October 6, 2019 / / / One Minute Ofter You Die / / / Week 1-"Threshold Of Eternity".
How does anyone approach questions about ETERNITY? How can we know what happens one minute after you die? Is there life after death? Is Heaven a real place? Where do we get any information? Is it all just wishful thinking? What you believe about eternity determines how you live today.
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Title: "Threshold Of Eternity"
Speaker: Jim Hammond
Series: One Minute After You Die
I. At the Threshold of Eternity…
John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Matthew 16:26-27
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
REFLECT
What you believe about eternity determines how you live today.
John 11:21-26
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
A. ONLY our physical bodies DIE
2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.
B. Our SOULS are eternal and leave our BODIES
2 Corinthians 5:2-9
We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
C. Everyone faces JUDGMENT
Hebrews 9:27
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
II. There are two JUDGMENTS
A. Judged to be IN or OUT
Revelation 20:11-12
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
B. Judged for REWARDS ( or NOT )
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
REFLECT
Here is the danger even for believers: The longer we live, the deeper our roots can sink into the soil of this world, clinging to the temporary instead of to the eternal; clinging to the comfortable, what we see, valuing what people think more than what God thinks.
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Dear God,
Thank You that this life is not the end. Thank You for making a way for us, through Jesus, to spend an eternal life with You. Holy Spirit, reveal to us when our perspective off track. We want to do Your will here while we’re on earth. Teach us how to live with eternity in mind. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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