The End “Then cometh the end….”

I Cor. 15:24-28 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For he hath put all things under his feet 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Death…Heb. 9:27 Death is all around us and all are affected by physical death. The real tragedy is spiritual death.. being Separated from God forever. Isa. 59:1,2

Not If I Die..but rather When I die…. I Want to die in Christ…. Phil. 1:20-25 I Cor. 1:30 Gal. 6:14 Col. 3:4; I Thess. 4:13-17 Rev. 14:l3

When I die, I Want to die in peace. Rom. 5:1; Psalms 85:8-10 Isa. 32:17 2 Cor. 5:18-20 Col. 1:20

Suffering often accompanies death, therefore peace can be a hard thing to find. Peace is a state of tranquilty . Peace for the child of God brings humility. “ Thy will be done….”Luke 22:42

When I die, I want to die in hope. 2 Tim. 4:7,8 Rom. 12:12 Col. 1:15 Eph. 2:12 A Christian can experience a joyful and Confident expectation of eternal salvation. Our hope is in heaven.

When I die I want to die in faith… Faith is our conviction that God exist and is the Creator and Ruler of all things. Gen. 1:1; Heb. 1:1,2 2 Tim. 4:7,8 ; Gal. 2:20 John 3:16-17 Heb. 11:1; I Pet. 3:15 Faith is our conviction that Jesus is the Messiah ,through whom we have obtained Eternal salvation. Rom. 5:8,9

When I die Then the end--- the end of an earthly existence… but the beginning of an Eternity in another existence that God will provide.

How have you lived your life? ALL THAT MATTERS WHEN I DIE…IS HOW I HAVE LIVED… How have you lived your life?

What every sinner must do before he / she dies: Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23; Eccl. 9:5; # 1 Hear the Word of God. Rom. 10:17 #2 Believe what you hear..that Jesus Is the Messiah, the Son of God. Mk.16:15-16; John 8:24

#3 Repent. Change. Turn. Every sinner needs to turn to the Lord..and seek to do God’s will. Acts 17:30,31 He commandeth all Men everywhere to repent!! That’s you, That’s me…every sinner~

#4 Confess. Acknowledge that Jesus is Truly the Messiah, the Christ. Matt. 10:32,33. Every sinner needs to make that confession. #5 Be baptized. Because you believe What you have heard in theGospel,and because Jesus said to do it.

Matt. 28:18-20 He commanded it to be! When one is baptized for the remission of sins, just like the people on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus.. (Acts 2:38) you will be added to the church, the one Body of Christ. Acts 2:47

But what about erring Christians? I John 2:1-2 It is God’s will that we not Sin, however, when we do sin, we need To confess our sins to God ( I John 1:9) And to one another when others are Affected (James 5:16) and pray that God will forgive us of our sins.

#538 Prepare To Meet Thy God Careless Soul, why do you linger, Wandering from the fold of God? Hear you not the invitation, O prepare to meet thy God.

Why so tho’tless are you standing While the fleeting years go by And your life is spent in folly? O Prepare to meet thy God.

Hear you not the earnest pleadings Of your friends who wish thee well? And perhaps before tomorrow You’ll be called to meet thy God.

If you spurn the invitation Till the Spirit shall depart.. Then you’ll see your sad condition Unprepared to meet thy God.

Careless soul, O heed the warning For your life, will soon be gone O how sad to face the judgment Unprepared to meet thy God.

The End of Life The End of Opportunity The End of Time The End of Waiting The End of Anticipation The End of the Lost The End of the Redeemed

Eschatology “A study of last things” We want to look at some matters Associated with the last things in our human experience.

Interest in Eschatology

Native Americans No precise belief of life after death. Beliefs differ from tribe to tribe

Reincarnation A person is reborn either as a human or animal following death. Some believe that humans return as ghosts. .Some believe that the dead just go to another world .Others believe that nothing definitely can be known about the persons’ fate after this life!

Christadelphians They believe that only those who have Heard the gospel will be resurrected from the grave and be judged. The rest will remain dead, without consciousness, forever.

Christian Science Religion Teach that hell is merely mental anguish, not a place of separation from God. They teach that heaven is a place of harmony and bliss,not a place of reward. They questioned the reality of both sickness and death. When Mary Baker Eddy died, they had to accept that as A reality!

Jehovah’s Witnesses They assert that hell does not exist;the unsaved simply die and are no more. They teach that the present earth will be renovated and become a paradise after Jesus returns and the saved will live on earth.

The Mormons They teach that there are 3 levels to heaven. Hell exists,but very few go there.

7th Day Adventist They do not believe that hell is a place of eternal torment. Instead, hell is a place where annihilation occurs and people who go there cease to exist.

Unity School of Christianity They teach that Heaven and Hell do not exist as places, but as states of consciousness. They teach that while we are alive on earth, we live in one of these 2 states.

Islamic Religion These people emphasize judgment, rewards, and destiny. They teach that Muslins, who follow the straight path of Islam, may look forward to heaven or paradise. It is a garden of refreshment and beauty. To them Paradise offers both sensual and sexual delights. Men are rewarded with beautiful virgins as companions.

It is stated in the Koran that only Muslims will be admitted to paradise. Jews and Christians will be excluded. Soldiers and martyrs are given a special place.

Edward Fudge Hell is not eternal. He maintained:that the ‘wicked, following whatever degree and duration of pain God may justly inflict, will finally and truly die, perish and become extinct forever and ever.

F. LaGard Smith In his book, ‘Who is my Brother?”, 1997, That eternal punishment in hell may be something other than continuing conscious burning.”

Wide Diversity of views There are some things God has not revealed about the ‘last things…. Yet, what God has revealed is very clear!.

What does the Bible say about Eschatology? (A study of last things.)

What does God say about Death? Is death the cessation of life, or is it a Continuation of life in a different realm? What happens at death?

Example of Adam and Eve Gen. 2:8 2 trees located in the midst of the garden. (Many trees God had made, But these 2 are in the ‘midst—middle of the garden! 1. The tree of Life 2. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9)

Eat of them all EXCEPT The tree of knowledge and evil!! Thou shalt Not Eat of it!! Clear, simple, direction: Don’t do it!! Gen. 2:16-17 But in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely DIE….

Die… He ate. And He died. His fellowship with God was broken! Spiritual death was immedately experienced! And, the process of aging began and there was a limitation placed on man’s earthly life.

And he died… The first recorded incident involving physical death occurred when an enraged Cain killed his brother Abel. (Gen. 4:1-8) From that day until now, only 2 mentioned in the Bible have not experienced physical Death: Enoch…. Elijah…..

The O. T. and what it says about ..the end… Job 14:14 If a man dies, will he live again?” …Job says, ..after his skin is destroyed , he would see God. (Job 19:25-27) …..David. His son that died…he shall not come to me, but I shall go to him.” 2 Sam. 12:9-23 …..Daniel remarked that “many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:2)

Moses wrote about Abraham’s death as A gathering to his people. Gen. 25:8. (He was not talking about being buried in a common burial plot with his ancestors, but of his being with his people on eternity’s side of the grave.) All O.T. passages point out that death ended man’s enjoyment of this life and delivered his body to decay.

People of Faith… Lived on the earth with a vision of a better existence, that is a heavenly one. Heb. 11:14-16

N.T. View A sleep. Mk. 5:39 On the occasion when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he said regarding her, “The child has not died, but is asleep.” Response by the people: They laughed at him for they were convinced she was dead. (Lk. 8:53) Jesus was using the term metaphorically….referring to the cessation of body activity.

Lazarus’ death. John 11:11 He is asleep. Their immediate response: “John 11:12 ‘Lord ,if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Jesus was using the term metaphorically: Then Jesus plainly said: “Lazarus Is dead” John 11:14

The end: something which brought quiet and rest rather than something which was to be feared as a great enemy. We must be in a proper relationship with God to be ready for the end to come … So as to enjoy the blessings that are Forthcoming to all the saved.

Our Relationship with God supersedes any and all others 1. Matt. 8:21-22 Let me bury my father first. Jesus said: “Follow me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” Focus on the supreme importance of Your duty to God. (Matt. 10:37) To love father, mother, more than Jesus…

What Paul said about the End 1. I Thess. 4:13 referring to death as sleep 2. Stephen. Acts 7:58-60 ‘fell asleep’ 3. Physical death is the result of Adam’s transgression. (Rom. 5:12) 4. To the Corinthians, I Cor. 15:50-53, He referred to the 2nd coming of Christ as the time in which the physical body would be raised to life, never to be subject to death again. John 5:28-29 All that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth.

I Cor. 15:52 The change from that which is perishable and mortal to that which is imperishable and immortal will take place instantaneously. When that takes place, Death will be swallowed up in victory. I Cor. 15:54.

The End…2 Tim. 4:6-8 Paul viewed death as the crowning event of a well-spent life of service to God. 1. A place prepared by the Lord. John 14:1-3. 2. Rest from the their labors. Rev.14:13 3. A separation of the spirit from the body. Jas. 2:26

4. The spirit lays aside the physical body Because it has served its purpose. 2 Pet. 1:14 5. Existence: Death is not viewed in the Bible as the end of existence!! Death is simply a transition to a different mode of existence; it is not, as some tend to think, extinction”

Jesus died… 1. He yielded up his spirit to the Father. Matt. 27:50; Lk. 23:46 2. His body was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Matt. 27:57-58 3. For 3 days, his body remained in the tomb while his spirit was in Hades (Acts 2:31) 4. On the resurrection morning, his spirit returned to his body and he arose victoriously from the grave and, in so doing, rendered ‘..powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil. “ Heb. 2:14

Look what God says about those who die in the Lord… 1. Rev. 2:10 receive the crown 2. Psalm 116:15 their death is precious In God’s sight 3. Isa. 57:1-2 Death offers respite from the turmoil of this life and brings peace. 4. Phil. 1:21,23; 2 Cor. 5:8 For the faithful Christian, death is gain since it enables him the opportunity of going home to be with the Lord.

The End…for the Christian 1. Not the end, it is the beginning of a new kind of life. 2. It is no longer an active enemy, but a conquered enemy by which the child of God is freed from the dreadful condition which sin has introduced.

Death brings 1. The end of Opportunity on earth. What happens folowing death? 1. Does man cease to exist? 2. Is his body buried never to be seen again? 3. Does he come back to life in another form…either animal or human—and continue to live on the earth?

4. Does his spirit continue to live in another state to wait for the time when it will rejoin his body at the great resurrection day? 5. Where does his spirit go following his physical death? 6. Are the dead in a state of consciousness? 7. Are the dead aware of activity on earth?

Deut. 29:29 God has not chosen to reveal everything pertaining to these questions, but what is revealed is for our instruction and edification. If God felt we should have need to know more about it, he would have told us in the scriptures.

The End…of our earthly existence 1. When? Don’t know. 2. Why? A appointment from God. 3. What’s after that? God tells us. 4. What should we do NOW? 1. Wasted years, wasted years, o how foolish. 2. Awake. Arise.

And then. The New Beginning When we cease to live in this existence, We pass away from here and go into A New Beginning, another existence! Are you ready to begin the New Existence? You must be ready and prepared!

Don’t wait until it is too late.. 1. Too late; foolish virgins. Didn’t prepare adequately. 2. Be ready…so you can enjoy NOW And Have the Reward awaiting the Faithful. 3. Name. Date of birth Date of death.

No one will be preaching to you in the next existence Heb. 9:27 Eccl. 9:5 We will die. We will be raised. We will exist. At the End…of this existence, where Will you begin your next existence?

Arise and be baptized…NOW…don’t put It off. Tomorrow may be too late! Arise and return to God. Prodigal son. I know what I will do…if you will know What you will do, then do it.