Who here has been on a vacation or trip somewhere? After being on the journey for a while where did you want to be? Where did you want to go?
As the saying goes, there’s no place like home! Why is that? Why do we feel drawn to go home?
For most of us, one reason is that home is a place where we feel secure, safe, & loved. It’s also the place we are most familiar with. We know where things are at home & we know we will be comfortable. We want to be at our Home Sweet Home.
What home will we have forever? Where will we go when our brief time on Earth is complete? Where is our eternal home?
That’s right, our home for eternity will be in Heaven with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ! That will be the sweetest Home ever.
Here is a question that many people have wondered about since the beginning of time …. What is it like in Heaven? What do you think Heaven will be like?
There are a couple of ways to know what it will be like when we get to Heaven. There will most definitely be feelings of peace, love, beauty, & harmony. But what else? What else will it be like in the Home of Heaven?
In addition to the information & details given in Scripture God also invited a 4-year-old boy to Heaven so we will have a firsthand account on how glorious it will be.
Some of you may have heard of the book & movie Heaven is for Real. It tells the story of this boy named Colton Burpo & what he experienced in Heaven. For those who haven’t heard his story, I will give you the highlights of it.
Colton’s parents are Pastor Todd & Mrs. Sonja Burpo. After a few hardships hit, the family decided they needed a vacation. A couple of days after they decided to spend time on vacation, Colton started feeling bad. Colton told his mom that his stomach was hurting. They thought he might have caught something like the stomach flu that was going around.
When Colton was being watched by a friend of Sonja’s his condition got much worse. He got a high fever & then lay almost motionless on the couch. They decided Colton was sick enough to be taken to the Emergency Room. After examining Colton, doctors told Todd & Sonja he needed immediate surgery. His appendix had ruptured a few days earlier & poison was seeping into his body!
Something supernatural happened to Colton while doctors were operating on him. While he was in surgery Colton’s spirit left his body & went to Heaven. He was able to see things & be with people that no one else could. He could share with the world how awesome Heaven is & encourage everyone to do what they should do so Heaven will one day be their Home Sweet Home!
Pastor Todd wrote the book Heaven is for Real based on what Colton had told him & Sonja about the time he got to spend in Heaven. He got so many great responses to what was shared in the book & movie that they both felt strongly that his innocent, childlike descriptions of God & Heaven needed to be shared with other children. They took the things Colton had told them & put them in another book titled Heaven is for Real for Kids: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. This message is from Colton’s own words in that book.
Because these descriptions of Heaven are from a child, they are very straightforward & easy to understand. We are going to take Colton’s descriptions & turn the pages to take a step into Heaven with a young boy! What do you think will be the first thing you see when you get to this Home?
When Colton opened his eyes for the first time in Heaven he saw Jesus. He said, “Jesus is so happy when people get to Heaven. His smile is really bright, & His eyes sparkle. When I looked ay Jesus, I could tell how much He loved me. Jesus really, really loves children.”
Everything that Colton saw & did in the Kingdom of Heaven is supported by God’s Word in the Bible. The apostle Matthew wrote, “While they watched, Jesus was changed. His face became bright like the sun. And his clothes became white as light.” Colton said Jesus’ smile is bright & eyes sparkle. His face was bright like the son.
What else will we get to see when we are in Heaven?
Try to imagine how amazing Heaven will be. Have that picture in your mind? It’s even better! Colton said, “Heaven is more amazing than you can imagine. I could hear beautiful music & see lots of colors. Big, bright rainbows are everywhere you look. The streets are gold, the gates are made of pearl, & shiny jewels are on the walls.”
Think about how great it would be to get Home to a place like that after a long trip. Rainbows painting the sky, a beautiful melody of music tickling your ears, & colors you have never seen here on Earth. In addition to that we will see gold, pearls, & heavenly jewels.
Sometimes when we are in a new place it can be scary. Have you ever been scared when in a new place or doing something you hadn’t done before? Will we be scared in Heaven? What do you think?
No, we will not! According to Colton, everyone in Heaven is happy. He says, “Heaven is not scary – ever! There is no sun but it never gets dark in Heaven because the light of God is so bright. No one ever cries or is afraid in Heaven. No one ever gets sad or mad. Everyone is happy there!”
Will Heaven be crowded? There is always room for more in Heaven. Colton met many people when he was visiting Heaven. He said, “You get to meet a lot of people in Heaven. I saw Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist, King David, Samson, Peter, John, & Jesus’ mom, Mary. I also got to talk to my great-grandpa Pop. And my big sister was so excited to see me that she wouldn’t stop hugging me!”
There is a great story behind his meeting Pop & his sister. Pop had passed away before Colton was born so he had never met him on Earth. The story behind his meeting his sister is even better.
Colton’s mom had a miscarriage & lost his sister before they even knew the baby was a girl. Yet when his sister saw him in Heaven, she knew who he was right away & wouldn’t stop hugging him. Isn’t it great that there will be family waiting to see us when we get Home. Colton’s parents had not told Colton that they lost this baby in a miscarriage. He had never been told about her but he knew she was his sister. That’s amazing.
Sonja tried to tell Colton that he was mistaken about seeing his sister in Heaven. Colton insisted he DID meet her. He said, “Mommy, I have two sisters,” Colton repeated himself. “Mommy, I have two sisters.” Sonja looked up from her paperwork and shook her head slightly. “No, you have your sister, Cassie, and . . . do you mean your cousin, Traci?” “No.” Colton clipped off the word adamantly. “I have two sisters. You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?”
At that moment, time stopped in the Burpo household, and Sonja’s eyes grew wide. Just a few seconds before, Colton had been trying unsuccessfully to get his mom to listen to him. Now, he had her undivided attention. Soyna said, “Who told you I had a baby die in my tummy?” Her tone was serious. “She did, Mommy. She said she died in your tummy.”
(tell the audience that this is meaningful to me as well because I have a son in Heaven who died by miscarriage)
Do you think being in Heaven will be boring? Like you will get a harp to play, angles to watch, & do things for the Lord all day?
Colton says “You will never get bored in Heaven!” Never get bored. That sounds exciting. A place I’d like to be. He said, “There are also lots of kids in Heaven. Some are older, some younger, some taller, & some are shorter than I am. They get to play games & learn things from Jesus. Heaven is a really fun place. You will never get bored in Heaven!”
The last question mentioned angels in Heaven. How many angels will be there? Just a few or many?
According to Colton, “Angels are everywhere! God’s angels are mighty & amazing! Michael & Gabriel are the biggest – they are as tall as giants. Michael carries a sword that is about as big as my dad. His sword is covered in flames & is really powerful. The angels do lots of things in Heaven. They help God & sing praises to Him. They also deliver messages & protect people on Earth. Angels are very busy! “
Most of us have had an animal as a pet in our lives. Will we have a pet in Heaven?
I don’t know that we would consider the animals in Heaven as our pets but there will be many. And they don’t “fight like cats & dogs.” The animals like each other. Colton says, “God, people, angels, & even animals are in Heaven. All the same types of animals that are here on Earth are in Heaven, but in Heaven, they all get along. You can play with any animal you like. I got to play with dogs, cats, elephants, & even kangaroos, but my favorite animals were the lions & Jesus’ big white horse.”
In Heaven, a 4-year-old boy gets to play with lions! Who wouldn’t want to do that? Roll around on the lawn playing with the mighty lion. Wow.
With the exception of being with the Lord, one of the greatest things about Heaven is we will all get our perfect health back. Colton said that’s one of the most wonderful things there. When he saw his grandpa, grandpa wasn’t wearing glasses like he had to do on Earth.
About this blessing, Colton says, “One of the most wonderful things about Heaven is that no one ever gets sick or hurt there. No one ever has bumps or bruises or skinned knees. No one needs glasses or wheelchairs. In Heaven, no one is old; everyone is young & healthy. And no one dies in Heaven. In Heaven, you will live forever with God!”
Can you imagine how great that will be? We get to spend time with our Heavenly Father anytime we want to. That was one of Colton’s favorite things to do as well.
He says, “My favorite place in Heaven is near God’s throne. God the Father has a HUGE throne! Jesus sits on the right side of God; The Holy Spirit is also there. And there are angels & people worshiping God – I saw the angel Gabriel.
A little chair was brought for me, & I sat by God the Holy Spirit. I was praying for my dad because I knew he was really worried about me. God the Father & Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to help you when you pray. They love you so much!”
When we went to school we got to learn new things from our teacher. They passed on their knowledge & skills to us. Who better to learn new things from than the Teacher who knows all. Colton says, “Jesus told me many things while I was in Heaven. He told me to be nice to others & to talk to God in prayer. He talked to me about the markers on His hands & His feet from where He died on the cross. He did that so we could go see Him & His Dad in Heaven.
The most important thing Jesus told me was how to get to Heaven. He said to believe in Him & follow Him. That makes God very happy.”
The kids who heard Colton’s story have asked some very good questions.
• What is Colton like today?
• Colton was 12 years old in 2011 & still remembered most of the details of his trip to Heaven. Some of the details have faded but he remembered most of his Heavenly adventure clearly. Colton wants to become a musician one day. He enjoys listening to music & playing football.
• Did Colton see what was written in this book?
• Yes. Not everything he did could fit into the pages of the book but most of his favorite memories were recorded here.
• Have other people besides Colton seen Heaven?
• Yes. God has allowed some people besides Colton to see into Heaven briefly. The Bible says Isaiah, Daniel, & the apostle John were also shown parts of Heaven. The apostle Paul talks about a man who visited the Third Heaven, which is the dwelling place of God the Father, but because of his humility, he does not claim to be that person although most scholars agree that he was.
• Can you get lost on the way to Heaven?
• No. Jesus explained to His disciples that He would come back Himself on day to take His followers to His Dad’s house. Jesus is preparing a place just for you & He is going to make sure that you get there, just like He did for Colton.
• Is God on Earth today or is He just in Heaven?
• He is actually in both places. Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He told His disciples He would send the Holy Spirit to help them. God is actually three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, & God the Spirit, who is everywhere! Because of the Spirit, you never have to worry about being alone. Even though you can’t see the Holy Spirit He is always with you. Always.
• How will we know each other in Heaven?
• The Bible is unclear on this. But according to Colton’s memories, both his sister & his great-grandfather Pop introduced themselves to him. Colton had never met either one, but they both obviously knew Colton.
• How do animals get to Heaven?
• Colton doesn’t know. Although he saw the same types of animals he has seen on Earth, he didn’t learn anything about how they made the trip to Heaven.
• Do we really get wings in Heaven?
• As Colton says, “You get to choose if you want to walk or fly.” Again, the Bible is silent on this issue. No verse says that our heavenly bodies will or will not have wings. Colton clearly remembers wings, & because he remembers so many details that align with Scripture, it would be very unusual for him to mistake something as obvious as wings on someone’s back.
The last thing in this book is a prayer for kids. The prayer reads, “Dear God, Heaven sounds so wonderful! I pray that You will be with me as I grow & learn more about You. Please forgive me when I mess up. Help me to be loving, kind, & forgiving. I want to follow Jesus in all things. I love You, Lord!! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
We have talked about how great our Home Sweet Home will be when the Lord decides to call us Home. Before closing our talk, I want to make sure you all have a key to get into this Home. What do we have to do to be able to go live in this Home forever?
We have to go to the Lord to ask for His forgiveness of sin & place 100% of our faith in the blood of Christ to be redeemed.
There is no way for me to know who here has & hasn’t taken these crucial steps so if you have prayed for salvation, you are ready. If you have not already done this you can pray this prayer to have the key you need to get into Home Sweet Home. You don’t have to repeat it out loud; you can just silently repeat it after me. As long as the prayer is from the heart & sincere you will have the key to get into Heaven.
Prayer For Salvation:
Dear God in heaven, I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life; I give it to you. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you.
Right now, I confess Jesus as my Lord. With all my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. For it’s in the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
