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
A Jesus hadn’t yet been crucified...what cross?
1 Death on a cross was the Roman execution for dangerous criminals
a Criminals carried their cross (submission to Rome)
b (IL) Picking switch for Grandpa to whip me. Submitting was tough, tougher than the whipping.
2 Crucifixions were (are) about submission
a When a criminal was crucified, submitted to Rome; Jesus crucified submitted to the Father; when we are crucified we are submitting to Jesus.
b Crosses weren’t built for comfort, but for submission.
a Deny yourself-taking up cross-following Jesus...not always comfortable!
b The way of the cross leads home!
B We can handle the journey because we know where we’re going!
1 ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 (NASB) Jesus did
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 (NASB) Paul did
2 When we carry our cross...we’re following Jesus!
Conclusion
A In the 1950’s, five young men at Wheaton College felt God calling them to take the gospel to the most remote tribesmen in South America, the Auca Indians of Ecudor.
1 Took families, moved to Ecuador
a Sadly, the first encounter with the Auca led to their death. Warriors ambushed them & killed them with spears.
b News spread worldwide. How?
2 Jim Elliot’s wife, Elisabeth, was approached by a family friend several months after Jim’s funeral, "How do you deal with the way Jim died? How do you handle it?"
a "The young widow looked him in the eye and with little hesitation replied, ‘My Jim didn’t die in the jungle that day." At first the friend thought Elisabeth was in denial about her husband’s death. ‘No,’ she continued, ‘Jim did not die in the jungle. My Jim died one night in high school, when he knelt by his bed in prayer. He had told the Lord, ‘Jesus, if You did all this for me, there is nothing I can do for you that will ever repay the debt I owe. I commit myself here and now to go wherever You want me to go and do whatever you want me to do. I’m Yours, do with me what you please.’ She paused, looked at their friend and said, ‘That’s where my Jim died!’" Charisma magazine, pg. 83, Vol. 32, Num. 1
b How’s God going to change this city, churches, countries?
aa Not with slicked-up services, Christian music, programs
bb He will do it through Christians who are living like they’re already dead.
c Brings boldness, confidence-makes us dangerous.
B Take out the cross you were given when you came in this morning (hold it with your head bowed).
1 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Gal 2:20 (NASB)
a Heaven’s real, so it your cross
b Are you ready to lay down your life, take up your cross, and follow Jesus?
aa Dead people don’t have rights to argue about and no reputations to defend.
bb When we begin to bring our life into submission to God, look out...the battle will turn, and the devil better look out.
cc Time, treasure, talent-nail it.
2 Think about heaven, there is a cross in the road-yours.
a Tough times: heaven is yours! Write your name as a claim to this promise.
b Areas unsubmitted: write your name as an act of submission
c Healing: write your name claiming the blood of cross/stripes
d Saved: write your name identifying with the Lamb of God
3 As you hold that cross, pray with me.
a Elliot’s prayer: ‘Jesus, if You did all this for me, there is nothing I can do for you that will ever repay the debt I owe. I commit myself here and now to go wherever You want me to go and do whatever you want me to do. I’m Yours, do with me what you please.’
b Write your name
4 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38 (NASB) I’m not ashamed
a Come forward, leave your cross here, we’re going to put it in the front lawn for a month.
b Stop & pray, "I’m not ashamed."
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Mike Fogerson
