Adrian Rogers: A Place Called Heaven [#2286]

welcome to love Werth fine with Pastor teacher and author Adrian Rogers reaching out with God's love bringing people to Christ touching lives around the world and helping you find the answers you need today join us as we prepare to open God's Word and discover how your life can be changed forever by his great love worth finding John chapter 14 dear Lord Jesus said let not your heart be troubled he believed in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am ye may be also I visited dr. Lee former pacifist Church many times at his bedside just before he died he lapsed into a coma and had a vision of heaven he came back this is what he said he said I preached on heaven many times but I never did it justice now if there were ever an eloquent and a gifted preacher would be dr. Robert G Lee if he had any great sermon and he had many his sermon called place called heaven was a classic but he said I never did it justice now we're limited in our knowledge of heaven dr. Lee was limited I am limited you are limited the Bible tells us more about what will not be there than it does about what will be there but may I say this that the Bible gives us all that we need to know about heaven and what we know leads us in breathless wonder now God has purposely kept back some things about heaven from us when the Apostle Paul took his soldier into heaven he went to heaven in a he said I don't know where I was in my body or out of my body but I went up I was caught up into paradise into the third heaven and he said I saw their things on uh turrible things things not lawful to declare that is God said this is a sacred secret Paul you cannot tell it God has saved something very wonderful for us the place called heaven the Gallup people did a poll they found would you believe that 72% of the American people believe in heaven 60% believed in hell only 4% thought they were going to hell they believed people believed in heaven but there's an old gospel song says everybody talking about heaven ain't going there I talked to a man one time one of the most important figures I'd I don't want to tell you his name but you may figure out who he was he the former governor of a state served in the served on the staff of the presidency of the United States and a very important man was running himself for the presidency of the United States and I was with Jim Kennedy Jim Kennedy that wonderful pastor in Fort Lauderdale who began evangelism explosion Jim Kennedy asked this man this question he said governor if you were to die and stand before the Lord and he would ask you this question why should I let you into my heaven what would you say I never will forget it was almost humorous that man drew himself up he had that goal as a silver hair slicked back like that at chin he said well said I haven't been all that ought to be but I tell him if you've got anybody up there you don't let me in so full of self assurance and pride but not one word about the grace of God not everybody talking about heaven is going to heaven we're going to be thinking a little bit about heaven I want to give you some facts about heaven fact number one heaven is a real place heaven is not a condition a state of mind some will of the wist heaven is someplace on god's map now let me give you a scripture concerning what what the Apostle Paul said about his journey to heaven 2nd Corinthians 12 verses 2 through 4 Paul said I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell now Paul is talking about himself he calls himself a man in Christ now listen to this listen carefully he said whether I was in my body or out of my body I don't know that's very very important because that tells us you can go to heaven out of your body are you good having anybody heaven is such a real place that it accommodate it takes care of a real body it is or yet you can go there in your spirit so Paul said I don't know whether I was in my body or out of my body God knoweth such a one caught up to the third heaven and I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth how he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter that's very interesting we say heaven is a real place and in the Bible we talk of heaven as being up the Apostle Paul said I was caught up into heaven and so those who are naysayers those who laugh at us who believe the Bible literally they say well you're ignoramus don't you know that the earth is round and so and Paul is in Palestine he's pointing to heaven this way is up and somebody perhaps in Australia is pointing this way is up and they're pointing in different directions don't you understand that those people in the Bible times thought the earth was flat but we know it's round how can heaven be up if it's in different directions well I tell you I think that God understands it all let me tell you this folks there's one place on the place of the on the face of the globe that is always up did you know what it is it's north that's not by accident that no matter where you are on planet earth people say down south up oh why because North is a fixed position if you were to take a camera and open that camera and the lens of that camera and put that lens on the North Star and leave the lens open you would see all of the other stars rotating around that North Star and it would never move that is a fixed position I believe the Bible teaches that heaven is North let me give you some scriptures Isaiah 14 verses 13 and 14 this is talking about the fall of Satan from heaven for thou has said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne now watch this above the stars of God I will sit also upon the Mount of the congregation in the sides of the North Satan said I'm going I'm going above the stars I'm going to the place of God I'm going to exalt my throne there in the sides of the north in the Bible when God was telling people how to make a blood sacrifice in the Book of Leviticus Leviticus chapter 1 verse 11 talking about killing an animal and he says this and he shall kill it on the side of the altar it on the side of the altar now listen to this northward toward the Lord northward toward the Lord Leviticus 1 verse 11 listen to this Psalm 75 verses 6 and 7 God is talking about where promotion comes from and he says for promotion coming neither from the east nor from the West nor from the south but God is the judge what is the influence promotion comes from God where is God in the north you see Paul said I was caught up into the third heaven what did you mean by the third heaven whether three heavens the Bible speaks of the fowls of the heavens that's the atmosphere Kevin and then the Bible speaks of the stars of heaven that's the stellar heaven and then God speaks of heaven which is the abode of God somewhere a real place that Paul could have gone to in a body and by the way Jesus is there in a body there's a man in the glory somebody said of these three heavens the first we see by day the second we see by night the third we see by faith I love that very heaven is a real place now don't get the idea it's some sort of a gaseous nebula state of mind or some no heaven is a real place one day you go there a resurrected body and you have to have something put that resurrected foot on heaven is a real place it is somewhere on God's map second thing second thing once you learn how the saved go to heaven immediately upon death listen to this scripture 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verses 6 through 8 paul says wherefore we're always confident oil of that so bold knowing that while we are at home in the body your body is a house you live in it we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord that is his literal presence for we walk by faith and not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord that's the reason I said you can go to heaven in a body or out of the body you can be absent from your body and go to heaven or you can go to heaven in a resurrected body the Saints go immediately to heaven upon death some people think that the soul sleeps in the grave to await the resurrection no the body weights the resurrection the spirit goes immediately to be with Jesus what did Jesus tell that dying thief on the cross jesus said today today you'll be with me in paradise as Jesus bowed his head and died he said father into thy hands I commend my spirit when Stephen that Saint was stoned and martyred for his faith he looked up he said I see heaven I see Jesus on the right hand of the Father and then he prayed father I received my spirit not so long ago I was the deathbed of my darling mother I wish you could have known my mother my mother was a an incredible individual as was my dad but my mother had a great sense of humor and my mother was full of witticisms and and you could never get ahead of her you no matter what you'd say she always had to come back but anyway uh they I saw my mother there the last few moments of consciousness and I saw her she just turned her eyes and looked upward I can't prove it but I just have a feeling that she was looking into another world that there just comes a time there comes a time when we move out of this body and we move into a position with our Lord in heaven and so I have a desire to depart and be with Christ that's what the Apostle Paul said now here's the third thing I want to say about heaven heaven as a real place are the saints go to heaven immediately when they die to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord the third thing about this is question often asked will we know our loved ones we will know our loved ones will know them face to face first Corinthians chapter thirteen verse 12 for now we see him in the glass darkly what does that mean in a glass darkly well in Bible times they didn't have mirrors like we have with Quicksilver on them they would take brass and they would polish it now the translators call it a glass but it wasn't really even a glass it was a burnished brass reflector they would look in it and you could you could see but you could not see as clearly as we see that's what he meant when we see in a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part then I shall know even as also I am known you see folks we really don't know one another now the question is not where we know one another in heaven the real question is do we know one another now you know when Samuel was going to anoint a king for Israel I got told Samuel look not on his countenance knowing the height of his stature talking about Eliab for I have refused him the Lord sees not as man man looks on the outward appearance God looks on the heart you know some of these high and mighty people that have all of these beautiful bodies and chiseled features and everything don't think they're more important listen God looks on the heart God looks on the heart God doesn't see as a man sees what we know one another in heaven of course we will know one another in heaven I thought about the picture of our little baby Philip and my heart went to that passage of Scripture where King David had a baby that died went to heaven he had prayed and asked God lord please spare the life of the baby but God did not then the Bible says in 2nd Samuel chapter 12 verse 20 then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and came into the house of the lord and worshiped then he came to his own house and when he required they set bread before him and he did eat then said his servants unto Him what thing is this that that was done about it's fast and weep for the child hot it was a lot of but when the child was dead thou dis rise and eat bread and he said while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept where I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the child may live but now he is dead listen to this wherefore should I fast can I bring him back again I shall go to him he shall not return to me I will go to him now we go to our loved ones in heaven the Apostle Paul is talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ and one of the things that he was telling the church at Thessalonica is you can look forward to the second coming of Jesus and are being gathered not only to meet the Lord but to meet one another put this first down first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 16 for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel and the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first that's talking now about the body that's in the grave then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up now listen this caught up together that's Paul's emphasis caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord again he told them in first Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 15 it speaks of Jesus who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him if you think of the Saints in the Bible when they died well how does the Bible talk about the Saints dying it talks about them going to be with their people when Moses died here's what God said to Moses get thee up into the mountain and die in the mountain and be gathered unto thy people now Moses mother that mother that made him that little Ark he said Moses go see your mama get up into the mountain be gathered to your people Abraham knew that he was going to have a family reunion Genesis 25 verse 8 then Abraham gave up the goats that is he yielded up the spirit and died in a good old age and old man and full of years and was gathered to his people listen to what the Bible says about Isaac Genesis 35 verse 29 and Isaac gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him listen to what the Bible says about Jacob and his family reunion in heaven Genesis 49 verse 33 and when Jacob made an end of commanding his sons he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people now his body is still somewhere moldering in the grave but he gathered with his people he is with his people that's what Jesus talked about a family reunion in heaven and Matthew chapter 8 and verse 11 here's what Jesus said and I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven we're going to fellowship there with these people will know them on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was transfigured we just had a preview of heaven when he's up there on the Mount of Transfiguration Elijah was then Moses was there the disciples had never met Elijah they never met Moses they were from a different era but they recognized Moses they recognized Elijah we will know one another in heaven put it down big plain and straight number three number four there will be joyful activity in heaven there's some myths about heaven one of them is is if we're going to wear a wooly robe with a halo sitting on a fluffy cloud pluck a harp I in heaven is going to be so boring and you know all day long we'll have to listen to anthems and there'll be music in heaven but I'll guarantee it won't be boring music heaven is rest but it's not laziness is not just lolling around for all eternity ah Adam had work to do before sin ever came into the garden but it wasn't labour won by the sweat of his brow he was too dressed the gardening keep it put this verse down Luke chapter 19 our Lord is talking about what we're going to do in heaven Luke chapter 19 beginning in verse 12 and he said therefore a certain nobleman went into a far country now the nobleman is this is a parable and Jesus himself is the nobleman to receive for himself a kingdom and to return our Lord is gone to receive a kingdom he's coming back and he called his servants and delivered unto them 10 pounds and said occupy till I come but his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying we will not have this man to reign over us and it came to pass that when he was returned having received the kingdom he then commanded his servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money that he might know how much each man had gained by trading then came the first saying Lord thy pound has gained ten pounds and he said unto him well done good servant because that's been faithful in a very little vowel have our authority over cities and ii came saying Lord thy pound has gained five pounds and he said likewise to him be thou also over five cities now I want to go no deeper into this except to tell you that our Lord has gone to heaven he has given to us certain abilities and certain things that we are made to be made stewards of he says occupies like um that doesn't mean take up space an occupation is what you do is it get busy and when I come again I'm going to reward you and I'm going to reward you according as your labors shall be you're going to serve me you know we're going to help our God rule the vast universe Paul said if we suffer with him we'll also reign with him here's a great verse I love from the book of Revelation chapter 7 verse 15 the Apostle John had a glimpse into glory and he saw the servants of God and here's here's the way he described them therefore they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in his temple they serve him day and night the greatest joy that I have is serving the Lord what a privilege to serve the Lord sometimes I wish I could serve him better I always enjoy music I love music and I have a little bit more taste and ability in music that sometimes I let on what some of you don't know I can kind of set a pin and play by ear I won't do that for service but I love music I have a somehow I have difficulty getting it out I can carry tuned I just can't unload it well I'm telling you when we get to heaven guess who's going to be leading the choirs not wittmeyer rogers you know how I know that because the last will be first friend we're going to serve God in heaven it's not going to be boring it's going to be thrilling it's going to be blessed there's going to be joyful activity in heaven number five heaven is going to be a place of absolute perfection absolute perfection as I said the introduction this message we know more about what will not be in heaven and we do what will be in heaven being no more tears no more sighing no more crying no more dying no more pain for the former things are passed away that's the reason the Apostle Paul said in Philippians chapter 1 beginning in verse 21 for to me to live is Christ and to die this'n is gain to die is gain then he said I have a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better gain no more sin no sorrow no suffering no death no disease no doubt what is heaven heaven is the presence of all that is good present heaven is the absence of all that is bad let me tell what heaven is heaven is all that the loving heart of God would desire can you imagine someone who loved you so much he gave His Son to die for you that's love isn't it hearing his love not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his son heaven is all that the loving heart of God would desire heaven is all that the incredible mind of God can conceive and heaven is all the old mighty hand of God can create put it together God's love God's mind in God's power and for him that's heaven no wonder Paul said I have not seen nor ear heard nor head of the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him I have a desire to depart and be with Christ he says which is far better I'm not a Greek scholar I was exposed to Greek he didn't take but i'ma tell you this Greek language says it is far very much far much more better he's adding superlatives upon superlatives when he's talking about going to heaven heaven is a place of absolute perfection you think of God's creative genius in this world this world has been marred by sin and yet you go look sometime at a mountain range or sometimes look into the face of a buttercup or see the God that that sculpted the rose are the God that painted the rainbow a God that gives us these glorious sunsets the God who crafted the delicate wing of the butterfly even in a world that's marred by sin you can see a glimpse of that glory but heaven will be the consummate work of God's creative genius you will love heaven many questions that a four-year-old can ask about heaven none of us can answer but I'm telling you friend that heaven is a place of absolute perfection why because jesus said I go and prepare a place for you every preacher that preaches on heaven tells Andrey tells the story of a little girl who was blind and had never seen but a surgeon believed that he could restore sight or give sight to that child the parents were willing they did the surgery the eyes were bandaged there came that time when the bandage was to be removed would she be able to see they unwrapped the gauze took those pads from those precious little eyes and the doctor said sweetheart open your eyes this little girl opened her eyes and blinked the first thing she saw was the face of that doctor than the face of a nurse then the face of her mother she saw tear for the first time in her mother's eye and she said I can see and she looked around the things in the room that you and I take for granted and then she went to the window and looked outside she didn't see the grass she saw the green grass she didn't see the sky she saw the blue sky she didn't see the flowers she saw the multicolored flowers she ran back to her mother squeezed two mothers and mama mama it's beautiful oh mama it's beautiful mama why didn't you tell me it was so beautiful that mother threw tears of joy said sweetheart I tried to tell you but you had to see it for yourself you know I think we get to heaven we'll say something I get to our heavenly father father why didn't you tell us that heaven was so wonderful well I tried to tell you I took the things that you value streets of gold walls of Jasper gates of gold those are just symbols of greater glory greater things things that I cannot see nor hear nor heart conceive of of what heaven is going to be like heaven friend is a place of absolute perfection now here's the next thing about heaven and Jesus Jesus is the crowning glory of heaven Jesus is the crowning glory of heaven heaven to me is not primarily a place heaven is a person jesus said I go and prepare a place for you now listen to this what's the purpose of the place so we can live there know that where I am there ye may be also I'm looking forward to being with Jesus are you listen if you're not looking forward to being with Jesus if you're just wanting for a eternal vacation or something like that you're not going to heaven you're not going to heaven it's where he is you know what when I go off on a trip and I come home what do you think I do burst through the door and run over and hug the lamp good lamp there's a nice recliner good to have Myra Claire oh look at our rugs no it's Joyce I want to get in my arms you see home to me is Joyce where she is that's what makes my home home what makes heaven heaven Jes you yes to be with Jesus on the great prayers that jesus prayed is John 17 verse 24 he is praying father I will that they also whom thou has given me be with me do you have a loved one who's sick how do you praying God Oh God don't let them die that's all right to pray that prayer but I want you to understand that somebody else is praying also in this Jesus you know what Jesus is praying father I will date also whom thou has given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory hey hey look friend if your loved one steps over to the face of Jesus to behold his glory do you think that's bad no listen to be face-to-face with Christ my Savior it will be worth it all when we see Jesus I've got to just cut to the last point and very quickly only the redeemed are going to heaven only the redeemed are going to heaven as I said earlier you have to be heaven born to be heaven bound what do you mean heaven born when the Bible says when you be born again the literal language of that is to be born from above you've had an earthly birth you need a heavenly birth and if your heavenly born you'll be heavenly bound heaven born you'll be heaven bound let me give you a couple of scriptures I'm coming into the end Revelation chapter 7 verse 14 John again is in the glory he sees this great multitude and he asked this question John revelation 7 verse 14 and I said unto him Sir who-who are these and he said unto me these are they which came out of Great Tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb those in heaven are those have been washed by the blood of the land I hear people strut and talk about their denomination no denomination ever got you to heaven oh I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Baptists are you washed in the blood Baptists these are they made the rope line I'm a member of Bellevue doesn't say anything about being a member of Bellevue I'm a good person doesn't say anything about being a good person these are they could wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb what does that mean it means that you receive Christ in His atoning blood for your sin John closes the book of the revelation revelation 21 verse 27 talking about heaven and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiling neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life a man dreamed that he died and he came to the portals of heaven and he knocked on that pearly gate just a dream and a voice within said who is it this seeks entrance into heaven what is the password and the man said I'm a moral man well what is the password in heaven honesty the voice were then said depart from me ye that work iniquity I never knew you another knocked at the portals of heaven the voice within said who is it that seeks interests into heaven and what is the password this man said I am a humanitarian what is the entrance the password to heaven he said love charity good deeds the boys were then said depart from me ye that work iniquity I never knew you another not who is it that seeks entrance into heaven and what is the password I am a religious man what is the password religion baptism church attendance the voice were then said depart from me ye that work iniquity I never knew you finally a fourth man knocked at heavens portals this is all just a dream but the fourth man said the voice was then said who is it that seeks entrance in heaven and what is the password and the man on outside said I'm a Christian I've given my heart to Christ I've been born again in my hand no price I bring simply to thy cross I clean has no voice within said opened wide the gates and let him in for of such is the kingdom of heaven have you ever done that have you ever said Lord I'm not trusting my honesty I'm not trusting my charity I'm not trusting my religion Lord Jesus thank you for dying for me I trust you and you do that and I promise you on the authority of the word of God you'll be heaven born and you'll be heaven bound and Joyce and I'll meet you just inside the eastern gate let's pray father god I pray today that many in this building will say in everlasting yes to Christ and be saved how many of you say pastor Rogers I know if I died today I'd go straight to heaven because I've repented of my sin I've trusted Christ I am heaven born and I'm heaven bound can you lift your hand thank you take it down now if you could not let's get it settle right now I want you to pray this prayer after me dear God just pray it right man dear God I'm a sinner I'm lost I need to be saved I want to be saved Jesus you died to save me you promised to save me if I would trust you I do trust you with all of my heart come into my heart forgive my sin save me Jesus I trust you to do it right now thank you for doing Lord Jesus give me the courage to make it public help me not to be ashamed of you you're now my Lord and my Savior and I will live for you the rest of my life not in order to be saved but because you saved me by your grace out of gratitude I will live for you my god your name I pray amen we pray God has blessed you as you watched this message if you'd like additional copies or information on other resources write us at love worth finding Bo box 38 800 memphis tennessee 38134 at lwf 0rg in the US you can place Visa or MasterCard orders by calling 1-800 two seven four five six eight three Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time thank you and may God richly bless you

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Id: oOZowDaPnbY

Length: 37min 25sec (2245 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 22 2016