Eternity

As I realized we would be honoring our graduates this Sunday, I looked ahead to where I would be in the book of Revelation curious what I would be preaching on… and noticed it would be the topic of ETERNITY. At first I thought, “Well , that’s a heavy subject matter” but as I thought about it more I began to think how fitting.

CHOICES… we make them everyday. Some choices we regret, other choices bring about good outcomes and benefit.

Often we find ourselves asking our graduates what their choices for life are going to be. It never fails that as you sit through commencement speeches you hear something concerning choices made, or that will be made, and then curiosity got the better of me and I looked into the top topics for graduation speeches… here is what I found to be the top five:

1. Setting Goals

Greatest command… Love God 100% and Love others as self

2. The Golden Rule

This theme draws on a guiding principle taught to many from the time they are children

Quotes: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” – Author Unknown!!!???

3. Learning From Mistakes

You could share all sin

4. Finding Your Purpose: Understanding What You Were Created to Do

You could go back to setting that goal

5. Taking Responsibility

This very much has to do with choices made… came across two amazing quotes on this topic as well…

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes...and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility." - Eleanor Roosevelt

The Choice of Heaven or Hell… is our responsibility to choose, and yet we see so many choosing wrong!

Revelation 20:11-21:8 speaks to this responsibility and the two outcomes of your choice…

Hell

As we look at verses 8-15 we see a terrible scene… one commentator rightly described this section as “the most serious, sobering and tragic passage in the entire Bible.”

The Scene

Throne (power & authority… judges throne) & One Sitting is non-other than Christ Himself (all authority to rule and judge)

Earth & Heavens flee (nowhere to hide) such is the scene and power with it… there is NO SAFE place

The Dead… vs 12

Contrast the LIFE in Christ! These DEAD will rise to judgement… Those who died in Christ rise to life… John 3:16-18

Given up by sea, hades, & death’s grip gave up… ALL the DEAD are gathered to be judged

This gathering is the second resurrection… this too is a bodily resurrection

Second Resurrection

Resurrected bodies to endure HELL for eternity…

Currently those who die not placing their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ “God in the flesh”

The work of Christ: (His sinless life, His atoning death, His burial, and His resurrection as the ONLY means of salvation.)

These find themselves waiting the second resurrection in hades or death

These will face judgment

Judgment by the books… & THE BOOK

What are these books?… One very well could be the very Word of God… THE BIBLE

John 12:48 states that in the end we will be judged by His Word!

WHY… because in His Word it clearly states that:

Jesus is the only way, truth and life NO ONE comes to the Father but through Him

It says in Galatians 2:16… our works WILL NOT JUSTIFY (make us right with God!)

Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 are very clear...

This IS NOT my opinion… it is God’s Word!

YET… those who reject Christ will be judged by their Works / Deeds… and those books of all deeds will be seen

Book of Life… those who have placed their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, they trust NOT on their deeds but on the sinless life and blood of Jesus Christ! Those who believe are written in this book and the rest are not found!

The final Word… if in this life you CHOSE to reject Christ… then you are given your choice!

It is eternal in it’s punishment with resurrected bodies to endure the punishment for ETERNITY

C.S Lewis is noted for saying… “the doors of hell are locked from the inside” man is given what he chooses

Warren Wiersbe said it well:

Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin. Hell is also a witness to man’s responsibility, the fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim, but a creature able to make choices. God does not “send people to hell”; they send themselves by rejecting the Saviour. Hell is also a witness to the awfulness of sin. If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists.

Verse 1 of chapter 21 is in such stark contrast to the verses before it…

Heaven

NEW… not just “more recent, BUT NEW IN KIND! … AND SUPERIOR!

This is NOT an addition or makeover or the next best to come along… it is all together new and better!

How long this time? seven days??? an instant?

The New Heaven and Earth will lack some things…

No death… No tears, pain, or suffering… No curse… No NEED for sun… No sea (not water)… No Thirst… No wickedness or sin… No temple, God with us…

Tabernacle… abode or home, His intimate presence will be with us

There is a dwelling with Him, close relationship… As He intended…

BEHOLD!… Look! Pay attention!!! Greta emphasis!

The tabernacle, the newness and superiority, “write this down”!!!!

God wants people to KNOW!… All He is giving, All we will be blessed with

You read this passage and verses 7 & 8 give us God’s heart cry…

God’s Heart Cry

Verses 7-8 cry out God’s Heart desire for RELATIONSHIP

Two Choices… Heaven OR Hell

Read, Hear, Heed = Blessed

You can read it all day long, hear it over and over… YET if not heeded there is NO BLESSING

This portion of scripture should be the Christian’s greatest motive to share the gift of salvation, the finished work of Jesus Christ

Well know Atheist Penn Jillette stated this…

“I’ve always said, I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward. “How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?”

What is preventing you from living out this life and proclaiming His Word which gives LIFE so ALL may know?

and if you don’t know Him…

What is holding you back from choosing to receive the gift of salvation Jesus offers. Faith in His finished work or trust and hope in your works?

… YOUR CHOICE