A BETTER PLACE THAN HEAVEN
1 Jn. 2:28
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Tom and Matt were best of friends, they played football once a week for 50 years.
2. When they were getting older, they had an argument about whether people play football in heaven. So they agreed that whoever died first would let the other one know what happened in heaven.
3. After Matt died, he came to Tom in a dream and told him, “You were right! They do play football up here and not only that, they have your name for starting quarterback!”
4. “Oh wow!!! That’s great!!!” Tom replied. “Well,” replies Matt, “Not that great -- they have you playing tomorrow night!”
B. THESIS
1. Many of our favorite songs, like, “When We All Get To Heaven” capture our longing and desire to depart this life and be in heaven.
2. But tonight I want to challenge that longing. We’re going to look at what heaven is like, why Earth is the focus of attention, and why many heavenly Saints would rather be right down here with us, if they could.
3. The title of tonight’s message is, “A Better Place Than Heaven.”
I. WHAT WILL HEAVEN BE LIKE?
The Bible says, "To be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord" 2 Cor. 5:8.
A. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT HEAVEN
1. It is called Paradise (Luke 23:43;2 Cor. 12:1-4; Rev. 2:7) and is God's dwelling place (Deut. 26:15;1 Kgs 8:30, 39, 43, 49). It has real cities (Heb. 11:10-15; 13:14; Rev. 21:2, 9-27) and streets (Rev. 22:1-3). It has mansions (John 14:1-3) mountains (Rev. 14:1; Heb. 12:22-23; Zech. 6:1) and trees (Rev. 2:7; 22:1-3). It has places of worship (Rev. 3:12; 7:15; 11:19; 14:17; 15:5; 16:1, 17; Isa. 6:1), wonderful smells (incense; Rev. 8:3-5), rainbows (Rev. 4:3, 10:1), Rivers of water (Rev. 22:1).
2. It has books (Lk. 10:20; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 5:1; 13:8; 20:11-15; 22:19), tables (Lk. 22:30), furniture (Heb. 8:5; 9:23; Ex. 25:40), Fountains of waters (Rev. 7:17), musical instruments (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-14; 7:7-17; 14:1-5; 15:2-4; 19:1-10), & clothing (Dan. 7:9; 10:5; Matt. 28:3; acts 1:10; Rev. 4:4; 6:9-11; 7:9-17; 6:6; 19:8).
3. It has feasts (Lk. 22:16, 30), food (Rev. 2:7, 17; 22:1-3), drinks (Lk. 22:18; Rev. 7:17), bread (Ps. 78:24-25; Ex. 16; John 6:31), roast lamb (Lk. 22:16), fruits (Rev. 2:7; 22:2), hidden manna (Rev. 2:17), and animals (2 Kgs. 2:11; 6:17; Zech. 1:8, 10; 6:1-5; Rev. 19:11, 14, 21).
B. WE’LL BE REAL, PHYSICAL PEOPLE
1. We will have real physical bodies, wear clothing; have duties to perform, books to read, activities to attend; we’ll enjoy running, jumping, dancing, relaxing, singing. 2. Men (Elijah & Enoch) were taken to heaven and have lived there in their natural bodies for thousands of years(Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11).
C. HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF GREAT BEAUTY
1. Heaven will be more beautiful than anything we’ve ever experienced; “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for us.”
2. Streets of transparent gold, walls of precious stones, gates of pearl, rainbows, shekinah radiance, etc.,
3. But It will not be the pearly gates; nor the jasper walls, or the streets paved with gold, that will make it heaven to us.
D. TWO THINGS WILL MAKE HEAVEN “HEAVEN:”
1. OUR FAMILIES. There we’ll be reunited with our family members who’ve trusted Christ before us. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, children, great grandparents back to Adam. What a sweet reunion it will be! We’ll see our loved ones again!
2. PRESENCE OF GOD. But it won’t be the jasper walls and the pearly gates that will make heaven so sweet, BUT RATHER the presence of our wonderful Jesus Who loved us and gave Himself for us! And our heavenly Father who so loved us and gave up His only Son for us.
E. SUMMARY
1. So what could possibly be better than going to heaven? Nothing I can think of! Paul said, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Php. 1:23).
2. And YET THERE IS A BETTER PLACE, if you can accept it.
F. HUMOR: Qualifying for Heaven
1. Recently a teacher, a garbage collector, and a lawyer wound up together at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter informed them that in order to get into Heaven, they would each have to answer one question.
2. St. Peter addressed the teacher and asked, "What was the name of the ship that crashed into the iceberg? They made a movie about it."
3. The teacher answered quickly, "That would be the Titanic." St. Peter let him through the gate.
4. St. Peter turned to the garbage man and, figuring Heaven didn't *really* need all the odors that this guy would bring with him, decided to make the question a little harder: "How many people died on the ship?"
5. Fortunately for him, the trash man had just seen the movie. "1,228," he answered. "That's right! You may enter."
6. St. Peter turned a skeptical, unfavorable eye on the lawyer and then said, "Name the victims!
"
II. EARTH: FOCUS OF EVERYBODY’S ATTENTION
A. THE SAINTS LOOK ON
1. Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” The “witnesses” = Heb. 11 heroes.
2. All these saints are hanging over heaven’s banisters, watching our efforts to tell the world about Christ. They are the “great cloud of witnesses” who surround us in Olympic style grandstands and urge us on in the contest!
B. THE ANGEL’S FOCUS IS HERE
1. Hebrews 1:14, KJV, “Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
2. According to this verse, the Angels are "sent forth," from heaven, to minister to earthly believers (not referring to believers in heaven, who’ve already entered their reward), but to those whose inheritance is still in question.
3. Therefore, the central focus of the Angels as a whole, is not heaven, but is the terrestrial sphere -- the Earth -- and its inhabitants.
C. JESUS’ MISSION & INTERCESSION
1. Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” From all eternity Jesus’ Mission was to redeem mankind. Out of all of the universe, God’s attention is focused on an obscure corner of the Milky Way galaxy.
2. Jesus came during His earthly life to do the work of REDEMPTION. After He rose and ascended to heaven, Jesus reigns in heaven – BUT HIS ATTENTION IS STILL HERE!
3. Heb. 7:25, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Jesus’ current ministry of intercession is not focused on the past, but on those on the Earth now! WHY? BECAUSE…
D. ONLY THIS SPHERE IS STILL IN CONTENTION
1. Heb. 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
2. The fates of those in heaven and those in hell are already decided. They are either saved or damned. But those who are still in their natural bodies – they are still in peril/ jeopardy.
3. That's why THIS WORLD is the focus of heaven’s attention and the attention of hell! THIS world is the only location of new recruits for either, and the people around us will either populate heaven or hell. It’s up to US, which!
III. THE ONLY PLACE TO WORK FOR GOD
Another reason is that ONLY WHILE WE’RE HERE can we influence our PLACE, our STATUS and our POSITION in eternity.
A. NOW IS THE ONLY TIME TO DO GOOD
1. The believers in heaven now wish they could be back on Earth and live their lives differently. Now they can see all things clearly now they see that only while we're on Earth can we be a part of God's great work of redemption.
2. Once we’re in heaven, there's nothing more we can do to alter the future for good or to earn rewards. Your time on earth is a test. It is a period of preparation for eternity.
3. 2 Cor. 5:9, “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
B. PEOPLE IN HEAVEN: WAITING
1. People in heaven are WAITING for the Judgment Seat of Christ. Many of them have been in the presence of God for thousands of years, but they're still waiting.
2. Abraham for instance. He still hasn't entered his reward yet. If you die now, you'll be in heaven, but you too will find yourself waiting.
3. Many Bible teachers believe that if heavenly believers could, they would give almost anything to come back. Since they're in heaven, they can't do anything about their awards or their deeds that were done in the body.
4. They’re all finished; they can’t give any more tithes, they can't be kind anymore, they can't lead anyone to Christ. Their time of opportunity to work for Christ is over.
5. Their place, status, and position are set; but they don't know what that place will be.
C. POLAR OPPOSITES DUE TO VISION
1. We live in a world where people wish they could go to heaven. We have problems, bills, troubles, tiredness, and the anxieties.
2. But strangely, in heaven, the inhabitants are wishing they could be back where you are. They can do nothing but wait.
3. But you are in a better place because you are still in the sphere where you can take action, still live for God, repent of things you shouldn't have done, and begin to put God first and live in the light of eternity.
4. Nothing is so important for you now as to live your life in the will of God. Your wholly eternity will be based on your relationship to God in this present life.
D. WISH TO BE UNASHAMED
1. The Apostle John says, “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” 1 Jn. 2:28.
2. John says that it is possible for a believer to be ashamed. There will be Saints at the Judgment Seat of Christ which will be ashamed because they only lived their lives to please themselves.
3. They were unfaithful servants as stewards of the Master and will shrink back and want to hide from His presence. They will be ashamed of what they did on Earth.
E. WORKS TRIED BY FIRE
1. Paul said, “10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” 1 Cor. 3:10-15.
2. I don't want to hear you say someday, "I wish I had lived my life differently!" That's why you're in a better place now -- because you can still do something about it!
3. You can still help out in church, love your wife and kids, help the needy, reach out to the lost.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. We’ve all had experiences with waiters/waitresses who were aloof, too busy, or acted like they weren’t there to serve us, but WE were lucky that they were willing to!
2. Then there's been the times when a waiter has attended to our every need, been courteous, kept our glasses full, made suggestions, and smiled.
3. With waiters who exceed expectations, when it comes time to give the tip, even a stingy tipper can't help but want to really bless the waiter.
4. So it is with God. When He's sees that you've done your best, you can bet that He is going to lavish a whopping tip on you, because He loves a cheerful giver!
B. THE CALL
1. Paul could say at the end of his life, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Can we say that -- “I have done the will of God’ for my life?”
2. Why don’t we make a commitment tonight to change the way we’re conducting our lives.
3. Let’s repent of our sins and selfishness, and pledge to begin living our lives in the light of eternity, so that on the day we stand before Jesus, we will hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”
4. Prayer.
[This msg borrowed some points in section 3 from Gene Lingerfelt’s msg of the same name.]
