They Are In Heaven

THEY ARE IN HEAVEN

VARIOUS PASSAGES

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of _______________. I want more than anything to comfort you in your grief. I want to encourage you that the Lord is ever so near in your time of tears, pain, and grief. I would like to share one simple phrase with you today, just four words, that I hope will stay with you always when you think about _______.

KEY PHRASE: He is in Heaven.

READ JOHN 14:1-4 = "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. You know the way to the place where I am going." (NIV)

Jesus promises us that He has went ahead of us and is preparing a place for us in Heaven. This is not just any place, but Jesus says we have a place in God’s house in Heaven. What a wonderful thought. When we leave this life, we get to live with God. We get to walk side by side with Jesus and enjoy the benefits of Heaven.

KEY PHRASE: He is in Heaven

READ REVELATION 7:15-17 = Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (NIV)

The benefits of Heaven are really far beyond our ability to comprehend. Still living here on Earth, we can’t really understand what Heaven is like. Scripture tells us it is a place where there is no more hunger or thirst or pain and that God renews us everyday. It is a place of contentment. It is a place of love. It is a place with God. And we will be there one day to see __________ again.

KEY PHRASE: He is in Heaven.

READ 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 = Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wants us to grieve like people who have hope. Our hope rests in Jesus who will take care of __________ and will care for us until we meet again. We, those who are God’s children, will meet again in the air and we will be with God in Heaven forever.

KEY PHRASE: He is in Heaven.

PRAYER