HOW TO ENJOY PARADISE AND STAY THERE
Sunday, Sept 14, 1997 am

1Joh 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Odd references for a subject entitled as it is.

• but it has a whole lot to do with every desire in every one of you

Why do we sense that things can be better?

• where do we get the dreams and the ideas that a paradise can be imagined?
• we can sit down and all come up with our own ideas of paradise
• if evolution were true, and we are only suited to the environment we walk around in and adapt to it, then why do we imagine a better place?
• it should not even come to our minds that there can be a paradise.
• we should have adapted to the surroundings and not even consider anything different
• nature should have engineered even our imaginations to be no greater than what is natural

• -we can imagine
• we can even hope

I am preaching about ENJOYING PARADISE AND STAYING THERE.

• through careful study of the Scriptures we realize that the Christian life is a total restoration of the Paradise Adam lost

1Joh 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Hate is no eternal life, so LOVE must be part of eternal life.

And also in our text two things are mentioned here by Paul: KNOWLEDGE and CHARITY

• and in speaking about the church people, we can see a connection with the original sin and the garden of Eden
• tree of life gave eternal life, tree of knowledge gave death
• And if John said HATE removes us from any chance of eternal life, then LOVE will pave the way back!!!
• Love has a lot to do with eternal life!!!

• Paul addressed a common situation that existed in those early days of the church, and sadly still exists in the church of our time.
• and little may we have realized he was taking us back to the two very things set before mankind in the Garden
• and many people are making the same mistake Adam made and are eating and living off the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil.
• BUT REAL PARADISE IS LOST BECAUSE WE EAT OF KNOWLEDGE, WHILE PARADISE IS ENJOYED BY RECEIVING LIFE

ORIGINAL SCENE

Gene 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gene 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

LET US SEE HOW WE CAN ENJOY PARADISE AND STAY THERE

What is the tree of life?

• What is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
• when the two sinned in Eden, one blamed the other and the other blamed another for their own sin.

They became so filled with themselves. - puffed up.

• so much that they did not accept responsibility for anything.
• not caring about the other, there they put the blame.
• they consumed KNOWLEDGE of good and evil

1Cor 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Knowledge puffs up.

• all mankind is a spirit, soul and body
• the soul is the self
• God said they would die when they ate of the tree of knowledge
• their souls did not die - they continued to be self aware
• their bodies did not die - they lived
• what died?
• their spirits
• and their SOULS became puffed up
• their souls mutated and enlarged abnormally and they became overly self-aware that they were self-centred.
• we need self-esteem
• we even need some pride, or we would walk around unwashed, and disgusting looking.
• (some people can use a little more pride).
• but we must be puffed up and inflated out of proper proportion

THE WAY OF LIFE

We lost WAY to the tree of LIFE - it was KEPT from us.

• Now Jesus is the Life and He is the WAY

Prov 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

Prov. 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life; and [in] the pathway thereof there is no death.

Jere. 21:8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life , and the way of death.

Not many find this way to life that was protected and barred from Adam after sin.

Matt 7:14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

• Life and death
• Adam and Eve KNEW god and evil after sin, but they lost a LOVE and began accusing another for their own actions.
• If we are not careful we can enter the popular christianity which is more concerned with individualism than others.
• the Church is a BODY
• Corporate unity
• The mind of Christ is concerned over the entire body of Christ
• if little finger is stubborn and refuses to cooperate, the body will make do without.
• We fellowship with one another.
• Eve made her fall when she was absent from Adam
• and we fall, too, when we are isolated

Paul said we may know that certain things are harmless,

• and others do not know

He spoke about meats

• under OT Law, you could not eat certain meats
• especially meat offered to idols
• but under GRACE you are free because you KNOW there is only one God

But although we KNOW it is okay, we must TAKE HEED that we can hurt another who does not know

• it would be awful for a brother to lose out because they did not know we could do a certain thing, but yet seen us doing it and were deeply offended and confused and backslid.

We can have the disease Adam had and and because we KNOW this is good and not evil, we can argue and maintain our liberties regardless of another's feelings. Little things like MEAT and DRINK can become idols of pride by which we show how much we know, and our actions hurt those who do not know.

• We can use these things to simply show-off how much we know.

• The Kingdom is based on far greater things than that

Peace is getting along with others by tolerating what we do not agree with.

• It is better to be at peace than to fight and argue

We need LOVE in action more than we need to let everyone know how much KNOWLEDGE we have

• PEACE rather than offending people
• What does God look at as being His Church?
• Now, it is important we believe the proper doctrine, first of all.
• One man walked into a laundromat and asked 16 people if they believed Jesus Christ is Lord and saviour and that He died for their sins. They all shouted, "Yes." And they continued on with their duties. The man proudly walked out and declared 16 people were born again. NONSENSE!!!
• The Church taught we must REPENT.
• Peter said we must repent, and then be baptized for remission of sins in Jesus' name, and then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• But that is not all there is to it.
• We must stress love as we uphold truth.
• Do not compromise truth, but uphold truth and use love when presenting it to people.
• Without Love, our doctrine does not mean a thing.
• We could have all knowledge of what is right and wrong, but without love we will help nobody.
• Acts 2:38 can be no more than an AXE and Two '38's (pistols) if we do not have LOVE.
• Jesus was not only full of truth but GRACE AND TRUTH.

LOVE IN ACTION

Roma 15:1-3 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please [his] neighbour for [his] good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

• Jesus sacrificed so we could live
• our reproaches were taken by Him and He suffered instead of us
• we must sacrifice for each other so each other may live
• let us think more of LOVE than KNOWLEDGE of what is right and wrong
• bear one another's weaknesses
• Jesus did
• He pleased us while He went without
• He died for us

Roma 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

God seen how wee hesitated when we first heard the Gospel

• and the truth is we were wrong to hesitate
• But God did not wipe us out
• He is long-suffering
• because he loves us

He had patience and comfort to offer to us so we could come to salvation

• God is full of the PATIENCE and the CONSOLATION we need for others
• He can give us these qualities so we can be the way Jesus was
• so we can enjoy paradise and stay there.

If everyone looked out for the better of the other, and went without so the other could go with, then everyone would be cared for.

• you go without and tolerate the weaknesses of others
• You put others before yourself
• WHAT A PARADISE THIS IS!
• BUT SOMEONE WILL ALSO PUT YOU BEFORE THEM
• YOU WILL BE THE OTHER THAT SOMEONE PUTS FIRST
• so everyone is giving to others everyone is THE OTHER to someone who gives to them
• THIS IS PARADISE
• No one is left without.

• I may have a weak area, BUT WE TOLERATE THAT

You overlook that weakness

Do not look at what is your idea of a good trait in a person and avoid those who do not have it.

• Everyone needs to be needed and loved
• A person sees a flaw in themselves and wishes they did not have it so someone would love them
• But if the Church overlooks that flaw, then it is as though the person did not have it anyway!
• So the person would not ever worry about it again!
• That is love.

• if you were self-centred, it would drive you crazy that I am like a certain way
• but if you looked out for me and bore my weaknesses you would tolerate me and overlook that part of me, because you are aware that keeping distance from me could hurt me.
• we see a down-and-out person
• we need to realize their feelings
• let us love our neighbours, and pass from death to life.
• we can make fun of one who is such a way... but we totally forget their feelings
• we need to please our neighbour for his good.

• look out for me
• pray that I go to glory with you
• do anything you can to see me go to glory with you
• do not offend me and leave me alone
• find me and let me know how much you care and how much you want to see me in heaven.
• We all need someone
• I know many believers who will overlook your faults and see your need to be needed, and I can send you to them and they will care.

James said we ought not judge one another as though we eat of the knowledge of good and evil.

• God is the only lawgiver - not us
• He wanted Adam to eat LIFE
• Not good and evil.