The destination of the saints
Notes
Transcript
Martin Luther
Martin Luther
I’m going to speak to you this morning about the destination of the saints - Assurance of hope.
On this day in 1517 a young, german, priest - Martin Luther, shared his ninety-five theses. 95 short statements exposing the corruption in the church establishment of his day.
Luther’s main concern was the false assurace of salvation and forgiveness that was being offered to the man or woman in the street by the purchasing of indulgences. Indulgences were certificates from the Pope that you could pay for to forgive your sins.
One story goes that Luther was out walking one evening and discovered a parishioner drunk in a gutter. When Luther rebuked him for his drunkenness - but before Luther could continue the man reached into his pocket and says “it’s alright Tetzel sold me this indulgence which forgives me for all my sins, past present and future”.
Furious by this exploitation and perversion of the truth Luther did what any sensible person would do. Write 95 short statements to the pope explaining why the church is corrupt and he allegedly nailed this document to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517. Accidentally triggering the protestant reformation.
Saints
Saints
What does this have to do with Saints?
Well everything…
A saint is someone who has recieved the grace of God through faith in the life, death and ressurection of Jesus Christ. In other words a Christian.
In Luther’s day that very system made out that they were all sinners trying to be saints. Buy this indulgence, attend this mass, walk this pilgrimage then you will be saved.
In other words do more and you will one day be a saint.
In the 1950’s film about Luther he’s being quesitoned as follows:
“Dr Martin if you leave the Christian to live only by faith… if you slip away all good works, all these things you dismiss as mere crutches, what will you put in their place?”
Lutther replies
“Christ, man only needs Jesus Christ.”
The ninety-five theses ends these words
Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ``Peace, peace,'' and there is no peace! (Jer 6:14)
Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, ``Cross, cross,'' and there is no cross!
Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.
And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace (Acts 14:22).
Covenant
Covenant
How can we have assurance of the promises of God. How can we have assurance of the promise of heaven.
Let’s turn to the book of revelation chapter 21
John has had 20 previous chapters of the most glorious revelation of Jesus Christ and is now about to see the beginning of eternity future.
The destination of the saints, heaven.
Revelation 21:1–2 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
So that’s the promise.
All things are being made new a new heaven and a new earth and a new Jerusalem.
We’ll see more of what this means as we go on but basically this is the coming together of the dwelling place of God and the people of God, the saints, the believers. That’s the promise everything is made new in the presence of God.
Let’’s read on
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Here we are are entering into covenantal language.
Bride and bridegroom of course implies marriage.
What is marriage - it is a covenant.
A covenant is a promise and it is generally uncondtional. God made a covenant with Israel and he promised to be faithful and to bless them and Israel promised to do the same.
However, unlike a contract - a covenant doesn’t break even if one side doesn’t keep it’s promises.
This is why the church teaches that the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman is a lifelong union “for better or for worse”.
Now isn’t it curious that this is the image that the Holy Spirit chose to reveal to St John in revelation to explain the kind of relationhip that Christ has with the church.
A bride beautifully adorned for her husband.
Why use that language?
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
On site of this bride the one seated on the throne (that’s Jesus says).
"Look! God’s dwwlling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God”.
That;s the covenant right there. A promise of being togehter.
Why use the image of a bride, of a wedding? Because marriage is about being together. Being united. Two becoming one flesh.
I tell all couples I’m preparing for marriage that the vocation of all married peoples is to be a picture of the love Christ has for his bride, the church, the saints.
Revelation—The Spirit Speaks to the Churches God with Men
So it seems that the most fundamental and intimate of covenantal relationships between human beings, marriage, exists to communicate the kind of relationship God will enjoy with his people (cf. Ephesians 5:21–33).
James M. Hamilton
Christ died for his bride the church.
When I was a youth worker I would say to the boys that if you’re not willing to die for her - don’t marry her.
That’s the example of Christ.
Where we can find any assurance? The Son of God died for you.
And the result of that is stated in
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
So where are we to look for our assurance. We look to our bridegroom, Jesus Christ, we only need him, we only rely on him. Him who wipes tears from eyes, him who puts death to death once and for all
1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Grave Not the End
Many times Billy Graham has declared: “For the Christian, the grave is not the end; nor is death a calamity, for he has a glorious hope—the hope of Heaven.
And what is heaven? If we think of heaven only as a place and it is a place. Then it is nothing. In fact I don’t want it.
Heaven is Jesus Christ. The space that is heaven only becomes worth inhabiting when Christ is there seated on his throne.
How then shall we live?
How then shall we live?
Don’t rely on crutches. Salvation is not through works. (Not many will here this old catholic sense).
Come forward this morning to this foretaste of the wedding banquet of heaven as feast on Christ, our bridegroom, by faith in our hearts. In the presence of the saints.