Latest / Pulpit to Pavement / Asking For A Friend
Transcript
- Kayla Roe: Our scripture reading this morning comes from the book of Genesis, chapter one, verses twenty four through twenty five. Our text will be on the screen or you could follow along with the Bible in your pew. If you do not have a Bible and would like one, just find one of us. We will gladly gift one to you. And God said, Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds, the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind. And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kind. And God saw that it was good. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to you. Friends, we're starting a new series today called Asking for a Friend. And this series is designed to help us answer questions that you might have about God and faith and the Bible, questions maybe you've had trouble getting clarity on, or maybe questions you've been afraid to ask. And so I encourage you all to submit questions to help us build this series and the first question we're gonna tackle today is do all dogs go to heaven? Now I suspect that the person who submitted this question is a dog lover, and you may not be. Okay, you may be more of a cat person. maybe you've had horses or birds in your life, and whatever whatever pets you've had the joy and the privilege of loving, know that this question translates. To them. You know, the question may better be suited: do all pets go to heaven? But I wanted to keep the title consistent with the question because one, I wanted to show that video. I think I think that video does a a good job of helping us answer that question all by itself, but also because this question took me back to 1989. I was six years old, and the movie. All dogs go to heaven had just come out. Does anybody remember this movie? A few of you, that's great. So if you if you've never seen this movie and you want a movie that tugs at your heartstrings, this would be one to watch. But even as a child, I remember there being some controversy around this idea. Scholars saying you're giving children a false sense of hope. Scripture doesn't explicitly state. That all dogs go to heaven. And then they offer a myriad of reasons to believe that they won't. You know, they said things like animals can't commune with their maker. And since Jesus is the only way to heaven, and animals can't call upon the name of Jesus, then they won't go to heaven. They say if all dogs go to heaven, then that must mean that all creatures go to heaven, including mosquitoes and spiders and snakes. And who wants that? Jesus came to save humanity, not animals, so we won't find them in heaven. Animals don't have souls. They weren't made in the image of God, so they don't have a soul. And those thoughts always kind of haunted me. For one thing, how do they know that animals don't have a soul? What about when a dog saves their human from a burning building, from drowning, from an attacker? What about when a dog keeps vigil with their human when they're sick, when they're dying, when they're grieving? And what about when dogs themselves go through a grieving process? We've seen it, yes. They go through a grieving process when they lose a companion. So, isn't that evidence that they might actually have a soul? And yet there are scholars that still reject this idea. And the challenge for us is that the Bible never directly answers do dogs go to heaven? And that means we have to distinguish between what scripture clearly states, what it strongly suggests, and what we simply may hope to be true. So we're going to attempt to do that today. And I I think the best place to start is in the creation story. In the passage Crystal just read, we know that when God created the animals and the creatures, he declared that it was good. It was not an accident, right? It wasn't even what Bob Ross would call a happy accident. It was intentional. God intentionally created animals before humanity. He intentionally made them part of creation. He delights in them. And at the end of the first chapter of this great narrative, it says God saw all that he made, and it was very good. God had deemed animals essential for creation. They were important to Eden. And by the way, whatever image you may have about heaven, let me just tell you, it's probably not going to be a giant floating cloud where we're all wearing wings and diapers, right? It is heaven is going to come down to Earth, right? And it it is going to be the restored Eden. God is going to restore the earth to the way He intended it at the start. So if animals were essential to Eden, and Eden is going to be restored, is it not reasonable to suspect that they will also be essential in the new creation? If you read the next verse after what Crystal just read, it says, Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. And this is where a lot of the opposition of animals in heaven stems from. made mankind in our image, which is something he doesn't do with any other part of creation. Being made in God's image means we have the ability to do a lot of things that the rest of creation cannot, right? We can commune with our Maker, we can reason, we have freedom of choice, we have intellect, we have ability to create. We are made to reflect God's grace and goodness and holiness. We are made To represent God. We have dominion over creation, meaning we are to care about what God cares about. And God cares about his creation. After God created Adam, he gave him a job. What was that job besides be fruitful and multiply? Name the animals, yes. God said it was not good for Adam to be alone, that he would find a helper suitable for him. And before he brought Eve to Adam, he brought him all the animals and he was to name them. And naming in Scripture implies intimate relationship. It shows us that we are to be stewards, we are to be companions, we are to show affection, that God didn't simply Populate the earth with animals, he invited humanity to be in relationship with them, to know them and to care for them. Being made in the image of God. We may be the crown of creation, but that doesn't mean we are separated from creation. Animals, they're not made in the image of God, they are not equal to humans, but I don't think that means they matter less to God, and I don't think it certainly means that they don't have souls. They may not have human souls, but that doesn't mean they have no souls at all. They may not have the moral compass that we have or the intellect, but we know that animals feel, yes? They feel pain, they feel love, they feel loneliness, they long for companionship, and many have been known to come to their companions' aid and rescue and even to lay down their lives for them. And I believe that animals are among the greatest agents in which people experience the grace and love of God. There's a story in the Old Testament of God sending an angel to stop a man named Balaam from doing evil. Balaam doesn't see the angel, but his donkey does. And the donkey stops dead in her track. She refuses to go. And this Balaam starts beating on the donkey to get her to go. And the Lord causes the donkey to talk. To verbalize her feelings. Why are you doing this to me? And when God opens Balaam's eyes to see the angel, the angel says to him, If that donkey hadn't turned away, I would certainly have killed you, but I would have spared her. And that should tell us something. That God shows high regard for animals so much so that He will protect them while also disciplining their human masters. Proverbs 12:10 tells us the righteous care for the needs of their animals. So this idea that we long for relationship with our animals, that we have this emotional attachment to them, that is not a modern idea. That is biblical. And maybe you're thinking, you know, well, what about animals that we have to eat? A lot of our food comes from animals and we have to eat. Well, that wasn't actually what God intended. Right? In the beginning, the deal was: God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that that has fruit with seed in it, they will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth, And all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground, everything, everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food. That was God's design. Consumption of animals doesn't come until after the curse, right? Sacrifice of animals does not come until after the curse. An animal sacrifice was supposed to bother people. It was supposed to make them feel tense and remorseful that an innocent creature had to die to atone for their sin. Emotional attachment to animals is a God idea. When Nathan Approached King David and told him the story of the rich man who stole the poor man's only sheep to slaughter and feed it to his guest. He did that to expose David's sin for what he did. But he described the lamb as so loved by her poor master that she was like a daughter to him. And David, oblivious to what Nathan was trying to do, actually said that that man who stole that precious pet. deserve to die for his transgression. God's regard for animals even appears in the Ten Commandments, the fourth commandment. Six days a week you are to set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your children, your servants, your animals, and foreigners living among you. God wanted to be sure that even the animals had a day of rest. When God sent the flood, he did not just spare a family, right? He did not just save humanity from extinction, but every species of animal. And after the flood, God made covenant with Noah. And I want you to notice what he says in this covenant several times. In Genesis chapter 9, he says, I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with. Every living creature that was with you, the birds, the livestock, and the wild animals, every living creature on the earth. This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you, and every living creature with you. I remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God. And all the living creatures of every kind on the earth. This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth. Maybe I'm wrong, friends, but I think God wanted to make it abundantly clear here that redemption wasn't just for mankind. It was for all. living things. And just in the first nine chapters of this entire book he makes it abundantly clear. If God's plan for a renewed earth after the flood included animals, isn't it reasonable to suspect that the renewed earth after the coming judgment will likewise include animals? And maybe I'm wrong, but when I think of the renewed earth, when I think of the restored Eden, what was Eden? It was a garden. Right? So when I think of the restored Eden, I see trees. I see flowers. I see lush plants of all kinds. So to say there will be no animals in heaven is kind of also like saying there won't be plants in heaven. Why? Because they don't have a soul. Because they can't commune with God? Actually, Scripture tells us that all of creation praises God. All of creation. When Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, as the crowd was praising him, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples. And what did Jesus say in response? He said, I tell you, even if they keep quiet. The stones will cry out. All of creation praises him. Several, several psalms affirm this. I won't get into all of them. That'll be your homework this week. Find the psalms that affirm that all of creation praises God. Several times in Revelation, the living creatures in the present heaven that never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. The word for living creatures is Zoon, like zoo. Right? That word for living creature doesn't actually refer to a human or an angel, it refers to animals. And if anyone tells you that animals can't worship or praise or commune with God, I might gently, gently point them to Revelations chapter four and gently remind them that our supreme authority says otherwise. Revelations 5 13 says, Every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth. All creation worships and praises. Just because our finite brains can't comprehend that doesn't mean we shouldn't believe it. I mean, my goodness, if that were the case, we would have to reject everything we consider doctrine. Right? Our brains don't fully comprehend the triune God, the incarnation, the resurrection, but we believe it. So why do we put God in a box by saying animals? can't be part of the new heaven and the new earth. Some scholars say animals won't be in heaven because they don't need redemption. I don't understand that rationale either. Animals and plants, they may not need redemption in the sense that they don't sin. But what they do need is redemption from what humanity's sinful nature has done throughout all creation. Yes? Look at what Paul wrote in Romans chapter eight. Beginning with verse 18, he says, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits an eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself. Will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Creation itself, not merely people, groans. Creation itself, not merely people, will be set free. Based on this passage Creation doesn't choose sin, but it does suffer because of ours. Yet God promises to restore the whole creation. Colossians 120, he says, For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Christ reconciles all things, not just people. Friends, redemption is so much greater than just human forgiveness. It is cosmic restoration. Psalm 36, 6 tells us, you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. And that Hebrew word for save means preserve, deliver, sustain. And yes, it may not be in terms of eternal salvation, but it clearly shows God's concern, it shows God's love, it shows God's compassion that extends beyond humanity. In the story of Jonah, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and to turn those people toward repentance. Only Jonah didn't want to go, right? He didn't want the people of Nineveh to be saved because they were awful people who deserved wrath and death. But God told Jonah: Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left? And also many animals. I think we can reasonably suspect that God deeply loves animals even more than we do. And therefore it is hard for me at least to imagine him desiring a new heaven and earth that doesn't include them. And I've given you several scriptures that give us reason to believe what might be possible, what we can hope for. Is it irrefutable proof? No. But more than trying to prove whether or not our pets are going to heaven, what I really want us to see here is what the Bible tells us about God's heart for creation. And I think that's where our hope lies. You know, instead of asking, Do all dogs go to heaven or will my pets be in heaven, maybe ask what kind of God is preparing heaven? I'll tell you what kind of God. A God who notices the sparrows. A God who feeds the ravens. A God who opened the mouth of a donkey. A God who cared about the cattle in Nineveh. A God who made animals among the first witnesses to the birth of the Savior. A God who promises to renew creation, all of creation. A God who promises to reconcile all things. That's the God preparing eternity. We've had the joy and the privilege of loving and caring for a whole pack of dogs. And I'm not exaggerating this. Right now we have five pugs in our house. We started out with Seamus McFamous. And then we found Pippi. And then Seamus and Pippi had their own litter, six babies, three of them went to live with friends and relatives, and the other three stayed with us Finnegan, Benny, and Iris. If you've ever wondered if we're crazy, the answer is yes. We're crazy. We're crazy in love. Some days we wonder what in the world were we thinking? But they do bring us a tremendous amount of joy. Before these guys, we had a boxer named Roxy, and I regrettably did not put her picture up here. And I will tell you, I had a hard time getting used to Roxy because I grew up around small dogs. And she was very wild as a pup. We went through two couches with her. At 10 years old, she developed a fatal heart condition and actually spent a couple nights in the animal hospital when she was diagnosed. They sent her home on a month's worth of medication and they told us if you decide not to proceed with the medication because it was very expensive, the humane thing to do would be to put her down. And we wrestled with that, but fortunately we didn't have to make that decision. Because we came home one Sunday after church, just three weeks later, and she was curled up in her favorite chair looking ever so peaceful. She had passed away while we were gone. Roxy passed from this life October of twenty twenty one. And to my surprise, I think I took it harder than the rest of my household. A few months after that, my dad passed away. And I I had this vision shortly after he passed. I had this vision during a time of prayer and meditation. where my dad was walking through this magnificent field. And here come Roxy running toward him. They were quite fond of each other. And he greeted her the way he always did when he came over to our house. I really want to believe that that wasn't just me seeing what I wanted to see. I want to believe that God had given me a glimpse of heaven. My dad had the privilege of caring for several horses in his lifetime. And thanks to him, so did my brother and I. That picture on the right, that that was my horse. Her name was Sonny. She died in the flood of '93. She drowned in the big river. She was pregnant. And that was very devastating for me. I was 10 years old. I didn't get back on a horse for a long while after that. But I'd like to believe that one day I will ride horses again with my dad. We also have a Quaker parrot. My kids have very little patience for him. But I think he's pretty neat. He talks. we've loved many animals: a desert panther chameleon, a couple of pigs, some chickens, some guinea pigs, some fish. And when I imagine heaven, I don't wonder if it will be filled with all the things I loved in this life. But I do wonder if it will include the living creatures that God entrusted in our care and that we loved immensely when they were with us. Which brings me to one more truth that we can cling to when it comes to this question. Jesus didn't just teach us that God is a creator, he taught us to call him Father. And what kind of father is he? Jesus says he is a father who delights in giving good gifts to his children. He said, if you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him? Every good and perfect gift comes from him. Every sunrise that takes our breath away, every friendship that has encouraged your soul, every laugh that you've shared with a loved one, every loyal companion that greeted you at the door after a long hard day. Those moments are not accidents, they are good gifts from a generous father. And if a loving earthly father delights in seeing his children smile, how much more does our heavenly father delight in our joy? I think sometimes we imagine eternity as though God intends to take away everything we ever loved except for him. But the story of the Bible suggests otherwise. That while we must be careful not to idolize other things, even our furry friends, that God is not in the business of diminishing our joy. He is in the business of completing it. So when we ask, Will there be dogs in heaven? perhaps we're asking a deeper question. Who gave us the gift of delight here somehow become less generous in heaven? I don't think so. I cannot promise you that your childhood pets or your furry friends will be waiting for you in heaven. Scripture doesn't make that promise, and I can't either. But I can promise you that whatever God is preparing for those who love him, it will not be less beautiful. It will not be less joyful, less loving, less satisfying than the best gifts we've experienced here. The God who created playful puppies and faithful companions and that bond between human and animal is not preparing a kingdom that is poorer than the first one He created. He is preparing one that is richer and fuller and completely free from brokenness. Whatever God is preparing, it will be better than anything we've ever imagined. And even if our pets are not there, heaven will be enough. Jesus will be enough. But with that, I do believe that the one who gave us the gift of love, the gift of companionship, the wagging of a tail, isn't likely interested in making a new creation less beautiful than the first one. If he calls his redeemed creation very good, then we can trust that nothing truly good will be missing from his eternal kingdom. person that submitted this question also asked if there will be chocolate fountains in heaven. once again, no scripture makes a direct statement regarding this, and I cannot confirm it. But what I can reason is this. Plants are essential for creation. Right? I think they will be part of the new creation. I already said that. Does cocoa come from plants? Need I say any more? Let us pray. Gracious and loving God, today we have wrestled with a question that many of us have quietly carried in our hearts. It may seem like a simple question, but beneath it lies something much deeper. It is a question about love, about loss, about hope, and about what you are preparing for those who love you. Lord, when we long for answers that Scripture does not fully reveal, teach us to trust your heart. Help us to rest in the assurance that you are a good father who delights in giving good gifts to your children, and that whatever you have prepared for us will be far greater than anything we have ever known in this life. Keep our hope firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and death, and is preparing a place for all who belong to Him. Until the day when faith becomes sight, help us to live with confidence in your promises, gratitude for your blessings, and joy in your presence. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.