HEB.12:1 "A CLOUD OF WITNESSES"
* A question that has been asked me so many times, and probably is in the hearts of millions of
other people is: Do our loved ones in heaven know what goes on here on this earth?
* I can say with assurance and show you in the bible that they do know.
* And I can show you that they do care!
A) Someone will say, "How could a mother in heaven be happy if she knew her son on earth,
* Went on in sin, rejecting Christ, and perhaps knew he died lost and went to hell?"
B) Or, "How could people in heaven be happy if they knew all the sadness and wickedness,
* And all the disease, crime, failure, war, and all the sin of this poor wicked world?"
C) But let me ask you another question which will answer this one.
* How can the Lord Jesus in heaven be happy? * Surely, He knows all things!
D) He looked into hell and heard the cries of the rich man tormented in flame!
* And He, with God the Father, knows the fall of every sparrow, and even the number of every
hair on every human head! * Matt.10:29-30 "Are not two sparrows sold for ......."
E) He also looks at the heart of every unrepentant sinner and grieves at the mistakes and failures
of every Christian. * Can Jesus be happy in heaven?
F) We know that the scriptures answers in Isa.53:11 "He shall see the travail ......."
* We know that Jesus on earth looked forward to the joy in heaven, we’re told in v.2
* Yes, Jesus is happy in heaven knowing all the wickedness of this world,
* And so are the saints in heaven!
----------------THE TROUBLE ABOUT US BELIEVING THIS IS SIMPLE!-----------------
A) We’re measuring saints in heaven by the standards of carnal, earth minded Christians!
* I am burdened for sinners to be saved, yet, Oh the joy of the Lord that fills my soul even here
on earth! * And so much more when I shall awake in His likeness!
B) You may be perfectly satisfied and happy when you get to heaven with everything that the
Lord Jesus Christ does!
* And when, at the last judgment, the Lord sends sinners away forever to the lake of fire,
* Sinners who would have nothing to do with Jesus, who rejected the pleading of the Holy
Spirit, who trample under their feet the precious blood,
* Then every mother will say "Amen" to the just condemnation of her boy, and every wife will
will turn away comforted concerning her husband who wouldn’t get saved,
* And God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes!
------- CERTAINLY IN HEAVEN THEY KNOW WHAT GOES ON HERE ON EARTH -------
* That is made clear by many scriptural illustrations! *
A) There is the case of Samuel who died! * 1 Sam.28
* King Saul, backslidden and out of the will of God, went to the witch of Endor and asked
that Samuel be brought back to advise him.
B) I know that witchcraft and spiritualism were forbidden by God! * Ex.22:18 "Thou shalt ..."
* I don’t know why God allowed Samuel to appear in person to Saul in that case, but I know
he did. * Perhaps God worked it altogether to suit Himself without the help of the witch.
* Certainly she seemed startled when she saw Samuel! (cried with a loud voice)
C) There we find that Samuel, who had already gone to paradise, returning and knew just what
was happening on earth. * In fact, he knew more!
* He knew what would happen on the morrow! Turn to 1 Sam.28:16-19
D) The scripture tells us what Samuel said to Saul! (Read scripture)
* Samuel knew what went on, on the earth and he knew why! * He knew the sin of Saul,
* Knew the purposes of God, and knew what would happen on the morrow!
* Surely this is evidence that saints in heaven know what goes on, on the earth!
THE RICH MAN IN HELL LOOKED WITH THE DEEPEST CONCERN UPON THE AFFAIRS OF THE EARTH! * He said, "I pray thee ....... that thou wouldest send him ......."
* He knew that his brethren had not repented. * Abraham knew more about it that the rich man...
A) Abraham said, "They have Moses ......." * How strange, that both heaven and hell,
* Look on with such concern for the conversion of the wicked here on earth,
* While we that are here and have opportunity to warn them, do so little about it!
* "They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them."
B) Another illustration: Luke 9:28-31 when Moses and Elijah met Jesus on the Mount of Trans-
figuration, what do you suppose they talked about?
* Did Jesus speak of the glories of heaven for which He was homesick?
* Did Moses tell Him of sweet conversations in heaven? * Did Elijah report on the songs they
sang and their praises? * NO! They spoke about things to happen on the earth!
* Look at Luke 9:31 "Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should ..."
C) The saints in heaven knew what Jesus was doing on the earth, they knew the course of
events that led straight to the cross!
D) Can’t you see that in heaven they know what goes on here on earth?
* Turn to Rev. 6:9-11 * Here John saw the souls in heaven, the souls of those who had been
slain because of their Christian testimony.
* They had not yet received resurrection bodies, but gathered below the altar of the temple in
heaven they cried out, "How long O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and .......?
E) The saints in heaven see the war, the persecution of Christians, the injustice, the wickedness
on every hand. * Their hearts cry out that sin be punished,
* And that saints be avenged by the hand of God!
* In v.11 God explains to them how things will turn out here on the earth!
F) As Abraham and Lazarus knew about the rich man in hell, and as the souls in heaven knew
about the course of events on earth, so our loved ones who are alive in Christ,
* Know what we do here on earth day by day!
-------AND WHAT IS THE CHIEF CONCERN OF THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN?-------
* We can be sure their interest is just the same as the Savior’s! * SOULS TO BE SAVED!
A) That too is the concern of heavenly saints! Turn to Luke 15:7 and v.10
* Who is in the presence of the angels? We know Jesus is & He rejoices over souls saved!
* But remember that there too are the saints of God! * They are with Christ!
* The angels are ministering spirits! * It was the angels that carried them to heaven!
B) And Jesus meant that redeemed saints in glory shout with rejoicing and praise God,
* Over every sinner who repents on earth! * "It made news in heaven when I got saved."
C) Our text: "compassed about" *Compass means to encircle, to lie all around or enclose.
* "Cloud of witnesses" are those in heaven right now! * They’ve already run the race!
* They’ve already fought the good fight, already finished their course!
* Now they watch on the sidelines as we take their places!
D) Now in view of this multitude who compass us about and watch us, let us run a good race!
* That, I believe with all my heart is the sense of this scripture!
E) I tell you, that heavenly saints know what goes on here on this earth!
* They know as Jesus knows! * They see, not through a glass darkly, but face to face!
* I believe God has no secrets from His children who are entered into His presence and rejoice
in His courts! * My Dad who died when I was 2, knows I’m saved and preaching the gospel!
CLOSE:
A) If you have a loved one in heaven and you are saved, they’re looking at you and they’re
encouraging you to keep on!
B) It’s a comforting fact, taught by the scriptures, that in heaven they know what we do here
on earth! * Heavenly witnesses watch our every step!
* We are dear to them, they understand our hearts!
* They anxiously look for us to come home to heaven!
C) Let us thank God and praise Him that the saints in heaven look down upon us with the
deepest concern!
