1. Foundations

We are looking at the foundations of believing in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5: 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong….So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again.  Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.  Surely new don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds, placing our faith in God.  You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

Switching the order of the last two because of next week

Two key things to remember.

  1. Understanding these are the foundation to all the other doctrines of Christian growth
  2. We can’t just know them, we need to practice them.

2.  Heaven and Hell

Eternal judgment not a topic talked about that much because we don’t know a lot about heaven and hell.

Heaven is not

  1. Necessarily up
  2. Streets of gold
  3. Mansions
  4. Pearly gates
  5. Harp in the clouds
  6. Eternal church service.
  7. People looking down from heaven watching over us.
  8. Will my pet be there

Hell is not

  1. Kingdom of satan
  2. Demons running around hurting people
  3. Party that is more fun than here.
    1. Play Heaven’s gates hells flames and more fun to be the demons than the angels
  4. Only for real evil people

Francis Chan it is not up to us which incomprehensible truths we are allowed to disregard.  If we believe in heaven, then we must also believe in hell

Rather than spending time trying to analyze what heaven and hell are like when it is way beyond our comprehension. (God’s thoughts way beyond our thoughts Isaiah 55: 9)  couple of things we do know.

  1. Will be raised to one of them.  Daniel 12: 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (See also Matthew 25; 31, 32)
  2. Two descriptions beyond imagination
    1. Hell is unimaginable fire and torture
      1. Outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22: 13)
      2. Place of fire and darkness (Matthew 13: 30, 49,50)
    2. Heaven is beyond imagination 1 Corinthians 2: 9 eye has not seen nor ear imagined what God has in store for us.
  3. They are both eternal. (Hebrews 6: 1,2)
  4. WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.
    1. Hell is being eternally removed from the presence of God
    2. Heaven is living forever in the presence of God.

3. Practice Eternal judgement.

Hebrews 5: 14 who through training have the skill.  How do you train.

Hebrews 6: 4 – 6 those who do not train in these six disciplines can be walking a path and then wander from the truth.

  1. Matthew 18: 23 – 35
    1. person forgiven of an incredible debt. Vs27
    2. He refused to forgive another their sins. Vs 30
    3. Debt that was forgiven was returned to him Vs34
    4. This is what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brother and sisters from your heart. Vs 35.
  2. Galatians 5: 19. 21
    1. Follow the desires of our sinful nature I tell you as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5: 19- 21
  3. Colossians 1: 21- 23
    1. We must continue in faith grounded and settled.
    2. Do not harden your heart as they did in the rebellion Hebrews 3: 15
  4. Must produce fruit for every tree that does not produce fruit is cast aside and thrown in the fire John 15: 6
  5. We are warned against hardening our hearts against God Hebrews 3:15

4. Good News?

Each of these could be a sermon in and of themselves so what can we take home from this?

  1. Promise of help for those who believe and trust. God is the only one who can keep us and finish the race for us.
    1. Jeremiah 32: 39 – 41
      1. Word for worship is fear.
      2. To fear God is to worship him.  These two words are used interchangeably.
  2. Forgetting what is behind and pressing ahead for the high calling. Philippians 3:12, 13
  3. Discipline my body because one has already crossed the line. 1 Corinthians 9: 24 – 27
  4. Judgment is good news because…
    1. God is going to balance the books.
    2. Every wrong will be punished
    3. Every righteous thing will be rewarded.
  5. Hebrews 6; 9 – 12 God has better things in store for us