Life after death: Heaven
Introduction: Last week may have been gloomy but today is a cheerful day. Don Piper, the author of '90 minutes in heaven' said “heaven is a buffet for the senses. It is a sensory explosion.” I have great news for you this morning church. . . Heaven is for real! How many of you have read that book?
Colton Burpo captured America's attention when His father, Todd Burpo, a Nebraska Pastor, shared his incredible testimony of his son's breathtaking experience after he survived an emergency surgery for an infection caused by a burst appendix. Among many things that little Colton told his father, was that Jesus had markers. His father Todd asked “where are his markers?” then the 4 year old pointed at his hands and feet. He later said “Dad, you used to have a grandpa named Pop, didn't you?” His father was taken back and muttered “uh..ya” Colton then said: “He is really nice – you used to play with him as a kid and work with him on the farm and shoot stuff with him.” Todd then said, “How did you know that!?” “He told me” said young Colton. If that was enough, one of the more amazing parts of their testimony is when Sonja, Colton's mother was paying bills and managing the finances at the table when Colton kept saying “I have 2 sisters” “I have 2 sisters” he kept saying it over and over. Finally getting his mothers attention, she said “What do you mean you have 2 sisters” Colton said “You had a baby die in your tummy” Intrigued how he would know such a thing, Sonja inquired again “How do you know you have 2 sisters” “because she told me” Colton said plainly. He then informed his mother that his unborn sister kept hugging him in heaven and now she waits for her family to join her there.
Oh what great comfort we have in the hope of Heaven. There will be many children that died too soon, (at least too soon for us) that will greet their mother and father at the gates of Heaven never to be separated again. Picture a heart that was broken due to an untimely death, being mended in an instant, as that child in heaven picks a rose, a symbol of their memory that was carried on earth and although it was separated from the ground in heaven, it will never die, and as they bring it over, they say softly, “Welcome home. Welcome to the land . . . where the roses never fade.”
As we get older we realize we have more friends in heaven than we have on earth. We will see our loved ones again. Do you remember when you cried at the funeral home when they allowed you to view the body one last time? And at the funeral, how your mind was vexed? Remember the regret of “what could've been”, the pain of “what should've been” and the loss of “what would've been” grieved your soul, completely? Well take solace, because on your last day here, as you slip out of your temporal body and into eternity, when you stand before the Lord, you will be surrounded like a warm blanket by those familiar voices once again.
You have spent far too many days dwelling in an unwelcome land. Like someone who goes to a national convention from a small town or like ole' coach, who went to convention, from a small university, unknown and unappreciated, you feel as if 'everybody knows everybody, but nobody knows me'. But in Heaven, All God's children belong! We belong to one another! The Lord belongs to us! And (praise God) We belong to him! While on earth, we are indeed strangers in a strange land, but when we cross over to life after death, we will see the son that rose from the dead. One sweet day, you will know everyone and everyone will know you. Everyone will be a perfect friend, in perfect love, in perfect fellowship. O what a glorious day! If you say “That is pie in the sky!” Don't blame me. Look into your bible and then look into the sky and blame God because He is the one who put it in his word! Let me show you:
Scripture: “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.” -Jn 14:2
Transition: D.L. Moody once said “we talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance to those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.” We read that Jesus goes to prepare “a place” for us. So let's see this morning, what kind of place it is.
I. Heaven is a Hiding Place
Bryan Jeffery Leech helps us grasp the meaning of divine security in his poem 'The Hiding Place'
In a time of trouble in a time of forlorn,
there is a hiding place where hope is born.
There is a hiding place, a strong protective space.
Where God provides the grace to persevere
For nothing can remove us from the Father's love,
Tho' all may change, yet nothing changes here.
In a time of sorrow, in a time of grief,
there is a hiding place to give relief.
In a time of danger, when our faith is proved,
There is a hiding place, where we are loved.
There is a hiding place, a strong protective space,
Where God provides the grace to persevere;
For nothing can remove us from the Father's love
Tho' all may change, yet nothing changes here.
In a time of weakness, in a time of fear.
There is a hiding place where God is near.
-Bryan Jeffery Leech (The Hiding Place)
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” - Psalm 27:5
Every time we are in danger we run to our hiding place. Some run to their hiding place of family or friends, some run to their hiding place of wealth, others run to the hiding place of false doctrines, false prophets, false gods- But for the one who ran to Jesus, he found the only true security there is.
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” -Psalm 32:7
Heaven is eternal security – On earth you fought depression, you battled sickness, illness, & disease, you struggled with rudeness, impatience, anguish, inferiority, and pride. You fought hard to crucify the flesh, you wrestled temptation and you warred against sin. And God has seen it all, and in heaven, you will never need to fight anymore. You are safe and secure from all evil, all harm, all pain, all worry, all doubt, all fear, all darkness, all confusion, & all stress! Imagine a place where you no longer have to fear for your child, or for your spouse, or for your parents, or for yourself.
We call this building, the sanctuary. A sanctuary is defined in the dictionary as a a safe place or a place of refuge. In the old testament, if a person accidentally took another person's life they could flee to a sanctuary city to escape vigilantes and stay there until a judge would hear their case. Some day, we will flee from a hateful and hostile world, and then we find that secret mansion beyond the clouds, we will take heavenly refuge in that great sanctuary city, the New Jerusalem.
Heaven is our hiding place from darkness. There are no shadows in Heaven. There is no darkness in Heaven. Hell may be outer darkness but in heaven there is nothing but light. “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for ever and ever.” -Rev. 22:5 There will not be a sun or a moon because the glory of God himself will shine everywhere.
In Heaven there is no death. You can take a microscope and scour over every field and you will not find a single spot of brown in any blade of grass because not even the slightest hint of death or dying is in Heaven. Because to be in heaven is to be in Jesus and to be in Jesus is to be in eternal life.
Transition: Heaven is not only a hiding place it is also a dwelling place
II. Heaven is a Dwelling Place
A dwelling place is a home. Jesus prepares for us a new home, a heavenly home. If you visit a family member out of state you are honored when they prepare a guest room with new furniture and since they knew you liked a certain food, the refrigerator was stocked with it, they knew you enjoyed a certain hobby so they prepared a special day for it. It wasn't just the things you enjoyed but the thought that someone would think so much of you that they prepared it for you. You will be astonished, caught in utter amazement, to see the thoughtful preparation that God put into your home. You marvel how this and that joy was prepared for you – because Jesus thought of you – and prepared the perfect place that He knew that you would enjoy. God created us – he knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves. He not only knows what will give us happiness but He knows what will give us the most happiness.
We often say “will you save a place for me?” Someone will save us a seat in the theater or they will save us a seat on the bus, or they will save us a seat in a restaurant. The LORD not only saves us a seat at his table but He goes away to prepare a place for us to dwell in. And if He goes to prepare a place for us – it will not be second rate it will be impossible to be excelled – God who spoke the world into being in a moment now is taking his time to prepare a place for you. You will have the best of the best and lots of it and an eternity to enjoy it.
If the prodigal son came home to see his father prepare the fatted calf, and he came home to singing and dancing. He was given the golden ring and the best robe. And when we go to heaven we don't go as prodigals but as the bride prepared for her husband. Each person He created is different and each mansion will be different to their desired taste.
Ill. I read a story of a good woman, who asked her husband, when she was dying, “My dear, do you think you will know me when you and I get to heaven?” He said “why, I have always known you while I have been here, and do you think I shall be greater fool when I get to heaven?” (Spurgeon Sermons: Heaven & Hell)
Good answer. Of course we will know our loved ones in Heaven! Our individuality will not be lost there. Every Israelite had his lot in Canaan and every elder had his own seat (Rev. 4:4) There are many mansions, for many children of God. And there is one for you, if you want it? He assures us “If it were not so, I would have told you.” It is impossible for Him to lie (Heb. 6:18) because He IS the Truth (Jn.14:6) Jesus is truth personified and glorified. If He said there are “many mansions” then that is exactly what He means. There is a place for us to live and dwell forever
Ill. An anonymous writer, wrote about an American's visit to the Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim:
Astonished to see that the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table, and a bench, the tourist asked,
“Rabbi, where is your furniture?”
“Where is yours?” replied the rabbi
“Mine?” asked the puzzled American. “Well I'm just a visitor here. I'm only passing through.”
Hoffetz Chaim then said “So am I”
(Christopher News Notes)
Don't get too comfortable here, church, remember we are only passing through. And although we are merely passing through, it doesn't mean that we are to sit back and do nothing until we get there. C.S. Lewis said “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in, aim at earth and you will get neither.” We don't live for what is below, we live for what is above. All of our treasures are in heaven not on earth. Spurgeon was once asked by one of his students “will those who never heard the gospel be saved?” He replied “the more relevant question is 'can those who have the gospel and never share it, be saved'?”
There is a reason we are still here and not there. If our purpose on earth had expired so would our life. God has you here for a reason. The harvest may be plentiful but the workers are few. Jesus said “..All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey every thing I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt. 28:18-20 We should disciple, baptize, and teach. We should have our own part in doing this somehow.
C.S. Lewis also said “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Amen, to that! Do you ever feel this way? Even as a Christian, do you notice your desires can not be satisfied? You feel some measure of dissatisfaction, like something is missing? That's because it is, you are missing home. You are homesick. Like the apostle, you long to depart and to be with Jesus. This world wears us out. It does cause us trouble (Jn. 16:33) It makes us tired.
Transition: I know you are tired, but we are promised a harvest if we do not grow weary in doing good. Which makes heaven even better because..
III. Heaven is a Resting Place
“I say to you that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 8:11
We are told here that we will 'sit down' after being told to 'stand firm'
We “..stand firm in the faith..” I Cor. 16:13,
“after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then...” Eph. 6:13, 14
As our reward for standing firm we will get to sit down. There will be an eternal retirement some day. We will no longer have to stand firm but will sit down. Like the desert craves rain, the hard worker craves rest. This especially sounds good to all those that have to drag themselves out of bed early every morning, only to work in the hot sun or freezing cold. They earn their families groceries the hard way; by the sweat of their brow and the soreness in their back and arms. They work the fields, they work construction, they work in carpentry, they work in dirty & drafty warehouses or garages. They swing an ax or a hammer all day long. And at the end of the day, they come home to rest and think surely there is something better than this? Surely there is a more peaceful, more restful place than this?
Or what about the man who works in a small cubicle all day long, where life is so monotonous and predictable and the pressure from the consumer is only matched by his supervisor – it grinds your mind and wearies your soul. You long to have just one nights rest. Because you come home too tired to sleep, but you must sleep because in a few hours you must go back to work again. What great hope the working Christian has in that heavenly resting place.
I'm thankful for those who stand up for God boldly – they stand firm in the faith. They love God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind and with all their strength. They guard their heart, their mind, their soul. They are diligent, and they watch carefully through the word and through prayer, not to be deceived.
How great it is after laboring so long to know that there is a place of perfect rest. Only those that work hard can appreciate a place of rest. A place where we are told that we will sit down. Matthew 8:11 says that we will not only sit down, but will sit down with the great men that we have only read about. Imagine seeing your brother say to you, come here, I want to introduce you to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You see your friend talking with Peter and another laughing with Paul, there is great fellowship around God's table. Matthew Henry said “He whose head is in heaven need not fear to put his feet in the grave.”
We work hard during the week looking forward to rest on the weekend. Our christian work will also be rewarded with heavenly rest. When we have assurance of Heaven, you can say with David, “death where is your sting?” There was a great minister of God, that didn't know how he would approach death. But on his deathbed, he muttered “If this is death, then it is beautiful!” Paul faced death with the right spirit and with the right spirit, death is no longer your enemy, but your friend.
Conclusion: Heaven to me would be to hear from Jesus himself say “well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
You don't know peace like the peace in Heaven. A peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace that no drug can imitate. A drug numbs your mind – but in Heaven you are fully aware of the heavenly state you are in, which makes that peace all the more blissful. It envelopes you, as every doubt, fear, regret, painful memory, or evil thought is washed away forever. Heaven isn't Disneyland where dreams come true. Heaven is reality that surpasses all of your greatest dreams and fills every want and every desire in unexplainable happiness, total contentment, and eternal joy.
Make no mistake what Heaven is – Heaven is being in the presence of God! Rev. Don Piper said he hears so many people say they hope they can do this in heaven or they hope there is this or that in heaven. He said “trust me you are going to want to be with God!” When you see Jesus, you realize no image or picture was ever accurate. He will be so glorious and yet so recognizable, he will appear like a long lost father you had never seen before but will instantly recognize as you lay eyes upon him.
Ill. In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain's motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth. Thus their motto was “Ne Plus Ultra” which means “No More Beyond.” the word being torn away by the lion is “ne” or “no” making it read “Plus Ultra” Columbus had proven that there was indeed “more beyond.” When Jesus said He goes to prepare a place for us, He proves there is “more beyond” this place!
There is only one way to heaven. It is a narrow way because few travel it and because there are many alternatives. There is only one way and one way only, it is by the cross of Calvary, that holy bridge that connects the earth to heaven, the physical to the spiritual, the temporal to the eternal! That lightning rod that misdirected God's wrath from you to Jesus. I wonder if it wasn't divine providence that Christ would die on a cross. Because only through him can we 'cross' from death to life, as he did.
