The Best Is Yet To Come
Junior Level
Introduction: This lesson focuses on the future of the born again believer. We are here but for a short time until we reach home. The best indeed is yet to come. Praise His holy name! Father bless the hearts of all who read with your special touch in the name of Jesus I ask, Amen.
Handout: The Best Is Yet To Come
The Best Is Yet To Come
I received a message from a dear lady, a wonderful friend of mine this week. It was a story that blessed me so much. I want to share it with you all now because it has inspired the lesson for this week. This lesson is dedicated to Jenny Wren, my dear sister in Christ. I love you much.
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
"Wait, there's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" the pastor asked. "This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "That surprises you, doesn't it?” the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main courses were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say,
"Keep your fork".
It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them:
"Keep your fork.
The best is yet to come."
The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible, also the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question
"What's with the fork?"
And over and over he smiled.
Later during his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died.
He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your fork,
let it remind you ever so gently, The BEST is yet to come!
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
We that have chosen to believe and follow Jesus, know that indeed the best is yet to come. We are here to do the will of the Father and to lift his name to a lost and dying world. We do not have to work to go to heaven, but we labor in the love of Christ so that we can take as many others with us as we can. We are here to be the light of the world. We are here to tell the world about Jesus and what he did for us and that he will do the same for all who call upon his name in faith believing.
Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
2 Corinthians 4:3 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2 Corinthians 4:4 “ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
2 Corinthians 4:5 “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
As we work and journey we know that it will not be long until we will get to go home to be with the Lord. Jesus said,
John 14:2 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Revelation 3:12 “ Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”
Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Any pain or suffering we go through on our journey, one day soon will only be a memory maybe even forgotten. It can’t even be compared to what God has in store for his children when we reach home.
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the world of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of god: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
We should live everyday remembering that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. Just think, we are headed to a place where there will be no more pain, sickness, no more tears or heartache. Our home is a place of perfect peace and joy with our Father forever. Our new home is on high with the LORD and truly, The Best Is Yet To Come!
Revelations 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and three shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Description of the place Christ went to prepare for us, his bride.
Revelation 21:9-26 (The New Jerusalem)
(cf. Ezek. 48:30-35)
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The Glory of the New Jerusalem
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.
Remember to serve others in the love and attitude of Christ this week.
Dear Righteous, Heavenly Father,
We come to you thanking you for who you are, and that you have never and will never change. You are more than worthy to be praised. We thank you that you are mindful of man and that you love us. We praise you for the relationship that we have with you and your Son Jesus. Thank you Father for the many, many blessings you have given to us. We thank you that the best is yet to come. Father we ask you to give us wisdom, strength, patients, and courage, as we journey toward home to be with you. We ask that you help us to be a light to a lost and dark world so that we can tell them of the good news of Christ, assisting in furthering your kingdom. We know that you can take our small part and make it something wonderful, and amazing for your glory and honor. We ask that you help us to plant seeds in the hearts of the lost and that you draw them to you by your Holy Spirit. Free them from the hold of the evil one. Thank you for Jesus and the free pardon of sin. We praise you and anxiously await the time when we will be face to face with you. Thank you for the things you have in store for those that love you and believe you through faith and through your Son Jesus. Watch over us and protect us as we go another week and live for you. We will ever love, honor, worship and praise you in Jesus holy, lovely name we ask and pray…Amen.
March 2, 2013