1 Sing in a three-part round: Heaven is a wonderful place Filled with glory and grace I want to see my Savior's face Heaven is a wonderful place I want to go there (Sing two more times) Next slide. What We Believe About Heaven 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (2) I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven-- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. (3) And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- (4) and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. The man in verse 2 is the Apostle Paul. He's writing about an event in his life that occurred 14 years earlier. Paul was caught up to the third heaven, where he heard things he could not talk about. Before we discuss the third heaven, we should mention the first and second heavens. The 1st heaven is the Earth's atmosphere. It is the air around us and the sky above us. The 2nd heaven is Outer space. The sun, moon, and stars are in the second heaven. We call them heavenly bodies. Together, the first heaven and the second heaven comprise what we call the heavens. The 3rd heaven is what we refer to as Heaven. In his body, in his spirit, or through a vision, Paul went to heaven. As we would expect, he heard amazing things. I wonder what he heard. I wonder who was talking. I wonder why he couldn t repeat what he heard. Can you imagine what that experience was like? How did it feel to be transported to heaven? What did heaven look like? What language was spoken? Did Paul hear with his ears or with his spirit? Inquiring minds want to know. Next slide. What does the Bible say about heaven?
2 First, heaven was 1. Created by God. In Revelation 14:7 an angel is speaking. The angel declared with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." In this verse and several others throughout the Scriptures, it is clear that God made heaven. I wonder what existed before God made heaven. I wonder where God was when he made heaven. I don't know the answers to those questions, but I know who created heaven. God did! Second, heaven is the 2. Dwelling place of God and Christ. Mark 16:19 says, "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." Long ago, Jesus willingly left heaven and came to Earth to become the sacrifice for our sins. God remained in heaven. After his resurrection, Christ ascended back to heaven and his former glory. Today, heaven is the dwelling place of God and Christ. God the Holy Spirit is everywhere, but the Bible speaks of God the Father and God the Son being in heaven. Third, heaven is 3. Under God the Father s lordship. Matthew 11:25 says, "At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children" Every kingdom needs a leader. God's kingdom is no exception. God is the Lord of heaven and Earth. Sometimes we act like we're the lords of Earth, but that's a prideful, false assumption. God doesn't dictate every detail and event, but ultimately he will shape history to his plan, because he is Lord of all. Heaven is under the lordship of God the Father. Fourth, heaven 4. Has a list of Christians names. Please listen to Luke 10:20. "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Someplace in heaven there are record books. One of the books is called The Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus is the Lamb who was sacrificed for our sins. The Book of Life is his book. If you believe that the Lamb died for your sins and rose from the dead, and if you confess that the Lamb is your Lord, your name is written in the Book of Life. Heaven contains a book that has a list. On the list is the name of each Christian. Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Fifth, heaven is the 5. Eternal home of Christians. John 14:2-3 reads, In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place
3 for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. The Father s house is heaven. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven, he began to prepare living quarters for his followers. One day, he s coming back to gather his followers and take us to live forever with him in heaven. I wish he would come back today. I want to see what Paul saw. I want to hear what Paul heard. I want to walk the streets of gold. I want to spend eternity in God s presence. I want to worship him with the angels and all the Christians who have ever lived. Are you his follower? If you aren t his follower, you will never see heaven. You will spend eternity separated from God in hell. Heaven is the eternal home for Christians. Sixth, heaven is the 6. Current Location of each Christian's future inheritance. 1Peter 1:3-4 tells us, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Years ago, Margy and I purchased some US Savings Bonds to fund part of Stephen s college education. Those bonds are kept for us in a family member s safe. The bonds are waiting for us to claim them. Because of God s mercy, he raised Jesus from the dead, so we could have an inheritance of eternal life. A Christian s inheritance is kept in heaven, waiting for her to arrive to claim it. If you re a Christian, your inheritance of eternal life is kept securely in heaven for you. It s protected. It s safe. It s secure. A Christian s inheritance is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, which is much more secure than the FDIC. If you re a Christian, heaven is the current location of your future inheritance of eternal life. Seventh, in heaven, 7. There is no marriage. Luke 20:34-35 says, And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In heaven the emphasis is not on each other. The focus is on God. Christians will be the bride of Christ, not married to each other. If a Christian woman were married to a Christian hus-
4 band who died, and then she married a second Christian husband, that won t present a problem in eternal life. There is no marriage in heaven. Eighth, in heaven, 8. There is indescribable music. Revelation 5:11 says, "Then I looked again, and I heard the singing of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders." Imagine the sound of thousands of millions of angels singing to God. Don Piper has been an ordained minister since 1985. He has authored a book titled 90 Minutes in Heaven. Mr. Piper died in an auto accident. He claims he went straight to heaven for at least 90 minutes, before coming back to life on Earth. At the point of death a light enveloped him. The light had brilliance beyond description. He was met in heaven by people he knew on Earth. They were smiling and praising God. He turned toward a more dazzling light. Each step toward the light, it became brighter. The light engulfed him, and he felt he was being ushered into the presence of God. Then, he heard indescribable music. It was the most beautiful and pleasant sound he had ever heard. He felt embraced by the sounds. He felt part of the music. As he moved closer to the light, he became part of the choir. This is part of Mr. Piper's experience. There is much more we could say about heaven if we had time. Let's conclude by reading the Bible's incredible description of heaven. I hope you will visualize heaven as I read. Next slide. What will heaven be like? There is no better description than the one in Revelation 21 and 22. Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Rev 21:5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
5 Rev 21:6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Rev 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Rev 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Rev 21:9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, Rev 21:11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. Rev 21:12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- Rev 21:13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Rev 21:15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. Rev 21:16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. Rev 21:17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. Rev 21:18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. Rev 21:19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, Rev 21:20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
6 Rev 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Rev 21:24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, Rev 21:25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. Rev 21:26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. Rev 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb Rev 22:2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev 22:3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. Rev 22:4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Rev 22:5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. That s what we believe about heaven. Let s pray. Last week we discovered that hell is a horrific place of eternal punishment. Today, we see that heaven is an amazing place of eternal reward. Eternity is a little like real estate. Location is very important. Where will you spend eternity? If you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you can avoid hell and spend eternity in heaven. You can come forward to do that as we sing.