A little boy got on the elevator in the Empire State Building in New York City. He and his daddy started to the top. The boy watched the signs flashing as they went by the floors: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. And the boy began to get nervous. He took his daddy’s hand and said, “Daddy, does God know we’re coming?” (Leighton Ford, “Hope for a Great Forever,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 96)
Does God know we’re coming? Of course He does… He’s been planning this for centuries. And Christians have had hopes pinned to heaven ever since Jesus rose from dead.
ILLUS: Early Christians built their lives around looking forward to Heaven. Many of the 1st century Christian martyrs were buried in the Roman catacombs, and those underground caverns had walls were filled with inscriptions like this: “In Christ, Alexander is not dead, but lives. One who lives with God. He was taken up into His eternal home.” One historian wrote, “Pictures on the catacomb walls portrayed Heaven with beautiful landscapes, children playing, and people feasting at banquets.” (Ulrich Simon, Heaven in the Christian Tradition – London: Wyman and Sons, 1958, p. 218)
There are numerous songs we sing that declare that same excitement: “I'm satisfied with just a cottage below, a little silver and a little gold. But in that city where the ransomed will shine. I want a gold one that's silver lined. (Chorus) I've got a mansion just over the hilltop. In that bright land where we'll never grow old. And some day yonder we will never more wander, but walk on streets that are purest gold.”
AND “I was once a sinner, but I came pardon to receive from my Lord. This was freely given and I found, that He always kept His word. (Chorus) There's a new name written down in glory and it's mine, oh yes, it's mine. And the white-robed angels sing the story "A sinner has come home!" There's a new name written down in glory and it's mine, oh yes, it's mine. With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven, never more to roam.”
Heaven is a place to get excited about. It won’t be boring or monotonous or dreary. Oh no! It’s going to be vibrant and thrilling and exhilarating. Whatever experiences you’ve had on earth won’t even compare to what it’s going to be like in heaven.
Now, with that thought in mind I want to go back to our text. Revelation 21 gives us a stunning portrayal of what heaven will be like, and in these few verses we read this: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” Revelation 21:3-5
Now, let’s take this a little bit at a time. I want to start with God’s declaration: “The former things have passed away… Behold I’m making all things new.”
ILLUS: Have you ever watched a show called “Extreme Home Makeover? The idea is that that take the home of a family that has facing hardship and give it a radical makeover. The house usually is sad shape, but by the time the team is done everything is made new and the family is ecstatic.
That’s a great concept. But even after the home receives this extreme makeover, that house will eventually get older and older and shabbier and shabbier. The passage of time takes its toll. But that’s not going to happen in heaven. Heaven will always be new… it will never need a made-over.
But notice - Revelation says this is a NEW heaven and a NEW earth. God is gonna give us something that was never available before. It will all be new!!! You seem Heaven (as a destination) wasn’t available before. In the Old Testament those who died were NEVER spoken of as going to heaven. The Bible either said they went to the grave (or Sheol, as in Psalm 88:3-5), or that they were “Gathered to their Fathers” (as in Judges 2:10). But never heaven. And their tombs weren’t decorated with pictures of landscapes and children and banquets. The walls were bare.
You see, before Jesus came, Hebrews 2:14 tells us that Satan held the power of death. Everyone who died (before Christ) was held under the control of Satan. The dead were literally cut off… from God.
Hebrews 11 tells us of some of the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament. But then it says: “And all these (Old Testament heroes), though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40
In other words, there was A PROMISE of heaven for the Old Testament saints. But until Jesus came and died for their sins (as well as ours) they weren’t going there! They were still held captive by Satan. That’s probably why Ephesians 4:8-10 tells us “When (Jesus) ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended” — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” NKJV
But they did have a promise: In Isaiah 65:17-18 God tells us “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.” That was the promise, but we don’t read much about that promise in the Old Testament because they had no hope of reaching that new heaven (without Jesus).
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “God put eternity in the hearts of men.” So people sensed there was something ABOUT heaven, and that gave them confidence in the midst of his trials. For example, Job declared “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27
They SENSED there’d be a heaven… but couldn’t obtain it yet.
But - by contrast - we KNOW there will be a NEW HEAVEN because we have the promise and the reality of a NEW heaven and a new earth. And what I find interesting about our text this morning is that it tells us what IS going to be IN heaven… and what is NOT going to be IN heaven.
First, I want to focus on what is NOT going to be IN heaven. Revelation 21 tell us He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore
ILLUS: There was a 4-year-old girl staying at her Uncle and Aunt’s house for nearly two weeks while her parents went on a short-term mission trip. That’s a longggg time for a little girl to be separated from her parents. Nevertheless, she was doing pretty well, especially because she had a photograph of her parents she could look at any time she wanted. And she often did. Toward the end of her 2-week stay, her Uncle Wes disciplined her for something minor. Her lower lip poked out, and she ran up to her room. Concerned that maybe he had been a little too harsh, the uncle slipped upstairs and peeked in on her. The little girl was sitting in the middle of the bed, tightly holding a picture of her mommy and daddy, and sad tears sliding down both cheeks. He could tell she was fighting back sobs. Finally - she noticed him peeking through the door, and said “Uncle Wes. I think I want to go home now.” (Lynn Anderson in his book, “Longing for a Homeland”)
There’s an Old Gospel hymn: “This world is not my HOME, I’m just passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door. And I don’t feel at HOME in this world anymore.”
There are times when we think to ourselves – I think I want to go home now. And the Bible’s description of heaven is like a photograph that reminds us WHY we would want to go home!!! We like this world well enough… but there’s a lot of terrible things going on here.
But Heaven will be a place where there’s no more tears or death or mourning or crying or pain.
Kyle Idleman says he keeps a list of other things he knows won’t be in heaven. He says in heaven “there’ll be no more cancer. No more divorce. No more rejection or loneliness. No more depression. No more wheelchairs or pacemakers. No more radiation or chemotherapy. No more crosses along the side of the road. No more child abuse. No more rape. No more funeral homes or orphanages or nursing homes. No more treatment centers. No more Pink slips or foreclosures. No more quarantines or face masks and no more social distancing.” And his list went on and on and on. (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&v=440295124116318)
This world is NOT our home, we’re just passing through. There’s gonna be times when we yearn for HOME because this world has too many bumps/bruises and it hurts to live here sometimes.
That’s why Jesus told His disciples “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Why would they be troubled? Because this is a hard world…and it hurts to live here. But then Jesus goes on to say: “Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3
Yes, this world is hard. But you’ve got a place waiting for you.
ILLUS: A man once told of watching an air balloon as it started its flight. It was bound to the earth by several ropes and cords. As the process of filling it with gas began, it struggled to get free. The first line was cut, and immediately that side lifted from the earth. Then the second and third ropes were loosened, and finally the others. When the last cord was snapped asunder, the balloon rose majestically toward the heavens, rising as it struggled to get free. He said “I thought to myself, that’s a picture of the attitude I should possess as a Christian.” He realized he needed to be willing to cut himself free from the ropes that bound his heart to earth. (David DeWitt)
Someone noted: “We’re not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We’re in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living.” (Larry Moody)
So our passage this morning tells us what’s NOT going to be in heaven. But what I find interesting is that it also tells us only about one thing that WILL be in heaven. Do you know what that one thing is? Or rather – what that SOMEONE is? (That’s right!!!) that SOMEONE is God.
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:3
God’s going to be THE ONLY THING that will make heaven worth dwelling in. The Bible tells us that “God is FOR us… who can be against us.” (Romans 8:31) He’s got my back. “God is gracious and merciful” (Psalm 116:5) – I’m safe when He’s around. “God is faithful” (I Corinthians 1:9)– when He makes me a promise, I can count on it. “God is a God of peace” (I Corinthians 14:33) - I can rest in heaven because nothing will disturb me. “God is light” (I John 1:5) - Heaven will be a place that’s bright and cheerful, because God will be its light. AND “God is love” (I John 4:8) - He loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son. Heaven will be a place where I’ll be accepted and cared for.
Everything else in heaven is just be window dressing. Everything else will be just decorations and accessories. Because WITHOUT GOD… Heaven won’t be heaven.
And you’ve got to belong to God to get INTO heaven! If you belong to God… you’ll go where HE goes. If you don’t, you won’t.
ILLUS: When my kids were growing up, they lived in MY house. They lived there because they BELONGED with me. Now, they could have friends over once in a while, but after awhile those kids had to go home because they didn’t belong to me.
So, how do you belong to God? You BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You REPENT of your sins and turn your life over to Christ. You CONFESS that Jesus is Lord (you give Him ownership of all that you are and all you possess). You allow your self to be BAPTIZED into Christ in the waters of baptism and rise us a new creation in Him. And you commit yourself to LIVE FOR HIM.
That’s it. No fancy classes or long rituals, just giving yourself completely to Jesus and allowing Him to change your life.
INVITATION
Footnote: I was a bit conflicted on addressing Paul’s comment about dying and going to be with Christ (in Philippians 1:2). Revelation 21 and II Peter 3:9-12 talk of the new heaven and earth as still being future – after the 2nd coming of Christ. By contrast, Paul’s comment seems to imply heaven is available now and implies a “state of being” we’d call heaven that isn’t quite the same as the “New Heaven” promised in Revelation 21 and II Peter 3:9-12.
