Imagine Heaven: What Will Heaven Be Like?

how many of you were here last Easter weekend and saw the confetti fall down from the rafters as we had this big celebration of the resurrection of Jesus and I want to tell you this weekend now what I want to do is kick off this teaching series by simply just studying the Bible what it says about heaven it may sound simple but I would encourage you man I get I loved teaching on heaven in fact I think this is the only time I've ever done the entire series just on heaven and we're gonna look about what Scripture does and does not teach about that particular subject here's how much I love him when I went to grad school seminary it's like fancy word for grad school for pastors I didn't know much about the Bible or about what theology taught I had become a Christian at 19 years old God had radically changed my life and after college I wanted to learn more so I went to seminary in Southern California a while I was there I took a systematic theology course where I one of the things we studied was heaven and I decided for my paper for the midterm I was gonna write this 10 page paper on this broad topic of heaven and after weeks of studying did I loved studying that stuff so much what Scripture taught on it what historically theologians had said about it I was I was eating it up I mean don't you just love thinking about what heaven will actually be like at the end of the several weeks of studying I wrote the 10 page paper and I was supposed to turn it in that day it was worth a third of our grade for the entire semester and I didn't turn it in instead I took three more weeks any professor's out there and love what I'm sharing right now I took three more weeks I wrote an additional 20 pages I wrote a 30 page paper and I went three weeks after what was due and handed it in to the professor and he looked at me like what is wrong with you he said I cannot give you credit for this paper it was due three weeks ago it was worth a third of your grade you are going to fail this class and I looked at him I said I am paying you a lot of money to come here and I really came here to learn this stuff so I just loved it so much I just kept study and I figured who cares what grade I get I want to learn I turned it in now I don't know how the math work but somehow he ended up giving me a beat club plus in the class and it all worked out okay but I learned more about heaven than anyone else in that class I mean I can't brag about many things but I will brag about that and so I want to share today with you why I love studying heaven so much because some of us we think that heaven is gonna be this boring place up in the clouds floating around and we're gonna sing songs and hymns all day and there's gonna be these little babies with their little baby angel wings with their Cupid arrows flying around next to us and that is just completely contrary to what the Bible teaches and what historically Christians have believed what do you think this is a big question for today what do you think heaven will actually be like do you thought about that because I believe if we really had even a glimpse of what heaven would be like it would change the way we live today Revelation chapter 21 are you ready to study God's Word together Church come on now now this is referring to after the return of Jesus and the restoration of God's creation the new heaven and the new earth come together and I'll talk about what that means but it says this in Revelation chapter 21 verse 1 then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband can you picture it and here's the fun part and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying look or the old school English behold God's dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them they will be his people and God Himself will be with them and be their God he will wipe away every tear from their eyes there will be no more death or mourning or or pain for the old order of things has passed away amen some of you needed to hear that today you get to heaven there will be no more cancer no more loved ones passing no more broken hearts no more depression no more anxiety no more worry no more fear the old order of things has passed away no more prone to sin and do things that you and I really don't want to do everything is made new everything changes verse 6 he said to me it is done I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end to the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life those who are victorious will inherit all this and I will be their God and they will be my children but the Cowardly the unbelieving the vile the murderers the sexually immoral those who practice magic arts and the idolaters and all Liars they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur this is the second death now if you come to mercy but we're not no we're not the Turner Byrne type of place I read that because it's reality of what scripture says that those who choose to reject God in this life will be eternally separated from the place that they refer to I believe a literal place is they describe it with weeping and gnashing of teeth it says in Scripture that when all is said and done everything is going to change and at the resurrection some Matthew 25 said there'll be sheep and goats and God will separate and judge but if you ever thought about what Jesus main message was in the Gospels because we often think this we think well Jesus came he was crucified so that I could be forgiven and I could go to heaven when I die now that is definitely true and that's a part of the good news of Jesus absolutely and we refer to the gospel it means good news and that's a reference to that we get to go to heaven absolutely but that's not the entirety of the good news of Jesus in fact Jesus main message wasn't believe in me so you can go to heaven he actually didn't say that very often you know what he said all the time in Matthew Mark Luke and John he said repent for what the kingdom of God is at hand Mark Luke and John they say kingdom of God Matthew was writing to a Hebrew contest for Jewish context so he would say the kingdom of heaven it meant the same thing as it is in heaven that the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of God is at hand that we can get glimpses this side of heaven what heaven will be like and one day we will be there eternally with him we live in a time period that is already but not yet the already but not yet maybe if you think about that you've got glimpses of that and it's how the return of Jesus we won't fully experience the resurrected life that we will have one day but we can get glimpses of it what I'd like to share with you today is that if one day we will go to be with Jesus he will return he will set the world right we will live with him eternally that if that is real life more real than this life today if we believe that heaven was more real than today today would look differently wouldn't it and I'm gonna come back to that at the very end will you pray with me Jesus we pause as we read revelation 21 saw the new heaven a new earth god we pray you teach us what happens to us when we die what will your return look like what will heaven be like teach us through Scripture what's there and what's not there and then we just pause we acknowledge the presence of your Holy Spirit and we pray that you would speak to our souls together we pray this in Jesus name and everybody said amen amen has anybody ever been to the happiest place on earth before you know what I'm talking about don't you the 1987 NCAA finals when Keith smart hit that shot in New Orleans from the side the Indiana Hoosiers want the national championship amen praise the Lord Jesus yes no talk about Disneyland right or Disneyworld any Disney fans out there some of you love the Maus come on now I've got a few Woo's some of you are crazy I don't know if Rand and Kathy Mellinger here they're probably not because they're probably there right now some of you love and you obsess about it I want to tell you you know as an adult I lived in Southern California for seven years I lived at times 20 minutes away from Disneyland the happiest place on earth for most of that seven years about six of it I've ministered to young adults who many of them worked at Disneyland they were employed there and they would all come to me and say Josh if you would like to go to the happiest place on earth I can get you in for free for free could go to Disneyland see Mickey see Minnie anytime I wanted for free you know how many times I went in seven years it was zero if you can see that online zero times I ever went there the reason I never went because come on now how many of you when you think of Disney we're on a Disneyland you think of long lines a lot of heat overpriced food crying children why would I ever put myself through that ain't bad some of you come on brothers and yeah my entire adult life I was 20 minutes away I never went for seven years we moved to Indiana we now have a two-year-old we go back to visit Southern California somebody says I got free tickets we said well we have a kid now I guess we have to go I went there I'm embarrassed to say it had the time of my life I didn't care if the two-year-old came next time I would go back by myself it was that much fun and then found out about the Fastpass have you had the Fastpass you get and this is you don't lack integrity you actually get to cut everyone off in line it's very empowering and I'll tell you all the sudden I was like why did I miss out on this for seven years what was I thinking see I'm gonna end this service today talking about how I think heaven is under attack never sent me there to go there man but but some of us we think that heavens not really gonna be that great why would I go there doesn't sound that exciting all the fun stuff I want to do happens here and it involves sitting so I'm not going to do that in heaven I would encourage you but life in heaven that we're gonna get a glimpse of in Scripture is not only going to be more real it's going to be more enjoyable than any high anything you have ever experienced here on this earth and that's what I want to share with you and the reality is for those of us who are Christians of many years even we know about heaven and we could just study it academically but if it's not real intangible and our life it's kind of worthless isn't it we need to ask honest questions and maybe you've got real life questions that as adults we stop asking but children they're not afraid to ask it so maybe you have those questions write them down this morning tournament at the connect Center and I'll try and answer them here in a couple of weeks but I realized that because my son when he was about five or six years old he would ask inquisitive questions about heaven and in particular the first time he ever went to an open-casket funeral when might Aunt Nancy passed away and I remember going to the funeral and we prepared him and we talked about how Aunt Nancy was in heaven and we he was explaining all of that to him and he went and he saw the aunt Nancy's body there and he looked at as a dad why did she forget her skeleton I was like that's a really good question why didn't she take the skeleton with her it's really missing out if she just floating around up there like what happened to Aunt Nancy when she passed away I want to answer some of these questions for us we're going to talk about some of the deep hard questions and some of the fun questions I hope you enjoy it I encourage you get a pen out get your iPad out you're gonna drink from the fire hose here for a second which means I'm gonna throw like tons of content I got four points in my four points have four points and it's gonna be on so much information which I've been preaching long enough I know that means that some of you are just like this is gonna be a horrible sermon this occurs you sometimes you need bad sermons so you can appreciate the good ones so here's the first question I'm gonna move quickly that we're gonna ask is what happens when we die what happened aunt Nancy she knew Jesus here's what I believe two things about what happens when you die number one you have assault Matthew chapter 10 verse 28 says this do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather be afraid of the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell other places sin Corinthians 5 talks about that this body is just an earthly tent it's a temporary dwelling that your soul I believe goes to be with Jesus that's the second part what happens when we die we have a soul and if you know Jesus your soul goes to be with him if you know Jesus your soul goes to be with him it says this in Matthew it's gonna be luke 23 42 to 43 then he said Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom this is the criminal on the cross the scene at the crucifixion jesus answered him truly I tell you today you will be with me and paradise now I'm going to tell you I'm going to give you a particular vision as we cover all these things about heaven I believe it is the right interpretation of Scripture which is why I'm sharing it but scholars can debate about many of these secondary issues so you can disagree with some of the things I'm sharing Martin Luther and John Calvin disagree with what I just said they believe in something called soul sleep they refer to that theologically speaking the intermediate state all right taking notes in between when you die and when Jesus returns they refer to that as the intermediate state they actually believe that when you die they believed in soul sleep that your soul slept you died one moment and the next moment you wake up it might be thousands of years later when Jesus has actually returned in the resurrection has occurred and it feels like you just passed away a second ago but it was actually you know millennia I don't believe that because of Luke 23 42 to 43 that we just read because he told the criminal not someday but today you'll be with me in paradise so you can know with certainty that when you die your soul goes to be with Jesus if you knew him so that's what I believe happens when you die now when you go there you don't have your permanent resurrected body yet and I'll talk about that in just a moment but first let's answer this next question so if the intermediate state is that time period between when Jesus returns what what happens what will happen when Jesus returns the early Christians had these same questions in fact the church in Thessalonica and one of the earliest letters that Paul wrote somewhere around 48 or 49 ad he wrote this in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 13 we all TRACON brothers and sisters we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death it's gonna talk about falling asleep it means they died so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope for we believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him according to the Lord's word we tell you that we who are still alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command can you hear it with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first that there will actually be a physical resurrection when Jesus returns after that we who are still alive not the ones who haven't passed or died yet and are left will be caught up together if you have the Bible open or you've got it on your iPad or phone highlight circle underline caught up we will be caught up together the word there is a Greek word but in the early church it was translated into Latin the Latin Vulgate was the one of the early translations of the Bible and when they translated the Latin that verb there was translated to Raptor au which is where we get the name the phrase rapture from that some of you might be familiar with from like the Left Behind series from a couple decades ago and it's talking about when Jesus returns those who have died there will be a physical resurrection and those who are still alive will be caught up to be with him now if you've come in today and you consider yourself an in-depth scholar of the end times of the eschatological timeline I don't know where you're at on that and I don't really care today we're not talking about that I've taught about that in Revelation series we did a number of years ago I don't care if you're pre-trib post-trib or mid trip or all millennial or post B'Elanna or premillennial or any of that stuff today or if you even give a rip about what those terms mean what I do care about is that it says in this passage that Jesus will return and there will be a physical resurrection and that those who haven't passed yet will be caught up to be with him I don't know what that's gonna be like I don't know this could be like the movies we're just standing here and then like BAM all this of my clothes are in a pile on the ground probably not what its gonna be like but there will be a time where Jesus returns and everything's gonna change now what I want to share with you is that's really important when it comes to the turn of Jesus nobody knows when it's gonna happen nobody knows it says in Matthew 24 verse 36 but about the day or hour no one knows not even the angels in heaven nor the son but only the father it seems like every few years there's like crazy radio guy who declares I know when the end times is gonna happen and like a hundred people go get their RVs and live in the wilderness and stockpile food together or maybe it's even some mega church pastors that I actually have had a lot of respect for except for on this particular issue because they will get up and they will declare you know this is when it's going to happen where this is this is who the Antichrist is going to be or this is politically speaking I don't know if this person is the Antichrist but it could be and this is what it's going to kind of be like I think all of those things are dangerous and manipulative and have been used to politically coerce people for many years scriptures teaches that no one knows the day or the time not even Jesus so if Jesus doesn't know crazy radio guy person with the You Tube channel does not know either can we agree on that amen well tracking so Jesus will return will be caught up to be with him there will be a physical resurrection number three if you're taking notes what then will heaven actually be like so I believe that your soul upon death goes to be with Jesus that one day when Jesus returns there is a physical resurrection I believe in in heaven we will have spiritual bodies so to speak I don't think it's gonna be like we're floating around or something and I don't know that though the term heaven is actually the other place of God where only God can reside and it's not most likely on the clouds because I've been in airplanes and at least haven't found it yet you know scientifically speaking I don't know if it's a dimension we're not familiar with I don't really know I'm not God I'm a finite being what I do know is it's the place where only God and his angels are because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus now our soul goes to be with him upon death and when Jesus returns everything now changes according to Revelation 21 that we read a moment ago there will be a new heaven and a new earth now John Calvin believed that you would the new earth would occur and it was just for us to look at from heaven I believe that's biblically inaccurate and the reason is because when you look at revelation 21 and 22 is we'll look at in a moment it talks about that essentially the Paradise achill Garden of Eden metaphor that is used there would be a restoration of God's creation only now heaven and earth will have come together and we're gonna physically be with God forever I can't wait to describe it here's what some of the questions that naturally come up about what that will actually be like for eternity and let's ask the most important questions first like do pets go to heaven come on now you know that's important and I say that oh you know and I'm gonna have some fun with this because let's just be honest that the real answer is the honest biblical answer to this question is it depends are we talking about dogs are we talking about cats Amen cuz that's a child I had this dog his name was rusty he was the greatest dog you know where I used to ride him around all the time am I gonna get to ride rusty again in heaven don't tell me I'm not right cuz all dogs go to heaven cats they go to this other place down below in the pit of darkness no I don't I don't know but the Bible does not say whether our pets go to heaven or not it brings up hard questions like we don't believe a pet has a soul in the same way a human being does so like what actually happens and how do you get in if you're a pet if you're like a good pet you didn't pee on the carpet you get in Ryan or is it if your owner was a Christian then you get in like it brings up some hard question but we don't know I really hope I get to see rusty in heaven what we do know is this though especially since I'm an I would have said a friend who I saw online their dog of 13 years passed away man it's like family isn't it you let me I want to look for that here's what I do know when you get to heaven there will be animals and you will have a better relationship with those animals than with any animal you have ever had Isaiah chapter 11 verse 6 says this we could look at a couple of passages but it says the wolf will live with the lamb the leopard will lie down with the goat the calf and the lion and the yearling together and a little child will lead them it says in another place that the child would put his hand into the Vipers nest not only were they'll be dogs in heaven apparently there will be snakes too how many of you are looking forward to that no hands at this service so there will be animals in heaven and we will have perfect relationship it'll be like Ace Ventura pet detective disability animals come flocking to you it's gonna be a little bit like this video here there's no audio but like when you get to heaven look at that it's not a little wiener dog cause he's sitting there and he's licking the face of a lion it's so cute when you get to heaven you're gonna hang out with the animals right like that's how in the Garden of Eden it was there was no death or pain or violence you're gonna have right relationship ain't man I got a man over here you're gonna have right relationship with God's creation itself and with human beings and with God that we'll talk about in just a moment the next question what will our bodies be like in heaven our bodies be like in heaven now first of all your soul goes to heaven upon death but we're talking about what Jesus returns and there is the physical resurrection you will have a perfected body it says this in chapter 3 verse 20 and 21 of Philippians Paul writes but our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a savior from there the Lord Jesus Christ who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body 1st Corinthians 15 talks about the other places talk about this body is just a temporary dwelling and so if you were here and your physical body is breaking down or has broken down or is not functioning correctly I have good news for you when you get to heaven everything that's gonna work properly I told you last weekend Eric Maitland is gonna be six foot four with Fabio hair right but what I did not share is that pastor Nick is actually gonna look like this when we get to heaven be honest because I don't you can tell it's obviously the Rock's body we have showed that the people that is really Nick's face on the rocks body people still think it's just the rock you didn't know Dewayne Johnson was out in the lobby today be sure and shake his head now I don't think let's get that muscular man off the screen I don't think it's gonna be this vain thing like that when you get to heaven that all the sudden we're all body builders or something I think that we're not going to care about vanity anymore and you're gonna have a body and you're gonna love it and it's gonna work properly in every way and that's the good news there will be no more vanity we won't even care about some of those things I think we will have physical bodies though it's not just floating around you're not it's going to be a ghost the next question is an important one will people be married in heaven or have sex in heaven whoo well let's be honest okay my wife I love her to death Lisa is the most amazing thing I'm a tractor in every way motional II spiritually physically intellectually all that stuff she's awesome I really really hope that we are together in heaven eternally but here's what scripture says about it Matthew 22 verse 30 jesus said this is Jesus words at the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage they will be like the angels in heaven I know that just crushed some of your souls others of you like my wife was like praise the Lord Jesus free at last free at last right like I want to tell you that you won't be married in heaven and here is the news about the the SE Acts word because sex is meant to be between a marriage relationship biblically and that's where it's meant to be it was made to be pleasurable yes but to procreate multiplies I said in book of Genesis and that when we get to heaven there will no longer be marriage so I hate to tell you this at least biblically I can't make an argument that there will be sex in heaven we're gonna have prayer counselors out in the lobby after the service for all of y'all now I want to share with you it's some of a few of you that were saying amen to that marriage thing you're also saying praise the Lord right none of that in heaven what I want to tell you is that I believe we live in a hyper sexualized culture where we think we're not complete until we have that special somebody and we live for these next physical experiences not just sexually but that's why we turn to things like alcohol and drugs and other things and actually when we get to heaven all of those things are gonna seem like this little dirty shadow that is nothing like being in the presence of God and being in heaven and God's perfect creation with humankind every desire will be met you're not going to be there going home and I really miss out on that stuff it's odd visit what did I do it's gonna be way better than any experience you have ever had any moment timeis I'll share at the end together but that's what I believe it teaches about marriage and sex the last couple of things for the sake of time I want to move quickly revelation chapter 22 verses 1 to 5 God will restore us God will restore us I believe if you read revelation 22 let's go ahead and read it revelation 22 verses 1 to 5 it says this up on the screen then the angel showed me the river or the water of life as clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb verse 2 down the middle of the great street of the city on each side of the river stood the tree of life bearing 12 crops of fruit yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nation's no longer will be any curse the throne of God and the lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve Him verse 4 they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads finally there will be no more night they will not they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the Sun for the Lord God will give them light and they will reign forever and ever did you notice this scene it said there's a river trees it's almost a recreation scene here of the paradise that God originally created the earth to be only now God is at the center of it no more darkness no more nighttime the things that happen at the night time God is gonna be with us he's gonna restore his creation the way he originally intended it to be and not just restore it as we looked at in verse 3 to 5 of Revelation 21 God will dwell with us there will be no more pain or suffering he's right in the center of his creation no more death or violence or hatred we will be right with God right with people and right with his creation the way it was originally intended to be only now God has had the people who have chosen to receive His grace and mercy the really desire relationship with him that are gonna be there together for all eternity not just singing hymns or playing music although some of you may like that part but having the perfect experience where every desire is made met that's the story of the Bible really God was with them in the Garden of Eden Adam literally walked with God physically it says in the book of Genesis until sin separated us from God and he still pursued them through the people of Israel and they built the tabernacle which literally means dwelling because God desired to dwell with them in the wilderness and so they built a house for him Bethel it means house of God it's where the Hebrew fir temple that they build a building and in the most holy of holies Ark of the Covenant was kept there because his presence dwelled with them the word Tabernacle literally means dwelling place and so we continue to pursue them and the Israelites rejected him just as the rest of humankind he still didn't give up on he sent the prophets and when they didn't listen he sent His only Son that we celebrated Christmas time Emmanuel which means what God with us John chapter one it says that Jesus came to dwell will with us literally Tabernacle with us and in Revelation 21 it says that he will dwell with us forever and ever and no longer will be separated from him and see we think about all of the fun experiences and what its gonna be like in the new head of the new earth and the seat streets of gold and all the incredible experiences and the smells and the colors and the taste and it's gonna be amazing and incredible but nothing will compare to for the first time be able to be in the presence of Almighty God that the created the universe in six days who took the seventh day off because he can do that and you're gonna get to see him face to face because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for you and for me and that none of us deserve it and yet we get to experience that I can't wait for that moment the feeling that will come with that it would compare to nothing else we have ever experienced in this lifetime see I believe the final thing I told you I would come back to this is that heaven is under attack in two ways number one that heaven can wait Psalm 84 10 says better is one day in your courts one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere better is one day with the Lord the being court side in the 1987 NCAA finals better is one day in the courts of God than being at the most greatest experience of your life at the birth of your child and whatever it is that you look forward to and you say that was the most incredible vacation I have ever had better as one day and the courts of God than a thousand elsewhere so don't think it's not gonna be an incredible experience that it can just wait and who needs to look forward to it who needs to think about it and we're just gonna float around and sing songs anyway because you haven't read what scripture actually says the second way it's under attack is that most people are going to heaven I don't share this to scare anyone we're not the turn or burn place but it says this in Matthew 7 13 to 14 enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life in a way if you find it jesus said in John 14:16 I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me I have many friends and maybe you're here today or watching online and you believe in God and you believe in a higher power and you believe that if you were a good person that one day you'll get to go to heaven and you'll experience it man I'm not here to debate or to share anything other than that is not the version of Christianity that we read in the Bible Christianity says the Scriptures teach and historically Christians have shared for 2,000 years that Jesus is the way the truth of the life no one comes to the Father except through him his main message was repent because heaven is at hand and you could experience life with God not because we deserve it but because of his crucifixion there's a resurrection we get to experience his grace and His mercy that uses that imagery I shared last week of the prodigal son no matter where you've been or what you've done that you could come home and God waits with open arms but the son had to come home and admit his or her condition the valve sin to fall short of the glory of God no one's better than the next and none of us deserve to go to heaven but only through Jesus Christ that narrow row that we can fully experience it and so I'll close with this question what's the one thing you could do today if heaven is this real you've heard about have it for years but what's the one thing you got to talk to your family and your friends today what's the one thing you would do differently today if this is really true and let's do it and let's live that way and let's turn tomorrow into today and live for eternity

Channel: Mercy Road Church

Views: 600

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Josh Husmann, Heaven

Id: DgJNzAR3-x4

Length: 34min 4sec (2044 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 08 2018