1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning into our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:21,960 according to the Bible. So thank you for joining this 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,000 session. For those listening online, 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,360 thank you so much. This is actually session 3 of 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,160 the Heaven, Hell and the Hereafter series. 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,360 If you haven't listened to the first two sessions, I encourage 11 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,880 you to go back. We talked about the eternality 12 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,440 of God. How do we wrap our brains around 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,440 this concept of eternal, which is hard for our human brains? 14 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,640 And then secondly, last session we talked about some false paths 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,480 to eternity, A lot of isms that are out there that do not lead 16 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:53,280 you to where the Bible would want you to go. 17 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Tonight we're going to talk about an interesting subject. 18 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,440 And it's, it's not without some controversy and some differing 19 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,600 opinion and differing interpretations. 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,440 So you may not agree with everything I'm going to say 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,960 tonight. That's OK Probably, maybe, could 22 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:13,200 be, might not be, you might be a heretic, but we'll see. 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,000 Some of these are secondary and tertiary doctrinal issues, but 24 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,080 there are some key pieces that you better believe, and so we'll 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,200 walk through all that together. You should have a handout for 26 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,600 that, or you can download one online. 27 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,320 The one thing that is certain that we know is that death is 28 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:33,880 certain. The latest statistic I could 29 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,320 find, and it changes often, probably daily, is that about 30 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:43,200 120 million people die. Excuse me, 120 people die every 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,720 minute. 60 million people die every year in the world. 32 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,240 So every single minute that goes by, that's another 120 people or 33 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,760 more. There's a countdown clock that 34 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,840 you'll find in the missions hall that will off talk about the 35 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,640 lostness of the world. And when you think about that, a 36 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,400 lot of those 120 people who just died in the last minute when I 37 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,560 was kidding about Woodstock, many of them did not know Jesus. 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,920 And so we have a job to do, and it's an urgent job. 39 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,720 It's a timed job. And time is running out for 40 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,840 another 120 and another 120 and another 120. 41 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,760 But all of us at some point are going to face this. 42 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,560 Ben Franklin is the guy who gets credit by saying that. 43 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,840 Yeah. And nothing can be certain 44 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,960 except death and taxes. And, and so we recognize that 45 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,160 this is a reality. And so we we want to face this. 46 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,880 And of course, as believers, we face this with a very different 47 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,960 perspective than what a non believer might face it. 48 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,680 A job in Job 1414 asks if a man dies, shall he live again? 49 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,440 And and that's part of what we want to talk about. 50 00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:00,440 Hebrews 927 is a verse that we've already used in this 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:04,000 series, but it's as just as it it is appointed for man to die 52 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,560 once, and after that comes judgement. 53 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,040 And so there there are a lot of questions, stories, opinions, 54 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,720 interpretations about death and what happens after death. 55 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:21,040 The world obviously has a pluralistic opinion about it 56 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,040 all. We talked about that in the last 57 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,440 session. But from a biblical perspective, 58 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,960 human beings are made-up of two parts. 59 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,200 And this is really important to remember. 60 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,880 In fact, it's vital to understand this because this is 61 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,680 part of how part of the way we deal with eternity. 62 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,840 We have both a material part, that's the physical part that's 63 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,040 decaying. It's a part of a fallen 64 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,080 creation. And, and you know, if those of 65 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:52,240 you who have not gotten older yet is coming for you and, and 66 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,120 it will finally catch up to you. It's in, it is, it is 67 00:03:55,120 --> 00:04:00,320 inevitable, and so we live in a fallen decay in creation, and 68 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,480 our material body is a part of that. 69 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,280 And so it's a material part. But then there's an immaterial 70 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,720 part of us. And I'm going to use the word 71 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,200 spirit and soul interchangeably for this session. 72 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,079 There are various teachings that might try to differentiate 73 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:20,800 between the spirit and soul, and down the road, if we need to get 74 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,400 into that, we can for this session. 75 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,040 It would be fine for us to put those two pieces together. 76 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,640 So the immaterial part of us, which is often not recognized by 77 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,360 the secular world, to be honest with you, although even in many 78 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,440 secular belief systems, the idea of a spiritual nature is there. 79 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:44,680 It may just be a form of energy to some, and but we recognize 80 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,800 that there is that part of us that's very real. 81 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:52,560 So when a human being physically dies, his or her immaterial part 82 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,440 departs from the material part. So there's a separation that 83 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,840 occurs. In fact, the New Testament Greek 84 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,280 word for death literally means separation. 85 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:06,280 And so it points this out very clearly, that you are separated 86 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,240 at that point. And at the moment of death, then 87 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,080 man's spirit or soul separates from the body. 88 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,120 And you see this happening in Scripture. 89 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,960 You'll see people talk about this in Acts Chapter 7. 90 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:26,880 Stephen prayed, Lord, Lord Jesus receive my spirit on the cross. 91 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:31,280 In Luke chapter 23, while Jesus is on the cross, he prays Father 92 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:34,080 into your hands. I commit my spirit. 93 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,040 He's not committing his physical body. 94 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,200 His physical body did not leave at that point. 95 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,280 They took it off the cross, put it in a tomb for a couple of 96 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:43,680 days, and we're going to talk about that in a minute. 97 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:49,400 But so the body goes to the grave and will decay normally, 98 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,400 except in the case of of Christ, which is absolutely unique. 99 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,200 But for all the rest of us, the body will decay, but the Spirit 100 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,080 lives on. But here's a key. 101 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:06,480 This is a temporary state. And this is where the varying 102 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,160 opinions start to form. Various interpretations of 103 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,240 Scripture will start coming into play. 104 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:18,160 So when we die and we're separated body from Spirit, 105 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,520 there's a temporary state of things. 106 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,080 And then there'll be a brand new resurrected reunion later, which 107 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,280 we'll talk about in a moment. So let's talk about this because 108 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,640 not everybody thinks through this or has thought of this. 109 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:38,000 And so some people wrongly assume that immediately upon the 110 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,280 moment of death that you're going to receive your 111 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:43,440 resurrected body. And that's not really what the 112 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,440 Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that comes 113 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,320 later and so that sometimes throws people. 114 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:53,160 That's not the view of Scripture there. 115 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:57,960 There is an in between state, a state of existence. 116 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,680 But it's really important that you listen carefully to this, a 117 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,000 state of existence in between the time our mortal bodies die 118 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,720 and the time we receive our resurrected bodies in the 119 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,160 future. But but this is never presented 120 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,320 as soul sleep, that that doctrine doesn't exist in 121 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,560 Scripture. This is a very conscious state. 122 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,480 You're very much alive. You're very much aware. 123 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,840 It's hard for us sometimes because we're so attached to 124 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,960 this. We think this is who we are, and 125 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,600 this is not who you are. This is but a body or shell of 126 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,520 clay that will return to the dust. 127 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,520 And so who you really are lives on. 128 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,720 You'll be more alive as a believer. 129 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:43,960 Let me just talk about believers for a minute. 130 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:51,480 In your spiritual state with Christ, with God, in a very real 131 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,440 conscious way. So sleep is often a 132 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,280 misinterpretation of some English translations. 133 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,960 They draw a doctrine from it. And I'll talk about that a two 134 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,680 or three times because there's some folks in our church who are 135 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,680 dealing with some people who believe in soul sleep and we've 136 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:08,440 been having a conversation about that. 137 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,600 There's a specific group of people who might come knocking 138 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,840 on your door or others who believe in soul sleep. 139 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:21,000 And so because the word sleep is often translated from in from 140 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,680 the Greek into English that way, it's actually a word for death. 141 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,400 And this leads to the confusion. But contextually, it's very 142 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,440 clear that it's referring to dying and not some some state of 143 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,360 sleep or suspended animation or unawareness. 144 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,480 So we're just going to throw so sleep out the window. 145 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,240 That's not what we're going to talk about tonight. 146 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:46,720 So for the believer, death involves his or her spirit 147 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,400 departing from the physical body and immediately going into the 148 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,720 presence of the Lord. So apart are absent from the 149 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,560 body and present with the Lord, which we'll use that verse again 150 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:00,920 later and we'll talk more about that in a minute. 151 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,920 Now some people disagree with what I just said and then one of 152 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,760 the reasons they disagree is because time and eternity is so 153 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,560 different. And so even though in our 154 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:16,160 timeline that we're working on, I die sometime second coming 155 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,160 doesn't happen till later and we know we're going to get a 156 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,680 resurrected body at that point. But from my perspective, in 157 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,120 heaven, time doesn't exist. So it all seems to happen all at 158 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,000 once. And I've heard that idea and, 159 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,000 and maybe that's true. The problem is there's just 160 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:32,760 nowhere in scripture that would say that. 161 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,280 And so I can't necessarily say that that's the truth. 162 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,560 And there is some evidence for something else, and I'll show 163 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:43,480 you that. So absent from the body present 164 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:47,760 with the Lord Ecclesiastes. Solomon put it this way in 165 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,480 Ecclesiastes 12/7. And the dust returns to the 166 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,680 earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 167 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,800 So often at funerals you're you'll hear kind of the, the 168 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,520 dust to dust, ashes to ashes kind of concept. 169 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,280 It's one of those verses that would point to that kind of 170 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,800 thing. In a similar way, then the for 171 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,280 the unbeliever, all right now we're talking about the person 172 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,720 who doesn't trust in Christ. So for the unbeliever, at the 173 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:20,000 moment of death, the immaterial, the the soul or the spirit also 174 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,880 departs from the material body and immediately goes to a place 175 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,040 of suffering again with complete conscious awareness. 176 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,520 But they are also not in their permanent state yet. 177 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,600 There's a, there's a different place that many would hold to. 178 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,280 So we're going to take a look at this and see where we land. 179 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:44,240 I want us to look at four different really time periods, 4 180 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,880 different phases of time, 4 different time periods. 181 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,400 That'll help us kind of see the different, what happened to Old 182 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:53,480 Testament people, what happens to New Testament people, what 183 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,280 happens to us today, those kinds of ideas. 184 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,520 So first we're going to look at in the beginning, before sin 185 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,760 with Adam and Eve, and then what happened in the Old Testament 186 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:07,400 after the fall, after sin, after Genesis 3, all the way through 187 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,360 the Gospels, but before the cross and the resurrection. 188 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,960 What happened to those people when they died then in the New 189 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,680 Testament, after the cross and before and after the 190 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:18,400 resurrection. And that's their own purpose 191 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:23,640 that way, because we got three days to talk about that. 192 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,200 We'll have to talk about specifically what was Jesus 193 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,640 doing during those three days. That's a a matter of a lot of 194 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:34,480 interpretation and, and, and various opinions. 195 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,520 And then we're going to look at the in eternity in the final 196 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,880 state of things. OK, everybody with me. 197 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:43,320 All right, so let's break this down. 198 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,240 S 1st in the beginning, before sin with Adam and Eve. 199 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:49,040 Now you've got to recognize that in the beginning they they had 200 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:53,480 not sinned. They were in a sinless place at 201 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,200 that point until they've made a wrong choice. 202 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,920 And so they would have lived forever in paradise in the 203 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,360 presence of God. And when you read the book of 204 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,400 Genesis, you'll see that one of the issues of judgement that 205 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,720 needed to come as they needed to separate them them from the tree 206 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,720 of life. So they wouldn't live forever in 207 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,160 the in the state they were in after they sinned. 208 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,080 God actually was redeeming them by kicking them out. 209 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,720 And sometimes it might seem harsh, but He was actually being 210 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:23,800 gracious by doing that. And so God told them in Genesis 211 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,040 217 that if they disobeyed, they would surely die. 212 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:32,440 And they did, and they would. God always keeps His promises. 213 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,440 And so sin, you got to think about this. 214 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:41,560 The wages of sin is what death. And so we recognize that death 215 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:45,640 is a price that gets paid because of sin. 216 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,040 And so that happens. Romans 512 actually clarifies 217 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,000 this. Therefore, just as sin came into 218 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:57,120 the world through one man and death through sin, and so death 219 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:02,120 spread to all men because all sinned, so because of our sinful 220 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,680 nature, because we all sin. And by the way, in the Romans 221 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,480 series this coming Sunday morning, we're going to talk a 222 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:12,120 lot about this and how we all sin. 223 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,080 Because of that, we're all now facing the wage. 224 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,800 We're all facing the price. There's a price to be paid 225 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,480 because we're all sinners. And so death is part of that 226 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,400 wage. So in the beginning, it was 227 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,360 different for that brief moment of time. 228 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:30,840 You had a couple of chapters in there. 229 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:35,720 That's about as long as humanity could wait before, before, 230 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,480 before sin stepped in. Then the second phase, and this 231 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,400 is a little more complicated in the Old Testament after Genesis 232 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,280 chapter 3, all the way through the Gospels, but before the 233 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,680 cross and the resurrection, especially before the 234 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:51,480 resurrection. Alright, so there's a 235 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,120 distinction that's going to be made between the righteous and 236 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,240 the wicked throughout these passages. 237 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,600 Malachi chapter 3, verse 18 says this. 238 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,200 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the 239 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,640 righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and 240 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:09,920 one who does not serve him. So there's going to be a 241 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,240 distinct judgment that we see take place here. 242 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,600 The just are going to live by faith. 243 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:21,520 That's Habakkuk 24. In fact, you've got to recognize 244 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:26,280 the role of faith in Old Testament salvation and often we 245 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,600 don't do that. We get hung up on the law, we 246 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,720 get hung up on the Tabernacle, on the temple, and we see that 247 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,560 as the only way to redemption and salvation. 248 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:39,600 But you need to read Hebrews 11 sometime for by faith, this is 249 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:44,920 how they in fact, Genesis 15-6 says Abraham believed he faith 250 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:50,280 in God. And so faith is still a way that 251 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,080 we approach God. And in fact it says, and he 252 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,160 believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness. 253 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,440 And so we're still in a faith-based system because of 254 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,160 grace. Ephesians 289 has always been 255 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,040 true. It it just Christ Jesus and and 256 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:12,120 our knowledge of him came later, but we're still seeing salvation 257 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:13,200 happen this way. So. 258 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,920 So you have to believe in what you're doing, even in the law, 259 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,880 even in your sacrifices along the way. 260 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,240 There's a faith to the animal sacrifice of the Tabernacle or 261 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,000 temple. Anyway, now there's several 262 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:34,640 opinions about what comes next. You have words like Sheol and 263 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,040 Hades. Now sometimes these get used 264 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:42,320 interchangeably. So literally, linguistically, 265 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:48,160 sheol is a Hebrew word and it's the general abode of the dead. 266 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:52,600 It's the place of the dead. The dead go to Sheol. 267 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:59,800 Hades is Greek, and in the New New Testament it's always used 268 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,000 for a place for the wicked, which is always kind of 269 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,800 interesting, even though there's going to be different people who 270 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,640 don't use it that way. It gets quite confusing 271 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:15,960 sometimes when you're reading some, including the rabbis. 272 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:20,320 Jewish rabbis would say that Hades contains 2 compartments, 273 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:26,160 and this is a fairly common interpretation and belief that 274 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,360 that the place of the dead in the Old Testament times had two 275 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,320 different sections. And there's a couple reasons why 276 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,200 they believe this. Scripturally 1 is paradise with 277 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,200 us? Use the word paradise or another 278 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,840 word, for it is the bosom of Abraham. 279 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,880 That phrase is only used one time in the Bible. 280 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:51,560 You have the Abraham's bosom or paradise, and then the other 281 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:56,360 place is a place of conscious agony and usually it's just 282 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,680 going to be called Hades or Sheol and it's a place of 283 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,800 torment, right? Other interpreters are simply 284 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,160 seeing this as heaven and hell. They don't see this in the same 285 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,880 way. So recognize that there's some 286 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,760 secondary and tertiary interpretations. 287 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,400 The primary points are that believers are going to be 288 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,280 present with the Lord. Unbelievers are not. 289 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:24,720 That's primary. The in between state, especially 290 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,160 during the Old Testament, really doesn't affect you. 291 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,720 Does it? Say no, you're not alive then. 292 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,120 OK, so this is an interesting conversation and an interesting 293 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:41,400 study, but it really doesn't have impact on your life today, 294 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,800 right? So don't let this become a 295 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,240 primary issue for you. All right? 296 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,800 Everybody say Amen. We're going to get primary 297 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,680 issues in a minute for today, I promise. 298 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,880 But for those who believe in this, a primary New Testament 299 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,760 story is the rich man and Lazarus. 300 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:02,480 And so I'm going to read this to you. 301 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:07,400 I think it's worth it. And so you got to remember, and 302 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,080 I'm not saying that's what this is because it doesn't say that, 303 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:14,960 but in the context of Luke chapter 16, Jesus is teaching in 304 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,120 parables. So is Jesus simply sharing a 305 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:21,520 parable or is he actually sharing the reality? 306 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,640 Was there really a person named Lazarus? 307 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,360 Was there really a a rich man or not? 308 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,040 Or is this simply a parable? OK, that doesn't change the 309 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,360 principles that were to learn from it. 310 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,640 But but and and and he doesn't call it a parable. 311 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:41,720 He he few verses before he it's very clear it's a parable. 312 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,200 He gets to this story doesn't say that, but he's been parable 313 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,960 parabolizing this whole time. So we're not sure. 314 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,800 So here's verse 19. I do think there's some true 315 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,480 principles that we learn from this, and I, I believe in these 316 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,240 principles strongly. There was a rich man who was 317 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,760 clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 318 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,920 every day. There is a word you ought to 319 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,320 work into your conversation tomorrow sumptuously. 320 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,680 If it rains later tonight, we'll refer to some sumptuous 321 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,880 nourishing of the earth. Right, All right. 322 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,680 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with 323 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,400 sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich 324 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,520 man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and 325 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,480 licked his sores. The poor man died and was 326 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,000 carried by the angels to Abraham's side. 327 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,760 Here we get this idea of the bosom of Abraham. 328 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,600 Right, a different translation. The rich man also died and was 329 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,640 buried and in Hades being in torment, he lifted up his eyes 330 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,920 and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 331 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,560 And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and 332 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,920 send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my 333 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,680 tongue, for I'm in anguish in this flame. 334 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,080 But Abraham said, child, remember that you and your 335 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,480 lifetime received your good things and Lazarus and like 336 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,440 manner bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in 337 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,920 anguish. And besides all this, between US 338 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,720 and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who 339 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,920 would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross 340 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,920 from there to us. And he said, then I beg you, 341 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,920 Father, to send him to my Father's house, for I have 5 342 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,680 brothers, so that he may warn them lest they also come into 343 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,240 this place of torment. And of course Jesus goes on to 344 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:33,960 say, basically, if they're not going to pay attention to 345 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,880 scripture and prophets, why would they listen to them? 346 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:43,040 And so we see this image in this context, but we do see a couple 347 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,680 of things that are really true and seem to be evident, whether 348 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:51,240 this is an in between state, whether this is heaven or hell, 349 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,920 even though the word Hades is clearly used. 350 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:59,560 And at this point in time, remember we're pre cross, pre 351 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,200 resurrection. But to think about the idea of 352 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,000 here are a couple of truths, and this gets borne out in other 353 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,680 stories that I promise I'll point out to you later. 354 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,040 Here are a couple of things that I believe are absolutely true. 355 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,600 After we die, there is conscious awareness. 356 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,720 We are very much there. We are very much aware. 357 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,520 We're not in some weird other state. 358 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,000 We know where we are and we are aware that we are there. 359 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,480 The other thing is, is that if you notice, we do not lose 360 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,760 recognizable identity. And this is significant to me, 361 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,800 the fact that they are known. Lazarus is still Lazarus. 362 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,800 Abraham is still Abraham. The rich man is still rich man. 363 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,200 And that's going to be borne out in other passages. 364 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,560 I'll show you later. So I really do believe this is 365 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,080 an obvious truth. We will know each other after 366 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,320 death. We will know who we are. 367 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,960 And we we're going to talk about our resurrected bodies here in a 368 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,280 little bit. So we may not, we're not going 369 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,200 to look exactly the same way. We're going to look better. 370 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,320 Hey, thank you very much. Thank you very much. 371 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,960 But but we're going to know each other and that and that and 372 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,720 again, you got to and you got to come back to this truth. 373 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:15,720 Who we really are is not this. See, that's not who we are. 374 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,960 And so we're going to, we're going to have a recognizable 375 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,600 identity with who we really are, which is going to be wonderful. 376 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:23,680 All right. Now, I promise we're not leaving 377 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,440 some of these principles behind. I'm going to come back, I'm 378 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,240 going to circle a little bit later on, but let me just move 379 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,040 on in the timeline just for a couple of minutes. 380 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:36,520 So the third phase that we would want to take a look at is during 381 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:40,280 the New Testament, after the cross and before and after the 382 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,520 resurrection. This is where some real 383 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,600 interesting interpretations and differences of opinion come into 384 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,760 play. I actually think this is pretty 385 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,240 cool conversation. Cool. 386 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:55,760 That's a Hebrew word for sumptuous. 387 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,600 The penalty of sin is paid in full, right? 388 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:10,160 Jesus pays for us on the cross. God's wrath is justified. 389 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:12,680 We're going to talk more about that in our Roman study. 390 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:18,920 John 1930 says when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said 391 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:23,560 to tell us die. We translated as it is finished. 392 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,360 A better translation would have been the debt is paid 393 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:30,920 completely, thoroughly, fully. Nope, no more is owed because 394 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,280 that's what the word really means. 395 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,840 And he bowed his head and gave up his what spirit? 396 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,280 Once again we see the separation of the material from the 397 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:46,240 immaterial, right? Romans 325, whom God put forward 398 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,960 as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. 399 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,720 This was to show God's righteousness because in His 400 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,160 divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. 401 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:01,640 So Jesus declares victory over sin and his death. 402 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:06,400 This becomes important because in His death he's actually 403 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,720 victorious over the wage of sin, right? 404 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,560 And thus we're going to see the resurrection in a couple of 405 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:15,480 days. Death can't hold him. 406 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:20,280 Jesus is beyond death. Jesus has defeated the wage. 407 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,280 He's paid the price. We can't do that, but he could. 408 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,160 Then there are varying interpretations about what 409 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:32,480 happened next before the what was Jesus up to for three days? 410 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,640 That's a matter of a lot of discussion and you some of these 411 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,640 will be the well, this is some of you know, oh, this is exactly 412 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,480 what he was doing. And others will say, I've never 413 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,960 heard that in my life. So let's dive into a couple 414 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,120 passages. First, Peter 3 is a common one 415 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,840 for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the 416 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,760 unrighteous that he might bring us to God being put to death in 417 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,840 the flesh. So he's died on the cross, 418 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:09,280 tracking with me, but made alive in the spirit in which he went, 419 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,880 and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. 420 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:21,280 Who, where? Why Ephesians chapter 4. 421 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,520 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure 422 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,800 of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, when He 423 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:34,120 ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts 424 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:36,880 to men. In saying He ascended, what does 425 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:41,440 it mean but that He also He had also descended into the lower 426 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,720 regions, the earth. He who descended is the one who 427 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,120 also ascended, far above all the heavens, that he might fill all 428 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:59,080 things. So either Jesus descended into 429 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,920 the earth, into Sheol, into Hades the grave. 430 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,520 I'm going to put all those pieces, all those three together 431 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:10,720 for this right now and preach victory to those who rebelled. 432 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,480 Some would say this. There are other passages that 433 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:19,120 suggest this, that he preaches to the fallen angels, He 434 00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:23,960 preaches to the wicked, and then he leads the righteous from 435 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:30,240 Abraham's bosom out with him. So Paradise is now relocated 436 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,720 into the presence of God and no longer a compartment of Hades. 437 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:36,920 How many of you have ever heard that before? 438 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:41,320 Some of you thank you very much. How many of you have never heard 439 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,520 that before? Thank you very much. 440 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:49,960 Or these verses simply represent His general work of salvation 441 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,320 for those of us who are buried in sin, who are now free and LED 442 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,760 out by His grace. And you'll have scholars on both 443 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,440 sides of that puzzle. What did He really do? 444 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,520 The problem with the second view is, what do you do with these 445 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,880 verses? And so there's some interesting 446 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,960 things to think about. Remember what He said to the 447 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,920 thief on the cross next to him in Luke 2343. 448 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:20,280 Truly, I say to you, when you'll be with me, where in paradise? 449 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:28,200 Not later, not some other time, but as soon as you die, He would 450 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,720 be with Jesus. Matthew chapter 27 is also an 451 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,120 interesting passage, and I'm just going to throw this in 452 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:37,600 because I just find it fascinating. 453 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:42,160 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up his 454 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,240 spirit. And behold, the curtain of the 455 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,600 temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, 456 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,320 and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and 457 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,720 many bodies of the Saints who had fallen asleep were raised 458 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,600 and coming out of the tombs. After his resurrection, they 459 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,880 went into the holy city and appeared to many, so there were 460 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:07,600 some who came back to life. It's interesting to me how 461 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,720 little we seem to make of this passage. 462 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:14,000 I hear very few sermons or lessons about this incredible 463 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,240 miracle, and yet I imagine that they had quite an impact. 464 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,080 I, I, I don't, I'm not sure what you would do. 465 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,520 Could you imagine grandpa knocking on your door one night? 466 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,200 I would just think that this was a bigger deal than sometimes we 467 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:32,160 make it. And then later on in the next 468 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,840 verse, verse 54, when the centurion and those who were 469 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,280 with him keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and 470 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,520 what took place, they were filled with all and said truly, 471 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:45,640 this was the Son of God. And so a lot happened in these 472 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,640 moments of his death prior to his resurrection. 473 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,400 A lot of miraculous things were happening. 474 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,160 There are passages in the Scripture also that talk about 475 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,320 their passages, for example, in Jude and other places to where 476 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,120 there seemed to be certain demons and certain really nasty 477 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:07,880 unclean spirits that were chained up in an even deeper, 478 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,720 darker places, so to speak, because God would not allow them 479 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,680 to be unleashed upon us. They were, they were too nasty 480 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,680 for us. So you can research some of 481 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:23,680 this, but again, that's not what affects us today. 482 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:29,160 So let's talk more about that. So for us today, let me just 483 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:34,640 start in 2nd Corinthians 5, I mentioned one of these verses 484 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,360 earlier in a different translation. 485 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,040 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is 486 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:44,040 destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with 487 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:48,160 hands eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, 488 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:52,160 longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting 489 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:56,040 it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this 490 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:00,200 tent we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, 491 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,960 but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal 492 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:08,560 may be swallowed up by life. So we are always upset. 493 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,680 No, He, he who has prepared us for this very good thing is God, 494 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,320 who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 495 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:17,720 So we are always of good courage. 496 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:21,600 We know that while we are at home in the body we are away 497 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,960 from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. 498 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,000 Yes, we are of good courage and would rather be away from the 499 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,200 body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or 500 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,200 away, we make it our aim to please Him. 501 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,120 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ so 502 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,880 that each one, they receive what is due for what He has done in 503 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,760 the body, whether good or evil. And again, another translation 504 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:51,160 to verse 8 is that that one you're more familiar with, to be 505 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,760 absent from the body, to be present with the Lord. 506 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,640 So there's this clear evidence that the moment we die, we are 507 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:05,040 in a conscious state in the presence of the Lord. 508 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:09,160 Now I don't believe we're in our permanent state yet because I 509 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,680 don't believe we've received our resurrected body yet. 510 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:16,640 But again, depending upon what you want to view as time and 511 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,840 eternity, you can say, well, all that happens all at the same 512 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:20,800 time. And as soon as we die, the 513 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,920 second coming has already happened or is happening. 514 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,440 And because time doesn't really exist and so we're on a whole 515 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,920 different wavelength. I can't my brain, they can't do 516 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,560 that. So I'm still running on the line 517 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:35,440 a little bit. So another passage is 518 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:41,720 Philippians one for me to live as Christ and to die as gain. 519 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,200 If I'm to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for 520 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:47,600 me. Yet which I shall choose I 521 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,920 cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the 522 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:53,320 two. My desire is to depart and be 523 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,600 with Christ, for that's far better. 524 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,760 The the word depart here is actually a nautical term. 525 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,240 It it's the ship's mooring to untie the boat, so to speak. 526 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,920 He, he wants to be set loose so he can sail directly to God and 527 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,440 he'd do that immediately. And again, just like Jesus said 528 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,280 to the thief on the cross today you'll be with me. 529 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:19,040 So those believers who die now go straight into the presence of 530 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:24,560 God, consciously, identifiably, etcetera. 531 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:26,480 I'll talk more about that in a minute. 532 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,920 But what about non believers who die now? 533 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,560 At the moment of death, non Christians go as spirits to a 534 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:40,720 place of suffering, full conscious awareness, and there 535 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,360 they await their future resurrection and judgment at the 536 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:48,120 great White throne. Now one of the reasons I believe 537 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,440 in this other place is the fact that when I read the Book of 538 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,000 Revelation there seems to be these steps that are taking 539 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,800 place. Second Peter 29 says, then the 540 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,600 Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep 541 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,880 the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement. 542 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,200 So final judgement hasn't happened yet. 543 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,920 And this word keep in that translation. 544 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,120 A different translation of Second Peter 29 would have the 545 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:20,920 word hold and the word hold its present tense or keep it's 546 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,360 present tense, which means it's continuous. 547 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:28,200 So God is keeping them there and continuously keeps them there, 548 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,320 which is one of the reasons why I think there's an in between 549 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:36,520 time between the final state of things and so he's keeping them 550 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,920 there. And this wording is basically 551 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:44,280 like prisoners guarded non-stop, waiting for judgement, waiting 552 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:49,840 for the trial, so to speak. And so we see this happening to 553 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:54,200 those who don't know him. Now, from this, you can imagine, 554 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,800 along with the Book of Maccabees and the Apocrypha, how the 555 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,320 Catholic Church comes up with certain purgatory ideas. 556 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,680 But that idea is not supported in Scripture in the sense that 557 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:09,400 that's not, you know, that believers are not sent to a 558 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:11,480 place of suffering or a place of holding. 559 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,320 They're immediately in the presence of the Lord. 560 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:17,280 They just don't have their final bodies yet, but they're very 561 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:21,280 much there. Whereas those who don't know him 562 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:24,520 are being kept. And then finally, let's look at 563 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,360 in eternity. In other words, what's the 564 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:28,480 final? What's the final look going to 565 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:33,600 look like? So our glorification is going to 566 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:36,800 also involve the future redemption of our bodies, so to 567 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,280 speak, not, not just like this one. 568 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:44,320 This will turn to dust. But in First Thessalonians 4 you 569 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:46,960 know this passage. But we do not want you to be 570 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,159 uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you 571 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:52,679 may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 572 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:56,760 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so, 573 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,080 through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen 574 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,600 asleep. For this we declare to you by a 575 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,600 word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until 576 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:08,920 the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen 577 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,040 asleep. For the Lord Himself will 578 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,360 descend from heaven, and with a cry of command, with the voice 579 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,760 of an Archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and 580 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,000 the dead in Christ will rise first. 581 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,560 Then we who are alive who are left will be caught up together 582 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:26,600 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 583 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,480 And so we will always be with the Lord. 584 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,600 Now some people would actually see this passage as an 585 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,280 interpretation of the Ephesians passage where He descended. 586 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,640 That actually what that's talking about is the second 587 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,360 coming, not necessarily the three days between the cross and 588 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,840 the resurrection. So you understand, they're 589 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,280 different viewpoints that come into play here. 590 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,080 But what we see here is the return of Jesus and beyond. 591 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:52,920 And we're going to talk a whole lot more about that later 592 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,800 sessions, I promise. In fact, then very next session, 593 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,440 we're going to talk about what's heaven like and who all's going 594 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,400 to be there. So we're going to, we're going 595 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,160 to really work through what is heaven all about? 596 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:05,640 What does it look like to the best of our our our language 597 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,920 abilities and our comprehension abilities, as well as who's 598 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,160 going to be there and unfortunately who's not. 599 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,520 So Jesus returns literally and visibly to earth. 600 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,280 That is a primary doctrine you need to believe in a bodily 601 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:25,720 return of Jesus Christ and those who have fallen asleep. 602 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:29,400 Again, this simply means those who have already died before his 603 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,480 return. This is not referring to soul 604 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,240 sleep. Go back to original language, 605 00:36:33,240 --> 00:36:37,600 original meanings. It becomes clear and and we're 606 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:39,840 going to experience these new bodies, we're going to be 607 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,280 raised. In fact, Paul talks about this 608 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,760 more thoroughly in First Corinthians 15. 609 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:49,840 So in First Corinthians 15, he really does breakdown for us 610 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,280 several things that we need to see. 611 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,680 First of all, he basically gives an explanation of our glorified 612 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:59,160 bodies, verse 35. But someone will ask, how are 613 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,400 the dead raised? With what kind of body do they 614 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:03,760 come? I mean, it's pretty clear, you 615 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:05,240 know, I mean, he's getting pretty straightforward. 616 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:09,400 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for 617 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,280 humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another 618 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,520 for fish. There are heavenly bodies and 619 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,360 earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind and 620 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,200 the glory of the earthly is of another. 621 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:22,200 In other words, this is not going to be the same. 622 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:27,600 This is different. Acts 26, eight says, why is it 623 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,280 thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? 624 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,840 So this is not a, this is not an effort, this is nothing. 625 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:36,520 This is not hard for Him. He's going to restore us. 626 00:37:37,240 --> 00:37:41,760 Then we see in verses 42 through 44 kind of about the excellence 627 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:43,760 of these glorified bodies, and I'm going to give more 628 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,000 descriptions later, but here it says, so it is with the 629 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,120 resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable. 630 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:53,200 What is raised is imperishable. We're going to have an 631 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:57,200 imperishable body. It is sown and dishonored. 632 00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,960 It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. 633 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:03,080 It is raised in power. It is sown in natural body. 634 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:06,320 It is raised a spiritual body. If there's a natural body, 635 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:10,280 there's also a spiritual body. We're going to be different. 636 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,960 We're going to be eternal in this body. 637 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,840 Philippians 3 reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven, 638 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,600 and from it we await A Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will 639 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:27,040 transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the 640 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,560 power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 641 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,880 I mean, he is the Creator. This is no power, no problem to 642 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:38,520 recreate us in a new way, and we're going to be like Him. 643 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:40,840 We're going to talk more about what that means specifically in 644 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,840 a minute. Verses 47 through 49, we see an 645 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,280 example as he's comparing the first Adam and Jesus. 646 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:53,040 Talking about Jesus and Adam, he says the first man was from the 647 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,320 earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven, 648 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:01,160 as was the man of dust. So also are those are those who 649 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:05,160 are of the dust. And as is the man of heaven, so 650 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,160 also are those who are of heaven. 651 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,200 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall 652 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:13,640 also bear the image of the man of heaven. 653 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:19,520 That's that's I like that. We're going to dust off our old 654 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:27,520 dusty self first. John 32 says, Beloved, we are 655 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,800 God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared. 656 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:36,720 See, we're not there yet, but we know that when he appears, we 657 00:39:36,720 --> 00:39:41,120 shall be like him because we shall see him as He is. 658 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,120 So we're going to be a whole lot more like Jesus after the 659 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:49,960 resurrection. Verses 51 through 53, we kind of 660 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,000 see, there's this exchange that takes place. 661 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:55,040 How does this happen? So behold, I tell you a mystery. 662 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,680 This is the theme verse for all church nurseries. 663 00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,960 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 664 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:03,600 It's an old joke. I need a rim shot. 665 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,960 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. 666 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,960 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised 667 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:16,600 imperishable, and we shall be changed. 668 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,520 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and 669 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:23,000 this mortal body must put on immortality. 670 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:25,520 So we're going to be completely different. 671 00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:32,280 FF Bruce, who's a famous theologian commentator, he wrote 672 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,200 this, he said the glorifying of believers is their ultimate and 673 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,160 complete conformity to the image of God's Son. 674 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,360 We're we're more back to pre Genesis 3 than we've ever been 675 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:48,920 before to where we're bearing the very image of God himself. 676 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:50,680 I'm not saying we're going to be just like that, but I'm just 677 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:55,000 saying closer. So change from perishable to 678 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,520 imperishable. So let's be a little more 679 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:02,280 specific. So our body according to these 680 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:06,520 passages is going to be more like the resurrected Christ. 681 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:13,160 So all we can do is study him and learn from him and also see 682 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,320 some other passages to say this is this looks like this is what 683 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:20,560 we're going to be like. We we noticed that that 684 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:23,400 Philippians passage will transform our lowly body to be 685 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:27,200 like his glorious body by the power that he that enables him 686 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:28,840 even to subject all things to himself. 687 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,640 So we're going to be more like in first John 32 again, beloved, 688 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:35,080 we are God's children now and what we will be has not yet 689 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:38,440 appeared, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like 690 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:42,400 him. We also recognize that he had a 691 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,880 visible and recognizable body. This goes back to this other 692 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:48,760 statement I was making before about the rich man and Lazarus. 693 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:52,240 We do not lose our identity in eternity. 694 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:56,480 We will know each other, I believe with all of my heart. 695 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:00,520 You're going to recognize those who have gone on before you. 696 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:03,400 Now our relationships will be different. 697 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:05,440 We're going to talk about that later. 698 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:07,920 The relationships in heaven are different. 699 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:10,200 There's no marriage. There's things like that that 700 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:14,600 are different. Better if you can imagine, but 701 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:18,880 we're still going to see folks and I think I can prove that not 702 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:21,880 only with these passages, but also with a couple of others. 703 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:26,000 So Luke 24 says see my hands and my feet, that is I myself touch 704 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,080 me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see 705 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:30,800 that I have. There was no question that was 706 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,680 Jesus after the resurrection. They saw him. 707 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,520 Paul writes in First Corinthians 13 For now we see in a mirror 708 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:41,120 dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part then I shall 709 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,280 know fully even as I have been fully known. 710 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:46,280 So even as I've been fully known, I'm still going to be 711 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,720 known. But I also think there are a 712 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:51,480 couple of other stories that people often don't think about. 713 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,600 Who is on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, 714 00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:03,080 Moses and Elijah. How do you know they were still 715 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:05,720 Moses? They were still Elijah. 716 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:11,800 And so we see throughout Scripture that even those who 717 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:17,480 have died are still known. It was still Moses, it was still 718 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,400 Elijah, and they were recognized. 719 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:23,400 Again, the rich man of Lazarus story seems to point to the same 720 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,720 thing. I have no other evidence to to 721 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:28,600 say something else. And so the evidence of Scripture 722 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:33,000 would say that we will be known. We're also going to be free from 723 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,160 present limitations. Again after the resurrection, 724 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,040 their eyes open, they recognized him and he vanished from their 725 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:41,840 sight. He also can appear through 726 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,200 locked doors. John 20 says on the evening of 727 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:46,640 that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked 728 00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:49,920 where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and 729 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:52,360 stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. 730 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:56,440 Then verse 26, eight days later, his disciples were inside again 731 00:43:56,440 --> 00:43:58,680 and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 732 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:02,280 Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. 733 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,160 Now, I'm not saying that one of the things we want to do after 734 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:08,520 we die in heaven is to go through locked doors, but it's a 735 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:11,400 testimony that we're just made of different stuff. 736 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:16,360 We're just different. It's a completely different type 737 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:20,680 of existence. This is an eternal and glorious 738 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:24,560 body. Again, in 2nd Corinthians 5, we 739 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,160 know that if our, if the tent that is our earthly home is 740 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:30,000 destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with 741 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:35,080 hands, eternal in the heavens. Or again out of first 742 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,760 Corinthians 15, sown in dishonor, raised in glory, sown 743 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:43,360 in weakness, raised in power. And so we recognize that this is 744 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:49,000 a, a glorious eternal body that will last forever. 745 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:51,520 I've mentioned this to you before. 746 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:54,440 Not everybody has thought of this or agrees with me, but this 747 00:44:54,440 --> 00:45:00,160 is also this is also why people will endure punishment forever 748 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:06,920 in hell, because they too are going to receive a different new 749 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:12,560 body, and so an incorruptible body forever free from sin, 750 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,800 sickness and sorrow. And this ought to give you hope. 751 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:17,800 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. 752 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,800 What is sown as perishable? What is raised is imperishable 753 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:25,880 or revelation, a verse. We often share it. 754 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:30,240 Certain times of grief. He will wipe away every tear 755 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:33,960 from their eyes and death shall be no more. 756 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:38,400 Now don't rush past that. What doesn't exist anymore? 757 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:44,000 The wage is paid. Sin will not be a part of our 758 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:47,960 future. We have been saved from the 759 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,040 penalty of sin if we believe in Jesus. 760 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:54,680 We are constantly being saved from the power of sin and our 761 00:45:54,680 --> 00:46:00,840 daily life and our discipleship one day from the presence of sin 762 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,200 itself. We won't. 763 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:07,680 We wouldn't in our current state even understand how to do how to 764 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:11,200 do that. We wouldn't be able to 765 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:14,960 comprehend perfection. We're going to need a new body. 766 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:18,360 We're going to need a new ability to be able to live in a 767 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:21,200 sinless place, in a sinless state. 768 00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:25,040 He'll wipe away every tear from their eyes. 769 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,920 And death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning 770 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:34,160 nor crying nor pain anymore. For the former things have 771 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:38,480 passed away. Now let me clear up a couple of 772 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:44,080 things. I found that sometimes even the 773 00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:48,520 the things that might be obvious to some or not learned that 774 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:52,480 Sunday. I'll leave that alone. 775 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,880 You don't get to become an Angel, sorry. 776 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,080 You don't get to sit on a cloud with little wings strumming on a 777 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:05,240 harp. You don't get to do that. 778 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:09,160 Another thing I'm going to say, which is not in your notes, but 779 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:10,960 I'm going to say it, and I'll say it again in a couple weeks 780 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,680 when we get to hell. Satan also doesn't run Hell. 781 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:18,240 Get that in your head. Satan and his demons are not 782 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:22,240 down there stirring up a pot and watching the gates to Hell as as 783 00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:26,200 Dante was wrong. That is not how it works. 784 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:30,000 Satan himself will be cast into hell. 785 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:37,960 I like saying that out loud. The Bible actually says that 786 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:42,280 we'll judge angels. It's always interesting to me 787 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:45,280 because Paul's writing to the Corinthians when he writes this, 788 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:49,320 writing to believers from extremely Pagan backgrounds, 789 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:52,960 most of them in First Corinthians 63. 790 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:55,760 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? 791 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:00,680 How much more than matters pertaining to this life. 792 00:48:02,720 --> 00:48:05,200 So we're going to recognize, we're going to talk about angels 793 00:48:05,240 --> 00:48:06,840 and we'll start talking about them next week. 794 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:11,120 Why are they? Who are they, what are they and 795 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,960 what do they do? And these incredible messenger 796 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:19,640 servants of God are going to also be there with us. 797 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:24,200 Again, First Corinthians 15 says this. 798 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:29,480 It says, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through 799 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:33,560 our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, 800 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:38,280 be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the 801 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:43,400 Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 802 00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:51,040 But whenever I do a study like this, it always makes me want to 803 00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:58,480 ask the question, So what? How should that change? 804 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:05,360 How should any of this change the way I behave tomorrow, What 805 00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:12,480 I believe, what I think, what I love, and what I fear? 806 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:16,960 How should this affect my life here and now? 807 00:49:17,320 --> 00:49:20,440 There's got to be more to these studies than simply, oh, that's 808 00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:23,600 interesting to study that I want to know about demons or I want 809 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:26,800 to know about angels. I find people overtly fascinated 810 00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:31,760 by such things, when in fact we ought to be fascinated by Jesus 811 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:39,320 and what he's done for us and how that ought to affect what I 812 00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:44,480 do and what I think and what I say and what I believe. 813 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:50,840 So for me, whenever I review this again and I walk through 814 00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:58,280 these passages again, I, I, I, I'm thankful for a God who even 815 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,600 from the beginning knew this was going to happen and created a 816 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:06,720 plan of grace anyway and suffers and sacrifices himself for me. 817 00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:10,680 And then in victory goes. And maybe he does go proclaim to 818 00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:12,600 those and takes them out of Hades. 819 00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:14,960 And maybe he'd, he, he, he, he's going to. 820 00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:16,800 But I know this, he's going to get me one day. 821 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:22,880 I know that part. My prayer is, is that I'd like 822 00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:35,560 to meet him in the air, but if I die first physically, I'll still 823 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:42,560 be with him. And one day or that day 824 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:46,360 immediately or later, depending upon how time works in heaven 825 00:50:46,720 --> 00:50:52,120 and eternity, I'm going to be made different and new. 826 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,600 And So what that helps me to think through is the fact that 827 00:50:57,600 --> 00:51:02,680 when my back hurts like it has over the last few days or I have 828 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:05,600 to get an injection in my eye because of my diabetes and I 829 00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:09,520 can't see out of my right eye and it feels like somebody's 830 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:12,360 punched me in the face like it has the last few days. 831 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:21,000 You know what? Big deal, big deal. 832 00:51:23,120 --> 00:51:26,040 Hey, first of all, many of you are suffering far more than I 833 00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:30,360 ever would, but I don't want to make light of your suffering or 834 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:32,520 what you're going through, but also just put it into 835 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:35,640 perspective. Put it into perspective because 836 00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:39,960 one day it's all going to end. One day it's all going to end. 837 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:47,520 And I guess what bothers me is I want everybody to enjoy that. 838 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:56,000 And we're surrounded by people. I was hearing about people 839 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:59,000 today, specific people today, who do not believe. 840 00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:07,040 I don't want them to miss out. Martyn Lloyd Jones, the preacher 841 00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:12,440 theologian, said a man who has his eye on his future state of 842 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:15,640 glorification will spend his time in preparing himself for 843 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:18,880 it. So the more we think about home, 844 00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:23,360 real home, the more I really do think about what that's going to 845 00:52:23,360 --> 00:52:25,040 be like. And next week, we're going to 846 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:27,160 hit it hard. I've been reading in the Book of 847 00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:30,880 Revelation, just trying to wrap my head around what John was 848 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:32,520 trying to wrap his head around, frankly. 849 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:38,400 And the words that he had to put into language to describe the 850 00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:43,600 undescribable to to, to, to compare them to gems and to 851 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:47,120 compare them to metals and to compare them to earthly things. 852 00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:48,800 Because that was the only thing he could do. 853 00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:58,880 That was the best he could do. And yet it's more just recognize 854 00:52:59,960 --> 00:53:05,440 this is not you and this is not home. 855 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:12,160 And one day, one day we'll go there if you believe. 856 00:53:13,720 --> 00:53:17,000 And I believe that beyond any shadow of a doubt. 857 00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:23,560 And I look forward to seeing others there. 858 00:53:25,680 --> 00:53:31,440 I look forward to reuniting and learning from them if I need to. 859 00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:34,920 Maybe we know it all already, you know, Maybe there is no 860 00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:39,160 question to ask in heaven. But I wouldn't mind strolling 861 00:53:39,160 --> 00:53:44,480 along with Moses. I wouldn't mind walking along 862 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:49,680 the the sea of glass before the throne with Paul. 863 00:53:53,080 --> 00:54:01,880 But I really want to see Jesus. And I guess sometimes it bothers 864 00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:04,560 me because I think to myself, when that happens, I want to run 865 00:54:04,560 --> 00:54:06,720 and I want to thank him. And that's what I'll do because 866 00:54:06,720 --> 00:54:09,040 that's what I think we're all going to do. 867 00:54:10,000 --> 00:54:11,640 I mean, the 24 elders are doing it. 868 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:12,880 The heavenly beasts are doing it. 869 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:17,400 That's what we're going to do. But here's what makes me pause. 870 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:22,840 Now, hear me before we go. Why am I not doing that right 871 00:54:22,840 --> 00:54:29,080 now? Why am I not more appreciative 872 00:54:29,080 --> 00:54:34,160 right now? Because I can run to him right 873 00:54:34,160 --> 00:54:41,200 now and thank him and appreciate him and honor him and glorify 874 00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:45,360 him for what he's done. I don't have to wait. 875 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:50,080 You don't have to wait. We can do that here. 876 00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:54,280 And part of what? Part of what I think sometimes 877 00:54:54,280 --> 00:55:00,000 we miss because we misrepresent what this is, this stuff up on 878 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:03,920 the stage in this thing that we call a worship service. 879 00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:07,840 Sometimes I think we miss it. And I was reminded of this the 880 00:55:07,840 --> 00:55:10,520 other day when I was, I was listening to someone talking 881 00:55:10,520 --> 00:55:14,880 about the Tabernacle and they were describing it as, as, as 882 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:18,640 God gave this to Moses. Now, this wasn't Scripture. 883 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:20,160 This is just somebody talking about it. 884 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,680 God gave this a Moses and, and, and in a small way, this is, 885 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:27,760 this is a symbol, this is a representation of heaven on 886 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:29,160 earth. Here's God presence. 887 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:32,320 God's presence is going to dwell in this holy of holies, this 888 00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:39,520 place. And see, I, I just believe. 889 00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:41,680 And maybe I have too high a view of the church. 890 00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:45,520 I don't know, maybe, maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like that's 891 00:55:45,520 --> 00:55:47,480 what we're supposed to do every time we're in here. 892 00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:50,560 This isn't about whether he's saying OK. 893 00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:53,240 This isn't about whether that was too loud. 894 00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,680 This isn't about whether that was too bright. 895 00:55:56,680 --> 00:55:59,320 This ought to be about did I come to say thank you? 896 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:06,240 Did I come to praise and to bring glory to a king who gave 897 00:56:06,240 --> 00:56:08,680 me life? And who's going to give me a 898 00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:11,400 better life? I mean, what if? 899 00:56:11,640 --> 00:56:15,360 What if I have to fear? What can mere man do to me? 900 00:56:18,480 --> 00:56:24,640 Imperishable, glorious, known. Hmm. 901 00:56:31,030 --> 00:56:40,630 Forever and ever and ever. Father, thank you for forever. 902 00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:49,560 Lord, we're people of the dust, and sometimes we act like it. 903 00:56:52,800 --> 00:56:58,040 Father, sometimes we forget and we act dirty. 904 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:03,720 We act dusty. And Father, sometimes we're just 905 00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:06,000 out for what we want for ourselves. 906 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:07,800 Lord, I want that fruit off that tree. 907 00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:10,080 I know you told me I couldn't. That's the only one I want. 908 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:12,200 That's what I want. That's what I want. 909 00:57:12,200 --> 00:57:13,600 So I should have it. I deserve it. 910 00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:18,160 It's what I want. We forget. 911 00:57:20,520 --> 00:57:23,320 So Father, I pray that we don't just study about heaven. 912 00:57:23,320 --> 00:57:25,920 I pray that we don't just study about eternity. 913 00:57:25,920 --> 00:57:28,000 I pray that we don't just study about you. 914 00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:33,440 But Father, I pray that you move in our hearts changes make us 915 00:57:33,440 --> 00:57:35,120 more like you. Even now. 916 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:39,680 Even now, I know one day we're going to be, we're going to get 917 00:57:39,680 --> 00:57:44,280 bodies that are more like the resurrected Christ. 918 00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:50,960 But why not right now? In our spirits, Father, in our 919 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:53,480 souls, in our hearts and our minds. 920 00:57:54,520 --> 00:58:00,200 Make us more like you now. And Father, when we come to this 921 00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:05,160 place, this is just a building. This is just a place. 922 00:58:05,800 --> 00:58:09,920 But Father, it becomes more because you're already here and 923 00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:12,360 we don't have to invite you to join us here. 924 00:58:12,440 --> 00:58:15,600 That's so dumb. You're already here. 925 00:58:15,880 --> 00:58:21,600 You're inviting us to join you. What a privilege. 926 00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:27,120 You didn't have to do that. And Father, there was a time 927 00:58:27,120 --> 00:58:31,040 when the veil separated and we, we couldn't, Lord, man couldn't 928 00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:33,800 just come. But the veil was torn. 929 00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:40,960 Access was given, commanded, expected. 930 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:47,520 And so, Father, forgive us. Forgive us, Father, when we 931 00:58:48,600 --> 00:58:54,360 forget. Help us to remember forever and 932 00:58:54,360 --> 00:59:01,360 ever and ever. And we saw you high and lifted 933 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:07,120 up, and even the seraphim bowed and worshipped you. 934 00:59:09,160 --> 00:59:15,760 Who are we not to do the same? Thank you Father, in Christ's 935 00:59:15,760 --> 00:59:19,400 name, Amen. God bless you all. 936 00:59:19,400 --> 00:59:22,320 Thank you all. It's a little bit early, so be 937 00:59:22,320 --> 00:59:27,000 nice to the children. Thank you so much for listening 938 00:59:27,000 --> 00:59:28,680 today, and I also hope that you'll go to 939 00:59:28,680 --> 00:59:32,480 ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com as well as our app and find many 940 00:59:32,480 --> 00:59:34,840 other resources that will bless you and your families. 941 00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:36,040 Thank you once again.