps me going. It’s the wind, it’s the wings, it’s the air that pumps into my lungs that provokes me to live. Faith is everything.” - Coach Prime

By all accounts, Coach Prime is a faithful representative of the message and work of Jesus, using his platform to reflect the need for diversity in coaching and, more importantly, to make much of Jesus.

And I believe, like Coach Prime, you want to be a faithful representative of the message and work of Jesus. You may not have his reach or platform, but if you are engaged with Jesus and His people in any way, beneath everything, this is a desire of your heart.

But there's a challenge with your and my ability to be faithful representatives of Jesus’ message and work, right? I am sure your mind is swirling with all of the possibilities, but one stands out from any other possible answer—Many of us don't trust the message of Jesus.