May23-29: Heaven

When Do We Get to Heaven?

1. When do the dead saints resurrect from their sleep? Read Job 14:12

• Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

ANSWER:

• Till the heavens be no more

2. When will be the time when heavens are passed away? Read 2 Pet. 3:10

• 2Pet. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

ANSWER:

• In the day of the Lord at the second coming of Christ.

3. What would happen to those who died in Jesus at the Second Coming of Christ?

• 1Th. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

• 1Th. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

ANSWER:

• Shall rise first. (There are two resurrections according to John 5:29. The resurrection of life is the first resurrection and the resurrection of damnation is the second resurrection)

• And caught up together with the living saints, to meet Jesus in the air.

CONCLUSION:

• We may have the hope of heaven today by faith. However the heaven becomes reality at the Second Coming of Christ.

Heaven or Hell?

1. How many groups will there be at the Second Coming of Christ? Read Matt. 25:31-46

• Matt. 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats Matt. 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

ANSWER:

• Two, sheep and the goats

2. What would happen to the sheep?

• Matt. 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

ANSWER:

• They shall inherit the kingdom of God

3. What would happen to the goats?

• Matt. 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

ANSWER:

• They shall be cast into everlasting fire

• The everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels not for humans. But they choose to die with evil angels.

• The kingdom of God was prepared for all humanity. But it is our choice to enter into heaven or hell.

4. What was the major difference between the sheep and the goats?

• Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

• Matt. 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

ANSWER:

• True love revealed to those who are in need. The spirit of hospitality manifested to those who are suffering.

The Kingdom-Now and Then

1. According to John the Baptist, what was coming near during his time?

• Matt. 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, Matt. 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

ANSWER:

• Kingdom of heaven is at hand

2. Did Jesus preach the same message after John the Baptist went to the prison?

• Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

ANSWER:

• Yes

3. Since the kingdom of God was near during the time of Jesus and John the Baptist, when did the kingdom of God actually come?

• Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

OBSERVATION:

• Notice… “Now is come…the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ” And the accuser is cast down.

• So the kingdom of God and the power of Christ came and the accuser was cast down at the same time.

• So the question is when was the accuser cast down or cast out of heaven for good? Read John 12:31, 32, 33

• John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

• See the connection between “the prince of the world be cast out” and “if I be lifted up from the earth”

• We can conclude that the prince of this world or Satan was cast out of heaven for good. Although in the beginning Satan was cast out of heaven and cast out into the earth, in the book of Job, Satan was able to go back before God and bring accusations against His people but Satan is not able to go back to heaven to accuse God’s people anymore when Jesus died on the cross

• Since the accuser is cast down or cast out of heaven when Jesus died on the cross, we can also conclude that the kingdom of God has come when Jesus died on the cross.

• In a sense this world belongs to the prince of darkness because Adam and Eve sinned (John 8:34; 1 John 3:8). Satan was claming this world to be his and he is described as the prince of this world or the prince of the air (Matt. 4:8, 9; Eph. 2:2; Job 1:7). But Jesus came to this world to reclaim this world to God by His death. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, the blood can wash away sin and those who are washed by the blood of Jesus can be a part of the kingdom of God (Rev. 7:14, 15)

• In this sense the kingdom of God was near in the days of John the Baptist and during the time of Jesus’ ministry because the death of Jesus was near.

• Notice what Jesus said after the resurrection. Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Now compare this with “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ” Rev. 12:10. When Jesus died on the cross, the power of salvation was confirmed. The power of salvation was promised and guaranteed before the foundation of the world. However the power of salvation was sealed when Jesus died on the cross. In this sense, the power of Christ has come when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus said, “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”.

• When Jesus went back to heaven Jesus sat on the throne of grace (Heb. 4:14-16) Therefore we are now under the kingdom of grace until Jesus comes back sitting on the throne of glory, (Matt. 25:31, Luke 21:31) the kingdom of glory.

• Now is the Kingdom of Grace and then will be the Kingdom of Glory.

• The Kingdom of Grace will end when Jesus receives the kingdom (when all His true believers receives complete washing which is blotting of sins) during the time of the investigative judgment (Dan. 7:13).

4. Who can enter into the kingdom of God?

• John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

ANSWER:

• Those who are born of water and of the spirit

Beyond Our Wildest Expectation

1. What has Jesus prepared for us in heaven?

• John 14:2 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.

ANSWER:

• Many mansions

2. Imagine these heavenly mansions. Could these heavenly mansions be much better than what we can imagine?

• 1Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

ANSWER:

• Yes!

3. What else God has prepared for us in heaven?

• Eph. 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus

ANSWER:

• To sit together with Jesus in heavenly places

NOTICE:

• This promise was repeated to the Laodicean church. Rev. 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

4. What can help us to sit together with Jesus in the heavenly places?

• Eph. 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

ANSWER:

• By His grace we can be quickened together with Christ

5. What can quicken us into new life? Read John 6:63

• John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

ANSWER:

• The Spirit of God. This is what it means to be born of the Spirit.

6. What else can the Spirit of God do for us beside the born again experience? Read Rom. 8:11

• Rom. 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

ANSWER:

• The same Spirit of God can give us immortality.

CONCLUSION:

• The greatest thing about heaven is sitting together with Christ. It is the grace of God that makes it possible for sinners. We can have a born again experience, which is forgiveness of sin and receiving a new mind, by the Spirit of God. And by the same Spirit we can receive a new body at the Second Coming of Christ. And then we shall sit together with Christ with new mind and body in the heavenly place. However we can sit together with Christ today by faith as we hope for the kingdom of glory. Heaven is a great place not only because there shall be no more tears, no more pain, no more death, no more curses, no more sickness and no more sin. Heaven is great because no more separation between God and man. We shall sit together with the Lamb of God.

Meeting the Lord of Heaven

1. What assurance do we have that we will meet the Lord of lords? 1Thess. 4:16, 17

• 1Th. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

ANSWER:

• Those who are dead in Christ and those who are alive and remain.

2. Observe the following texts on “in Christ”.

• Rom. 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

• Rom. 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

• Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

OBSERVATION:

• In Christ there is redemption, no condemnation, and free from the law of sin and death.

• Therefore if you are dead in Christ, then you died with a solid hope of redemption, justification, and free from the second death.

3. What remains according to Heb. 12:27?

• Heb. 12:27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

ANSWER:

• Those things which cannot be shaken

4. What do we receive at the end when we cannot be shaken? Read. Heb. 12:28

• Heb. 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear

NOTE:

• Unshakeable Kingdom of God

5. What can help us so that we cannot be shaken? Read Luke 6:47-48

• Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: Luke 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

ANSWER:

• Those who are founded upon the Rock of Jesus. Those who trust and obey the words of Jesus.

6. What would be our first step to be founded upon the Rock?

• Matt. 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

ANSWER:

• Fall on the rock and be broken.

7. What does it mean to be broken?

• Psa. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

• Is. 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

ANSWER:

• To have contrite heart or to be poor in spirit

8. What promise does Jesus give to those who are poor in spirit?

• Matt. 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

ANSWER:

• The Kingdom of heaven

9. What would happen to us if we do not fall upon the stone and be broken in God’s love?

• Matt. 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

ANSWER: The stone shall upon us because we refuse to accept His love and grace. Why? The natural result of sin is death and destruction.

OBSERVATION:

• Dan. 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Dan. 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

CONCLUSION:

• At the Second Coming, the stone, which is the kingdom of God, will destroy the kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of God is coming. You do have a choice and a privilege to be part of the kingdom of heaven. Seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness. If we remain in the righteousness of Christ then nothing will and can shake us. We shall remain in His love and truth until the end. And then we shall meet the Lord of heaven in the air and enjoy the everlasting life!! Heaven is worth waiting for!