Why We Look Forward to
Heaven
2 Corinthians 5:1-21
January 22nd
2012 AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Philp
3:13,14)
A.
The Christian life is so worth
living! Not just because of the blessings that God gives us in this life, but
because of what lies ahead for the Bible believer!
B.
This is a continuation of the
truths were learned about heaven two weeks ago
C.
As I looked at 2Corinthians 5,
I saw such a desire of the Apostle Paul to go to be with the Lord Jesus, that I
wanted to discover all the reasons why it is in my heart too!
D.
I constantly am reminded that
there is nothing in the past (the good old days weren’t really all that great),
that can compare what is in the future of every born again child of God!
E.
If you spend all your time
reminiscing and living in regrets because of all the things that happened (or
didn’t happen) in your past, then you have not learned about the Christians
Future!
F.
This morning, I want to look
at the Christian’s desire to go forward, to stay focused on the future, and what
we lose when we get our eyes off of the future!
II.
Message – Why We Look
Forward
A.
Why a Christian Loves
Heaven (2Cor 5:17, 1)
1.
Because We have Been
Forgiven (2Cor 5:17)
a.
Our past has been repaired
1)
Maybe that is nothing to you,
but to the Bible believer, it is the greatest gift ever!
2)
The wages of sin condemned us
to an eternity in hell
3)
But the gift of God is eternal
life
4)
The forgiveness of sins
5)
Making peace with GOD
6)
Being born again into the
family of God!
7)
God can’t even remember my
past (Heb 10:17)
b.
There is no condemnation (Rom
8:1)!
c.
There is NONTHING in our past
that compares with a Christian’s future
1)
From the moment you got born
again
2)
Your destiny changed
3)
Your heart rested
4)
You were filled with the Holy
Spirit of God
5)
And everything you do now
actually counts
d.
No wonder Christians look more
forward than back!
2.
Because Life is Temporary
(2Cor 5:1)
a.
No Matter who your are, or how
good life may be at the moment… It is SO short
b.
Your life that you so cater to
will dissolve one day – melt into the ground
c.
We spend all our time worrying
about spots and hair-colour and fingernail shapes and fat and verucas and brand
names and what restaurant to eat at and
d.
Not enough time in worship,
and praise, and praying, and just resting in God’s grace!
e.
Life is like a vapour, a race
that is over way to quickly, and then it is gone
f.
A Christian looks at life like
God does – very brief!
3.
Because We have a Better
Home Waiting (2Cor 5:1)
a.
We actually have something
much better ahead of us
b.
It has been simply GIVEN to us
at Christ’s expense! Didn’t earn it at all!
c.
Our first home is amazing
1)
Where we live right now
2)
Is amazing
3)
DNA, 75 trillion cells, all
working together
4)
Heart pumping 35 million times
in a year
5)
Every day the 5 litres of
blood in your body travels 12,000 miles!!!
6)
According to Scientific
American, our minds have the potential store and remember over three million
hours of TV shows! And not just remember what we saw, but what we smelled,
heard, felt, worried about, and desired!
7)
Our lives, this flesh is
amazing
8)
But it aint NOTHING compared
to what God has in store for those who love Him!
9)
This body is constantly
referred to in the Bible as a tent, a tabernacle – a shell
10)
And it will be dropped one
day!
d.
Our second home is going to
blow us away!
1)
The first body is earthly –
smelly, decaying, rotting, needing medicine and constant maintenance
2)
Our second body, new body is
heavenly – eternal – waiting in heaven for us
3)
For so long, people have
sought the fountain of youth – the ability to live forever
a)
Would YOU want to live forever
in your body as it is?
b)
Do you think if people lived a
million years in the state they are in that they would get wiser and more moral
and kind? Nope!
4)
We need a replacement and boy
does God have one for us!
5)
And THAT body will make us
forget every ache and pain and struggle we ever had!
6)
EX: Drive around in an old
Ford that constantly needed attention: leaked oil, ran through petrol like a
sieve, constantly hesitated, would die unexpectedly. And then you get you your
first new car… a 2,012 model! Do you actually think you would go around
complaining about what you USED to drive, or would you just relish the thrill of
driving around with no hiccups at all anymore? Which one???
7)
The body we will get will
never die, will not be able to sin, will never hurt or ache or grow old. It will
go anywhere we want, and will always be fresh and healthy and full of life! It
will be just like Jesus’ body is now!
B.
Why We Can’t Wait to Go
There (2Cor 5:2,4-8)
1.
We are not like people who
talk about heaven… No! We DREAM of it!
a.
Christians are very different
than just “religious” people!
b.
Yes, we like it here.
We love our families, and our churches, and our Bibles…
c.
But this world just doesn’t
have the lustre and attraction to us like it does most everyone else
1)
2)
3)
I enjoy a football game, but
you couldn’t get me to spend a €100 for tickets, ever!
d.
Our passions and excitement
are all passing fads
e.
Our affections aren’t on
things HERE
f.
We are different - peculiar
2.
Notice that we “groan” for our
new home, new bodies
a.
Like an old bridge, groaning
under the weight of lorries and heavy burdens
b.
So do we groan
c.
Don’t judge a Christian by
their groanings (not grippings) – that is a normal thing, to look forward to
when there will be no more burdens
3.
Because God’s Holy Spirit
dwells in us and is pulling us home (2Cor 5:5)
a.
He groans that we would know
that THIS LIFE is not all there is
b.
A man’s life does NOT consist
of the THINGS which he owns (Luke 12:15)
4.
A Christian realises
(especially the older they get) just how much BETTER heaven is going to be than
this life down here, and will be better than things are right now!
5.
The Christian gladly
announces, to die is gain (2Cor 5:6-8)!
a.
At home in this body means we
are away from the Lord Jesus
b.
BUT, the moment we die is when
we leave this home, and move to be with Jesus!
c.
AND BOY are Christians
CONFIDENT of that move!
d.
It WILL take place, on the
authority of God’s own promise (John 14:3)!
6.
We look forward to moving on
like you would look forward to moving into a better house with better heat and
more room
a.
Compared to heaven, we are
living in cardboard boxes!
b.
Compared to our new bodies, we
are in a body of death right now – dying, rotting, decaying, falling apart
7.
We love His coming – His
appearing!
8.
We actually can’t wait for
Jesus to come back! We look forward to it!
C.
What We Lose When We Get
Our Eyes Off Of The Future (2Cor 5:2-4,9)
1.
Some serious thoughts here!
2.
Paul here compares waking up
in heaven to a man getting new clothes
a.
Some will find themselves
naked! With nothing to show for all of God’s investment in our lives!
b.
Some will find themselves
honoured, and clothed with awards!
3.
A Christian can never be
CONDEMNED, or cast away, but CAN be ASHAMED, and can LOSE out on rewards that
were available to him!
4.
Talking about REWARDS as a
Christian: Crowns, Treasures in heaven, Position of Government
5.
We need to take very seriously
the coming judgment on all believers (Eccl 12:13,14)
6.
God will judge our:
a.
Secrets (Rom 2:16) – sin of
presumption is to do things and not think it will cost you
b.
Laziness (Rom 12:11) – think
you don’t need to work hard
c.
Wandering eyes (Matt 5:28) –
think no one knows what you look at
d.
Idle words (Matt 12:36) –
think your words don’t matter – well, they do!
e.
Our heart attitudes (Heb 4:12)
– don’t care about your attitude – well GOD cares!
f.
How we lived (1Cor 3:11-18) –
can’t defile and ruin this life without getting the OWNER upset (1Cor 6:19,20)
g.
Faithfulness to the end (Act
20:24) – God can’t bless our START, but he sure blesses our FINISHING!
h.
Are you living a life that is
acceptable to HIM, or to your friends??? (2Cor 5:9)
7.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
(2Cor 5:10; Romans 14:10-12)
a.
Where we will either be
honoured for a life lived for Him, or ashamed for living life for SELF!
b.
There are crowns for faithful
Christians (1Cor 9:24,25)
1)
Five of them are available to
be won as a matter of fact
2)
Such honour for sinful rebels
like we are
c.
There are treasures that can
be stored up in heaven (1Cor 3:12-15)
1)
Priceless treasures unknown in
this life
2)
More priceless than the best
gold and gemstones
3)
Mansions, a city with no
night, people you love and who love you!
4)
The very presence of Jesus
Christ will be worth it all!
d.
There are positions of
authority, next to Jesus that are awarded (Luke 19:15-17)
1)
You give positions of
authority to those who have earned it, right?
2)
The same with Jesus and
granting places next to HIM!
e.
We can EARN rewards, or we can
LOSE them
1)
We labour, work at earning
them
2)
We had better fear losing them
(Rev 3:11)
3)
We will have to answer for how
we messed up God’s gifts to us
4)
EX: Your Dad loaning you the
family car… and you not bringing it back home! You will have to answer for what
happened to it!
8.
Rewards are why Christians
look forward to heaven!
a.
A bag of money doesn’t thrill
us
b.
Even a bank full of money is
nothing compared to what is in store for the simple loving believer in Jesus
Christ!
9.
That’s why Christians judge
themselves – keep under their body – work at controlling their tongue, and
filling their life full of serving and busy-ness – so that we DON’T blow our
future! (1John 1:9;
D.
Causes A Grave Concern for
Others (2Cor 5:11,14,15)
1.
The Christian KNOWS the future
- Knows (5:1); Always Confident (5:6,8);
a.
We know our destiny
b.
We know our Saviour
c.
We know purpose – to honour
and glorify and worship
d.
And we know not many are ready
for eternity
2.
We don’t only worry about
ourselves, but about others!
3.
We worry about unsaved (Luke
14:23)
a.
We go out of our way to
interrupt people’s lives and to persuade them to repent and live for God
1)
John the Baptist yelled,
“FLEE! FLEE from the wrath to come!
2)
Jesus came preaching, “REPENT!
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3)
Jude said, “of some have
compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of
the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
4)
There is a judgment of the
Christian – serious business
5)
AND there is a judgment of the
unbeliever – of the lost, called the GREAT, WHITE THRONE Judgment of all the
unsaved dead (Rev 20:10-15)
b.
That’s why we all need to take
fists full of tracts and get them into people’s hands, and get people talking
about hell and about the righteousness of God, and about morality, and about the
authority of the Bible, and just who Jesus Christ really is!
c.
That’s why we all need to go
out soul-winning on Saturday afternoons even for just 1 hour – to persuade men
and women, boys and girls that there is an eternity ahead, and so, so few are
ready for it!
4.
We worry about the backslidden
– those who are discouraged, and too beat up by life to keep going!
a.
We keep bothering them, keep
praying for them
b.
Encouraging them, exhorting
them
c.
And pulling them back
d.
Because we know it matters how
long they stay out of the race!
5.
Look at what Paul says about
the Christian life now
a.
It is a constrained life (2Cor
5:14) – not living any old way we want now
b.
It is a concerned life –
concerned that people are dead in their sins and under the wrath of God (5:14)
c.
It is a reconciling life
(5:18-20) working at bring sinful man back to an all holy and righteous God, who
wants to save them instead of condemn them!
6.
I look forward to heaven
because of all the people who I have had the privilege of turning to God, and to
His Son!
III.
Conclusion
A.
The Christian life is so worth
living! Not just because of the blessings that God gives us in this life, but
because of what lies ahead for the Bible believer!
1.
If you spend all your time
reminiscing and living in regrets because of all the things that happened (or
didn’t happen) in your past, then you have not learned about the Christians
Future!
2.
This morning, we have taken a
good look at the Christian’s desire to go forward, to stay focused on the
future, and what we lose when we get our eyes off of the future!
B.
Is it true in your life?
1.
Do YOU look forward to
Heaven? I do!
a.
Because I have Been
Forgiven
b.
Because Life is Temporary
c.
Because I have a Better
Home Waiting – it is going to blow us away!
2.
Do You Have that, “Can’t
Wait to Go There” Attitude?
a.
Do you groan for it?
b.
Do you ever sense God’s Holy
Spirit dwells in you and pulling you home?
c.
You can tell just by what
excites a Christian: Football, friends, money, or prayer!
d.
We look forward to moving on
like you would look forward to moving into a better house with better heat and
more room
3.
Do You Now Realise What You
Lose When We Get Our Eyes Off of the Future?
a.
REWARDS as a Christian
b.
Crowns, Treasures in heaven,
Position of Government
c.
God will judge our:
1)
Secrets (Rom 2:16) – sin of
presumption is to do things and not think it will cost you
2)
Idle words (Matt 12:16) –
think your words don’t matter – well, they do!
3)
Wandering eyes (Matt 5:28) –
think no one knows what you look at
4)
Laziness (Rom 12:11) – think
you don’t need to work hard
5)
Our heart attitudes (Heb 4:12)
– don’t care about your attitude – well GOD cares!
6)
How we lived (1Cor 3:11-18) –
can’t defile and ruin this life without getting the OWNER upset (1Cor 6:19,20)
7)
Faithfulness to the end (Act
20:24) – God can’t bless our START, but he sure blesses our FINISHING!
8)
Are you living a life that is
acceptable to HIM, or to your friends??? (2Cor 5:9)
d.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is
REAL
e.
We can EARN rewards, or we can
LOSE them
4.
Will You Start Having A
Grave Concern for Others?
a.
Worry about unsaved!
b.
Worry about the backslidden –
keep them encouraged!