Let's Talk About Heaven: Overwhelming Joy

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Some people think of the committee along worship service coming up Greg Laurie points out, what will be doing in heaven influenced gratitude and re-ring up there will be singing the reasons we worship in this because though we know all all of our questions are answered all over his all of our tears. Amazing Holdbacks with joy when a young child. The words will when we get to heaven we just may not be able to hold ourselves back from worship today on a new beginning. Greg Laurie helps us see what will be doing what things will be different from the life and what things will mark this one of our most requested message. Let's answer some about the afterlife number one what will our new bodies be like and have number two will we know each other and have number three will we be married in heaven. Number four what we do and have them lastly, and this is often do people in heaven know what's going on with us on earth all right. So let's go question by question and by the way, in our last message we discovered. Of course heaven is an actual place, not a state of mind. It's a real place.

Jesus said in John 14. I've gone to prepare a place for you. Jesus tells us in the rest of the Bible tells us heaven is a city. Heaven is a country. Heaven is a paradise.

Whatever you've experienced on this earth.

The best of the best of the best doesn't even come close to the glory of heaven. Why, because earth out of its best, is a pale imitation of the real thing which is heaven. Heaven is not a watered-down version of earth it's kind of the other way around.

And so whatever you are thinking this can be far better than you ever imagined. All right, so what about these new bodies. The Bible talks about what will they be like short answer Macy you will be given a new body, but it will still be you will just be the radically upgraded version of you okay is that the Bible says. First Corinthians 15 our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised will be full of glory their week now.

But when the race will be full of power their natural bodies now, but when the rays will be spiritual bodies listen to this, our new bodies to God will give to us later will be both different and at the same time, the same as her body here.

By that I mean you are still you us have already said, but again a radically upgraded version of you. Okay, so Jesus says in John 14. In my father's house are many mansions are dwelling places that were not so I would've told you if I go I will come again and receive you on the myself there where I am you baby.

Also in my father's house are many mansions. So what is this mansion referring to in John 14 couple of options want to may be our new body that God will give to us. Second Corinthians 51 new living translation says this earthly tent we live in is taken down. When we die and leave these bodies we have a home in heaven any internal body made for us by God himself will put on the new body like new clothes. Okay so good be a description of our new body, but it could be a house. I mean literally house in heaven, why not. The idea isn't it a real place waiting for you what it is exactly. I don't know but it's going to be amazing. We know that any tell you what, that the thing is is with life as you get older it seems like it goes more quickly. But here's the good news though your body is wearing out like a tent, which is not meant to last forever got in a resurrected and your soul will live forever, and your body will be resurrected so no one were in heaven will we know each other and have do you think you get anymore stupid in heaven then you are on earth. Maybe I said as I got some of you know each other on earth will than your regular course know each other in heaven driving when you get to heaven just will see each other and yes will know one another, were told in first Corinthians 13, we will know as we are known will know everything we know on earth except more will know everything we know on earth but with divine perspective. Now, sometimes people have this mistaken notion that when you get to heaven you have some kind of a brain, wipe it's almost like Evans a giant lobotomy or something.

No, I want to know there's memories of earth and heaven owe that to be true Greg because we would be sorrowful. Will you a perspective see I understand things now. How can I be rewarded for something I did on earth.

If there's not a memory of what I did on earth so you're going to remember earthly things. But now with perspective, there is no break in my love for my love ones death breaks ties on earth but renews them in heaven with the same people we were here hikers one sometimes that's what we've been married in heaven. Interesting question.

All right, first of all, let's take a quick poll. How many of you are married measuring okay. How many of you want to be married in heaven. You want to continue to be married and how many of you would rather not be married in heaven. There's a few hands later some of you are not totally committed never.

Other Kelly. My wife and me. I do liars know okay you will be married in heaven. The limit return to that in the moment. You will be married and have okay so one day a group of people called the Sadducees came to Jesus now.

The Sadducees were different than the Pharisees. The Sadducees did not believe in life be on the great, the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the body that Sadducees had a pretty bleak outlook about their name so that all sad. You see, right, that's a sad way to see life so they thought they were going to trap Jesus for the closet. Okay Jesus, we have a question for you, there's this woman was married and her husband died then to marry the guy's brother and he died that you married another brother and he died and went up seven times in the resurrection whose wife is she.

I would've asked what is this woman cooking and feeding these men, the point of that is that they they thought, you know. Hope you get to be together in the afterlife.

Who's going to be married to this person and now Jesus set the record straight. Jesus in Matthew 22, you're mistaken. Not knowing the Scriptures know the power of God in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage. You're like the angels of God in heaven, so they neither marry or given in marriage okay so let's see you ever really close marriage and you can't bear the thought of not being married to your spouse anymore while in heaven you will not have the same kind of relationship, but it will be better. It'll be stronger you will be closer but you will not marry or be given in marriage, in heaven, but you will have the fully realized version of everything that marriage points to Jason, we are contradicting yourself. You just told me we won't be married and haven't been earlier you said we will be married in heaven you will be married in heaven, not to each other. You're the bride, married to Jesus Christ was the bridegroom so you are married and have all the things God could chosen to show his love for the church and the church's love for him.

God chose marriage and of all the witnesses God could've chosen to a lost world. He chose marriage, effectively saying hey nonbelievers, check this out see how this Christian husband loves his wife.

That's how I love my church. Hey, check this out. You see how this wife loves her husband.

That's all my church loves me so. Marriage is a beautiful symbol that will be fully realized in the habit will be different than it is now. Trust me, it will be better. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. So many listeners have come in the help they receive these daily messages God's word ministers to and often gets them through some of their darkest hours working here 20 and my dad had heart delay three days after that my husband and I tested positive listening to your Encouraging Word and your books on audible have helped me through it with a smile on my face and joy in my heart I know there'll be more bound in the road along the way, mainly because I'm sick time cancer survivor that I know who guides me in my journey and I thank God for service like you well, God bless you listeners are curing these messages using his word to comfort Pastor Greg studies impacted your life would you let him know drop an email to greg@harvest.org that's great@harvest.org well today. Pastor Greg is presenting the answers to five common questions people ask about heaven all centered on how different life will be there than it is here.

It's one of this past years most requested messages number four what will we do and have I think some people think heaven can be super boring what we know we will be worshiping and that's of course why I exist to bring glory to God, but our Revelation 15 says I saw glassy mix of fire and there stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast that would be the antichrist and is image and the number representing his name. There were holding harps.

There are harps in heaven got a given them and they were singing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb.

So there will be singing in heaven, and I think one of the reasons of the unbridled worship in heaven is because now we know all things, all of our questions are answered all of our pain is removed all of our tears are dry.

Don't misunderstand, this doesn't mean heaven committee along worship service communicant church service for ever know you can do other stuff okay but you're going to be doing a lot of worshiping okay and it's going to be amazing, but here's something I was going to do in heaven. I guarantee this is going to be eating amazing food in heaven. Come on, you want to award you get that the Bible, the only assorted source in heaven. Revelation 1919, then the angel said blessed are those who invited to the wedding supper reminder where the bride of Christ. The wedding supper of the Lamb. These are the true words of God, like the words supper in the South. They called dinner supper and I was raised by my grandparents for many years of my life Stella in Charles McDaniel. I called my grandmother mama Stella and I called my grandfather, daddy, Charles and then when my mom was running around with Oliver Theisen getting divorce and getting drunk and all the crazy stuff you sent me live with my grandparents and so there with them.

It was a very stable home is almost like he raise from someone from another century actually my grandfather was quite a strict disciplinarian. I have to say, but my grandmother was an amazing cook. She meets everything from scratch. She never served leftovers. One time in her life and we had all the good Southern cooking and if you know the southern cooking you know fried chicken that was just incredible black-eyed peas, okra, collard greens ever try those before. These are the things my grandmother would make butter crowning achievement was her biscuit I've never had a biscuit anywhere like at this like if a biscuit could be literally anointed by God. This is what I'm talking. It was like so insane.

It was a buttermilk biscuit and when my grandmother was getting all right said to my wife Kathy watch mama Stella make the biscuit learn the secret of the biscuit grasshopper. You must learn it since you know she did a pretty good job reproducing them but no one can quite produce the biscuit that my grandmother mama Stella Mae and I just think you know we get to heaven. I'm open to get some of those biscuits again, to find mama Stella, but some of you don't you connect the southern cooking urine to Mexican food.

Okay, so do your thinking enchiladas and tacos and all those things and then others. Again, no, no, no, it's Italian food, Italian food.

Now it's in our past and that pizza I had pizza today. Here's my problem. I love all those foods everything I love is fattening. I don't love anything that's not fattening I don't love kale salad.

I don't even know what the point of eating solid, it to meeting some of those like practice just like okay I can chew and swallow good enough summonses.

I deny salad for lunch. Some lots just nothing.

This is let us stop by.

Whatever it is, a Ranger bell good chance it will be in heaven, and if it isn't there. There be something better there. I'm in this issue.

Okay, so she then whatever you like. It's good to be better than what you can ever dream of. And not only will you have that meal but to be with people holding about having a nice meal is having. It was someone you like to be with right being with friends and family enjoying a meal together will check this out.

You have some pretty amazing company. Matthew 11 says, and that they come you will take your place at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

How's that for starters.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did have a meal with you can sit down at a table with Moses.

Moses could you pass the manna Elijah my pizza little undercooked. Could you give a little more fire logic to pass assault. All lots are so sensitive get over it.

He made it to heaven, you have to know the Bible to get these jobs okay these are insider Bible Joe but tell one of the things that that I've enjoyed over the years of getting to meet a lot of wonderful men and women of God. And whenever I'm around older people have known the Lord for many years I I'd pick their brains and I got to know people like Jackson doll David Jeremiah Dr. Dobson Alan Redpath and of course Billy Graham. I think I drove Billy Graham insane with all of my questions because whenever I was with them. I wanted to know everything about everyone because he was like Mr. history. You know he he knew all these people I've read about. He knew Golda my year the Prime Minister of Israel. He he knew Mohammed Ali came over to his house for lunch. He knew every president going back to Truman he Bono from U2 came and visited him and read poetry to his wife Ruth and his wife Ruth was as amazing as Billy was.

She was just just a wealth of Bible knowledge and it was so wonderful to be with them.

He knew CS Lewis, M. And I quote CS Lewis. He met CS Lewis repeats a I just amazing the people he knew the timing thinking of that. Think about meeting people of the Bible asking David what was like to slay Goliath to know so-and-so working in that article that time there are Moses when you parted the Red Sea give me some details about Esther. What was it like to save the entire Jewish race. Deborah, what was it like to lead all those people in the battle.

Hey Mary, Mary. What was it like to carry Jesus in your womb, and later have them in your heart you know I mean don't you want to ask those questions.

I do is when I'm around godly people. I want details I want information I want to learn from them and you'll have access to all these great men and women of God from the Bible who've gone before us to meet the Lord, and of course it's been reunited with loved ones that we miss, how many of you have someone that was very close to you who has gone to heaven right now you have someone that's pretty much everybody so you think about those people.

Don't you and you think about being with them because one of the hardest things about death. This communication is cut off immediately. If you want to communicate with them and it's so hard when you can't and sometimes people want to try to talk to their loved ones in the go to mediums who will tell them I'm getting messages from your loved one right now and just understand that is never really it's either not real or it's demonic, but that you don't want to go there. You don't ever try to communicate with your loved ones in heaven and I'll hear people say, well, I sense my loved one who died is with me and they spoke to me the other day can be bought with you know they did it in 3Q they're not guiding you and they're not involved in your life right now they are okay. I'm sorry.

I wish I could tell you they were. I wish I could tell you that that there, you know, helping you right now know they are there in the other side is David said of his son.

He died, he cannot come to me, but I will go to him so they're not talking to you they're not coming to you. But one day you will go to them.

You will be reunited with them if they die in vain.

Today on matters of eternity from Pastor Greg Laurie, the only information we can count on about the hereafter comes from the Lord himself. Pastor Greg will have more insight as he continues this best of message you're on a new beginning.

Will Pastor Greg and I have a couple of special guests in the studio today. Pastor Levi Lesko, author of the new children's devotional book called roar like a lion, which were making available to our listeners right now and Pastor Greg Sean Pastor Jonathan Lori is here Jonathan you're reading this new book with your own kids these days. How's that going and going great. My kids really love it there.

The perfect ages. This book is 88 to 10.

I believe it is right.

Levi will 6 to 10 is the reader level, but I think yes and yes. Perfect.

Why got a nine-year-old and 11-year-old and Allie even though she is just outside of that age man she's absolutely loving it and I gotta be honest, I'm loving it till it's ministering to my heart going to different devotions hearing just wonderful reminders of who God is, his character, how it plays out in our everyday lives.

And one thing I like to do is I have my kids read it to me. It's a good way for them to just kind of practice their reading and read out loud in here and there little voices is so sweet. Sometimes I think a little video of it and save it for later you something to look at on a rainy day but it's so sweet, hearing them read these devotions read the Scriptures and then have them pray to. There's a wonderful little prayer the end of each devotion the kind of sums it up and it's it's such a blessing to get to go through with my kids are nine and 11 and I know that any age is really good. Be blessed by this, I started reading devotions to my kids man really from the time there were born you know they say it's so important for children to hear the sound of their parents voice and reading to them. So whether you have a newborn child and you just need some content to read to them that this is a great book or whether you got kids are older, I'm telling you, no matter what age you're to be blessed by this. I've been blessed by.

I've been encouraged. I've been challenged and sell really love this book. Roar like a lion.

Yeah, we did the same thing. Dave is a raise Jonathan and his brother Christopher. You know a little devotions with them reading from the Scripture encouraging them and it's so gratifying to see that passed on to another generation. That's what God wants us to do. He wants us to pass these Jews onto the next generation. You know the Christian life is like a race. And if it's a race. It's a lot like a relay race week hold the baton for a time. Then we handed on to the next generation. They carry and then they handed on to that's our job as parents to teach these things to our children but I know that's not always the easiest thing to do. You don't know where to start. You don't feel like your Bible knowledge is deep enough you're not a theologian, listen, we have a tool to put in your hands to help you do a better job of sharing the truth of God's word with your kids are your grandkids and it's a book written by Levi Lesko titled roar like a lion 90 devotions to a courageous fate.

I will send you this brand-new book to help you lead your family spiritually for your gift of any size and whatever you send will be used to continue this ministry called a new beginning. As we teach the word of God and proclaim the gospel all around the world.

Yeah that's right your investment helps us reach literally all over the planet. If you been a partner with us.

Thank you so much and if you can partner with us right now.

We hope you will ask for a copy of Pastor Levi's new children's devotional book roar like a lion. You can donate securely online@harvest.org or call us anytime around the clock at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 are you receiving Pastor Greg Staley devotions get these inspirational thoughts in your email box every day. Sign-up free of charge and harvest.org the next time this best of message continue as Pastor Greg helps us sharpen our focus on eternity. Join us to run a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie new beginning as a podcast, made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God if this show has impacted your life. Share your story leverage you on your favorite podcast and help others find help