Let's Talk About Heaven: Looking Ahead to Help Us in the Present

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you, I love to hear from you.

So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org coming up today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie points out mammography with heaven will lead to a proper way to lead our lives. If you're really thinking more about sinking the oven which is to say, first in every area of your life from the blotchy things in the way you use your time will transform you don't waste this precious life. God is given make every year, every month, every week, every day, every hour count and forcing a good cook knows what the final dish will look like and things like runner leaving the blog has the finish line in his mind's eye. Believers need to have a clear view of heaven on the resolve and commitment. Dale leaves there today on the new beginning and an unforgettable and highly personal message pastor Greg Laurie make sure our understanding of eternity. Your long. I want to talk about heaven. One of my favorite subject. Colossians chapter 3 look there with you would will read more about later, but right now it just reverses wanted to of Colossians 3. The apostle Paul writes and he says since then, you've been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly. There now. This phrase set your mind speaks of the diligent active single-minded investigation. This can be translated thing, or more thoroughly how this inner disposition. So here's a real simple way to translate what I just read think about heaven, or even a simpler way. Think heaven like that.

Think heaven.

The verb in this verse is in the present tense which means keep thinking about and keep thinking heaven, so I need to be heavily mined now course, we immediately think all yes. But you know people were heavenly minded are so out of touch or for the expression holder so heavenly minded there no earthly good at such a stupid expression. What is it mean to be heavenly minded have my head in the clouds and be out of touch with reality. Absolutely not. Those that think the most about the do the most in this one.

So it's not a disconnectedness.

It's a person that just recognizes of life on earth as it beginning middle and end, we recognize that we don't know when this life will and we recognize there is an afterlife. There's future reward and their future judgment for those that do not believe in that of Texas in the way we live now see him at dinner.

Just do whatever you want if you really believe that there's a future judgment and it's good to motivate you to do good things and godly things. If you believe that there are future reward so it really affects it's in the way that we live so what is heaven like well let me begin by saying heaven is an Actual Pl. in John 14 Jesus says I go to prepare a place for you. That's an important place.

Heaven is described as a paradox paradox. What did Jesus say to the thief on the cross memories, the Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom and Jesus said, verily, verily, or truly, truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Paul said the same thing he die anyway. Paradise on what is that mean well. This is an interesting word because it is actually a word that describes all wall garden, like the king of Persia would have no I don't even know what to compare this to, but but you have to think of some palatial estate that maybe you've seen or maybe you've seen a film about like Downton Abbey. I don't know, but the sum manicured amazing garden that goes on forever with every kind of fruit and flowers.

That's the word that Paul uses so if the idea were he saying thinking of the best thing you can imagine the same. It was like paradise to me.

Number two. Heaven is described as a city, it's a city he was 1110 tells us the city has God as the architect and builder.

I want you to think about cities you've been to certain cities have unique qualities.

The city of Jerusalem at sunset. Such a beautiful place when we see that golden hue on at the city of so much biblical history or other cities have had the privilege of visiting that are unique and heaven is unique and it is a city and cities have things in them you have while you have things to do.

Give restaurants you have stories you have activities you have entertainment. Is it possible we could have done it heaven. My answers why not.

The Bible says heaven to city and I did whatever city had been to the bed city imaginable.

Heaven is going to be way better than that. Not a diminished version of that heaven is described as a country he was 1116 says we desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.

Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. We prepared a city for them. Something about this heaven is a country. Heaven is a city. Heaven is a garden. Heaven is a paradise now when we get there.

They haven't really given new bottles and so we have this. The bodyguards get to give us what will it be like well the blueprint for your glorified body is in the body you now possess the heaven is the earthly life of the believer glorified and perfected you're still you in heaven. You will become another person you're still you. That's very important. You're just a radically upgraded version of you. First Corinthians 15, Paul writes our bodies now disappoint. But when the rays they'll be full of glory their week now. But when the rays will be full of power their natural human bodies now when the rays will be spiritual body. So there like the one we have now, but there perfect number two. What will we do in heaven over starters, we will be worshiping by the way, that's why you exist to bring glory to God, but will be busy to because the Scripture says in many occasions will be serving the Lord. I want to remember something we don't stand heaven forever because one day heaven is going to come to earth and it will fulfill the prayer the church is been praying for 2000 years. We prayed by kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So heaven and earth become one.

You see, and Jesus is going to come back to work and return with them and there's going to be the millennial reign of Christ and then there's going to be the new Jerusalem, coming out of heaven so heaven and earth will become one in the beyond new earth and in the new earth will get a do things like we do on earth now but without the limitation so it's can be fantastic. And so in heaven will be worshiping already alluded to this in heaven. Believe it or not, we will eat together. Revelation 19 Nine says the angel says right Blessed of those are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. These are the true words of God. And so it can be amazing. All right. So with this all in mind let you shift gears and bring this message doing and we been talking about heaven now, let's talk a little bit about how this should affect us on earth because I think if you're truly heavenly minded will be of the greatest earthly good go back in Colossians 3 let's read a few more verses and then conclude verse five. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication and cleanest passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry.

Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience and what you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. Now you yourselves are to put these up anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Don't lie one to another, since you put up your old man with his deeds, and you put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge wanted a notice of verse five begins with the word therefore whenever you read the word therefore find out what is therefore whenever Paul uses the word or anybody else it's drawing and what is been previously set, so it's been previously set.

I've been told that I'm to think heavenly thoughts and to think about the afterlife.

I'm to have my heart in my head and have therefore divine heavenly minded.

There are things that can bring me down. Three categories of sins that will keep us earthbound or grounded in miserable. What are those things number one sexual sin keeps us earthbound sexual sin. Verse five Paul mentions fornication. This is an interesting work comes from the Greek word for knee just what word we get from that pornography pornographic, but this is a word that has a lot of shades of meaning it speaks of sexual immorality in general and refers to any form of illicit sex that premarital sex, extramarital sex, homosexual sex, and the idea here is of a person who feels her mind was sexual imagery and talks about it constantly and ultimately axon you know you might pride yourself. The affected you've not done a certain thing sexually, but if you're thinking about it and talking about it and fantasizing about it. Jesus said it's almost as though you did it to the chagrin of the Pharisees.

Jesus said you for that. It's been said don't commit adultery. I say to you, if you look on a woman with lust in your heart is committed adultery. So this keeps us earthbound and I know people with men all the time thinking and talking about sex everything to them as sexual every statement is sexual everything. The double and Tom Drake know people like that and I'm amazed that the normalization of pornography in our culture are you here joked about on sitcoms and in people talk about it as though it's the most normal thing around and I'm telling you, this can destroy people. I've seen the destroyed marriages. I've seen it destroyed lives because it leads to other things because you are developing a hunger for something that can never be righteously satisfied to God's given you a sexual drive. Gino got invented sex to cite it and I can be satisfied righteously in a marriage between a man and a woman only in a marriage between a man and a woman every other form of others outside of his will. But when you're looking at pornography its IQ of a fire in your try to put it out with castling that can't be satisfied righteously or in any appropriate or proper way. It's a bad way to go. If this is something you struggle with.

You need to stop doing it right now because it's getting have lasting repercussions in your life.

Here's the thing you need to remember you don't feed lust to starve it so sexual sin keeps us earthbound greater that we are talking about heaven and when we get to heaven, knowing that this because Paul talked about he said. Set your mind up things above and that we judge about things that bring us down. If you will. You're listening to a new beginning with pastor Greg Laurie in today's message. Let's talk about heaven. Sometimes we can always link in the church. Here's the good news church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called harvest home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvestable pastor Greg continues now with this fascinating study called let's talk about heaven never to idolatry keeps us earthbound idolatry. What's idolatry will idle is anyone or anything that takes the place of God in your life.

Gary says covetousness is idolatry. These are two words that he uses every covetousness that means they have and more to have more not just to have day have more. It's not wrong to have thing is not wrong.

The job possess it from when possessions possess you within their people to whatever they have.

They must have more and more to the point. It's not just you having more it's someone that wants with somebody else pass his feet. That's why Jesus said don't covet your neighbor's wife or your neighbors husband or your neighbors animal or anything that belongs to your neighbor is not just the idea having something and enjoying it.

It's the idea of yet I have this, but I want would be. I want would she have and that's the idea that's communicated here covetousness which is idolatry. Number three anger meanness and slander keep us earthbound anger, meanness and slander per se anger, rather knowledge, blasphemy, filthy language anger speaks of a settled and habitual anger without thought of Ruben and your philosophy as I don't get mad I get even alt.out of your Christian run speaks a boiling agitation other feeling sudden violent anger by the way, the word blasphemy here is not speaking of blaspheming God is speaking of speaking ill of other.

It's the word gossip, gossip every renotice of the word gossip sorta kisses Gus set, like a snake only love gossip. We have you heard the latest about so don't know what I mean is a matter of per course of the brain about winners websites dedicated to gossip.

It people the runaround treating them the latest gossip.

This should not be true of the child of God may be fun to spread stories that you care that you don't even take the time to verify about another person than when someone doesn't about you. It's a whole different story is meant, so here's what you need to do is not just turning away from one thing but it's turning to another is one old minister reported the explosive power of a new affection.

I like that phrase.

The explosive power of a new affection. So I give a child and they have a toy they won't let go of the tour. Any one of let go what you do bring along something better.

And if the really small if it lights up. It really helps. I noticed kids love anything that lights up so and they drop whatever it is a you and you know the explosive power of a new affection. If you're really thinking more about and seeking the oven which is to say, putting the Lord first in every area of your life from the font to think of the friends you choose to. The way you use your time.

It will transform you listen you as a Christian or a child of God.

You are a citizen of heaven.

It's time you started living like what because life on earth, and it comes and goes so fast. It's like a vapor that appears and vanishes away. Don't waste this precious life that God is given to you make every year, every month, every week, every day in even every hour count, and God gives to each of us the explosive power of a new affection to my life is all about birth and it's all about this life that's all about getting a bunch of stuff, it's going to be lose Lou because I won't satisfy me and I'm not prepared myself for the next life. But if I'm thinking about heaven and seeking the things that are above and I'm a heavenly minded person the right sense of that phrase all about full life owner as I can enjoy what God has given any I can be thankful for it but I recognize there's more to come in this life and earth is not all there is now closing thought who gets to go to heaven.

We think well all dogs go to. I saw that the cartoon once was, they would for good people go to heaven that people go to hell right that is incorrect for given people go to heaven because there are good people that will go to hell and there are bad people in this sense it will go to have is a you lost me receipt of your badge go to heaven to be good to go. To help if you are good in the human set in your so good in your own estimation. You don't think you need God and you reject this offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Yes, you will chart your own course to help and if you're a bad person who is committed a horrible sins, and even crimes unit. You come to your senses and repent of your sin. I believe in Jesus you will go to heaven if it's other three surprises in heaven.

A lot of the people we thought would be there will be there. A lot of the people we never thought would be there will be there. And thirdly will be there. I think there will be surprises and have heaven is not the default destination of every person. It is the default destination if you will, of the man or woman who is put their faith in Jesus Christ. So you don't go to heaven to find Christ to go to Christ. The fine have. If you want to know you go to heaven when you die, you must admit you're a sinner and you must ask God to forgive you of your sin and then you must believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

And put your faith in him and him alone and when you do that the Bible promises you will have everlasting life. Jesus said for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, listen, but have everlasting life. We have everlasting life by grace you have is a great I don't deserve it. I know and you never did.

And you never will know just to pass that this is not about deserve. This is all about what Jesus did for you because he loved you so much will I don't deserve to know you don't admitted take disease offering it to you so I want to close with an invitation for you to believe in Jesus and opportunity for you to be forgiven of your sin.

If you need his forgiveness. If you're not sure that you go to heaven when you die if you want Jesus Christ to come in your life. Respond to this invitation.

Domino extend right now as we close in prayer. Okay, it's all bow our heads and everyone prayed. Father, we thank you for loving us so much that she sent Jesus and Jesus, we thank you for coming and dying and rising again. Now we pray for these that are here that do not yet know you help them to see their need for you to come view and believe in you.

Praying in your name and Greg Lord important word prayer and if you like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that and he'll do so before today's addition of a new beginning.

Concludes but you know sometimes interruptions can come up during the course of 1/2 hour. If you are unable to hear all of Pastor Greg's insight you can catch up by going online to harvest.org.

Listen to just the part you missed or hear the whole presentation all over again. Just look for the message. Let's talk about heaven@harvest.org yesterday were excited about making available a couple of wonderful resources from our good friend, author Sally Lloyd Jones is always a good friend of yours and Kathy's and yes I know as you've done your way through these new resources. They really touched your heart as well. Absolutely Dave, the other just what is the right word. There just charming their adorable there there biblical and yet there done so beautifully well so a child can understand them. You know it's been said that the objective of a preacher is to get the cookies on the lower shelf so the children can get to them and I think that Sally Lloyd Jones does an amazing job with the project. She works on from the Jesus storybook Bible to this special resource were offering right now that is simply called near, and she always brings it home and away. A child can understand, so she works with this very talented artist named John go and this is beautifully illustrated and is a graphic artist.

I really appreciate his his design sensibilities and his attention to detail and this is based on some 139 so this is something I want to put in the hands of the folks out there. Especially you that have young children or you then have grandchildren, you give them this little book and they're gonna want to open it and look at the pictures and read it or you can read it to them, but I promise you there gonna want to open this and check it out because this is so well done.

Otherwise, why would we offer it to you were very intentional on what we choose to bring to your attention here at harvest because we want to provide you with the finest spiritual resources so you can reach your family, both young and old.

What you got a copy of a right in front of you maybe you could read just a little bit of the book for sure. So Dave, if I was going to be this to my grandkids. I would read along these lines, I could fly either the highest star I could dive into the deepest sea however far I go.

He's always near me. I can climb the highest mountain on and I could zoom as fast as like what we need to D to G and what I can see why your grandkids love hearing your read to them. Pastor Greg is reading from the book called near from Sally Lloyd Jones and we want to make that book available to you along with Shelley's resource called babies carry along Bible and adorable little board book with 10 Bible stories told in rhyme, addressing both resources near and babies carry along Bible to thank you for your donation right now, it's your partnership and support that allows us to bring Pastor Greg studies each day. So thank you for your generosity and you can write us today at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org yesterday you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord. Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now. Yeah they really can. That's the amazing thing. I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian.

It doesn't take months. It doesn't take weeks.

It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness. A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life. If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God in friend thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen and amen lesson if you have just prayed those words with Pastor Greg and you meant them. Sincerely, the Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible tells us Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call other new believers growth packet just ask for it and will send it free of charge if you prayed for the first time today with Pastor Greg to write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God. What next time as Pastor Greg's essential series continues will consider the importance of prayer in the life of the believer and how to make our players more effective. Be sure to tune in next time beginning and thanks for the to a new beginning. Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner@harvest.org