What's Next? What Will We Do In Heaven? Series

INTRODUCTION

1. (eg) What will we do in Heaven? Harps and Halos?

• Is Heaven just playing harps all day, singing hymns all day, everyday, forever and ever and ever?

• If it’s a harp – I want mine to be an electric harp…

2. (eg) In a "Far Side" cartoon -- A man with angel wings and a halo sits on a cloud, doing nothing. He has the expression of someone marooned on a desert island, with nothing to do.

• A caption shows his inner thoughts: "Wish I’d brought a magazine."

• Is Heaven going to be like a Golden, shiny, Eternal retirement village? Are we just going to sing all the time?

3. ????(eg) There were two guys who were huge baseball fans and their ongoing argument was, "Will there be baseball in heaven?" Because they knew if there wasn’t baseball in heaven, they would not be happy.

• So they made an agreement, that whoever went first, he’d find some way to let the other one know if there was baseball in heaven.

• Well, eventually one of them dies -- and sure enough, in a time of prayer, the one in Heaven is allowed to visit his praying friend…

• So How is it? Heaven is Awesome! Just like Dennis said – far better than anything you’d ever expect!

• Great – so is there baseball in Heaven?"

• And his buddy said, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is THERE IS baseball in heaven. The bad news is you’re pitching Friday."

See that’s how all the misconceptions about heaven get started…

4. The devil is a liar and the father of all lies AND The devil has deceived so many to think… Heaven is boring and Hell’s not so bad.

• Why? The devil was kicked out of Heaven and will be cast into the Final Hell…

• What will never be his is now ours and he’s ticked off…

• (eg) like a selfish child – If I can’t have it – no one can…

• The devil hates God – all that God created and all that God loves and is seeking to destroy all that God created and all that God loves…

• The devil hates you… so one of the devil’s lies is – Heaven’s boring and Hell’s not so bad.

5. But as we know – Hell is an Awful Place!

• Hades and Hell are far worse than anything we’ve known, or experienced or could even imagine in this life.

• AND No one in Hades would ever want anyone to experience what they are experiencing. No one in Hell would ever want anyone to know what they know.

6. Heaven is an Awesome Place!

• Heaven is far better than anything we’ve known, experienced, loved or even could imagine in this life. This life is good – but Heaven is far better.

7. Heaven is Far better and Far more…

• As I read the Scriptures, with my limited understanding, and our finite grasp -- I get this impression that Heaven will be a continuous – but wait, there’s more!!!

• With every step, In every turn, with every experience, with every sensation – but wait – there’s more…

• Heaven is Far better and there will be far more than what we now know, now understand or could now even imagine…

• Anything that’s said today, ADD “AND it will be far better and far more than this!!!”

8. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 – 9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. We know it! We feel it! We sense it!

• When we read the words of Scripture - These are just glimpses of His Glory! Just a Peek at His Perfection! Just a Taste of His Transcendence! Just a Bit of His Beauty! Just a Moment of His Majesty!

9. Heaven is an Awesome Place! We know that! We believe that! We understand that! But let’s ask this question - In this Awesome Place – What’s our Place? What will we do in Heaven?

• We may not know all of the details… to know Heaven fully, we’ll have to experience Heaven personally… but here are some things we know…

Revelation 21:1-7 --- 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.