Heaven Part Four

A Many have given up hope on the earth every getting better, but God has not.

1 God has not given up on His original creation!

a When God created the universe He said it was “very good” (Gen. 1.31). Never has He renounced His claim!

b Often we think God is going to destroy the earth, abandon His original plan/design for Eden, and start over by implementing a new plan in an unearthly heaven.

aa We mistakenly think He created the world but things went wrong so He’s got to scrap it, start over. He’s lost this one. This one failed.

bb This thought reflects a weak theology of God.

c God has a magnificent plan & He will not surrender Earth to the dust bin/incinerator.

aa Ps. 24.1; God has the title deed to the earth, He owns it . . . He will not give over one square inch of the universe to His enemies.

bb Jesus didn’t die so just a few of us could avoid hell, or make the best of a bad situation . . . He died so that mankind, Earth, & universe would be renewed, restored.

cc Acts 3.21

2 “Re” is a part of biblical vocabulary that we’ve failed to grasp the full concept of even if we are familiar with it. (Restore, renew, return, recover, redeem, regenerate, resurrect)

a The concept suggest a return to an original condition that was ruined or lost.

aa Redemption means to buy back what was formerly owned.

bb reconciliation means reestablish/restore a prior friendship/unity.

cc renewal means to make new again or restoring to an original state.

dd resurrection means becoming physically alive again, after death!

b The concept suggests a return to an original condition that was ruined or lost!

B We are familiar with the first idea I’ll share this morning, Bodily resurrection.

1 IL. Several years ago, a mom & dad got the news their son had died in the line-of-duty. Planned funeral, and then got a second visit, It was not their son but a young man with the same name who had been killed.

a Because of the grief the mistake caused, the military flew the boy home. (Big day! Band, red carpet, he was the first one out of the plane.)

aa He stood @ the top of the stairs looking, mom had all she could stand, threw her flowers down, and ran up those stairs, kissed her boy . . . welcome home!

bb What a home coming, but it is nothing compared to the homecoming we will experience one day.

b The date of the homecoming is only known by God (Matt. 24.36).

aa At an appointed time, those with the Lord now will return with Him, as their bodies will be resurrected and joined with their spirits/souls to form an immortal body.

bb Those of us who are alive on this day (Rapture), will be changed in a moment fo time, and we will be caught up to meet the departed saints in the air.

cc 1 Thess. 4.16-17.

2 Gen 2.7

a Adam wasn’t a “living being” until the Spirit/Soul & Body were joined together, dust & breath came together.

b God intended bodies to last as long as our souls!

c The essence of humanity isn’t just spirit, but spirit joined with body.

aa Until then, we will never be all that God created us to be until soul & body are combined.

bb Job understood this in Job 19.26

d Jesus died not only to save our souls, but our body too.

3 When you die, part of you goes to heaven/part goes in the grave.

a My body is not the only thing that God is going to resurrect - - because my body isn’t the only thing touched & polluted by sin. Whatever sin has touched, polluted, God will redeem & cleanset

b If redemption does not go as far as the curse of sin is found, then God has failed.

aa God is not going to give the Devil an inch of the universe.

C The New Earth is the Old Earth restored.

1 Peter preached that Christ, “For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.” Acts 3:21 (NLT)

a What’s going to be restored? Everything!!! Where?

aa This wasn’t Peter’s idea because it was preached by the prophets centuries before He did.

bb Is. 11.9-10: 65.17, 66.22; Ps 102.15-16, Habakkuk 2.14.

cc The prophets were concerned about the land, Jerusalem, & the earth they walked on!

b They believed Messiah would come from heaven to earth not to take us to heaven but to restore Earth to what He intended so He can live with us here forever!