47. Heaven: Now And Forever
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
General: Shooting at ALCS… in days like these, it’s common to ask about Heaven.
Personal: What is Heaven? Is it just wishful thinking? Is it the place we go after we die? If Heaven wasn’t real, would it make any difference in how we live our lives? How does the reality of Heaven help us make sense of the reality of brokenness in the world around us? Does God even exist? And if so, why doesn’t he do something about the evil that plagues our world?
Theological: God does exist and Heaven is real. And the reality of Heaven shows us that God will bring judgment against the evil in the world. Heaven gives us a hope that the world will never know apart from Christ. The world’s narrative paints a dismal, dark, and hopeless planet destined for extinction. But the Bible tells us that this life is not all there is, and death is not the end. Our world is not destined for extinction. We have a hope and a future.
Subject: What will Heaven be like? And why does it matter?
Part 1: What will Heaven be like?
Part 1: What will Heaven be like?
Heaven will be here. God’s kingdom is coming to earth.
Exposition
Revelation 21:1-3…
Heaven is not eternal retirement… the perfect golf course in the sky… the perfect hunting range in the sky…
As Christians, we’re not escapists. We won’t spend eternity in bathrobes at the spa, or floating on the clouds with little harps and halos.
We’re not going anywhere. Heaving is coming to us. Heaven is not “Heaven” because of where it is but who is there: God.
Revelation 21:4-8… Benefits of living with God.
Illustration: When my kids ask if we’ll be able to do something Heaven, I always respond with a question: “What do you mean by Heaven?”
Application: Heaven is not some far-off other-worldly place where we escape the trials of this world someday after we die. Heaven is this world as God intended it to be and as God is remaking it to become… Why is that important? Because it means this world matters.
Heaven will be more than we can imagine. God’s kingdom is more than our minds can comprehend.
Revelation describes Heaven as a magnificent city.
Revelation 21:9-11… The city is a symbol of God’s people.
Revelation 21:12-14… The gates and foundations are symbols of the Old and New Testaments.
Revelation 21:15-17…
1,400 miles is longer than the distance from New York City to Miami. The city is 1,400 miles east to west, 1,400 miles north to south, and 1,400 miles straight up (outer space is at 62 miles above sea level).
12 foundations could mean 12 levels or layers. One layer is 1.96 million square miles—over half the size of the continental U.S.
If the city is populated at the current population density of Chicago, that means one layer could hold 23.5 billion people.
Revelation 21:18-21… Why this detail? To show that the city is more glorious and beautiful than anything we could imagine.
Revelation 21:22-27… Heaven is more than just this city.
Heaven isn’t a church service that lasts for eternity. Heaven isn’t eternal retirement. We don’t turn into angels. We don’t become divine little-g gods. We’re not sipping drinks with our toes in the sand forever.
The end of the Bible is only the beginning of eternity. God’s original design for the world is restored. There will be nations and rulers and governments in Heaven. We’ll live and build and work. Musicians will write songs. Artists will paint and authors will write. Architects will design buildings and contractors will build them.
Revelation 22:1-5… People will cook, eat, and create culture—all without the curse of sin… And the most amazing thing about Heaven is that we will see God face to face.
Heaven will be inhabited by the people who want to be there. Anyone who wants to become a citizen of God’s kingdom can.
Exposition
A lot of people ask, “How can a loving God send people to hell?” That’s the wrong question. The right question is, “Why would a loving God force someone to be a citizen of Heaven against their will?”
Revelation 22:10-11… We live out of our hope. If our hope is in evil things, we will live evil lives. If our identity is in Jesus, we will live righteous lives. Evil is the reward for evil and holiness is the reward for holiness… and we have the freedom to choose.
Revelation 22:17… God will not force anyone to be a citizen of Heaven who doesn’t want to be there. But God freely welcomes everyone who comes to Jesus. No one who comes to Jesus will be denied.
Illustration: Every nation has a path to citizenship for those who want to become citizens. The Kingdom of Heaven is no different.
Application: John 1:10-12… The path to citizenship in Heaven.
Believe what the Bible says about Jesus: He is God and King.
Receive Jesus as your God and King: He is my God and King.
Go and be who you are in Christ: A child of God and a citizen of Heaven.
Song: In Christ Alone
Song: In Christ Alone
Part 2: So what?
Part 2: So what?
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Jesus’s invitation is not just: “Follow me and you can go to Heaven when you die,” but: “Follow me, and I will send you out to be Heaven in a world that is broken and dying and desperately in need of hope.”
Song: Go Tell It On the Mountain
Song: Go Tell It On the Mountain
