The Life of the World to Come, 15 February 2026
15 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | The Nicene Creed
The Life of the World to Come
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 15, 2026
Philippians 3:20-21
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:20-21
Death is a subject many seek to avoid, yet we are all one day closer to it than we were yesterday. We’ve all experienced death in a variety of ways, from the funerals of loved ones to news stories of war to violence in movies. Death—and taxes—are certain.
Although thoughts of death should be terrifying for those who are not following Jesus, death for the believer is good news…actually, great news!
This morning we’re concluding our series on the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith in five paragraphs, written 1701 years ago. We’ve talked about it. We’ve sung about it. Let’s recite it together.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Today we’ll examine the final seventeen words. But first, how did death enter the world in the first place?
If we go back—way back—to the third chapter of the Bible, we see Adam and Eve banished from the garden of Eden after they disobeyed God.
And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from the garden and no longer had access to the tree of life…which was actually a blessing. Imagine living forever in these decaying bodies!
Scripture clearly teaches the resurrection of the dead, though it was not universally understood.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
The Sadducees of Jesus’ day were Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Today, we call such people nihilists.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:13-19)
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we can’t experience resurrection, and this whole thing known as the Christian faith is as real as unicorns.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Because he lives, we have hope for the future. It’s not confined to this moment, this earth, this body, this reality. I know most of us are U.S. citizens…
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We don’t know everything about our new bodies, but they will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. Pastor Glenn Packiam notes, “Resurrection is not an escape from the body; it’s the redemption and glorification of the body.”
Since resurrection Sunday, followers of Jesus have a hope and a future. This is why funerals for Christians is always bittersweet. We grieve our temporary loss, but celebrate both their gain and our ultimate reunion.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Not only will the dead rise, new creation—the world to come—is in our future.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
God will redeem, complete, perfect, and transform this world. Even though we sin, he does not abandon us. His promise is secure because of the empty tomb, proof that God has conquered sin and death. He will finish what He started at creation.
So What?
Author Leslie Newbigin asks,
“How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world which can be satisfactorily explained and managed without the hypothesis of God? I know of only one clue to the answering of that question, only one hermeneutic of the gospel: a congregation which believes it.”
In other words, we have hope. We have a future. We have God’s promises of new bodies, a new heaven, and a new earth. We can look beyond today’s headlines and see tomorrow’s paradise. We don’t become obsessed with money, sex, and power because we know something far greater awaits us. And as God’s people now, we are to proclaim good news, go and make disciples, pray for the sick, pursue justice, shine the light in the darkness, and most of all love well. Love like Jesus.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
While we wait, we don’t ignore the world. We fill it with faith, hope, and love. Jesus is returning. We need to get ready and help others get ready. I believe he is waiting for us to complete the task. Jesus said,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
College First family, let’s love, equip, and send…until Jesus returns!
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come. Let us follow the king, obey the king, and bring all honor and glory to the king, now and forever.
Amen!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
The Creed
February 15, 2026
Philippians 3:20-21
Series Big Idea: The ancient Nicene Creed offers a valuable summary of our faith.
Big Idea: Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:20-21
Death is a subject many seek to avoid, yet we are all one day closer to it than we were yesterday. We’ve all experienced death in a variety of ways, from the funerals of loved ones to news stories of war to violence in movies. Death—and taxes—are certain.
Although thoughts of death should be terrifying for those who are not following Jesus, death for the believer is good news…actually, great news!
This morning we’re concluding our series on the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith in five paragraphs, written 1701 years ago. We’ve talked about it. We’ve sung about it. Let’s recite it together.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Today we’ll examine the final seventeen words. But first, how did death enter the world in the first place?
If we go back—way back—to the third chapter of the Bible, we see Adam and Eve banished from the garden of Eden after they disobeyed God.
And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)
Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from the garden and no longer had access to the tree of life…which was actually a blessing. Imagine living forever in these decaying bodies!
Scripture clearly teaches the resurrection of the dead, though it was not universally understood.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:12)
The Sadducees of Jesus’ day were Jewish leaders who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Today, we call such people nihilists.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:13-19)
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, we can’t experience resurrection, and this whole thing known as the Christian faith is as real as unicorns.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Because he lives, we have hope for the future. It’s not confined to this moment, this earth, this body, this reality. I know most of us are U.S. citizens…
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)
We don’t know everything about our new bodies, but they will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. Pastor Glenn Packiam notes, “Resurrection is not an escape from the body; it’s the redemption and glorification of the body.”
Since resurrection Sunday, followers of Jesus have a hope and a future. This is why funerals for Christians is always bittersweet. We grieve our temporary loss, but celebrate both their gain and our ultimate reunion.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Not only will the dead rise, new creation—the world to come—is in our future.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
God will redeem, complete, perfect, and transform this world. Even though we sin, he does not abandon us. His promise is secure because of the empty tomb, proof that God has conquered sin and death. He will finish what He started at creation.
So What?
Author Leslie Newbigin asks,
“How can this strange story of God made flesh, of a crucified Savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world which can be satisfactorily explained and managed without the hypothesis of God? I know of only one clue to the answering of that question, only one hermeneutic of the gospel: a congregation which believes it.”
In other words, we have hope. We have a future. We have God’s promises of new bodies, a new heaven, and a new earth. We can look beyond today’s headlines and see tomorrow’s paradise. We don’t become obsessed with money, sex, and power because we know something far greater awaits us. And as God’s people now, we are to proclaim good news, go and make disciples, pray for the sick, pursue justice, shine the light in the darkness, and most of all love well. Love like Jesus.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
While we wait, we don’t ignore the world. We fill it with faith, hope, and love. Jesus is returning. We need to get ready and help others get ready. I believe he is waiting for us to complete the task. Jesus said,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
College First family, let’s love, equip, and send…until Jesus returns!
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is reigning in this life, and he will reign forever in the life of the world to come. Let us follow the king, obey the king, and bring all honor and glory to the king, now and forever.
Amen!