Six Things That Will Surprise You About Heaven - Part B

The whole of the world is divided one of two categories occupants of 11 non-occupants.

So what's a requirement to be an occupant verse seven he who overcomes, does that mean to overcome.

It simply means that you place your faith in Christ alone. How you know that is the same guy who wrote this John wrote first John chapter 5 what he said everyone who is born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our say Michael, I have faith. I believe in something, read on to say who is he that overcomes the world. Only he who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

When we finally do get to heaven there will be a lot of surprises in store for us will be surprise when we don't get our Harbin wings will be surprised when Peter doesn't leaders of the pearly gates with this clipboard that will probably be quite surprised by who's there and who wasn't there. Well today here and connect with Skip weekend edition Skip Hudson continues to explore some of the surprises in store for us. When we finally get to have.

But before we start today there something to celebrate in the connect with Skip resource Center this month. Holidays and special days of celebration wake us up from the daily grind and provide a backdrop for creating memories beyond traditions time often intentional family time, holidays can illuminate spiritual tricks as we hear from Skip I think you may not know that Valentine's Day has Christian roots, but time and secular culture have transformed what was a great celebration of those who would stay true to the Christian faith is turned into simply a celebration of romantic love. You can find spiritual significance with happiness, holiness, and holiday of four DVD collection of celebration messages from Pastor's death and our thanks when you get $25 or more to help keep this ministry on the air here Skip with a strong thought on another holiday on our calendar because God is our father. We never because God is our father. I don't have to live selfish myopic life because he is our father in heaven no limit to his power from heaven.

For those of us were on the incredible phrase, our father in heaven.

Call now to request your copy of happiness, holiness, and holidays are. Thanks for your generous gift 800-922-1888, or get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer series from the edge of eternity continues today with Pastor Skip Heitzig procedures a few more surprises about heaven for things that may surprise you is that it has a capital city verse two were introduced to the new Jerusalem verse three and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with man, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself be with them and be their God. I look down verse 10 and he carried me away in the spiritual grade in high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

So in the new earth, though, there's really no information as to what landmarks are there, what size will be. What are the colors of the new work except when it comes to this city. Beginning in verse nine to the rest of the chapter part of the next chapter is a description of what this new city will be like because this new city is the capital city of heaven. This is the headquarters. This is where God dwells with his people and his glory. He got to admit the city is different from any other city you've ever seen or heard of first ball it descends from heaven toward the earth and we don't know if it lands on the earth or sort of seems like it's hovering, maybe even rotating around the year we've heard of New York and New Jersey in New Brunswick and New Mexico. This is new Jerusalem and it's a capital city and it's an odd shape on us or to give myself away will see more next week, but get this, the shape of the city is 1500 miles to save never seen a city like that 1500 miles.

By 1500 miles. By 1500 miles tall, just slightly smaller than our moon coming down from heaven and hovering around the earth will have access to it will look more at it next time you notice it is called the holy city couple times as much of this is the holy city. Can you imagine a whole city that's holy. Albuquerque is in the holy city, Santa Fe wrote the name implies it is. It's not. I'm not talking about a few homes or few churches, every occupant of the new Jerusalem will be holy city are to get our minds around.

It's funny. People will say I can't wait to go with you the Israel and visit the holy land and sea Jerusalem. You know the holy city and I was think you have to wait a long time is it ain't holy. Right now will be during this time, it certainly will be 1/5 thing that may surprise you about heaven is that it's good to feel so totally unfamiliar. In fact so different is the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem from any earthly experience that verse 4 to 6 is described in the negative. It's so unlike anything, it has to be described by what's not there verse four. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away and you sat on the throne said, behold I make all things new. And he said to me right for these words are true and faithful you said to me, it is done. So this is it. This is done it's done. There's no more stages. This now is the eternal state. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. It's now we can't know what we can't know. So the only way we can know or get some kind of understanding about what we don't know is to compare what we don't know with what we do know and say it's not like this right so let's just go through that little list quickly. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes and keep going down and that verse. There will be no crying, no tears, and have no Kleenex boxes in heaven. Our life presently is stained with tears. There's days of our lives. I have some stand out as days of tears.

The first one was traumatic. I was in kindergarten, my first day. I never forget it because I was the world's biggest crybaby. Honestly, my mom brought me off at school I wailed and it didn't stop time the milk wagon came around I still cried out over spilled milk. Just I cried naptime I tried lunch time I cried.

I didn't stop crying tell my mommy pick me back up. It was traumatic. Okay, I still have scars big crybaby. I was just beginning. Though there would be many more days of crying. My father called me and said my brother had been killed. The day my mother called me and said my father died the day I was with my mother when she died. Hearing that friends of God, and there will be many more.

But here God, no crying, no tears, no tears of loneliness. No tears of misfortune, no tears of poverty. No tears of sympathy. No tears of persecution, no tears of regret. It's all gone. Also says a be no more death part of imagine no more death, you never have to go to another funeral never visit a cemetery, never see another tombstone 52 million people every year, died on earth, but the hundred and 47,276. Every day I our world constantly sees the flow of death, no death. There will be death in the millennial earth be no death in the new earth. New heaven new Jerusalem you'll never age, you'll never age is pretty cool. Listen, there's 55 companies. There may be more by now. Last time I checked five companies that specialize in cryonic technology. They will freeze you in liquid nitrogen at -320°F for a mere $100,000 and get your body frozen you can afford that $35,000 will freeze your head, hoping that when they find out the cure for whatever disease killed you. They will then thaw you out and you can live and live and live. Save the money.

This is free. There is no death, and if there is no death, and there's no conditions that bring on death right you'll never need a doctor will be no diseases. No surgery, no hospitals, no dentists is no decay, no corruption, no cavities. We read in the same verse there will be no sorrow so hard to relate to do any of you ever get moody just a little sort of sideways to be around is that one of those days there feel like there's is a cloud that hangs over your day go today about week, month, some of you experience legitimate depression even Christians do and so that's why we love.

We gravitate toward the book of Psalms and I relate to this like Psalm six were the psalmist said I am weary with my groaning my high waste away because of grief, we read that we commit. I can relate to that is coming a day when you can't relate to that at all because there will be no more sorrow I think that little the little statement.

Have a good day will be the stupidest thing you could ever say and have never need to say it should never have a bad one. In fact will be anything but data will be no night. The Bible says. Notice it says will be no pain. Imagine life without aspirin without Advil without Tylenol. You know that over-the-counter analgesics sales in America top $3 billion a year a lot of pain here. There will be no more pain, no more deaths you will have a perfect body. You might say already have a perfect body. Check it out yet.

Just wait a few years. Let entropy run its course. You can choose a lot of fine physique but it will not last. It was never meant to last. Now one final thing that might surprise you about heaven here will close. Not everyone will be there. Not everyone is good to be and it's a city of believers and not everybody who has ever lived will be that. That's a myth. So it's really what it says verse seven he who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. What could be clearer than that and go down to verse 24 and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. The gates shall not be shut at all by day notice. There shall be no night there they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life, not everyone will be there. Notice here that there's two classes of people described occupants of heaven. Non-occupants of the whole of the world is divided into one of two categories occupants of heaven. Non-occupants so what's a requirement to be an occupant verse seven he who overcomes what is that mean to overcome. It simply means that you place your faith in Christ alone to how you know that because the same guy who wrote this John wrote first John chapter 5 where he said everyone who is born of God overcomes the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith in you. Michael why I have faith. I believe in something will read on it goes on to say who is he that overcomes the world. Only he who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God that narrows it down and who is he who overcomes, he overcomes is one who believes in Jesus Christ alone.

So those people I think today think that you will automatically go to heaven either a. If you die.

That's one myth. How do you get to nosedive you can forget God, live anywhere you want to, and but believe me, when you die will certainly talk about God suddenly talk about heaven find a preacher will push you into heaven as a myth, or the other myth is all you gotta do is be very sincere because all sincere people who believe in anything they want to go to heaven. That's what some people think so there will be a surprise. The jihadist Muslim believes that if they go on a suicide mission. They kill innocent people in the name of all, I may get killed in the process they immediately go to heaven.

Talk about a shock. Talk about a surprise to find that is exactly wrong in the opposite very sincere sincerely wrong. Part of that whole belief system is not only you get instant heaven, but you get 72 wives now talk about punishment. The punishment to be those wives for those women and probably for both right. Somebody said there's any three surprises in heaven. Number one, those that you don't expect to be there who are there for to those that you expect to be there who aren't there. And number three. Wonder of wonders. That year there and only by God's grace so I can think that the worst possible place to be right now is growing old and be an unbeliever want to think about this. Here's the worst possible scenario you growing older and older and older and are not a Christian is only one way for you to look friend that's back you have known nothing forward to look forward to all you do is look back and say yeah you know I was a great vacation a few years ago when so you got when the great rates and those kids when the great tat we had. That's it. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ good or bad in your past. The best is yet to come.

In fact, the new heaven and the new earth will be so totally cool and so totally different that it says in Isaiah 65 behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind that everyone's in a go there you go. You sure you can ago you know this whole thing keeps coming up again throughout the Bible lines are drawn, your occupant or you're not.

You're saved or you're not.

And if you're saved you go to heaven if you're not saved you don't go to heaven or the time Jesus said, unless a man is born again, he will not see what the kingdom of heaven or the time Jesus said broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter therein, and narrow is the way that leads to life and if you enter therein. So, according to Jesus, not all people get saved not do most people get saved according to Jesus, very few enter therein.

Are you among the few that will enter therein at your choice that your choice I don't know if you ever come to a place where you said, Lord, I'm a sinner.

I cannot earn my way to heaven, but I know that Jesus paid the price for me and I totally rest on him. If you haven't done that and do it because you would not want the worst of all surprises. That is an eternity. Find out you're never going well, you know where you spend eternity doesn't have to be a surprise that your ultimate destination for eternity can be one of the surest facts you know in this life. Would you like to have one less surprise about the afterlife.

Would you like to be sure that your destiny of the afterlife is in heaven. All you need is Jesus Christ. We can tell you all about how to make that choice and how to enjoy that certainty about life after death.

Please call us at 1-800-922-1888 were just about out of time for today but before we go here. Skip and his wife Linda with a few more thoughts for you today. We were talking about six things that will surprise you about heaven and I know one in particular as you are a surfer is deeply disappointing yes and what would that be, there will be no see. But that is not the millennial kingdom. That's phase 2. I believe that's called the eternal state and the net internal state revelation is explicit that there will be no see him going. What not to despair to despair at all. Surf could be up a different kind.

I was at a different kinda leave it at that jangle. If okay will ask Elaine an accurate kneeling eternal perspective, and I have an in and that can help us overcome the trials of life.

I think you can over help us overcome the trials of life, you know, it's like I member going camping around the United States and Canada when camping for three months was fun when but after three months I was done for a while. I just like I want to like a shower. I mean it, and in in a real place, not in a campground shower and I want to sit down at a different kind of a meal and I want I want a mattress that would help. It would help greatly, so you know, the Bible does say sort of along those lines that we grown. We we Cy, we side with longing is the idea for heavenly home so we were in these bodies the longer were in them.

We know what that sliced tents where outmanned boy they do and quickly and so to have the promise of heaven. The promise of a new body or or resurrected body, and you turn now let inset of the temporal nature. Temporary approach is is is not just winsome and fun and warm, but it is compelling and it's compelling enough to help us again what that CS Lewis said is that is that if you aim at heaven. You get both earth and heaven throne and if you aim just a dearth you'll get neither. So Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

If we can raise our sights higher as we walk our our goals on this earth will they become not as important in being become eternally important.

What will focus on the right ones, and I love it when you said that heaven is our real home. I think so many of our listeners may not really feel at home here on the earth either. Your family has not been what you expected. Perhaps you're homeless and maybe there are some situations where you just feel so different from this place and the encouragement to you is that this is that your home right there is an eternal home with the family and a father that is so much better than anything you've known here – so keep your eyes. You know that on the prize that you are headed to that place where you will have comfort your tears will be dried and you will belong. He's put eternity in our hearts will thank you so much. Skip a line you and remember if you'd like a CD copy of today's teaching for just six dollars plus shipping or current series from the edge of eternity for only $39 plus shipping. So give us a call 1-800-922-1880 visit skip.com if you've ever wondered where you live or what your home will be like in heaven. Make sure you don't miss our next court hearing for the weekend division presentation of connection so you guys never changing true and ever-changing time