July 30, 2006
"Heaven: Where Did You Get That Idea?"
Heaven—A Place Prepared For You—Part 4
Selected verses
Introduction: How much do you know about heaven? Do you know how to get there? Do you know what to expect when you get there? Do you know what you will see and what you will do in heaven?
- 90% of Americans believe that heaven exists.
- 77% give themselves excellent prospects of going there.
- 73% said they believe in hell.
- Only 6% think they will end up there.
A religious magazine surveyed its readers and asked, "Why do you believe you will go to heaven?" The most popular answers were:
- I have always tried to live a good life.
- I'm not as bad as other people.
- I have tried to be kind to everyone.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
—Ephesians 2:8-9
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
—Titus 3:4-7
The study of heaven should have a life-changing affect.
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. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
—Revelation 21:1-8
1. Bizarre ideas about heaven.
- Saint Peter does not stand at the gates of Heaven.
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
—Matthew 16:17-19
- Heaven will not be incredibly boring.
"In heaven we will not spend our time sitting on the edge of a cloud or playing a harp... We will be busier than we have ever been."
—John Macarthur
In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
—Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
- People don't become angels.
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
—Matthew 22:30
2. What is heaven like today?
Three groups inhabit heaven today:
- The angels of God
- Old Testament believers
- New Testament believers
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
—2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV)
God hasn't told us about Heaven to make us complacent, but to encourage us to greater faithfulness.
"Heaven: Where Did You Get That Idea"
Personal and Small Group Study
Getting Started
- If someone were to ask you, "How do I get to heaven?" What would you tell them? Can a person know for certain that they are going to heaven, or do you just have to wait and see?
- What were your first ideas about heaven? What misconcep- tion have you had about heaven?
Digging Deeper: Read Revelation 21:1-8
- Where will the New Age be lived out—on earth or in heaven? How does that change your ideas about heaven? How does that help you understand God's original plan?
- Emmanuel means God with us, not us with God. Matthew 1:22 says, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. What is God's ultimate fulfillment of this promise?
- One of the great promises of Heaven is found in Revelation 21:4. What causes you to look forward to this promise?
- What is the significance of the names ascribed to God? What is the significance of these names to those who overcome and to those who do not?
- What refreshing truth do you discover in this passage? What is its significance?
- What do you understand about Hell from this passage? Who will be there?
Applying It To My Life
- What has caused you pain and suffering during this past year? What does it mean to know that God will wipe it all away?
- How might the early Christians have greeted this vision of what was in store for them? How do you respond to this same hope?
- With whom do you need to share this picture of Heaven?