Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "If I Die Before I Wake" with part 3 in this Sunday service.
If I Die Before I Wake Part 3
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, August 15, 2010
www.churchatmirrorlake.com
Sermon Notes:
The Present Heaven and the future Heaven…
Revelation 21:3 “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.”
* God wants to live among us. He has not always lived in Heaven, since He created it, and His desire is to live among people. There is a physical present Heaven—note the descriptions—people wearing clothes, River of Life, Tree of Life (same one that was in Eden), thrones, streets. There is a future Heaven even better than the present Heaven. Simply look around you and imagine what this world would be like with no sin, evil, death or corruption. Think about your favorite things about Earth and imagine them without any blemish or drawback.
* We will be with the Lord forever. Note Paul says who we will be with, not where we will be. Isaiah 65:17 “Look, I am creating new heavens and a new earth and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.’ 2 Peter 3:13 “But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.” Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth and the old heaven and old earth had disappeared.”
Colossians 3:1-3 “1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” The word “set” is the same word Jesus uses when He said He came to “seek and save the lost”—it is active, present tense—a continual energy and focus to find and understand Heaven. Paul gives us this as a command. A command assumes a natural resistance to be overcome. Paul is telling us that we will naturally digress from focusing on Heaven and turn our energy to those things that are not eternal. He is commanding us to imagine Heaven, study it, think about it, and live for it. The result is a life lived for Heaven. Note C.S. Lewis quote: “…the Christians who did most for the present world…” (Alcorn’s Heaven, location 626)
* Refocus your energies. Jonathan Edwards in his life resolutions written in his early twenties: “Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can.” If you had 30 days to live, would your life look differently than it does now? Would you settle some arguments or differences? Remember 911? Remember the phone calls being made by those in those buildings? Would you be investing as much energy in the same things you are investing in? Would your priorities be different? 2 Corinthians 7:10 —Life without regret. A life focused on Heaven becomes unoffendable. A life invested in Heaven has eternal priorities and is not pressurized by time issues. Live for treasures in Heaven. Matt 6:20 “Too heavenly minded for earthly good.” Really should be “So Heavenly minded we do the earth some good.” With Heaven as our focus our daily activities take on eternal significance. I am working for the good of others. I am here for others. Instead of focusing on what’s here for me, I turn my focus on being here for others. I will have eternity to enjoy what is here for me. Now, I will do my best to make sure everyone I know is enjoying that with me. Philippians 1:21-25
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