Joke: A very wealthy man decided to prove the quote, "You can't take it with you", wrong. Before he died he requested that his gold be buried with him. Sure enough after his death he found himself in heaven along with his gold. He was so excited that he had actually taken it with him. He went up to St. Peter to enter the gates and exclaimed "Look at this, you can take it with you." Peter looked at the gold in the mans hand and asked "Why would you want to bring pavement with you?"
There will come a day when I will breathe my last and die. So will you. I will be put in a coffin with a suit and tie. People will come to the church, songs will be sung, and words will be said. The casket will be closed and I will be taken to the cemetery where I will be lowered into the grave. Then all will come back for tuna salad, celery sticks, and maybe ham sandwiches. That will be it.
So, do you go immediately to heaven when you die? Will we recognize each other in heaven? What happens to babies when they die? Yes, to heaven. Are you afraid to die?
Three Certainties:
1. We all have a box with our name on it.
Illustration: It is like the board game Monopoly. My story when I won and when I lost -- bad sport. The thing I had to learn was that at the end it all goes back into the box; the money, houses, hotels, railroads, and properties. But the winner does not want to put it back, but to look at it and savor it. Like the game all we do here on earth will go back in the box; houses, harley’s, cars, 401k’s, and iphones.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: KJV
I am reminded of this every day. I am in the process of dying. My knees give me trouble, my eyes need glasses, my hair is dwindling, and I have to pace myself more. I try to eat healthy and exercise, but there is no avoiding it.
Quote: Steve Jobs said, “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the best choices in life.”
Choices for family, love and faith; doing something that will make a difference for the Kingdom of God.
2. At the moment of death you are ushered into eternity.
Jesus taught that at death the spirit and soul separate from the body and immediately goes to one of two places. Jesus told the man on the cross beside him:
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." NIV
Paul said in 2 Cor 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. When we die the body separates from the spirit and soul. Our bodies return to dust while our souls live forever. Paul calls our bodies a temporary tent (2 Cor 5:1,4). When your loved ones pick out the songs, flowers and casket, you are more alive than ever. Either you will be before the throne of God with all the redeemed and the angels celebrating your homecoming, or you will be facing utter darkness and despair.
Do we have a body in heaven? Yes. You will have a resurrected body like Jesus when He rose; He ate, walked and talked. But He also appeared through walls.
1 Cor 15:42b,44 Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. NLT
So, too, we will be able to recognize each other in heaven and talk about the good things of our past together. I believe our new bodies will come at the 2nd coming, but it could be immediate?
3. Heaven and hell are real places.
There is no middle ground, and no limbo. The bible says that God has placed eternity in every human heart (Eccl 3:11), so we do not cease to exist. If we did not have eternity then there would be no reason to be moral as there are no eternal consequences. There is eternal reward and celebration for those who accept Christ and there is a place of eternal pain and separation for those who reject Christ and live immoral lives. As our first scripture says that after we die we face judgment. God is perfectly just and judges correctly; rewards goodness and punishes evil. Anyone who got away it, with evil, and did not repent will be held accountable. Everything wrong in the world will be made right.
How can a good God really send people to hell? Even good people that are not Christians? Did they hear of a God that loved them at Christmas or Easter? Did they reject the invitation to say yes? Did they reject the Holy Spirit who drew them to Jesus?
When the beauty of creation, a sunset, etc., shouts that God is real and all was created including them, did they refuse to seek God? Even good people do something wrong, petty, and selfish. Did they respond to the whisper of God, their conscience, that it was wrong and there is forgiveness? As they got older and many friends died, confronted by their own mortality, hearing the gospel at funerals, knowing there is only One who beat death, did they repent? Many decisions made to not accept God as He revealed Himself, instead they wanted to do life my way; rejected God’s love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, free gift of Jesus. They never thanked, worshiped, or served God. Said no 1000 times.
Rev 3:20 "Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me. TLB
When people want to be left alone by God and do not open the door, then they are separated from God and that is hell along with eternal pain and punishment. But ultimately there is no relationship. What could be worse than spending all eternity alone and without the love of God?
Some say they can’t believe God sends people to hell. He doesn’t. People send themselves. God gives us a free choice. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 8:12). Gnashing of teeth = expression of utter regret, loss that is too deep for words. How could I have been so stubborn and rejected God?
If you don’t believe in a heaven or hell, are you willing to risk it? Where we spend eternity after death, must be settled before death. Don’t miss heaven. Don’t miss the reunion with Jesus and all your loved ones waiting for you there.
Video: Gladiator: Maximus: End Scene (2:32 youtube).
Illustration: a wife and mother who was dying of cancer asked a pastor if it was true that a day with God is as a thousand years to us. Yes he said. That’s good because if my husband lives another 40 years, that will be like only an hour in heaven. Her last words to her husband was, “I love you and will see you in an hour.” Be certain we see our loved ones in eternity as we pray now.
