Love Further Up & Further In

Chris Oswald / September 25, 2022

I. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LOVE & HEAVEN

Jesus’ eternal perspective exemplified in the Mary & Martha story (Luke 10)

Matthew 24:35 ESV

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Paul’s eternal perspective integrated into his high view of love (1 Cor 13)

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Is it mere coincidence that those who lean into heaven the hardest are also quite loving?

II. UNLIMITED TIME & TREASURE

Illustration: Black Friday anti-love

The source of Corinth’s lack of love?

1 Corinthians 15:12 ESV

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Corinthians 15:32 (ESV)

If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Heaven is a place of unlimited joy and adventure

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

“where God is the living God his presence continues always to invite trust and confidence, as well as forward-looking hope in the living, ever-ongoing God who does new things, even in the perfection of heaven.” - Anthony C. Thiselton

“the life of the age to come will rest on faith as completely as does the Christian life now.” Similarly, unless we conceive of heaven as a “closed” or static state, the openness of the heavenly life towards the future maintains the relevance of hope” - Anthony C. Thiselton

“And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” — The Last Battle, Lewis

III. INCOMPREHENSIBLE TRANSFORMATION

Every saint will be glorified

Romans 8:29–30 ESV

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

1 Corinthians 15:42–43 ESV

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.

It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

What kind of person do you have the most trouble loving?

It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. — Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Helping one another along

1 Corinthians 14:1–5 ESV

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can’t describe it any better than that: if ever you get there you will know what I mean.

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed, and then he cried:

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this. Come further up, come further in!”

Questions for Ongoing Bible Study & Discussion:

Look up all the scriptures listed and pick one that stands out to you

Read the text out loud to the group

Retell it in your own words

What does this tell me about God?

What does this tell me about people?

What does this suggest I should do?

Who else in my life would benefit from hearing about this?

Rhythms, Repairs, & Reaches

Also be prepared to discuss the following each Community Group:

Rhythms: How are the basic rhythms of your life (Family time, time with God, sleep, fitness, etc...)

Repairs: Is there anything in your life/heart that needs to be healed, attended to, fixed in any way

Reaches: Do you have anything big coming up? Any dreams? Any long range plans or hopes we can pray for?