Sermon Central
-
Heaven: The Believers Hope Series
Contributed by Rob Yanok on Sep 10, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: If heaven is not the hope of humanity, then the human race has no hope whatsoever.
“Heaven: The Believers Hope” – Pastor Rob Yanok
Text – John 14:1-3
Either heaven is real or Jesus led His followers with lies. If heaven is a hoax, then it is the
biggest hoax ever perpetrated upon mankind. If there is no heaven, then the Bible is not
true and Jesus was a deceiver. If heaven is not the hope of humanity, then the human race
has no hope whatsoever.
The talk show co-host asked his partner, “if there is a heaven, what would you want to be
asked as you walk through the door of heaven?” His partner said, “Smoking or
nonsmoking?” The question was a lame attempt at humor and fill airtime. These men
were having fun at the expense of God, the Bible, and Christians. People may think it is a
joke, a fragment of their imagination, a metaphysical abstraction, or a theological
conception. Heaven is real!
Time Magazine Article (3/24/97) people were asked questions about heaven, here
are their responses:
1. Do you believe in the existence of heaven, where people live forever with God
after they die? 81% said Yes, 13% said No
2. Where do you believe you will go when you die? 68% Heaven, 3% Hell
3. Which of the following do you believe are in heaven? 93% Angels, 79% St. Peter,
43% Harps, 36% Halos
The word heaven occurs over 500 times in the Bible: describes 3 different types of
heavens:
1. First heaven - the atmospheric heaven (the sky)
2. Second heaven – stellar or celestial heaven (outer space)
3. Third Heaven – the divine heaven (the abode of God)
“To pretend to describe the excellence, the greatness or duration of the happiness of
heaven by the most artful composition of words would be but to darken and cloud it; to
talk of raptures and ecstacies, joy and singing, is but to set forth very low shadows of
the reality.” Jonathan Edwards
Charles Spurgeon echoed the same sentiments: “When a mortal man speaks anything fo
that eternal blessedness of the saints in glory, he is like a blind man discoursing about
the light which has never seen, and so cannot distinctly speak anything concerning it.”
He also said, “ In a way it is akin to a man writing a travel guide for a land he has
never visited or seen. It is an attempt to describe the indescribable with words which
cannot come close to expressing the glory of heaven.”
Apostle Paul expressed our limitations in knowing all that lies beyond this realm when he
said, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part...for we now see in a mirror,
dimly, but face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am
known.” (I Cor. 13:9,12)
Paul also indicated the “mystery” aspect of heaven when he refereed to an outstanding
event he had experienced.
II Corinthians 12:2-4 (NLT) – “I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen
years ago. Whether my body was there or just my spirit , I don’t know; only God
knows. But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so
astounding that they cannot be told.”
•The NKJV refers to Paul having heard “inexpressible words” while the
Amplified Bible uses the phrase “Utterances beyond the power of man to put into
words.”
•There are many things about heaven God has chosen not to reveal to us at this
point, but neither has he been entirely silent about what awaits us.
I. Why we should spend time thinking and talking about Heaven
a. It has been said some Christians are so heavenly minded they’re
no earthly good. But perhaps more believers are so earthly
minded they’re no heavenly good.
1. Heaven will be our eternal home. It’s only natural that we
should want to know all we can about the place where we’re
going to spend eternity.
2. Colossians 3:2 –“Set you mind on the things about, not on
the things that are on earth.”
3. Why? Our living with God in heaven has been on God’s
mind for a long time.
b. Thinking about heaven has at least five practical effects on our
lives here on the earth:
1. Focusing on heaven restores our hope in times of suffering
2. Focusing on heaven reassures us that God is on the throne
3. Focusing on heaven reminds us that this world is not all there
is (Phil.3:20)
4. Focusing on heaven refocuses us on the nature of true
treasure (Matt. 6:19-21)
5. Focusing on heaven reignites our fervor to serve the Lord
(Isa 6:1-8)
c. We are just passing Through! Apostle John recognized this and
exhorted believers to be mindful that this world is fatally flawed
