How Much Do You Think About Heaven? Series

Introduction

I believe that few Christians give serious thought to heaven. I am sure that we would think about heaven if we were close to death, or we might think about heaven if we are attending a funeral of someone. But, in our day to day lives, with the rush pace of life that we live under, I don't believe many Christians give heaven much thought.

Phillip Yancey, who is a well-known Christian author, wrote, "Although [most] of us believe in an afterlife, no one much talks about it. Christians believe we will spend eternity in a splendid place called heaven . . . isn't it a little bizarre that we simply ignore heaven, acting as if it doesn't matter?"

The truth is the more you know and think about heaven the more it will influence how you live your life on earth. There lived a king named Solomon who was known for his wisdom everywhere, and he says this in Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NKJV) 2 Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; And the living will take it to heart.

And what Solomon is telling us is that what is one the other side of this life should be shaping our lives now. We ought to give serious thought to heaven; and if we do, it will change how we live our life on earth.

And so, for the next few minutes, I was to give some serious thought about heaven.

Point #1

Thinking about heaven ought to remind us that we are not going to live here on earth forever.

Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

How do you feel when you come across a Scripture like "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass"? Or, how about this Scripture from the Epistle of James. "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." And here is my favorite: Psalm 39:4 (NIV) 4 "Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.

There can only be two responses when I discover that life is short.

I can set out to waste my life. And let me tell you how you waste your life. You do everything that God tells you not to do. During Jesus' earthly ministry, He told us what He considers wasting your life knowing life here on earth is short.

Working your whole life storing up treasures on earth and neglecting storing up treasures in heaven. Let me put this in the simplest of terms: if you are letting your work interfere with your relationship with God, you are wasting your life. I don't believe in all my years of ministry that I heard a person on their death bed tell me: I wish I could put in another 20 hours of work before I go. I have heard, I wish I had done more about my relationship with God while I had the opportunity.

Spend your life seeking the praise of men rather than the praise of God. In John's Gospel, Jesus made an example of the Pharisees as people who sought out the praise of men rather than the praise of God. They would have bells on the bottom of their garments so they could be heard going to make their offering. Jesus says those who are serious about the praise of God don't make public display of what they are doing for God. It is a private matter between them and God.

Allowing your possessions to control you rather than God being in control of your life. Jesus told a story about a farmer who had a bumper crop. This farmer's field yielded so much produce that he had nowhere to store it. So, he decided to build bigger barns. And Jesus says about him that man is a fool because today God requires his soul. And let me tell you from personal experience your possessions can control your life. How many of you have missed church, missed a family gathering, or fail to show up on time for an appointment because one of your possessions required your attention?

2. I can set out to make my life count for Jesus. Simply put living a life that counts is living the way that God instructed us to live from His Word. And if I do that, people will see Christ in me which Paul says should be the goal of every Christian. Philippians 1:20 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.