Ephesians 1:3
July 10, 2005
Summit AM
Tom Painter
Theme: It is common for mankind to wonder “What will happen to me when I die?” Even faithful Christians sometimes wonder “Am I good enough to get into heaven?” A Christian should have great confidence in their eternal home. If we believe that Christ was raised from the dead then we must trust the same Spirit to raise us from our own death. The only resurrection to a spiritual life is in Christ.
Introduction:
·
This message
will be shared in a little more thant 12 hours with a group of Chinese who know
very little about Jesus. Try to hear it
fresh from their perspective.
·
What will
happen to you when you die?
o
Don’t know?
o
Heaven?
o
Hell?
o
Can’t know?
o
Fearful?
·
Can you know
with certainty?
·
Love drives
out fear (1 John 4:16-18)
God is love. Whoever lives in
love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among
us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this
world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made
perfect in love.
· Eternal - When you shed this body, your spirit still exists whether you are good or evil.
· Live in God’s presence
· No pain or tears
· A real place that exists right now
· A place Jesus is preparing for his people right now
· “… when he takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day that will be”
· Hell – place of darkness, fire, torment, without the presence of God
· If given the choice, would anyone choose Hell?
TRANSITION: We
have an obstacle that is so big it took God himself to remove it. It prevents us from being with God in this wonderful
place - SIN
Some People will be
saved and some will be lost
· Sin separates us all from God
· When we are in our sins we are DEAD. We have no hope to be with God (Colossians 2:13)
· Unless our sin is taken away we will not be permitted into God’s presence (Psalm 5:4)
· God desires that all men be saved, but sadly many (most) will be lost by their own decision. (1 Tim 2:4)
·
Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide
is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.
·
Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only
he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord Lord did we not prophecy in
your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers.
TRANSITION: If many who think they will be saved will end up being lost, how can I have confidence that heaven will be my home?
How can you know that
you are going to heaven?
·
We must get rid of our sin – past, present and future
·
A task so big only God could do it and it cost him the
life of his only Son.
·
Romans 8:1ff Therefore, there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus… For what the law was powerless to do, in that it
was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the
likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
·
Ephesians 1:3
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
·
Only those who are in Christ will escape condemnation
and receive every spiritual blessing.
·
How do we go into Christ?
o Romans
6:3 we are baptized into Christ and
into his death
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
o Gal
3:27 we are baptized into Christ to be
clothed with Christ
§
7 for all of you
who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
o Every
Christian in the Bible was baptized to have his sins forgiven.
o Is
Satan powerful enough to snatch us away from Jesus? (John 10:28-30)
28 I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them
out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
o Past
sins are forgiven
·
How do we stay in Christ?
o 1
John 1:7-9: if we walk in the light,
our sins are forgiven continually
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not
sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
o Present
and future sins are forgiven as we walk with Jesus
TRANSITION: Let me ask you a very important question:
·
Are you in
Christ? Have you been baptized into his death so
that you can have all the spiritual blessings God has to offer? Are you walking
in the light so your daily sins are forgiven?
Then let God’s love drive out your fear. Start planning your heavenly intinerary.
·
If you are not
in Christ, listen to the invitation of Jesus:
o Matt
11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light.
·
If you are
still in your sins, you cannot be in God’s presence.
·
Do you want to
have your sins taken away by being baptized into Jesus?