Tough week of sermon prep getting ready for this passage - the reality of death. I shared a few of my own experiences with families and individuals dealing with death. I talked about 2 individuals who were facing death:
Lisa - a twenty-something that I met in a hospital ICU room. Lisa was involved in a terrible car accident and doctors weren't sure of whether she would make it or not. Her eyes were filled with terror when I met her. Lisa knew that she might not make it and she was horrified.
Linda - had been fighting cancer for a year. She knew that her type of lung cancer was almost always deadly. In the face of death - through weakness, baldness, and sickness - Linda was always positive, always encouraging others, always serving, and praising Jesus. Linda was my living example of Paul's words - to live is Christ and to die is gain.
The difference in these 2 women facing the reality of death was the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Lisa knew that she was about to die separated from God - a sinner. Linda knew that if she lived on she would do so serving and magnifying Jesus. But Linda was also ready to die, knowing that to do so would put her in the presence of Jesus - he great God and Savior. The Gospel and the theology of the Gospel (including heaven and hell) gave Linda great hope every day she lived and hope for forevermore!
So here are a few questions -
1. What did you hear God saying through the message?
2. What does that mean?
3. What is God calling you to do? and/or Who is God calling you to be?
4. What would prevent you from doing or being that?
5. How can we help?
2. What does that mean?
3. What is God calling you to do? and/or Who is God calling you to be?
4. What would prevent you from doing or being that?
5. How can we help?
Today's message should be available on the media page of http://www.newcitydowntown.org/ Monday or Tuesday.
6 comments:
A few things impacted me from the sermon.
1) I had never understood the heaven vs. paradise, hell vs. hades thing before though I had seen them in Scripture. That was clarifying for me.
2) I recalled my recent heart problems and the struggle inside of me that followed. As a believer, what I wrestled with was that, if I died, I would be leaving my family (wife and two children) behind. My thoughts were, "I know God will take care of them, but how will He provide for them?" and "will it affect my boys adversely in their spiritual life with Jesus as they grow up if I am not there for them?" As I dug a little deeper, what I realized is that I thought I was trusting God with my family, but really was trusting in my provision for them. Sad but true. So this sermon has provided an opportunity for me to assess how much that has changed over the past two months.
3) The sermon got me thinking about my view of death when I was not a follower of Jesus. Mostly I avoided thoughts of death in those days. But, when I did think about death, I thought that, if God was real and I died, then He would basically let me into heaven because I was a good enough person. What I didn't realize was that God's standard is perfection, and I would never get there on my own.
I heard an illustration a couple of years ago regarding how to teach your kids about Jesus being the only way to heaven. They said, have them stand at the bottom of a staircase, you stand at the top, and tell them to come up the stairs without touching the steps or handrails. When they figure out they can't do it, you may have to tell them to ask you to come down and carry them up the staircase. That carrying them is faith in Jesus, and that is what He does for us, He makes the way - Himself.
Greg,
Great thoughts. I believe the same love and concern that you feel for your family is what drove Paul to believe that he would be released from prison - to continue to help the Philippians (and others) grow in their faith and joy.
You are right to connect that to your faith in His provision, not just for you but for your wife and children. Of course, the truth is that as much as you love them - He loves them more! As much as you are concerned for their good - He is more concerned. And even better, He is able to do what you couldn't even imagine.
Thanks for your thoughts.
keith can you go more into depth about the heaven,hell and hades thing.i'm not sure i understand.what i got out of it was there are 3 places you could go.please help... anny
Here's the short of it Anny:
Hades is the temporary holding place for those who die apart from God. It is in place until Christ returns to rule. When He does, Revelation 20 tells us that Hell will be opened up and hades cast into hell forevermore. So - Hell doesn't exist until Revelation 20. Those who die apart from faith and forgiveness go to Hades until Hell is opened up. Then forevermore they suffer in Hell.
Paradise was the temporary place for those who died in faith and with forgiveness. When Jesus died he went to Paradise (to the thief on the cross he said, today you will be with me in Paradise). When Jesus was resurrected he spent 40 days on earth - then ascended to heaven. Ephesians 4 says that when Jesus ascended to heaven he led the captives (those who believed and were saved) with Him. Heaven was then opened and there was no more need for Paradise. So Paradise is no longer in existence and now when a believer dies he goes to be with the Lord - II Corinthians - to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
I hope that helps.
Mark Driscol did a good job of explaining this in his sermon on these verses - http://www.marshillchurch.org/sermonseries/philippians/week_04.aspx
Keith I have a question.
When Jesus died and he was beside the thief and he said, "you will be with me in paradise" did Jesus go to paradise? or heaven... if paradise why not heaven? i was just thinking about your serman.. Thanks
Brent, when Jesus died, His soul left His body, just as ours will. Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. Jesus, true to His word went to Paradise. On the 3rd day He was raised - body reunited with soul. He walked the earth for 40 days, then ascended to the right hand of the Father and Heaven was opened. Ephesians 4 says that when He ascended He led a host of captives. It seems that this host of Captives were those from Paradise - now in Heaven. Now, II Corinthians tells us to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord - with heaven open, when believers die their soul goes to heaven to be with Him. No more Paradise.
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