What Happens Beyond the Grave?

Notes: What Happens Beyond the Grave?
Harvest OC
Pastor Greg - March 30th, 2014
Studying John 5:25-29/Revelation 20

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment

Only those who are prepared to die are really ready to live.

After the grave, you continue to live.

Read: John 5:25-29 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

1. Death is not the end of existence.

2. There is a final judgment.
(Acts 17:30-31Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”)

2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment

Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

The fact that there is a future judgment assures us that ultimately God is fair.

Studies show that people who forgive will live longer, knowing there will be a judgement should make it easier to forgive.

Every wrong in the universe will be paid for, by believers Jesus paid for it at the cross. The non-believer will pay for it a judgement.

Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a] says the Lord.

3. There are two forms of existence beyond the grave.
(John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.)

There are two forms of resurrection, one for the just and one for the unjust.

Read: Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

True believers will experience a just resurrection, you will immediately go into the presence of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8-9 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What type of bodies will we be given in heaven? According to 1 Corinthians 15:42-43 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

If you are disabled or in pain on earth, you will not be in heaven.

Heaven is the earthly life of the believer glorified and perfected.

Our minds and memories will be clearer and better then ever before.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

When Jesus appeared after the resurrection, He ate fish, He showed up on other sides of doors, He ascended to heaven.

In heaven we will know one another.

We shall “know fully” even as we are known.
(1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.)

The desire to sin will be gone. Heaven is the reunion and the reconnection. Death breaks ties on earth, but is a reunion in heaven.

Luke 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

4. Do people in heaven know what is happening on earth?

Your loved ones do not speak to you from heaven. There are arguments that those in heaven do know what is going on down here in heaven.

Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

This is an interesting scripture because it speaks of an awareness of time in heaven and that those in heaven are aware of the suffering on earth.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is not true to say that there is no sadness or tears in heaven. In Revelation 5 they speak of weeping in heaven. They also speak of wiping away tears in heaven. A chronology, if a Christian dies they go to heaven, then they come to earth with God during the second coming. In the new Jerusalem all of the tears and suffering will be gone.

In heaven we will have a different perspective, so even though we might understand people on earth are suffering with our perspective, being the same as Gods, we will not need to be sad. Our knowledge and perspective will put us in a better place.

The first resurrection is the rapture of the church.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

When a Christian dies you go straight to heaven, we do not get our glorified body until after the rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Will we see out loved ones again? 1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Death is the great separator, but Jesus Christ is the Great Reconciler.

There will be a judgement for Christians in heaven, this judgement will be like a reward ceremony, not a determination if you get in or not:

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Matthew 6:4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Our presence in heaven is guaranteed by God’s promise, but our position in heaven is earned or lost by the quality of service we offer.

God has given all of us, time, treasure and talent.

You will be held accountable for what you could do, not what others could do.

To the nonbeliever, God will ask, “What did you do with Jesus Christ?”

To the believer, God will ask, “How did you glorify and serve Jesus Christ?”

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

The second resurrection comes after the thousand years.

Revelation 20:13-14 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

If you believe what that says, then you should let it affect your life.

Pastor Greg said he is going to heaven! Are you?