22-1204a Transcript

Preacher: Scott Reynolds

(1:35) Good morning. (1:37) I’d like to share with you a sermon from Douglas Hamilton, a preacher at the Junction City Church of Christ in Junction City, Kansas. (1:50) Hollywood loves to talk about the afterlife.

(1:55) They’ve made hundreds of movies that address the afterlife. (1:59) It’s a huge topic behind love and violence. (2:02) A lot of times they have love and violence together.

(2:06) Everybody always likes to talk about the afterlife. (2:09) Like, all dogs go to heaven. (2:12) Or remember, Oh God, with George Burns? (2:17) They chose him because he was like the oldest man alive at the time.

(2:22) Remember Beetlejuice? That was all about the afterlife. (2:26) It’s a wonderful life. (2:28) How about The Sixth Sense? (2:30) At the end you found out, hey, this whole thing is about the afterlife.

(2:35) Then you had to piece together all this Hollywood stuff. (2:39) How about Field of Dreams? (2:42) They celebrated that game. (2:45) And that was about the afterlife.

(2:48) Where do you go? (2:49) Out into a cornfield in Iowa and you play baseball. (2:54) Heaven can wait with Warren Beatty. (2:57) Apparently you get a sweatsuit in heaven.

(3:01) What about ghosts? (3:02) That’s like the biggest one. (3:05) These are just ones that I’m familiar with. (3:08) Hollywood is still in discussions on the afterlife.

(3:13) And the sad part is, we can choose to be spiritual imbeciles (3:18) and let that feed into what we believe about the eternal life and not even be close. (3:26) The media wants to talk about the afterlife, but they don’t want to use the scriptures. (3:31) They just make the stuff up as they go.

(3:34) And Douglass says, as a minister I’ve gotten so many questions about the afterlife (3:39) which are anchored in a movie and not in the scriptures. (3:44) And I always ask them, do you want the biblical answer or do you want the Hollywood answer? (3:51) Well, I want the Bible answer. (3:53) Will you accept what the Bible has to say? (3:57) Because Christians use the Bible.

(4:00) So let’s get going. (4:01) This is a four-part series. (4:03) We will do part one this morning, part two this evening.

(4:07) It will be called this evening, The Transformation. (4:13) You want to come back to that. (4:15) And we’ll conclude with parts three and four on January 1st, (4:20) which is the next time that I’ll be speaking a full Sunday, Sunday morning and evening, (4:25) the first Sunday of January.

(4:27) Where we start in the series, the trip to the afterlife, part one, (4:32) we’re going to start with this premise found in Genesis 126 that Roger read, (4:39) and it’s a foundational understanding. (4:44) We are made in the likeness and image of God. (4:49) This is a powerful statement in the Bible.

(4:52) But unless we calculate it into the equation, (4:55) you can’t even begin to understand what it takes to digest this. (5:01) And since we are made in the likeness and image of God, we might ask, well, how are we like God? (5:08) Does God have a body, eyes, ears, a nose? (5:12) Let’s investigate how we are made in his likeness and image by looking at the nature of God. (5:19) Beginning in the beginning with Genesis 126, notice the pronouns used.

(5:27) In today’s world, there’s a big emphasis on preferred pronouns. (5:35) Let’s see what God’s preferred pronouns are. (5:39) Genesis 126, God said, let us, pronoun, make man in our, pronoun, image, according to our likeness.

(5:56) In the Bible, pronouns have meaning. (5:59) Notice the call of God is in the plurality. (6:03) God uses plural pronouns.

(6:07) The word for God in this text is Elohim, which is plural. (6:13) His name in this text is a plural form of the word, Elohim. (6:19) We have a triune God, tri, consisting of three, un, and one, three and one, (6:27) being God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

(6:31) And they are one God with three components. (6:34) The Father is the planter, the Son the builder, and the Holy Spirit is the completer of all that’s in the universe. (6:43) They always work in concert with each other.

(6:47) And we see this throughout the Bible, in creation, in information, and in salvation. (6:53) And we see God planting, Jesus building, and the Holy Spirit finishing. (7:02) For example, in the creation, God planned the creation.

(7:08) He’s the architect. (7:10) Jeremiah 10, 12 states, (7:13) He established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heavens. (7:20) God questions Job in Job 38, 4, (7:23) Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? (7:26) Tell me if you have understanding.

(7:30) Jesus built in the creation. (7:32) He’s the actual builder. (7:35) So when you see, in Genesis 1, saying, God said, that’s Jesus speaking.

(7:42) We’ll see that in a moment. (7:44) John 1, 3, All things come into being through him, and apart from him, that’s Jesus, (7:51) nothing came into being that has come into being. (7:54) Colossians 1, 15 and 16.

(7:57) Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (8:03) For by him, by Jesus, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, (8:11) whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, even the authorities. (8:17) All things were created through him and for him.

(8:21) Hebrews 1, 2. (8:24) God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, (8:29) through whom he, God the Father, created the world. (8:34) So God the Father created the world through his Son. (8:38) There you have the architect and the builder working together.

(8:43) The Holy Spirit finished the creation. (8:46) Genesis 1, 2. (8:48) The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, (8:52) and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (8:59) Job 26, 13.

(9:02) By his Spirit he has garnished the heavens. (9:05) He’s the finisher. (9:09) I love this building metaphor.

(9:12) We used it to see that God builds his house the same way. (9:16) God’s the architect. He designs it.

(9:19) Jesus is the builder. He puts it together. (9:21) And you know, if you’ve ever had something built, (9:25) you know that after the builder comes in and does his work, (9:28) there’s a finisher that comes in and does all the finish work.

(9:35) And so the Holy Spirit is the finisher. (9:43) The same thing with the Word. (9:45) God planned the words.

(9:47) John 14, 10. (9:49) The words that I say to you, Jesus is speaking here, (9:52) I do not speak on my own initiative, (9:55) but the Father abiding in me does his work. (9:59) John 14, 24.

(10:02) The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. (10:07) So the Father provided the words, the information that he’s given us. (10:12) Jesus spoke the words.

(10:15) John 1, 1 and 2. (10:16) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, (10:20) and the Word was with God. (10:22) And he was in the beginning with God. (10:25) John 1, 14.

(10:28) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (10:31) And we saw his glory. (10:34) Glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(10:39) So Jesus is the one who spoke the information, the words. (10:43) And that’s why we can say that when God said, (10:47) let there be light, that God, person of the Godhead that was saying that, (10:52) is Jesus, let there be light. (10:54) He brought everything into being as it tested him.

(10:58) The Holy Spirit completed the words. (11:00) Mark 16, verse 20. (11:02) They went out and preached everywhere, (11:04) while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs of followers.

(11:09) What did the Holy Spirit have to do with it? (11:11) He backed it up. (11:12) He confirmed the inspired writings that we have in our hands. (11:17) Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 1, 5. (11:20) For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, (11:27) and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction.

(11:31) 1 Corinthians 1, 6. (11:32) Even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you. (11:38) The Holy Spirit confirmed the word for us. (11:41) So we have this pattern established.

(11:45) God planned, Jesus is the builder, and the Holy Spirit the completer. (11:50) The same thing goes for the actual plan of salvation. (11:56) God planned salvation.

(11:58) Ephesians 1, 4. (11:59) He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, (12:05) that we would be holy and blameless before him. (12:08) We are not an afterthought. (12:12) We are not an accident.

(12:15) God planned this. (12:18) Jesus built salvation. (12:20) John 14, 6. (12:22) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life, (12:26) and no one comes to the Father but through me.

(12:29) Jesus is the one who blazes the trail for us. (12:33) The Holy Spirit completes salvation. (12:36) Romans 8, 11.

(12:37) But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, (12:44) he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies (12:50) through his Spirit who dwells in you. (12:54) All three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. (12:59) Before time, during time, and after time.

(13:03) They are working together. (13:04) The Scriptures make a clear connection of the three. (13:09) They are in concert with each other, functioning as a triune being.

(13:15) Matthew 28, 19. (13:17) Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. (13:21) Well, how do you do that? (13:22) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

(13:28) There they are in our salvation. (13:31) In our very existence in the Church, 2 Corinthians 13, 14. (13:36) The grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, (13:40) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

(13:45) God is triune. (13:47) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God. (13:51) Three persons, three components.

(13:54) They are triune. (13:55) They are always going to be triune. (13:57) The only time was when God turned his back on Jesus and the sky went dark (14:03) as the sins of the world were being put on that cross.

(14:08) It went dark. (14:09) That’s the only time. (14:11) That’s not happening again because that was paid for once for all.

(14:16) And so God is triune. (14:19) Don’t think of God in the Hollywood way as an old guy with a beard (14:23) and a lightning bolt in his hand ready to throw from heaven (14:27) patterned after Zeus, the god of Greek mythology. (14:33) God’s not like that.

(14:35) God is triune. (14:37) When you’re thinking God, think also of the Son and Holy Spirit (14:40) because these three are one package. (14:44) They are different parts, have different purposes, but God is triune.

(14:49) But, you know, we are made in the likeness and image of God. (14:58) Why? (14:59) Because we also are triune. (15:05) Did you know that? (15:08) Being body, soul, and spirit.

(15:11) And this is confirmed through the scriptures captured in the following three verses. (15:17) Matthew 10, 28. (15:33) So we know we have a body and we have a soul.

(15:37) Hebrews 4, 12. (15:52) You know, you see those Japanese knives just slicing stuff. (16:01) The Spirit of God, the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword (16:08) and it’s able to divide the soul and spirit.

(16:16) They’re not the same thing. (16:18) Soul and spirit are two different things (16:21) and the Word of God can split them apart (16:24) of both joints and marrow (16:26) and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (16:31) We have a soul and a spirit.

(16:35) Paul comes out and names all three and defining us in 1 Thessalonians 5, 23. (16:42) Now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely. (16:48) That is, in your entirety.

(16:52) That’s all of you. (16:55) And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete in its entirety. (17:01) You might say.

(17:03) Without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (17:08) We are three parts. (17:10) Just like God.

(17:13) We are body, soul and spirit. (17:15) Equally triune. (17:17) And this way we are made in the likeness and image of our triune God.

(17:22) We are different from other creatures. (17:25) We are truly different. (17:27) We’re not just, as the biologists like to say, an animal.

(17:32) We’re not just like any other animal. (17:36) We have parts that make us triune like God. (17:43) Why is it important to understand this at the beginning of our study? (17:48) It’s because we cannot understand the trip to the afterlife (17:52) without knowing the components that make us up.

(17:57) What’s the best way to deal with potential misunderstandings of Scripture? (18:02) It’s to make sure the foundation is strong. (18:08) If we don’t understand that we are made in the likeness and image of God, (18:13) that we are triune body, soul and spirit, (18:16) then we will not understand what the Bible wants us to understand from the Scriptures. (18:22) For example, let’s look at the three dimensions of man.

(18:28) First, you have a body. (18:32) If you have a body, raise your hand. (18:38) Good.

(18:39) You couldn’t raise your hand if you didn’t have a body. (18:42) Okay, it’s a simple point, (18:44) but you have to go further than that to understand what the Bible says. (18:49) What Hollywood does is they want to base everything on the physical body.

(18:55) We’re going to look the same. (18:56) We’re going to have a sweatsuit. (18:59) We’re going to whatever.

(19:00) They base everything on the physical earth. (19:06) Our body is the part of man for which we are most familiar with. (19:15) It is what we know of every person, (19:18) for it was designed for our presence in this realm, the physical realm.

(19:23) We have a body built for this realm, but only for this realm. (19:30) Additionally, it’s the portion of man which will perish. (19:35) It’s temporary.

(19:37) The physical realm is temporary. (19:40) It’s finite. (19:42) It has an incoming.

(19:46) Psalm 103, 15 and 16. (19:49) As for man, his days are like grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. (19:56) But when the wind has passed over, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.

(20:06) Hebrews 9, 27. (20:08) It is appointed unto men once to die. (20:12) What if Jesus comes back? (20:14) Okay, we’ll chew on that later.

(20:17) Philippians 3, 21. (20:20) Refer to the body that we have right now, (20:23) or refers to the body that we have right now as the body of our humble estate. (20:30) What he’s talking about is that this body is going away, (20:34) and the older I get, the happier I am that I don’t have to get stuck with this.

(20:43) Douglas said, I had somebody in hospice one time ask me a question. (20:49) They’re almost at the point of death, and they said, (20:53) Do you think we’ll kind of pick up where we’re at? (20:58) I let them process it. (21:00) What do you think? (21:02) And they said, No, because it wouldn’t be heaven if I was in this dilapidated condition.

(21:10) And that’s right. (21:11) This body is for this realm. (21:15) Number two, but then we have the soul.

(21:19) That’s the real person. (21:21) That’s the one you need to be concerned about. (21:24) Our soul is our inner being, encompassing everything about us, our sexuality.

(21:32) Isn’t that biological? (21:34) Yeah, but it’s driven by your soul. (21:38) Personal differences, intentions, knowledge, memories, all these, they’re all part of you. (21:44) What make you you is your soul.

(21:47) That’s your soul. (21:50) If we desire to have a stake, if it’s what you’re craving, (21:56) it’s because our soul desires to eat flesh. (22:00) Deuteronomy 12.

(22:01) When we long for God, it is our soul which thirsts for him. (22:08) Psalm 331. (22:13) The knowledge of being fearfully and wonderfully made is captured in the soul.

(22:18) Psalm 139-14. (22:21) When you remember someone who has passed, it is your soul who remembers. (22:26) Lamentations 320.

(22:28) Our soul is the real version of ourselves, being our inner man. (22:36) Ephesians 316. (22:38) We have an outer man, we have an inner man.

(22:42) And though our outward body is temporary, our soul is eternal. (22:51) Long after we pass from this life, what remains of you is your soul. (22:57) The soul will continue into the afterlife.

(23:00) 2 Corinthians 416. (23:03) Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (23:12) Now the spirit.

(23:14) Our third part. (23:16) Let’s digest the word spirit for just a moment. (23:20) Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5.23 that we have a spirit, soul, and body.

(23:26) But what is the spirit of which he speaks? (23:31) What is he referring to? (23:34) The word spirit can mean many things. (23:37) Like wind in Hebrews 1.7. (23:41) He who makes his angels wind. (23:44) You could say spirits there too.

(23:46) He who makes his angels spirits. (23:49) Or breath. (23:51) 2 Thessalonians 2.8. (23:53) The spirit or breath of his mouth.

(23:56) A resurrected soul. (23:58) 1 Corinthians 15.45. (24:01) The last Adam became a life-giving soul. (24:07) A personal sentiment.

(24:09) Matthew 5.3. (24:11) Blessed of the poor in spirit. (24:14) Our intentions. (24:15) Philippians 1.27. (24:16) Standing firm in one spirit.

(24:19) Or Holy Spirit. (24:20) Acts 2.38. (24:22) And Peter said to them, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (24:27) But none of these fit the context of our composition.

(24:31) Yet there is one definition which does apply. (24:35) That being the spirit of life. (24:39) The spirit of life is what God breathed into Adam and made him a living soul.

(24:46) Genesis 2.7. (24:47) And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of spirit of life. (24:55) And man became a living soul. (24:59) The spirit of life is what was driven from those who were drowned in the great flood.

(25:05) Genesis 7.22. (25:08) And whose nostrils were the breath of the spirit of life died. (25:14) We have the spirit of life within us. (25:17) It is the life force which energizes the body and the soul of man.

(25:24) The body cannot live without the spirit of life. (25:27) Neither could the soul. (25:29) But the spirit of life never leaves the soul.

(25:33) The soul leaves the body. (25:35) And that’s why the body dies. (25:37) We’ll cover that more in detail in the next lesson, the transition, tonight.

(25:42) The spirit of life is that mysterious life force which powers the being for which science cannot dismiss nor explain. (25:52) Psalm 104.29. (25:55) Thou dost take away their spirit. (25:58) They expire and return to dust.

(26:02) Job 33.4. (26:04) The breath of the Almighty gives me life. (26:08) Job 34.14 and 15. (26:11) And this one I shudder at.

(26:14) Think about this. (26:15) Job 34.14 and 15. (26:18) If he should determine to do so.

(26:22) If God just thought that, you know, maybe I’ll do this. (26:26) He should gather to himself his spirit and his breath. (26:30) All flesh would perish together.

(26:33) And man would return to dust. (26:37) The body cannot live without the spirit of life. (26:40) Neither can the soul.

(26:42) According to the scriptures, when our physical body dies, the soul disassociates from the body, taking the spirit of life with it. (26:54) It is the spirit of life that keeps the soul alive, eternally alive. (27:00) For it was what made man a living soul.

(27:03) The spirit of life that God had connected to our souls makes it possible to continue to eternal life or eternal damnation. (27:14) There’s a song that we sing. (27:17) To Canaan’s land I’m on my way.

(27:20) Where, what? (27:22) The soul of man never dies. (27:25) My darkest night will turn to day. (27:29) When the soul of man never dies.

(27:32) Dear friends, there’ll be no sad farewells. (27:35) There’ll be no tears and dies. (27:37) Where all is peace and joy and love.

(27:41) And the soul of man never dies. (27:45) So you see, in conclusion, we are made in God’s likeness and image. (27:52) And not only is this going to help us understand our trip to the afterlife.

(27:56) But it is also the very reason why we treat others like we are made in the likeness and image of the living God. (28:09) Because we are. (28:11) What sex is a soul? (28:15) There’s no sex.

(28:16) There’s no marriage in heaven, we were told. (28:22) What color is a soul? (28:24) How rich is a soul? (28:30) You know what happens when you’re dying? (28:32) What happens to your possessions? (28:36) How rich is a soul? (28:39) And this way, when somebody is baptized into Christ. (28:44) They are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female.

(28:48) For we are all one in Christ. (28:52) How? (28:53) Because a soul comes up from the water. (28:56) You may have sown a body.

(29:00) But God saw a soul committed to Jesus. (29:03) And that soul, understanding the triune quality of humans. (29:08) That they are made in the likeness and image of God.

(29:11) Is what makes it possible for us to value another human being. (29:16) We are commanded to love our neighbor. (29:19) We’re also commanded to love our enemies.

(29:23) We’re commanded to love those made in the likeness and image of God. (29:28) And every human being is made in the likeness and image of God. (29:34) And that soul is going to keep on going.

(29:38) They’ll be in a new body. (29:41) And we’ll talk about that later on. (29:44) But the soul with the spirit of life is not going to die.

(29:49) Your soul is not going to die. (29:53) The question is, where is your soul going? (30:01) We’re extending the invitation now to anyone who is subject to it. (30:06) Come, while we stand and sing.