Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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.

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.

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?

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?

Jesus had a physical Body.

He ate with them.

They were able to touch Him.

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

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?