Where Will I go When I Die?

Opening & Intro

You will just know? When you go to Heaven you will just know.

Where do you go when you did? What is it like?

Last week we talked about why we should think about Heaven in this life.

we are told to

it will help us on our journey to KNOW where we are going

Main Point

Heaven is knowable. We CAN think about it. We can relate to heaven in this life. We CAN understand what heaven is based on our lives here.

Why Does it Matter

If we don’t have a workign concept of Heaven then we are missing out on a major tool God has given us to perservere to the end. We are told to think on things above. If we are not excited for it, maybe we will be more apt to walk away from it which is what Satan wants.

Scripture

Hebrews 8:5 NIV

They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 9:11 NIV

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.

What we have here is but a reflection of what awaits us in Heaven.

Before we get to Heaven I feel I need to talk briefly about Hell.

Romans 3:23 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Mark 9:43–45 NIV

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

It is a real place and we are defaulted to it...

We need to make a conscious decision to change course. And actually change course...

Talk about a GPS… and a cliff.

Revelation 21:1–3 NIV

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

If you continue through John goes on to describe...

He has seen… Before...

There is no reason to believe that this is not an eye witness account of what will happen at the end.

Which is the point. It is the end. Jesus, at this point has already died and rose again...

So what happens NOW when we die?

Luke 23:40–43 NIV

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

When did Jesus say he would be with Him in paradice?

TODAY.

WHat does that mean? Was the criminal whisked to the end of time and witnessed the things of Revelation? Are our loved ones there with us now? Are they waiting for us to join them? Do they know what is happening in the world today?

All valid questions.

I can’t give you a definitive answer that will be agreed upon by thrologeons everywhere. I sure there will be people in this very room who will disagree with me. That is fine.

What I am about to share with you is based on my understanding of Scripture and knowledge of who God is. I am going here today for ONE reason and ONE reason only. To help jump start people to think about these things. If you disagree GREAT! Start reading. Get invested. Call me up, I would LOVE to chat with you.

So without further adue, My present understanding of Heaven and what happens after we die.

Will we have physical Bodies?

John 20:24–29 NIV

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 21:10–14 NIV

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus had a physical Body. He ate with them. They were able to touch Him.

Revelation 2:7 NIV

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Genesis 2:9 NIV

The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Tree of Life… One and the same as EDEN. It was physical. It is Physical.

We were created as Physical beings. Just because we broke it doesn’t mean it isn’t good or right.

There is a lot to be taken from Revelation. This 3 verse passage has a lot to say. I got this part from Rancy Alcorn’s book called “Heaven”. He pulls some important observatoins from Rev 6:9-11

Revelation 6:9–11 NIV

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

People died and relocated to heaven

They were killed for Christ on earth and they remembered who they were

They called out so this suggests a physical form with vocal cords. They can express themselves

They raised their voices which indicates some lover of emotional response

The martyrs are conscious, rational, an aware of each other and the situation on earth

They ask God to intervien

They are free to ask questions and have an audience before God. They also have the ability to learn. They don’t just know.

They have a deep desire for the earth to be restored.

The martyrs remember their lives on earth

They were individuals - they were each given a white robe.

God answers them

God tells them to wait.

They are aware of the passage of time

They make reference to those still on earth. We are connected to those who have gone before us. We are still one family.

I do believe that our loved ones CAN check in on us if they choose. Based on this passage and a few others like it.

Moses and Elijah talk to Jesus

Samuel and Saul meet up and Samuel knows what going on

Jesus appears to Paul knowing fully what he has been doing.

If they can see us, if we are hurting wouldn’t that make them sad too?

When does scripture say Jesus will wipe away every tear? That’s right…at the end. When there is nothing more to mourn and it is all said and done.

The martyrs are concerned here with the stae of the world.

Jesus, when he appears to Paul seems concerned.

The difference is we can literally be in the presence of God and we have moved to a place beyond our pain.

God is in control and knows what is happening.

There is a time of waiting but Jesus calls it paradise. Paradise implies safety, order, and clarity. So for the time being, If we die, I think scripture is clear that we are awake, and aware, and have physical features.

Randy Alcorn made these observations and a few more that we didn’t have time for this morning based on these three verses. Unless there is some reason to believe the realities of this passage apply to only one group of martyrs in heaven and no one else then why can’t we assume the same for our loved ones who went before us and ourselves when we go there?

Here are 2 more examples:

Luke 9:30–32 NIV

Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

Moses and Elijah knew what was going on. They had an awareness. They could speak. They had physical bodies.

1 Samuel 28:14–19 NIV

“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

Samuel was irritated and had full knowledge of what was happening and what had happened.

Application

So given that Heaven is a physical place.

God is the giver of good gifts.

God doesn’t change things and make them worse.

Jesus told that criminal TODAY you will be WITH ME in PARADISE...

We see numbers of times in scripture that the dead are aware and even checking in on the staus of the earth.

I genuinely believe that my family who have passed away can check in on us from time to time.

I believe I made a case for that. DO I think they are sitting with ME all the time and completely obsessed with us? no. I think there is lots to do there.

But why not? Why not hold on to the hope that we are still connected even in death. There is nothing I have found that definitively says I am wrong here. And what does it hurt if I am?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?

It does help though. I often find myself thinking about My grandfather whom I have never met and what he is doing today. Is my father inlaw having sunday supper with his mom and dad like they did every week when they were alive. WHY NOT! ?

That is what we are goign to talk about next week. The nature of Heaven. What will we do there.

This week I hope you were encouraged and challanged by something new. I hope you look more into it and give me a call if you find something interesting.

Closing

Heaven is a real tangible place where our loved ones are eagerly awaiting our arrival. And according to the passage I read in Revelation, even praying for us.

What a gift God has given us through His word.