WEBVTT 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:12.800 We're continuing our series talking about heaven and hell and eternity and uh kind of answering some questions. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:18.000 I will start uh by saying that we have a special day planned today. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.320 There will be a lot of things happening later on. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:30.960 We have baby dedications and and then our uh children's service for our back to school service and then activities for them, and uh so this will be the quietest part of the morning. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:38.240 And I'm happy to uh talk about this these particular topics. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:46.240 Uh it's not something we take a lot of uh focus time on necessarily, at least normally, and so we wanted to do that. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:01:08.719 And I also want to remind you that maybe some of you were here and maybe some of you missed it, but we did pass out some sort of uh handouts for you to write your questions about heaven or hell, and and uh so we're uh the focus of these lessons, especially these two, as well as the first one, is really um answering some of those questions for you. 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:20.640 So I'm gonna start off by just um going uh through and talking about some of the principles, some of the ideas of heaven itself, and then and then we'll go back and and go through questions. 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:30.959 So you will see if you have the handout in your hand that uh I'm gonna speak to you here on the front side, and then the back side is really just answering the questions that you submitted. 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:36.719 And we try to consolidate some of them so if they were duplicates or very similar, put those together. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:42.079 And so I hope we can we can do that today and answer some questions for you. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:52.239 So I want to just begin today by by mentioning to you that like like when the scriptures use the word hell, that that's the word translated. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:58.400 Heaven is the same way in that there's multiple meanings of what that word means that was translated. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:00.560 It doesn't always mean the same thing. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:07.920 And so it's important for us to us to understand that and us to grasp uh what it's talking about. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:17.680 So we say heaven, we are often referring to heaven, New Jerusalem, but sometimes when we say heaven, we're talking about heaven, the atmosphere, the same way the scripture is. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:23.919 So um so it's important for us to keep that in mind as we look at these topics. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:29.759 So uh the Bible does use the term heaven in speaking of the atmosphere in Genesis 1 and 1. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:33.759 It says, in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:42.960 And you can see that it's talking about atmosphere there in particular, or at least uh outside the earth, because it says heaven and earth. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:57.759 And then uh in Revelation 21 and 20, the scripture says, And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:07.120 So in that case, it's clearly not talking about heavens in the sense of atmosphere, it's talking about what's commonly called the New Jerusalem. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:11.360 Oftentimes when we use the term heaven, we are speaking of that. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:22.319 And then uh thirdly, there is uh heaven that is sort of eternal dwelling place in a more general sense. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:29.439 So it's not as specific to the New Jerusalem, uh, but it is uh referring to heaven in that sense. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.719 Acts 7, verse 55 and 56. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:52.879 This is uh when Stephen was being stoned in Acts chapter 7, it says, But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:57.919 So it also uses that term in a more generalized sense. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.120 So let's talk about heaven for a few minutes. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:05.360 We're gonna try to uh kind of stay in the scriptures. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:18.160 If that's okay with you, we're gonna kind of stay in the scriptures because you know there's a lot of different uh there's a lot of different ideas. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.879 I lost my little clip that holds my wire in place. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:24.000 So uh there's a lot of ideas about heaven. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:25.279 You know, it's kind of the same. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:33.120 People start talking about angels, they get all kinds of ideas about angels, you know, and uh they're not all scriptural. 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:36.160 And it's the same with heaven or hell, either one. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:51.439 It's the same when we uh sort of uh uh take a few words and extrapolate it through our own sort of experience, understanding, or sometimes just what we'd like for it to be, and uh and kind of make it up. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:57.600 So we're gonna try to stay in the scriptures here a little bit, so we're not gonna get in in deep detail. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.639 But heaven is a real place. 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:03.360 Heaven is a real place. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:08.800 John 14, verse 1 through 3 says, Let not your heart be troubled, Jesus speaking. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.120 You believe in God, believe also in me. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.759 In my father's house are many mansions. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:19.199 If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:34.079 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you into, uh excuse me, receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:38.240 So Jesus makes it clear that heaven is a real place. 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:40.800 It's a real place. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:49.839 It's not it's not symbolic or imagery, it's a real place that He is preparing, that He is making. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:06:08.639 And again, that's important for us to know because especially people that I guess don't believe in the Bible or don't believe the Bible in a literal sense, often use heaven as just a good feeling, a good sense, or a good, you know, a good place. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:16.800 And we use that term that way sometimes, even in our own lives. 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:17.759 Right? 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.120 So we're not referring to heaven in that sense, just referring to the good things that heaven has in our lives. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.199 And so that's important to know. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:35.839 It's also important to know that heaven is God's restoration of what he intended for us. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:42.000 God making it possible for what he intends for us. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:47.040 So it's a restoration of that promise, it's a restoration of creation. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:51.040 It's not uh it's not floating on clouds. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:55.439 So I want to read in Revelation chapter 21. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:57.680 I am gonna read some scriptures, as I mentioned. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:06:59.519 Revelation chapter 21. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:04.000 I'm gonna read verse 1 through 7, and a number of these verses we will reference again later. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:08.319 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:14.800 The first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:23.600 So when John says, I saw a new heaven and new earth, he's not yet talking about the new Jerusalem. 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:32.560 He's talking about a new heaven and new earth, that earth we live on and the heaven we're used to, that God will transform that. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:42.959 And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:59.279 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:12.879 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:18.879 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:24.480 And he said unto me, Write these words, write, for these words are true and faithful. 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:26.319 And he said unto me, It is done. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:40.720 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and I will give unto him that athirst the fountain of the waters of life freely, and he that overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:59.840 So I read that to you today so you can kind of get a glimpse of what John was seeing when he saw a new heaven and earth in the sense of what we're used to, earth, heaven, and the new Jerusalem coming down out of the sky, the heaven in some way. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.720 I don't know exactly how all that works. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.799 So it's easy to ask a question we can't answer. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:13.759 Right? 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:20.559 So a lot of our questions can't be answered scripturally because the Bible doesn't give us a lot of input about it. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:29.519 It doesn't give us the details and how all of that works, but we can clearly see that there's a new heaven, new earth, and there's a new Jerusalem. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:40.480 In Isaiah, I wanted to read in the Old Testament just to get a glimpse in the prophetic book of Isaiah. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:49.200 For behold, I create a new heaven and new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.120 Isaiah 65, verse 17. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:10:09.200 But you, but be ye glad, excuse me, and rejoice forever in that which I create, for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:19.440 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:32.799 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:38.799 And they shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat of the fruit of them. 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:50.879 They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and another eat, for as the days of the trees are the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:58.960 They shall not labor in vain nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:06.159 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:19.360 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and the dust shall be the serpent's meat, and they shall not hurt nor destroy, and all my holy mountains, saith the Lord. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:27.279 Now again, Isaiah in this prophetic imagery is again seeing this new heaven, new earth. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:30.320 This complete transformation. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:33.039 And so we can see it in the Old Testament. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:45.519 It's in a little bit more poetic language and a little bit more imagery description as they would in the Old Testament prophets, but it's the same concept that there is a new heaven and a new earth. 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:52.639 So that is the prophetic word of God, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:12:03.039 That the earth as we know it today will be transformed, that God will sort of restart all of these things, and life will be different. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:07.919 Life will be different at that point. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:13.759 It won't be the same as like aging and living and crying and difficult and sorrow. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:27.120 Again, that's why we're saying to you today that heaven is a restoration of what God wants to give his people, of what God wants to give his kingdom. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:31.039 And so it's important to kind of have that in mind. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:46.399 Now, it references that there's no more pain or death or sorrow, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have passed away. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:55.600 And of course, this is sort of a complete reversal of what the results at least of the sin in the garden. 00:12:55.840 --> 00:13:02.799 Yes, I think there must be an amber alert of some kind that everyone is getting if you don't have that silenced on your phone. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.759 We may as well acknowledge it. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:09.360 It's just going off, so it's happening. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:16.720 So it's what it's what God intended for us. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:21.679 God wanted us to live without that pain and sorrow that death brought. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:27.360 And so there'll be a restoration of that, and a restoration of what God wants to do. 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:30.159 And it's sort of reversing that entirely, isn't it? 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:39.759 When it says there's no more pain, no more sorrow, no more anguish, those things that we experience because of sin, God's gonna take them away. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:41.600 God's gonna take them away. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.639 And and no more disease and sickness like we're accustomed to experiencing. 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:55.440 And please understand that while your specific disease could be caused by some of your own behaviors. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:05.440 I just want to be clear there, it could be caused by some of your own behaviors, even sinful behaviors, but sometimes not sinful behaviors. 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:10.080 We are all, as human beings, going to get sick. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:15.279 And that's because of sin, but not necessarily your sin. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.200 It's a sin in the big picture. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:26.000 So it's easy to say scripturally, biblically, that disease, sickness, pain, sorrow, it comes from sin. 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:33.120 But it doesn't necessarily come from your specific sin, although it could, it just depends on those circumstances. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:48.799 And so that will all be reversed when God creates or recreates heaven, and heaven in this case is the new heaven, new earth, as well as the new Jerusalem. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:58.559 Because that seems to be altogether at the very end of uh, and I would say it's not really the end, it's just the end of what the Bible tells us about. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:06.879 Because it doesn't end there, it keeps on going, but we don't have much information about that scripturally. 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:14.080 So heaven is the is the fulfillment of what God designed, and we've already read some of that to you. 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:27.440 1 Corinthians 2 and 9 says, But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:30.480 You can't even imagine it. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:32.960 You can't even imagine it. 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:59.919 And then that's uh a reference in Hebrews chapter 11, that these people of faith, they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confess them, that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, that they're looking for a different place. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:05.279 And truly, if they had been mindful of the country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to return. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:16.720 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.279 And there's something within them seeking for that. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:50.159 And of course, the book of Hebrews is comparing that to them literally leaving their native lands and coming to the place of promise that God had promised them and using that as an example that they are not just seeking their own land or the promised land, but they're seeking the holy promised land, the heavenly city that God has prepared. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:54.399 And for that, we should all have that same longing. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:17:02.720 We should all have that same looking forward, looking forward to what He has prepared for us, that heavenly city. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:10.720 And heaven's not in case everything goes wrong on earth, we'll go to heaven. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:12.480 Heaven is the goal. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.799 If life's not working too well, then I want to go to heaven. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:18.240 No, heaven is the goal. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:22.400 Heaven is where we're trying to be, it is where we're headed. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:29.279 Through the grace and mercy of God, we have the opportunity to be prepared for what God wants to do. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.079 We believe in that heavenly city. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:39.599 It is true, it is real, it is a place that God is making and preparing for each one of us. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:42.160 Each one of us. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:47.839 And so that looking forward to that heavenly city didn't end in Hebrews chapter 11. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.839 It's still us in our lives. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:53.680 There should be something that calls you to that place. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:58.559 That calls you to that time that you will be with Jesus. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:04.079 And because of that, we want to live in a way that reflects that. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:10.000 We want to live in a way that reflects our desire for what God has for us. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:21.920 In Colossians 3, verse 1 through 4, it says, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:29.119 Set your affection on the things above and not on the things of earth. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:33.839 For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ and God. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:41.119 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you shall appear with him in glory. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:50.079 So we set our affection, we set our sights, we set our desires on the things which are above. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:19:01.759 And you know that really means uh that really means that that's what we're looking for, and that's the primary force of our lives to prepare us for. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:11.920 And that doesn't matter what your sort of earthly secular circumstances are. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:28.480 I think I think it's kind of interesting, you know, when you go back and you look at old songs, especially back a ways, there's a lot of songs about leaving earth and going to heaven. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:36.400 But as we've become a more wealthy culture, those songs are not nearly as prevalent today. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:45.279 As life has gotten easier, I understand there's a struggle for all of us to get to the place we want to get to. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.559 I hear it all the time. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.720 There's a problem with uh people not being able to afford homes. 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:57.279 Well, uh that's um that's always been a problem. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:00.400 That's almost always been a problem to get a home. 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:01.920 That's a big purchase. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:03.599 That's a huge purchase. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.200 I know I wanted a home as soon as my wife and I got married. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.680 But it didn't work out that way, right? 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:12.720 Because it's a lot. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:14.240 That's a big purchase. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:16.319 That's a big step forward. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.559 I mean, that that's a big step. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.480 And and I'm uh old, but not that old. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:53.119 And so after, I can't even remember how many years it was at that point, uh, but but after uh about 10 years, no more than that, after about 15 years after getting married, my wife and I were able to get our first home, but we were only able to get it because the guy that built the home, he was an individual that built the home, loaned us the down payment too. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:58.799 That's the only way we were able to get in the home. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:22.160 And uh it was the hand of God helping us, and we did not have any clue that this man was going to do this for us, and he said, Here you go, I will loan you the uh down payment, interest-free, you can pay it uh whatever it was, like 10 years, you can pay it off in 10 years. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:27.440 And uh so he gave us uh, I don't know, a year or two with no payments, and you can pay it off 10 years. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:36.480 What I knew because I was already in the banking world, and don't think being a banker makes you wealthy, it's terrible. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:39.039 Anyway, if you're a banker great, wonderful. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:42.720 But my experience in banking is it's terrible pay. 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:50.160 And and and I've I realized because I kind of understood the circumstances, kind of knew where it was. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:52.720 It was one of those tough economic times. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:22:00.640 I realized that he owed the bank so much money that they were going to take off his money from this house, and if he loaned Us this money. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:03.759 That's the only money he was going to get for building this house. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:05.759 And that's what he was doing. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.440 But we didn't know any of that. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:11.279 I mean, we didn't like look him up to find that or anything else. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:13.920 It was just a little house down the street. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:19.519 And we were able to live there for a little over a year before God moved us. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:23.279 So we had it for a year. 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:27.440 And then we went for the next several years. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:35.920 And so by then it was another eight years, seven or eight years later, before we were finally, no, maybe ten years later. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:40.400 It was a long time later before we were able to finally buy another house. 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:45.519 So it's a huge purchase. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.839 But sometimes today we feel so cheated because we can't get it like we want it. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.200 And of course, I want the house that's better than my parents live in. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:57.279 So we can't afford to uh you know do something less. 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:04.400 And so we have this culture that's all uh stressed because, well, interest rates are higher, it's difficult to buy a house. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:07.359 It is, I'm not saying it's not difficult, it is difficult. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:08.720 It is difficult. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:20.319 But we live in a culture and a society that is so different because much of the world doesn't even own a house their entire lives, and if they do, it's not a house you want to live in. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:38.160 And so what I'm saying in all of that is the way we see that, the way we experience setting our affections on things above and not on the earth is different depending on our circumstances on earth. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:53.200 Because it's a lot easier to set your affections on the things above when this life is going terrible and you don't have anything and you're not sure how you're gonna survive, it's a lot easier to look to heaven and say, God, I just want to get out of here. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:00.079 But sometimes when you have a lot, instead of saying, God, I want to get out of here, we just get mad because we don't have all we want. 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:06.079 Well, I'm supposed to be teaching about heaven, so I need to get back to that. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:13.039 But no matter what our circumstances, we're supposed to have our sights set on heaven. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:15.759 It's not just our future, but it shapes our present. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:19.519 Heaven is prepared and it's promised by God. 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:24.319 Heaven should motivate us to live in holiness and perseverance. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:27.440 Heaven should remind us of what really matters. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:32.799 It should encourage us to put our sights on heaven. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:45.359 And it should encourage us when things are bad and difficult, and it should be a comfort to us, as 1 Thessalonians 4 and 18, to comfort us when our lives are ending. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:55.359 And so when we talk about heaven, there's a lot of wonderful characteristics of heaven, and I'm not going to read them. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:58.319 You have them on some of them at least on your seed. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:05.839 It's the home that God designed for us, and it's the destiny to which God has called us. 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:11.440 So I'm going to the second page. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:13.680 You might want to come with me. 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:16.640 What will heaven be like? 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:18.000 Well, I think we've talked about that. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:19.680 What will heaven be like? 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:21.519 We've talked about that a little bit. 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:24.400 It's real, it's tangible, it's intentional. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:34.799 And so I instead of answering that question directly, I'm going to answer it as we go through the others, you'll see, as we talk about the other things. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:38.559 Kind of some glimpses of heaven. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:40.960 Someone asked, how big is heaven? 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:45.440 Revelation 21, 16 gives the measurements of the New Jerusalem. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:52.960 So if you're talking about the New Jerusalem, it gives the measurements as in the King James 12,000 furlongs. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:54.960 12,000 furlongs. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.680 Now you're probably not measuring anything in furlongs. 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:02.880 So you might have no idea what that means. 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:08.160 But it's 12,000 furlongs cubed. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:17.519 The actual term here is I'm going to say it in the way we would say it, stadia. 00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:21.200 The plural of which is stadium. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:26.079 And that's a term you would be familiar with. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:48.240 And it refers to an ancient length used in the Greco-Roman world of the day, it's equivalent to approximately 600 Greek feet, or about 185 meters, or in our terminology, a little over 600 feet. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:27:09.759 And using that calculation, because that's the only one I can kind of go on to uh uh to justify the calculation, or at least to uh understand the calculation, that would make the New Jerusalem 1,380 miles cubed. 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:19.519 So it would be about 1,380 miles, not length and width, but length, width, and height. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:22.319 That's big. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.839 That's big. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:33.920 So that's the best I can give you on how big heaven is as far as the New Jerusalem. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:37.599 It is much larger than you can imagine. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:42.640 I know uh Elon Musk just said he was gonna build the biggest building. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:45.920 He's not even gonna get close. 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:55.519 He's not even in the ballpark of what God is building in the New Jerusalem. 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:58.000 So uh I don't know. 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:09.680 One of the mathematicians probably could calculate how many square feet or something that is, so you could compare it to your measly tiny little home you live in versus heaven. 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:13.920 Just to give you a little bit. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:17.920 Are there streets, are the streets really made of gold? 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:23.680 Revelation 21 21 describes the streets of pure gold like transparent glass. 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:36.720 The gold as we know it is not like transparent glass, so I'm not really sure how that's being described. 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:42.880 It's something of great value, but it's polished so much that it's of transparent glass. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:48.319 It's earthly language to describe what he's seeing in heaven. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:29:04.079 So when we talk about streets of gold, you can't really scripturally support that it's gold like you have on your gold ring or your gold bars, because I'm sure some of you have lots of gold bars. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:14.720 It's it's something that that is described as gold or golden and it's clear as transparent glass. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:27.759 So that would indicate that it's some sort of crystallized thing, but it's earthly language to describe what John was seeing in a heavenly vision. 00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:29.759 And you know that's difficult. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:40.400 It's difficult for me to describe something to you, and we both supposedly speak the same language, and so he's describing what he's seeing. 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:49.920 So you're fine to say there's streets of gold, because that's how it's described in the Bible. 00:29:50.079 --> 00:30:09.200 Exactly what that gold is and what it looks like, we don't exactly know, but clearly the Bible is using these um stones and metals that are held in high value to people. 00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:12.720 And so you see that used throughout. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:29.839 And so it is indicating to us that it's not only beautiful and not only of highest um quality and worth, but also that it's common for the place that God has created. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:32.000 So I just want to kind of throw that. 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:34.400 Somebody asked, what are the limits of our mansion? 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:36.079 How big is my mansion? 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:43.519 Well, John 14, 2, Jesus referred to many rooms. 00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:46.799 He's not talking about square footage of your mansion. 00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:50.480 He's talking about the space, the place. 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:57.119 The dwelling, the lodging where you will stay. 00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:01.039 I don't think you're gonna be worried about how big your place of staying is. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:04.960 I don't think you're gonna spend a lot of time camped out indoors. 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:14.480 I don't think that's gonna matter that much, but it will matter to people that don't have a home like you have. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.039 Do you understand what I'm saying? 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:31.039 It's like we have homes and our homes seem to be getting bigger and bigger, uh, or sometimes they seem to be getting bigger and bigger if you're in the suburbs at least, and nicer and nicer and more and more expensive. 00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:37.039 And so we're thinking in that mindset, Jesus said, I've prepared a place for you, and that's enough. 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:38.960 That's enough. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:40.799 He's prepared a place for us. 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:46.240 I don't think your house needs to be any kind of size at all. 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:50.720 It just is a place that God is preparing for you. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:32:06.720 And so Jesus, I think, was referencing that everyone would have a place, not that you would have some extravagant mansion that everyone would pass by on their tour of mansions in heaven. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:16.960 It won't matter if Jesus is there anyway. 00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:18.240 Amen. 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:23.359 Somebody asked, does heaven advance at the speed of light? 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:29.519 There's nothing in the scripture that defines heaven in these sort of scientific terms. 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:37.759 And uh heaven is God's realm and it's not bound by physics. 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:46.079 In fact, I would say that physics are defined by their limitations. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:33:00.559 And the reason why we have laws of physics is because there's limitations that God put on it, and I don't know what God is going to do in eternity and with his unlimited resources. 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:06.480 So, and we can talk about that more later. 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:07.839 What do we do in heaven? 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:10.720 Revelation 22 and 3 says his servants will serve him. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:19.200 Revelation 7, 9 through 12 talks about worship, joy, praising God, and our purpose there to give him worship. 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:20.880 What will we be doing in heaven? 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:23.680 We have a small glimpse of what we'll be doing in heaven. 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:27.599 If you don't like worship, you're not going to like heaven because there's going to be lots of that. 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:33.119 I'll say it again to you. 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:36.480 I've said it a lot of times over the years, but I'll say it again to you. 00:33:36.720 --> 00:33:40.240 You can rule as kings and priests and all that, all you want. 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:42.559 Just let me go to the worship service. 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:46.480 While you rule as kings and priests, I'll just go to the worship service. 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:54.240 You can you can do all of that, whatever God tells us we'll do, but if I have a choice, I'm just going to choose the worship service. 00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:57.440 Because that's where that's where I would want to be. 00:33:57.599 --> 00:34:03.039 And so all the other things that it refers to, that's great, that's wonderful. 00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:09.199 Come back with Jesus, you know, on your stallion, whatever it is, you know, however it's described in scriptures. 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:10.960 Praise God, thank God. 00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:14.400 Go ahead, I'll stay at the worship service if I can. 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:19.360 Will we see God? 00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:20.800 Will we see God face to face? 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:24.480 Well, Revelation 22 says, they shall see his face. 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:29.679 Pretty straightforward that we will see his face, we will see God. 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:36.880 Will we recognize each other? 00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:38.400 Will we remember our families? 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.960 Will our love for others remain? 00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:48.400 Um, those are a little bit more difficult to answer directly, but we can see glimpses of Scripture. 00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:59.039 Um Matthew 17, where Moses and Elijah came on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they were recognized as Moses and Elijah. 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:00.639 So there was a recognition. 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:06.960 Now, let's be honest, those people standing there, except Jesus, had never seen Moses and Elijah. 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.719 So they didn't know what they looked like. 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:18.079 Okay, so we want to be theologically honest here and what it means. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:29.039 But they did recognize and they did, they were distinguishable as different people, and so there was some kind of way of recognizing them. 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:37.360 Jesus, after he resurrected, was recognized by some and not so much by others. 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:49.760 And people wondered, were they so fixated on seeing him crucified and put in a tomb that they couldn't recognize him now alive, but he looked the same? 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:51.840 I don't know. 00:35:54.239 --> 00:36:06.320 But clearly the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn't recognize him, clearly, Mary didn't initially recognize him, clearly they didn't just automatically recognize him, so there was some difference. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:09.519 Will you recognize people? 00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:11.519 Well, it seems like you will. 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:23.119 You will certainly know more, I guess, than you know now. 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:25.199 I don't know if you'll know everything. 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:33.760 I don't think you will, because you're not God, and I'm not God, but God doesn't owe me an explanation for anything. 00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:47.280 So but we do see where we've lost our memories of pain and sorrow and those things, but we don't seem to have lost all of our memories. 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:49.679 So it's a little difficult to tell all of that. 00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:58.000 I hope you see grandma and recognize her as grandma, except I'm not sure grandma's gonna look like you think she's gonna look like. 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:01.599 So you may not see her as an 80-year-old grandma. 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:04.719 So, how's all that gonna work? 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:05.440 I don't know. 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:08.000 Praise God, I'm gonna see Jesus. 00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:09.679 That's what I know. 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:19.119 So I I it seems like in Scripture there'll be some recognition, but I don't know to what extent. 00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:22.079 There will be love because God is love. 00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:30.480 But it won't be the love like we think of because clearly marriage is not the same. 00:37:30.960 --> 00:37:34.239 There's not marriage in heaven like there is here. 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:37.280 So that's not the same clearly by what Jesus said. 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:38.400 What age will we be? 00:37:38.480 --> 00:37:38.880 I need to look. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:40.000 It's 1042. 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:41.920 I didn't hear the music yet, so there it is. 00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:42.480 Okay. 00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:45.519 What age will we be? 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:51.840 The Bible doesn't talk about the age, it says, well, have glorified bodies, Philippians 3.21. 00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:55.119 We'll live in perfection, not in age. 00:37:55.840 --> 00:37:57.199 Can we see from heaven? 00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:59.760 Can people see to earth? 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:05.519 Well, the scripture does give us certain glimpses, but uh not participation. 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:14.320 So there is a few places where it seems like you can see some things, but you can't see it all the time. 00:38:14.400 --> 00:38:18.800 You're not engaged with what's going on in other places. 00:38:20.880 --> 00:38:23.360 Do we go straight to heaven or wait? 00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:25.840 What heaven are you talking about? 00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:33.519 I'm saying that with a little bit of a smile on my face because the word heaven doesn't have the same meaning. 00:38:33.920 --> 00:38:35.199 Depends on what you're talking about. 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:36.800 Are we with Jesus immediately? 00:38:36.960 --> 00:38:37.840 Yes, we are. 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.599 We are immediately with Jesus. 00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:42.320 Are we in the New Jerusalem? 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.599 There's no biblical support for that. 00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:48.239 Are we? 00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:53.039 I don't know, but there's nothing in Scripture that says we are in the New Jerusalem. 00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:55.760 But we are with Jesus. 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:00.400 Can we go from heaven to heaven? 00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:04.880 That's a question because Paul refers to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12, too. 00:39:04.960 --> 00:39:16.960 The third heaven, the way I interpret this is the first heaven is the sky, the atmosphere, second heaven is space, and the third heaven is where Jesus lives. 00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:20.239 So I don't think there's three heavens. 00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:22.320 I don't think you should interpret that way. 00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:29.119 I think you should understand that he's talking about the heaven of heavens, not the sky. 00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:39.199 And so that's why he's referring to the third heaven where he's engaging with God. 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:41.119 Would you stand? 00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:43.440 Save the best one for last. 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:46.639 Will you get bored in eternity? 00:39:50.320 --> 00:39:55.760 We will live in fullness of joy and pleasures for everyone at Jesus' feet. 00:39:56.079 --> 00:39:59.920 So you are not gonna get bored, and you shouldn't have to worry about that. 00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:05.039 I don't think you could be bored in heaven. 00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:08.159 I don't think you could be bored. 00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:13.519 Bored is a state of mind, not inactivity. 00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:21.039 So I'm not sure who wrote the question or what it meant, but but I grew up in a house. 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:23.840 If you said you were bored, they gave you work to do. 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:31.119 So I don't think you're gonna be bored in heaven. 00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:32.960 I think you're gonna have plenty to do. 00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:36.079 Lord, we thank you for your word, your power, your strength. 00:40:36.239 --> 00:40:40.320 We thank you that you've prepared a place for us and we rejoice in the place you've prepared. 00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:43.760 Lord, help us to set our affections on the things above. 00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:52.239 Help us to set our affections on heaven and what you want to do in our lives and the place that you have for us to restore us to what you have provided. 00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:54.159 We thank you, Lord, for this opportunity. 00:40:54.320 --> 00:40:55.920 Thank you for every open heart today. 00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:58.239 Thank you, Lord, for this promise of your word. 00:40:58.559 --> 00:40:59.920 Let your hand go with us. 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:02.960 Your grace be upon us in the name of Jesus. 00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:03.840 Amen. 00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:04.400 Amen. 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.519 Thank you so much.