Getting A Piece Of Land In Heaven

Building Your Eternal Dream Home Series

Getting a Piece of Land in Heaven

John 14:1-6; Mark 8:34

Jan. 6, 2008 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction

A Today, one of the ways to get land is for someone to leave it to you in their will (family member).

1 Someone has to die to give you land

2 Jesus died so you & I could have “land” in heaven

B Jesus talked about heaven as a real place (not a figment of imagination).

1 Heaven is the place where God dwells, & where Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father.

2 Heaven is described as...

a A kingdom ...for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. 2 Peter 1:11 (NASB)

b An inheritance ...to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you...1 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

c A country But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:16 (NASB)

d A city (Heb. 11:16)

e A home In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 (NASB)

C Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said* to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:1-6 (NASB)

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Mark 8:34 (NASB)

I Heaven is a real place

A When we read Jesus’ talking about heaven, He’s not speculating what heaven is like (He’s talking in certainties).

1 When I tell you about Odin (my hometown) I’m not speculating on what Odin is like.

a I know every alley, house, shop, driveway, street, home, who lives where, what happened where...it’s my hometown.

b Heaven is Jesus’ hometown (not Galilee, Nazareth, or Bethlehem).

2 There are many dwelling places (NASB), mansions (KJV), rooms (NIV) in the Father’s house.

a There’s a place for us to stay, & there’s plenty of rooms.

b Some folks believe (perhaps in error) that faithful saints get mansions, and worldly saints get little cottages or shacks.

c If Jesus had prepared you a place, it’s beautiful!

B D.L. Moody preached his last crusade on Nov. 16, 1899, got sick & returned to his home in Northfield, IL. On Nov. 19 he climbed the steps to his room...never to leave it again (congestive heart failure).

1 Dec. 22, Moody is surrounded by family with son Will at his side: “I see Earth receding, heaven is approaching, God is calling me.”

a Will thought Dad was dreaming, tried to wake him. “This is no dream, Will. It’s beautiful. It’s like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here.”

b About a year before, two grandchildren had died, & as if Moody saw beyond the veil: “Dwight! Reeve! I see the children’s faces. No pain, no valley. If this is death then it’s not bad at all. It’s bliss. This is my triumph. This is my coronations day!”

2 Aren’t you glad heaven’s real?

C Heaven’s not for everybody

1 Heaven is an exclusive place, a gated community.

a Jesus didn’t just teach, point the way to heaven.

b He is the way!

aa Good works, religions, giving, baptized...no exceptions!

bb Except through Jesus! (Jesus died to give me land in heaven!)

2 I go by subdivisions, piece starting at $125,000. Think, I’d give my eyetooth, left arm to live there.

a Jesus hasn’t asked for my eyeteeth or my left arm...

b And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. Mark 8:34 (NASB) He asked for all of me!

II The cross is also a real place