Doctrine of Heaven and Hell

Curtis & Rachel Rhoadarmer

Knowing God's Truth Series • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Heaven

Hell

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Notes

Transcript

(“Knowing God” by Jon Nielson is the basis)

Opening Questions:

Give some reasons why people don’t want to believe in Heaven.

Give some reasons why people don’t want to believe in Hell.

Why should we study these doctrines?

Heaven and Hell

Read pg 170 “Knowing God” Jon Nielson (important ways to approach this discussion

Eternal Destinies of everyone not theological concepts

Eternal Destinations based on our responses to Christ as our Savior

How God and Hell can both exist

Misconceptions about Heaven and Hell

Read Revelation 21:1-8

What River is Flowing and from where is it flowing?

What kind of trees line the street? What do you suspect are the meanings behind it’s fruit?

What won’t be there?

What is interesting about how those who worship Him being able to see His face?

Why will there be no Sun?

Misconceptions of Heaven

What questions do you have or have heard about Heaven?

Is heaven a Spiritual place or a Physical Place?

As it exists right now it is a spiritual place. Those who have gone on before us are there now in their spiritual bodies and not physical bodies because the resurrection of believers has not yet occurred.

The Heaven depicted here in Revelation 21 is the future eternal home and is a very real physical place and will be the place where resurrected believers will spend their eternity worshiping God. It will also include not only the New Heavens but also the New Earth and we will dwell in both.

Why is it good news that life in Heaven for eternity will be physical, embodied life - not merely a spiritual existence?

What are some of the conceptions, right or wrong, that are given to our activities in Heaven?

Will heaven be boring?

Clouds, Angels, Harps,

Read from Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem, Amid all the questions that we naturally have concerning the new heavens and new earth, we must not lose sight of the fact that Scripture consistently portrays this new creation as a place of great beauty and joy. In the description of heaven in Revelation 21 and 22, this theme is repeatedly affirmed. It is a “holy city” (21:2), a place “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (21:2). In that place “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (21:4). There we can drink “from the spring of the water of life without payment” (21:6). It is a city that has “the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (21:11). It is a city of immense size, whether the measurements be understood as literal or symbolic. Its length measures “12,000 stadia” (21:16), or about 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometers), and “its length and breadth and height are equal” (21:16). Parts of the city are constructed of immense precious jewels of various colors (21:18–21). It will be free from all evil, for “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (21:27). In that city we shall also have positions of rule over God’s entire creation, for “they will reign forever and ever” (22:5).

But more important than all the physical beauty of the heavenly city, more important than the fellowship we will enjoy eternally with all God’s people from all nations and all periods in history, more important than our freedom from pain and sorrow and physical suffering, and more important than reigning over God’s kingdom—more important by far than any of these will be the fact that we will be in the presence of God and enjoying unhindered fellowship with him. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (21:3–4).

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Second Edition, Zondervan Academic, 2020, p. 1430.

Misconceptions of Hell

What are some of the conceptions, right or wrong, that are given about Hell?

Who will reign over Hell?

Satan is depicted as the ruler of Hell, and taskmaster.

Read Revelation 20:7-10.

What is Satan’s end?

Satan will not rule but will burn for all eternity in the Lake of Fire because of his rejection of God.

Isn’t hell just the ultimate destruction where all the substance that we have will cease to exist?

No. It would be easier to tell others that their existence will just vanish and they will be no more but that is not the truth of scripture. Read Revelation 20:13-14.

Won’t everyone get a second chance to decide?

This would be nice right? We get to eternity and see the two alternatives and then we get to make our decision based off new knowledge. We are not afforded this second chance.

Read Hebrews 9:27-28.

“We will be judged eternally on the basis of how we respond to Jesus in this life. No Second Chances.” Jon Nielson

What Heaven teaches us about God

Read 2 Thess 1:5-12.

What do these verses tell you about God’s love and care for His people?

What does He call us as His people?

Does God need us to fill up His Heaven?

If God needed us to fill up His Heaven what would that imply about God?

How should it encourage you to know that God does not need to offer you an eternal future with Him and yet He freely chooses to do this?

Read John 14:1-12.

What is Jesus preparing for us?

(Nielson) God is Generous - God delights in giving good gifts to His children and He is preparing an eternal place for them that is far beyond the greatest joys and pleasure of this world.

(Nielson) God is gracious. God not only saves His people from sin and death, but He graciously provides them with an abundant and perfect eternal home with Him.

(Nielson) God is loving. God really does want to share eternity with the people who He created and loves; He delights in them and wants them to sing His praises.

What Hell teaches us about God

Look at 2 Thess. 1:5-12.

What do these verses tell us about those who oppose God and His Son?

Why does the just, holy, and righteous character of God make the punishment of sin - and the existence of Hell - necessary?

(Nielson) God is just. The fact that there is a place of eternal punishment reminds us that the Creator God of the universe is just. Because He is absolutely righteous, He must justly punish all sin.

(Nielson) God is wrathful toward sin. The doctrine of Hell teaches us that not only is God just but He also executes His wrath on sinners. Sin angers God; for this reason He not only ensures that the consequences are paid but actually personally executes His wrath against the people who commit sin by sending them Hell.

(Nielson)God has provided a way for salvation. The fact that hell exists as a place for eternal punishment reminds us that God has provided one way for salvation: the way that Jesus Christ His son paved through His sacrificial death on the cross.