Dover Assembly of God
9.13.2020 | Heaven - Week 3
Locations & Times
Dover Assembly of God
4790 Carlisle Rd, Dover, PA 17315, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
Dover Assembly Online
Sunday 10:30 AM
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<b>September 13, 2020</b><br><br><b>Welcome to Dover Assembly!</b><br>We are so glad you have chosen to attend Dover Assembly this morning. It is not by accident that you are here. We believe that God has allowed you to be here so that you might receive all that He has for you. We pray you are blessed as you allow the Lord to work in your life.<br><br><b>THIS WEEK</b><br><br><b>Sunday</b><br>9:00 am ~ Coffee & Donut Fellowship Time<br>9:30 am ~ Sunday School<br>10:30 am ~ Worship Service<br>10:30 am ~ R.O.C.K. Children’s Ministry<br>1:00 pm ~ Spanish Service<br><br><b>Monday</b><br>7:00 pm ~ Deacon Board Meeting<br><br><b>Wednesday</b><br>6:30 pm ~ FAMILY NIGHT SERVICES<br><br><b>UPCOMING EVENTS</b><br><br><b>WOP "Reclaim" Conference</b><br>This year's annual District Women of Purpose Conference is being offered virtual on Sat., Nov. 14, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. We are able to watch the live stream right from the comfort of our own church sanctuary! If you are interested please sign up in the upper foyer by the deadline of Sun., Oct. 11. Registration: $41.50 or Students age 12-22, Single Moms and Seniors 65+ is $31.50.<br><br><b>WOP Jewelry Exchange</b><br>Please join us for a night of fellowship and jewelry exchange on Fri., Oct. 9, 6:00 pm at the church. Please bring jewelry you would like to part with for a jewelry exchange! Also, pizza and salad will be served. Please bring chips or dessert. Sign up in the upper foyer.<br><br><b>See You At The Pole</b><br>As our children return to school, whether virtual or in-person, every child and every school needs prayer. We encourage everyone to join our kids at their flag poles, or take some time before virtual class begins to pray for God’s protection and blessing.<br><br><b>BODY NEWS</b><br><br><b>Congratulations!</b><br>Congratulations to Darlene & Tom Osborn on the birth of their new great-grandson, Dakota Daniel. Mom Julia and baby Dakota are doing well!<br><br><b>Download Our App!</b><br>Discover the digital hub of Dover Assembly! Watch and listen to sermons, learn about upcoming events, and stay connected all week, all from your phone or tablet. Available on the iOS App Store, Google Play for Android, and the Amazon App Store. Download links and more info can be found at https://doverassembly.com/app<br><br><b>Church Christmas Boxes</b><br>Our church mailboxes need a little tender loving care. Anyone interested in giving them a coat of fresh paint? Please see Pastor Jeff.<br><br><b>Shut-In Team</b><br>Anna is putting together a team to visit shut-ins, take them communion and send cards. If you are interested in being on this team, please see Anna or put a note in the offering container.<br><br>"Thank You" to all of you who donated to our shut-in bags! Pastor and Anna will be delivering them and taking communion in the next week or two. They will be blessed by your kindness in remembering them.<br><br><b>PRAYER NEEDS</b><br>~ Gladys J.<br>~ Beulah S.<br>~ Olga K.<br>~ Marian T.<br>~ Rose K.<br>~ Naomi G. (hip replacement)<br>~ Betty N.<br>~ Cindy D. (Angel’s mom)
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https://doverassembly.com/notes/check-inWeek 3 - September 13, 2020 - Pastor Jeff Bender
Last week we talked about and compared heaven to a great vacation. You need reservations, it will be permanent, we sacrifice during the year to prepare for vacation, so we also sacrifice during our lives in order to have a more excellent reward in heaven.
And most importantly, vacation and heaven are special because of who is with you.
I mentioned in the first week that heaven or an after-life is something that is becoming popular in society today.
People who are not religious, don’t attend and religious service or may not even believe in God at all, are beginning to believe in some kind of after-life.
We sometimes are amazed at that, but God told us why.
One study found that 32% of atheists and agnostics believe in life after death.
Pew research found that 37% believe in heaven and 27% believe in hell.
The human mind has to think there is something else, just to ease our suffering. How that jives with not believing in a creator, is difficult.
These types of questions always come up at the time of loss. Where are they right now? Are they alive, do they remember me? What are they doing right now?
These are not new to our generation or even modern history.
Paul was asked by the church in Thessalonica about Christians who had died before Jesus returned.
Paul first addresses the question of death.
When a ruler came to Jesus to tell him his daughter died, Jesus said . . .
It’s also the same word for dormitory.
Our word cemetery comes from a Greek word “koimeterion” which means sleeping place or dormitory.
So for Christians, a cemetery is just a place where we stop and then continue our journey to heaven . . .
. . . or the other place for those who don’t believe.
Here we have the examples of two types of people, those who trust Jesus and those who don’t.
Note: Their material wealth or lack of it is not what determined their future, it was their spiritual condition.
This verse doesn’t say that he was buried, had a funeral or a service. As a beggar, his body was probably just taken to the town dump / trash burning dump.
At the point of his death, it says that angels (more than one) escorted him to paradise. His soul (spirit) was escorted to paradise. He didn’t take that journey alone.
Angels (more than one) escorted him up through the 2 heavens we talked about earlier into the 3rd heaven.
There have been many testimonies of Christians close to death seeing angels by their beds. I don’t discount them. Because it tells us that they are not alone when they go to heaven.
Try to imagine what that is like. It’s almost too fantastic to grasp.
Then he arrives not just in heaven, but along side Abraham. He was greeted when he got there.
Ever go to an event and not know anyone and you stand along the side, because no one was there to greet you and welcome you?
Not in heaven, it says that Lazarus wasn’t alone and wasn’t just trying to mingle, Abraham was the one to whom he was escorted.
Imagine the funeral service he must have had. And the grand tomb for his body.
What a contrast to Lazarus.
But look at the next part of that verse . . .
I’m not going to go into the hell aspects, we’ve taught that before, but I will mention one thing . . .
The punishment is forever.
One side for those who didn’t believe and the other for the faithful.
Lazarus was on the paradise side where the rich man could see him.
At the point of Jesus death, he went to the paradise side of Hades. Along with the one thief.
Hades is not the final place, it gets worse.
That is why it is imperative that we have been born again.
So here’s a question.
Our bodies go in the grave. The Bible says that we don’t reunite with our dead bodies until the rapture.
So what do we have until then? Are we just disembodied spirits? Do our souls just float around?
The rich man spoke of Lazarus’ finger, dipping water on his tongue.
So they must have some kind of physical form.
How’s that happen?
God gives us temporary bodies.
One truth that should comfort us is that Jesus will be there.
And I think at that point, we won’t have any questions.
I don’t know how all this will work, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait in a line to see Jesus, we won’t have to schedule an appointment. We will be with Him.
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