Intro.
A. Fish tank: How much do fish understand about 6 cylinder engine, American politics, 19th century English literature? Simply beyond fish. Few things they can grasp.
B. That is the problem we have in grasping so many things: eternity, hell, power of God, heaven!
C. When asking, "What will heaven be like? must realize that we are like fish, there is much that we can't grasp. It is beyond us.
D. And yet God wants us to think of heaven! Great efforts are made in the Bible to describe it and make us want to go there.
E. Different ways word "heaven" is used in the Bible.
1. Original words in Hebrew & Greek carry the idea of the heights, "that which is above".
2. First, second, third heaven: 2 Cor. 12:2
a. first heaven: atmosphere where birds, clouds
b. second: where planets, stars, space we might say
c. third heaven: dwelling place of God, That's where Paul was taken
3. When we ask, "What is heaven like?" referring to 3rd heaven, dwelling place of saints.
F. Heaven is our eternal dwelling place
1. J.W.s will tell you one hope for 144,000, heaven, another hope, the earth for us
2. However, I Peter 1:3,4 says there is one hope
a. read vs. 3 "How many hopes do we have through the resurrection?"
i. Does is say living hopes, plural? no, a living hope, singular
b. Where is that hope? vs. 4
G. Rev. 21:1-7 Description: After the battle between good and evil we read in Rev. 21 of the home God has for his saints. Some think a description of church. I still think it refers to our eternal abode.
1. Symbolic language? yes, symbolic, but it gives us a bit of an idea of what heaven will be like.
H. Heaven is out of style: Ralph Knudson stated, "The twentieth century has been ever more devastating to the idea of heaven. The word "heaven" has been appropriated for many purposes, and used in connection wtih dreams, loves, lyrics and fiction until know it has been deprived of meaning for much of society."
1. Baseball player asked, what is your main goal, he answered "going to heaven"
a.He was asked, "You going to be playing a harp on a cloud huh?"
b. That's the concept most people have:
2. We talk about the need to respect the word "hell". To use it flippantly considered profanity. It is to profane something that should be respected.
4. Same thing can happen to heaven. Used in a profane way, thought of flippantly
I. For Christians, heaven deserves the greatest respect: Goal of life, every focus on it:
1. Hebrews 11 Great trials and tribulations that men and women of faith went through
a. Heb. 11:13-16 Not looking to play harps! Looking for something they knew existed. They had a hard time grasping all about it, but knew it was there.
J. In this lengthy introduction have established: heaven is a wonderful place, beyond our grasp to understand, It is the one hope of all faithful, God wants us to think of it, work towards it. Though world makes fun of it, profanes it, it should be motive for living for saints.
K. Now, what is heaven like? God knows it is beyond our grasp, yet gives us glimpses
I. FIRST WHAT IT IS NOT: Talk about misconceptions
A. Not a place of literal precious metals, mansions, etc. (Rev. 21:18)
1. 19-21 precious metals
2. Symbolic of the greatest beauty that can be imagined, yet symbolic
3. Amelio in New York City under world trade center: ant hill
a. If returned to El Salvador, would say like Ant hill
4. Would be a mistake to consider literal.
5. Materials are given to symbolize spiritual riches: Heaven will be spiritual riches.
6. Some of our songs dwell on the symbols almost to the point of sounding materialistic
a. "I wanna gold one that's silver lined" (perhaps not wrong if symbolism is emphasized, but doesn't sound)
B. Not a geographic location in the universe
1. Where is it, beyond which galaxie? Star magazine, heaven found by telescope
2. Russian cosmonaut: Didn't see heaven, "if stepped out of spacecraft w/o life support, would have seen it."
3. Spiritual existence, another dimension? Wrong to think in physical geographic terms.
C. Place where there will be services 24 hours a day
1. Boring preacher said: "if you don't like my sermons, you won't like heaven."
a. Heaven be listening to his sermons 24 hours a day? church services 24 hours a day? Sounds like the other place, more than heaven.
2. If you don't like to praise God here, you won't there either: but don't think it will be listening to sermons 24 hours a day.
II. WHAT IT WILL BE: Glimpses
A. Place with No tears, no pain (Rev. 21:4)
1. Attractiveness of this description not as keen with little suffering:
a. For many years, I have suffered very little
b. A few years ago I saw my wife suffer, made me think of heaven.
c. Suffering helps us put this life in perspective
i. If no sufferining, world pretty attractive place
ii. Suffering, makes you tired, this is not our home
d. Perhaps one reason God allows this pain
2. I want to go where there's no lupus, no cancer, no burns, no heart problems, no rheumatoid arthritis. Those who have suffered much in life, but in Christ, are now where there is no pain.
B. Place with No "takers" Everyone divided into 2categories: givers and takers: Heaven for givers
1. Takers cause all kinds of pain
a. In world: people on the job, bureaucrats, bosses, people at school.
b. In local congregations there are takers
c. In the "brotherhood"
2. Pain, caused by problems among brethren. Tired, fed up
3. Won't be that in heaven
4. Want to go where no fusses among brethren, no injustice at work, no merciless teasing at school.
C. Complete peace
1. Sense in which God gives us inner peace now in the kingdom
2. Still must battle Satan, battle temptations, battle false teachers
3. Want to go where I will be perfected, will not have to face difficulties caused by my lack of judgment. River of life
D. God's presence w/o measure
1. A sense in which He is with us now. And yet the Bible tells us that no one on this earth has seen God in the sense of knowing Him completely
2. Heaven, we'll be in His presence. We'll see Him
3. Paul Philippians 1:23,24 Thinking of benefits of living or dying
a. Wasn't going to purgatory, non existence, Going to be with the Lord
b. Illustration: boy on hot dusty bus going through Oklahoma. Everyone else, miserable, hot, dusty. He looking out happily at mile after mile of flat barren farmland as if he were looking at the garden of Eden. Woman asked Him, "Son aren't you hot? Isn't this hard on you?" He replied, "My Dad is waiting for me at the bus station."
4. Talk about something that can't be grasped!
III. How to increase our desire to go? How to feel it's pull more,
A. Suffer: Almost a prerequisite for going to heaven
1. Rom 8:16,17
2. How can we suffer? Go out and get people mad at us? May come to us, probably will, but we don't choose it.
a. There is a way we can choose to suffer
3. Serve others who are suffering
a. Visit sick, take food, show love
b. Their suffering will become your suffering
c. Gal. 6:2 "Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ"
d. Serve others with illness and burdens, love grows, their pain becomes our pain, their illness becomes ours, hurts, yet enriches us, makes us want to go to heaven.
e. Don't suffer? Share with those that do! Hospitals, nursing homes, widows
f. One of greatest faults, lack of sharing in others burdens
g. What are you going to do about it? Make resolution
B. Be confident that we are going:
1. Too many Christians, don't know if I'm going enough to make it
a. It's almost as if they wanted to sing, "We're marching, maybe, to Zion.
2. Think we often hear unbalanced preaching and teaching
a. 30-40 Years ago most sermons dealt exclusively with sin and punishment, need for works
i. necessary, afraid some have gone to extreme of never teaching on sin and punishment
b. result of exclusive emphasis on works and punishment, lots Christians, trying to do what's right, but constantly aware of areas where growth has not been as healthy as it should have been..
i. as a result, no confidence in heaven, therefore no longing for it, rather a fear of judgment
c. Is this what God wants? Absolutely not.
3. We not only need to hear about sin and punishment but Grace, mercy, clemency
a. Some have gone to extreme: Calvinism, no conditions, don't have to obey
4. Truth is, there are conditions: But the condition is not perfect understanding, instantaneous complete growth,
a. If such were true: no one would go
5. We can sum up the conditions of salvation into two:
a. Being in Christ.
i. Happens when as believers we are baptized into Christ (Gal. 3;26,27)
b. Growing in Christ (2 Peter 1:5-7)
i. Notice all these areas require growth
ii. Notice verse 8. the qualities must be in you to some degree, but must also abound! (growth)
c. I think that describes most in the audience: they are baptized into Christ, and trying to grow.
6. If that describes you, you should be confident of heaven
7. Your going, unless you plan to rebel and leave the Lord
8. Think on these things, be confident, that will make you want to go more.
C. Pray: We must constantly ask God to help us want to go to heaven, and block out distractions.
D. Sing w/ others about heaven
1. Earliest memories are as a little boy in Africa. Several families working together. Little TV or other entertainment. On evenings we would visit. Do two things: talk about news from States, our home, sing about it. When occasionally one would leave to return to the States, there would be tears because of temporary separation, but also plans of getting together back home in States.
a. One song sung, "I'm a pilgrim and I'm a stranger"
2. Brethren we need to turn off TVs in the evening, get together to talk more of home and sing of home. When from time to time someone leaves to return home, there will be tears, but we must be confident that the separation will be temporary. If we are in Christ we can look forward to getting together in that final home, where there will be no more tears, no more separation.
Concl. Are you going to heaven? On road there? Until you do, life will have no destiny for you. See this world for what it is. Seek a better one beginning this morning by obeying the gospel.