What’s after death?
Ø What do they mean when Christians
say, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord?”
ü “So
we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are
absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident,
yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the
Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NKJV
Sleep
verses Death
Ø What does the Bible say about sleep
verses death?
Ø Jesus mentions several times that
people are not dead but asleep.
-She’s only
sleeping
ü “When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and
saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing. He said to them, “Make room,
for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when the
crowd was put outside. He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.”
Matthew
9:23-25 NKJV (see Luke 8:50-56)
-Lazarus sleeps
ü “These things He said,
and after that He said to them, “Our
friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up. Then His disciples
said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death,
but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus
said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was
not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.’” John 11:11-15
NKJV (Bold print for emphasis)
What
is sleep?
*The Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, copyright 1998
-Sleep:
n
1:the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which bodily powers
are restored
-Sleeping
v
1:to rest or to be in a state of sleep
ü Jesus
was speaking of the verb. Lazarus was sleeping.
Can
we make this more simple to understand?
Yes!
Sleep:
(verb) to rest.
Sleep:
(noun) a time in which you are alive but are waiting to be
restored, refreshed, renewed.
ü Ie:
We sleep, not die
Where’s
the evidence of this?
Ø Revelation 6:9-11 NKJV
The
souls under the altar
ü “When
He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been
slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried
with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge
and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (vv.9-10)
White
robes and rest
ü “Then
a white robe was given to them that they should rest a little while longer,
until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be
killed as they were, was completed.” (v.11)
Do
souls have bodies? Continue to find out.
Back
Track:
Wait
a minute? What happened to people who “died” before Christ even came?
Ø What about before Christ rose from
the dead?
ü “No one has ascended to
heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in
heaven.” -Lord Jesus to Nicodemus, John 3:13 NKJV
ü “And all these, having obtained a good
testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided
something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” -In
reference to the saints (ie. Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.) Hebrews 11:39-40 NKJV
There’s
a promise? What is the promise? What does that have to do with anything?
Ø Our inheritance
ü Hebrews 11:13-16
“But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” v.16 NKJV
(Bold for emphasis)
Ø Found only in Christ Jesus
ü Romans 5:1-2
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in
hope of the glory of God.” NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Ø We have hope that does not
disappoint
ü Romans 5:5
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of
God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to
us.” NKJV
ü Holy
Spirit is the guarantee (see Ephesians 1)
Ø We have the testimony
ü The three-fold witness
“This is He who came by water and blood--Jesus
Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who
bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness
in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”
1 John 5:6-7 NKJV
Ø We have that witness:
ü “He
who believes in the Son of God has the
witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar,
because he has not believed that God has given of His Son.” 1 John 5:10 NKJV
(Bold for emphasis)
Ø This is the testimony:
ü “And
this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God
does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Conclusion:
We have eternal life!
ü “These
things I have written to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal
life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1
John 5:13 NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Then,
is God, the God of the living, not of the dead?
Old
Testament:
Ø Moses encounters God
ü “Moreover
He said, “I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon
God.” Genesis 3:6 NKJV
Ø Note: Don’t forget Enoch in Genesis
and Elijah in 2 Kings
ü They
never tasted death but were taken up to God
New
Testament:
Ø Moses and Elijah appear
ü “And
behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” Matthew 17:3 NKJV
(re: The Transfiguration of Lord Jesus)
Ø After the resurrection some arose
ü “Then,
behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the
earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His
resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Matthew
27:51-53 NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Ø Thief on the Cross: With Me in
paradise
ü “And
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 NKJV (Bold for
emphasis)
Ø Those who had died meet their
Savior
ü “For
Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might
bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
by whom also He went and preached to the
spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine
longsuffering waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were
saved through water.” 1 Peter 3:18-20 NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
We
will rise:
Does this mean we
are dead until later?
Romans
5:12-21
“Moreover
the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” vv.20-21 NKJV (Bold for
emphasis)
Jesus
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life Now!
John
14:6
“Jesus
said to him, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV (Bold
for emphasis)
Spiritual Bodies
1
Corinthians 15:42-44a
“So
also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory. It
is sown in weakness, it is raised in
power. It is sown a natural body, it is
raised a spiritual body.” NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
What
is a spiritual body? Is my spirit just floating around?
What we will be like:
1
Corinthians 15:49
“And
as we have borne the image of the man of dust [Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man [Lord Jesus].” NKJV
(Bold for emphasis)
Luke
24:36-43
“Now
as they said these things, Jesus Himself
stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were
terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to
them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I
Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you
see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him
a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their
presence” NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
-Lord
Jesus appears
-He has a body
-He shows them His body (He’s not a
Ghost/spirit)
-He eats in their presence
(Again, spirits don’t eat physical food)
So
we will have a body, but when will the sleep end?
Trumpet: Our Alarm Clock?
Ø “Behold,
I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.”
1
Corinthians 15:51-53 NKJV
Bye-Bye
Death
Ø “then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is
your sting? O Hades [Sheol, the place of the dead], where is your victory?”
1
Corinthians 15:54b-55 NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Who
are we?
Temple?
Body? New Jerusalem?
Ephesians
2:20-22
“having been built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in
whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in
the Spirit.” NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
-In the Old Testament period and into the New, God’s
name and presence was in Jerusalem.
(see 2 Chronicles 6)
-That is where the Temple of God was
-We are that New Jerusalem being built,
a holy temple
Revelation
21:3
“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself
will be with them and be their God.” NKJV (Bold for emphasis)
Because He lives, We live too!!!!
