0980 Heaven is Real

A Sunday School teacher was teaching his class about heaven. He asked the children, “If I sold my house and my car, had a huge yard sale, and gave all the money to the church, would that get me into heaven?” All the children answered, “NO!” “If everyday I vacuumed the church carpets, cleaned the washrooms, and mowed the grass, would that get me into heaven?” Again, all the children answered, “NO!” “If I was kind to the poor, gave candy to children, and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?” Once more, the children answered, “NO!” “Then how can I get into heaven?” the teacher asked. A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die!

Nearly 80% of all Americans believe there is a place called heaven.

The Bible uses the word heaven 532 times in the Bible.

1. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE HEAVEN!

God is the Creator of heavens. (Genesis 1:1; 2:1; Psalm 19:1)

First heaven is our atmosphere. (Psalms 78:23; Genesis 7:11-12, Deuteronomy 11:17, 28:12, Malachi 3:10)

Second heaven is invisible realm where demons and angels are at. (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12 “ruler of kingdom of the air” “spiritual forces in the heavenly realm”)

Third heaven is where God lives. (2 Corinthians 12:2-3 “third heaven…paradise”)

The third heaven is called:

- The Father's house John 14:2

- A city designed and built by God Hebrews 11:10

- A better country Hebrews 11:16

- Paradise Luke 23:43

2. HEAVEN IS OUR FUTURE HOME AND OUR PRESENT HOPE.

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13

God commands us to be heavenly minded (Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:2)

We are not trying to escape earth by thinking of heaven.

“Let your heart not be troubled…” John 14:1-3

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” Matthew 5:12

“…But rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” CS. Lewis

“What God tells us about our future lives enables us to interpret our past and serve Him in our present life.” Randy Alcorn

“Heaven has become my heart’s home, the place where I will finally belong.The place where I will get a brand new body.” Heaven is the place where there will be no more tears, pain or sorrow. She goes on to say, “In the world’s finale something so glorious is going to happen that it will atone for every single tear we’ve ever cried. God is going to give us the key that will make sense out of what now seems to be such senseless suffering. Heaven is going to be a place of no more disappointment, no more grief but joy. Heaven’s joy.” Joni Eareckson, a quadriplegic, diving accident, 30 year ago.

3. WHERE CHRISTIANS GO WHEN THEY DIE IS NOT WHERE THEY WILL SPEND ETERNITY!

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Heaven is where God will dwell with His people on new earth. When we die we will be with Christ for eternity but not in heaven for eternity. Christ will return to Earth, our body will be resurrected, the final judgment, and the creation of new heaven and new earth.

New Jerusalem. 2 million miles one length.

Walls made out of jewels. (Jasper)

Gates out of one pearl. (Guarded by angel)

Streets of the City (pure gold)

Water – fresh water and no oceans

Trees – tree of life, bears 12 fruits, leaves for healing

Animals – chariots of fire, enough of white horses for all the army of heaven

No temple – no religion nor church buildings

Nothing unclean shall enter there – no flesh, devil or world to tempt us

Heaven is full of joy and presence of God

New bodies. (powerful, imperishable, glorious, beautiful, and recognizable)

Mansions. Great people. Great food. Worship God. Work. Reign.

Platonism teaches that material things, body and the earth are evil. Immaterial things like soul and heaven are good. Spirit’s highest destiny is to be forever free from the body.

Bible teaches other wise. God created body and soul. Sin affected both. Cross redeemed both.

The earth will remain forever (Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4)

The earth will not remain forever (2 Peter 3:10)

Meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)

You redeemed us, we will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:9-10)

Righteous inherit the land and dwell in it forever (Psalm 37:29)

Wicked will be removed from the earth (Proverbs 2:22; 10:30)

What will not be in heaven…

No tears. No pain. No cemetery. No hospitals. No police. No locks or alarms. No jail. No orphanages.

4. HEAVEN IS AN UNKNOWN REGION WITH A WELL-KNOWN INHABITANT.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3

“My knowledge of that life is small, the eye of faith is dim, but it's enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with him.” Richard Baxter

In one of his books, A.M. Hunter, the New Testament scholar, relates the story of a dying man who asked his Christian doctor to tell him something about the place to which he was going. As the doctor fumbled for a reply, he heard a scratching at the door, and he had his answer. "Do you hear that?" he asked his patient. "It's my dog. I left him downstairs, but he has grown impatient, and has come up and hears my voice. He has no notion what is inside this door, but he knows that I am here. Isn't it the same with you? You don't know what lies beyond the Door, but you know that your Master is there.”

As a boy, I thought of heaven as a city with domes, spires, and beautiful streets, inhabited by angels. By and by my little brother died, and I thought of heaven much as before, but with one inhabitant that I knew. Then another died, and then some of my acquaintances, so in time I began to think of heaven as containing several people that I knew. But it was not until one of my own little children died that I began to think I had treasure in heaven myself. Afterward another went, and yet another. By that time I had so many acquaintances and children in heaven that I no more thought of it as a city merely with streets of gold but as a place full of inhabitants. Now there are so many loved ones there I sometimes think I know more people in heaven than I do on earth.

5. THIS WORLD IS NOT YOUR HOME, IT’S YOUR HOTEL!

American tourist's visit to the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim: Astonished to see that the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench, the tourist asked, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?" "Where is yours?" replied the rabbi. "Mine?" asked the puzzled American. "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through." "So am I," said Hofetz Chaim.

Life is as fast as wind (Job 7:7), as temporal as grass (1 Peter 1:24), as lasting as flower (Job 14:2), as passing as shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12), vanishes as vapor (James 4:14), death as water spilled (2 Samuel 14:14). To gain this life is lose it (Matthew 10:38).

This world is not our home, we are just passing through! (Philippians 3:20; 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 13:14; John 18:36; 2 Corinthians 5:1-21)

You are not home yet! After having served for decades in Africa, a missionary couple, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Morrison, were returning to New York to retire. After years of service they had no pension and their health was failing. They were worried and discouraged. They were on the same ship as President Theodore Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his African hunting expeditions. No one paid any attention to the missionary couple. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President and his entourage. During the voyage, the missionary said to his wife, “Something is wrong. We have given our lives in service to God in Africa all these years and no one cares a thing about us. Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us.” When the ship docked in new York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of news of the President’s arrival. No one was there for the missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. That night the man said to his wife, “I can’t take this, God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go into the other room and tell that to the Lord? He did just that and returned a short time later but his face was different. His wife asked him what happened. “The Lord settled it with me,” he said. “I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one even met us at the dock. And when I finished complaining, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said ‘BUT YOU ARE NOT HOME YET.’” This earth is not our home.

Conclusion:

The story is told of a time when Albert Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with great embarrassment, rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket. The conductor said, “We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it. Everything is O:K.” The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket. He came back and gently said,“DR. Einstein, please don’t worry about it. I know who you are.”Einstein looked up and said, “I too know who I am" What I don’t know is where I’m going!”

No one goes to heaven by accident. Heaven is God's prepared place for prepared people. We prepare for heaven while here on earth and then God prepares heaven for us.