One Minute after You Die
Hell is for Real, 16 November 2025
16 11 25
Hell is for Real
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 16, 2025
Mark 9:43-48
Big Idea: Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:43-48
Several years ago my friend, Jim, died…for about fifteen minutes. Doctors were able to revive him and he lived another year or two before dying…and remaining so. Shortly after being revived, I asked him if he saw a bright light during those fifteen minutes. He thought for a moment and said, “No.” After a brief pause, I asked, “Did it get hot?!”
Last Sunday we began our two part series one minute after you die with a look at “the good place,” heaven. Today, we’re going to explore “that other place.”
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
The subject makes many uncomfortable, but the odds you will die someday are quite good! Are you ready? Do you have a will? Have you planned your funeral? Most importantly, are you ready to meet your Maker? Judgment Day is coming for all of us.
Heaven is for real. Hell is for real, too. C.S. Lewis wrote,
There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord's own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.
In a world full of gray, Jesus seemed to indicate we will all spend eternity in one of two places, destinations we commonly call heaven and hell. One of the most common objections to the Christian faith is, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” Lewis again,
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.
God has granted each of us free will, the ability to make decisions. We make thousands of them each day, but the greatest decision is whether to follow God or violate the first two of the ten commandments and make ourselves god, to create an idol of the person in the mirror. To put it plainly, heaven is where God dwells, and, therefore, it’s for people who want to be with God. Hell is where God is distant and, therefore, it’s for people who don’t want to be with God. We all get to choose, and our decision will be honored for eternity.
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?
Our Churches of God, General Conference denomination describes it like this:
We believe in the judgment of God.
We believe those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation will stand before the judgment of Christ to give account for their works done for him (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is there they will receive crowns for lives pleasing to him (Hebrews 6:10). We believe the judgment of the believer’s sin was taken by Christ on Calvary and has been forgiven and purged from the memory of God (Hebrews 10:17).
We believe those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation and have not received Christ as their Savior will stand before the great white throne judgment. Their names will not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will suffer the eternal consequence of that rejection and their sin (Revelation 20:11, 15).
Just as Led Zeppelin sang about a stairway to heaven, AC/DC sang about being on a highway to hell. It’s not a pleasant destination. People have many ideas of hell, many shaped more by Dante’s Inferno or medieval imagery, like that in the Sistine Chapel, than the Bible. There are even jokes like this (that are funny, but hell is no laughing matter…and accordions get a bad rap!).
Let’s look at Jesus’ words:
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-48)
Is Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically when he says, “The fire never goes out?” Does it really matter? Do you want to find out?
Here’s Jesus again:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:12-13)
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready? We talked about heaven last week, but what exactly is hell?
Hell has been defined as “the state of utter and irrevocable damnation to which the unregenerate soul is condemned after death.” – Van A. Harvey
The subject of hell has been debated for thousands of years. There are four primary views on hell:
1. Purgatory is a Catholic belief involves a state between death and heaven for purification. Last Sunday I mentioned a state between death and heaven but it’s like a waiting area, not a place of preparation.
2. Universalism implies people will have a second chance after death to get right with God, where hell is not eternal punishment but merely a state for correction. It sounds great but seems to contradict Jesus’ teachings.
3. Annihilation or terminal punishment is where people are destroyed rather than suffering forever.
4. Eternal Conscious Torment, the traditional view where the wages of sin are punished for eternity.
Before speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, the text in Revelation says,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Hell is for real.
So What?
I imagine many of you shrug your shoulders after a sermon about hell thinking, “I’ve got nothing to worry about. I prayed that magic prayer and have my ‘get out of hell free’ card.” I always find these words of Jesus sobering:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Are you doing the will of the Father? Are you obeying God and His word? It’s easy to say yes to Jesus on Sunday, but what about Monday? We are saved not by works, but by grace, by the blood of Jesus on the cross. But true faith is shown through our actions. Jesus’ half-brother wrote,
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder…faith without deeds is useless…dead. (James 2:19, 20b, 26b)
We get to choose where to spend eternity. God will honor our choice.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Hell is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Even if you are faithfully following Jesus, what about your friends, neighbors, and family? Do they know Jesus? If not, are you praying for them? Have you had spiritual conversations with them? Have you shared your story? Have you invited them to join us here on Sunday morning? Perhaps a great next step for you is to spend the next month praying for them each day and then invite them to one of our four Christmas Eve services (3, 5, 7, 9 PM).
We all deserve hell. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, His perfect standard. He doesn’t grade on a curve. The real scandal is not that there’s anyone in hell, but that there’s anyone in heaven! This is why Jesus died…so we can know God, have our sins washed white as snow, and live an abundant life now and beyond the grave.
Perhaps some of you have had a wake-up call this morning. You know you’re not following Jesus, even though you’ve joined us today. I’m glad you’re here. It’s not an accident. Today is the day of salvation. I’m not merely trying to scare the hell out of you, I want to introduce you to Jesus. This isn’t about religion or rules or taking away your fun, but it’s all about freedom, hope, peace, joy, and purpose. Jesus went to great lengths to become one of us, to model what it means to be human, to die for us, to conquer sin and death, and to invite us to follow him. You can begin by saying, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you, please tell me. I want to give you some gifts and celebrate with you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That’s incredible news, but not everyone knows it…and not everyone accepts it. Say yes to Jesus. He said yes to you! Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
· Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
· Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
· Stop Erasing Hell by Preston Sprinkle
· One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 16, 2025
Mark 9:43-48
Big Idea: Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:43-48
Several years ago my friend, Jim, died…for about fifteen minutes. Doctors were able to revive him and he lived another year or two before dying…and remaining so. Shortly after being revived, I asked him if he saw a bright light during those fifteen minutes. He thought for a moment and said, “No.” After a brief pause, I asked, “Did it get hot?!”
Last Sunday we began our two part series one minute after you die with a look at “the good place,” heaven. Today, we’re going to explore “that other place.”
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
The subject makes many uncomfortable, but the odds you will die someday are quite good! Are you ready? Do you have a will? Have you planned your funeral? Most importantly, are you ready to meet your Maker? Judgment Day is coming for all of us.
Heaven is for real. Hell is for real, too. C.S. Lewis wrote,
There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord's own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.
In a world full of gray, Jesus seemed to indicate we will all spend eternity in one of two places, destinations we commonly call heaven and hell. One of the most common objections to the Christian faith is, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” Lewis again,
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.
God has granted each of us free will, the ability to make decisions. We make thousands of them each day, but the greatest decision is whether to follow God or violate the first two of the ten commandments and make ourselves god, to create an idol of the person in the mirror. To put it plainly, heaven is where God dwells, and, therefore, it’s for people who want to be with God. Hell is where God is distant and, therefore, it’s for people who don’t want to be with God. We all get to choose, and our decision will be honored for eternity.
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?
Our Churches of God, General Conference denomination describes it like this:
We believe in the judgment of God.
We believe those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation will stand before the judgment of Christ to give account for their works done for him (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is there they will receive crowns for lives pleasing to him (Hebrews 6:10). We believe the judgment of the believer’s sin was taken by Christ on Calvary and has been forgiven and purged from the memory of God (Hebrews 10:17).
We believe those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation and have not received Christ as their Savior will stand before the great white throne judgment. Their names will not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will suffer the eternal consequence of that rejection and their sin (Revelation 20:11, 15).
Just as Led Zeppelin sang about a stairway to heaven, AC/DC sang about being on a highway to hell. It’s not a pleasant destination. People have many ideas of hell, many shaped more by Dante’s Inferno or medieval imagery, like that in the Sistine Chapel, than the Bible. There are even jokes like this (that are funny, but hell is no laughing matter…and accordions get a bad rap!).
Let’s look at Jesus’ words:
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-48)
Is Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically when he says, “The fire never goes out?” Does it really matter? Do you want to find out?
Here’s Jesus again:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:12-13)
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready? We talked about heaven last week, but what exactly is hell?
Hell has been defined as “the state of utter and irrevocable damnation to which the unregenerate soul is condemned after death.” – Van A. Harvey
The subject of hell has been debated for thousands of years. There are four primary views on hell:
1. Purgatory is a Catholic belief involves a state between death and heaven for purification. Last Sunday I mentioned a state between death and heaven but it’s like a waiting area, not a place of preparation.
2. Universalism implies people will have a second chance after death to get right with God, where hell is not eternal punishment but merely a state for correction. It sounds great but seems to contradict Jesus’ teachings.
3. Annihilation or terminal punishment is where people are destroyed rather than suffering forever.
4. Eternal Conscious Torment, the traditional view where the wages of sin are punished for eternity.
Before speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, the text in Revelation says,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Hell is for real.
So What?
I imagine many of you shrug your shoulders after a sermon about hell thinking, “I’ve got nothing to worry about. I prayed that magic prayer and have my ‘get out of hell free’ card.” I always find these words of Jesus sobering:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Are you doing the will of the Father? Are you obeying God and His word? It’s easy to say yes to Jesus on Sunday, but what about Monday? We are saved not by works, but by grace, by the blood of Jesus on the cross. But true faith is shown through our actions. Jesus’ half-brother wrote,
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder…faith without deeds is useless…dead. (James 2:19, 20b, 26b)
We get to choose where to spend eternity. God will honor our choice.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Hell is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Even if you are faithfully following Jesus, what about your friends, neighbors, and family? Do they know Jesus? If not, are you praying for them? Have you had spiritual conversations with them? Have you shared your story? Have you invited them to join us here on Sunday morning? Perhaps a great next step for you is to spend the next month praying for them each day and then invite them to one of our four Christmas Eve services (3, 5, 7, 9 PM).
We all deserve hell. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, His perfect standard. He doesn’t grade on a curve. The real scandal is not that there’s anyone in hell, but that there’s anyone in heaven! This is why Jesus died…so we can know God, have our sins washed white as snow, and live an abundant life now and beyond the grave.
Perhaps some of you have had a wake-up call this morning. You know you’re not following Jesus, even though you’ve joined us today. I’m glad you’re here. It’s not an accident. Today is the day of salvation. I’m not merely trying to scare the hell out of you, I want to introduce you to Jesus. This isn’t about religion or rules or taking away your fun, but it’s all about freedom, hope, peace, joy, and purpose. Jesus went to great lengths to become one of us, to model what it means to be human, to die for us, to conquer sin and death, and to invite us to follow him. You can begin by saying, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you, please tell me. I want to give you some gifts and celebrate with you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That’s incredible news, but not everyone knows it…and not everyone accepts it. Say yes to Jesus. He said yes to you! Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
· Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
· Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
· Stop Erasing Hell by Preston Sprinkle
· One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
Heaven is for Real, 9 November 2025
10 11 25
Heaven is for Real
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 9, 2025
Revelation 21:1-4
Big Idea: Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
This is true whether it’s your wealth, your health, or your soul. When is the last time you seriously pondered death? The odds are pretty good we will experience it! Many deny the reality of death while others simply procrastinate creating a will, a password cheat sheet for loved ones, an advance healthcare directive, or developing a relationship with God.
Today we begin a two-week, pre-holiday series entitled “one minute after you die.” There have been many books and even movies that tell stories of people who have died and returned and their experiences. In fact, one in 25 USAmericans have had a near-death experience. Have you? Unfortunately, the stories lack consistency with one another so while they are fascinating, they’re not authoritative. I have not died—yet—so I can’t tell you exactly what happens one minute after you die…but the Bible offers glimpses of what is to come.
Paul wrote to a church in modern day Greece:
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
I’ve been to a lot of funerals. Many of them are filled with hope because of the faith of the deceased. Paul continues…
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
We typically call this place heaven, though technically there are at least three different biblical words that we translate heaven in English. To add to the complexity, the eternal home for followers of Jesus will not be heaven, exactly, but what is called the new heavens and the new earth. Genesis begins in a garden and Revelation ends in a city, the New Jerusalem. So, when we say “heaven,” we may be speaking of different places, times, or realities, but all beyond this life.
Author John Taylor notes,
Scripture consistently affirms that believers enter immediately into the presence of Jesus. Paul’s confidence was unflinching: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). He called it “better by far” to depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). These verses leave little room for delay or unconscious “soul sleep.” From the earliest centuries of Christian theology to modern scholarship, the consensus has held that the soul of a believer goes instantly to be with Christ.
Theologians call this the intermediate state — a conscious, peaceful existence in God’s presence between death and the future resurrection. It’s “intermediate” not because it’s incomplete, but because it’s not the end of the story. The body, still under the weight of mortality, remains in the ground. Yet the soul experiences rest, awareness and worship in a reality more vivid than the one left behind. Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross confirm that immediacy: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Not “someday.” Today.
What is heaven like? Let’s begin by shattering a few myths. Heaven is not…
- Floating on clouds forever
- People becoming angels
- Our final home (there will be a new earth and New Jerusalem)
- For everyone (only those who say “yes” to Jesus and make him Lord)
- Where memories or individuality are erased
- Boring
Actually, Christians will spend eternity not in heaven, but on a new earth. Our scripture reading today says,
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Words cannot express the beauty, the glory, the peace, the paradise. If you want a simple definition, heaven is where God dwells. Jesus taught his disciples to pray,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
Heaven is where God dwells. There are moments when heaven kisses earth, where God’s manifest presence is real, when you know the atmosphere has changed. Maybe you experienced that this morning as we were praising the LORD in song. Perhaps you witnessed justice served, the poor blessed, new life birthed, or were simply awed by the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. We often think of heaven as a place “up there” where we will go to escape “down here,” but that’s not exactly right as we’ll see in a moment. Let me say again heaven is where God dwells.
I love the question pastor John Piper posed several years ago:
“If you could have Heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with Heaven, if Christ was not there?” – John Piper, “God Is the Gospel”
The best thing about heaven is God’s presence. Jesus said.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:1-2)
The ancient Greek word for “rooms’ is “monai” which is not a final resting place but a temporary stop on a journey that will lead you somewhere else.
Jesus continues…
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:3-4)
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
It's important to note the thief on the cross beside Jesus at the crucifixion was not “saved” because he was a good person. He was given the death penalty, after all. What saved him, what gave him the right to enter paradise was his faith in Jesus Christ.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This past week I was given a simple tool to engage in spiritual conversations with people. Many struggle to share their faith, either feeling awkward, unprepared, or simply fearful of rejection. Here’s a question you can ask anyone that doesn’t mention God, Jesus, the Bible, or church:
Do you believe there is life after death?
Listen to their response and see if it doesn’t create opportunities to share the good news, the gospel. Usually, heaven and hell enter the discussion, with the inevitable question, “How does one get to heaven?” It’s not by being good or even religious. Heaven requires perfection. Only Jesus was perfect, and therefore one can only enter heaven through Jesus. Judgment Day is coming for us all. When we say yes to Jesus, we are adopted into his family, we join his team. We begin a relationship with him in this life which will continue for eternity.
So What?
Many people believe heaven is where good people die and bad people go to the other place. The reality is we’re all bad. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all missed the mark. I don’t deserve heaven. Mother Teresa and Billy Graham don’t deserve heaven. The pope doesn’t deserve heaven. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins.
The good news—the gospel—is Jesus is LORD, he is good, he is perfect, and he died on the cross to pay the punishment we deserve. Hallelujah!
The goal of this life is not to go to heaven when we die, but rather to bring heaven to earth now, offering healing and hope to our broken world. Heaven is where God dwells, and we want Him to rule and reign here now in the renewal of all things. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was the “launching of God’s new world” (N.T. Wright).
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
If you’re ready, are you preparing others? Do they know Jesus?
If not, you can begin by saying yes to Jesus. Simply say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you today, would you please tell me or one of our leaders? We want to celebrate with you and help you get started on your journey.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 9, 2025
Revelation 21:1-4
Big Idea: Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
This is true whether it’s your wealth, your health, or your soul. When is the last time you seriously pondered death? The odds are pretty good we will experience it! Many deny the reality of death while others simply procrastinate creating a will, a password cheat sheet for loved ones, an advance healthcare directive, or developing a relationship with God.
Today we begin a two-week, pre-holiday series entitled “one minute after you die.” There have been many books and even movies that tell stories of people who have died and returned and their experiences. In fact, one in 25 USAmericans have had a near-death experience. Have you? Unfortunately, the stories lack consistency with one another so while they are fascinating, they’re not authoritative. I have not died—yet—so I can’t tell you exactly what happens one minute after you die…but the Bible offers glimpses of what is to come.
Paul wrote to a church in modern day Greece:
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
I’ve been to a lot of funerals. Many of them are filled with hope because of the faith of the deceased. Paul continues…
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
We typically call this place heaven, though technically there are at least three different biblical words that we translate heaven in English. To add to the complexity, the eternal home for followers of Jesus will not be heaven, exactly, but what is called the new heavens and the new earth. Genesis begins in a garden and Revelation ends in a city, the New Jerusalem. So, when we say “heaven,” we may be speaking of different places, times, or realities, but all beyond this life.
Author John Taylor notes,
Scripture consistently affirms that believers enter immediately into the presence of Jesus. Paul’s confidence was unflinching: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). He called it “better by far” to depart and be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). These verses leave little room for delay or unconscious “soul sleep.” From the earliest centuries of Christian theology to modern scholarship, the consensus has held that the soul of a believer goes instantly to be with Christ.
Theologians call this the intermediate state — a conscious, peaceful existence in God’s presence between death and the future resurrection. It’s “intermediate” not because it’s incomplete, but because it’s not the end of the story. The body, still under the weight of mortality, remains in the ground. Yet the soul experiences rest, awareness and worship in a reality more vivid than the one left behind. Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross confirm that immediacy: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Not “someday.” Today.
What is heaven like? Let’s begin by shattering a few myths. Heaven is not…
- Floating on clouds forever
- People becoming angels
- Our final home (there will be a new earth and New Jerusalem)
- For everyone (only those who say “yes” to Jesus and make him Lord)
- Where memories or individuality are erased
- Boring
Actually, Christians will spend eternity not in heaven, but on a new earth. Our scripture reading today says,
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Words cannot express the beauty, the glory, the peace, the paradise. If you want a simple definition, heaven is where God dwells. Jesus taught his disciples to pray,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
Heaven is where God dwells. There are moments when heaven kisses earth, where God’s manifest presence is real, when you know the atmosphere has changed. Maybe you experienced that this morning as we were praising the LORD in song. Perhaps you witnessed justice served, the poor blessed, new life birthed, or were simply awed by the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. We often think of heaven as a place “up there” where we will go to escape “down here,” but that’s not exactly right as we’ll see in a moment. Let me say again heaven is where God dwells.
I love the question pastor John Piper posed several years ago:
“If you could have Heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with Heaven, if Christ was not there?” – John Piper, “God Is the Gospel”
The best thing about heaven is God’s presence. Jesus said.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:1-2)
The ancient Greek word for “rooms’ is “monai” which is not a final resting place but a temporary stop on a journey that will lead you somewhere else.
Jesus continues…
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:3-4)
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
It's important to note the thief on the cross beside Jesus at the crucifixion was not “saved” because he was a good person. He was given the death penalty, after all. What saved him, what gave him the right to enter paradise was his faith in Jesus Christ.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This past week I was given a simple tool to engage in spiritual conversations with people. Many struggle to share their faith, either feeling awkward, unprepared, or simply fearful of rejection. Here’s a question you can ask anyone that doesn’t mention God, Jesus, the Bible, or church:
Do you believe there is life after death?
Listen to their response and see if it doesn’t create opportunities to share the good news, the gospel. Usually, heaven and hell enter the discussion, with the inevitable question, “How does one get to heaven?” It’s not by being good or even religious. Heaven requires perfection. Only Jesus was perfect, and therefore one can only enter heaven through Jesus. Judgment Day is coming for us all. When we say yes to Jesus, we are adopted into his family, we join his team. We begin a relationship with him in this life which will continue for eternity.
So What?
Many people believe heaven is where good people die and bad people go to the other place. The reality is we’re all bad. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all missed the mark. I don’t deserve heaven. Mother Teresa and Billy Graham don’t deserve heaven. The pope doesn’t deserve heaven. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins.
The good news—the gospel—is Jesus is LORD, he is good, he is perfect, and he died on the cross to pay the punishment we deserve. Hallelujah!
The goal of this life is not to go to heaven when we die, but rather to bring heaven to earth now, offering healing and hope to our broken world. Heaven is where God dwells, and we want Him to rule and reign here now in the renewal of all things. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was the “launching of God’s new world” (N.T. Wright).
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
If you’re ready, are you preparing others? Do they know Jesus?
If not, you can begin by saying yes to Jesus. Simply say, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you today, would you please tell me or one of our leaders? We want to celebrate with you and help you get started on your journey.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
- Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
- Heaven by Randy Alcorn
- The Heaven Promise by Scot McKnight
- One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
- Remember Heaven by Matt McCullough
- Imagine Heaven by John Burke