What you and I believe about
Confession: I have
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” —1st Corinthians 2.9 New Living Translation
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” —John 14.1-6
“Then I saw ‘a new Heaven and a new earth,’ for the first Heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” —Revelation 21.1-5, 7
Three Misconceptions About Heaven
Heaven will be
This world is your
Most people are
Heaven will be boring.
We will know one another, love, and be loved. —1st Corinthians 13.12-13
Heaven will be a place of unimaginable beauty. —Revelation 21.15-21
In Heaven, you and I will see Jesus face to face. —1st John 3.2
You and I will have new and perfect bodies. —1st Corinthians 15.35-54; Malachi 4.2; Isaiah 35.5-6
Heaven is the absence of everything bad, painful, and evil. It’s the presence of everything good, holy, and glorious. —Isaiah 65.17-25; Revelation 21.21-27
This world is your home.
“Their mind is set on earthly things. BUT our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” - Philippians 3.19-20
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” —2nd Corinthians 4.18 NLT
“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” —James 4.14b
Most people are going to Heaven anyway.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” —Jesus, Matthew 7.13-14
Good people don’t go to Heaven when they die;
“For everyong has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrified His life, shedding his blood.” —Romans 3.23-24, NLT
Goals for This Series:
- Relieve Fear
- Increase Urgency
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand dirm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” —1st Corinthians 15.55, 57-58
Practices
Sabbath: Worship with The Way Church for all of our “Life After Life” series.
Scripture: Read all of the Bible verses found in this week’s sermon notes.
Witness: Live like you’re dying. What you and I believe about eternity determines how you and I live today.