The Sadness of Unbelief

I want us to jump right on our word today because we're going to have two wonderful baptisms right at the end of church today. We've got two young men that are going to be baptized and we're very excited about that.

My sermon title today is The Sadness of Unbelief. And we're going to work our way through Luke chapter 20 verses 27 through 40 in a minute. But I want to set the stage of what that's all about so that you have a context of understanding what we're going to be studying today. Last week, we studied one of the last questions the Pharisees and scribes and Herodians asked Jesus in order to trap him. But if you remember how we saw how Jesus saw through their trickery, that's what the scripture says. He understood their trickery. Jesus makes their question much more than about paying taxes to Caesar. He questions back to them was, in essence, about whose image is on the throne of your heart. He knew their hearts were fearful and hypocritical and blind and stubborn. He literally shut them up for a moment that forced them to a lying posture, really an accusing, lying posture that ultimately caused him to drag him to Caesar, declaring him as an insurrectionist.

That he was, these are the three things they said, that he was misleading the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar. Did he do that? He wasn't doing that at all, was he? They lied. It says, and that he declared that he was the king. Now, he wasn't declaring he was the king of the earth at that time, a political system they expected, but that he was the king of kings and the Lord of lords in the heavenlies, that he was our king. Today's story is about, and this is how I summarize it all up, the heartbeat of the supernatural.

When I was in seminary, one of the classes that I took that had profound impact in my life was entitled The History and Criticism of the Pentateuch. Now that's a big label for a class. It was an intense study of the first five books of the Bible. Dr. John Oswald, who was our professor, I want to tell you guys, made God so big and so utterly other. O-T-H-E-R. Utterly other. Other than us. He just made God so large for me. I can remember Jack Webb, a good friend of mine, and I literally one day, we looked at each other and said, we've got to hit the chapel. And we ran as hard as we could to a little prayer room on campus for at least an hour. We just lay prostrate on our faces before God, basking in his glory and confessing our total depravity. God was so utter than us that our depravity just rose up in our souls. We knew we were so lost and so distant from him All we could do is just fall prostrate on our faces You ever had that kind of experience It very much that kind of experience Isaiah had in chapter 6. I don't have time for us to go there, but let me encourage you. Go read Isaiah chapter 6. He had that very same kind of experience. I grew up in the United Methodist Church in Lorenzo little small country church and every Sunday it was our custom to say the Apostles Creed and I said it Sunday after Sunday after Sunday but I had no clue what it was all about and I want to tell you if you look at it It's all about the supernatural of God. Listen to it. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Creator of heaven and earth. You know, when you and I create something, we have something to start with. The Bible teaches that God created out of nothingness. There was nothing there, and God created the heavens and the earth. That absolutely blows my mind. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived, listen to this, by the Holy Spirit. Not by man. By the Holy Spirit. Born of a virgin. Now what's that mean? She never had sex with a man. Now that's pretty supernatural, isn't it? Suffered under Pilate, Pilate was crucified, dead, and buried. He was making the atonement, supernaturally making the atonement for our sins. He descended into hell. And on the third day, listen to this, he rose from the dead. Now guys, he was dead. Totally dead. Not a breath in his lungs. and he physically rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

An ascension. They went and watched him after 40 days of stomping around this earth in his resurrected body. They went and watched him into heaven. And it says, is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I used to say, what's that mean? Quick? What does that mean? It means the living. To judge the living and the dead. And listen to this. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to say do you hear the heartbeat of the supernatural in this creed?

That's what my whole sermon is about today. The heartbeat of the supernatural.

Today's story is a clear revelation about the supernatural God. So let me work our way through it with you And we're going to see these things in this story The description of the Pharisees The deception of the Pharisees And the destruction of the Pharisees Verse 27 the description of the Pharisees Now there came to him some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection.

Now that's the sadness of unbelief right there. There is no resurrection. let me just give a little sideline here they did not believe in the supernatural they did not believe in angels they did not believe in everlasting life they did not believe in the resurrection I ask myself why well quite simply at least one of the reasons there's many but one of the reasons is it excluded them from eternal judgment and accountability in this life Now, life was all about the present and what they could selfishly attain for themselves. They had no control. They had control over the money changers in the temple sacrificial system. They were a part of the Jewish leadership in the temple.

Their allegiance was to the first five books of the Bible. But they were blinded to seeing the supernatural in those books. Especially anything about the resurrection from the dead. And Jesus point blank deals with them here. When we get to the point on the destruction of the Sadducees, he point blank deals with them about this. They controlled the sacrificial system. The temple worship. the money changers. Let me tell you, they lathered up their pockets from the abuse of that system all in the name of God.

Have we seen some of that in the church in our age? Where there are those charlatans that lather up their pockets all in the name of God. Well, they would fit right into our culture. I guarantee you. they were opponents of the Pharisees and the scribes even though smaller in number they welded great influence in the temple in John 18 12-14 listen to what it says so the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and led him to Annas first for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Guess what? They weren't Pharisee high priest. They were Sadducees. They didn't believe in the resurrection.

It was Caiaphas who advised the Jews, the Pharisees and the scribes that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. Now when he convinced him of this it was not because he was trying to fulfill Scripture or his love for that man. He said it for outright hatred to Jesus. He wanted to stop all this mumbo jumbo supernaturalism about the resurrection He wanted to put the brakes on it to kill that idea in Judaism In 1 Corinthians 15 12 through 19 I find it interesting the Apostle Paul, I think he had a hangover of Sadducee theology in the Christian church. He says, now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead well I'm going to tell you that's a hangover from the Sadducees there is he says but if there is no resurrection of the dead not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching listen to this our preaching is in vain what I'm doing up here today is worthless if Christ has not been raised from the dead. It says your faith, if you believe in Christ, it says your faith also is in vain. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses of God because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ whom He did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ had been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, listen to this, your faith is worthless. You're wasting your time here today. Your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. There's no way out for you. You're still trapped within your sins if there was no resurrection from the dead. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. Can you imagine that? My mom and dad have fallen asleep in Jesus. And if there's no resurrection from the dead, they're perishing. They're just perishing. You know, I just live this life and there's nothing more. Boy, that is sadness, I'm telling you. It overcomes my heart when I think about that. If we have hope in Christ in this life only Boy what a firm state If we have hope in Christ in this life only We are of all men most to be pitied You hear that? If there's no resurrection from the dead We are to be pitied guys When I was in seminary in college I met on a weekly basis with the college chaplain I was the president of the Christian organization and I met with one week every week for one hour I met with the college chaplain he asked me to do this and he wanted to talk theology and we got to the resurrection and he explained the resurrection kind of like it was kind of like John F. Kennedy living today he just he just kind of lives in our memories but as far as any physical resurrection he said of course that just can't be that's not scientific you know I'm going God I'm getting a stomach ache right now I want to regurgitate I'm listening to this and And finally, this is what I had to tell.

He had a master's in theology and philosophy. This is what I finally had to tell him. You know what? If you want to have Christian fellowship with me, and you can prove there's no resurrection, I'm going back to...

down to the bar where I came from. I'm just going back down to the bar. If you want to have fellowship, you'll have it down there with me. We'll not have it in Christ in the church.

And then I said, that's the end of these discussions. I'm wasting my time if you will not allow the possibility of the resurrection, physical resurrection of Jesus. that describes who these Sadducees were they didn't believe in the supernatural they didn't believe in angels they didn't believe in the resurrection from the dead it was all a hoax to them and they wanted everybody else to believe just like them you see why they hated Jesus I am the resurrection and the life I am the resurrection you hear that? I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me shall not perish but have everlasting life pretty supernatural isn't it? secondly the deception of the Sadducees verses 28 through 33 and they questioned him saying this is wonderful teacher Moses they go back to Moses the patriarch of our faith Moses Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies now their example is so ludicrous having a wife and he is childless his brothers his brothers should take the wife and raise up his offspring for his brother now that's in Deuteronomy 25 you can go back and read all about that The whole concept of marriage was to propagate a name and to populate the earth. That was the sole purpose for marriage. He goes on with this story. They go on with the story. Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife and died childless. And the second and the third took her. they're doing what it said in Deuteronomy 25 and in the same way all seven died leaving no children now we'd call the cops in after about the third one wouldn't we I wouldn't want to be married to that woman I'm thinking what's she putting in my eggs at breakfast they all died they all died and she had no children but the brothers are taking care of her she has a pretty good life and then finally it says thank God finally the woman died also in the resurrection they said which they didn't believe in but in the resurrection they had to get over in his ground in the resurrection therefore here's where they thought they trapped him which one's wife will she be for all seven had her as wife. Who's she going to be married to up in heaven? That's their question. You know, when I read that, I just laughed. I thought, how ridiculous is that question? Can you hear the sarcasm in their question? Because at least in their thinking and disbelief in the supernatural, especially the resurrection any answer that Jesus would have given would be ludicrous and discredit him Why Because they dismissed the whole concept of the supernatural

They thought they had trapped him and could discredit his claims about being the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and being the resurrected one.

Oh, how mistaken they were. the third thing is the destruction of the Pharisees and this is absolutely fabulous what Jesus does here in verses 34 through 40 and Jesus said to them the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage you belong to this age you guys got married you belong to this age I understand what he's saying there. In this age, marry and given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, for neither can they die anymore. for they are like angels. They're not angels. They're like angels and are sons of God. They're not angels, but they are sons of God. Listen to this. Being sons of the resurrection.

Now let me just stop here for just a second.

The sons marrying and the women being given in marriage is an earthly, this age experience. Not only is it an experience, it is necessary to propagate a family name and to populate the earth. The sons and daughters of resurrection, it says no longer marry or given in marriage because the propagation of a name and the population growth is no longer necessary.

Here's my bold statement. There's not going to be pregnancy in heaven.

there's not going to be marriage in heaven. Men will not be marrying and women will not be given in marriage.

There's no necessity for it.

I was listening to R.C. Sproul preach on this. He said, my wife doesn't like that at all, that there won't be marriage in heaven. And he said, so I have to walk with trepidation. talking about this, because she may throw me outside the door when I get home.

There'll be wonderful relationships in heaven, but they'll be so changed from what they are now. You know, we always sang that song, and I even heard it this morning. Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace, and I want to see my Savior's face. Heaven is a wonderful place. I want to go there. There'll be no marriage.

Oh We will have a new body

We will walk in holiness.

We will walk in perfection.

We will be like angels. We will be the sons of God. now in the rest of the passage in verses 37-38 Jesus completely destroys the false teaching of the Pharisees listen to what it says but that the dead are raised even Moses showed now Moses was their guru even Moses showed in the passage about the burning bush I don't have time to take you to Exodus 3 but go read it most of you know that story where Moses encountered the burning bush where he discovered that God said I am that I am where he calls the Lord listen to what he says the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob now he is not the God of the dead he says but of the living for all live in and through him literally this is what he's saying I think even proving to them there is a resurrection from the dead because listen the I am said I am the God of Abraham not I was the God of Abraham the I am said I am the God of Isaac not I was the God of Isaac the I am said I am the God of Jacob not I was the God of Jacob you see that I am the living one I am the resurrection and the life as early as Exodus chapter 3 the resurrection is being shown in its true reality in the revelation of John one of my favorite passages in the Bible John was caught up in the spirit in a vision and he wrote and when I saw him I fell at his feet as a dead man and he laid his right hand upon me saying do not be afraid I am the first and the last I created all this and I'll wrap it all up and listen to this I am the living one I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore and notice what he holds in his hand I hold the keys of death and Hades my body might die but I won be dead hallelujah he destroyed the false teachings of the Sadducees on their own grounds He took them back to the second book of the five and he said, Guys, you false teachers, you have misinterpreted the word of God to these people. it's interesting in verse 20 he says they did not have the courage to question him any longer about anything now that's an eternal shut up right there isn't it he caught them in their own falsehoods I thought, well, how do you end up a sermon like this? You know, last week we turned render unto God what is God's and unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and it became just a message of salvation. Who's on the throne of your heart?

I thought about Lazarus and how Mary and Martha said, oh, yeah, we know there's a resurrection coming. And Jesus said, oh, wait a second. Lazarus!

Did I wake you up?

Come out!

Come out!

And he walked out.

And then he said to them, do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life? and their answer were different you are right now

in verse 53 of John 11 in that story of Lazarus it says so from that day on day the Pharisees the scribes the Herodians and the Sadducees and Annas and Caiaphas the chief priest motivated it all and from that day they planned to kill him do you hear what I'm saying You guys hear that? They hated Jesus so much.

Their number one goal in life was to kill him. They thought they would win.

Jesus was destined to the cross.

They didn't put him on the cross. He chose to go to the cross. He chose to die for you.

Romans 10, 8-13 says this, And if we confess with our mouths Jesus as Lord,

and believe in your heart that, listen to this, God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness,

and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the scriptures have been,

says whoever believes in him will not be disappointed for there is no distinction between jew and greek we're greeks guys hallelujah for the same lord is lord of all abounding in riches for all who call upon him for whoever call whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.