THE BELIEVER LIVES FOREVER

INTRODUCTION

Morning family, most conversations are filled with people living in fear, some people are gripped with the fear of death, some believers are also gripped with the fear of death.

We can hear it by peoples language and by the way they are living their lives.

However, for the Christian as strange as this may sound we need to look forward to death, we need to be rejoicing in the fact that when we die we go and be with Jesus.

I am fully aware that there are people that have lost loved ones and we do need to be sensitive around the matter and compassionate .

However, we as believers need to live a life full of faith and live full of hope believing in the resurrection of the dead.

This is what makes christian so different in the world that believer rejoice and celebrate when a believer passes away, because we know they have gone home to glory and they are with the Lord. The bible clearly says absent from the body present with the Lord.

The Christian needs to see death as a door way into paradise to be the the lover of our soul Jesus.

Or we can say death is a door way into our new home where we live for ever.

This is WHY? Paul the great apostle said oh death where is your sting? The fear of death was completely taken away from Paul and the early disciples, we need to live extremely wise life’s on earth and practice godly wisdom however we need not live with the fear of death.

1Co 15:55  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 

THIS MORNING WE WILL LOOK AT 3 THINGS THE LORD JESUS HAS LAID ON MY HEART

WHAT IS THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

WHAT IS DEATH.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE.

1. WHAT IS THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

One day all human beings will be resurrected. That is be united with a body in order to face judgement and receive an eternal destiny.

The key thing to remember when we think of the resurrection f the dead is about us getting our bodies back to face judgement.

It is important to know that God, has our DNA he made us in other mothers womb and on that day, he will bring the body to life and we will be united in our body to face judgement in the body that we done out deeds in.

Absent from the body to be present with the Lord means, we with Jesus but with out our body.

On the day of judgement we receive our body back to stand judgement in the body that we sinned in ! or done good works.

Some people believe that there is no after life, if we do not believe in the after life we are in a tremble place as a person..

We see this argument of believing the resurrection taken place in the book of acts

The great apostle in the book of acts centered their message on Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus was crucified, buried and he rose up on the 3rd day we see this powerful gospel preaching in Acts 2:22-28

Act 2:29 (GW) "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that our ancestor David died and was buried and that his tomb is here to this day.

Act 2:30 David was a prophet and knew that God had promised with an oath that he would place one of David's descendants on his throne.

Act 2:31 David knew that the Messiah would come back to life, and he spoke about that before it ever happened. He said that the Messiah wouldn't be left in the grave and that his body wouldn't decay.

Act 2:32 "God brought this man Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses to that.

Act 2:33 God used his power to give Jesus the highest position.

The resurrection of the dead authenticated Jesus Messiah-ship and Lordship, it also vindicated his whole life and teaching. In this way to Jesus resurrection established resurrection as a fundamental expectation for Christians.

Meaning as Jesus went we go.

The resurrection of the dead is a teaching that Jesus spoke about often and when this happened it changed their lives, and this teaching still today changes our live.

What is evidence of the resurrection of the dead in my personally life.

Jesus had to go up to heaven so that we could receive the outpouring of the HOLY SPIRIT, Just the fact that we pray in tongues and have the supernatural happening in our midst from the Holy Spirit is also evidence of the resurrection of the dead,

No Jesus going up, no Holy Spirit coming down.

WHEN WILL THIS TAKE PLACE,

1Co 15:16 Certainly, if the dead don't come back to life, then Christ hasn't come back to life either.

1Co 15:17 If Christ hasn't come back to life, your faith is worthless and sin still has you in its power.

1Co 15:18 Then those who have died as believers in Christ no longer exist.

1Co 15:19 If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.

1Co 15:20 But now Christ has come back from the dead. He is the very first person of those who have died to come back to life.

1Co 15:21 Since a man brought death, a man also brought life back from death.

1Co 15:22 As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ.

1Co 15:23 This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him will be made alive.

1Co 15:24 Then the end will come. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father as he destroys every ruler, authority, and power.

Paul was confronting a wrong belief that there is no resurrection meaning there is no afterlife, hence the arguing language in this portion of scripture.

Jesus is the first fruits meaning he is the forest one to be raised and we follow in His footsteps.

The resurrection of the dead will take place at the return of Christ His he second coming of Christ

WHAT IS DEATH ?

Gen 2:16 The LORD God commanded the man. He said, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden.

Gen 2:17 But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die."

Gen 3:1 The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the LORD God had made. He asked the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden'?"

Gen 3:2 The woman answered the snake, "We're allowed to eat the fruit from any tree in the garden

Gen 3:3 except the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, 'You must never eat it or touch it. If you do, you will die!'"

Rom 5:12 Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death spread to everyone, because everyone sinned.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Death is the result if sin, Adam sinned initially and all men inherited a sinful nature from him and with that, death.

Joh 5:25 "I can guarantee this truth: A time is coming (and is now here) when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who respond to it will live.

Jesus said people are spiritually dead because of sin but only those who hear his voice and receive him, receive eternal live here and now and the LIVE FOR EVER.

Joh 5:25 "I can guarantee this truth: A time is coming (and is now here) when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who respond to it will live.

Jesus also mention that those we are physical dead in there graves will be raised and the Resurrection to face judgement.

Jesus spoke about to death, physically dead, and then the spiritual dead.

Death came in with Adam, death is dealt with BY JESUS.

IF you have Jesus you have eternal live, when your body packs up you go live with Jesus.But your body remains behind until the second coming of Jesus.

Death is not knowing Jesus.

If you would like more detail on those sermon.

I strongly suggest you do the following.

DO THE UNITE IT COURSE

AND GO DEEPER AND DO THE LEADERS COURSE

3.WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE ?

What happens immediately after physical death depends upon whether or not the person was a believer in Jesus Christ,

Luk 16:19 "There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him.

Luk 16:20 There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man's house.

Luk 16:21 Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Lazarus was covered with sores, and dogs would lick them.

Luk 16:22 "One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

Luk 16:23 He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus.

Luk 16:24 He yelled, 'Father Abraham! Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue. I am suffering in this fire.'

Luk 16:25 "Abraham replied, 'Remember, my child, that you had a life filled with good times, while Lazarus' life was filled with misery. Now he has peace here, while you suffer.

Luk 16:26 Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn't cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.'

Luk 16:27 "The rich man responded, 'Then I ask you, Father, to send Lazarus back to my father's home.

Luk 16:28 I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they won't end up in this place of torture.'

Luk 16:29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses' Teachings and the Prophets. Your brothers should listen to them!'

Luk 16:30 "The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! If someone comes back to them from the dead, they will turn to God and change the way they think and act.'

Luk 16:31 "Abraham answered him, 'If they won't listen to Moses' Teachings and the Prophets, they won't be persuaded even if someone comes back to life.'"

Act 7:59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Php 1:21 Christ means everything to me in this life, and when I die I'll have even more.

Php 1:22 If I continue to live in this life, my work will produce more results. I don't know which I would prefer.

Php 1:23 I find it hard to choose between the two. I would like to leave this life and be with Christ. That's by far the better choice.

2Co 5:6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

2Co 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

2Co 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

2Pe 2:9 Since the Lord did all this, he knows how to rescue godly people when they are tested. He also knows how to hold immoral people for punishment on the day of judgment.

When a believer dies they are with Christ in paradise and they at home with the Lord they waiting for the judgement day, ( Judgement day we will look at next week)

When a unbeliever dies they buried in hell torment in agony in flames ,separated from paradise and kept under punishment for the day of Judgment.

For the believer the power or sting of death has been broken of us. As a believer our attitude towards can be very different to the world,

The bible says we have eternal life and we shall never die ( John 3:16)

Joh 3:16  God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. 

The bible says we have freedom from the fear of death Hebrew 2:14,14

Heb 2:14  We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. 

Heb 2:15  But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. 

The question is have you allowed the Holy Spirit to do his work in you to completely remove all fear and fill it with hope at the thought of dying.

IN CLOSING

Will you rejoice in the fact that you live for ever if you have received Christ, if you have not received Christ then i encourage you to .

And if you would like more info on this subject please chat to me we can give you more detail.

Although this whole subject might seem gloomy and sad, it should not as for the believer we can live a fearless christian live being a witness in the word shining with a message of Hope for all those who do not know Jesus,