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Our sermon will be in Luke 20:27-40

We have a website: https://tahlequahworshipcenter.com/

Service this Wednesday Night - We are in the book of John

Diaper Drive

Prayer requests

Gerald’s Family

Georgey

Dorcas

Cristy’s Grandparents

Sandra

Donna

Ukraine

Joe & Family

Kevin Black

I want to welcome all that are joining us online.

Thank you for being here with us.

Cristy has some songs picked out for us.

Are you ready to worship?

Let’s make a joyful noise

Songs

What A Day That Will Be - Eb

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be - Eb

Beulah Land - C

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

When we think of Heaven what do we think of?

Streets of gold? Pearly gates?

The River of Life?

No more pain, no sickness, no tears?

All of these things will be great.

Some of them are coming later with the new Jerusalem and even then, many of these things represent something that is real.

So what will Heaven be like?

I think we are asking the wrong question.

It’s not the where and what we looking forward to - it’s the who that is important.

We can’t take anything with us into heaven except our relationships.

Our friends, our family, and God.

That’s what we need to be looking for.

A few days ago, we laid our brother Gerald Coleman to rest.

One of the last things he told me was he was ready to go be with Sue.

He was longing to be with her.

And now he is with her.

So what will those relationships be like?

Will Gerald and Sue be married?

Will I be my Granny’s Grandson?

The Bible is not real clear about those things, but we can get some things from scripture.

Let’s take a look.

Luke 20:27–40 NKJV

27 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 28 saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. 31 Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.” 34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

Our Relationships

So the Sadducees, who were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy, come to Jesus with a question that they thought would stump him.

This question has to do with one of the laws that was given to Moses.

The idea is that if a man died, then his wife would go to his brother if they had been childless.

It was to provide for both the widow and the child.

It seems like a strange idea to us, but to them it made sense.

The point is not the law itself but whether or not there is a resurrection.

The Sadducees had reasoned themselves into this view that there is no heaven and there is no hell.

Everyone was just living for today.

We have these same type of people.

It’s starts off with things that aren’t as important and eventually the major tenants are eroded away.

This is a big problem for our faith.

We’ll come back to this idea later.

So Jesus answers the question by denying their assumptions.

He says that people in Heaven do not marry.

Think about this for a bit.

What is the purpose of marriage? Procreation.

It’s to grow the population.

Remember that God told Adam to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

So what would be the purpose of marriage in Heaven?

Does that mean that Cristy and I won’t have any kind of relationship in heaven?

Not at all.

Don’t read into what Jesus is saying here.

I think that we will take our relationships with us.

Although Cristy and I won’t be married any more in heaven, our relationship can only grow while there.

It will be even better because the things that cause issues now won’t be there.

Our biggest problem is the same problem that we all face. Sin

Pain, sickness, death will all be gone.

All the things that get in the way will be gone.

Pride?- gone. Anger? gone.. Meanness? gone.

And what ever is good in marriage will somehow be better.

Will we know each other?

I think so.

In Matthew 17 :1-13 tells us about an event that had happened not too long before this.

We call in the Transfiguration. Elijah and Moses both appeared with Jesus.

The disciples that were there knew who they were.

I don’t know how, but they knew who they were.

There are times when I see someone and I don’t remember their name.

When we get to heaven, we will know them.

So let’s talk a little bit about ...

Our Resurrection

There are some things that we already mentioned that will be gone in Heaven: sickness, pain, death will all be gone.

Think back to what John saw in Revelation 21:1-21

Revelation 21:1–21 NKJV

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

What John saw is a comfort to me! How about you?

Now think about this: What do we have if there is no resurrection?

When Paul was talking about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, he said this:

1 Corinthians 15:19 NKJV

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

See if there is no resurrection, then there is no reason for us to follow Jesus.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

If he’s dead, then he’s not the way or the truth.

Look what Jesus says here in Luke 20:37-38

Luke 20:37–38 NKJV

37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

Jesus makes the point better than I can.

Even in his initial contact with Moses we see this idea - God is the “I AM”

He’s alive. Our loved ones are alive.

JESUS IS ALIVE!

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow

Because he lives, All fear is gone!

The question is:

Are you Ready?

In Scouts there is a motto that everyone tries to follow.

It is “Be Prepared”

So what do we prepare?

Well, that’s the good news.

We don’t have to prepare anything.

If we believe in God, then we are ready.

John 14:1–2 NKJV

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

God is building it for us, we have nothing to do. Knowing that, we should want others to come too.

So don’t stop here, but talk to all that will hear.

We want to bring them in, to get forgiveness for their sin.

God will forgive and we will all live.

If we will believe, then Jesus we’ll receive.

Are you Ready?