How do we find hope and purpose when the world is falling apart?
WATCH
What We Believe, 10 of 11 from August 24th, 2025
"Until Christ returns we’re on mission: inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus."
Future Life by Matt Wheelock
SUMMARY
This sermon explores the concept of future life and end times in Christian theology. It emphasizes the importance of understanding eschatology as a driving force for the church's mission to invite others to follow Jesus. Pastor Matt discusses the return of Christ, the rapture, tribulation, and final judgment, culminating in the creation of a new heaven and earth. The message underscores the urgency of sharing our faith with our lost neighbors and the hope believers have in eternal life with God.
REFLECTION & DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
💬 How does your understanding of future events impact your willingness to share your faith with others?
💬 Believers will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ where our works will be tested "by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). How does this future accountability affect how you live your daily life now?
💬 “Despite all the stresses that we have, despite all the brokenness we feel every day... God has a plan. It's perfect." In what area of your life do you most need to trust that God has a perfect plan?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Well, good morning. Before we officially get started, I want to do a quick shout out just in case Maximilian Gagnon is listening. It's nice to see you heald up, buddy. What does the church think about God doing a healing through his body?
Man, it's cool to see you.
All right, so we get the honor and privilege to continue in our series what We Believe. I asked for this. I think it was February. I said to all the pastors, and, you know what I'll do. Yeah, I don't think you actually were.
Okay, cool.
But it is. It's been a cool experience for me to prepare through this, to read through scripture, and to really dive in to that question, what's next? I don't know why, but God. Want to know what's next? I've just.
I've just. It. I don't know, it sort of stresses me out if I don't know what's coming up. You know what I mean? You ever been on a road you've never driven on, navigating curves and corners, and it's like, what, around this next bend?
I don't know. Fairly recently, I was in a conversation with a group of people talking about a number of, you know, different world events. Some of the craziness that we all experience, especially if you turn on the news, which I very infrequently do. But we were talking about different things. And someone out of the blue, someone who is not a believer, someone who doesn't even attend a church, just spouts off, you know, end times.
And I don't know why, but it struck me funny that even in a lost world, they're going, well, something's next, you know, end times.
And I don't know why it struck me funny, because I've been in numerous situations in this kind of a crowd and talking about different things. And I've heard that come out of people's mouths before end times. But I don't know, maybe it wasus. I was in preparation for this kind of a sermon that it was just like, just on the front of my mind. So this morning sermon is going to be on future life.
All right, so we're going to be going over a lot of different passages in scripture. We're going to move along. If you have Bibles, grab them. If you have your phones, grab them. And we're going to be navigating in a number of different places.
But the main idea, I didn't even put it on the slides. I don't even know why I didn't. But I Just didn't. It is on the bulletin.
Mine do you stole it?
Well, it's because it's our mission as a church already. So if you've never heard it before, welcome. This is probably your first time here. All right, so the main idea, and until Christ returns, we're on mission. What?
Inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus. It's pretty straightforward. The end times, I guess comes with a number of different stressors, you know, maybe because, let's face it, when we think about the end, I guess the end seems stressful, whether it's our end or the end of the world as we know it. If you know, you know, I think the year was 1987. R.E.M.
had a hit. So I just want to do a quick run through of some of the terms that we're going to be going over and I hit a button and I don't know if it's the right one. All right. So I'm going to say some words that are kind of front running for this kind of conversation in future life. Just making sure that that is the same slides that's there.
Eschatology, the study of the last apocalypse. Revelation or unveiling. Revelation 1:1 starts with this word rapture. Christ followers being caught up, meeting Jesus in the air. We see this in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4.
17. Tribulation. A period of seven years when there will be great suffering preceding Christ's return to earth. The purpose ultimately is to bring Israel, God's chosen people, to their knees.
And the judgment seat of Christ, the Bema seat where believers are judged based on works for rewards. There is going to be a test at the end, by the way.
Seals, trumpets and bowls. A series of God's judgments that unfold during the tribulation. Each growing more intense as they unfold. And the millennium, the thousand year reign. The thousand year reign of Christ with his followers.
The final fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenant. Which brings two more terms that we need to go over. First, Abrahamic covenants. It's God promised Abraham he will bring blessing and salvation to the entire world. And the Davidic covenant is God promised David, an everlasting dynasty bro.
Brought forth in the Messiah, Jesus, who will reign forever. And then if you've never seen the movie, it's nothing like the movie Armageddon. The climactic battle between God and his evil opposers that starts unraveling in Revelation 16. The Antichrist, the beast, the man of lawlessness, the one who will come in opposition of Christ, deceiving and Persecuting the Saints, the Great White Throne Judgment, Final Judgment, the opening of the book of life for the dead, the lost, the non Christ followers, Unbelievers as found in Revelation Chter 201115 then have lake of Fire Hell, the place where Satan and his angels will be cast into along with those whose names are not found in the book of life. The last one is Apocalypse.
Nope, that was the first one. That was the awesome. It was 10:30 at night. Okay, that's fine. I do want to point out we belong to a fellowship of churches.
I'm sure you guys have heard that a number of times, especially through this series. What we believe and our missions or our statement of faith comes from the Charsh commitment to common identity. They could have picked a longer name to call our statement of faith, but you know, here we are and they define it as this future life. The dead will have a conscious existence in eternity and their bodies will be resurrected. Unbelievers already under condemnation will be sentenced to suffer eternal separation from God.
Believers already having been granted eternal life will be judged and rewarded according to their works and will experience a glorified eternal existence and the presence of the Lord. Now, before we jump in and get started, I do want to do what we always do and start off with prayer together. If you'd like to read along, pray along, you're more than welcome. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for yours as the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
So, as we get started, there's three different, I guess, main topics this morning. The first one starts with the mission of the church. A driving force to know why. A driving force to why? Knowing what the future holds is vitally important to us.
Inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus. Matthew 28:18 20'll read this passage again later. Together, as we end each service, it says, and Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
Another passage that we are very familiar with is John 3:16. You guys should know this, for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have what eternal life? John 6:47 says, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. So we'll come back later to the mission of the church as things unfold. The second topic is this, the return of Christ.
What's next? What are we waiting for? What are we preparing for? We'll go through a number of passages here and talk about it a little bit first. Thessalonians 4 if you have your Bibles 1 Thessalonians 4:13 do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep.
God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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. That says, therefore encourage one another with these words. Now passage that we read Most of earlier, 1 Thessalonians 5:1 11 says, now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, while people are saying there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and that day to surprise you like a thief, for you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and sober, for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and for the helmet. The hope of salvation for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. So whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him again. He says, therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. John 5:28:29 John 5:28:29 says, do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
In Romans 14:10 through 12 says this, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God first.
There's only a couple more passages here. 1 Corinthians, chapter 310 15. 1 Corinthians 3, 10, 15 according to the grace of God given to me like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest for the day.
We'll disclose it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he'll receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. One more, 2 Corinthians 5:10, says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
What we believe to be the next thing for believers is anticipating this trumpet blast announcing Jesus calling up his church. And I got to say, prepare for those who are alive at that point who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Because you were about to witness a pretty strange event, one that you will have never witnessed before. Dead bodies of saints being caught up, raptured to connect back to their soul who has already been with Jesus, making complete their glorified bodies. Bodies from graves, bodies from oceans, bodies from battlefields, past cremated bodies that's been spread all over the earth, sitting on mantles, spread around trees.
If you are a believer and are alive when this happens, I got to say this. Don't panic. We're children of the light. We know what's coming. I would say it's that.
Has anybody ever done one of those rides where you get shot up, like the shot put thing or whatever? Or remember those rides where you. I think I had one at. I think it was universal, maybe as MGM Tower of Terror. Right?
It's that anticipating this thing's about to release. That's the feeling you should be getting. When you see dead bodies start going, get ready. You're going on the ride of your life. It's going to be more exhilarating than any of those things that you've seen getting released.
It's cool because we read every week, he said, I'll be with you, what even to the end of the age. And this is end from with the Lord. That's the anticipation when that starts happening and you get ready to go from, from that point on for eternity, wherever Jesus is, you'll be there too. That's exciting. That's what we look forward to and remember.
This is going to come quickly, out of nowhere. As children of the light, we see the truth exposed. We can prepareourage one another with this. Those that are living in darkness, who live a life not surrendered to Jesus, this will be absolutely terrifying. They will be scared to death, and they should be.
Because while we have our new glorifified bodies, we now move from the finite to the infinite. We at that point will be facing the Judge. He will be sitting on the Beamma seat. Our works. The stuff that we say that we do in his name.
You know what I mean? The stuff that we say that we do for Him. This is the stuff that's going to be placed on the foundation and tried by his fire for Him. Reward. If you did the things for you.
If I did the things for me. Burned. But it said, you'll experience loss, but not of self, because you are saved by the blood of Jesus. Philippians 1:21 through 23 says this. For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Amen.
The third thing, the end of all things, how does it all end?
For time's sake, I'll do my best to do a quick overview of what will transpire on earth following the rapture of the church believers, which we start seeing in Revelation chapter 6 On earth will be those who are left behind. They will be experiencing seven seals filled with false Christ. War, famine, death, martyrs, terror and trumpets. With those trumpets will come hail in fire mixed with blood. It says something like a great mountain burning with fire, being thrown into the sea, killing one third of all who live there.
A great star will fall, burning like a torch, and destroy 1/3 of the fresh water on earth, bringing death to people. People will watch as one third of the sun, the moon and the stars are smitten, bringing darkness and cold to the earth. Chapter 8 in Revelation, verse 16 says this. And I looked and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven sayingg with a loud voice, whoa, whoa, whoa. To those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet, of the three angels who are about to blast, then they will begin to blast.
This is what we are missing because we have a relationship with Jesus. But those, our friends, our neighbors, our families who don't will be experiencing this.
It's not going to be good. People who have not put their trust in Jesus will experience even more terror, even more death and destruction. It ain't over yet, though. It says in Revelation 16:1 and I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth. Oay, just share some of the words.
The things being poured out, it says, Loathsome and malignant sores. Every living thing in the sea dies. Rivers, springs become blood. Scorched men with fire, they will gnaw their tongues because of the pain. Dragon, beast, false prophets, unclean spirits.
It is done.
Then you move to Revelation 19. If you have your Bibles, you can turn there. Revelation 19 starting with verse 11.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he Judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. And he has a name written on him, which no one knows except himself.
He is clothed with robe dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may strike down the nations, and he will rule with them with a rod of iron, and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written King of Kings, Lord of Lord.
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in Midh, Heaven, come assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of the mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves. And small and great.
Verse 19. And I saw the beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against him who sat on the throne or sat on horse and against his army when the beast was seized. And with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence by which he deceived those who had received the Mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of him who sat on the horse.
And all the birds were filled with their flesh, faithful and true. It says he Judges and wages war on his robe and on his thigh. He has a name written King of Kings, Lord of Lord. You know that look when someone gets caught red handed.
Look at verse 19. And I saw the beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Yeah. No, there's quite a bit of ignorance here, a little bit of naivety for those who assembled in this crowd. See, the first time that he came, he came a little bit more gentler.
But this is King Jesus. First time, Baby Jesus they got baby Jesus, a gentler one. They witnessed a broken body, a bloody Jesus, dragging across to Calvary. They were able to stretch him out on a cross, mocked him and ridiculed him until he took his last breath. But not this time.
His bride, the church in tow, his first love Israel, broken down on bended knee through the tribulation we all will get to play witness to the one who out of his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it he may smite the nations and will rule them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winep press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. This time Jesus is going to be the one putting everyone in their place. You're here to fight. Boom.
You're dead. Beast, false prophet. Boom. Lake a fire. There's still people who want to fight.
Well, boom. Dead. And this, this is what it is. It's like wa o. There's all this stuff.
Hey, birds clean up on Isle Armageddon, right? And this, the thing that we have been desperate for, the thing that we've been reaching out toward for years and years and millennia. The thing that we just pray for constantly is what? Peace on earth. This is it.
This is the moment. This is finally the culmination of prayers. Please God, let there be peace. This is shalom. Peace on earth.
This is where it comes into fruition.
Revelation 20:vers 1 through 6. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil, and Satan. And he bound him for a thousand years. And he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were completed.
After these things he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimt testony of Jesus and because of the word of God. And those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and not received the Mark on their foreheads and on their hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these. The second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
How long is the millennium?
If you didn't get the point that was a thousand years. We're kind of missing something he said a number of times here. So Satan, the one who has been free to roam and wreak havoc on mankind, will be bound and thrown into the abyss. This is where Satan finally gets it. The power that he has thought that he has had for a long time.
He'll learn Jesus was the one who allowed him to do anything. During this thousand years. We'll see. The covenants made with Abraham and David all come to fruition. Old Testament believers will eventually be reunited with their resurrected bodies.
And despite all the brokenness and God setting the people of Israel aside for a time, there's always been a plan.
It was. I actually started crying during our circle time prayer when Xavier was like, God has a plan that came from someone so young. I plead with the church, the older generations, please have that same kind of motivation that God has a plan. He has always had a plan. This is the whole purpose for everything that is going to happen in the future is that it's going to be right on the forefront Him.
Thank you for that reminder this morning.
I need to be reminded of it so often and it gets hard sometimes to see through the fog of all our troubles. I am not patient. Anybody else have that licked the whole patience thing. I am not a patient person.
Despite all of this stuff church, despite all of the stresses that we have, despite all the brokenness we feel every day. Another reminder. God has a plan.
It's perfect. Guess what? God never does fail. He has a hundred percent record every time the literal thousand year millennium kingdom will come to an end. And then What?
Matthew chapter 25 was on his left. Depart from me, you cursed, and into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food, I was thirsty, you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me naked, you did not clothe me sick, and in prison you did not visit me. Then they also will answer saying, lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger, or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?
Then he will answer them saying, truly I say to you as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away in into eternal punishment, but the righteousness or the righteous will into eternal life. Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled. And no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and small, standing before the throne.
And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of Life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one of them, according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Luke 16:1931 Luke 16:1931 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and who feasted sumptually, sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted his eyes and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus out his side. And he called out, father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to Dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, child, remember that in your lifetime received your good things and Lazarus in like manner, bad things.
But now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. And besides all this between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And he said, then I beg you, father, to send him to my Father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them lest they come into this place of torment. But Abraham said, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, no, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.
He said to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. This is the biggest drive for us inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus. We should not want anyone to experience this kind of anguish. The reality is, I think the conviction is, for me is that there are too many people in our lives that we do not express to them the things that are exposed and become true. And we are children of the light.
We're supposed to be able to see it and understand it. And this is the drive for us inviting our neighbors to meet and follow Jesus. The truth is, the decision we make on this side of eternity will be the determining factor of where we end up. That's the pretty easy equation. Live a life in Jesus.
Of this faith in Jesus, you have eternal life with him. If you live a life in self, this faith in me, then you will get you in the end. An eternal life separated from Jesus.
What's next? Church Revelation, chapter 21. Starting with verse 1 Revelation 21:1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. And he will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more.
Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said this. Behold, I am making all things new. Also he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
And he said to me, it is done, beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. For as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb Church that you you are going to be there.
I am going to be there. That's exciting stuff. Amen. Revelation 21:1 8 and he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, on either side of the river, was the tree of life, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his bondrvants will serve him. And they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads, and there will no longer be any night. And they will not have need of the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them, and they will reign forever and ever.
No more need for this bow in the sky like the covenant he had with Noah. He will be our constant reminder of the love and of the grace that he had has for his creation. We will be his prize, with his name on our foreheads that will be lifted high in pride of our Savior. We were bought with the blood of Christ, the One who made everything possible, the One who went all in to save mankind from their rebellion. And the angels, because we're walking around with his name on our forehead, they will have a constant reminder.
Hey, don't ever do that nonsensical stuff like Lucifer did, because I will go to lengths to prove a point here. I am God, you are not. I end with this. Psalm 16rse 11 God, you make known to me the path of life in your presence. There is fullness of joy at your right hand, our pleasures forevermore.
We have something to look forward to. Church and it is exciting. It will be enthralling. We get Jesus in the end because he promised you he would. Amen.
Will you pray with me?
God of heaven, illuminate your truths to us.
Give us the ability to understand the depth of what's to come.
Give us a heart that passes on the grace and mercy and love you've shown to us to a lost and dying world. Help us to not get caught up in the chaos. Because even though it may appear chaotic at times, Lord, it is not. You are in control. You've always been in control.
You have a plan, and it is perfect. And we, Lord, help us to trust you. Lord, we await the blast of your angels? S trumpet, so we can be with you forever and ever and ever. In Jesus name, Amen.
