Your First Glimpse of Heaven

Your First Glimpse of Heaven

The Future Looks Great, Part 1

John 14:1-6

• January is a time our church looks at doctrine. This year, we will be talking about heaven. Which is part of “Eschatology,” the doctrine of Last Things.
• Hebrews 2:15 emphasizes that Jesus died to “free those who for all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.”
• Series: “The Future Looks Great.” For believers, heaven is something we love to think about, talk about and examine deeply. Early Christians were enthralled with heaven.
• Randy Alcorn, in his book Heaven, notes that: Roman Catacombs, where the bodies of many martyred Christians were buried, contain tombs with inscriptions: “In Christ, Alexander is not dead, but live.” “One who lies with God.” “He was taken up into his eternal home.”
• One historian writes: “Pictures on the catacomb walls portray heaven with beautiful landscapes, children playing, and people feasting at banquets.”
• As we enter this season of church life, I want you to ask the Lord, “Let me fall in love with heaven.”

I. What happens when we die:

A. Some views:

• Eternal Oblivion (?) Does life just cease and we pass out of existence? Are we snuffed out like candles? Something in us objects to that so strongly, because our very being knows we were created to last longer than these earthly bodies.
• Purgatory (?) Is there a place between heaven and hell? In this doctrine, we spend time being tortured and paying for our sins (Purged of our sins.) This in in conflict with the Gospel, which teaches that Christ alone paid for our sins and declared the payment, “Finished” on the cross.
• Reincarnation (?) Do we go from this existence into another form of existence? Does our being simply transform into something else? If that were true, who’s organizing it? Wouldn’t it require a god to plan all of those souls switching places and forms? It’s like the guy in the Count of Monte Cristo, who dug through the floor of his jail cell only to drop into another jail cell. It really doesn’t offer much hope of anything better. The Bible says that it is appointed to a man once to die, and then the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27-28)
• Soul Sleep (?) Do our souls simply rest in non-existence until the Second Coming?

B. The Bible teaches:

• Jesus promised, “Eternal life.” Life without end. (John 5:24)
• Jesus told the thief on the cross that same day he would be in heaven with him. (Luke 23:40-43)
• Paul said that we would rather be away from the body and “at home with the Lord.” Not away from the body at in the grave! (2 Corinthians 5:8)
• Jesus reminded the Sadducees that God said at the burning bush that he “is” the Gos of Abraham, even though Abraham was dead God spoke of Abraham as if he was still alive; because Abraham was alive, in heaven. God was his God, not in the grave, but in heaven. (Matthew 22:32)
• John saw the souls of the dead already in heaven even during the tribulation on earth in Revelation 6:9.

C. Heaven is A real place. Spiritual place. –Gk topos, “place.”

II. First Things A Believer Will See:

1. (Luke 16:22-24)

2. (2 Peter 1:11)

3. (Hebrews 12:1, Revelation 7:9)

4. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

5. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

III. Descriptions of heaven:

1. A (Heb. 11:8, Revelation 21)

2. A

• Isa. 25:6. (marrow means meat)
• Matthew 8:11
• Matthew 22:2

3. A mighty

• Revelation 4-5
• Isaiah 6:1-6

4. An

• John 14:2
• Bob Benson writes, “I used to think of dying as leaving the party early. But I’ve come to understand that there is a party going on somewhere else, and I’m missing out on it.”
• The Bible calls that party the marriage supper of the lamb. Title book: “See you at the house.” Someone says: Meet you back at the house, that communicates warmth, fellowship, acceptance, security. Jesus says: I’ll meet you at the house.

The Most Important Thing You Can Know About Heaven: (John 14:4-6)