After This Series

“After This”

Revelation 4:1

* For the last several months we have been working our way though the “Revelation.” In only 3 chapters we have heard 14 messages. Be reminded that we find an outline of this book in 1:19. Jesus told John to ‘write – what you HAVE seen (1), what IS (2-3), and what will be (4ff).

* Today we begin the ‘what will be’ section and people always get excited about this part of scripture. Do you know why? Because inquiring minds want to know. The Revelation has already given us a picture of our living Lord, the proclamation that “He Is COMING in the clouds,” and have heard the impassioned plea of our Lord Jesus to the church and to each believer that we remember our salvation, repent of our sins which always separate us from Him, and return to Him (our Savior & Lord). Seven times Jesus has repeated Himself saying, “If you can hear at all, please listen to the Holy Spirit because He calls you to repentance; don’t leave this life unprepared to meet GOD!

* It does seem that many believe themselves to be ready to go to heaven, but few seem ready to meet God! Jesus pleads with us to make plans for eternity. (Text – let’s approach today’s message a little differently)

1. We begin with these two words, “After this.” Some translations read “after these things,” “after all this,” or even “after the vision of these things.” But all of these mean “after” or “beyond” NOW! What is the ‘this’ or these things?

* The first ‘after this,’ he speaks of, deals with time. It means after time has passed away. This is something we seem to forget today.

* The “beyond the grave” stage is called “eternity” while the “before the grave” is called ‘time.’ Time is our lives today, eternity is our lives then. Bro. Morgan Bailey has aptly said, “Time is but a boot camp for eternity.” This means we prepare today for tomorrow. How we live today, the decisions we make and the actions we take TODAY, determine our position and place throughout all eternity.

* As kids we were told ‘what you do before 20 determines who you are after 40.’ Whether this adage is completely true or not is debatable, but one thing that is not debatable, “Payday is coming.”

* This is why Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

* Once again, Jesus’ principle of the ‘eye of the needle’ is applied because, if we are honest, we have become that rich people who struggle to keep Jehovah ahead of the god of this culture, money. No one can serve God and money. After time has passed away, there will be no more money.

* As it came time to die, a rich man was having a problem turning loose of his wealth. Money had been his entire life. Yet, he did make a profession in Jesus. As the death angel came, the man requested to carry ONE SUITCASE of his earthly possessions with him. The request was denied & then repeated, and then repeatedly denied. Until finally, the angel said, “You may carry one suitcase.” The man packed his biggest case with bars of gold. After he died he showed up at the pearly gate carrying his case. Peter said, “What is this, this is not allowed,” to which the man replied, “I received special permission.” So Peter said, “Let’s see it,” and the man opened this suitcase with the gold bars which he was so proud of. Peter’s response, “You got special permission to bring ‘pavement?”

* After time has passed, the wealth of this world is pavement to God. Consider other things which will pass, ‘after this’. It will be after the last church is planted, the last sermon is preached, and the last gospel witness is shared, after the last invitation, and after the last person is saved. It is after THIS.

* Are you ready for the “after this?” God has placed it in every person to instinctively know that something exists beyond the grave. How we prepare now determines what then will be like.

* Is your soul ready today? Are you ready to stand before God?

* Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

* Are you ready for God to judge you? He will judge you in light of what you do with His Son, Jesus. Have you accepted His offer of Salvation? He offers forgiveness from sin, He offers life to the fullest, He offers an eternal home ‘after this’. If you haven’t will you?