Many people say I don’t really like talk about death!
The truth is : you don’t really die ! Did you realise that?
Your physical body will cease to exist but you will never cease to exist you will live eternally somewhere ! This is what the scripture says!
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 and 8-10
“For we know that if the earthly tent (Earthly tent is our body ) we live in is destroyed, (when leave this earthly body) we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
2 We grow weary In our present bodies longing to be clothed with our heavenly bodies,
8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So we make it our goal * to please please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
What is our goal with our body ? What is our assignment while we are in this tent , earthly body ?
To be rich ! To accumulate a lot of money , to have a beach house in a hot country , What is our goal ?
Our goal is to please Him ! Our Goal is to live for Him ! Our goal is to do what lasts eternally!
Why we gonna talk about death ? Is not a funny subject, why to talk about eternity!
The reason is : what you believe about eternity determines how you live today !
What you believe about eternity determines how you will live now .
If you believe you’re an accident, The is no God , if you believe in evolution that you came from a monkey , there is no eternity, then you gonna live a selfish life driven for the pleasure of this time and everything is gonna be about NOW !
If you believe that you were created by a God , for his glory and you gonna live in somewhere eternally will shape the way you live !
What you believe about eternity will determine how you live today .
You will live in somewhere, your physical body will cease to exist at some point , your soul will continue to live !
What happens after this life is done ?
Our physical bodies dies
Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”
You gonna die somehow! I don’t know but you gonna die !
There is no ‘reincarnation’ after death. No one Re-born after death – the bible says : we die once end after that to face judgment!
Your body came from dust and to dust will return. Ecclesiastes 3:20 “All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.”
1- First your body will die
2- Our souls separate from our physical bodies
Our physical bodies stays behind and our soul continue to live
Matthew 10:28
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Don’t fear people but fear God ! when your body cease to exist – your soul continues to live
After you die you gonna have a funeral for your body but your soul still live although your body cease to exist .
Jesus speak about this when he was talking to Marta because Lazarus her brother have been dead for 4 days.
John 11:25-26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
What happens to a soul of follower of Jesus after they dies ?
What bible says : absent to the body will be with the Lord
Did you remember there were 2 criminals with Jesus at the cross !
Both were guilty , both need forgiveness, but one recognised his need and called on the grace of Jesus , recognising his sin and Jesus as saviour !
Luke 23:41- 43
“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.””
Today you will be with me in paradise ! Today
When your body cease to exist you will be wit me in paradise !
We don’t know how is there , but is a way better then this earthly life
Paul said this : What do I want ? Do I continue living here , what is better for me ?
Philippians 1:21-24
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”
Paul : I don’t know what I wan to do ! I long to be with Christ but for your sake I will be here .
He said : to be in this body is to be fruitful to Jesus but to be with the Lord is much better !
For me living is to live for Christ and to die is even better!
Your life has meaning if you live for Christ !
What happens after you die?
1- Our physical body die
2- Our soul continue to live separate from our body
3- We will all face judgment
1 Peter 1:17
“Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”
Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”
He will judge or reward you !
Remember: This world is not your home ! You’re foreigners ! You’re just passing trough,
This is just a short period of time and after death you will be judged or rewarded.
The way you live this short life with your body will determine how you will live eternally!
Let show you 2 different judgments in the scripture:
The first is called : The Great White Throne Judgment !
Most bible scholars believe that : The Great White Throne Judgment is only for non believers and also I agree that is true!
Revelation 20:11, 12, 15
11 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (The lake of fire I’m gonna talk next week)
Beloved Jesus is The Lamb of God that was slain, he died in our place !
When you come in the position of the criminal of the cross , recognising your sin , recognising Jesus as your Saviour,
you have a need of him and you give yourself to him then you’re saved by grace !
By grace not by work !
You are saved by Jesus trough faith in him and not by work
When you repent and confess your sins your name is written in the Book of Life !
When your name is in his book you have eternal life with God !
When your name is in his book then you are His child !
You are saved ! You have eternal life and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ! (Romans 8:1)
But In the great White Throne – if you look that book and your Name is not there , the scripture says your next move , your place of residence is not a place you will like nor you will enjoy !
Jesus said this , this is a hard and challenging verse :
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, (the Judgment day) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
I gave many hours for you Lord , I helped in church , I helped people on Christmas , I sang in church – the worship team , I was nice to people
I was better then many religious Hippocrates , I tried really hard , I did good works
Verse 23 : I never knew you ! I Didn’t know you , no relationship with me , Christianity is not religion, is relationship! You neve and need to know Him.
There are 2 Judgement : the first is The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11) – if your name is written in the book of life you are not gonna be judged
The second is called The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)
In 2 Co 5:10 Paul was talking to the Corinthians believers, follower of Christ!
Here is what he said to them :
2 Corinthians 5:10
“For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
What is the Judgment Seat of Christ ?
Judgment comes from the Greek word “Bema” – Bema is taking for the Greek Olympics !
What is bema ?
After a race the winners will came before the Judge who will stand or seat on the bema and the Judge will give them the rewards , to honour or reward the winner !
Gonna say : here is the crown for the first place , here for the second !
The Judgment seat is not a place to judge or to disqualify .
Bema seat is the place to celebrate the fact that you finished the race , you are faithful and here is the reward for what you have done .
It’s important to understand that the judgment seat of Christ is not a Judgment for your sins !
This is a judgment for those who were followers of Christ and your sins were forgiven by Jesus.
This is the place where Jesus acknowledge what you did on earth will rewarded in heaven !
You may say : I’m confused ! I tough that You said you are not saved by works !
You will never be saved by works ! You can be religious enough , you can work hard enough
The problem is : by nature we’re sinners !
Our sins separate us from this Holy God !
We’re saved by the Grace of God and by the sacrifice of Jesus at the Cross
We are saved by grace ! You are saved by grace !
But : You are rewarded for works !
You are saved by grace but you’re rewarded for works !
Because you’re saved by grace and you became new creation that love Jesus you don’t have to work for your salvation , but you work for Jesus because what He did for you !
Now you want to life for the glory of Jesus!
You’re saved by grace but you gonna be rewarded in heaven for how you lived !
What you do now matters eternally!
We are gonna be judged or we gonna be rewarded
What will we be rewarded for ? What will we be judged by ?
- You will be judged or rewarded how you treat people
- How do you cared for the least of these
- How do you cared for the out cast , the pour , the broken, the marginalised, the hurting, etc
- You gonna be Judged by your motives
- You will be judged by the words you speak / be careful with (“for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””Matthew 12:37
- You will be judged how do you endures suffering
- You will be judged or rewarded by what you do with what you have !
Did you use your resources to be a Blessing? Or did you hold all it for yourself .
- You will be rewarded when you bring people to Christ !
The bible says 1 Co 9:25-27) There is a crown for those who are disciple makers, for those of you that led someone to Christ and baptise them.
- You are gonna be rewarded by visiting , preaching and teaching people !
- You are gonna repent for not investing your life in people !
Everything you conquer in this world you gonna left behind, the only thing that enters in Heaven is people !
Imagine:
Your life is over ,your physical body cease to exist .
Game over ! All stuff you have is left behind and you stand before Jesus
Then he take a Crown and places it upon your head and says :
Well done my good and faithful servant , well done !
When you cared for people every week , when you served children it make difference in your lives ! When you did discipleship!
You didn’t even know it , but there are many of them here (heaven) today because what you did years and years ago.
You prayed , prayed and prayed , and I saw what you did in secret !
You fasted , fasted for people and I saw that !
You were not well , you were tired but you were in church serving, teaching the the children, in the prayer meetings,
No one saw what you did – but I saw !
When you did what was right , you could be done wrong , but I noticed ,
You didn’t have much at all , but you always gave , you always tithe , you always used what you had to meet the need of other people , I noticed , well done !
You shared your faith, you shared your time , you shared your life
Matthew 25:44-45
““They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”
Jesus will tell you:
You visited me when I was in prison
You comforted me when I was sick
You gave me food when I was hungry
You gave water when I was thirsty
Then you are going ask Jesus : When did I do that ?
Jesus is going to look at you and gonna say
What you did to the least of these you did on to me !
What you believe about eternity impacts how you live today .
The longer you walk with Christ, more our roots try to dig in this world !
The more comfortable our lives became more we crave for comforts
More we crave for comforts the less we are living for things that matter most.
I’m fighting against this things
As soon you grow you have to spend more time with God
Sometimes we get lost in our life with God ! It’s like Sat nav (gps)
You’re driving , we get distracted , then we get lost , and the gps says : recalculating , recalculating…
Sometimes we are walking with Christ , then we get distracted and go to a wrong road and we need to let the Holy Spirit to recalculate!
We have to break the roots of this world in our lives ! We need to live for what matters.
One day your heart will bit for the last time !
This is the reason : My Goal is to please you !
Let the spirit of a God to recalculate you to bring you back to his presence !