Sermon Tone Analysis

Today we return to our series “Eternity Awaits!” and today we return to to look at two men and two destinies.

This morning we examine the subject of “Heaven: It’s Even Better Than You Think.”

This subject is much more complex than I originally thought and so I have added at least three more to the series.

“Hell It’s Forever and It’s not Funny”

“The Great Transformation”

“Living In the New Jerusalem”

“Living In the Light of Eternity”

In we find the story of two men and what happens to them after they die, here we are given a clear picture of the most basic truth, that there are only two possible destinations after death: Heaven and Hell.

Each is just as real and eternal as the other.

If we are to judge by what is said at most funerals, you would think that everyone is going to eventually make it to Heaven.

This only confirms what we find in society as a whole.

It is a little amazing to understand that for every American who believes he is going to Hell, there are 120 who believe they are going to Heaven.

Yet as Randy Alcorn states in his book entitled “Heaven” “…Heaven is not our default destination.

No one goes there automatically.

Unless our sin problem is resolved , the only place we will go is the true default destination….Hell.”

[Randy Alcorn.

“Heaven.”

(Coral Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House, 2044) p. 23.]

Unless we surrender our lives Jesus Christ, we are headed for Hell.

We will return to the subject of how to be sure you’re going to heaven as our last objective in the message.

Let’s turn to and see what we can understand about heaven itself, “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

(20) But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, (21) desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.

Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

(22) So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.

The rich man also died and was buried.

(23) And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

(24) “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

(25) But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

(26) And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”

Next week we will look at the Rich Man and his torment in Hell but this morning we are going to examine the fate of Lazarus as he awoke in heaven,

Next week we will look at the Rich Man and his torment in Hell but this morning we are going to examine the fate of Lazarus as he awoke in heaven,

,

There is no purgatory, no limbo, no soul sleep.

The body when separated from the spirit remains behind temporarily.

It does not matter if it is buried, if it is cremated, or lost at sea.

Sometimes the question is raised, how can God raise the dead if the body has been somehow destroyed?

If you think about it if you can raise the dead, you can raise the dead.

Dust or ashes will not matter.

There is no purgatory, no limbo, no soul sleep.

The body when separated from the spirit remains behind temporarily.

It does not matter if it is buried, if it is cremated, or lost at sea.

Sometimes the question is raised, how can God raise the dead if the body has been somehow destroyed?

If you think about it if you can raise the dead, you can raise the dead.

Dust or ashes will not matter.

Scripture tells us that at death our bodies are committed to the grave where they return to dust but our spirits go immediately either to Heaven or Hell.

In our text Lazarus and the Rich man both have conscious existence immediately after they died.

Jesus told the dying thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” ().

Paul stated in that to die was to be with Christ and in that to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

The bodies of those believers who have died awaits the day according to () when the Lord will return from Heaven with a shout and when the trumpet sounds, the graves are going to splint asunder and the disintegrated molecules are going to be reformed into our gloried bodies.

Our text lays a foundation for us, about what happens when our loved ones die.

The Bible teaches that before the ascension of Jesus Christ there was a place that the souls of men and women went to at death.

This place is composed of three compartments; Paradise or Abraham’s bosom, The Great Gulf fixed and Hades.

Abraham’s bosom or paradise is the place where the souls of the believing dead go, a place of comfort.

When Lazarus dies, his body goes in the grave and he goes to Paradise.

Hades is the place of torment and it is the place that the souls of the wicked dead go.

The Rich man dies, and he awakes in Hades the place that all go who do not place their trust in God.

And between Paradise and Hades scripture tells us that there is a great gulf fixed (v.

26).

According to Jesus there is a chasm between these two places that cannot be crossed under any circumstances.

The Intermediate Hell.

The unbelieving souls in Hades remain there (in an intermediate Hell) until a particular point in the future at the Great White Throne Judgment when Hades gives them up and all its inhabitants are judged and passed into the lake of fire.

This judgment is told in:

Here is what happens, when an unbeliever dies today, their body goes into the grave and their soul and spirit goes to Hades.

Then one day in the future after the judgment Hades and all its inhabitants will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the permanent Hell.

Here is what happens, when an unbeliever dies today, their body goes into the grave and their soul and spirit goes to Hades.

Then one day in the future after the judgment Hades and all its inhabitants will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the permanent Hell.

The Intermediate Paradise.

Every believer who died before the ascension of Christ went to Paradise.

Their position remained unchanged until Jesus ascended to the Father.

In the Old Testament when a believer died, their bodies went into the grave and their soul and spirit went to Paradise.

But when Jesus died on the cross, was buried and he rose again, on the day of his ascension something changed.

This passage says that Jesus descended into Hades and he lead captivity captive, he emptied Paradise and took all the believing dead with him to the third heaven.

There is no longer an intermediate Heaven; Christ took all the Old Testament saints and all those believers to Heaven.

Now when a believer dies their body goes into the grave to await the resurrection and their soul and spirit go to be with the Lord in Heaven.

Having established what happens to the believer at death I want to take a few moments this morning to briefly address three questions concerning Heaven, (1) Heaven: What Is It? (2) Heaven; What Will We Do When Get There?

(4) Heaven: How Do We Get There?

First, Heaven: What Is It?

Randy Alcorn in his book “Heaven” makes the point that books about heaven are notorious for saying that we can not know what Heaven is like, but that it is more wonderful than we can imagine.”

[Randy Alcorn.

Heaven.

(Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House, 2004) p. 17]

Often Paul’s words in

are quoted, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

The problem of interpreting this passage in this way is that it fails to consider the rest of the passage for goes on to say, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God does explain what Heaven is like.

God tells us enough about Heaven for us to understand and anticipate what awaits us there.

The problem of interpreting this passage in this way is that it fails to consider the rest of the passage for

goes on to say, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God does explain what Heaven is like.

God tells us enough about Heaven for us to understand and anticipate what awaits us there.

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Word of God does explain what Heaven is like.

God tells us enough about Heaven for us to understand and anticipate what awaits us there.

Others use were it says that Paul was “caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” ().

But really all that this verse says is that Paul was forbidden to discuss his experience.

In contrast He commanded John to tell of his prolonged visit to Heaven (), which he did in detail in the book of Revelation.

When our time on this earth is over, we go immediately to start spending eternity in one of two destinations.

For the believer, when this earthly life is over, we as God’s children will be able to come home for the very first time.

But what is this home like?

If heaven is our home, then it has to have those qualities we associate with home.

“Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.”