INTRO: WHAT S ON THE OTHER SIDE? Your view of death will shape your choices in life. 10/14/2017

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1 Jude 1:3 (NIV) Contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God s holy people. LIFE AFTER DEATH Turning Point Church 10/15/17 1. Nature 2. Anthropology 3. Psychology Small Group Study 4. Ethics 5. Philosophy 6. Science near death experiences 7. Jesus and the Bible INTRO: WHAT S ON THE OTHER SIDE? Your view of death will shape your choices in life. 1

2 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Scientific Theories of the Near-Death Experience NDE The Dying Brain Theory. Darwin s Theory. The Hallucination Theory. The Temporal Lobe Theory. The Lack of Oxygen Theory. The Depersonalization Theory. The Memory of Birth Theory. The Afterlife Theory. Death is good and is not to be feared. Sin is not a problem. In fact, this Jesus often responds to human sin and shortcomings with humor. There is no hell to worry about. All people are welcome to heaven, regardless of whether one has placed faith in Christ. All religions are equally valid. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 2

3 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. Neil Armstrong 25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? 3

4 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 4

5 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 19 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire. 25 But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, 5

6 but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. 27 He answered, Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. 29 Abraham replied, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. 30 No, father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. 6

7 I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Dear God. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sin. I want to give you control of my life. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life. Help me to know you better and to learn from the Bible how I can live a life that pleases you and helps others. Amen. "Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me." "To follow you I m not content Until I know which way you went." 7

8 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 8

9 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 9

10 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God s righteousness. 14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 19 Don t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. Mt. Everest 10

11 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 1. KNOW THAT HEAVEN IS A REALITY 2. KNOW THAT HELL IS A REALITY 3. ACCEPT JESUS INVITATION TO ETERNAL LIFE 4. GET EXCITED ABOUT HEAVEN 5. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR ETERNITY 6. PERSUADE OTHERS TO BE PREPARED Follow- Through Guide 11