“Living a Resurrected Life”

Our Heavenly HopeSermon 5 of 5

Genesis 3 (Page 5)Revelation 21 (Page 1937)

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Where Have We Been?

• He Has Risen• We Will Rise• Living a Resurrected Life• Dead, But Not Yet•  

• Tied To Our Series On Joy

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

What Strikes you?

• The greatest business in life is to prepare for the next life.

• It is hard to tune in on heaven's message if our lives are full of earthly static.

• Lord, while you are busy preparing a place for me, prepare me, as well, for that place.

• The path to heaven is so narrow that many can go before and many can follow after, but only One can walk beside us.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Whose Idea of Heaven?• We have popular

opinion of heaven being a place of rest, peace, pleasure, and personal reward but these images are so selfish.

• Is this the type of heaven that God describes?

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

What Images Does God Use?

• The images are of a new invitation into the Garden of Eden and a reworked city of Jerusalem.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Genesis 3 on Page 5• Place Yourself In the Story…• Genesis 3:21-24• :21 The LORD God made garments of skin

for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Life in the Garden

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Revelation 21 Page 1937

• A new heaven and a new earth…• God dwells with men…• Nothing lacking…• Amazing city of God…• God as its light…• Without sin and for those whose

names have been written in the Lamb’s book of life…

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Revelation 21-22 page 1937• 22:2 “the tree of life…”• The images are meant to convey a place

that is precious, amazing and in the presence of God. It is a place of experiencing God and giving Him honor and glory for what He has done.

• Heaven is a place of restored relationship with God without the interference of our selfish nature. It is a place without sin and without guilt. It is an eternal dwelling in the presence of God.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Epitaph:

• Pause Stranger, when you pass me by, • As you are now, so once was I • As I am now, so you will be, • So prepare for death and follow me. •  

• To follow you I'm not content, • Until I know which way you

went.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Which way?• Who are you following and who

are you leading? • We have been called and

enabled to live a resurrected life and one day we will participate in the heavenly hope as we continue to serve our Lord and Master.

Welcome to the Vernon Church of Christ “Knowing God and Making Him Known”

Upcoming Sermons

• Next Week: Open Sunday• May 10th – Mother’s Day Message• Then we start “Major Learning

from the Minors” Learning from the messages of the 12 minor prophets.