The Intermediate State
Heaven, Hell and the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 14 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Intermediate State
I am sure many of you are fired up when you see the topic this morning and think to yourself that I can’t wait to hear about this one.
Some on the other hand are like what interstate is he talking about? Is it I44 or I55? Others just now joined us in the conversation and are saying what happened on the interstate.
No this morning we are talking about the Intermediate state.
You say What is that?
Good that is why you are here this morning to learn about the intermediate state.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Intermediate State
Intermediate State. State of the human person after death and before resurrection.
We are speaking of the bodily death and the bodily resurrection.
What happens to the person between these times?
It is easy for us to believe in the bodily death because the current death rate is 100%. Even if you are struggling with something physically and the Lord heals you then chances are you will still die some day unless Jesus comes back first. So we know bodily death happens.
We as Christ followers also believe in the resurrection of the dead.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
One day our bodies will be resurrected and united with our souls.
Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Matthew
I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.
Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep,
but we will all be changed,
in a moment, in the blink of an eye,
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.
For this corruptible must be clothed
with incorruptibility,
and this mortal must be clothed
with immortality.
1 Corinthians
Scripture clearly teaches that there will be a bodily resurrection when Christ returns.
So this begs the question what happens at the moment of death?
Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
The souls of believers immediately enter the presence of God.
So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight, and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians
I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ —which is far better —
The souls of unbelievers immediately experience the punishment of God.
Turn to Luke 16
“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate. He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. ‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy 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 flame!’
“ ‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’
“ ‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house— because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Not everyone goes to heaven!
What about purgatory?
This is a belief in Catholicism that after death our souls go to a place to be further purified from sin prior to admission into heaven.
Souls in purgatory can be helped in the process of purification by saints on earth through their participation in:
Mass
Prayers
Giving
Good works
What does the Bible say about purgatory? Nothing
Some church history
We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:
Purgatory implies that the death of Christ is not enough to cleanse us from our sins.
Christ death is sufficient to cleanse us from all our sin!
Christ death is sufficient to cleanse us from all our sin!
So what are Christians doing in the intermediate heaven?
So what are Christians doing in the intermediate heaven?
Scripture does not give us a lot about this. The purpose of the Bible is not to satisfy every curiosity we might have. The purpose of the Bible is so we can see who God is and be made in to the image of Christ.
We do have some hints at what is happening with during this time and this forms our thinking about this.
They are worshipping
Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant ), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.
Revelation
After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying:
Hallelujah!
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,
because His judgments are true and righteous,
because He has judged the notorious prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;
and He has avenged the blood of His slaves
that was on her hands.
A second time they said:
Hallelujah!
Her smoke ascends forever and ever!
Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying:
Amen! Hallelujah!
A voice came from the throne, saying:
Praise our God,
all His slaves, who fear Him,
both small and great!
They are watching.
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.
Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,
because God has executed your judgment on her!
They are waiting.
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the people slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had. They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been.
Revelation 6:
They are clearly conscience
They are
They are clearly conscience
they are audibly loud.
they are audibly loud.
they are emotionally passionate.
they are emotionally passionate.
they are distinctly individual.
they are distinctly individual.
they are completely unified.
they are completely uni ed.
they are continually interceding
they are continually
they thirst for final justice.
ey thirst for nal justice.
they long for full redemption.
ey long for full redemption.
they know God’s character more deeply.
they know God’s character more deeply.
they love God’s church more fully.
ey love God’s church more fully.
they are trusting God’s promises in the present.
they are trusting God’s promises in the present.
they are anticipating God’s plan for the future.
tey are God’s plan for the future.