Anticipating Heaven: Why We Should Think About Heaven

Do you think about eternity often? Probably not... but why not? Are you excited about going to heaven? If not really... why not? We will explore these questions and seek to anticipate Heaven!

Luke 12:13-34
Mark 8:36-37
John 14:6,3:16

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• Why should we think about eternity?
• Why should Christians think about Heaven?
• Why don't we think more about Heaven?
• What impact do our culture, technology, and relative wealth have on us?
• How does one get to Heaven?
• What does it mean that the way to Heaven is a Person?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Willing to Be Greatly Inconvenienced

Jesus was sent on a mission which would involve an amazingly deep level of sacrifice, loss of status, and pre‑incarnate glory. All for you?

John 10:1-30,1:1-4
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 1:16-17
Galatians 2:20

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• Why do we not like to be inconvenienced or lose status?
• What was Jesus' situation like before He came to earth?
• What was the proposed mission?
• What did He answer and why?
• Can you personalize this?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Hope

Do you have hope? A hope that can carry you joyfully through the challenges and disappointments of life? Jesus came to give us such powerful hope.

Romans 8:18-25,5:2,15:13
Acts 23:6
Mark 7:34
1 Corinthians 15:42-43
Philippians 3:20-21
Titus 2:13
Colossians 1:3-5
Ephesians 1:18,2:12

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• Why is it hard to get modern folks to look at eternal realities?
• What is Redemptive Hope, and why is its definition different than the one people usually use?
• What are our deepest longings (groaning)?
• Why does the gospel give us hope?
• What effect does hope have on people?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Appreciating God's Gift

God gave His Son... some do not grasp the magnitude of this gift.

Luke 12:13-31
John 3:16
Mark 8:36
Hebrews 9:27
Romans 3:19,3:23,8:31-32

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why was Marigold not happy with her incredible gift?
• What lessons do we draw from this in terms of God's gift?
• What are some of the reasons why we so need God's gift?
• What is God's gift?
• How does He meet our most important needs?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Achieving Heaven: A Bright and Glorious Future

In the world of competing worldviews... the vision for the future of Christianity is breathtaking... for the others, theirs is pathetic. A New Heavens and a New Earth speaks to our deepest longings and is true!!

2 Peter 3:10-13
Romans 8:18-23,5:9-10
Revelation 21:1-8,22:3-5
Acts 3:19-21
Matthew 19:28,5:5,26:29
John 5:28-29
Isaiah 6:17,11:6-9

Are we to spend eternity somewhere off in space, wearing white robes, plucking harps, singing songs, and flitting from cloud to cloud while doing so? On the contrary, the Bible assures us that God will create a new earth on which we shall live to God's praise in glorified, resurrected bodies. On that new earth, therefore, we hope to spend eternity, enjoying its beauties, exploring its resources, and using its treasures to the glory of God. Since God will make the new earth his dwelling place, and since where God dwells there heaven is, we shall then continue to be in heaven while we are on the new earth. For heaven and earth will then no longer be separated, as they are now, but will be one (see Revelation 21:1-3). But to leave the new earth out of consideration when we think of the final state of believers is greatly to impoverish biblical teaching about the life to come. Anthony A. Hoekema The Bible and the Future

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why is the vision of the unbelievers worldview so sad and pathetic?
• What is the Bible's vision of the future?
• Why is the New Heavens and New Earth so exciting to us as humans?
• What are some of the things you look forward to?
• Why did the Pastor so emphasize to all of us to Get There?
• What is your hope that you will get there?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Life Perspective

Jesus told the story of a man dying and the first word that came out of God's mouth was "Fool...". Don't let that be your experience.

Luke 16:19-31,12:13-21,9:25,14:12-14,12:31-34
Acts 2:40
Romans 1:21
Matthew 5:11-12

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• What are the dominant life perspectives today in the world, in music, among your friends?
• What is the life perspective that God reveals in His Word that we should have?
• How are we doing in this area?
• Are we investing in eternity?
• What will be the first word out of God's mouth when we die?
• How can we best secure a blessed eternity?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Mark: I Love You... So Please Listen

In this section of Mark, Jesus gets very intense about a subject we refuse to consider in this secular culture. He loves us enough to speak important truths we all need to consider.

Matthew 25:31-46
Mark 9:38-50

Let us beware of the slightest inclination to stop and check others, merely because they do not choose to adopt our plans, or work by our side. We may think our fellow Christians mistaken in some points. We may fancy that more would be done for Christ, if they would join us, and if all worked in the same way. We may see many evils arising from religious dissensions and divisions. But all this must not prevent us rejoicing if the works of the devil are destroyed and souls are saved.
Is our neighbor warring against Satan? Is he really trying to labor for Christ? This is the grand question. Better a thousand times that the work should be done by other hands than not done at all. Happy is he who knows something of the spirit of Moses, when he said, "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!" and of Paul, when he says, "If Christ is preached, I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice." (Numbers 11:29; Philippians 1:18.) J.C. Ryle The Gospel of Mark

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why did Jesus get so intense in this passage?
• What did He teach us about: excluding others, giving cups of water, causing someone to sin, cutting off things?
• How do we do this?
• Why is it not mean, but in fact, very loving when Jesus talks about the scary subject of hell?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Death is Gain: Heavenly Rewards

What motivates us? Is it heaven and its treasures? Should heavenly rewards be a motivation for us? What kinds of things will be rewarded? What will the rewards be? Get prepared for some heavenly economics!

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Matthew 5:5,5:11-12,6:1-4,6:19-21,10:40-42
Romans 8:16-18
2 Timothy 3:12,4:6-8
Luke 12:33,18:22,6:35
1 Corinthians 3:8
2 John 1:8
Revelation 11:18,14:13
Hebrews 10:35
1 Peter 1:3-4

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Luke: Seeing Clearly...Way Too Late

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Luke 16:19-31
2 Corinthians 5:10
Revelation 20:12
Ephesians 2:8-9
2 Timothy 3:16-17

We learn, fourthly, from this parable, the reality and eternity of hell. The Lord Jesus tells us plainly, that after death the rich man was "in hell--tormented with fire." He gives us a fearful picture of his longing for a drop of "water to cool his tongue," and of "the gulf" between him and Abraham, which could not be passed. There are few more dreadful passages perhaps in the whole Bible than this. And He from whose lips it came, be it remembered, was one who delighted in mercy! The certainty and endlessness of the future punishment of the wicked, are truths which we must hold fast and never let go. From the day when Satan said to Eve, "You shall not surely die," there never have been lacking men who have denied them. Let us not be deceived. There is a hell for the impenitent, as well as a heaven for believers. There is a wrath to come for all who "obey not the Gospel of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:8) From that wrath let us flee betimes to the great hiding-place, Jesus Christ the Lord. If men find themselves "in torment" at last, it will not be because there was no way to escape. J.C. Ryle

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Luke: Two Masters Doesn't Work

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Luke 16:1-13,12:33-34,16:19-25
1 Timothy 6:6-11,6:17-19
Ephesians 4:28

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Overcoming the Fear of Death

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2 Corinthians 5:1-11
Hebrews 2:14-15
Mark 8:31
John 10:17-18
1 Corinthians 15:22-23,30-32
Philippians 1:19-24

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA