FOR: What Are We Here For?

If people are going to know that Jesus is for them, they need to know that we are for them.
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Title: "What Are We Here For?"
Speaker: Matt Shires
Series: For The Verde Valley

As a church, we exist to:
Help people take steps from wherever they are, to where God wants them to be.

I. Three basics…

Matthew 22:35-39
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

II. If people are going to know that JESUS is FOR them, they need to know that WE are FOR them.

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

III. Our POSTURE needs to shift.

1 Peter 2:12
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

We must learn the art of being able to:

1. Have integrity in our convictions.
2. Genuinely love, listen to, and serve those who do not share our convictions.
3. Consistently do both at the same time.

"We draw people to Christ, not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."
-Madeleine L'Engle

Eternity With God

October 20, 2019 / / / One Minute Ofter You Die / / / Week 3-"Eternity With God".
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: "Eternity With God"
Speaker: Jim Hammond
Series: One Minute After You Die

1 Corinthians 2:9
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

John 14:1-2, 6 (NLT)
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. {2} There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? … {6} Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

John 16:28
Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father."

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

I. FAQs
A. Will we RECOGNIZE each other?

1 Corinthians 13:12-13
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

· We will recognize and know one another and LOVE, and be LOVED.

Luke 16:9 (NLT)
Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

· The people we BROUGHT to Jesus will welcome us!

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.

B. What will we DO?

· There's going to be NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH...

2 Peter 3:13
But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

· Experienced in new BODIES!

1 Corinthians 15:54
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory.

C. Can I be SURE I'm GOING there?

John 5:24
"I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

1 John 5:13
I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

II. Make heaven your HOME NOW

Philippians 3:19-20
They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Dear God,
Thank You for sending Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. Lord Jesus, You became an open doorway to Heaven for me. Thank You for preparing a place in heaven for me. I come to you as my open doorway to receive more of your blessings from your kingdom of heaven. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Please restore me and renew me in your Spirit today. Amen!

Eternity Without God

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: "Eternity Without God"
Speaker: Jim Hammond
Series: One Minute After You Die

QUESTION:
Why do you think there are a growing number of people who believe in Heaven that do not believe in Hell?

Challenge Question:

How can a supposedly Holy and loving God send anyone to the horrors of Hell forever? That seems mean and evil, not holy or loving.

REFLECT

What you believe about eternity determines how you live today.

I. LESSONS from the other side

Luke 16:19-31
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

LESSONS…
· He was fully conscious and aware.
· His eternal destiny was irrevocably fixed.
· He knew God's judgment was completely just.
· He pleaded for someone to help his brothers repent.
· He experienced eternal regret.

II. But how can a LOVING God send people to HELL?

REFLECT
God does not choose HELL for people;
they freely choose it for themselves.

After you die, you are not asked by guest services at the gates, "Would you like the smoking or non-smoking section of eternity?" but rather what becomes clear is that you already chose your gate, way of life, and destiny.

Matthew 7:13-14
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

III. But why Is It FOREVER?

1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

REFLECT

Light and darkness do not mix. Light displaces darkness. It is Hell's will to take people away from God. It is Heaven's will to draw people to God. Darkness does not accept light nor light accept darkness.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might

Why Forever?
When eternal souls become fixed in their darkness,
there is no light to bring about repentance.

IV. The Lord is NOTWANTING anyone to PERISH

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8-9
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation.

V. "OMAYD" God cannot reverse your Self-Chosen Destiny

REFLECT
God didn't create choice and then force us to choose Him.
That would remove the reality of choice.
God didn't create choice and take away its consequences.
That would remove the validity of choice.
God didn't create choice and then fail to show us the outcomes.
That would remove the transparency of choice.

REFLECT
When the only remedy for human sin is rejected and all appeals of a loving, seeking God for the reconciliation of rebellious sinners are refused, there is no other course of action that God himself can pursue but to leave the sinner to his self-chosen destiny.

--Tyndale Bible Dictionary on "Hell"

Dear God,
We believe You are good. Thank You for giving us choice. Thank You for giving us Jesus. Thank You for access to You and Your love and grace forever. Inspire us to love everyone we can with Your practical grace and truth that promises eternal life. Amen!

One Minute Ofter You Die

Welcome to Verde Valley Christian Church
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.