Our First Glimpse of Heaven

Temple Baptist Church - 7-19-2020

Revelation 4:1-3

 

Introduction:

 

A.  I spent several weeks dealing with the Rapture of the Church and Eschatology (the study of Things of Come or Prophecy).  There is much confusion concerning the Church, the Body of Christ.  I will not take the time to reiterate it but will say that we are Pre-Millennial, Pre-Rapture in our doctrinal position because that is God’s position!

 

B.  Tonight, we find the Rapture has taken place in verse one and the Church is in heaven.

 

C.  There are things that the Bible either says little or nothing about, so we do not want to get into speculation in our study of Revelation.  I want to look at two verses for a few minutes to Biblically explain some things.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  (10)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 

D.  People normally quote verse 9 but leave out verse 10.  Though there are some things that we will not know until we get to heaven, there are some things that God has shed light upon through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost in our Bible.

 

E.  I want to look at two such things tonight as they pertain to our verses in Revelation 4:1-3.

 

1.  We are now in our glorified body. 

 

a.  1 Corinthians 15:50-53  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  (51)  Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

 

b.  But what about those who are with the Lord before we receive our eternal body?

 

1)  Pre-Rapture, both saved and lost have an “intermediate” body of some kind.

 

Luke 16:23-24  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

 

2)  Samuel when he appeared to Saul - 1 Samuel 28:14  And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

 

3)  The Old Testament Saints at the death of Christ -  Matthew 27:50-53  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  (51)  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;  (52)  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  (53)  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 

4)  The “rich man” who died without Christ had eyes and a tongue.  The “beggar,” Lazarus, was visible to the rich man and had a finger to dip into water.  Luke 16:23-24  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

 

5)  As to what that intermediate body is, the Bible is silent but dead saints are not just spirit.

 

2.  We are now in heaven.  I want to differentiate between Abraham’s Bosom, Paradise, Heaven, and the New Jerusalem.

 

a)  The Pre-Resurrection saints that have died – Abraham’s Bosom is a pre-resurrection place of containment. 

 

1)  Abraham’s Bosom is mentioned only 1x and that is found in the New Testament.  Jesus gave an Old Testament example of where the redeemed were kept until the resurrection.

 

Luke 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 

 

2)  Though in is called Abraham’s Bosom, Abraham was evidently not the first to go there.  The first man who died as a saved man was Abel, so he was the first there.

 

3)  In the Old Testament, 9x the wording “gathered unto his people” is used when speaking of the death of the saints.  The First Mention is found in Genesis, chapter 25.

 

Genesis 25:7-8  And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.  (8)  Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

 

3.  Post-Resurrection - Paradise – mentioned only 3x and all in the New Testament. 

     

Psalms 68:18  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

 

Ephesians 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

 

a)  Paradise is a post-resurrection place of containment. When the Lord resurrected, He brought those from Abraham’s Bosom to Paradise.

 

b)  Paradise – definition: possible from a foreign origin (possible Persian) meaning an enclosed garden or Eden.  As man began in the Garden of God, the saved man returns to such.

 

Ezekiel 28:13  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

 

c)  The Tree of Life is found in three different places in the Scripture and is always found where there is no sin.

 

1)  In the Garden of Eden - Genesis 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

 

2)  In the Paradise of God - Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

3)  In the New Jerusalem - Revelation 22:1-2  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  (2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

d)  The uses of the word “Paradise.”

 

1)  The Thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-43  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  (43)  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

 

2)  The Apostle Paul in his revelation -  2 Corinthians 12:2-4  I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.  (3)  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)  (4)  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 

3) The Overcomer in the Church Age - Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

4. Post Rapture – Heaven – to rise or be elevated as on a mountain above a plain.  A happy place and an eternal place.

 

Revelation 4:1-3  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  (2)  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (3)  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

 

Psalms 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The Six-Fold Heart of the Good Soil

 Temple Baptist Church - 7-19-2020

Luke 8:4-15

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Here in the Book of Luke, we find the second account of the Parable of the Sower.  As I was reading here the other morning, I began to ponder upon why many people hear the “Good Seed” of the gospel, pray a prayer, and yet few are saved or live like they are saved

 

B.  Two different types of people are found here:

 

1.  The Faithless.  We look around us at Christendom and see multitudes who have no desire to assemble, no desire to serve, no desire for the things of God.  It causes us to ask the question, “What happened?”

 

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

2.  The Fruitless.  I tell people who dislike being continually asked if they are saved to remedy the problem.  LIVE LIKE YOU ARE SAVED!

 

John 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

 

Hebrews 5:11-12  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  (12)  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

 

C.  I want to look at the four different soils upon which the seed of the gospel fell and why the reaction to the Word of God as so different.

 

1.  The Wayside Ground Heart.  The unconcerned hearer.  Those who hear with not only a lack of faith but a lack of concern.  To put it simply, they just do not care!  People of our day in general have no fear of God nor do they have a desire for God!  They are damned by their choice to not “hear” with their hearts.

 

2.  The Stoney Ground Heart.  The calloused or hard-hearted hearer.  Those who hear but have chosen to harden their hearts to the gospel.  They do not want to go to hell but neither do they want to go to heaven.  They are shopping for “fire insurance” instead of “blessed assurance.” The stony ground does not absorb water, it sheds it.  No topsoil, no water absorbed, no fruit!

 

3.  The Thorny Ground Heart.  The worldly-minded hearer.  Those who are more concerned with living than dying.  Idolatry can be both or either “metal” or “mental.”  Your “god” is what you place above the true and living God.  Family, finances, family, and fun always take precedent over God.

 

4.  The Good Ground Heart.  The hearer who hears.  Those who desire the heavenly over the earthly.  Those who choose dying over living.  Those who choose the eternal over the temporal.

 

D.  People who plant to bring increase always “till” the ground.  They prepare the ground to bear the seed.

 

Genesis 3:22-24  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  (23)  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  (24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

1.  Before the Fall, Adam and Eve simply put forth their hands and took of the fruit of the

Garden.

 

2.  After the Fall, Adam was required to “till” the ground to partake of its fruit.  The First Mention of “till” is found here and it means “to enslave” the ground.  To force its compliance to his will.

 

E.  As I pondered verse 15, I found 6 characteristics of the “Good Ground” hearers.

 

1.  They have an Honest Heart.  “honest … heart”  They are honest with self and therefore, honest with God.  A right perspective that sees self as God sees us.  One of the hardest things to do in the Bible Belt is get people lost.  Until one is lost, one cannot be found because their will be so true searching.  I never search for my billfold until I place my hand upon my hip and find it missing.  People of our day are self-centered and self-righteous.

 

Luke 18:13-14  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

2.  They have a Good Heart.  “good heart”  America was once full of good-hearted people.  Neighborly, compassionate, caring people.  Today, it is “Me and my four and no more.”  I still remember my Dad calling our neighbors Mr. Fugate, Mr. Fox, etc.  People opened doors for others, put others first, because they cared!

 

Matthew 12:33-35  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.  (34)  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  (35)  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

 

3.  They have a Hearing Heart.  “having heard the word”  In Romans, chapter 10, verse 17, we find two hearings.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  Our Lord Jesus often rebuked those who came to hear Him by using the words “ears to hear, let him hear.”  These words are found 8x in the four Gospels.  People come and hear but they will not listen!  Hearing Heart people hear with both the physical ears and the ears of their hearts!

 

Zechariah 7:11-12  But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.  (12)  Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

 

4.  They have an Obedient Heart.  “keep it”  People who not only hear but also obey the Word of God.  Our world is filled with people who profess salvation but have no outward show of true Christianity.

 

Mark 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

 

Titus 1:15-16  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.  (16)  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 

5.  They have a Teachable Heart.  “bring forth fruit”  These learn God’s Word, perceive God’s Word, and follow God’s Word.  In our day, those who have a desire to follow Christ and the Bible have become labeled cultic.  What a joy to follow Christ and the Bible!

 

1 Peter 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 

Psalms 19:7-11  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.  (8)  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.  (9)  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.  (10)  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  (11)  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

 

6.  They have an Enduring Heart.  “patience”  These often falter and sometimes fail but they get back on track and continue.  I look over our congregation at the older people who have been saved for years and are still the most faithful to the things of God.  Every service, they come.  Their hearts have been changed; their lives have been changed; and their condition remains unchanged.

 

Psalms 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  (13)  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.  (14)  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;  (15)  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

America: A Nation In Crisis

Temple Baptist Church - 7-5-2020

Zephaniah 3:1-8

 

Introduction:  The 4th of July; the Declaration of Independence; Freedom!

 

Free-dom – a contraction for “free” and “dom” or “doom.”  To have the freedom to choose one’s death or one’s doom.  Freedom to choose your doom or death but not freedom to control it.

 

America’s freedom is one of choice and I fear that, in many cases the freedom to choose will bring either doom or death to our nation.  In Zephaniah, we have a classic example of choosing and choosing wrong.

 

A.  This year has been one of great change and those changes have not been good ones.

 

1.  Our economy was running on “High Test.”

 

2.  People had money in their pockets and home in the future.

 

3. Then, in a couple of months, the COVID-19 Hoax.  Now, before you get mad at me for making that statement, let me explain.

 

a.  Our nation has been faced with war, depression, sickness, etc. many times in my lifetime and survived each one because of our great American spirit.

 

b.  COVID-19 should have been no different!  Wash your hands, quarantine the Nursing Homes and Retirement Centers, stay at home if you get sick, and do not cough on me!

 

c.  CDC decided to scare the nation and, with the help of our 24 hour “no news media,” did a great job and the people panicked. 

 

B.  The Stock Market began to tumble, people began to get laid off as businesses were forced to close, schools closed, unemployment—which had been at a historic low—rose to historic highs, Government overreach caused people to hide in their homes and criticize those who did not, “Rat Phone Lines” came into existence, all categorized as non-essential services were closed (churches were the first on the list and readily complied), and now the far left is trying to keep America in distress until the November elections are over with.

 

C.  A man was killed.  It was a shame and justice needed to be done.  Justice was in the process of being done, but protests turned to riots and riots to burning and looting causing heightened racial division.  The police became the enemy, and many were killed and many more injured.  What is said to be protest, which is an American right, turned into anarchy and lawlessness.

 

D.  Anarchy is now ruling in many of these Democratic run cities with a “Neo-Nazi” like youth corps taking over parts of cities with no fear of reprisal.  Monuments defaced and destroyed.  A nation that has no history has no future because history will then repeat itself and become the face of the future.

 

E.  We are watching as our Country is going from:

 

1.  God to Atheism

2.  Pride to Shame

3.  Morality to Perversion

4.  Prayer to Apostasy

5.  Strength to Apologies

6.  Humility to Arrogancy

7.  Structure to Anarchy

8.  Law to Lawlessness

9.  Capitalism to Socialism

10. Prosperous to Bankruptcy

 

F.  The Interpretation of our Scriptures this morning are to the nation of Israel.  Zephaniah deals with the coming of the Day of the Lord and the end time.

 

G. Application is to any nation.  There have been many great nations that have come to power and then, through moral decay have declined to annihilation.

 

1.  Egypt (rose to its zenith of power under Joseph)

2.  Israel (the greatest nation and most feared upon the face of the earth to dispersion)

3.  Babylon (from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar)

4.  Medio Persia (From Cyrus the anointed to oblivion)

5.  Greece (Alexander the Great and no more worlds to conquer at age 30)

6.  Rome (the great Caesars, armies, and roads to internal decay)

7.  Spain (the great explorers and Spanish Armada to mediocrity)

8.  England (great military and missions’ outreach to total apostasy)

9.  America (In God We Trust to In Government We Mistrust)

 

1.  Our Nation Is Sinful - vs 1 “filthy and polluted”

 

a.  Lack of integrity among the people

b.  Immorality and Sexual Perversion

c.  God haters and Baby killers

 

2.  Our Nation Is Disobedient - vs 2a “obeyed not the voice”

 

a.  She Both Had and Knew God’s Word

b.  She Willfully Rejected God’s Word

 

3.  Our Nation Is Stiff-Necked - vs 2 “received not correction”

 

a.  She Rejected the Message From God’s Men

b.  She Rejected the signs of Impending Destruction

 

4.  Our Nation Has Become Self-Reliant - vs 2 “she trusted not the Lord”

 

a.  She Forgot From Whence Her Blessings Came

b.  She Became Proud In Her Accomplishments

 

5.  Our Nation Has Willfully Rejected God - vs 2 “she drew not near to her God”

 

a.  In our Government

b.  In Our Schools

c.  In Our Homes

 

6.  Our Nation Has Become Politically Corrupt - vs 3 “roaring lions...evening wolves”

 

a.  From Government by the people and for the people to Anarchy

b.  From Statesmen to Politicians

c.  From Trust to Distrust

 

7.  Our Nation Has Become Religiously Apostate - vs 4 “prophets...light and treacherous...priests...polluted the sanctuary...done violence to the law”

 

a.  Our Pulpits are Shallow

b.  Our Pews are Sinful (we embrace sin and compromise)

 

8.  Our Nation Is Shameless - vs 5 “knoweth no shame”

 

a.  Sinners are Justified

b.  Sin Is Acceptable

 

9.  Our Nation And Her End - vs 8 “mine indignation...my fierce anger”

 

10.   Our Nation and Her Salvation - vs 2:1-3

 

a.  Seek The Lord - vs 3a  Seek ye the LORD

b.  Seek Righteousness - vs 3b  all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment;

c.  Seek Meekness - vs 3c  seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.