My Heaven lesson from Sunday

Has anyone ever been to Disney World? 

At this point I ended up asking two boys and two girls to describe Disney World.

Does anybody doubt that these two people are telling the truth?  If you’ve been to Disney World, do you believe this person has as well?  Is there anyone here who does not believe that Disney World exists?

We believe in places like Disney World, even if we have never been.  We believe because we’ve seen photos and heard stories from friends.

Has anyone ever been to Heaven?  Have you seen pictures or talked to anyone who has been there?

Heaven is a real place.  The Bible tells us that it is real, but how do we know?  We’ve never been there.  No one alive has been there.  How can we trust that when we die, that we will see Heaven?

If you are a Christian, then you do know someone who has been there.  He’s there now, and he is preparing a place for all who believe in him.  Not only does Jesus live there, but he is the king and our creator.  We can believe heaven is real because we believe the truth about Jesus rising from the dead.

My mother had a baby girl when I was three who lived less than a month.  I knew and thought about death at a young age.  When I was about 7, my mother had mentioned something about heaven when we were watching a movie in Sunday School.  I asked if it was real, and she said yes.  So I believed so that I could see my sister someday.  I also believed in Jesus so I could go there.  When I was about 6th grade I began to believe in Jesus because I loved Jesus and it brought me through many friendship heartbreaks in school.  It also kept me going when my mother passed away 8 years ago.  Even though I am still sad, I have hope.

1 Corinthians 15:12-22

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. ¹⁵ We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
²⁰ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Paul had written to a group of believers who doubted that people would rise from the dead.  Paul assured them that the dead will rise again.  We can believe this because we know Jesus rose from the grave.  Because Jesus lives, we know that we can live again.  And when God raised Jesus from the dead, he gave us the ultimate proof of the existence of heaven and himself that could be seen and touched by people.

All people, whether they believed in Jesus or not, will rise from the dead, and the ones who believed will live with Jesus not in heaven, but on the new earth when Jesus returns.  Those who did not give their lives to Jesus will suffer in hell forever.

As for now, Jesus is preparing a place called Heaven for believers who die.  There is no sin there; nobody will ever disobey God.  Also, there is no sickness or dying.  It is the very good creation that God made before Adam and Eve sinned.

Not everybody will be in heaven, but I hope that all the people in this room will be.  If you happily believe in the Lord Jesus and that he came and died and rose from the dead, then you will live with him forever when you die.  If you would like to know more about Jesus and how you can believe in him, you can always talk to me or Mr. Mike or Erica or Amy or any adult leader, and we will be glad to talk and pray with you.

Do you know one of the best things about heaven?  If you believe, then God has sent you his Holy Spirit to live in you.  You have access to Jesus, and you experience heaven now and don’t have to wait until you die.  No, you can’t see your dead relatives yet or live in a sin-free world, but you still have heaven now and must work to make this world more like heaven until the day you die or whenever Christ comes back.

Some people refuse to believe in heaven because they cannot see it.  You cannot find it on a map.  You can’t sail to it beyond the stars like they do in Star Trek.  How can we trust that Heaven is real?

Have you heard of air?  Can you see it?  How do you know it is real?

 

You can’t see air, but you can see what it does.  It makes bubbles in the water.  You can feel it move if the wind is blowing.  It can destroy houses if it becomes a tornado or a hurricane.

 

Why don’t people believe?

How can we know about heaven?  Romans 1:18-23

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

This passage says that God will judge people who refuse to believe in him because God has made it obvious that he exists through creation.  Mountains, oceans, stars, and people with their complex biological systems could not have come from nothing.  God made everything and made it for his glory, and the reason we don’t see him now is because Adam and Eve sinned and we have all been born in sin.  Sin separates us from God because we will die if we come to our perfect Lord on our own.  People refuse to believe in heaven because they love themselves and their sins and want to do what they want to do and not what God wants to do. 

Thank the Lord that sent Jesus as a baby who grew to be a man that lived the only perfect life ever.  Because of that, only he could die for our sins and live again.  And it is only through Jesus’s blood that we can come to God and not die in our sins.  You must believe in this to be saved from hell.  And when you believe, you will have the Holy Spirit who will change you so that you do not love your sin anymore and will want to obey God more.  Once again, I will be glad to pray with you and so will Mr. Mike or Mark or any other adult leader.

 

God’s not in the sky

In 1997, a band called Zilch wrote this song.  I would like to play it for you.

 

I thought about it for a while, and let in questions for the asking,

She asked if God was just a slob like us,

Maybe something there is lacking.

My God's not it the sky; he's here with you and I,

Just ask me if I die; my God's not in the sky.

Let me tell you all my thoughts on God, 'cause I just met with him this morning,

He gives me peace, so I can wear a smile while others drown in melancholy, bitter, sadness - all this man is.

My God's not it the sky; he's here with you and I,

Just ask me if I die; my God's not in the sky, yeah,

My God's not it the sky; he's here with you and I,

Just ask me if I die; my God's not in the sky.

And I know you feel the need to know for sure,

You want to find him; he will find you.

My God's not it the sky; he's here with you and I,

Just ask me if I die; my God's not in the sky, oh yeah,

My God's not it the sky; he's here with you and I,

Just ask me if I die; my God's not in the sky.

 

At the same time, there was a song called “One of Us” by a lady who does not love Jesus who asked, “What if God was one of us, a slob like one of us?”  It’s a very insulting song.  She totally missed the point of Jesus.  He was God, and he was completely human and was one of us.  Through the Spirit, he is still among us.  And that way, heaven is not in the sky but all around us.  We aren’t in it, but we experience it every day if we are Christians.  We can praise God every day that he did not leave us to die in our sins but sent Jesus to save us.

 
 

Mark: belief and what "Christ" means

Mark 8:22-38
In this, Jesus heals a blind man near Bethsaida.  Then he asks his disciples who they think he is. Peter says that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.  Jesus praises him.  Then he tells them that he is going to suffer, die on a cross, and rise again in three days.  Peter rebukes him, and then Jesus calls him Satan and reiterates that the Christ is called to die for the sins of the his people and that his followers must also be willing to die.

When Jesus heals the blind man near Bethsaida, it's weird because he has to do it twice.  Commentators speculate that this is because Bethsaida is one of the towns that Jesus denounced as having no faith.  If he had preached to Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented faster than Bethsaida.  But just because Jesus or his disciples shake the dust off of their feet at a town does not mean that they give up on individuals in that town.  This man came to Jesus, and he healed his blindness partially.  The man could see people as trees walking.  Then Jesus healed him the rest of the way, and he could see clearly.  It makes me wonder if Jesus was testing his faith much like he tested that Syro-Phoenecian woman from the previous episode.

Next, he gives his disciples the ultimate test.  Who do people say he is?  Many say he was a good prophet, Elijah reincarnate, or even a good preacher.  Who do the duh-sciples say he is?  Impulsive Peter blurts out what everyone is thinking, which is why everyone loves him.  Jesus is the Christ, God the Son, sent to earth to save his people.  In Matthew, Jesus praises what he says and says that the church is built on the rock.  Jesus renames Simon "Peter", which means "rock".  Jesus did not say that the church was built on Peter, but on what Peter said.  The church is made of people who believe that Jesus is Christ.

But that is not the focus of Mark.  Mark focuses on who Jesus is and what that means.  That is why he skips Jesus's praise and goes to Jesus saying that he will die on a cross and then be raised from the dead three days later.  This did not agree with what his followers thought Messiah meant.  The Messiah would free Israel from Roman occupation and make them independent again.  But Jesus had in mind the real problem, the sin of all humanity.  People cannot pay for their sins, and even in an independent Israel, they are still going to die.  And God made both Jews and non-Jews in his image.  Jesus came to die for the sins of his chosen church made of people from all nations.

And that is why on this last week before Christmas break, I'm singing music mixed with both Christmas and crucifixion songs.  I still did not tell people my logic behind picking my music this year, since talking doesn't come easily to me, but I still followed a theme and at least got to talk about it here.  I'll continue more in the new year.

Mark: God's dogs and our self-satisfaction

Mark 7:24-8;21

Just had another debate with the Pharisees about uncleanness.  Now he encounters a Gentile woman who needs her demon-possessed daughter healed.  The Jewish people considered non-Jewish people to be "dogs".  Dogs were not the beloved pets that they are now.  They were dirty scavengers to be avoided.  That is how the Jews saw non-Jews.

And Jesus himself truly did come to Israel first because that was his first nation called under his name.  Although his message was to all kinds of people, he first wanted his nation to hear it while he walked the earth.  This is why when the woman comes, he essentially calls her a dog.  But either he says it with a warm smile on his face or she is desperate enough to see her daughter healed.  She keeps asking and says that even the dogs are getting the crumbs from the main table.  Jesus is focusing on just the Jews, but the rest of the world is watching and getting some of the message.  Jesus gladly heals her.

He then goes on to heal the deaf and dumb man from the same region near Phoenicia and he feeds 4000 people who are mostly Gentile.  Just like with the 5000, the disciples forgot what Jesus could do, but he still graciously multiplied his bread so that all could eat.   Then, Jesus and his disciples go sailing along and Jesus says do beware the leaven of the Pharisees.  The duh-sciples, as they are called by us (which is unfair because we make the same mistakes), still thought he was talking about them forgetting about the bread.  No, Jesus was warning them not to be so self-satisfied.  God chose Israel as his nation and he chose all believers as his people, but he did not have to do so. His grace is a gift and not earned.  He forgives sin because he wants to.  He is a savior by nature.  We must extend the same grace to all people.

Mark: Corban, kosher rules, and luck

Mark 7:5-23
In this passage, Jesus answers the Pharisees who don't get why he doesn't wash his hands before eating.  The Pharisees wonder why he doesn't obey the fences that they created around the rules.   Jesus wonders why they don't obey the actual rules.

He uses the Corban example.  If someone dedicated some property to the temple, then it would pass on to the temple whenever that person died.  While the person lived, however, he could still enjoy and use the property however he wanted.  These people were using the rule as an excuse to not care for their aging parents.  People didn't have retirement funds then, and they depended on their children to care for them in old age.  These self-righteous people were using the Corban rule to not care for their parents when they could very much do so because the property was still theirs while they lived.

People cared more about the appearance of righteousness than actual righteousness.  Jesus used these examples to show how wicked people are in their own power.  "For from within, out of the heart of  man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." People are already wicked.  They cannot get any more wicked by eating something.  God gave Israel those rules to make them see how badly they needed a Savior, not to impose a diet.  Now that Jesus had come, he makes people clean and able to come to God without having to die.  There is no more need for kosher rules and diets.

This reminds me of what I am teaching.  There are three kinds of people.  There are people who trust in luck.  They believe that events and history happen randomly without any plan or meaning.  Then there are people who believe in God.  Events and history are specifically ordained by God who knows and loves us and knows exactly why he's doing what he's doing.  The third group of people try to be both.  They try to use God to get good luck.  It doesn't work that way.  He is not obligated to something just because you did something.  He saves who he will save and has mercy on who he has mercy.  He cleans whoever he will, and you cannot manipulate him to serve your purpose.  If you do, then you are trying to get saved on your own efforts when you are already so defiled by just one sin that you can never come to God.  Thanks be to God that he sent Jesus to be clean for us and that we are clean through him.  If only people would just follow Jesus and his will for their lives and not try to live according to what they think is right.  Life would be so much better.

Short musing from Sunday

I taught on God making night and day and recalled one kid from when I ministered in Loganville asking why stars were created. So I included a part in the lesson about God making the moon, sun, and stars for his glory and even the principle from WSC question 1 about why people were created: to glorify God and enjoy him forever. One kid asked if that includes people who murder and kill. I didn't have a complete answer to the question at the time. I have to say that it does but such people are doing what they want and not what God wants. That is what sin is. When we sin, we do not serve our original purpose, but God can even redeem those people who murder from their sin and from death. I hope I got the message across. I know if a kid asked a question, then I did something right.

Mark: 5000, walk on water, unclean hands, two reactions and then the right one

Mark 6:35-7:4

In this passage, Jesus feeds the 5000, walks on water, heals people, and then the Pharisees gripe about him and his minions not washing their hands properly before eating.

From what I can see, there are two and a half responses to Jesus in all of these passages.

1). They wanted to force him to be king.  Some people try to say that Jesus didn't really multiply the bread and fish.  They say that when one little boy offered his lunch, the rest suddenly remembered that they had brought their lunchboxes and ate.  No, no, no.  This miracle is the only miracle other than the resurrection of Jesus that is in all four gospels.  This was a huge miracle.  This reminded the people of the manna in the desert and they also expected the Messiah to rescue them from Roman occupation and make Israel great again.  So, they saw Jesus as at least the next Moses to lead them on another exodus and this was his sign.  John 6 talks more about what went down than Mark does.  The only thing is, he was already their king from eternity.  And he didn't come only for them.  And they needed an exodus from an occupation far more serious than the Romans.  They needed salvation from hell and damnation.  They needed to be saved from their sins.  So, they had one extreme reaction where they approved of Jesus but wanted him to fulfill what they thought they needed rather than what he actually came to do.

1.5). Greater fear than any bad storm. After Jesus had graciously ministered to the masses, he still wanted some alone time after just having heard about his cousin, John the Baptist's death.  He needed some grieving time.  He send his minions across the lake without him.  A big storm came and it was night.  The disciples were freaking out.  Then, here is Jesus walking on the water.  This is the main way that Mark proves that Jesus is God.  Only God could master the water and the waves that way and walk on them like it was just normal ground.  When the hungry 5000 wanted to make him king, he showed his disciples that he was better than that, he was God the Son.  And when he got to the boat, Mark uses his favorite word, "immediately," and the storm just stopped again.  Once again, the disciples were more afraid after he calmed the storm than before.

2). The Pharisees completely reject and insult him.  Most of their country sees Jesus as a man who is making changes.  The Pharisees see someone not following the rules that they follow so well that they made rules around the rules.  Apparently when Jesus fed all those people, he did not do the ceremonial washing that they think God the Father wanted because he wanted them to eat clean food.  And if God wants them to eat clean food, then he must want them to wash elaborately, too.  This is far more complicated than washing your hands in warm water for 20 seconds and then turning the faucet off with the paper towel before drying your hands.  No, this is more like a whole bath.

Then again, God wanted clean hearts, not stupid rituals that he didn't actually set.  And just like the first reaction, they went the other extreme where they disapproved of Jesus because he was not fulfilling what they thought they needed rather than what he actually came to do.  Which is the right reaction?  Neither extreme.  We simply need to fear Jesus more than a storm the way the disciples did.  So much will go right if we do so.

Mark: rejections, familiarity, martyrdom, and mere harassment. Also, Jesus has time for you.

Mark 6:1-34

Jesus goes to his hometown, but the people there saw him grow up in the home of Mary and Joseph with his brothers and sisters.  To them, there is no way that this young guy could be a prophet.  They remember when he first started walking.  And thus familiarity breeds contempt.  If you grew up knowing Jesus in a Christian home in America or even in a private Christian school, do you kind of roll your eyes whenever Jesus's name comes around?  Do you ever wonder why you need him?  Contrast that with someone raised in public school where Jesus had to remain in the background.  Its like, sometimes, the people who believe in Jesus who went to public school take him for granted a little less.  When I first went to Trevecca, it nearly brought tears to my eyes to have professors pray before class.  I went to Salem High School where you couldn't even really sing specifically about Jesus in chorus because you might offend nonbelievers (though you could get away with God, just not specifically Jesus.)  I hold to my Christian faith quite strongly because although my parents raised me in the faith, I did not take my faith for granted because Jesus was not the center of school (although I had many positive faith experiences there) and I came to him on my own.

Next part: Jesus sends out his disciples, not just the 12, but other trainees as well.  Some towns will accept Christ and his salvation, and others will not.  The disciples simply must shake the dust off their feet and treat the latter towns as unclean for the time being, although they should not treat them as unreachable.  The truth is, all people are born rejecting Jesus.  Unless Christ changes your life, unless the Father draws you to him, you will not believe, thus says John 6:44.  All the disciples where specifically called by Jesus.  They did not initiate their rabbinical relationship with him (although, I think all rabbis called their disciples, not just Jesus.)  Still, Jesus initiates all the relationships that believe and obey him.  He also wants those people to bring other people to him.  If those people reject Jesus, he still wants us to continue to try to reach them until we can't anymore.

Next: King Herod rejects Christ, but it is through John the Baptist.  Herod Antipas is in an incestuous relationship with his brother's wife, Herodias, who is also actually his niece.  Her father was Herod the Great's son, a son that Herod had killed for possibly trying to take his throne.  John the Baptist called own Herod for this.  Herodias wanted him dead, but Herod kept him alive and in prison because although he hated his message, he still thought he was interesting and amusing.  Then, Herodias's daughter danced a very sensual dance for Herod.  He eventually had an affair with her, too.  Her promised her up to half the kingdom in front of his guests, and she wished for John's head on a platter, so he granted that wish.  Thus, John was martyred, not really for speaking the truth, but because a girl danced.

How we Christians today are marginalized for speaking out against perversions to sexuality.  God created the wonderful gift of sex to be within a married couple that is man and woman.  Man wants to do what man wants and so people will have sex outside of marriage, live together without being married, and try to have same-gender relationships.  Christians speak out against this.  At least we aren't put in prison yet.  We can lose businesses, lawsuits, and misguided Christians will say we are judgmental.  But we are not yet incarcerated or killed for our love of the truth yet.  And we are still to love sinners enough to tell them that they are wrong and that they will perish in hell unless they give their lives to Jesus.  Oh, how I have failed the Lord in that respect!  I want to be bolder with the truth.

Finally, after Jesus hears that his cousin John has been killed, he seeks a place to be alone, but thousands come to be healed and to hear him speak.  In his weariness, he still finds time to minister to their bodies and souls.  Sinners, our Lord has time for you.  Please, let go of your own way and go to Jesus who is so much better than your desires and dreams.  He will heal you.  He healed me of my sinful desires and self-righteousness.  He can heal anyone.