Heaven: What will we do in Heaven?
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Heaven is where we do what God’s created for.
RK Exhortation:
RK Exhortation:
Jackie…
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning church! Today, we’re beginning to wrap up our series on Heaven. In this series, we’ve talked about a lot of things:
Why should we be excited about Heaven?
Why do we need Heaven?
Will there be animals in Heaven?
And, what will Heaven be like?
And today’s sermon will be, “What will we do in Heaven?”
Just a head’s up, there’s no way I can even scratch the surface of this topic. The Heaven book by Randy Alcorn that I’ve been referencing is 500 pages long. And he’s barely scratching the surface. What I can say in 30 mins will be very limited!
Additionally, answering the question, “What will we do in Heaven?” could take us in a million directions. Therefore, I’m going to use a verse that’s not necessarily about Heaven, but includes subjects that give us an good outline towards answering this question.
[Fun fact: This verse is an Owens family favorite…]
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Body:
Body:
So, the verse is clear, when it comes to the Kingdom of God (which can also refer to Heaven), eating and drinking is NOT the most important thing. But… that doesn’t mean eating and drinking won’t be an important part of eternity! Can I get a “Hallelujah? I LOVE FOOD. MY FAMILY LOVES FOOD.
My niece was here for Thanksgiving. She’s just like my brother - very expressive. We took her to Giovannis for lunch one day. She ordered the Nepolina pizza. She took her first bite. Cheese stretching from her mouth and all. She closed her eyes and LITERALLY worshiped God!
Have you ever had that reaction to food? Where eating just changed your life? Everything became RIGHT in the world?
I believe that’s by God’s design. God made food and drink to be enjoyed! And in Heaven, we will continue to eat and ENJOY FOOD. Jesus said so……
I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
What do people most often do at a table? Eat! And the event Jesus is likely referring to is what we call the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” It’s the first meal we will all have together in Heaven to celebrate all that Jesus has done!
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
I’m sure you’ve had good meals before. But whatever your best meal has been - know this - the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be better. The food will be better. The drinks will be better.
And I believe this will just be the FIRST of MANY meals in Heaven. The whole counsel of Scripture supports this being one main theme you see weaved into the entire biblical story is the importance of meals.
The Passover.
The Jewish Feasts.
The Last Supper.
The many times the early church met…
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
And the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
God designed shared meals to be an important part of biblical community. That’s why we eat a lot at The River Church.
Now, you might be thinking, “If you eat meat in your meals, won’t that require killing animals. And wouldn’t that seem out of place in Heaven?”
I have one word: Chick-fil-A. Chick-Fil-A serves meat. God loves Chick-Fil-A. Thus, meat is allowed in Heaven.
All joking aside, look at this… btw, this story happens after Jesus rose from the dead…
When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said.
Skip down to…
“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
It doesn’t say this directly, but I think Jesus had breakfast WITH them. And if he did, then His resurrected glorified body ate fish. And if so, is that a hint that it’s not out-of-place for our heavenly bodies to consume meat?
But let’s entertain the thought that there’s no animal meat in Heaven. I don’t know about you… but I’d eat rice, beans, and Little Debbie Christmas cakes all day long if I didn’t know I’d look like Santa Claus by the end of the week! I’m good with no meat.
That being said, couldn’t God provide meat (or something that tastes BETTER than meat), if He wanted to? [And whatever it is, you can be sure that Marcel will be on the grill cooking it!]
Alright, Romans 14 also says, “For the KINGDOM of God…”
In Heaven, there will be an actual Kingdom. Descriptions of Heaven often include the phrases Kingdom, King, and thrones. Doesn’t that also imply rulership, territories to rule, government, and culture?
Furthermore…
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
And…
If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
In Heaven, one thing we will DO is we will REIGN/RULE with Christ. We will have authority, responsibility, and ownership. What that looks like, we don’t fully know.
And honestly, it’s hard for us to imagine, especially since our ideas of rulership, government, and culture (things implied to be present in a Kingdom) are often corrupted by our present, sinful experiences.
My mom was here during week 1 of our Heaven series. She heard me mention there could be a heavenly government. Right or wrong, she has never been a fan of government. She could not fathom the idea of government being included in Heaven.
But I shared the following idea with her:
My mom doesn’t know her father. Her life was negatively impacted by the absence of her dad or the presence of bad step-dads. Therefore, when she thinks about “fathers,” it is corrupted by personal experience. Yet, God describes Himself as our Heavenly Father. Does the sinfulness and failures of human fathers make the idea of a good Heavenly Father impossible?
Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”
In the same way, the idea of a heavenly government ruling over us is not diminished by sinful human governments. The heavenly rulership we will experience in is sourced from the King of Heaven, who is perfect and good. Heaven’s government will be eternally better.
But why does there need to be any type of rulership if there no need to enforce God’s laws since there is no sin. That’s a great question. And honestly one we’ll have to wait and find out in person. But we can be confident that the Kingdom will be good, right, beautiful, and filled with love.
Before I move on, I want to talk a little bit about culture… something implied by the presence of a Kingdom. More than that, something we are told WILL be part of Heaven……
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
God created different cultures. And He thinks each one is equally beautiful. He loves every culture and in Heaven, each has it’s rightful place in the Kingdom.
I’m excited about this! Not just because I’m mixed with a bunch of different ethnicities (all with cultures I appreciate) and married to a woman of another ethnicity, but I’m also a fan of many other cultures…
I love Brazil.
A few weeks ago, I got to eat Albanian food and drink Turkish coffee. Bro… I love Albania.
Ya’ll know I grew up in the hood. I love hood culture… the way we joke, the way we party, the way our music hits differently.
And what’s cool about Heaven is only the best part of our favorite cultural expressions will be there. The sinful parts will be left behind, while the beautiful parts will be enjoyed eternally! [Turkish coffee is definitely lasting forever]
Back to Romans 14… “The Kingdom of God is… a matter of righteousness…” Here’s how I’d like to process this idea…
In Heaven, we will live righteously; in other words, we will live RIGHT WITH GOD. We will live out our God-given purpose and we will love what we do - but w/o the curse of sin. How awesome will that be?
We have a saying, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” That’s what Heaven is like. In Heaven, we will work - and it will be unbelievably fun and satisfying.
Btw, did you know that WORK is NOT sinful?
In the beginning, God created a perfect world where Adam and Eve would WORK. Work existed before the fall and was not a result of sin.
The only reason work feels like a burden is because of the curse of sin.
After Adam sinned, God said…
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
Work is good. It’s the CURSE that makes work difficult and without pleasure. But in Heaven (where the is no sin), work will be wonderful. Furthermore…
But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
God works. And God cannot sin. He is holy. So, work is not sinful. In fact, it’s holy. And the reason we will work in Heaven is because we are made in God’s image - who is always working.
I’m looking forward to working in Heaven. While I’ve definitely had undesirable jobs, I personally love a good day’s work. And I can’t wait to work in Heaven, because I know I’ll be doing what I love. And so will you…
If you’re a musician, you may get to write worship songs as a job. Could you imagine gathering for worship in Heaven and hearing Jesus say, “Today, we’re singing the song Joe wrote.” And everyone starts cheering!
Or, if you love to farm, what if you provided food for New Jerusalem? And one day, Jesus walks through your field, grabs a grape, looks at you, and says, “These are my favorite!”
But maybe you’re like me and currently do something you love, but it’s something that seems only needed in a sinful world.
For example, I’m a pastor. I love it. But will there be a need for pastoring in Heaven? Maybe. Because here’s what I realized… my primary job isn’t telling sinners their wrong. It’s spending time caring for people, encouraging them, and teaching them. And if I get to do that for eternity, I will be living my BEST life.
But about a police officer. Maybe you’re law enforcement and you love it. Are there police in Heaven? I don’t think so… at least not in the same way. But, then again, there are guards…
The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates.
Why are angels guarding the city? I’m not sure. But think about what guards do. They make sure everything happens the right way. What if, in Heaven, guards are greeters? What if the chief of police is the chief encourager? Where your job is to make sure everyone who passes you is fully encouraged and equipped to live for Jesus - the right way!Just a thought……
Whatever we do for work in Heaven, it will be done with unimaginable joy and fulfillment.
Romans 14 says, “For the Kingdom of God is… a matter of… peace.
Once again, we could talk about a lot of different things, but I’ll say this… In Heaven, one thing we will DO is worship in peace.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
On the cross, Jesus did two things connected to eternal peace:
He made peace between us and God. Our sin separates us from God. But Jesus paid for those sins on the cross. And now, for those who repent and put their faith in Jesus, there is eternal PEACE between them and God.
Additionally, Jesus brings us into God’s family - ONE family. And so, now, we have eternal PEACE with one another.
And because of this PEACE, we worship God. I know we joke about Heaven not being a 24hr worship service. That’s true. Nevertheless, we WILL be worshiping in Heaven. And we will like it!
But here’s what’s crazy… even our personal times of worship will be eternally enhanced. Like, instead of doing devos by yourself, you’ll be able to say things like, “I think I’ll go hang out with Jesus.” And you will enter New Jerusalem, dab up the angel at the gate (maybe he’ll encourage you), walk up to the throne room, and then sit at a table with Jesus. And you will worship during this incredibly PEACEFUL opportunity.
Finally, Romans 14 says, “The Kingdom of God is… a matter of… joy.”
I’m running out of time (I told you I’ll barely be able to scratch the surface!), but I want to process the idea of eternal heavenly joy in two ways.
1) We will enjoy friends.
1) We will enjoy friends.
Every month we do a worship service at Addison Place, a senior living community here in Glastonbury. I can’t tell you how much of a blessing it is.
Last week, we did a Christmas service for them. It was amazing. And afterwards, I got to talk with a guy named Joe. He pulled out his phone and started showing me a bunch of pictures… of him shaking hands with 4 of the previous Presidents! Apparently, his son works for the President.
I shook his hand and said, “Now I’ve shaken the hand of the man who shook the President’s hand.”
I would love to shake the hand of a President one day. And in Heaven, we will not only get to shake hands - but actually meet and build relationships -with all of the people (who followed Jesus) we’ve ever wanted to meet.
Obviously, I want to meet Paul.
I’d love to meet Rees Howells (a pastor of old).
I’d love to talk with the prophet Daniel.
But it won’t be just “famous” people, we’ll also meet up with old friends. And we’ll also get to reconcile broken relationships with perfect love and forgiveness.
We’ll get to make new friends. I’m an introvert, but when I make a new friend who I click with… I love it! And imagine meeting a new friend without fear of rejection… that’s how Heaven will be!
Now, consider this…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
This verse tells us right now, Heaven sees us…
Imagine getting to Heaven and meeting someone for the first time, and them saying, “Oh, your the Glastonbury- Brook! I’ve listened to your album 1,000 times.”
AND, we’ll get to meet angels. The Bible gives us a sense that not only are we surrounded by angels, but we may have angels assigned to us (if you will, a guardian angel). Imagine finally meeting your guardian angel. And as you’re remembering crazy times, he says, “Bro… you almost died that time, but the King said, “Please save that dummy. He’s a handful but he’s mine.”
Here’s the point: In Heaven, we will spend TIME building relationships.
That brings up an interesting subject. In Heaven, there WILL BE TIME. God created time. And time belongs in Creation. We (humans) are created for time. It’s absence would be unnatural. But it’s unlimited use is exciting! And that’s what we’ll have in Heaven: Unlimited TIME!
Imagine having coffee with a great friend and spending as much TIME together as you want.
Imagine going on vacation and spending as much TIME as you want.
Imagine working on a project you love and spending as much TIME as you want.
Time makes things valuable. And in Heaven, you will be able to use your TIME on whatever is valuable to you! s
Finally, in Heaven…
2) We will enjoy rewards.
2) We will enjoy rewards.
Christmas is coming. Many of us will get gifts we love. And we will greatly enjoy them… for maybe a week. Then, we’ll essentially throw them away.
But for those of us who follow Jesus, a better Christmas is coming. When you get things that will never get old or boring. And what you get is not just a gift, but a reward for your faithful service to the King during this present life.
Did you know desiring a reward from God is not bad, but bilbical. There’s nothing wrong with receiving wages for a job well done. “God rewards those who diligently seek Him!”
That’s why Paul wrote…
But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
One day, all people will be judged, including Christians. However, I need to CLARIFY… the judgment referred to IN THIS PASSAGE does not determine whether not you go to Heaven or Hell. That’s a different judgment.
The Bible talks about a few different divine judgments, so let me take a moment to walk us thru them:
On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon Himself. And the holy judgment of God was poured out on Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. And now, we are given a choice:
You can either turn from your sins (repent) and put your faith in Jesus as Savior, allowing the judgment on the cross count as payment towards your forgiveness.
Or, you can face that God’s judgment on your own. The Bible calls that day the Great White Throne Judgment. Everyone who dies without Christ will come before God’s holy throne and be judged for their lives. And simply put, there’s one verdict issued in that courtroom…
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
No matter what, you do NOT want to face the Great White Throne judgment. God doesn’t want you to be there. Because everyone there ends up in the lake of fire, which was intended ONLY for Satan and his demons.
Please know this: God loves you so much that He gave EVERYTHING so that you’d never have to face that day…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
If you need for Jesus to save you, cry out to Him now. And this is His promise towards you…
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Now, if you have already done that (or you just did it), there’s a different judgment that awaits you. This judgment is called the Beama seat of Christ. And God will judge your life to determine your eternal rewards. While good works don’t save us, God did create us for good works, and will reward our good works.
I don’t have time to go too deep, but just know… you want to be there! This is when you will receive REWARDS for all the times you faithfully followed - sacrificially obeyed - Christ for the glory of God. And the rewards you get - oh man… we aren’t told what they are, but you can bet that you will be glad you got them. And in Heaven, what we will do for all eternity is ENJOY those rewards!
Response:
Response:
So, as we close, consider the following verse…
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
This verse definitely applies to what God is doing in the here and now. But now let’s read it with the next verse…
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The sense is God will continue to do infinitely more than all we can ask or think in Heaven. And because of that, “what we will DO in Heaven” will be infinitely better than we can imagine.
So, here’s how we can respond to today’s sermon:
Get right with Jesus. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. Make sure the judgment of God brings you rewards, not wrath.
Live faithfully for Jesus. He will reward you for it. And nothing on earth can compare to what you will receive in Heaven.
Finally, get excited about Heaven. God is. You should be too.
Communion:
Communion:
As we think about all that God has done, is doing, and will do for us, we want to (for the last time in 2023) remember how this is all possible. Heaven is not an option were it not for what Jesus did on the cross.
And so, together as a church family, I’d like for us to take communion together…
[Communion]
Let’s pray…
Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for Heaven. We worship You and can’t wait to spend forever with You. Until that time, keep us from sin. Fill us with Your Spirit. And give us power to glorify You name, so that we will enjoy the rewards You want to give us. In Jesus name, amen.