Rosebank BIC Church

A man passing through a graveyard one day came across these words on a tombstone:

Pause stranger when you pass me by

As you are now, so once was I,

As I am now, you too shall be,

 

 

So prepare for death and follow me.

An unknown person wrote with a Magic-marker just below

To follow you I’m not content,

 

Until I know which way you went!

Today I want to talk to you about what happens when we die. Oh, I know that many of you here are born again believers and followers of Jesus Christ and you are certain that your destination is Heaven, but what exactly happens the moment your heart stops?

I shared not long ago at a funeral – I told them that 1.) Heaven is a Place. 2.) Heaven is a prepared place. 3.) Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

Let me just say for clarity here this morning. We were created by almighty God with eternity in our hearts. We are eternal beings that will abide forever in one of only two places. We were created in the image of the triune God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three dimensions or expressions of one Being. The great 3 in 1, you’ve heard people say. There is a theological variance of opinion as to whether we are trichotomous or dichotomous. I am a trichotomist. By that I mean: I believe God created us in His image which means we exist in three dimensions. I am a spirit, I have a soul, and I live in a body. Let me say that again. I am a Spirit. I have a soul – that is my mind, emotions, intellect, and will) and I live in a body.

Saint Paul prayed in 1 Thes.5:23 that our whole spirit, soul and body would be preserved blameless at the coming or our Lord, Jesus Christ. Now, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, and later because of my own sin, I was condemned to death, spirit, soul and body. My eternal destination was automatically Hell, the place prepared for the devil and his angels. But listen friends, Hell is also a place where all those who are condemned by sin and have not yet made the conscious choice or decision to turn to Jesus will spend eternity. Peter said in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.” When I turned to Christ in repentance and sorrow for my sin, and received the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus because he paid the penalty for my sin on the cross, I received a new spirit. So … I was born again, My spirit is saved, my soul is being saved, (that’s the process of sanctification) and my body will be saved. That is what the word “SALVATION” means. In Greek it is “SOZO” and means saving, preserving, grace for the whole person – spirit, soul and body. So do you see why understanding how we are created is important if we are to understand what happens when we die?

Because of sin: My spirit is dead, my soul is dying, and my body will die. Because of salvation: my spirit is saved, my soul is being saved, and my body will be saved!

 

 

Now when I die as a born again Christian, my body goes to the grave or the crematorium, or the sea or whatever. It is simply the clothing that contained my Spirit and Soul. It is corruptible, subject to decay and does indeed change back to dust or to ashes as we often hear at grave-side services. What happens to my spirit and soul at the moment my heart stops and my body dies?

 

 

Perhaps the most familiar scripture we can refer to here is 2 Cor.5:8, where Paul says, “We are confident, yes well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Where’s that?

Question: Where is the Lord Jesus Christ at this moment? _________________Romans 8:34 is one of 10 references that tell us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.

Where is the Father? Our Father, which art in _______________________. SO – if the Christian heart stops beating and the spirit and soul are summoned into the presence of the Lord – where do they go? ___________________heaven!

 

Heaven is the dwelling place of God and the eternal home of those who’ve been brought into His family through salvation. The scriptures however imply that there are three heavens. In 2 Cor. 12:2 the apostle Paul was caught up into the third heaven. Now let me try a little logic on you.

If there is a third heaven there must be a _______________heaven and a _____________heaven.

The First Heaven = __________________Earth’s Atmosphere

• Deut.11:17 – Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce.

• Deut. 28:12 – The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty to send you rain on your land in season…..

• Judges 5:4 “…..when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.

• Acts 14:6 “….He has shown you kindness by giving you rain from Heaven.”

The Second Heaven = _________________ Outer Space

• Psalm 19:4,6 “In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun, it rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other.”

• Jer. 8:2 “They will be exposed to the sun and moon and all the stars of the heavens….”

• Is. 13:10 “The stars of heaven and their constellations will show their light.”

 

The Third Heaven = _______________________ God’s Dwelling Place

• 1 Kings 8:30 (phrase repeated numerous times in following vs.) “…..then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place…”

• Psalm 2:4 “The One enthroned in the heavens laughs; The Lord scoffs at them.”

• Matt.5:16 “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

So, if we are off to heaven, and we come before the presence of the Lord, it must be this THIRD HEAVEN.

Look with me at the personal testimony of Saint Paul in 2 Cor.12:2-4 “I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows, such a one was caught up to the third heaven…….(vs.4) he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which is not lawful for a man to utter.”

 

 

Notice that Paul uses the word Paradise and the Third Heaven interchangeably hear. Does this word Paradise ring a bell with you? Jesus turned to the repentant thief on the cross and said,

“This day thou shall be with me in _________________.” Through sin humanity had been kicked out of Paradise, the garden of God, and through repentance and faith we have our reservation to once again be ushered into Paradise. A place of exquisite beauty and provision. A place where we find the Tree of Life, – Jesus Christ according to the typology of Rev. 22:1&2.

 

Is this the final habitation of the saints? I don’t think so!!!

 

Turn with me to John 14:2 where Jesus said, “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.” I believe that this third heaven is unfathomably large . Scientists are not even close to surveying the vast regions of what we have earlier described as the second heaven or outer space. I believe the third heaven is too large for our minds to grasp. The scriptures tell us that Abraham looked for a CITY whose builder and maker was God. Pilgrim of Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” searched for the Celestial City and in Rev. 21 we read about this city. I believe the eternal home of the believer will be in this eternal city, the New Jerusalem, which is located within the third heaven and will be the home of the Bride of Christ. I will come back to this later in the message, but right now let me address another question:

 

Will there be any tears in heaven?

 

Yes, there will be tears. God proclaims that in heaven he will wipe away every tear, but notice friends, that is something he does in heaven. We have often paraphrased the promise to wipe away tears in heaven to “There will be no tears there.” Why do I see a time for tears?

In 1 John 2:28 we are told, “And now, little children (John is addressing the saints here) abide in Him, that when He appears you may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” JOHN, what on earth are you saying? You mean some saints are going to be ashamed when they appear before Christ or when he returns? YES! And ashamed sounds more like tears than smiles.

In 1 Cor.3:15 we see that at the end of their lives some will suffer loss, when their works are burned up, but they themselves will be saved, yet as by fire. I believe the ashamed and those who suffer loss will shed many tears in heaven, but eventually God will wipe away every tear.

 

Unfortunately, many Christians think they can get away with living a selfish life that does not involve sacrifice or taking up the cross daily. They find it easier to stay in bed sometimes instead of joining with the saints to worship as Heb.10:25 commands. They have a standing invitation to an early morning prayer meeting but that would demand sacrifice so they just don’t do it. They find it more pleasurable to watch hours of TV each week than to spend an hour a day seeking God’s wisdom in the scriptures. If you’re an average Canadian you watch about 1000 hours of television a year. That means if you’re an average Canadian, by the time you’re 65 you will have amassed 9½ solid years of TV viewing. You’ll have given 9½ years of your life in front of the boob tube.

 

 

On the other hand, let’s say you went to church one hour per week for your entire life, that would only equal four solid months of spiritual teaching, also based on 65 years. Four months compared to 9½ years – now you tell me where you’re getting your primary values in life from? Today people find it easier to golf, bowl, curl, ski, swim, play cards, or watch sports than to engage in the life-changing discipline of prayer. They find it a great priority to use God’s money for cars, new homes and furnishings, clothes, recreational toys, restaurants, and other creature comforts than to support the local church and the proclamation of the Gospel to all the world. They certainly find it more convenient to remain speechless concerning Christ – than to witness. After all, one could be branded a fool, a fanatic, or a Jesus Freak for talking too much about the Saviour. Let me warn you this morning that the bible is crystal clear concerning an appointment you and I both have before the judgement seat of Christ. We didn’t make it, we can’t shake, we can’t break it, we will be there for sure, some of you perhaps very soon and when we get there, we can’t fake it! Yes, I think when we go through the inspection that awaits every believer in heaven there will be tears and shame, but God’s grace will prevail and after the Millennial reign there will be a wiping away of every tear, for all of eternity.

 

In Rev.1:19, we read, “Write the things which thou hast heard, which thou hast seen, the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter.” If one studies the book of Rev. chronologically he finds that it reveals the things which thou hast seen – Chapter One - the past; the things which are: Chapter 2&3 – Present; and the things which shall be: Chapters 4-22 – Future.

The seven years of Tribulation begin in chapter 6 through 18 and Christ comes back as the reigning King of kings in Rev. 19:16, and the thousand year reign of Christ occurs Rev.20:4.

Then – in Rev. 21:4 after the seven years of tribulation, after the 1,000 year reign of Christ, we read God shall wipe all tears away from their eyes. This verse does not imply that all tears are wiped away instantly when we reach heaven. The bible teaches the first thing we all face immediately upon our entrance into heaven is an audience before the Judgement Seat of Christ. I’ll say more about that in a moment, but I think in spite of the beauty and peace of heaven or perhaps I should say partially BECAUSE of the beauty and peace of heaven we will have an opportunity to think about our lack of love and service for Christ upon the earth. Saints will weep each time they think about what they could have done and did not do.

 

In another region totally separated from God by a great gulf, those who are damned by their refusal to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus will already be experiencing weeping and gnashing of teeth. The bible says this is a place of torment, heat, thirst and eternal death but just as the Christian is not yet summoned to their final home, so the damned have not yet been dispatched to their final home.

 

In this period following the Millennial reign of Christ the bible says that Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire. (Rev.20:10) and in vs. 11-15 we read, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

 

12. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. (The dead are the damned, no one who is in Christ will face the Great White Throne Judgement – It is where sentencing takes place for rejecting God’s love and Jesus free gift.) and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, according to the things written in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and Hades delivered up the dead that were in them and they were judged each one according to his works. And death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire, and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 

I believe according to what I read in Rev. 21 we now have after the millennial reign of Christ, a new heaven and a new earth, the first one having passed away. It is then that the saints will take up residence in the Heavenly City, the new Jerusalem. Every tear will be wiped away and we will know eternal joy and peace forever worshipping and serving our Lord.

 

Next question:

Will all Christians come before the Judgement Seat of Christ for an inspection of their lives?

Yes! Emphatically yes! Romans 14:10 “For we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.” Do you know what the word ALL means in the original Greek: _________? ALL.

In 2 Cor.5:10 we read, “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done.” Again notice the all, and the things that are being reviewed by the Lord are the things that were done in the body.

Notice “in the body,” speaking of the body of our flesh, that we’ve left behind. Rom.14:12 says we will give an account of ourselves to God. Are you comfortable with that friend? Will you rejoice before Him at the Judgement Seat or will you be ashamed as 1 John 2:28 says many believers will be. Again remember this is not the Great White Throne Judgement spoken of in Rev.20 where those who have rejected Christ will be sentenced and dispatched to the Lake of Fire. No one who has accepted Jesus as their Saviour while in the body need fear that Judgement. There sins have been forgiven and washed away by the precious blood of Jesus and Romans 8:1 tells us “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” The saints will be subject only to the judgement seat of Christ where there lives will be examined as to how they have lived for Christ.

 

1Cor.5:11-15 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Heaven’s Emmys and Oscars will be handed out at the judgement seat of Christ. Those who have served faithfully with a whole heart will receive rewards, crowns to lay at Jesus feet. They will rule and reign with Christ throughout all eternity. Others will be ashamed and sorrowful as they give an account to God, but eventually Jesus will wipe away their tears too. The difference will be the abundant entrance into heaven as a victorious overcomer, and those who barely make it by the skin of their teeth or as 1 Cor.3:15 puts it, “as by fire.”

 

 

Another reason why I believe there will be a time of sorrow in heaven is because we will be able to see what is happening on earth and we will also see into Hades, the temporary abode of the condemned. Why do I believe that? In Hebrews 11 we are told of all the great people of faith listed there in what is sometimes referred to as “God’s Faith hall of Fame.” Then immediately in the first verse of the next chapter, the writer says, “Therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Friends those saints and the loved ones who were Christians who have passed on are witnesses to the events of our lives. I think they might even be joining Jesus in the priestly role of intercession for us. In this state before tears are wiped away and we enter the new Jerusalem and our mansions, I think we have an opportunity to pray. Now does that mean that you and I should pray to the dead or ask them to pray to Jesus on our behalf. Absolutely not! The bible teaches us to pray to the Father in Jesus name. There is no precedent in scripture for praying to the dead, and in fact the OT refers to prayer to the dead as the practice of Necromancy and that is an abomination to the Lord.

 

The story of Lazarus and the Rich man in Luke 16 are a clear indication that those who are awaiting the Great White Throne Judgement in Hades can see into heaven, and those in Paradise awaiting their final home in heaven, can see into Hades. Let’s look at the scripture. Luke 16:19-26 “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

The word in the verse 23 translated Hell in the KJV is the Greek word for Hades, whereas there is another word, Gehenna, for the place of eternal fire, which is also translated Hell.

Next question:

Will we know people when we get to heaven? I believe we will.

You may recall how King David, sick with remorse and repentance for his sin prayed and fasted for a week asking God to spare His son born to Bathsheba. God did not withdraw this part of the consequence of David’s sin, and the child died. David said, “He can no longer come to me, but someday I will go to him.” 2 Sam.12:23 Here David suggests he’ll know his son in heaven. In the account of the transfiguration Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ and somehow their bodies were similar to their look on earth and recognizable. When Jesus rose from the dead, he was seen at the garden tomb and told Mary not to touch him because he was not yet glorified, but when he came back to meet his disciples in Jerusalem in his glorified body, he said to Thomas, “Touch my hands, put your hand in my side. A spirit does not have flesh.” I believe our glorified bodies will look similar to what they did on earth, I believe babies will be more mature and the elderly will be younger, (somebody say, “Hallelujah”) but all will be recognizable.

 

What about Jesus statement, “There will be no marriage or giving in marriage in heaven?” We must remember the context of this statement was an answer to a group of Jewish leaders who were trying to trap him. In Mark 12:25, Jesus simply states that marriage as we know it won’t be a function in heaven. On earth marriage is for intimacy and the procreation of children, but in heaven Jesus says we will be like the angels in this aspect – there will not be a need for procreation and there will be an intimacy and closeness, well beyond what we can ever have here. It will be an intimacy based on God’s agape` love not on the human eros love that we idenitfy with marriage. Immediately in this Mark-passage, Jesus goes on to point out that God names the saints of Heaven and he is the God of the living identifyable people in heaven. Yes, we’ll know and enjoy and unparralled initmacy with our loved ones in eternity.

 

Numerous testimonies abound of those who have clinically died but have been resuscitated back to life. They often report seeing loved ones and recognizing them. D.L. Moody reported on his death-bed that he had peaked into heaven and saw his grandson who had predeceased him. Many of you have heard me tell of my uncle Dave Rolston. He was clinically DOA when he was received at the London hospital after an air ambulance ride from Goderich. He told us he travelled through a tunnel to the edge of a river. On the other side of the river was a place of brilliant light and he saw his mom, my grandmother dressed in white robes. She said, “O Davey I’m so glad you’re here,” but then a divine voice from across the river interrupted “the time is not yet. I want you to bring more here with you…….”

 

Look with me at the four contrasts of I Cor.15:42

“So also is the resurrection of the dead.

The body is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory

It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”

Sown in Corruption, perishable, tendency towards decay

Incorruption, imperishable (for the just and unjust)

 

 

I want to direct your attention to another fascinating portion of scripture in Matt.27, and we’ll begin reading at verse 50. “Jesus when He had cried out again with a loud voice , yielded up His Spirit.

51.) And behold the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks split, and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.”

 

Think about it friends! God’s already had a practice run at this raising folks from the dead and putting the dust and ashes back together in a glorified body. These risen saints appeared to many! No wonder the bible tells us that even many of the Pharisees and leaders of the synagog converted to Christianity. Jesus also raised a long dead and decayed but now recognizable Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration for Peter, James and John to see. Yeah, he’s already practiced a few times. Now do you believe that he can take the dust or ashes of your old dwelling place and put it back together better than it was the first time. If so say, “AMEN!”

Oh I wish I had time to tell you about where my new body is going to reside eternally. The master designer’s been preparing it for a long time and it is beyond anything human understanding can even begin to absorb. Rev. 21 tells us about streets of gold, sparkling jewels, gemstones and pearls everywhere you look, colours that defy our description, and the size … that’s another thing altogether. How many of you have flown at 40,000 feet? You think that’s an impressive distance? The bible tells us that Heaven is the city foursquare. It is omni-dimensional. On earth the way it is now, we live on the earth and God has a thing called gravity helping us to stick to it so we don’t go flying off as it revolves in it’s orbit. We will live IN heaven or in the new Jerusalem. It is 1,500 Miles horizontal, it is 1,500 miles in depth, and that plane better move because heaven is 1,500 miles high too! There are no light switches in any of the mansions! No street lights to make the gold glisten and the gems glitter. WHY? Rev. 21:23 “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

 

Speaking of planes, I need to come in for a landing don’t I? Our time is gone. The good news this morning friends is that immediately after your heart stops a chain of events can start for you that will lead to eternal celebration and glory. Your choice celebration and joy or separation and suffering for all of eternity. The difference will be in what you do with regard to Jesus Christ. He has a plan for your life that is perfect and includes eternal joy in his presence. He has also given you the right to pay no attention to him or the afterlife, in which case you will not get what he offers you as a gift, you will instead get what you deserve. Sin demands punishment. You can either acknowledge the one who already paid for yours in humble surrender, or you can pay for your own through all of eternity. The choice is yours.