What is Heaven Really Like Part IV
That’s One Long Church Service!
Review: Need to Know Basis, The Theology of Heaven, What will heaven look like, What will we look like?
Introduction: Finding Nemo, Fish Escape, Now What?
Application: We will have been through this life, struggles, even death—When that curtain is lifted and we have taken our last breath--Now what?
Illustration: Jimmy Chance and Michal Jackson in hell
Application: I’d rather have a good time in hell than be bored in heaven
Transition: Our misconceptions of heaven come from Satan himself.
Revelation 13:5-6--The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority…He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
Satan’s MO has always been about distorting what God wants for us
Eden—Adam and Eve
Every day examples of how Satan distorts what God desires
What are some of the ways that Satan fools us into thinking heaven is boring?
Righteousness is boring, Sin is exciting
The most basic of Satan’s deceit
Has sin ever really made you happy—fulfillment?
What sin really does (Psalm 1)
Some Christians really do have boring lives
We have been deceived into the status quo
God has called us into adventure not status quo
Since we can’t have sustained happiness on earth it must not be possible
Our minds cannot think past the curse—Total Depravity
We have been deceived to think that we are fun loving and God is the boring one—WE ARE THE BORING ONES!
Why isn’t God bored with us? The REAL QUESTION
Illustration: Dealing with Teens—do they ever listen?
Redemptive History
How our story fits into the redemptive story
Transition: If heaven is not boring what will we be doing?
Read Matthew 5:1-12
I want to propose a few Scriptural principles about heaven that refute the idea of a boring eternity with God.
You won’t be bored because you will rule with Jesus Christ.
Matt 5: Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven, inherit the earth
Revelation 20:6—blessed are the saints for they will reign with Christ forever
You will be rewarded according to what you did with the Gospel
You will be made rulers over much
Other parables claim the same—Matthew 25, 7 etc
Helping God run the universe—there is much to do!
Imagine the places you will see
You will also be ruler over all of your weaknesses
You won’t be bored because as a ruler you will be serving Jesus Christ.
Revelation 7:15—we will serve him day and night
Revelation 22:3—we will serve him in the city
What does it mean to serve?
Action by its very nature
How we serve God in this life—vocation, everything we do
Service in this life a shadow of what is to come
We will serve in ways that bring joy etc
I don’t want to be a servant
We have a distorted view of servanthood
Jesus calls his servants “friends”—we won’t be mistreated
There is no greater reward than true servanthood
Ex: People working in the play, The DR, Bringing someone to Christ
Watching your children succeed, Adoptive Parents
Servanthood brings glory to others
Appl; How much greater it will be to serve the Lord of Heaven and Earth and bring him glory?
We will not be bored because our dreams and missed opportunities will be fulfilled
Matt. 5: Comforted, filled, shown mercy, you will laugh (Luke 6)
Illustration--EPXAND ON EACH ONE: Mother’s asking about children never born
Young person dies: What a waste! Not a waste any longer
The Grandparent you didn’t spend enough time with
Regrets in relationships are resolved
That thing you never said and should have will be said
Most importantly, that imperfect relationship with God will be restored
Relate to people now: God knows where your coming from
Think of Friday Night Light Gospel Presentation.
Transition: Out of all of the theological musings and yes, even imagination we may over look the most important reason why heaven is not a boring place
You’re with God!
Matthew 5:8—blessed are the pure in heart for they shall SEE GOD
Explain the impact of seeing God
I Corinthians 13
Read passage
Focus on verse 12
Now we see a dark reflection of love
In heaven intimacy with God
explain reward of perfect love of the Father in light of description of love
Psalm 16:9-11
Eternal pleasures
A.A. Hodge: Heaven, as the eternal home of the divine Man and of all the redeemed members of the human race, must necessarily be thoroughly human in its structure, conditions, and activities. Its joys and its occupations must all be rational, moral, emotional, voluntary, and active. There must be the exercise of all faculties, the gratification of all tastes, the development of all talent capacities, the realization of all ideals. The reason, the intellectual curiosity, the imagination, the aesthetic instincts, the holy affections, the social affinities, the inexhaustible resources of strength and power native to the human soul, must all find in heaven exercise and satisfaction.
Experiencing new and exciting things all of the time
We will spend eternity experiencing God
We will spend eternity learning about God
Experiencing the fact that you are always safely home
Illustration: Going away from home--no place like home
Application: Things will always be as they should be
No more wishing you were someone else
Perfect Surprise and Satisfaction—like figuring out how that Christmas toy is actually supposed to work AHA! And AHHHH!
Closing—Are we just imagining these things?
Ephesians 3:20—immeasurably more than what we imagine
The Holy Spirit has opened the door for us to imagine and draw conclusions
God has a great place prepared for those who know, love and trust him.
Where have you put your faith, love and trust?