Scripture: John 14:1-4; Revelation 22:1 – 5
Theme: Heaven
Title: Holiness Destination – Heaven Today, Heaven Forever
Grace and Peace Today from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
I want to talk to you today about your faith journey and where that faith journey is taking you. I want to talk to you today about your current situation and your final destination. In other words, I want to talk to you about your walk of Holiness and Heaven – Heaven Today and Heaven Forever.
I. Each of Us Has Our Own Individual Faith Walk
Each one of us here today and everyone all over the world that is alive today (or that has ever been alive) has their own individual faith walk with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. It is your own. It is personal. It is intimate. It is unique. It is not like anyone else’s – there is no one like you so there is no one that has the same walk with the LORD as you do.
No one else may understand it. In fact, no one else may even appreciate it. But it is yours.
The Apostle Paul put it this way:
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:12 – 13 (ESV)
All to often in the Church we like to see uniformity. We like to see sameness or evenness (homogeneousness). We like to be able to figure things out by putting them in all kinds of different boxes. And then we want to be able to understand all the little boxes.
We may have even thought or said at one time or the other things like:
“Well, a real Christian does this or that”.
“And a real Christian doesn’t do this or that”.
And while there are some major brush strokes that are in all of God’s masterpieces the truth is each masterpiece of God’s is unique, distinctive and special. And we are all one of God’s masterpieces.
We all have the major strokes of Repentance, New Birth, Water Baptism and the Infilling Presence of the Holy Spirit. After all, that is what it means to be a Born-Again Disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38).
But aside from those facts the LORD has made us all different people. We have been given different gifts and we have different talents. We all have different personality quirks and we have all be raised in somewhat different environments. Even if we are a twin, we are different and our walks with the LORD will be different.
It is essential that we be aware of this and remind ourselves of these facts. Other wise we will find ourselves doing one of two major things:
+We will tend to judge other people on how well we think they are walking in faith and then compare their walk with ours or what we want to call the NORM of a Christian Walk.
OR:
+We will tend to judge ourselves on how well we thinking we are walking by comparing our walk with another person’s walk.
Either way, we will be using one another as the measuring stick and that is not what God wants us to do.
While we can see some major brush strokes that are the same in every person’s God given Masterpiece, the truth remains that God paints all of us differently. We serve a very creative and amazing God. He has made us unique and each one of our walks with the LORD is therefore unique.
Moses’ walk with the LORD was not the same as Abraham’s walk with the LORD. Abraham’s walk with the LORD was not the same as Gideon’s walk with the LORD. Gideon’s walk with the LORD did not look like the walk that Esther or Sarah had with the LORD.
I think you get the point. Each of us have this amazing, wonderful, special, unique and individual walk with the LORD. Each of us have different gifts and talents that color that walk. Each of us have been raised in different environments that color that walk. But each of us can enjoy a wonderful repentant, baptized and Holy Spirit filled walk with the LORD JESUS CHRIST!
II. Each Person has their Own God Given Mission
In Jeremiah chapter eighteen the Prophet Jeremiah is sent to a Potter’s House. He was to watch the potter and learn some valuable lessons. One of those lessons was that each vessel God’s makes is special and has a special task. One vessel is not the same nor does it have the exact same special tasks as another.
They may all be made from the same clay, but each vessel may be created for a very different task. For example, the Potter may choose to make a bowl, a cup, a chalice, a plate, a jar to hold oil or a jar to hold water. Each vessel has the master’s fingerprints on them but each of them has their own individual task or mission.
Paul explained all this another way in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. He compares us all to a human body. We are all one body and we have all been bought by the blood of Jesus, our Messiah, Savior and LORD. Christ is our head and we are each individual parts of His Body.
We all know that our physical bodies are complex. They are made of all kinds of different parts. Not one of those parts more important than another. Each part is essential for the health and wellbeing of our physical bodies.
If you little toe is out of line or it hurts, then it can stop the whole body. It can stop you from being able to walk, from being able to concentrate and being able to function. If you have a small paper cut it can change the way you hold things, how you wash dishes and how you do 100 other things.
Your eyes have a special job. They can’t be eyes and do the job that your nose does. Your nose can’t do the job that your liver does. Your liver can’t do the job that your knees do. You get the picture.
Each part of our body has different abilities and tasks. Red blood cells help bring oxygen to different parts of our bodies. White blood cells help with our immune system. Platelets help with clotting.
You don’t give someone white blood cells if you want their oxygen content to rise. You don’t give white blood cells if you want someone’s blood to clot. You give white blood cells to help someone’s immune system.
We must understand that each one of us has been given God given gifts and talents to do God given work. In his letter to the Ephesians the Apostle Paul talks about some being apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. That was not an exhausted list but just some examples.
Careerplanner.com lists over 12,000 different job titles on their websites. “12,000”. Now, that is a lot of different types of jobs and yet even 12,000 doesn’t describe all the jobs that people can find in our world.
And for us to function effectively as a world we need all 12,000 of those job titles and even more. We need everyone to do their job well and to the glory of the LORD. There is no job that is more essential than another. Each has been given to us by the LORD and each can enable us to bring God glory and honor. The Bible tells us:
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works (your talents, gifts and graces) and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 (ESV – italics mine)
All of this leads us to the main point that I want to share with you this morning:
1. It is true that we all have our own individual faith walk
2. It is true that we all have different talents, gifts and graces
III. We all are going to the Same Place – Heaven
This morning, if you know Jesus Christ as Your Savior and LORD then you along with me and billions of other people are going to Heaven one day. We are going to live on the New Heaven and New Earth. We are going to this wonderful place called Heaven.
-Heaven is a place.
It is a place even as New York is a place. It is a place even as the Earth is a place. It is a place even as our solar system is a place. The Bible is clear on this fact:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In My Father’s House are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” – John 14:1-3.
Heaven is not some figment of ancient man’s imagination. It is not some illusion. Heaven is real. At least eleven people in the Bible either experienced Heaven or have seen parts of heaven. We read where Adam and Eve, Enoch, Elisha and his servant, Elijah, Ezekiel and Isaiah along with John, Stephen and Paul and some others saw or experienced a part of Heaven.
Heaven is a place the Bible tells us will have streets, trees, houses and rivers. It will have books, tables, mountains and animals. It will be a place where we can eat and drink and enjoy fellowship.
Most importantly, Heaven is the dwelling place of God. It is God’s Home. Heaven is where we find God’s Throne. Heaven is where we find Jesus after the Resurrection.
The Bible also tells us that there are all kinds of beings in Heaven. Some of those are beings are of course the Angels, Archangels, Seraphim and the Cherubim. There are others that are called elders and there are those that the Prophet Ezekiel simply called the “living creatures.” And I am sure that there are many more than just those. I think we are going to be amazed at how many different beings that we are going to meet in Heaven one day.
-Heaven is not as far away as we think
The Bible doesn’t tell us that heaven is 5 light years away or 10 light years away. It doesn’t tell us that we can get in a space ship and hang a right once we are past Saturn and we will find it hanging out there near Pluto.
What the Bible does tell us is that heaven is not as far away as we might think. The Bible shares with us story after story of times when Heaven and Earth touched. We see this in the Old Testament story about Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion. We see this in Stephen being able to see into Heaven. We are not that far from Heaven. We are not that far from the angels, from God’s throne, from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
-Heaven will be greater than we could ever imagine
In writing about Heaven, the famous author C. S. Lewis said that it was a place where everything that is real exists – love, compassion, holiness, joy, kindness etc…
Take a moment right now and think about the most wonderful place you have ever been. Perhaps it is where you live right now. Perhaps it is a place that you have visited on vacation. Focus for a moment on that place – the beauty, the joy that it brings as you reflect on it.
Heaven is a million, billion times more wonderful and more beautiful.
The Apostle John does his best to paint a picture for us in Revelation 21 - 22. It is a beautiful picture. Your imagination is stretched as you read those chapters. I believe with all my heart what John shares is true, but I also believe that when we experience Heaven and the New Earth first hand it will be more wonderful than we can read about in Rev. 21- 22. I just don’t think there are human words that are big enough, brilliant enough or great enough to be able to capture heaven’s true beauty and majesty.
There is an old story about a man who went to heaven.
It is the story of a rich man who, on his death bed, negotiated with the LORD to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God told the man that it was a rather unusual request, but since this man had been exceptionally faithful then He would give him permission. He could bring some of his earthly treasures with him. But only what he could fit in a single suitcase.
The time arrived that the man died. True to His word, the LORD allowed the man to bring a single suitcase filled with this man’s greatest earthly treasure. The man presented himself at the Pearly Gates with his suitcase.
He was holding it with both hands because it was so heavy. He had stuffed the suitcase with as many bars of gold as the suitcase could hold. The sides of the suitcase were bulging.
St. Peter looking at the suitcase told the man to put it down. “You know the rules. Nothing can come up here from earth except you.”
The man explained that God had granted him a special favor. God had told the man because of his faithfulness that he could bring one suitcase full of his earthly treasures.
Saint Peter did what he needed to do to check out the man’s story. Sure, enough what the man said was true. The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY had given him special permission. He could bring his one suitcase in Heaven.
All St. Peter wanted him to do was to open the suitcase so that he could inspect the contents. He took the suitcase, open it up and started chuckling. The others around him saw the contents and started laughing as well.
The man looked at St. Peter and didn’t think it was quite that funny. He had taken great care in divesting all his goods into bars of gold. He had worked all his life and wanted to bring them along.
St. Peter looked at the man and asked why in the world the man thought Heaven needed some more construction or pavement material? Why did he need gold when all around him and on every street he would be walking on would be lined with gold?
Apparently, the man had not carefully read Revelation chapter 21:21
“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates we made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.” (verse 21)
And if you back up a few verses you read:
“The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel.” (verse 19)
Now, of course that is just a story to make us laugh at the foolishness of humans. But it also serves for us a very important point. Heaven is going to be far greater than we can today even begin to hope and imagine. The closest humans have ever come to experiencing the wonder of heaven was when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and even that is going to pale in comparison to the New Earth and Heaven.
- Heaven is going to be a busy place
When God first made humans and put them in the Garden, they were given the mission of taking care of the garden and transforming the whole planet into God’s Garden.
After the Flood, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY gave Noah and his family a similar task –
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:1)
When the LORD called the People of Israel to go into the Promise Land it was very much like the time of creation. The Promise Land was in chaos (without form and void) and needed to be brought into harmony – emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually. Israel’s task was to transform the Promise Land into a land like the Garden of Eden. Israel was to build a land where everyone on earth could see the wonder and majesty of the Good God of Creation – the True and Only God – Jehovah. Israel was to build a society that reflected the Kingdom of Heaven.
When Jesus came to our earth he did not sit around. He lived and worked for 30 years as a carpenter. He then preached but he did much more than preach. Jesus brought healing and wholeness to our world. He healed bodies, hearts, families and communities.
Even after the Resurrection Jesus did not sit down. He spent the First Easter walking with a couple of disciples helping them regain their faith. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples to help them find peace and comfort. Later, Jesus appeared to others to bring them encouragement and peace. John chapter 21 tells us that Jesus even cooked a meal for His disciples.
Remember right before He ascended into heaven? Jesus gave us marching orders to go and spread the Gospel. To go in the power of the Holy Spirit to help people find Salvation and experience New Life. He didn’t want us to be sitting around doing nothing. He wanted us to be busy sharing the Good News. He wanted us to be helping others find their own faith walk with Him.
From the moment of creation to whenever God takes us to heaven, we can be sure of one thing. God wants us to be busy. God does not want us, or will He want us to be sitting around on clouds eating chocolate bars and chewing the fat.
The Bible tells us that we will be helping the LORD rule and reign over all of creation. We be using our gifts and graces to help administer the New Heaven and New Earth. We will be doing things like:
+Doing whatever God tells us to do
+Living an existence (life) without the presence of sin or temptation
+Worshipping without any distractions
By the way, the music will be amazing
+Serving the LORD without becoming exhausted
+Learning New Things and Experiencing New Things
+Enjoying God’s Presence and all of His Amazing Creation
+Enjoying the fellowship of all the hosts of heaven
-Michael, Gabriel, the 24 Elders etc…
+Enjoying the fellowship with other Born-Again People
-Moses, David, Paul, Martin Luther, Billy Graham, our grandparents
and other relatives and friends
+Never having to worry or deal any more with any kind of sickness, pain, suffering, sorrow or death
+Seeing God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit face to face
Added to all of that I am sure we will be doing all kinds of things that we did here on earth only doing them without sin, without becoming weary or causing pain. Bakers will bake for the Bible says we will eat. Teachers I believe will teach and singers will sing. Construction people will be busy helping other people on other planets construct. I believe we are going to be busy helping God and others enjoy abundant living.
- This morning – Enjoy Your Citizenship Now and Forever
The greatest thing about Heaven is not just the fact that all that I have shared is true and one day we will experience it to its fullness. The greatest thing about Heaven is that we can already be citizens of God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul tells us:
Philippians 3:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…
It is vital that we understand this fundamental principle.
“If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world. ”
? Vance Havner
Our Passport already reads “Citizen of Heaven”. It has already been signed and sealed by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
Once our only passport had Earth Born and Hell Bound but by the Blood of Jesus that passport is no longer valid. We may live on this earth, but we do not have to live like earth bound people. We don’t have to live like the world, act like the world or treat other people as the world treats them.
We are citizens of Heaven. We have the privilege to live differently, to think differently and to be different – heart, mind and soul. We have the privilege to be Spirit-filled people who bear Spirit-filled fruit and who have the same mind as our Savior and LORD Jesus. We have the ability to live above the world and to set our minds on things above.
That doesn’t mean that we abandon the earth or others. It does mean that we see things like houses, buildings, bank accounts, cars and other material things differently. We see them as temporary. We see them as mere tools and not possessions.
It means that we see people as the most important things on this earth. It means that more than anything we value life – relationship – communication – koinonia. It means more than anything we do our best to be One with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and One with One Another.
There is nothing more precious than one another. That is why we pray, we work so hard to help others find Jesus. That is why we want more than anything to see boys, girls, young people and all people experience what it means to trade in their Earth Born Passport for the Second Born Heaven Passport.
Today, rejoice – celebrate – enjoy – have fun – relish – your citizenship with Jesus.
Today, rejoice – celebrate – enjoy – praise the LORD – have fun and live like you are a citizen of Heaven.
Today, rejoice – celebrate – enjoy – invest in another person’s life – give them encouragement, praise, reassurance and inspire them.
Let us close by singing –
The Eastern Gate – Traditional
“All the Heavens” by Third Day– Contemporary
