When We All Get To Heaven

Heaven has inspired -

• Much of the poetry we read and enjoy

• Many of the artists to paint the pictures they have painted

• Many of the hymn writers to write the beautiful hymns we sing

• Many of the preachers to preach great sermons on heaven

We Christians sing and talk about Heaven a great deal. NO PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH HAVE AS MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO AS WE CHRISTIANS. One day we’ll live in -

• A city without a cemetery — for they have no dying there

• A city without tears — for God shall wipe away all tears up there

• A city without pain, a city without sorrow, without sickness, without death — for the former things are passed away

• A city without darkness — "for the Lamb shall be the light thereof."

• A city without sun or moon — for Christ shall shine unveiled in all his glory there

• A city without temptation — for nothing that defiles shall ever enter Heaven

• A city where we shall be free from sin, where pollution cannot enter, where righteousness shall reign forever

• A city with no jails or prisons, for there will be no ungodly there

• A city with no doctors – for there will be no need for them there

• A city with no crooked politicians – King Jesus shall rule there

• A city whose citizens are the saints of God

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger says that as a young minister, he had the privilege to visit the Holy Land for the first time. He said he thought about going to that place where Jesus walked, and it thrilled him just to think he might step where He stepped!

He thought that once he arrived, he might touch something Jesus touched thousands of years ago.

As he thought about this exciting trip, he began to count the days anticipating his departure. The closer that time came, the more excited he became.

But listen saint of God, we are going to this place called Heaven and we won’t be WHERE HE WAS, but we are going to BE WHERE HE IS! Heaven is a wonderful place, and we all love to sing and talk about it.

Illus: A widely respected man known as "Uncle Johnson" died in Michigan at the incredible age of 120. Perhaps his advanced years could be credited in part to the cheerful outlook that characterized his life. One day while at work in his garden, he was singing songs of praise to God. His pastor, who was passing by, looked over the fence and called,

• "Uncle Johnson, you seem very happy today."

• "Yes, I was just thinking," said the old man.

• "Thinking about what?" questioned his pastor.

• "Oh, I was just thinking that if the crumbs of joy that fall from the Master's table in this world are so good, what will the great loaf in glory be like! I tell you, sir, there will be enough for everyone and some to spare up there."

Illus: When I think of heaven, I always think of the little girl that was walking in a park one night holding her mother’s hand. She looked up in the starry sky and saw the stars as diamonds spread across black silk and she took a deep breath and said to her mom, “Mom, if heaven is this beautiful on the outside side can you imagine what it is going to look like on the inside?”

Again, allow me to say that heaven is a wonderful place and no people on this earth have as much to look forward to as we Christians. Let’s talk about heaven today.

The Fox News Channel has a slogan that says they are, “Fair and Balanced!” After they deal with a controversial matter, showing both sides of the issue, they will say to the television audience, “NOW YOU DECIDE!”

Well, I want to be fair and balance in my preaching.

• A while ago I preached on Hell.

• Today I want to give the other side of the story and preach on Heaven.

After you hear this, you must decide which place you are going to spend eternity in. Let’s take a good look at what the Lord says about heaven in this passage of scripture. First, we see-

I. A STARTLING STATEMENT

Look at verse 21a, we read, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…”

We all enjoy talking and singing about heaven! One of the songs we like to sing about heaven is called, “WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN!” But as much as we TALK and SING about this glorious place, EVERYONE IS NOT GOING TO GO THERE!