"What is Heaven?"

Deacon Kla Dio Constance Funeral Sermon

Sermon Title: “What is Heaven?”

KEY PASSAGE: John 14:1-6

 GREETING TO THE AUDIENCE

First, I greet you all, including family members, pastors, ministers, and friends of Joseph Kla Dio Constance, [The Deceased], in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We gather here today to celebrate Deacon Joseph Kla Dio Constance’s life and to find comfort in the love and memories we share. Thank you [Again] for coming today to support and encourage the bereaved family.  

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Let us pray.

Our Father and God, we come to You on this occasion with heavy hearts. The pain that we feel is beyond words. When Joseph Kla Dio Constance died, we lost a father, husband, a friend, and a deacon. We lost a piece of ourselves. We admit to You our feelings of confusion. We are sad, and the sorrow is more than we can bear. And so, Lord, I pray today that You will comfort the bereaved family and the friends of the deceased, including church members. So right now, I pray for Your peace – an abiding peace that comes in a relationship with You. May Your grace and peace be ours both today and forever. I pray these things in the strong eternal name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And everyone said Amen.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

[Let me begin by saying that] Facing the death of a friend or loved one is never an easy matter. Even when death follows a long life or terminal illness, there are still deep emotions and puzzling questions that cloud our minds and our thoughts. When a (husband or wife), [ (a) father or mother), [(a) brother or sister), (or friend) is no longer with us, it can trigger very strong reactions, emotions, and questions. We are here today as people of God to find comfort in the truth of Scripture as we celebrate the life of Kla Dio Constance. 

We ask questions such as, “What is Heaven?” and “What Happens When You Die?” “What happens when a person dies?” Confusion, misunderstanding, and misperception abound about heaven. Most people, even Christians, view the thought of heaven as an intrusion into their lives. After all, why focus on heaven even if you have not been to Europe? Heaven is often viewed as a pie in the sky floating with wings from cloud to cloud. My job today to you, me, and us collectively is to clarify heaven for us as we gather here today to mourn the death of Brother Kla Dio Constance. Now, everything about heaven is not told to us in Scripture.

SERMON EXPOSITION

The Bible [Luke 12:21-34] declares that a man or woman is a fool who lives life on earth without thought of heaven, so we want to talk about Heaven. The question to you, me, and us is, “What is Heaven?” In John chapter 4, Jesus promises His disciples about Heaven. [Please notice] Jesus is preparing to leave His disciples because of His death, resurrection, and ascension to His Father. And the disciples of Jesus want to know how they will make it in His absence. Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples the most comforting words found in Scripture. We turn to His words in John 14:1 – 6, for in them, we see life, [We find] hope, [We find] peace, [We find] comfort, and [We find] clarity as we grieve at the death of Brother Kla Dio Constance.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, [believe also in Me]. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, [would] have told you because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to [Myself], so that where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus [said to] him, “I am the way, [and] the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

 I want to say a few things about heaven. First, I want you to know that heaven is a promised place. Jesus promises His disciples that I will prepare a place for you. And heaven is based on a promise [A promise from Jesus]. Now, a promise is only as good as the one making the promise. It [has to do with] the promisor’s capacity and [the promisor’s] integrity to produce the promise made. The reality of the promise of heaven is tied to the person of God. [To put it] another way, if heaven is a liar, then God is a liar. And if God is a liar, then that means we must disprove or stop believing everything and anything else that God has said in the Scripture. Jesus says, “Believe in God” in verse 1: “Believe in God, believe also in Me.”

Let’s talk about the character of God for a moment. The Bible says in Hebrews 6:18, “[It is impossible for God to lie.”] The Bible says in Second Corinthians 5:1 that we know when this body is torn down, we have a home in heaven prepared by God. Genesis 1:1 says, “God created the heavens and the earth.” So, God’s character [Watch This] is tied to heaven. Heaven is also tied to the character of Christ because Jesus says you believe in God. Believe also in me.

The promise of heaven rests on the character of God, Jesus Christ, and [The] Scripture. So, if heaven is not [real]. God is not [real]. Christ is not [real], and the Bible is a lie. [And so] We have three liars on our hands if heaven is not [real]. Now, if you are not prepared to say God is a liar. Christ is a liar, and the Bible is a book of lies. Then, you have to believe in heaven. Then, you have to believe that heaven is real.

SERMON EXPLANATION 1

Philippians 3:20 says our citizenship is in heaven. 1 Peter 1:4 says the inheritance and our reservations are in heaven.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION  

Now, if you call and make a reservation at a hotel, you don’t need to see the hotel to know the reservation is confirmed. The only way you know [Your] reservation is there is because the hotel gives you a confirmation number if you have never been there before. [And so], You take the confirmation number the hotel gives you by faith that you have a place located in the city you are going into under the name of that hotel based on the [integrity of the hotel] that there will be a room awaiting you. And if they don’t have a room for you, [Guess What] you have a confirmation number the hotel gave you.

Because you made your reservation, I have [Some] good news for everybody here who has made their reservations in heaven. There is a room [For you] if you have a confirmation number. By the way, it has to be written in blood—the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus says you have a reservation, and whenever you make a reservation, it means that you are not there yet. And if you make reservations to go to heaven [Today is] based on the blood of Jesus Christ, then it is a confirmed reservation. Luke 10:20 says, your names are recorded in heaven.  You have your name written and inscribed in heaven. That is good news if the blood of Jesus saves you, and that is bad news if you are not saved and don’t have a relationship with Jesus.

SERMON EXPLANATION 2

And so [Why am I telling you this?] Because God wants you to become passionate about heaven, you will be fulfilled in history. The reason why we are unhappy on earth is because we don’t have a view of heaven. A view of heaven doesn’t mean you want to die [Today or tomorrow] and you think about death all the time. [No; No; No] It means just the opposite. It means you are thinking about life all the time. [And so], to be passionate about heaven is to be fulfilled while you wait to go to heaven. To be passionate about earth is to be unfulfilled while waiting to go to heaven. If you want to enjoy heaven, if you want to enjoy earth, [I challenge You] to think about heaven. Learn about heaven from the great saints in the Bible, [Because] according to Hebrews chapter 11, [They] were passionate about [Going to] heaven as they lived on earth.

Secondly, heaven is based on the integrity of God the Father, God the Son, and the Scriptures, which were authored, coded, and inspired by God the Holy Spirit. Heaven is not only a promised place but also a particular place. Jesus says I go to prepare verse 2 of John 14 a place for you.

SERMON EXPLANATION 2

The third [thing about] heaven is that it is not only a promised place and a particular place, but heaven is also a paternal [fatherly] place. Heaven is a place because Jesus says in verses 2 and 3, I go to prepare a place for you. Our father who art in what? Heaven. Matthew 10:32 and 33 talk about the fact that when you and I go to heaven, Jesus Christ will not deny us before our heavenly Father, who is in heaven. Why? Because we confess the name of Jesus before people, and Jesus will also confess us before His Father in heaven. But if you deny Jesus, that is bad news for you because verse 33 says Jesus will also deny you before His Father, who is in heaven.

Verse 2 of John 14 says that heaven is a family affair in my Father’s house. Heaven is a gathering of a Daddy with His kids [Many children like][You and me] if you are saved. Houses already exist in heaven. There are many places to live in, to house the people who believed in Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God who took away the [sins of the world.]

The fourth thing I want to say is that heaven is a prepared place. Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you. Heaven is prepared with you in mind. God is preparing a place for you. Your place in heaven is being built with you in mind. Heaven is being built with your personality, interests, and tastes. While it is true that heaven will be a group gathering of believers, heaven will be personalized for every believer here today. Heaven is a prepared place.

Finally, heaven is a personal place. [Jesus says] in verse 3, When I [go to] prepare a place for you, I will come again. “I am coming again and will receive you unto myself.” Before you get high [To] heaven, Jesus Christ wants you to get high on something else: [And that is to be with Jesus]. You see, [it is] being with Jesus that is the heart of heaven. It is [Being] with the Savior [Watch This] that will make heaven heavenly.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 3

[One day], a man was dying, and this is what the man did. When he was dying, he gathered his four children around [him], and he said to the first three children, good night, my son, good night, my daughter, and good night, my son. And then he turned to the fourth child and [He wept with tears coming down his cheeks] this is what he said to the fourth child: Good-bye. The child responded, saying, “Dad, you told my brothers and sister good night.” [But] You told me goodbye. Why? [His Dad] said to him, because your brothers and your sister have come to Christ, and I will see them in heaven. [The dad said] for you, son, [You] have not come to Christ to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. [And so] I will never see you see you again.

 FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION and ALTAR CALL

I want to close this message with verse 6. Thomas asked Jesus [a question]: “How do I get to heaven?” I don’t know how to get to heaven. Jesus responded by making one of the most profound theological statements you will ever find in the Scripture. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” So, here are my questions for you. Do you want to go to heaven? Do you know if you are going to heaven?

And so you must come through Jesus. If you want to go to heaven, Jesus Christ would love to take you there. And so you must entrust your eternal destiny to Jesus so He can take you to heaven. And if you never come to Christ, [come] to Him right now and say, Lord Jesus Christ, I want to go to heaven, which means I need You to take me to heaven. Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior right now, and He will save you and give you your eternal destiny. God bless you.

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Let us pray.

Almighty God, source of life and breath, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself that we might have eternal life, we thank You, Lord, for Deacon Kla Dio Constance, who has finished his course. We come to You in perfect trust, remembering [The victory of Jesus] over death and His promise that because He lives, we will also live. I pray that You will comfort our hearts and strengthen us with Your presence. May Your grace and peace be ours both today and forever. And everyone says, Amen. God bless you.