Life After Death Series Appreciated by Christians at Green Pastures
Green Pastures Church, Ballymena, was built to provide a sanctuary and facility for the here and now, where families and the community could find shelter and salvation. While that vision continues and will, if anything, develop even more as church growth continues, what is currently gripping churchgoers at the Faith Avenue-based ministry is a recent series by Pastor Jeff Wright, which he has titled "Till Death Do Us Part."
What's notable about this series of sermons is that rather than concentrating on events here on planet Earth, the members and attendees at Green Pastures have been fascinated by how it delves into greater detail about what happens when we die. It asks questions such as: Where do we go? What will heaven look like? Who will be there?, and who will not? The series, which still has several weeks left to run, focuses more on eternity and what it will be like compared with the routine life here on Earth. It explains subjects less talked about in the Bible and has proved so successful that Green Pastures was filled to the rafters last Sunday morning.
Commented Pastor Jeff Wright this week: "We have had some great attendances recently, which is encouraging and great feedback about his new series. I've been amazed at the interest level because the more you think about it, the more you realise that death and eternity are not preached today as much as is necessary. We are consumed with so much trivial stuff and not focused enough on the big picture: eternity with the Lord. I have just been going through a sequence of events that will take place from our end to the new heaven – all of which are described in the book of Revelation. To my surprise, it has captivated the congregation and informed them of things they say they didn't know."
Many preachers may choose to minister on earthly solutions, but eschatology, which deals with end times subjects, is also a hot topic. Venturing beyond the grave is a massive part of the Christian message, especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of resurrection to His followers.
Adds Pastor Jeff, "Nothing is hidden in the Bible about what happens after we die. As I studied about the afterlife, I was struck by the detail God has gone into relating to eternal issues. We are dealing with what happens when the soul leaves the body. All of this is documented in the scriptures, and it is exciting for people who know their God."
The questions asked in the series are "Would I rise to meet Jesus in the air following death? Are Christians intimate with God? Does Jesus know us intimately? Do we speak to him regularly? Do we hear his voice? And then the shock factor – if Jesus came back in two hours, would we rise to meet him or, say, 'Hold on a minute,' I am not sure of my position?"
The pastor concludes, "I'm sure when we meet Christ, he will talk us through everything we went through. We will finally know Him as He is known. We will know who we have believed, the one who died for us and shed His blood for us. We will experience what Paul the apostle spoke of when he said, "eye had not seen, ear had not heard, neither has entered human hearts what God has prepared for those who love Him."
If you cannot attend the church at Green Pastures, this exciting series can be accessed by logging onto the Green Pastures website and watching it live or on demand.
