Title: Will you fit in to heaven?
Theme:
Text: Matthew 13:33
“The kingdom of heaven is like” uses 8 times by Matthew
Leaven is a symbol of sin
Introduction
I read a statistic last Sunday from a poll done by George Barna, reputable research agency. Polling people in America they found that 93% of people believed in heaven, 71% believed that they would go to heaven while only 17% believed they would go to hell if they were to die.
Now what intrigued me the most is that 7 in 10 believe they were going to heaven yet I wonder what kind of heaven they were going to. I think this is important. The Bible talks a lot about heaven. Over 500 times we see a reference or mention of heaven in the Bible. So if there was an authority on heaven then it would have to be the Bible.
Yet I don’t believe that these have a Biblical concept of heaven. So I have titled this message, “Will you fit in to heaven?” I think that is a good question to ask. The Bible talks about certain characteristics that make up this place called heaven. So I ask you if you don’t live a Biblical Christian life here on earth what makes you think you will fit into heaven.
Or if you are one of those who believe that because you are a good person. Maybe you don’t lie on your taxes, or you give to the needy, or you don’t “drink, smoke, and chew and hang around with those who do” because of all this you feel you will make it into heaven, I must ask you that same question “Will you fit in?” I want to not just five things that the Bible says are in heaven, let us see if we will be comfortable.
Heaven a place of Safe Deposits
Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Heaven is a place where we are laying up our treasures.
The Bible says that heaven is a place of holiness
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Here we read that to see God, or to be with God in heaven we must be holy. We have live a life of holiness.
Holiness basically means to be set apart from this world.
This is what Paul was saying in Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
NIV Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
Another translation reads, Message “So here what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well formed maturity in you.”
A candidate for heaven will be one who is in white robes
It is interesting that in Revelation 7:14 those who are in heaven that came from earth are referred to as ones who “have washed their robes, and made them white”.
John inquired of those standing before the throne, “And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14 AV)
In the glorious days of old Rome all those who were applicants for office wore white robes. They were called candidates because clothed in white, as the word literally means. Candidates for Heaven are known by the garments unspotted from the world. Let me ask you, “Have you ‘washed your robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb”.
If not then if God were to let you in to heaven you would feel very uncomfortable. You would look around with all those who are wearing their white robes and all you have on is what you are. Oh let me tell you friend what you have and what you can do and the works that you might do will never allow you and entrance into a holy heaven.
In Psalms 15 the David ponders the question of who can become a heavenly citizen and then answers it.
1 <> LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in your holy hill?
2 (a) He who walks uprightly(honestly),
(b) and works righteousness (looking for what is right),
(c )and speaks the truth in his heart(truthfulness of
heart),.
3 (d) He who does not backbite with his tongue (no gossip), nor does evil to his neighbour, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend (no reproach from man).
4 (e) In whose eyes a vile person is despised; but he honors those that fear the LORD(careful in his own company).
(f) He who swears to his own hurt, and does not change (faithful to his promises).
5 (g) He who does not put out his money to usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent (merciful in his dealings).
(h) He who does these things shall never be moved (established in his faith and character.)
Heaven is the eternal presence of almighty God
Not only is heaven a place of holiness but heaven is also a place where God’s eternal presence dwells. So heaven is about spending eternity in the presence and the power of God.
I believe this will be the greatest joy and comfort of heaven. Yet it will also be the greatest sorrow of hell. Both places are about eternity, one is eternal death and another is eternal life.
Jesus often spoke of heaven as being “inheriting eternal life”. Real life means being with the father.
So how can people talk of going to heaven when while here on earth they to great pains to avoid the presence of God. Try inviting some of these same people who believe their good works will get them to heaven to church.
It is also a place where the Jesus dwells
John 14:1 ¶ "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And 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.
Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
Stephen in Acts 7:54 ¶ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
Heaven is worship
The book of Revelation, also could be called a revelation of heaven, is full of times and pauses for the praise of God.
Revelation 4:8 describes the four beasts who did not rest day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
The same vision that Isaiah saw in Isaiah 6. An eternal praise of the Lord.
One of my favorite passages of praise is found in Rev. 5:11
Revelation 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Revelation 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Speaking of the saints from the earth Revelation 14:3 says And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Heaven will be a place of eternal worship of an almighty God who is worthy to be praised.
There will even come a time that not only the saints of God but “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
What is worship? It is showing worth ship to an almighty God. It is setting him at the right place in your life. In your home life, in your work life, in your spiritual life. Worship comes from the heart. This is what Jesus was saying when he said that the father is seeking those who will worship him in “spirit and in truth”. Worship is from the inside out not the outside in.
So if we have a hard time worshiping God here on earth what will we do for eternity. Will we really fit in?
Conclusion
There are so many things that make up what we think about heaven. No more pain, no more tears, no more worries and no more fears. A new body, a new soul, a new life and no more growing old. Meeting old friends, making new friends, asking eternal questions and finally getting an answer. Maybe you have a loved one who has gone on to be with the Lord. Oh what a grand reunion that will be.
Yet my greatest joy will have to be to meet Jesus and bow personally and sincerely at his feet.
These are things we look forward to. I believe there are things that we practice here are earth that will be the same as we get to heaven. If we have a hard time with holiness and separation from this world here on earth then we may not fit into heaven. If we have a hard time being in God’s presence here on earth then we may not fit into heaven. If we have a hard time with worship here on earth will we truly fit into heaven.
