A Visit to Heaven

Intro

We hear of all kind of near death experiences, Heaven is for Real is an example. We have a fascination of what the after life is like, but rather than looking at what scripture says, we take a fascination with pop phenomenons, which is often focused on the trivial. Our theology is a pop theology rather than a bible theology. Over the next couple of weeks we are going to dive into a Biblical account of a visit to heaven. A true vision of heaven invokes holy fear and humility.

V. 1

Revelation 4:1 ESV

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

“looked and behold”

People look and behold ghost stories, near death experiences, tv shows, etc.

Satanic acts are more socially accepted

People are looking for answers to what is in store for us when we die, but they are looking everywhere besides the open door of truth.

God’s word opens up heavenly truths to us.

the truth is plain for us to see but we must behold it, and stop willfully being blind to the truth

You want to know God experience him (point to the Bible)

“door standing open”

This passage we are looking at is about the throne room of heaven.

If I am standing before an open door, what must I do to be inside that room? I must step into that room through that door.

Stepping into heaven is to step into God’s glory and sovereignty, an overwhelming experience

God is saying step into his presence, what is keeping you from stepping?

“Speaking to me like a trumpet”

Demanding and captivating

This is the voice of Christ

When we stand in the presence of Christ, his presence is demanding of our attention

Christ does not go unnoticed

At the same time His voice invokes fear it also invokes awe.

His voice inspires worship

“Come up here”

Gives an allusion to Old Testament imagery of going up on the mountain into God’s presence to meet with him.

The depths of heaven are not tainted by the sinfulness of this world.

In this valley of earth it is hard to fully comprehend the beauty of the heavenly mountain top.

Point 1: Heavenly vision is vision focused on the glory of God

Heavenly vision is not a focus on:

the characters of the Bible

Loved ones

a dirt road, a fishing spot, a woman, etc.

V. 2

Revelation 4:2 ESV

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

“in the Spirit”

John was able to see all this because of the ability the Spirit of God gave him.

“throne stood in heaven”

this is a reference to the permanence of God’s sovereignty

Point 2: God’s sovereignty is a reality that exist. This is a reality those in the Spirit submit to, this is a reality those outside of the Spirit rebel against.

Does rebellion change a reality? No

What does rebelling against a reality cause?

Gravity is a reality, I can rebel against that reality.

I can say gravity does not control me, but if say I am gonna fly by jumping out this window, how is that going to pan out? Great pain and possible death

When we rebel against the sovereignty of God it results in pain and death

This world is full of pain because of sin, not because of a lack of goodness in God, but rather because of rebellion against that goodness.

Sin serves as a warning of something is wrong, and if you ignore a warning sign long enough it eventually results in death.

Point 3: A healthy worldview is formed from looking at the world through the reality of God’s sovereignty.

How does God’s sovereignty help us view things in the world?

Sin

Sin is the absence of God’s sovereign law when we choose to remove it from our lives.

Pain and suffering

Acts of grace since they warn us something is badly wrong with this world

Suffering sometimes is a mismanagement on our part (example: 8 billion people in the world and we produce enough for 12 billion, but nearly 1 billion people are malnourished)

Path of life

Their is not an inch of this earth that you can go to that is outside of God’s dominion. I have literally been all around the world, in countries of all kinds of political agendas, but not a single country has existed outside of God’s control.

Their is not a door outside of his reach.

The danger of rejecting a reality is you have to tell yourself and others lies to deny the reality. Lies get more and more complex over time and sometimes we loose ourselves in the lies

Also a life built on lies is a lie built on inconsistencies.

What scriptural reality are you rebelling against? What lies are you telling yourself?

Job 42:2 ESV

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

What lies do you tell yourself to convince yourself God cannot do all things? OR What lies do you tell yourself that God can be thwarted?

God does not move like he use to

God is a clock maker

God does not care about me

I’ve got mental health issues, so I just cannot help feeling this way.

So much anxiety exist in today’s church exist because so many people believe these lies

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

What lies do you tell yourself that corrupting talk is OK sometimes?

Everyone I am around talks that way, so I just cannot help it

It is how I was raised

Sometimes people just won’t listen if you don’t use stronger language

It is just a little gossip

They a jerk to me so I am a jerk to them

How much damage to the witness of the church has been through us believing in the lie of corruption.

Can y’all think of other examples?

To break through the lies is going to take us getting honest, brutally honest, with ourselves