Eternity; what happens next?
John 14:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Luke 23:33-43 New International Version (NIV)
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. “And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Message:
Today we are 1/3rd of the way through our “Believe” church experience study guide by Pastor Randy Frazee.
So far we have covered the topics of:
Identifying God
A Personal God
Salvation
The Bible
Our Identity in Christ
The Church
Humanity
Compassion
Stewardship of the Christian Home
And today we finish this series of ten messages with the topic of Eternity.
The late Rev. Dr. Lawrence Brice in his 2012 book “Confident Faith” devotes an entire chapter to what happens after death. He titled that chapter “The bottom line - is there eternal life?”
http://www.amazon.com/Confident-Faith-World-Wants-Believe/dp/1937756092
Today we will examine that question from a Biblical perspective and also look at how science is still unable to answer the things we believe by faith.
Things so sure to us that we stake our present and our eternal future upon them as we trust in what Jesus and others have told us about the life that follows this one.
Interesting scientific fact. The human body loses 21 grams at the time of death. They do not know why. This does not occur with any other species just humans. “In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill in Massachusetts actually tried to weigh this soul. In his office, he had a special bed "arranged on a light framework built upon very delicately balanced platform beam scales" that he claimed were accurate to two-tenths of an ounce (around 5.6 grams). Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/05/13/1105956.htm
To this day science does not know why this occurs. It is not a loss of air from the lungs or from bodily fluids all they know is we get just a little lighter at death. Many have wondered could this be the soul.
Rev. Dr. Brice says… the concept of the soul or personal identity leaving the body at the point of death is a very ancient belief. It is not only traced back to Socrates of Greek antiquity, but also to communities of Homo sapiens as far back as we have artifacts of burial. Jewish writers of the Old Testament also affirmed the personal survival of death in which the dead go to be with God in Heaven. What the ancient Hebrews of the Old Testament observed when someone died was that something left the body. And that something was noticeably, breath. The Hebrew word for breath is the same word they use for spirit: “ruach”. Pg. 117 Confident Faith Dr. Lawrence Brice.
This makes sense as we understand that God breathed life into Adam. Could it be that the life force returns to God at death? Could that be the soul?
Dr. Brice says “our beliefs about immortality color all of the rest of life and determine what we live for and what we value most.
We see this especially in people who have had near death experiences, who sometimes report having seen scenes of Heaven or even Hell. These experiences can be so vivid and compelling that they change the entire course of their lives.” Pg. 116 Confident Faith – Deep River Publishers 2012.
Jesus related just such an experience about two very different men in Luke 16:19-31.
Jesus does not preface his words by saying I tell you a parable or any such caveat. For this reason many Bible scholars like Dr. J. Vernon McGee believe Jesus is in fact telling about two men whom He knew personally who died. Pg. 320 VOL.4; Thru the Bible Commentary Rev. Dr. J. Vernon McGee - Thomas Nelson Publishing 1983
Jesus goes on to describe in detail their unique experience in Luke 16:19-31
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 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.’
25 “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. 26 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.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “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.”
In this passage Jesus is letting us know that Heaven and Hell are real places and that our eternal souls will go to one place or the other.
Jesus is also prophesying His death in verse 31.
Jesus tells us that Angels carried Lazarus to Abraham’s side.
The rich man is buried and goes to Hell.
We see here that Jesus clearly teaches that death need not separate us from God and that death is not extinction but rather separation from God for those who do not turn to God.
In eternity we end up in one place or the other no middle ground is mentioned.
Jesus also lets us know that we will know and recognize people who have died before us. In this case Abraham was recognized by Lazarus.
Lazarus now receives good things and the rich man is in agony in fire not on fire. He desires to have Lazarus the beggar dip his finger in water and then touch his tongue with it in order that he might find relief from his torment.
The rich man cries out to Abraham to let Lazarus do this one act of kindness but Abraham explains that it is not possible and reminds the rich man that the tables of their fortunes are turned.
Abraham also explains that there is a large chasm that is set in place that no one can cross.
As a final appeal the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth and to the rich man’s family to warn them about the eternal consequences that exist.
We learn friends that there is no going back.
You will end up in one place or the other and you cannot cross over from one to the other.
The rich man says – but if someone rises from the dead my 5 brothers will believe him.
Not so says Jesus and He ought to know since he was the first to rise from the dead to an eternal body.
St. Paul tells us in Colossians 1:15-23
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”
St. Paul says in another place…
2 Corinthians 5:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Friends that thief on the cross was confident in Jesus to forgive him of his sins and to give him eternal life.
He was willing to be absent from his earthly body trusting that Jesus would give him an eternal body.
Friends you got two choices in this world but only one way to Heaven and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is your destination for eternity? Are you confident today, are you willing today?
You have to make your choice in the here and now because when you die it will be too late. – Amen.
