Sermon Sandwich

Sermon Sandwich—Heaven

Trinity Church, 1589 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438
www.trinityedisto.com  843-869-3568
1st Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2022
Holy Eucharist - Renewed Ancient Text; 2019 BCP, p.123

Matthew 24:29-44 Sermon Notes

Intro - Heaven

Context - The Present Heaven and  The New Earth

“Heaven” - all-inclusive, abstract and confusing.   

Heaven by Randy Alcorn - examines the biblical texts with a view to discovering what is revealed about heaven.  The main point - the biblical texts reveal The Present Heaven and The New Earth.

The Present Heaven -  Now - is an “angelic realm, distinctly separate from  Earth, though having more physical qualities than we might assume.” (p.45)

The New Earth is a reference to Revelation 21:1-3

“What God made us to desire, and therefore what we do desire if we admit it, is exactly what he promises to those who follow Jesus Christ:  a resurrected life in a resurrected body, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected Earth.” (Heaven, Alcorn, p.7)

When will The New Earth begin?   

At the Second Coming of Christ.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 - 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Matthew 24:30-31

Two Groups and Two Reactions to 

the Second Coming of Christ

UnBelievers - the tribes of the earth will mourn (vs.30)

and

Believers - the Angels will gather his elect (vs.31)

What makes the difference?   The Gospel.  

The Gospel is the Good News of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ by which we become the Righteousness of God.