68 Sermon Illustrations on Future

Wired magazine published a piece wherein it asked more than three dozen popular science fiction and fantasy/horror writers and graphic designers to write a very short story. So short, in fact, they could only use six words.

Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer? - Eileen Gunn

We kissed. She melted. Mop, please! - James Patrick Kelly

It’s behind you! Hurry before it-- - Rockne S. O’Bannon

Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses. - Richard Powers

Don’t marry her. Buy a house. - Stephen R. Donaldson

TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE! Nobody there.... - Harry Harrison

Thought I was right. I wasn’t. - Graeme Gibson

Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back. - David Brin

Will this do (lazy writer asked)? - Ken MacLeod

In the beginning was the Word. - St. John (Gregory Maguire)

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Source: Mark Mail, http://mrhumor.net/

A few weeks ago, the world famous physicist Stephen Hawking came one step closer to his dream of going into space: He took a flight in a “specially modified aircraft” that allowed him to experience weightlessness.

Hawking, who is almost completely paralyzed by Lou Gehrig’s disease, said that the purpose of his flight was to “encourage public interest in space.” Not out of the kind of “new frontier” optimism, but out of a despairing view of humanity.

For Hawking, the goal for space travel isn’t to seek out new life or even to boldly go where no man has gone before — it’s to ensure the survival of the human race.

After the flight, Hawking said that “life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers.” Thus, colonizing other worlds may be our only chance of surviving our own folly.

If this sounds like Hawking — who is Isaac Newton’s successor at Cambridge University, the most prestigious chair — has been watching a bit too much of the Sci-Fi Channel, he’s not alone in his bleak assessment. In a recent NEW YORK TIMES’ op-ed, Robert Wright of the New America Foundation described what he called “an apocalyptic vibe in the zeitgeist.”

Wright argued that it’s “not hard to imagine how the technological sophistication that got us to the brink of global civilization could be our undoing.” He cited “classic nuclear apocalypse,” “eco-apocalypse,” and “terrorism” as three possible factors that could lead to a “planetary death spiral.”

These are hardly isolated examples. These days, if you want lectures on human depravity and the looming apocalypse, the best places aren’t churches or Christian book stores — it’s prestigious op-ed pages and science departments of universities.

It’s clear that the anti-religion crowd is growing desperate, the result of all their angry rejection of the hope of the Gospel.

Oddly enough, there is something almost biblical in this kind of talk. ALMOST, that is. This recognition of the human capacity for folly and self-destruction is a welcome alternative to the naïve utopianism and belief in progress that dominated so much of twentieth-century thinking. But it’s only PART of the truth.

What’s missing is the solution to what C.S. Lewis called our “bentness.” After all, even if we do escape the bounds of Earth to colonize new planets, our fallen human nature will accompany us on the trip and the cycle of folly will start all over again.

That’s why the real “logic of human destiny” (to borrow a phrase from Wright), is the Gospel. It not only describes the human condition correctly, it provides an answer to that condition — an answer that can be implemented on this world, not Rigel IV.

Instead of removing us from this planet, God came down to this fallen world. In living and dying as one of us, He transformed our humanity in a way that can break the power of sin and folly.

What needs modifying is us, not our spacecraft. The best antidote to the “apocalyptic vibe” Wright describes is hope — not in what man can accomplish on or off this planet, but in what God has done and continues to do, His kingdom, and the assurance that our human destiny is Heaven, not Mars.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

While many look to the government, material possessions, drugs or pleasure, they quickly find that these only lead to temporary distractions on a lifelong quest for happiness.

Never have so many people been so unhappy, as they are today. Perhaps the true source of despair and hopelessness among many people today is simply the recognition that life isn’t what it ought to be. Some of the things that promised them satisfaction and joy have not delivered on the promise.

One thing I can tell you for certain is you can’t live very long without hope. Hope is a main ingredient in life. It is the very core of who you are and your existence as a person.

Psalm 146 is called one of the hallelujah psalms, meaning they “praise the Lord.” And the hallelujah psalm in Psalm 146 portrays a wonderful picture of hope. It is an invitation to those who know despair all too well. It presents an opportunity to take another look at the hope that can only be found in God.

Let’s work through this psalm together on three key points, all of them leading to the One who can and will provide.

1. There is a strong resolution to find hope in God.

In verses two and three the psalmist writes, “Praise the Lord, oh my soul, while I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Hope in God is a decision that we make. Sooner or later in our life we come to a fork in the road where we have to make a choice. Either we will put our faith in our own strength or we will make our journey toward God. The psalmist here, with great resolution, says, “I will praise and sing unto my God.”

2. There is a strong resolution to reject placing hope in man. The psalmist writes, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” It is a very interesting day for us at this particular juncture in history. If you examine the lives of our leaders, you will discover they have glaring flaws. The psalmist challenges us not to put our hope in these mortal men or women, but rather we should put our hope in God who lives forever and reigns throughout all generations.

3. There is a strong resolution that man’s plans will end, but God’s truth lasts forever.

The last part of the psalm contains some of the most encouraging truth I have read on this subject of hope. The question is, “What can God do for those who look to Him for help?” The description given for those whom God helps makes room for all of us. The psalmist writes, “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” God allows hope to spring out of hopelessness for all people.

Life has a way of setting us on the course of hopelessness unless we have God at the center of our lives to hold us steady. I want to challenge you that if you don’t have hope in your life today, begin to cultivate it by looking to God as your source of strength. When you feel you are sinking into despair, ask yourself the question of the Psalmist in Psalm 42, “Why art thou cast down O my soul? Hope thou in God.”

If only we could go back in time and share some wisdom with our younger selves! One little girl wrote some advice to herself ten years in the future.

Her family called this Johnson City, Tennessee girl “quirky,” but by all accounts, Taylor Scout Smith was a deeply spiritual young lady who loved God and was excited to do mission work.

While rummaging through their daughter’s things, Taylor’s parents spied a letter Taylor wrote to herself on April 13, 2013, which was to be opened on that same day exactly ten years later. Taylor specified that the letter was for her eyes only “unless said otherwise,” as she put it. Her parents took this as permission to open it.

While some of the letter deals with whimsical interests, such as visits to Dollywood and episodes of Dr. Who, Taylor also encourages her future self to graduate high school and get a college degree.

Now, if you’re wondering whether Taylor’s parents violated their daughter’s privacy, you need to know that tragedy struck their family early this year. Just after Christmas, Taylor died suddenly of complications from pneumonia. It’s a scenario no parent should have to endure, but sharing Taylor’s letter with others is helping them work through their grief.

Her death also lends a greater weight to the message she wanted her future self to ponder. Permit me to quote this part in full. “How’s your relationship with God? Have you prayed, worshipped, read the Bible or gone to serve the Lord recently? If not, get up and do so NOW! I don’t care what point in our life we’re in right now, do it. He was mocked, beaten, tortured, and crucified for you! A sinless man, who never did you or any other person any wrong! Now, have you gone on any more mission trips?”

Wow. We may be old and infirm or young and full of vitality, but death comes for us all, and none of us knows the time in advance. St. Anthony, who founded desert monasticism in the third century, felt that a Christian should always be mindful of his death.

He wrote, “If we live with the picture of death always before our eyes, we will not sin. The apostle’s words tell us that we should so awaken in the morning as though we would not live to evening, and so fall asleep as if there were to be no awakening. If we are convinced of this and live each day as the apostle suggests, then we will not fall into sin; no desire will enslave us, no anger move us, no treasure bind us to earth; we will await death with unfettered hearts.”

Now, how many of us can say that we could meet death today with an unfettered heart? Are we prepared to meet our Maker, or are our spirits weighed down or distracted with bills to pay, kids to pick up from the drama club, or that TV show to watch?

Another question is, “What are we putting aside until later that we should be doing now?” Taylor told herself not to wait another day, not even another moment, to pray and worship God, to read the Bible and serve the Lord.

Can any of this really important stuff wait? No, says a young lady who now resides in God’s glory. Don’t wait another moment to praise God for your blessings or to tell another that God has reconciled us to Himself. Don’t wait another moment to tell your family that you love them or that you’re sorry for what you’ve done. And while you’re at it, offer a prayer of consolation for Taylor’s family and friends.

Taylor’s letter ends with an uncanny statement about the uncertainty of life. She wrote, “It’s been ten years since I wrote this. Stuff has happened good and bad. That’s how life works, and you have to go with it.”

Indeed. If we aren’t careful, the craziness of life can pull all of us away from what really matters. Thank God that He gave us such an important reminder in the words of a faithful girl.

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Copyright (c) 2015 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Recently, a rash of fundamentalist atheists has become a publishing phenomenon. Touting that God is a delusion, destructive to human life and civilization, and heralding the end of faith, these authors see only positive results at the end of atheism. Reason and rationality will conquer any “zealous” adherence or devotion to a transcendent God.

It’s fairly easy to identify with the concerns that motivate these authors towards atheism. Like them, I grieve over the violence perpetrated in the world in the name of God and religion. I can understand how Mother Teresa would poignantly wonder about God’s presence with her in the suffering wasteland of Calcutta. And certainly, I, like many others, have had life experiences that raise questions concerning God’s involvement in my life, and God’s love toward me. I can understand the despair-filled temptation towards agnosticism, or atheism.

Yet, the world many atheists envision without God or faith is overly optimistic, and ultimately unrealistic. Their beautiful portraits of what the world could look like if we only jettison our faith are painted with glowing brushstrokes of romantic imagery and language:

“This universe is shot through with mystery. The very fact of

its being, and of our own, is a mystery absolute, and the only

miracle worthy of the name. The consciousness that animates us

is itself central to this mystery and the ground for any

experience we might wish to call ‘spiritual....’ No personal God

need be worshiped for us to live in awe at the beauty and

immensity of creation....love our neighbors, and [know that] our

interdependence demands that people everywhere be given the

opportunity to flourish.”(1)

I find this vision completely out of step with a world in which innocent civilians, even as I write this essay today, are being silenced and slaughtered by the thousands in Myanmar/Burma by an atheistic, military junta. Indeed, in light of the state of our world, an optimistic ending for atheism is as out-of-touch with reality as belief that the world is flat.

In fact, this vision of a godless world being a better world is shattered by the writings of the prescient prophet and atheist, Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche, the German philosopher who wrote in the nineteenth century, predicted what an atheistic society would look like. And unlike the pseudo-optimism of our popular atheists today, Nietzsche’s vision is harrowing and disturbing. “The story I have to tell,” he wrote, “is the history of the next two centuries.... For a long time now our whole civilization has been driving, with a tortured intensity growing from decade to decade, as if towards a catastrophe: restlessly, violently, tempestuously, like a mighty river desiring the end of its journey, without pausing to reflect, indeed fearful of reflection.” He claimed that the world was entering an “era of monstrous wars, upheavals, explosions and that there will be wars such as have never been waged on the earth.”(2)

Why such pessimism about the future of the world? Nietzsche argued that the actions of human beings had rendered God superfluous. In THE GAY SCIENCE his madman yells, “‘Where is God?’ Well, I will tell you. We have killed him, you and I.” He goes on to doubt if even reason and the advance of theoretical knowledge, as our modern-day atheists posit, could heal the “wound of our existence.” Indeed, science, reason, and history could not overcome the reality that human beings “can rise or sink to no other reality than the reality of our drives.” One of those drives, Nietzsche argued, is the will to power, ultimately fulfilled by rogue regimes in World War I, and in World War 2 by the Nazi regime and the Communist regime led by Joseph Stalin.

Thus, Nietzsche’s utter suspicion of reason calls the entire optimistic program advocated by popular atheists into question. God’s absence would not make for a better world, according to Nietzsche. Indeed, his picture of a world without God, without a divine Creator intimately involved in re-creation, is a very grim place filled with darkness, amorality, and despair.

In contrast to the godless future predicted by Nietzsche or our current atheistic prophets, the prophet Isaiah, even in the midst of warnings of exile, destruction, and suffering had a hope-filled vision of a world permeated with the presence of God: “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them... they will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6, 9). This vision of a God-filled future is what Christians should hope for and work towards, even as we wrestle with the challenges and the difficulties of a God-famished world.

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1. Sam Harris, THE END OF FAITH (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004), 227.

2. Quoted in Erich Heller, THE IMPORTANCE OF NIETZSCHE (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988), 5.

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Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #20860]

During a recent speaking engagement at the University of Illinois, I was handed this question from a student who hesitated to come to the microphone: "The state of humankind as we know it is on a serious downward spiral, and from my perspective, it’s only getting worse. Do you have any hope in the future of humankind and specifically our generation, and if so, why?"

I was both saddened and heartened to read his question. Overwhelmed by the maze of conflicts facing humanity, this young heart seeks a way out. And I believe he represents large numbers of young people in the world. Contrary to the "couldn’t care less" image we are often given of university students, he reveals how close to cynicism and pessimism many of them actually are.

Students today are not easily taken in; they do not trust readily. But their questions show a depth and an understanding of our world that is lost in the shuffle of postmodern cynicism and hopeless pessimism.

Here, G.K. Chesterton makes a significant point: There is a world of difference between sorrow and pessimism. He explains, "Sorrow is founded on the value of something, and pessimism upon the value of nothing." In terms of hope for the future, this makes all the difference.

Recently, I had breakfast with an atheist who repeatedly argued that there was no evidence for God. "Absolutely none," he said. Later he told me how much he loved his wife. "She’s dying," he said. After all the intellectual arguments had run into a headstrong willful resistance, I asked him why he loved his wife. He stared at me. "Don’t you see her as a unique woman of intrinsic value to you?" I asked. "Yes," he answered. "But how can she have such value," I replied, "if all life is nothing more than chemicals?" Suddenly, the conversation took a turn. As he got up, he said, "You just keep doing what you’re doing in life. You are bringing back common sense into our heads."

What thoughts occupy my mind as I ponder the world at this present time? Above anything else, like the young man from the university, that the hour is dark. Hope, like character, takes years to build and minutes to shatter. But friends, hope, like character, can rise beyond the moment to reinvest in what is of ultimate value - God’s eternal Word. This hope points in cumulative strength to the person and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you trust in that hope, He will not let you down.

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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

We've all heard the saying, "Two things are certain: death and taxes." Well, we can add a third to that list: change. Change is not just inevitable, it's essential. Biologists say the absence of change is death. Well that may be true, but are we ready for the kinds of changes that are coming?

In their prophetic new book, BOILING POINT: Monitoring Cultural Shifts in the 21st Century, George Barna and Mark Hatch write that the changes coming in the next ten years may create a society that is radically different from the one in which we now live. In support of their argument, they offer some compelling examples.

First, they say, many important changes will occur in demographics. The Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2010, whites will drop to sixty-eight percent of the population and Hispanics will overtake African- Americans as the nation's largest minority group. Also, certain parts of the nation will likely become ethnic colonies. Maryland and the District of Columbia will become a center for African-Americans, while Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California will develop into Hispanic colonies.

Also, we can expect a widening gap between rich and poor, a larger percentage of the population as senior citizens, and further diversification of the family structure -- all important considerations for ministry, obviously.

Second, technological advances will fuel the most dramatic changes, the authors say. For example, nanoprobes may be developed which can be injected into our bodies to clean arteries, strengthen bone tissue, or perform diagnostic tests. And gene manipulation may allow parents to screen out defects in their children before they're born. Therapeutic cloning to replace damaged body parts may gain congressional approval as Americans embrace "quality of life" over the inherent "dignity of life."

With "smart houses," computers will control all the functions of your home. Businesses will rely more and more on the Internet and online transactions will be the norm. Computer chips may even become so powerful that artificial intelligence will be virtually indistinguishable from human thought.

So, where will Christians be in all these changes? Barna and Hatch suggest that we have two options: either to be the victims who are trampled by the inevitable march of progress or to be the innovators who help to direct and shape these coming changes. Clearly, the second option is better.

No one but God knows for certain what the future holds, but as Barna and Hatch write, "If the role of the church is to influence all dimensions of culture rather than to be shaped by the culture, then we must be alert and assertive in representing God to the best of our ability in the world."

Despite the coming changes, Barna and Hatch contend that the church is the biggest wildcard in predicting the future of our nation. That's because historically the church has had such enormous influence in shaping the direction of the culture.

Barna and Hatch have written this new book to help Christians deal with impending cultural shifts. But are we up to the task?

For further reference:

Barna, George and Mark Hatch. Boiling Point. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001.

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Copyright (c) 2001 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

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ON FAILURE

“I want to remind you that failure is an event – it is not a person. Yesterday really did end last night. Today is a brand new day. That simply means that you can fail in an event, but by no stretch of imagination does that make you a failure as a person.”

ON YOUR FUTURE

“Dr. Tony Campolo says that your past is important because it brought you to where you are, but as important as your past is, it is not nearly as important as the way you see your future. Because the way you see your future determines your thinking today. Your thinking today determines your performance today, and your performance today has a huge bearing on your future.”

ON CHARACTER

“Character really does count. The reason is simple: With character and integrity, you’re going to do the right thing. And when you do the right thing, you have no guilt or regrets. With integrity you have nothing to fear because you have nothing to hide. Think about it for a moment. When you’ve taken both guilt and fear off your back, with those two albatrosses gone you are free to be the very best you can be, do the most you can do and, as a result, have more of the good things that life has to offer. That’s a winning formula.”

ON PLANNING

“In our world today people complain that they don’t have any time for themselves. But lack of direction – not lack of time – is the problem. Example: Chances are good you get at least twice as much work done on the day before vacation as you do on a normal working day. Here’s why: The night before the day before vacation you list on a sheet of paper or your laptop the things you must get done tomorrow. In short, you’ve got a game plan and you make a commitment to fulfill that game plan – and that’s exactly what you do. Question: Doesn’t it make sense that if one day of planning your activities can accomplish such dramatic results, that if you planned your family time, exercise time, recreation time and personal growth time, that your life would be much better balanced, and you would have more of the benefits of life? Think about that, follow through and good things will happen to you.”

ON INTEGRITY

“Chances are good that you would like to have more of the things money will buy and all of the things money won’t buy. Money is not the most important thing in life, but it is reasonably close to oxygen. Most of us like what money buys – nice clothes, a nice house, a nice car, nice trips, memberships at country clubs and a host of other things. But we love the things money won’t buy. It will buy a house, but not a home; it will buy a companion, but not a friend. Money will buy a bed, but not a good night’s sleep, and a good time, but not peace of mind. Message: Build your life on integrity. You can have more of the things money will buy and all of the things money won’t buy. Take that approach to life and I will see you at the top!”

”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10, NIV

As we all know, the Bible doesn’t share the view of Buddhism that history is ultimately cyclical. Rather, Christians believe that history is moving toward a definite end when Christ will come again to earth and judge the living and the dead.

The Bible devotes quite a lot of space to discussions of the so- called end times, when Christ will return and separate the sheep and goats. But if you read closely, these teachings were never given to make us apprehensive or, worse, terrified about these things. On the contrary, Paul and the other writers of the New Testament wrote about the end of history to show believers that the sufferings, injustices, and pain of this life will find their ultimate meaning and resolution in the world to come.

Contrast this biblical view with the view of some believers who look to the future — to say nothing of the end times — with a palpable sense of fear and dread. They worry about wars, famine, one political party or another running the government, and even about the identity of the Antichrist.

In contrast to this viewpoint, Paul concludes [actually, inserts in the middle of] a section on the second coming of Christ by saying “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). Paul was certainly concerned with the suffering and injustice of this world, but he never allowed it to dampen his enthusiasm for the work that Christ had given him to do. On the contrary, in suffering he saw an opportunity to share the love and the hope of Christ. He acted in light of eternity.

Are you fearful about the future? Has fear caused you to turn inward? If so, reflect for a moment on the glorious inheritance that God has given to us in Christ, that we are even now citizens of another kindgom.