Heaven Will Be Worth It
John 14:1-3
January 8th, 2012 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Introduction (John 3:12)
Most people have a hard time
believing heavenly things (John 3:12)
They don�t talk about such a place
Talk more about hell, their income, the economy, politics, their family, their problems, and their past
Few talk much about their future � maybe because they don�t have one!
But a Christian� well, we
love to talk about the heaven (Col 3:1).
It�s where our treasure is
(Luke 12:34)! Because there is more to this universe than just what we can see, hear, touch, taste and smell (Luke 12:15)
A born again child of God �
someone truly saved from the righteous wrath of God � is going to a place that is more real and eternal than this place!
A place God calls, HEAVEN!
Message
Heaven is a Great Comfort to
Know About (John 14:1)
Jesus in John 14 was walking with His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane
- He had spoken about His upcoming death, and the crucifixion, and the will of God, and the resurrection
- And it scared the disciples
- So, He balances all the troubling news with some good news � about a future that was in store for believers � about a place that would make everything worthwhile
And He talked about Heaven! There is a Need for Heaven
- Our hearts yearn for a place that�s better than �here�
- All the years of struggle, and heartache, and sorrow need something that makes up for it all
Death and the grave cannot offer such a hope. In our modern time, most people just want to die � get their life over with
They try and find a way �out� through drugs, drink, suicide, virtual gaming � they are all escapes, but they offer no hope!
Religions are only a pipe dream
- People end up believing in Nirvana � a place of non-existence
- Alternate realities and multiple universes
- Spiritism
- But the heart needs something more!
Doctors can�t offer any hope
- Not to the terminal cancer patient
- Nor to the parents whose child is stillborn, or dies prematurely
Philosophers can�t offer any real hope � no future to look forward to
Patriotism doesn�t offer real hope! Many a soldier in time of war, fought on and risked everything because they looked forward to going home to be with parents and wives and children. But this world�s rewards are flawed
- Find that their wife has divorced them and married someone else
- Discover that the world around them doesn�t want them anymore
- Find out they have a ware related disease that will cripple them for the rest of their lives
- Yep! They fought so hard to get home, only to find a dead end!
God says, there really is a place called Heaven!
And it makes Living for Christ Worth Everything it may cost us!
Heaven is more than just a
�belief� (John 14:1) � like believing in God
It is a SURE hope � something we confidently look forward to
It is because of what Jesus was accomplishing on the cross � He was opening heaven to anybody who wanted to come!
It is better than a miracle (Luke 10:20)
It is better than life itself (Philp 1:21)
What is this place called
Heaven?
Normally refers to the sky (Gen 1:20; 15:5) � where the birds fly, and where the stars are
There are actually THREE heavens (2Cor 12:2)
- The air
- The Universe � big!
- Where God lives � massive!
When we talk about �heaven� we are usually referring to the third heaven � the heaven above all heavens � where God is!
Jesus calls heaven �My Father�s House�
- Many mansions � and that means MANY
- It is unbelievable � Jesus has to reassure them that it is more true than they could imagine (1Cor 2:9)
That�s where I�m going! Where God is!
All because I have been invited!
What�s it Like in Heaven?
What�s it like in God�s House?
It is Pure and Holy (Isaiah 57:15)
- Perfect � I don�t believe there is any dust there
- Pure, and clean, and bright
- No rust, no mould or mildew, no stains, and no flaws anywhere!
It is where God dwells (1Kgs 8:30; Mt 6:19).
- Heaven is a big place
- Yet, understand that heaven cannot contain God � He is BIGGER than heaven itself (1Kgs 8:27)
- And yet, we will meet and fellowship with GOD ALMIGHTY
As God came and dwelt among us 2,000 years ago
So now can a person dwell with God, forever and ever (Rev 21:3)
Where Jesus is (John 3:13)
- I don�t know about you, but that will be the best part
- I know GOD the father because of Jesus
- I love God, because Jesus made it possible for me to
- My life was changed because of the perfect life of Jesus, now living in me
- He promises to take me to Himself (Jn 14:3) � like a groom takes up his bride!!!
- And Jesus promises that we will be with Him forever!
- I can�t wait to see Jesus, and to be with Him forever!
Angels fill heaven � 10,000 times 10,000 (Rev 5:11) � 100,000,000 � innumerable according to Heb 12:22!
And yet, It�s been Prepared for Us!
- We are not breaking in to someplace that we don�t belong anymore
- We have been personally invited
- AND, everything is now made for us to enjoy!
It�s a Paradise (2Cor 12:3,4)
- Everybody wants to vacation in paradise!
- Very wealthy people get to live in their own little paradise � Richard Branson � pay countless millions for their bit of �heaven� on earth
- But we get paradise for free
It is a Place of Rest (Heb 4:9)
- Are you over worked, stretched beyond your abilities � worn out? Heaven will make up for all the ulcers, all the sleepless nights, all the battles and failures � with perfect rest!
- Not that you don�t do anything
- But that you never are stressed anymore � never hurried � never worrying � never fretting!
- You never read of an angel in a hurry!
All the Saints are there � believers who have died before us:
- From Adam and Eve, to Abel, to Enoch, to Noah, and his family, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, to David, to Daniel
- To Matthew, James, Peter, Paul, Martha, Mary, Joseph, Titus, Timothy
- Throughout the dark ages
- My grandmother is there!
- Countless millions and millions of Bible believing Christians who had died are there right now!
- Good people aren�t there � only sinners, saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ
- Religious people aren�t there � or all the Jews would have been there without Jesus
- The highly educated aren�t there � only sinners who just believe what this Book says!
It is full of shouting and rejoicing (Rev 7:17; Luke 15:7)
- I don�t believe there is any sleeping going on in heaven
- Heaven is the best party every thrown � without rock music, without drink or drugs
- The prodigal, wayward, self-willed son�s return to HIS father�s house is a picture of heaven (Luke 15:20-27)
Our rewards are there (Luke 6:22-29)
- Only get rewards in heaven when you put up with tough times here
- You see how that Jesus promises to make everything up to us?
- Don�t be like the Pharisees who worked so hard to get rewards and honour here� they fade away very quickly!
These are just some of the things that counter-balance all the stress and struggles of this life
What�s NOT in Heaven?
The things that are NOT there will make it worth going!
No Sin
- I mean no more sin! No adultery, no lying, no hatred, no killing, no hurting, no ignoring, no disrespect � no sin!
- No more temptation to sin either!
- It is all locked out!
- Your flesh won�t be there (1Cor 15:50-53; 2Cor 5:1,2,6-8)
Your �robe of flesh will fall off of you one day� and you will be changed! Isn�t that wonderful?
Your soul and spirit will go, but that part of you that is the most troubling, most burdened, and more flawed, will die!!!
Do have problems with your tongue? Your eyes? Your hands? Your health?
It won�t matter then!
They will fall away one day!
And you will get new ones � that haven�t been sabotaged!
No Satan (Luke 10:18)
- He�s not allowed in � used to be there, leading the music of heaven! No he is down here, leading the music of the world
- The great tempter of mankind has been thoroughly cast out and locked out!
No Sorrows, Sickness or Death � no graves � no hospitals (Rev 21:4)
- Sadly, there will be some tears in heaven � more about that next week
- But God will wipe them all away
- But there will be no more work, no sweat, no taxes, no warts, no ulcers, no cancer, no blindness or dementia
- AMEN!
No Sinners (Rev 21:8)
- Only people who LOVE God will be there � love God like JESUS loved Him
- �Saints� are sinners who have been forgiven and changed by the Holy Spirit in their lives!
- Have you been BORN AGAIN? If you haven�t been, then you will never see heaven (John 3:3)
No Shadows of Night (Rev 22:5)
- No fears will ever enter your heart � nothing will scare you there!
- No shadows will ever cross the sky
- No cloudy days, and no darkness of night � ever! Only light!
No Limits � this is what everybody wants in this life, but will never have it!
- Go anywhere you want to go
- Eat anything you want to eat
- Do anything you want to do
- And know that it all pleases God!
I think heaven is going to be awesome!
Heaven Makes Living for Christ Worth It! Wouldn�t you agree?
How Do You Get to Go to such
a Place? (John 14:2-6)
Not by your own merit
ONLY Jesus can get us in � �I go to prepare a place for you� (John 13:36; 14:4-6)
He made it so that anyone could go � as long as they do two things:
- Break � repent of their stubbornness and self-centred and self-righteous pride. Approach God as a wicked, sinful, rebellious sinner who hates being that way
- Believe � believe that Jesus actually did do everything perfectly so that a sinner could change and be made ready for heaven!
Do You Want to Go to
Heaven? Do you want eternal life now? Do you even know if you are going? You can have it right now � full assurance!
Paul knew where he was going when he died (Philp 1:23)
The thief dying on the cross next to Jesus was told where HE was going when he died (Luke 23:42,43)
A Christian, ANY bible-believing Christian has Eternal Life NOW
- John 3:16; 10:27,28; 5:24; 11:26
- 1John 5:13
- Knows exactly where they are going when they die � no sin of presumption! Just the promise of God in this Bible!
Once you have been born again, you become an heir of God, and joint heir with Jesus Christ (Rom 8:16,17) � it is a done deal! You get heaven!
- That�s why a Christian does not fear death � Why? Because they really will never die
- That�s why we don�t live for the pleasures of SIN � it destroys and kills
- That�s why we live life NOW, like we are going to live THERE tomorrow!
Conclusion
Are YOU going to heaven?
Are you living like you have
eternal life right now? Or only religiously?
The Christian has a sure
hope, all wrapped up in Jesus Christ. He proves there really is a heaven, and hell
Where will you be 30 seconds
after you close your eyes in death?
Sinner! Don�t wait until it
is too late to get in!
You don�t get eternal life at death � that�s when you face the judgment
You don�t get it in the Mass � that is just a ritual
You don�t get it through doing good works, and hoping for the best
You get it as a gift, when you receive it as a thirsty sinner!
Christian! Don�t Wait Until
Heaven to Enjoy Eternal Life
I enjoy it right now!
You can�t scare ME with heaven?