THE 7 MYTHS ABOUT HEAVEN
Matt. 22:2-14
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A Michigan couple decided to go to Florida during an icy winter. The husband was to fly down first and the wife to follow the next day. The husband checked into the hotel and sent an email to his wife. Unfortunately he sent it to the wrong email.
2. Meanwhile, in Texas, a widow who’d just returned home from her husband’s funeral, decided to check her emails. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:
3. “To My Loving Wife. I arrived this morning. I bet you’re surprised to hear from me; there’s computers down here now and we’re allowed to send emails to loved ones. I’ve checked in & I see that everything’s been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was. P.S. It’s stinkin’ hot down here!”
B. TEXT
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants....5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite...anyone you find.’...10 and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matt. 22:1-14
3. Let’s see what The 7 Myths About Heaven are:
I. MYTH: NOBODY REALLY KNOWS ABOUT HEAVEN
A. ASSUMPTION: NO ONE KNOWS
1. Many people are under the mistaken notion that all talk about heaven is just guessing, that nobody really can say what heaven is like.
2. After all, different religions claim different things about heaven: a)Some say it’s all in your mind, b) The Egyptian Book of the Dead says it’s where you get to do anything you like, c) Muslims say that there are 72 virgins waiting for them, and d) Hindus say it’s a state of extinction, perfect peace. So who’s right? Who really knows? So they say that we won’t know what heaven is like until we get there; so don’t try telling them what you think.
B. MAJOR ERROR: THERE IS A WITNESS
1. There is one Person who knows what heaven is like – Who has been to heaven and can tell us what it’s actually like: JESUS!
2. Listen to these statements of Jesus:
a. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven – the Son of Man”.(Jn. 3:13)
b. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent Me”. (Jn. 6:38)
c. “What if you see the Son of Man ascend up to where He was before?”. (Jn. 6:62)
d. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world”. (Jn. 8:23)
e. “I am telling you what I have seen in My Father’s presence…” (Jn. 8:38)(see 10:36; 17:5)
3. So the Lord Jesus qualifies as a witness of what heaven is like, because He was there and came to tell us from the Father. So what myths does Jesus bust/discredit about heaven in this parable?
II. MYTH: AFTER DEATH WE’LL BE LIKE GHOSTS
A. WARPED PERSPECTIVE
1. Many people have ignored the thought of heaven because of the faulty stereotypes that after death, we’ll be little naked babies with wings! It’s impossible for such a vision to appeal to a man.
2. Another strange misconception is that we will be Casper the Ghosts; disembodied spirits floating around without purpose or real substance. Such images evoke a feeling of non-reality.
3. Don’t forget, Satan hates heaven and doesn’t want the Saints or sinners to have a clear picture of it lest they see it as desirable and strive to enter it.
B. A CORRECT PICTURE
1. In reality, our lives will not be so radically different than our lives are now. We will live on a real planet, in a real city, with streets, buildings, homes with furniture, friends and neighbors;
2. 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…
3. This place is described as paradise, with mountains, trees, rivers, fountains, animals, flowers, and undoubtedly the perfect temperature!
4. Heaven was created by God to be inhabited. Men have been taken to heaven and lived there in their natural bodies for thousands of years(Gen. 5:24; 2 Kings 2:11).
III. MYTH: HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE BORING
A. A WEDDING BANQUET, NOT A FUNERAL!
1. Jesus in this parable describes heaven in terms of a party. In church, many Christians act like they’re attending a funeral. Too many churches are like funerals! They should be celebrations! The Christian life is NOT a drag, it’s the most exciting life imaginable!
2. In Jesus’ time, a wedding banquet was a 7, yes 7-day celebration. This one would be a party of immense proportions.
3. Think how many times that Jesus uses the picture of a party to describe heaven:
- A woman finds her lost coin – throws a party.
- A prodigal son comes home – Father throws a party.
- A parable about a wedding feast thrown by a King.
B. GOD WILL HAVE A WORK FOR US TO DO
1. Rev. 22:3 says, “and his servants will serve him.” When God created Adam, he "put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (Gen. 2:15).
2. Work was part of the original Paradise and of a perfect human life; it will be in eternity. Billy Graham said about Heaven, “God never intended for people to be idle and unproductive – on earth or in Heaven.”
IV. MYTH: WE WILL LOSE OUR IDENTITIES
A. WHY IDENTITIES WOULD BE DIFFERENT
1. Many people have the concept that in heaven we won’t be the same people anymore, probably because a). we’ll be transformed into heavenly beings, like the angels. Also, b). Satan will be locked up, there’ll be no more sin, so we’ll be quite different people than we are now.
2. A third reason is that memories of past lives that were unpleasant, or of loved ones who didn’t make it to heaven, will probably be wiped out by God so there won’t be crying in heaven.
B. WHY OUR IDENTITIES WILL BE RETAINED
1. The Lord Jesus was different after his resurrection, but He was also Jesus, the friend of Peter, James, and John, etc. He looked much the same and remembered everything -- things Peter wished He’d forgotten about.
2. At Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses & Elijah appeared “in glory.” The 3 disciples had never seen them but instantly knew who they were, and they were discussing the events about to unfold in Jesus’ life. So there was a high level of awareness and continuity of personality into heaven.
V. MYTH: HEAVEN IS ONLY FOR “GOOD” PEOPLE
A. THE INVITATION WENT OUT TO ALL
1. Matthew 22:10: “both the good and the bad.”
2. “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:11-12).
B. SURPRISES IN HEAVEN
1. I was shocked, confused, bewildered,
As I entered heaven’s door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its décor,
2. But it was the folks in Heaven,
Who made me sputter and gasp…
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics, the trash,
3. There stood the kid from seventh grade,
Who swiped my lunch money twice,
Next to him was my old neighbor,
Who never said anything nice.
4. Herb, who I always thought,
Was rotting away in hell.
Was sitting pretty,
On cloud nine, looking incredibly well.
5. I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How’d all these sinners get up here?
God must have made a mistake
6. “And why’s everyone so quiet,
So somber, give me a clue.”
“Hush child,” He said, “they’re all in shock.
No one thought they’d be seeing you.”
Author Unknown
VI. MYTH: I CAN GET TO HEAVEN ON MY OWN TERMS
A. I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE
1. The invitation went out multiple times – but the people ignored it. The King’s servants represent the prophets, but also we believers, sent with God’s summons to a lost world to salvation.
2. The invited guests didn’t realize the urgency or gravity of the invitation. They didn’t know of God’s power nor the consequences of rejecting the summons.
3. The first group refused; the second group ignored. Some don’t believe and others become too busy and caught up in this life. People make time for life’s duties & pleasures, but neglect the God who gave them everything.
B. MYTH: GOD WILL MAKE SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR ME
1. Jesus ends this parable with a strange incident; a man in the crowd doesn’t have wedding garments on. The attendees of royal weddings in those days were outfitted with wedding garment provided by the king so that all the subjects would look the same and only the bride and groom would stand out.
2. This man had believed his garment was adequate and fine enough – so he refused the king’s garment and wore his own. Have you ever been underdressed for something? One time I was officiating at a wedding rehearsal and was told it was casual. When I arrived, everyone was dressed in suits, many in tuxes. My new jeans looked terribly out of place!
3. This is like a person who believes that their righteousness is good enough to enter heaven, but nothing short of the righteousness of Christ will be sufficient to walk in the courts of heaven.
4. “I’ll just tell God that I did my best.” Matthew 22:12 ’Friend,’ he asked, ’how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. He was thrown into the outer darkness!
5. Only the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient. Heaven itself is purified with his blood!
VII. MYTH: ONLY HEAVEN EXISTS AFTER DEATH
A. TWO POST-DEATH LOCATIONS
1. The majority of Americans today do NOT believe in a literal hell, but Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven. This parable portrays heaven, but it also teaches of hell; the man was cast into the outer darkness.
2. Matthew 22:13 "Then the king told the attendants, ’Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
B. A PLACE CALLED HELL
1. Today the idea that there’s a hell is considered absurd and mythological, BUT THERE IS A PLACE CALLED HELL, and it will exist a million years from now.
2. Hell was prepared for the rebellious angels. But those people who reject God’s invitation to heaven – are destined for hell as well.
3. In Luke 16:27-28 (The rich man & Lazarus), we’re warned that all the notice we need has been given us in the Scriptures. We’re accountable and must carefully govern our lives by God’s standards or face the consequences.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: The King's Bounty
1. A skillful surgeon recently undertook the responsibility of performing a serious operation on the eyes of an Eastern monarch which proved highly successful.
2. After the king's recovery the problem of presenting his fee puzzled the doctor, for he was dubious as to what figure would correctly estimate the value of the result achieved. Taking a blank billhead the doctor wrote across it, "The king can do no wrong," and respectfully submitted it to the monarch.
3. His answer was a letter enclosing a sum far beyond his highest hopes. When we know not what to pray for, let us leave it to our Heavenly King, who doeth all things well. [Christian Herald]
B. THE CALL
1. As the song says, “It Will Be Worth It All...” You can’t out-give God; He will be no man’s/ woman’s debtor.
2. If you have not dedicated your life to Jesus, now is the time to do it. If you have but haven’t been giving your best for the Master, tonight is the time for a new commitment!
3. PRAYER
[This is a rewrite of John Slythe's message of the same title]
