The Unending Chapter
The Christian's hope is rooted in the promise of a new chapter, a chapter that begins with the resurrection and goes on as long as eternity endures.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the hope of Christians lies in the unending chapter that follows death, which is made possible by Christ's resurrection. He explains that death does not signify the end of life or purpose, as Jesus' own death was followed by a triumphant resurrection that assures believers of their eternal life. Tozer reassures that just as Christ overcame death, so too will all who believe in Him experience a new chapter filled with hope and everlasting freedom. The sermon highlights the contrast between the despair of death and the joy of resurrection, affirming that for true believers, life continues beyond the grave.
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That next chapter after the last is the source of all the Christian's hope, for it assures us that our Lord has put death in its place and has delivered us from the ancient curse. Death did not end the activities of our Lord; it did not even interrupt them, for while His body lay in Joseph's new tomb, He was preaching to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:18-20). And after three days, His spirit was reunited with His body and the new chapter began, the chapter which can have no ending. Had Christ not risen from the dead, His life, beautiful as it was, would have been a human tragedy. Since He did in fact rise, His life has been shown to be an unrelieved triumph.
The blood, the pain, the rejection, the agony of dying, the cold, stiff body and the colder tomb--these belong to the former days.
The days that are now are days of hope and life and everlasting freedom. What is true of Christ is true also of all who believe in Him. How many saints since New Testament times have lived and hoped and labored and worshiped, only to grow old and bent and to drop at last, weak and helpless, into the open grave. If that was for them the end, then we Christians would be of all men most miserable. But it was not the end. For all of God's true children there will be another chapter, a chapter that will begin with the resurrection and go on as long as eternity endures.
Sermon Outline
- The Unending Chapter
- The Triumph of Christ's Life
- The Hope of the Christian
- A Life of Hope and Freedom
- The Resurrection and Eternity
Key Quotes
“Had Christ not risen from the dead, His life, beautiful as it was, would have been a human tragedy.” — A.W. Tozer
“The blood, the pain, the rejection, the agony of dying, the cold, stiff body and the colder tomb--these belong to the former days.” — A.W. Tozer
“For all of God's true children there will be another chapter, a chapter that will begin with the resurrection and go on as long as eternity endures.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Believers can live with hope and freedom, knowing that their lives are not defined by their mortality.
- The Christian faith offers a promise of a new chapter, a chapter that will begin with the resurrection and go on as long as eternity endures.
- The resurrection of Christ is the source of all Christian hope and the foundation for our faith.