Berea Church of christ Welcomes you…

BEREACHURCH OF CHRISTWELCOMES YOU…

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

~ 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:2

Hardships Of Life

• Life is filled with ...– Heartache– Tragedy– Sorrow– Sadness– Loss– Regret

• All of which test, shape, and mold our moral & spiritual character

• Worse, others who make little to no effort to serve God are seemingly “exempt” from many of the hardships faithful followers are subjected to

Remember ...• God never promised to shelter

Christians from adversity– Promised to strengthen & sustain

us as we face the hardships of life

• Despite trials and afflictions so prevalent, we have the blessed assurance, “Heaven will surely be worth is all”

• By reflecting upon our eternal home, it will help us to face (and overcome) the burdens we face ..

In This Past Week ...

• It is altogether likely that each of us have done things that would be highly inappropriate in the Heavenly realm (perhaps even w/o realizing it!)

• Not necessarily “sinful” things, but simple, ordinary, commonplace, things that serve to remind us that “this world is not our home”

• We are but strangers and pilgrims (Heb 11:13)

Things You Will Never Do

In Heaven

You Passed A Cemetery• Hillsides are dotted with the

markers of those who have gone before us

• Like silent cities, they remind us of the brevity of life / certainty of death

• Death eventually touches the life of every person

– Broken relationships ...– Crushed hearts ... – Shattered plans ...– Unrecognized dreams …– Financial burdens …– Bitter sting of loneliness ...

You Passed A Cemetery• Not so in the Heavenly realm,

“there shall be no more death” (Rev 21:4)

• For the faithful child of God, death is not a frightening prospect!

• Rather, it is something looked forward to with great anticipation

“21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better”

~ Philippians 1:21-23 (NKJV)

You Passed A Cemetery• In the Heavenly city, these things

shall have passed; there will be no more …– Bitter loneliness caused by the passing of a

lifelong companion– Grieving for the passing of a mother, father,

brother, or sister– Broken / bleeding hearts for the untimely

death of a husband, wife, son or daughter ...“54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

There Shall Be No Death In The Heavenly Realm!

• Temptations are the common lot of all mankind

• Even Jesus, the sinless Son of God, had to face, endure & overcome temptation (Luke 4:1-13)

You Faced A Temptation

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”

~ Hebrews 4:15

• 3 avenues of temptation (1 Jn 2:16)– Lust of the flesh– Lust of the eyes– Pride of life

• Jesus endured / overcame all three– Flesh, “command this stone that it be

made bread” (Luke 4:3)

– Eyes, “the devil … shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world … All this power will I give thee” (Luke 4:6)

– Pride, “And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down ...” (Luke 4:9)

You Faced A Temptation

• Perhaps the most important fact revealed by Luke – “And when the devil had ended all the

temptation, he departed from him for a season” (Luke 4:13)

• Satan is allowed to tempt, but God provides a way of escape

You Faced A Temptation

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”

~ 1 Corinthians 10:13

3 C’s … (C)ommon, (C)ontrolled, (C)onquerable

• In Heaven, No More Temptation

• Satan (“tempter”, “adversary”) will have been cast down– “And the devil that deceived them was

cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev 20:10)

• As will the wicked dead– “And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15)

You Faced A Temptation

There shall in no wise enter into it [Heaven] anything that defileth!

(Rev 21:27)

You Shed A Tear• Hardly a week goes by where we

do not have to contend with sadness

• Do you ever yearn for a time when there will be no more ...– Sadness? Heartache? Shedding

of tears?

• For the faithful in Christ, that day is coming!“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying ...”

~ Revelation 21:4

You Shed A Tear

Oh they tell me of a home far beyond the skiesOh they tell me of a home far awayOh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds riseOh they tell me of an unclouded day

Oh they tell me that He smiles on His children thereAnd His smile drives their sorrows awayAnd they tell me that no tears ever come againIn that lovely land of unclouded day

Indeed, there shall be “No Tears In Heaven”

The Lovely Land Of Unclouded Day Lies Ahead!

• Congregational announcements are filled with the names of those struggling with heath issues ... – People we know and love– Husbands, wives, brothers, sisters,

mothers, fathers, sons, daughters …

– Often, we are powerless to prevent it

• Many members of our spiritual family are shut in and physically unable to attend services as they once did …

• Hospitals are filled to capacity with the sick & suffering ...

You Visited A Sick Person

• Sickness is something we will not contend with in Heaven – Sickness is the consequence of sin– It, along with all other ill effects

of sin, will be reversed in the Heavenly realm

– “… the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4)

• This is not idle speculation, but a promise of God ...

You Visited A Sick Person

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful”

~ Revelation 21:5

In Heaven, access to the tree of life, whose

leaves are for the healing of the nations, will be fully restored

(Revelation 22:2)

You Took An Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil• Physical discomfort is

commonplace during our earthly pilgrimage ..– Headaches, Backaches, Arthritis

…– A million other “ache and pains”

simply become a part of everyday life

• Therein lies the primary blessing of death! Our fleshly bodies are not meant to last for eternity...

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God... ”

~ 1 Corinthians 15:50

You Took An Aspirin, Tylenol, or Advil• No pharmacies in Heaven!

– The faithful in Christ shall be changed (1 Cor 15:51)

– Shall partake of the divine nature, “... but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2)

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain ...”

~ Revelation 21:4

“Aches And Pains” are among those

“former things” that will have passed away!

• Few things are as “unnerving” as being completely enshrouded by sheer, unmitigated darkness

• Hell is described as …– a place of outer darkness (Matt

25:30)– Angels that sinned are reserved in

everlasting chains under darkness (Jude 6)

– The wicked will be subjected to the blackness of darkness forever (Jude 13)

You Flipped A Light Switch

Thankfully, in Heaven, you will not have to worry about such things!

• No street lights, light switches, oil lamps, candles, sun, moon, or stars ...

You Flipped A Light Switch

“23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof … 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there”

~ Revelation 21:23,25

There They Need No Sunshine Bright

In the city foursquare

For the lamb is all the light

And there is no night there

You Locked Your Door• We live in a wicked society (if

you doubt that, just watch the evening news on any given day)– Filled w/stories of those who

have been robbed, beaten, shot, murdered, etc.

• Before we pillow our heads at night– Lock doors– Fasten & secure windows– Lock automobile doors– Turn on home security systems

You Locked Your Door• In Heaven ...

– No “deadbolts” on the doors– No “locks” on the windows– No “alarms” to alert us of

intruders

• There is no need!“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life ”

~ Revelation 21:27

Can you imagine the joy of living in such a city? This wedding feast is by invitation

only!

• With each passing day, we recognize the toil taken by the aging process…– Skin Wrinkles …– Vision dims …– Hearing diminishes …– Energy wanes ...– Strength fails …

• Solomon refers to the infirmities of old age using the term, “evil days” (Eccl 12:1)

You Saw An Old Person

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them”

~ Ecclesiastes 12:1

• In that land of fadeless day, there will be no more wheelchairs, walkers, retirement centers, nursing homes, etc..

You Saw An Old Person

• No need of such things, because there will be no “old people” there!

I have heard of a land, on a faraway strandTis’ a beautiful home of the soulBuilt by Jesus on high, where we never shall dieTis’ a land where we’ll never grow old

Wherefore comfort one another with

these words. (1 Thes 4:18)

HEAVEN - A Prepared Place For A Prepared People1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

~ John 14:1-3

God’s Plan For Saving Man• Alien Sinner ...

– Hear (Rom 10:17; Luke 11:28)– Believe (John 8:24: Heb 11:6)– Repent (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30)– Confess (Matt 10:32-33; Rom

10:10)– Baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts

2:38)– Live Faithful Until Death (Rev

2:10)

• Erring Christian ...– Repent (Acts 3:19)– Confess (1 John 1:9)– Prayer (Jms 5:16; Acts 8:22)