Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000085
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00:20 Hello, friends,
00:22 welcome to another Wednesday night Bible study here 00:25 at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:26 Welcome to A Sharper Focus. 00:28 Those of us who are gathering here, 00:30 we'd like to welcome you with a hearty amen. 00:32 Can you say amen tonight? Amen! 00:33 And we have people that are local, 00:35 but we also have people that left really early this morning 00:38 to get here from Australia. 00:39 Actually they didn't leave earlier this morning 00:41 because they are actually a day ahead of us 00:43 already as it stands, 00:44 but wherever you are joining us from, 00:46 we like to thank you for taking the time 00:48 to tune in tonight 00:49 and if it's 7 PM, wherever you are, 00:53 that means you are in the Central Time zone, 00:56 that is the time here in Thompsonville. 00:58 And so put aside just a little less than an hour 01:01 as we walk through the continued study of 01:04 "The Truth about the New Earth and the New Heavens." 01:08 Now this is a topic that's received 01:09 quite a bit of notoriety in the news recently 01:12 on the heels of a book 01:14 that was authored in a movie 01:15 that's been produced called Heaven is for Real. 01:18 Well, heaven is for real. 01:19 Amen someone? Amen. 01:21 But we're gonna tell the truth about heaven 01:23 and what the Bible says. 01:25 That's the only reliable foundation 01:27 we do have to conclude what heaven is all about. 01:31 In just a moment, I'll tell you how to find the lesson, 01:33 but let's begin now with a word of prayer. 01:35 Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity tonight 01:38 to open Your Word. 01:39 We know that there are those tuning in tonight, 01:41 they have their Bibles in hand, they have their pens, 01:45 they are ready to study the Word of God 01:48 and we thank You, Lord, that we can be linked together 01:51 in unity and together in Christ 01:55 but also tonight we pray for Your Holy Spirit. 01:58 We pray that as we read Your Word, 02:00 as we study together that the spirit can speak to us 02:03 in where we are in our particular needs 02:06 and we can be drawn closer to You, Lord, 02:09 we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 02:12 Now the lesson is lesson number 26. 02:14 Go to this website asf.3abn.org 02:19 and download lesson number 26, 02:22 "The Truth about Heaven and the New Earth." 02:25 That's lesson number 26 and by the way, 02:27 if you've missed any of the past broadcasts, 02:30 on that same website, 02:32 there's a link to the right entitled videos. 02:34 You can look at from the very first broadcast 02:37 about 75, wow, 02:40 if you think about those being a half hour each, 02:41 that's about, how many hours is that? 02:43 Thirty four and half hours of video. 02:45 And so, you can go from the very first lesson 02:47 all the way up to where we are today 02:50 and that's wonderful. 02:51 So if you want a really good consistent Bible Study, 02:53 you're on the right website. 02:55 But before we get into our topic, 02:57 we also sing our theme song. 02:59 Our theme song is "Victory in Jesus." 03:03 Join us as we sing our theme song tonight. 03:14 I heard an old, old story 03:17 How the Savior came from glory 03:21 How He gave His life on Calvary 03:25 To save a wretch like me 03:29 I heard about His groaning 03:33 Of His precious blood's atoning 03:36 Then I repented of my sin 03:40 And won the victory 03:43 Together. 03:44 O victory in Jesus 03:48 My Savior forever 03:52 He sought me and bought me 03:55 With His redeeming blood 03:59 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:03 And all my love is due Him 04:07 He plunged me to victory 04:10 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:14 I heard about a mansion 04:18 He has built for me in glory 04:22 And I heard about the streets of gold 04:26 Beyond the crystal sea 04:29 About the angels singing 04:33 And the old redemption story 04:37 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 04:41 The song of victory Key change. 04:45 O victory in Jesus 04:48 My Savior forever 04:52 He sought me and bought me 04:56 With His redeeming blood 05:00 He loved me ere I knew Him 05:03 And all my love is due Him 05:07 He plunged me to victory 05:11 Beneath the cleansing flood 05:15 He plunged me to victory 05:18 Beneath the cleansing flood 05:25 Amen? Amen. 05:27 You know, that song is a beautiful song 05:28 because it talks about the streets of gold. 05:31 The place that we long to be 05:32 and that's what our topic is all about. 05:35 The topic tonight is 05:37 "The Truth about Heaven and the New Earth." 05:41 "The Truth about Heaven and New Earth." 05:47 And when we talk about this topic, 05:49 we started this, 05:50 actually we're gonna begin on question number nine tonight. 05:52 But let me just lay some foundation 05:54 very carefully about the truth about heaven and new earth. 05:59 You know, we've never been to heaven. 06:03 And outside of visions that the Bible talks about 06:07 John the Revelator was envisioned 06:09 and he saw heaven. 06:11 But there had been through the years 06:12 many, many claims of people saying, 06:15 they've gone to heaven. 06:16 Most recently, 06:18 a little boy said that he went to heaven. 06:20 He doesn't, I don't know 06:22 if he said how long he was there. 06:23 But I remember there was a book written number of years ago, 06:26 I think it was either 30 Minutes in Heaven 06:28 or 20 Minutes in Heaven, 06:29 I don't know how many minutes they were there. 06:32 But if you read the Bible, 06:33 the Bible says no one has ascended to heaven. 06:37 No one has ascended to heaven. 06:39 Matter of fact, go with me in your Bibles. 06:41 Let's turn to the Book of John. 06:43 I'm in John 3:13. 06:47 John 3:13. 06:49 Now somebody may be saying, well, what about Elijah? 06:52 What about Enoch? 06:53 Those are the ones 06:55 that Bible tells us are in heaven. 06:57 What about Moses who was resurrected? 07:01 Those are the ones the Bible tells us about, 07:03 outside of them, 07:04 the only one that has ascended to heaven is Jesus. 07:08 That's it. 07:10 But look, you look at John 3:13, 07:12 some foundation here, the Bible says in Jesus' words. 07:15 He says in verse 13, 07:17 "No one has ascended to heaven," 07:19 how many? 07:21 "No one has ascended to heaven, 07:22 but he who came down from heaven 07:25 that is the son of man who is in heaven." 07:29 I'll go to John Chapter 13. 07:31 I wanna show you one more verse. 07:32 Now, normally, I don't pick up my Bible, 07:34 this is something funny, I got to tell you, 07:36 those of you who have tuned in tonight about it. 07:38 I wear two kinds of contact lenses, 07:40 one for distance, and one for up close 07:41 it's called monovision. 07:43 And it's amazing how the eyes adjust 07:45 and I didn't realize until I came here 07:46 that I do have monovision. 07:48 But I didn't put a contact lens in the right eye 07:50 so I really can't see that far. 07:52 So I'm picking my Bible up and reading together. 07:55 John Chapter 13. 07:56 Look at verse 33, 08:00 verse 33, 08:03 "Little children, 08:04 I shall be with you a little while longer, 08:09 you will seek Me. 08:11 And as I said, to the Jews, 08:13 where I am going," 08:15 read the next three words together, 08:17 "You cannot come." 08:21 You cannot come, you're not coming, 08:23 and we'll find out why they cannot go. 08:26 You cannot come. 08:27 So now I say to you, 08:29 and then he gives the new commandment, 08:30 which is in fact, an extension of the old, 08:33 which is love one another. 08:34 But notice what he says, 08:36 "No one has ascended to heaven, 08:37 and where I'm going, you cannot come." 08:38 So let me ask you the question. 08:41 Do people die and go to heaven? 08:42 Yes or no? 08:43 Absolutely not. 08:45 But if you listen to the news, 08:46 it seems like everybody is in heaven. 08:49 If you have a car accident, immediately you're in heaven. 08:52 If you die in the operating table, 08:54 their soul is in heaven. 08:55 If you, whatever the form of death, 08:57 today, when you listen to the news, 08:59 everybody goes to heaven. 09:02 Matter of fact, years ago, 09:03 there was a movie called "All Dogs Go to Heaven." 09:06 But that's our society. 09:08 And we live in a world where people are beginning 09:10 to form their opinions about theological topics, 09:12 based on movies and media, 09:15 or based on as one person in the political world said, 09:17 "If you say it long enough, 09:19 somebody will begin to believe it." 09:21 But we want to begin to believe the Bible and the Bible only, 09:23 isn't that right? 09:25 Now, we don't know very much about heaven 09:27 except what Revelation reveals to us. 09:29 And now this is something I thought about, 09:30 I wanted to say this before we go 09:32 and begin to look in the Bible. 09:34 What John has shown us in Revelation 20 and 21 09:39 about heaven, 09:41 he's really describing the New Jerusalem. 09:43 He's not describing the whole kit and caboodle. 09:46 He's just describing the New Jerusalem, 09:49 the walls, the gates, the foundation, 09:52 all that is with the river of life, 09:54 the tree that bear fruit all through the year, 09:58 the leaves off of the healing of the nations, 10:00 he describes the New Jerusalem. 10:02 But one of the reasons 10:03 why that's not the complete picture of heaven 10:05 because Paul the Apostle says, 10:09 "I have," what? 10:10 "Not seen and ear has not heard, 10:14 neither has it entered into the heart of man, 10:18 the things that God has prepared 10:19 for those that," what? 10:21 "Love Him." 10:22 So we really don't know 10:24 what heaven in its totality is life. 10:29 But I would say this, 10:31 there's nothing on earth 10:32 that would compare to what heaven is all about. 10:35 Go to John Chapter 14, let's look at a promise, 10:38 the most wonderful promise that the Lord makes. 10:41 Then we'll look at one more. 10:43 John 14:1-3. 10:45 Notice what Jesus says, 10:46 after He said to His disciples, 10:48 you cannot come, 10:49 then He gave them the only means 10:51 by which they can get to heaven. 10:53 John Chapter 14, notice beginning with verse 1, 10:56 "Let not your heart be troubled, 10:58 you believe in God believe also in Me, 11:01 together, 11:02 in my Father's house are many mansions, 11:04 if it were not, so I would have told you, 11:07 I go to," what? 11:09 "Prepare a place for you. 11:11 And if I go and prepare a place for you," what? 11:14 "I will come again 11:17 and receive you to Myself that where I am, 11:21 there you may be also." 11:25 So this place that 11:27 we're gonna eventually one day inherit, 11:30 or eventually one day occupy, 11:33 Jesus says I'm gonna do what? 11:35 Prepare a place for you. 11:37 Now go to Hebrews Chapter 11. 11:39 Hebrews Chapter 11, 11:41 notice the commentary in Hebrews Chapter 11, 11:45 this place that is prepared for us. 11:48 All right, 11:49 Hebrews chapter 11, 11:52 and verse 8-10, 12:03 "By faith, Abraham obeyed 12:05 when he was called to go out to the place, 12:08 which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. 12:11 And he went out, 12:12 not knowing where he was going." 12:14 Sounds like my wife and I, when we went to California 12:16 didn't know where we're gonna live. 12:18 "By faith, he sojourned in the land of promise, 12:21 as in a foreign country, 12:23 dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 12:25 the heirs with him of the same promise." 12:28 And notice what verse 10 says, 12:32 "For he waited for the city, 12:33 which has foundations whose, together, 12:37 whose builder and maker is God." 12:42 That's what he was waiting for. 12:44 He was waiting for that city, whose builder and maker is God. 12:48 Now go to verse 16, 12:51 "But now they desire a better, 12:53 that is a," what kind of country? 12:55 "A heavenly country, 12:57 therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, 12:59 for He has," what? 13:01 "Prepared a city for them." 13:04 What is that city called? 13:06 The New Jerusalem. 13:07 That's the city we know about. 13:09 Outside of the city, 13:11 we don't know what else is outside of that. 13:13 Evidently, there is something outside of that, 13:14 because the gates are not closed day or night. 13:18 So you can go in and out of the city. 13:20 But what's outside of the city, we don't know. 13:22 So we are in for a big surprise. 13:23 But I wanna be there. 13:25 That's one surprise that I wanna experience. 13:26 What about you? 13:28 Now let's go to question number 9. 13:30 Go to question number 9. 13:31 All right? 13:35 When the Lord returns 13:38 to prepare us for heaven what will He do? 13:47 Philippians 3:20-21. 13:54 All right? 13:55 And it's also gonna be on the screen 13:56 for those of you who are tuning in, 13:58 if you don't have your Bibles with you right now. 14:00 Here's what Paul the Apostle tells us about 14:02 what the Lord will do when He returns. 14:05 He says, 14:06 "For our citizenship is," 14:09 let's read this first one together, 14:11 for our citizenship is where? 14:13 "In heaven, 14:15 from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, 14:18 the Lord Jesus Christ, who will," do what? 14:21 "Transform our lowly body, 14:25 that it may be conformed to His glorious body, 14:29 according to the working 14:30 by which He is able even to subdue all things," what? 14:35 "To Himself." 14:36 So what is He gonna do when He comes back? 14:41 He's gonna transform what? 14:43 Our bodies. 14:44 And if you remember how that's gonna happen, 14:46 you know, we'll go in just a moment 14:47 and see about that. 14:49 But the bodies we have now 14:51 are not the bodies we're gonna have 14:52 when we go to heaven 14:53 and one of the major reasons why, 14:55 is what kind of body do we have now? 14:57 Someone tell me, starts with the letter m, 15:00 mortal. 15:01 What kind of body do you need to be in heaven? 15:04 Immortal, 15:05 you can't go with this kind of body. 15:07 One is gonna, you'll be consumed 15:11 because our God is a consuming fire. 15:14 We cannot exist in the presence of an almighty God 15:17 in mortal flesh, it will never happen. 15:19 The other reason why we have to be transformed 15:21 is not just because we want an immortal body, 15:23 but what other transformation is gonna take place? 15:26 I'll show you that in a moment. 15:28 What other transformation is gonna take place of us? 15:33 What other transformation is gonna take place? 15:35 Not only our bodies? 15:39 Okay, since you don't know, let's go ahead and look. 15:42 We'll get there in just a moment. 15:44 What other transformation is gonna take place? 15:46 Not just our bodies? 15:49 Huh? 15:51 Say a little louder. 15:52 Our character. That's right. 15:55 Our characters are gonna be completely 15:59 remade in the image of Jesus. 16:05 Go with me to my favorite text, it's become my favorite text. 16:07 My wife knows exactly where I'm going. 16:09 1 John Chapter 3. 16:11 Go there with me, 1 John Chapter 3. 16:13 You know, a lot of times we look at each other. 16:17 We're reading a book right now. 16:18 Actually, my wife is reading a book right now 16:21 about Pastor CD Brooks. 16:23 It's called CD. 16:24 Boy, what a powerful book. 16:27 Wonderful, wonderful story she's sharing with me. 16:30 But I look at Pastor CD Brooks now. 16:33 But what's all personal about this book 16:34 is I'm able to see him 16:35 as he was when he was a little boy, 16:38 when he was growing up, 16:40 how he looked when he first went to Oakwood College, 16:42 how he looked when he began his ministry 16:45 as a young evangelist. 16:46 And he's, as all of us, we are all changing. 16:51 We all don't look the way we did. 16:54 Some of us look better. 16:58 And I'll leave it there, 17:00 but we are all changing, are we not, right? 17:03 But we know that in the course of our changing, 17:06 most of us need contact lenses or eyeglasses 17:09 or some kind of medical aid as we get older, 17:12 because we are not the same way we were when we were young. 17:15 I remember growing up, my mom used to say, 17:18 she used to call me whenever she was sewing something. 17:21 She said, "Come and thread the needle for me." 17:22 Why? 17:24 Because children have laser like vision and I'd come in, 17:27 lick it right through and she said thank you. 17:30 Because I'd see it there like with her glasses 17:32 just trying her best 17:33 and it looked like a big hole opening to me. 17:34 But now, 17:38 you know how that goes. 17:39 We're gonna be transformed in every way. 17:41 And we're not gonna worry about. 17:43 But notice this, In the meanwhile, 17:45 1 John Chapter 3. 17:47 Oh, what a beautiful scripture. 17:49 I have fallen in love with this 17:51 because whenever I get discouraged about who I am, 17:54 I read this scripture and it reminds me 17:56 that God is not finished with us yet. 18:00 God is not done with you yet. 18:02 Be encouraged, what He begins, He's gonna complete. 18:05 Amen? 18:06 But look at the text, 1 John Chapter 3. 18:10 And I'll read first verse 1 and then verse 2, 18:13 "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, 18:19 that we should be called," what? 18:22 "Sons or children of God, 18:24 therefore the world does not know us 18:25 because it did not know Him." 18:27 But now here's my favorite scripture. 18:29 "Beloved," what's the next word? 18:31 "Now we are children of God." 18:35 When are we children of God? 18:36 Now, right now, right at this moment, 18:38 if you've accepted Christ as your Savior, 18:40 you are His child right now, 18:43 and look at the rest. 18:45 "And or, but 18:46 it has not yet been revealed what we shall be." 18:50 In other words, you can go home 18:52 and you can paint your mirror, 18:54 you can use Photoshop and contort your ears, 18:56 and I saw a picture on Photoshop, 18:59 some of you don't even know what Photoshop is. 19:01 It's an art program. 19:03 You know, you can do all kinds of things. 19:05 I saw them in Photoshop, 19:07 take a picture of a woman 19:11 and turn it into a slice of pizza. 19:14 They said beginning and end. 19:17 And then they did back turn the slice of pizza. 19:20 This guy was dynamic in his abilities in the program, 19:23 turned it into a person. 19:25 And I'm thinking, 19:27 I know I didn't begin as a slice of pizza. 19:28 Come on, say amen somebody. 19:30 But here's my point. 19:31 It has not yet been revealed what we shall be. 19:34 I want to say this, 19:35 we will be better than we are now. 19:37 Amen. 19:38 So when you don't know what you're gonna be, 19:40 don't be discouraged because look at the rest of it. 19:43 "Has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know," 19:46 say that together, 19:47 "but we know that when he is revealed," 19:51 hallelujah, 19:53 "we shall be like Him, 19:56 for we shall see Him as He is." 20:00 The beauty of heaven is when we get to heaven, 20:03 who we're gonna be like? 20:05 Say it, Jesus. 20:07 We're gonna be like Jesus. 20:09 So if you look at, if you look at yourself, 20:10 if you're, you know, 20:13 we all have that, we all have what I call the... 20:18 You know, our lives are like a curve. 20:20 We begin here, 20:21 then we get to this point and we just kind of physically, 20:24 we look really, we have the short span 20:26 where we just look like 20:28 we want to stay for the rest of our lives. 20:29 Matter of fact, science right now, 20:31 Dr. Michio Kaku, 20:34 he's known as a futurologist, 20:36 he said, they're working on drugs 20:38 that can make you look like you're 30 20:42 for as many years as you want to. 20:47 He can't make that happen eternally though. 20:50 So the transformation of our bodies 20:52 will be not because we found a drug 20:54 that makes it happen, 20:56 but because we are transformed in the image of Christ. 20:59 So for number 9, 21:01 when the Lord returns to prepare us for heaven, 21:03 what will He do? 21:04 Put that word transform, transform. 21:07 He will transform our bodies. 21:11 He will transform our bodies 21:13 and seal in His character. 21:18 All right? 21:19 Because remember, it didn't just say transform, 21:21 but that we may be fashion like unto His glorious body. 21:24 We will be transformed 21:26 and we will conform to His glorious body. 21:29 Look at the next one. 21:31 Question number 10. 21:35 Here it is. 21:37 When we receive our transformed bodies, 21:41 what will we no longer do? 21:44 What will we no longer do? 21:46 I like that. I heard him say it. 21:47 Okay, well, we know... 21:49 Revelation Chapter 21, let's go there. 21:51 Revelation Chapter 21. 21:54 What will we no longer do? 21:57 I wanna share something with you after we read the text, 22:00 Revelation 21, 22:02 and we're gonna look together at verse 4. 22:04 All right? 22:06 "And God will wipe away," what? 22:09 "Every tear from their eyes, 22:13 there shall be no more death, 22:15 nor sorrow, nor crying. 22:18 There shall be no more pain, 22:20 for the former things have," what? 22:22 "Passed away." 22:23 I've got to ask this question 22:25 because when I heard this recent discussion 22:28 about the different kinds of tears 22:30 that our eyes produce. 22:32 You know, there are, I am so not medical, 22:35 so don't write me an email if I mispronounce it. 22:38 But I heard the word basal tears. 22:41 I don't know which one that is. 22:43 But they said the tear that you shed 22:45 when your eye just needs to wash something out of it 22:48 and the tears you shed, 22:50 when you're excited and the tears you shed 22:53 when you are in pain and wanna cry, 22:56 have a different chemical compound. 23:00 So God is not gonna make your eyes tearless, 23:04 but there will be no more crying 23:06 because of sin. 23:08 There'll be no more crying because of pain. 23:11 There'll be no more crying because of death. 23:13 But I wanna tell you, there'll be some tears of joy. 23:16 Can you say amen to that? 23:17 There'll be a lot of tears of joy. 23:19 As a matter of fact, I think 23:20 many of us are gonna be wiping our eyes 23:23 with our robes 23:24 because every revelation we see, 23:26 have you ever seen people so excited 23:28 that they just tear up? 23:29 Oh, I'm so excited. I don't know what to do. 23:30 These are happy tears. 23:32 Have you heard the phrase before, 23:34 we are gonna have a lot of tears of joy. 23:37 But we're not gonna be crying because of peer pain 23:39 and death and sorrow. 23:40 And I think all these words here, 23:42 death, sorrow, crying, 23:44 pain are all associated, 23:46 and they produce a certain kind of tear 23:48 that is not gonna be produced 23:51 when we get to the kingdom of heaven. 23:53 So here's the answer. 23:55 When we receive our transform bodies, 23:57 what will we no longer do? 23:59 You can put all those there. 24:00 We'll no longer die, cry, 24:03 and we won't be sick, no more pain, 24:05 you can put all those words there or just say, 24:07 refer to Revelation 21:4. 24:10 Okay. 24:11 But now let's look at another one. 24:13 Isaiah, Isaiah 33:24. 24:17 Isaiah 33:24. 24:19 Look at another one. 24:22 Won't have to worry about 24:24 saying whatever happened to so and so. 24:26 If anybody, if you're in heaven, 24:27 and you can't see your friends, 24:29 chances are they're travelling on another planet somewhere. 24:33 Or they're on the other side of the New Jerusalem, 24:34 or they're walking around heaven, 24:36 or they're visiting with some of the prophets 24:38 and the apostles, 24:39 but it will never be because they have died. 24:41 Amen? 24:43 We will never be separated by death again. 24:45 No more death. 24:46 But look at Isaiah 33:24. 24:50 Here's what the Bible tells us, 24:53 "And the inhabitants will not say," together, 24:56 "'I am sick," 24:58 the people who dwell in it 24:59 will be forgiven their iniquity. 25:04 Wow. 25:05 Ain't it wonderful? 25:06 So would there be any one in heaven not forgiven? 25:11 Huh? 25:12 No, everybody that's gonna be in heaven will be forgiven. 25:15 But nobody is gonna be what? 25:17 Sick. 25:18 Now, let's just go ahead and look at the association 25:20 because there's a story connected here. 25:22 When Jesus met the man 25:24 who had been let down through the roof, 25:27 he was laying on his bed. 25:29 What was the first thing He said to him? 25:33 Say it again, 25:34 "Your sins I've forgiven you." 25:36 Before He healed him of his illness, 25:39 He forgave him of his sin. 25:41 What the Bible is in essence telling us here 25:43 is that some people are sick, 25:46 because they're sick with sin. 25:49 Some people are so deep in sin 25:51 that it creates in their bodies, 25:53 and in their minds an illness. 25:55 Matter of fact, some people are ill, 25:57 Ellen White talks about this, some people are ill 25:58 because they cannot get over the injuries of their past 26:02 and it creates in them a chronic illness, 26:05 hard illness. 26:06 Some people die with, 26:08 they don't even know what the medical cause is. 26:10 And because they have just never been able 26:12 to get past the things of their past 26:15 and some of the illnesses, 26:17 I read a statement where, 26:19 actually when many of us were growing up 26:21 and for those of you that are in the warm climate, 26:23 you may not have ever heard this. 26:25 But in New York City, 26:26 whenever was cold outside, 26:28 Mama would say, 26:30 don't forget to wear a coat because you might get... 26:33 You might get sick. 26:35 She says, she might get sick. 26:38 She planted a thought that cold would result in sickness. 26:43 But there are those 26:44 who are part of the Polar Bear Club in New York City, 26:47 it's a tradition, 26:48 whenever it snows, they go break the ice open. 26:51 And they jump into that with their swimming trunks on, 26:53 they never get sick. 26:55 Because they have made up their minds 26:57 that they will not get sick. 26:58 They have made up their minds 27:00 that cold weather doesn't mean illness. 27:03 Here's the other point I'm trying to make. 27:04 Sometimes people plant thoughts in a person's mind, 27:08 don't go around that, you might get sick. 27:10 And all of a sudden they imagine and their thoughts 27:12 begin to produce in their bodies 27:14 an illness that really is not 27:15 the cause of their surroundings. 27:17 But they thought it, as a man thinketh what? 27:20 So is he. 27:21 But answering question number 10, 27:23 second part. 27:24 The inhabitants will not say I am sick. 27:26 So the other thing that will no longer happen. 27:28 If there is no illness, 27:30 what else would there not be? 27:32 What else would there not be? 27:33 No hospitals, that means there'll be no doctors, 27:36 no nurses, no medicine, 27:39 no healthcare needed. 27:43 Thank you, Dan. Dan is here tonight. 27:45 No cancer, no center for disease control, 27:50 that all have been solved at the Second Coming of Jesus. 27:53 What do you say? Amen. 27:55 Let's go to question number 11. 27:57 Question number 11. 28:02 Why is it important for us to be transformed 28:05 before we enter heaven? 28:08 Why is it important for us to be transformed 28:11 before we enter heaven? 28:13 Oh, man, I'll tell you, 28:15 I wanna get there but I have to wait. 28:18 I'm looking at scriptures on my page 28:20 that want me to run to them but I have to wait. 28:22 Okay. 28:24 Why is it important for us? 28:25 Go to 1 Corinthians 15:44, 28:28 1 Corinthians 15:44. 28:33 All right? Okay. 28:36 Why is it important for us to be transformed 28:38 before we enter heaven? 28:41 Here it is. 28:43 Now this I say... 28:46 Sorry, let me go back here. 28:48 Okay, I left verse 44 out, but they have it there. 28:53 It says, Now I say, let's read it, it is sown. 28:58 Verse 44, "It is sown a, "what kind of body? 29:01 "Natural body, 29:03 it has raised a," what kind of body? 29:05 "Spiritual body, 29:07 there is a natural body and there is a," what? 29:10 "Spiritual body." 29:12 Now, why is it important to be transformed? 29:17 Because we cannot have a natural body 29:19 in a spiritual place. 29:22 Right? 29:24 The natural body is the body of the corrupt nature, 29:28 the body of sin. 29:29 But I also wanna go to this text here. 29:32 I also wanna go to this text here, 29:33 which is included here. 29:34 Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15:50, 29:37 very important text also. 29:38 All right? 29:40 1 Corinthians 15:50, Notice what it says. 29:43 It says, "Now this I say, brethren, 29:45 that flesh and," what? 29:47 "Blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God 29:52 nor does corruption inherit," what? 29:55 "Incorruption." 29:57 Which means, we cannot go in the same nature 29:59 we have down here. 30:01 We've got to be transformed, the transformation is needed. 30:03 Now, why are these texts so vitally important? 30:06 I made a statement in the very beginning, 30:07 which is continuing to be affirmed 30:09 and reaffirmed over and over again. 30:12 Which means, 30:13 you cannot go to heaven until these things occur. 30:18 It's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen. 30:21 Matter of fact, 30:23 you know, I ran past myself. 30:24 I said question number 11, didn't I? 30:27 I said question 11. I was correct. 30:28 But I was looking at the wrong scripture. 30:30 So I'm at the right scripture here. 30:32 1 Corinthians 15:50. 30:35 So we have to be changed, 30:36 we have to be transformed from this blood of sin, 30:41 this flesh of sin, to an incorruptible nature. 30:46 That's what happens in order for us 30:49 to inherit the kingdom of God. 30:51 Can you imagine people in heaven 30:53 getting attitudes? 30:56 Can you imagine people 30:57 snatching the fruit out of your hand 30:59 by the tree of life? 31:00 Is that gonna happen? No. 31:02 And here's a very important point, 31:03 and this is something 31:05 that we must really take into consideration. 31:07 Satan and the angels that sinned were expelled. 31:14 So therefore, the Lord made it very, very clear 31:16 that any controversy that could arise, 31:20 any war that could occur 31:22 would not be admitted in heaven at all, 31:25 any division not be admitted in heaven at all. 31:28 So they got put out 31:30 for the things that they caused. 31:32 We're not gonna be allowed to bring that in. 31:35 Right? 31:36 So let's answer the question number 11. 31:38 Why is it important for us to be transformed 31:40 before we enter heaven? 31:42 Somebody tell me the answer. 31:45 Exactly, 31:46 we cannot take an incorruptible nature. 31:49 We cannot take a corruptible nature. 31:52 We got to replace the corrupt with the incorrupt. 31:56 Are we corrupt? 31:58 Let's not talk about that. 32:01 Corrupt politicians, 32:02 my sister told me just yesterday, 32:05 she told me about a police officer 32:07 that took his life 32:09 because he had a brother 32:12 who was a corrupt police officer. 32:15 There's a lot of people in leadership positions 32:17 that are corrupt. 32:18 There're lot of people that are corrupt, 32:19 there're corrupt shows on TV, corrupt music, corrupt society, 32:22 everything down here is corrupt. 32:25 But to get in heaven, it has to be what? 32:27 Incorruptible, 32:30 not just incorrupt, 32:32 but incorruptible, meaning it cannot be corrupted. 32:36 Amen? 32:37 Cannot be corrupted. 32:39 So you don't just go on, 32:40 I'm not corrupt but can you be corrupted? 32:43 No, that's important, we have to remember that. 32:46 Because there are those who say, it's a possibility 32:49 that sin could rise up a second time. 32:51 Not according to my Bible. 32:52 Can I get an amen somewhere? Amen. 32:54 Incorruptible, 32:57 not just incorrupt but incorruptible. 33:02 You go in, Revelation 22. 33:04 Let's go there quickly. 33:07 Revelation Chapter 22. 33:08 Here it is. 33:10 Every time I get a chance 33:11 to hit that false lie on the head, 33:14 I'll do it. 33:16 Because when we are finally made like Jesus, 33:18 Jesus is not, 33:19 Jesus never has been corrupt, never will be corrupt. 33:23 If we're gonna become like Him, 33:25 will we become corrupt? 33:28 No, absolutely not. 33:29 Here's my evidence. 33:30 Revelation 22:11. 33:32 Here it is, 33:35 Revelation 22:11. 33:37 Here it is, 33:39 "He who is unjust, let him be," what? 33:41 "Unjust still, he who is filthy, 33:44 let him be," what? 33:46 "Filthy still, 33:47 he who is righteous, let him be," what? 33:49 "Righteous still, he who is holy, 33:51 let him be," what? 33:53 "Holy, still." 33:54 The word still means permanent. 33:57 That's what that means, 33:58 still, permanent. 34:00 That's how you're gonna be, you're sealed that way. 34:02 You are sealed in your filthy and unholiness, 34:05 that's how you're gonna be. 34:06 You are sealed in your righteousness 34:08 and you're holy, that's how you're gonna be. 34:10 That's where the dividing line is. 34:12 And you'll find that in just a few more questions, 34:14 how permanent that really is. 34:16 And so people are not dying and going to heaven, 34:18 because the changes don't happen at death. 34:20 Matter of fact in the next question, 34:22 we'll find out when those changes take place. 34:24 All right? 34:25 Let's go to question number 12. 34:26 So I'm right on track. 34:28 I just threw you just a moment over there 34:29 when I mentioned Chapter 15, verse 44. 34:32 But that's what happens 34:33 when you're missing one contact lens. 34:37 Here it is. Question number 12. 34:40 How is the preparation for heaven 34:44 transformation described? 34:45 How is the preparation for heaven 34:48 transformation described? 34:49 All right? 34:51 1 Corinthians 15:44. 34:55 Okay, how is it described? 34:58 Here it is, 1 Corinthians 15:44. 35:04 All right? 35:06 We're gonna see where we are now 35:07 and we're gonna see where we're gonna be. 35:09 1 Corinthians 15:44, 35:12 the Bible says, 35:13 speaking of the body, 35:15 "It is sown a," what kind of body? 35:18 "Natural body it is raised a," what? 35:22 "Spiritual body. 35:23 There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body." 35:28 Now, when you read that, 35:29 you'll discover, 35:31 let me go ahead and turn to 1 Corinthians 15 35:32 because I wanna give you a little 35:34 more background on that. 35:35 You'll discover also, 35:37 the topic that is being discussed here 35:39 is the resurrection. 35:40 That's the entire topic that's being discussed. 35:43 So when the Lord said, it is sown a natural body. 35:46 What is the word sown means? 35:48 What is the word sown means? 35:50 Ah, say. 35:51 Plant, right. 35:53 So when you go back to the dust, 35:57 you go back to where you came from, 36:00 "From dust thou art," the Lord said to Adam, 36:02 "to dust you shall return." 36:05 So when you get sown, 36:06 that natural body is in the grave. 36:09 But when you come out on the first resurrection, 36:10 what are you gonna be? 36:12 A Spiritual body. 36:14 Now get this, not a spirit body, 36:17 but a spiritual. 36:19 There's a difference all together. 36:21 There's a difference all together. 36:23 I was thumbing through hours, I had to get information 36:24 that would enhance my topic. 36:27 And I came across, 36:28 I mean, I searched the internet, 36:30 I look at all these network programs 36:32 to see what their key shows are. 36:35 And there's a program out now call 36:37 or I don't know if it's a program 36:39 or sitcom or whatever, there was series on, 36:42 on CBS entitled, 36:45 "There's a Ghost within My Child." 36:49 Satan is busy. 36:50 Like we need another show like that. 36:57 The idea of a ghost being inside of somebody 37:00 is like they're saying, "Well, there's a spirit 37:03 from somebody else that have died, 37:04 has taken residence in another person's body." 37:06 That's an evil spirit. 37:09 Anybody who's died is gonna remain in the grave 37:12 until one or the other resurrection, 37:15 unto the first or the second resurrection, 37:17 there is no floating entities around the earth. 37:21 But to make it into the kingdom, 37:22 every one of us will be a, what kind of body? 37:25 Spiritual body. 37:27 And if you look at 1 Corinthians 15, 37:28 the entire... 37:30 Matter of fact, 37:31 just take a peek to verse 48. 37:34 All right? 37:36 Verse 48 and verse 49. 37:40 "As was the man of dust, 37:42 so also are those who are made of dust." 37:45 In other words, we're just like Adam, 37:48 "As is the heavenly man. 37:51 So also are those who are," what? 37:53 "Heavenly." 37:54 And here's the answer, 37:56 "And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, 38:00 we shall also bear the image of the," what man? 38:05 "The heavenly man." 38:06 It doesn't say we do, but we shall, 38:10 and that's why the very next verse is there. 38:12 Dave is about to explode. What do you wanna say? 38:17 That's right. Beautiful point. 38:20 When Jesus said to Nicodemus, you must be born again. 38:22 Some people think that, 38:23 well, this first life is sufficient, 38:26 every one of us has to be born again. 38:29 That's what that is. 38:30 We're born natural. 38:32 But we have to be born again into the spiritual. 38:36 We walk by faith, not by sight. 38:37 Each of us is walking in the spirit, 38:40 not walking as spirits, 38:42 but walking in the spirit. 38:44 Altogether different. 38:47 Right, the Spirit of the Lord, 38:49 He takes up residence in us 38:50 and he promises never to leave us, 38:51 never to forsake us. 38:53 But now to add to that, let's look at verse 53. 38:55 Look at verse 53. 38:57 Here's this transformation 38:59 from the natural to the spiritual. 39:01 Verse 53, here it is, 39:03 "For this corruptible must put on," what? 39:08 "Incorruption, and this mortal," 39:11 what's the next word? 39:13 "Must put on immortality." 39:16 So, for this corruptible must put on what? 39:21 Incorruption, 39:22 and this mortal must put on what? 39:25 Immortality. 39:26 And you got to keep this in mind, 39:28 something that is... 39:29 Matter of fact, look at verse 52. 39:31 This is not in the scripture, but look at verse 52, 39:32 it's in the Bible. 39:34 I made the point a moment ago, 39:35 and I wanna go ahead and show you the text 39:37 that is there. 39:38 In a moment, what verse 51, 39:40 "Behold, I tell you a mystery or show you a mystery, 39:43 we shall not all sleep, 39:45 but we shall all be changed, 39:47 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye 39:49 at the last trumpet, 39:51 for the trumpet will sound 39:52 and the dead will be raised," what? 39:55 "Incorruptible," 39:58 cannot be corrupted, 40:00 "and we shall be changed." 40:02 I made the statement a moment ago, 40:03 that we're not just, 40:05 we're not just putting on incorruption, 40:07 but we're becoming incorruptible, 40:09 meaning you cannot spoil it. 40:12 The devil tried to spoil Christ but Jesus says, 40:15 the prince of this world has come 40:17 and he has what? 40:19 Nothing in Me, amen? 40:21 Absolutely nothing. 40:22 So the devil never got into Christ life. 40:24 If we're gonna be transformed into the likeness of Christ, 40:26 we're putting on the righteousness of Christ. 40:28 He's not transferring any defect to us. 40:32 And the Bible says, we shall be like Him, 40:33 we won't be replacing Him, 40:35 but we will become completely reproduced in His image. 40:38 So here's the answers. 40:39 How is the preparation for heaven transformation 40:42 described? 40:43 One is 15:53, 40:47 we put on incorruption, we put on immortality. 40:50 And the other one is, what do we do? 40:53 We put on the spirit, 40:55 we go from the natural to the spiritual, 40:56 from the corruptible to the incorruptible, 40:59 from the mortal to the immortal. 41:00 You got that? 41:01 Okay, let's go to the next one. 41:03 Number 13. 41:06 Well, as they say, in Australia, 13. 41:09 Am I right? 41:10 Pretty close. 41:12 They don't say is, but they say 13. 41:14 Okay, here we are, number 13. 41:19 When we are immortal and incorruptible 41:24 what will Jesus do? 41:26 When we are immortal and incorruptible 41:29 what will Jesus do? 41:31 1 Corinthians 15 is so replete 41:34 with these descriptions of what Jesus is gonna do. 41:36 It's a beautiful place to look. 41:38 Okay, 1 Corinthians 15:24, 41:42 verse 24. 41:44 All right, let's look at that. 41:49 All right, 41:50 the Bible says, "Then comes the," what? 41:54 "End 41:55 when he delivers the kingdom to God, the Father, 41:59 when he puts it's an end to all rule, 42:02 and all authority and," what else? 42:04 "All power." 42:05 Get this now, 42:07 you gotta look at this as a deliverance of a package. 42:09 Many of us, 42:11 and I'm just speaking on a general sense. 42:12 Have you ever ordered anything on the internet? 42:17 Have you ever purchased anything in the store? 42:20 Have you ever purchased medication? 42:23 What did they tell you 42:24 if you get home and the seal is broken? 42:26 What do they say? 42:28 Don't use it. 42:30 If the milk carton is open, don't use it. 42:32 If the bread is open, don't use it. 42:34 Why? 42:35 Because there's a chance that what? 42:38 It's been tampered with, or it's been corrupted. 42:41 Okay, I'm going somewhere with this. 42:44 It is not until we are incorruptible 42:47 that Jesus delivers us that way. 42:50 Come on, say amen somebody. 42:52 He delivers us perfectly and the reason why, 42:55 is because there are other worlds 42:59 that are waiting to see 43:01 how this messed up planet down here 43:04 is gonna turn out because remember, 43:06 they remember the former rebellion. 43:07 They remember Satan 43:09 and his angels warring in heaven. 43:10 They remember that war and how it turned out. 43:12 There was a great apostasy, 43:15 there was a great eviction. 43:16 The devil was kicked out 43:18 and so was one-third of the angels. 43:19 Can you imagine going back 43:21 and Jesus saying to the unfallen worlds, 43:23 hey, the earth is filled with corrupt people, 43:27 and I'm gonna bring them back. 43:30 And what do you think the unfallen was thinking? 43:33 Is this gonna happen again? 43:36 So what does He do to prevent that from happening? 43:39 It's not until we are incorruptible, 43:41 it's not until we are immortal, 43:43 it's not until we're made completely like Him 43:46 that we get delivered. 43:48 There's a word that we often use in our vernacular, 43:52 as Adventist, 43:53 it is called sealed. 43:55 What's the word? 43:56 Sealed, the seal, 43:57 when the righteousness of Christ is sealed within us, 44:01 then we are saved 44:03 to be delivered to the kingdom. 44:06 Amen? 44:07 If a package comes and it's open, 44:10 was tampered with. 44:12 Nobody's gonna make it into the kingdom 44:13 that's not first sealed 44:16 before they are delivered. 44:17 Do you follow the process here? 44:19 Very important that we understand 44:20 the sealing must take place before we are delivered, 44:24 then come the end. 44:26 Okay, say it again. 44:27 My wife is going back to those songs of the 70s, 44:30 sign, seal and delivered. 44:34 I'm hearing the next word, I'm yours. 44:37 Okay, had to say, it's a natural trajectory. 44:42 Sealed by the righteousness of Jesus, 44:44 signed by the blood of the Lamb, 44:47 delivered to the Father in heaven. 44:48 Amen to that? 44:49 Wonderful thought. 44:51 You can never forget that those of you 44:52 who've been delivered from the world. 44:54 Okay. 44:55 Look at number 14, number 14. 44:56 So the answer for number 13 is 44:58 when we are immortal and incorruptible, 45:00 what will Jesus do? 45:01 What's He gonna do? 45:03 Deliver us to the kingdom. 45:05 Yay, you're not going in there. 45:07 You're not going in there until you are safe 45:10 to enter that. 45:12 Nowadays it's getting to that place in our world. 45:15 Now fortunately, we live in a small town Thompsonville. 45:19 But there are some cities years ago 45:21 and I lived in New York City, 45:22 there were schools that had metal detectors 45:24 already set up. 45:26 When you go on, they're like... 45:28 So you could be before you go into school, 45:30 they wanna make sure that you don't take anything unsafe. 45:33 Metal guns, knives, 45:36 that's getting like that now, 45:37 in the airports they have that way. 45:38 Have you noticed how unsafe people are? 45:42 That's why the Lord is saying, "Wait a minute, 45:43 you're not coming in here 45:45 until you're safe, 45:47 then I could deliver you to the kingdom 45:49 that I prepared for you." 45:50 Safe to save. 45:52 Okay, so number 14. 45:54 Moving right along, 45:56 number 14, here's the question. 45:59 Okay. 46:02 Here it is. 46:03 What declaration is made 46:06 that begins our heavenly experience? 46:10 What declaration is made 46:11 that begins our heavenly experience? 46:14 Isaiah 26:2, 46:17 Isaiah 26:2. 46:21 I tried to put it in a particular order. 46:23 All right? So we can get it. 46:25 After we're safe 46:26 and we're being delivered, 46:28 what declaration is made? 46:30 That begins, here it is, Isaiah 26:2. 46:32 Can we read this together? 46:34 Give us back some of our oomph. 46:35 Are you ready? Here we go. 46:36 "Open the gates, 46:38 that the righteous nation 46:40 which keeps the truth may," what? 46:42 "Enter in." 46:44 We are being delivered to the kingdom 46:46 and what do we do? 46:47 We enter in. 46:49 You've gotta picture yourself walking through. 46:52 You gotta picture yourself passing that gate. 46:54 It's gonna be multitudes. 46:58 There's gonna be multitudes of redeemed there. 47:00 Can you imagine what it's gonna be like 47:01 when you walk past that gate? 47:03 You gonna look at that gate and look up 47:06 and it's gonna be an enrapturing moment. 47:08 It's gonna be an enrapturing moment. 47:10 I'll tell you, I think about that sometimes. 47:12 I don't wanna miss that. 47:14 I don't want to miss that. 47:16 And by the way, 47:17 I need to say this right here, 47:19 there are only two people that really know, 47:20 excuse me, 47:21 my computer always reminds me that I have to back it up. 47:24 There are only two people that really know 47:26 what heaven is like 47:29 that are involved in great controversy. 47:33 Jesus knows and Satan knows. 47:36 He wants to keep us 47:37 out of something he can't have. 47:39 But Jesus wants to give us what He does have. 47:42 Whose side do you want to be on? 47:44 Oh, I tell you. 47:46 If Paul says, 47:47 "Eyes have not seen or ears heard 47:50 about the things that God prepared 47:52 for those that love Him." 47:53 I don't remember who said it during this camp meeting week. 47:56 But somebody said, do you realize, 47:58 "He's been preparing for 2000 years? 47:59 Can you imagine what it's gonna be like?" 48:02 He's been preparing for 2000 years, 48:05 didn't take that long, 48:06 but He must be really laying it out 48:08 for those that what? 48:10 Love Him. 48:12 Wow. Wow. 48:13 Okay, 48:15 let's go to the next question. 48:16 This was still, what declaration is made? 48:19 And the first one you want to put down, 48:20 for the first one, Isaiah 26:2, 48:22 open the gates. 48:24 That's the declaration, open the gates 48:26 and then the gates will never be closed again. 48:28 Open the gates. That's the first declaration. 48:30 And then Matthew 25:34, 48:34 wow, this is beautiful. 48:37 Wonderful topic in light of camp meeting 48:39 that we just had about the Second Coming. 48:43 Okay, open the gates, 48:44 and then what He's gonna do next? 48:46 Let's read this together. 48:47 "Then the king will say to those 48:49 on his right hand, 'Come, 48:52 you blessed of My Father, 48:54 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the," what? 48:57 "Foundation of the world.'" 48:59 Open the gates, come on in. 49:02 Ain't that wonderful? 49:04 You're corruptible, I mean you're incorruptible. 49:06 You're immortal. 49:07 You are perfect. You're like me. 49:09 Open the gates. 49:10 Come on in. 49:12 Ain't that wonderful? 49:13 You guys need to appreciate that. 49:16 Amen? Amen. 49:18 I'm trying to make this visual. 49:22 You're sealed, 49:23 you no longer like you used to be, 49:24 no need for hospitals, you're perfect like Jesus. 49:27 You are in your journey, 49:28 the Lord delivers the kingdom. 49:30 When you get there, He says, "Open the gates." 49:32 Then He says, "Come on in." 49:33 Amen? Amen. 49:35 That's how it is. 49:36 We got to make this thing real. 49:37 That's what the Bible gives us 49:39 a step by step of how it's gonna be 49:40 and then he says, 49:42 inherit the kingdom prepared for you, David, 49:44 for you, Marlena, 49:46 for you, Yannick, for you, Angela, 49:48 for you, John, from the foundation... 49:50 I've been working on this for a long time. 49:56 And then we're gonna stand there. 49:57 I don't think, well, 49:59 because we're immortal, 50:00 we may be able to take longer breaths. 50:03 But we're gonna definitely go. 50:10 I'm surely, I'm telling you. 50:12 I've seen some things on this earth 50:14 that have taken my breath away. 50:18 Ain't no, 50:19 let me go into my New York vernacular, 50:21 ain't no architect on earth 50:23 is gonna be able to do what Jesus can do. 50:25 Amen to that? Amen. 50:26 Ah, the Taj Mahal. 50:28 We saw the Taj Mahal, 50:29 when we saw the Taj Mahal there in India, 50:31 we saw this thing in the distance. 50:32 They said, 50:34 "It's the most symmetrically perfect building on earth." 50:38 And you walk up to this thing. 50:39 It looks like it's just sitting there. 50:41 And the way that you get to the Taj Mahal, 50:43 you walk through these arches as you go through. 50:45 And when you stand at the arches, 50:47 it looks like it's right there. 50:48 But the moment you walk through the arches it's like, 50:50 it just moved away from you, it's crazy. 50:54 They said, stand right there and look through the arches 50:56 and it looks like the building is like 50:57 right beyond the arches. 50:58 And as soon as you walk through the arches, 51:00 it's like the building just catapulted itself 51:01 in the distance away from you. 51:03 And everywhere you look, 51:04 it's just perfectly symmetrical. 51:06 Oh, I think it's the only thing on earth. 51:08 As he said, architecturally 51:09 it's the most perfect building on earth. 51:11 If man could do that, what can God do? 51:14 Wow, wow, wow. 51:16 Okay. 51:17 Let's go to 15. 51:19 We might get there, but maybe not. 51:21 If not, we have some continuation. 51:22 Because what I've done so far, 51:24 if you followed on the lesson about heaven, 51:26 I haven't talked about the description of heaven yet. 51:29 I'm first talking about 51:30 all the things preparatory to getting in. 51:33 We haven't even looked at Revelation 20 or 21, or 22 yet. 51:37 Those are coming up next. 51:38 So our lesson about heaven is not done. 51:40 But question 15, here's the question. 51:43 Whom does the Bible teach 51:45 will not inherit the kingdom of God? 51:50 Let's go quickly to 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, 51:53 1 Corinthians Chapter 6. 51:55 Wow. 51:57 This is crazy. 51:59 But 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, 52:01 we're gonna look together at verse 9 and 10. 52:03 Who does the Bible teach will not inherit the kingdom of God? 52:06 This is really important because lot of times 52:08 when people look for a place to live, 52:10 a lot of times when they look to a new community, 52:13 I know more and more on earth 52:14 in some of the major cities people ask, 52:16 "Is it a gated community?" 52:17 Now why do you think they ask that? 52:21 I'll make sure no riffraff. 52:23 I wanna make sure my kids are safe. 52:25 They wanna make sure that something that's unsafe 52:28 and then you go to some places 52:29 where they don't really have gates, 52:31 but it's so expensive, you know, 52:32 certain folk ain't living there, 52:34 they price them out of the community. 52:37 And only those who can afford it can get in there, 52:39 and you understand well, it's got to be safe, 52:40 the houses are 1.5 million and up. 52:45 But this is powerful. 52:47 This is about character. 52:49 This is not about real estate. 52:51 Look at this. 52:52 Here it is, 52:53 "Do you not know 52:55 that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 53:00 Do not be deceived, 53:02 neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 53:06 nor adulterers, 53:09 nor homosexuals, 53:11 nor sodomites, 53:13 nor thieves, 53:15 nor covetous, 53:17 nor drunkards, 53:19 nor revilers, 53:21 nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 53:27 Is that clear? 53:29 Now I want you to notice, 53:30 some people may have made a lot of notice to the word 53:32 homosexuals and sodomites there, 53:33 but all of these in the same category. 53:36 Now the reason I said that is because down here on earth, 53:41 we separate them. 53:42 We make it look like the thief. 53:44 I'm gonna go to that one next. 53:46 We make it look like the thief 53:49 is different from the sodomite 53:52 or the covetous is different from the homosexual. 53:54 In the kingdom of God, it's all the same thing. 53:56 Amen, somebody? Amen. 53:58 Let's go to the next one. 53:59 It says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident," 54:02 it's on the screen, "which are," what? 54:04 "Adultery..." 54:06 This is Galatians 5:19-21. 54:08 They had it on the screen. 54:10 So I'm just jumping right to that for the interest of time. 54:12 Should have mentioned that, Galatians 5:19, 54:15 "Now the works of the flesh are evident 54:16 which are: adultery," what else? 54:19 "Fornication, uncleanness, 54:23 lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, 54:28 hatred, contentions, 54:31 jealousies, outbursts of wrath, 54:35 selfish ambitions, dissension, 54:38 heresies, envy, murder, 54:41 drunkenness, revelries, 54:44 and the like, of which I tell you beforehand," 54:47 what? 54:51 Shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 54:54 I should have gone to the very next verse, 54:55 shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 54:57 Is that an amazing list? Is that an amazing list? 55:01 That list is crazy, that detail is amazing. 55:05 It is amazing when you think about the Bible. 55:07 And let's go to the last one, Revelation 22, 55:09 Revelation 22:15. 55:11 Let's go to that one. 55:13 Speaking about outside the city, 55:15 "But outside are," what? 55:17 "Dogs..." 55:19 Now by the way, this is not speaking about animals. 55:21 This is speaking about the immoral, 55:23 the lowly, immoral. 55:25 "But outside are dogs and sorcerers 55:27 and sexually immoral 55:29 and murderers and idolaters, 55:31 and whoever," what? 55:33 "Loves and," what else? 55:34 "Practices a lie." 55:36 Now bring the camera back to me for a brief moment here. 55:38 This is an amazing list here. 55:40 When you think about what's happening. 55:41 When you think about what's going on 55:43 in the New Jerusalem. 55:44 When you think about those who are not gonna make it, 55:47 this is clearly indicative 55:49 of who's not gonna be in the kingdom of God. 55:52 Last one, Revelation 21:7-8 55:54 before we wind up this program, 55:56 Revelation 21:7-8. 55:59 But the Bible says, 56:00 "He who overcomes shall inherit," what? 56:03 "All things and I will be his God 56:06 and he shall be My," what? 56:07 "Son. 56:09 But the cowardly," 56:14 let me go," But the cowardly, 56:16 unbelieving, 56:17 abominable, murderers, 56:20 sexually immoral, 56:22 sorcerers, idolaters, 56:25 and all liars shall have their part in the lake 56:29 which burns with fire and brimstone, 56:31 which is the," what? 56:32 "Second death." 56:35 Is that clear? 56:37 That's extremely clear. 56:38 So those, they're not gonna be in the kingdom of heaven, 56:41 they're not gonna be there. 56:43 They will not be there when Jesus comes. 56:47 Not even the coward, not even the un... 56:49 None of those will be in that category. 56:51 Because those are practices 56:54 that are a part of the corruptible nature, 56:57 that are part of the mortal nature, 57:01 that are part of the natural, not a part of the spiritual. 57:04 So those of us 57:05 who are preparing for the spiritual, 57:07 for the incorruptible, 57:09 those who are preparing for the kingdom, 57:11 which is to come, 57:12 we know that anybody in this category 57:15 is not gonna be in the kingdom of heaven. 57:18 So what do we have to do? 57:19 We have to pray and ask for the Lord 57:21 to prepare us for that great day. 57:23 Can you say amen to that? Amen. 57:24 Because the categories are just, 57:25 I mean, it's overwhelming, 57:27 you got to go back and go over this 57:28 all over again, and realize, 57:29 wait a minute, 57:31 for anybody to say that 57:32 we could do any of those things and still make it. 57:34 As nowadays, recently I heard a statement, 57:37 "Well, we can't judge individuals." 57:39 No, we're not gonna judge individuals. 57:40 We're not gonna appoint anyone to judgment, 57:42 or determine what that judgment is gonna be. 57:44 But the Bible did say by their fruits, 57:46 you will what? 57:48 Know them. Now let me ask you a question. 57:49 Do you want any of these practices 57:51 to be in heaven with you? 57:52 Absolutely not. 57:54 So we're getting ready for that, friends, 57:55 keep studying God's Word 57:57 and if it doesn't make sense, 57:58 keep on trusting the Lord 57:59 because one day it will come into A Sharper Focus. 58:02 God bless you. |
Revised 2019-07-12