12/29/13  THIS BABY BROUGHT HOPE

The Future

    We have talked during the month of December about the hope that Jesus brought to the world.  This last Sunday of the year is a time to change focus from the past to the future.  Our world has focused on coming up to Christmas.  Now, the thinking moves to the new year.  What will the new year bring?
    It is common for people to look to a new year with the expectation of something better.  Things have to change.  Hence, the proliferation of new years’ resolutions.  But, we still ask, what does the future hold?  What will the next year be?  What is coming for us?  Will we see changes we desire?
    There are always people who say they know the future.  Sometimes they are really wrong.
Scientist Claimed the Internet Would Be a Fad
    In 1995, an American scientist named Clifford Stoll boldly predicted that the Internet would be just another passing fad. He wrote an article for Newsweek titled “The Internet? Bah!” Here’s what Stoll said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio:
        I expect the value of the Internet for communications in general isn’t very high. I don’t think it will ever replace face to face meetings and real rallies—things that get commitment and involvement from people. Rather, it induces a very shallow … involvement and as such, I think it’s grossly over-promoted and there’s a great deal of hyperbole surrounding it.
        I think it’s grossly oversold and within two or three years people will shrug and say, “Uh yep, it was a fad of the early 90’s and now, oh yeah, it still exists but hey, I’ve got a life to lead and work to do. I don’t have time to waste online.” Or, “I’ll collect my email, I’ll read it, why should I bother prowling around the Worldwide Web …” simply because there’s so little of value there.
    Ten years later, in a 2006 TED talk, Stoll reflected on his failed predictions and said, “If you really want to know about the future, don’t ask a technologist, a scientist, a physicist. No! Don’t ask somebody who’s writing code. No, if you want to know what society’s going to be like in 20 years, ask a kindergarten teacher.”
Molly Bloom, “The Internet will be a fad, claimed scientist in ‘95,” MPR News (2-16-12)
    What about the future?  What IS going to happen?  What about the new year around the corner?  What will we rely on?
    I can’t tell you the exact things that we will face in 2014.  Things are changing so fast.  I am constantly shocked at the things we are seeing happening.
    A key question:  What is the hope we have because Jesus came to the world?  What is coming up?
    We have Christ’s promise of an eternal home in heaven.
Whatever the problems we face, whatever the frustrations that just drive us crazy, we know that some day we will be in a place where we will be with out Lord.
II Corinthians 5:1 NKJV
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
    The longer we live the more we realize that our human bodies are temporary and fallible residences.  In our youth we felt we could handle anything.  No matter what we did we would recover and go on with life.  Then the weakness of age creeps in.  We realize that we have a temporary dwelling.
    Jesus gave us a strong assurance.
John 14:1-3 NKJV
1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
    Hebrews 11 tells us of a city whose builder and maker is God.  We have a promise of a new dwelling that will outshine anything we have ever seen.
    Because believers have this awesome promise of a home with Jesus, we also look to what the Bible calls the blessed hope.  Titus 2:11-14 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
    Jesus will return and his faithful followers will be caught up from the earth to meet him in the air.  This is a promise believers have looked for since Jesus left this earth.  Skeptics have laughed at this, but that’s OK.  The angel said this same Jesus will come in a like manner as you have seen Him go.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
    When that time comes, Jesus’ followers will see Him as he is and live with Him for eternity.
Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
1 John 3:2-3 NKJV
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
    We have the hope of receiving a reward for our faithful service to Jesus as we lived our lives on this earth.
II Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
    Because Jesus came the first time, we have His promise of coming the second time to take us to be with Him.  This world is getting worse.  The mess is unbelievable.  But, we still have hope.  We are not home yet.
    KEY POINT:  God wants us to have a heavenly perspective.  How do our loved ones who are already there look at things?  They see the whole story.  They see how everything turns out. It’s going to be a good story.
    This world includes suffering because of sin all around.  How do we handle that?  The Christian answer to suffering looks to Christ’s suffering and His resurrection.  He understands pain.  He understands joy.  He knows the whole story, including how it will turn out.  The end is amazing.
    Life is a journey.  Generally, we look forward to the journey and the things we will accomplish and experience.  We want this journey to take us to new and exciting places.  But, even as we long for this journey to be a good one, we face curves in the road and sometimes wonder where it will take us.
    I’m reminded of a trip I took.  I looked forward to it.  I made many plans.  It was a trip that had many ups and downs.
Minneapolis to West Africa, via Paris.
Back through Paris to Amsterdam.
Back home, again through Paris.
Flight delays.  Detours.  Lost luggage.
Frustrations.  Great results in teaching times.
    Looking back, it was a great trip.  In heaven, we will see the awesome things God did for us on our journey.  Whatever we experience to get there will be worth it.
    With the great promises ahead for believers whose hope is in Jesus, we must have an ever increasing longing to share our hope with others.
1 Peter 3:15 NKJV
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
    Always be ready to share what you have.  What you have is the greatest hope the world has ever known.
TAKE HOME WITH YOU
Are you certain of your eternal home?
If God were to ask you why He should let you in to heaven, what would you say?
What should we do with the “bumps in the road”?
How should the promise of heaven impact your daily behavior in this new year?
Ask God for direction about this new year.  What should you do that is the same?  Different?  What should you strive to accomplish?
Prayer