The Real Heaven - Why Heaven Matters, Part 2

Is it really get any better than this when we get to heaven or what we spend all eternity playing harps sitting on clouds sipping iced tea coming to your view heaven matters.

You see heaven for what it really is. It will change how you live each day on earth believing heaven is not what you think is thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge of survival picture for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians what Christians on this program to picks up where he left off last time in this series the real heaven by explaining why our view of heaven. That's how we live our lives before he continues. What chips message brief outline and all the supporting scripture references to download these message notes just go to the broadcasts tab LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse to fill without her strip with the second half of his talk why heaven matters you open your Bible, Genesis, the past is even Genesis wanted to visit the earth with man the present. This intermediate heaven. The moment you die, you go to be with Jesus but you don't have a resurrected body.

So in this arena. God becomes man to rescue man from a fallen earth. This can be a window of time where God is going to set up and fulfill all his promises on this earth. And then finally there's heaven comes down to earth and there's a new heaven on the new earth in an absolutely perfect environment of follow along.

Genesis chapter 1 got it. Look at verse 26 just highlight then God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky near the cattle, and over the earth and every creeping thing that's on the earth and God created man in his own image in the image of God he created them male and female in the notice to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it in rule which talks about the specifics of how that looks and then noticed the giving in the heart and the blessing God says behold I've given you every plant of yielding seed that is on the surface of the earth and every tree fruit yielding for your food. And then he talks about the beast and of created food for all of them. And God saw everything that he made there at the end of chapter 1 and it was very good and thus the heavens and the earth were completed chapter 2 verse one verse four it says this is the account of heaven and earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the heavens, the earth, and so chapter 1 of Genesis is just this wide angle lens, the big picture of seven days all that God did man in his image. But here's what I want you to get there is this creator God spoke all the world into existence and on this planet. He created special and then he made us, and then he put us in it in the created environment to have deep, intimate fellowship with us and one another and they gave us purpose rule. Multiply work right scene create culture, literature, live with me intimately.

Now, chapter 2, the author says okay there's a wide-angle lens.

Let me zoom in and tell you little bit about how it actually happened.

Pick it up in verse seven then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and breathed life into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being. And the Lord planted a garden for the east and Eden replace the man there that he form you see this fatherly only create this wonderful environment and out of the ground the Lord calls to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Look at verse 10 now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and I want you to get this the trees.

The pleasing the tree of life. A river is what I'm going to show you where to go all the way to the very end of the Bible were going to skip everything that happens from about Genesis chapter 3 all the way through all the time and chronology of the Bible when God's going to make everything right and you can find that there some trees and that there's a river and then everything he started here that gets destroyed. He's going to bring back on a new heaven and a new earth notice. It goes on, the Lord took the man and he put them into the garden of Eden and notice there's a job to cultivate it and keep on this new earth you have jobs. The kind of jobs that you have is directly proportional to our faithfulness on our time on this earth. And then notice the compassion and relationships. It said the Lord said is not good for man to be alone all make a helper suitable for him. And then we get the story that I love this.

And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he taken from a man in some consummate and he brought her to the man. This is a benevolent, loving father, creator whose creating an environment in the world for the greatest joy of his creation in the relationships with one another in the environment that they live in. He's given them jobs and work in cultivation and purpose meaningful relationships and then in this first world notice and they were naked and unashamed. There's no sin there's no self-consciousness there's no mixed motives. There's no using of people and then weep. We pick up the story and that was the perfect plan flipped the page to chapter 3 verse six and we find it. Sin enters in. In verse six is when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes and the tree was desirable to make one why she took of its fruit and ate. She gave her husband, and he ate also the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves going coverings and heard the sound of Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of God among the trees of the garden and the Lord called to the man and said where are you and it's that I heard the sound of you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked so I hid it. So we have now instead of a perfect environment.

Sin enters in. We have separation from God, redefined in the story separation for man. He blames her she blames the serpent and God then says there's a judgment as a judgment that happens for the woman and child book birth. There's a judgment for the man we struggle futility in our work as a judgment on the servant but then there's this great mercy toward the end.

Verse 21 and the Lord made garments of skin for Adam and Eve, his wife and clothed them than the Lord said, behold, the man is become like us speaking the tri-unity of God here knowing good from evil, lest he stretch out his hand and also take from the tree of life see eat from the tree of life in this fallen state. You stay separated forever and so as you read on. He put the chairman which is a big powerful angel with a flaming sword to guard it.

And so that's the story and the whole rest. What we have the whole rest of the Bible is the story of God's grace and profits in the Old Testament and offerings and revelation of God and the promise of the Messiah and the Messiah comes in. He lives a perfect life and he declares who God really is the father and his love for people full of truth and grace in the knees crucified any rises again he pays for the sins of all people of all time in the church is born in the church takes the message and then Jesus comes back and he takes his church from the earth and God brings about final judgment and justice and he fulfills all those promises that he made in this thousand year reign were Jesus is judge and King. And then there's a final final judgment and then there's a new heaven and a new earth.

Now I don't know about you but all my life growing up I never heard about a new heaven and new earth and now some of you, you understand it on on this old earth. There's times where you seen a sunset that just moved your heart.

I had a experience upon my grandsons this weekend. They stayed overnight with us and I dropped them off at school.

When I left in the heat ran down the hall and grab my leg and he pulled me down and he hardly really tightly look the eyeball to eyeball. I said I love you Papa and I mean he just he can't get anything out of this.

This is just like innocent real entity.

When a few more steps and I started walkway needs call my name again went like this Minutemen. I almost got to the end and he got to the variant. That's a taste worth some of you held a brand-new baby in your arms and with tears streaming down your face and there's a sense of all.

That's a taste of what the real new earth is going to be like some of you had some of the deepest friendships and great relationships and people of known things about you that you didn't want to share and they expressed acceptance and love and commitment and there's been a bond where you've been in relationships that you would literally die for one another. That's a taste of heaven. Some of you have built companies were dream dreams for your kids important work and work for you seen the fruit of it and there's these little moments where they maybe walk across the stage or accomplish something in the something it swells up inside me that says it can't any better in this some of this been married for many many years and find ourselves. After all the ups and downs and potentially counseling and struggles and kids and you feel like I love this person more than I thought I could ever love anyone you hold them close to you in your bed and you think, oh God, I can imagine what heaven is like that. I can imagine life without this person. That's the old car. The new car is that on spiritual infinite steroids and that's what happens like turn in the back and I want you to see this okay to return all the way back.

Revelation chapter 21 I saw a new heaven. Chapter 21 verse one Revelation the last book I saw a new heaven and new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there's no longer any sea is a holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven made as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he shall dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be among them are in their midst and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death no longer any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away and he who sits on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new circle that work. I said right for these words are faithful and true, you know we talk a lot when a person puts their faith in Christ, we said if any man or any woman is in Christ, the old things passed away behold all things become new same Greek word and the new is a different kind a a different kind a better and different kind. It's it's not new as in completely different urine, but it's a new person. He's going to make a new earth and for the first time heaven comes down and what you see there dwells on earth. And that's not just the only city and there's nations and there's life in this community and there's art and there's books to be written and songs to be written and jobs to accomplish in a world like the best you've ever ever ever tasted on the old earth. In this new earth, and he doesn't visit and he doesn't come and just save us, but he's with us forever and ever and ever. On the next page. I tried to picture this for you because I know it's a bit odd, but I wanted to see it first in Scripture, we have a faulty skewed on biblical view of heaven, and therefore were not motivated accurately because it's false meant to be honest, most of us down in our gut and some of you are different and we thank God for you, but most people if I said you could go to heaven right now. This instant or 10 years from now, after ABCD E these goals you accomplished.

Most of us if were honest. I want to go but like 10 years later. I want to see the because we don't get it lady emailed me a good friend. She's in Columbus and her mom passed away yesterday and she said ship my mom just passed into the presence of the Lord and dealing with the loss and hurting and I had a very quick email Kitty heaven is for REAL real and there's great comfort. It is real and you will see her again. Understanding heaven requires a macroscopic view of Scripture in a microscopic view of God's purposes for his people. This is kind of what I want you to get okay. I've kinda given you this picture of the pastors Eden and how God works in. There's this time now between you know Genesis 3 and when the Lord finally comes back and sets up a new kingdom and the moment you die, you go to this intermediate heaven like you see in Revelation 4 and five it and what I want you to see is to get this to really grasp this, you need a macroscopic view of Scripture need to see the whole thing but you need to see a microscopic view of God's purposes. So what is God doing what is the role of Jesus our Savior.

In the midst of all this and so I put three different charts here, made these up, but they all tell kind of the same story but but I want to see it. So the macroscopic view of Scripture is this you notice up Genesis 1 and two on the left side and wanted to put a little wine in there around, you know, like between two and three and just write the fault or sin, because everything changes and then underneath that you know you could just put OT for you know anything on the left side of the cross and then on the right side put NT that's all the history of the old and New Testament, and that we know as Jesus promised that he's going to the root word rapture does means to be caught up or catch a people can debate a lot of things but he's going to come back for his church. There's a judgment for believers, not for your sinful rewards and then there's this thousand year reign where Jesus will fulfill all those promises he made to David about the throne, and Abraham about the land and there's this environment that occurs in people to go into that and then at the end of that time. There's a final final judgment of Satan after he's released and there's what's called the great white throne and of the sheep and the goats and there are people who say look God's mercy God's love. This intent you love me you care for me. You want to be in control.

You want me with you forever and ever and ever. But I need to recognize Jesus as the Lord Lord and King of Kings. After all you've done. Some people say you know what my will be done, not yours.

It's of God is created a place for those people that want nothing to do with him. They can be separated from him forever. Skull Hill and all those who put their faith in him was sick. I can't imagine a creator that would create a world like this and then come and die rise from the dead prove it's true demonstrated over 2000 years offer eternal life, and the basis of their relationship to the gospel of Jesus Christ is his enter in to eternal dwellings with me, as a final judgment and then there's this new heaven and new earth that we read about that notice on your notes right below it is so that in Genesis 1 into its God with man in a perfect earth. Jesus as a theophany he visits the earth. He walks with man in Genesis 3 through Revelation 20.

You've got God separated from man on a cursed earth.

And Jesus is the incarnate Savior and Redeemer and then in chapter 20. You have God with man on a temporary earth. The millennial kingdom is the King of Kings and it ends as has been the judge. Jesus said I'm going to judge the father has entrusted to meet judgment and then finally have God with man and the perfect earth forever in Jesus as the Immanuel is with us forever. A simple over view of all of those I just try to say okay the original and the ending, so God's original intent for mankind on earth and my job. Some of these words down under this I put life rule, growth, beauty, fellowship, a planet made for us to enjoy exploring to live with God.

That's the old earth joy, beauty, Explorer adventure grow and then you had this interim period were sin and death in a cursed earth and have gripe Christ by his grace brings redemption, the promise of resurrection to make all things new. And then we will be resurrected and that all people will be resurrected. The wicked and the righteous at the final judgment and then at the final judgment the righteous.

It's God's new heaven comes down on a new earth and, like just what better version of a old car, the new earth will be like the old one in purpose, life, rule, growth, beauty, fellowship, a place made for us to enjoy Explorer live with God forever.

Better than the best old earth and infinitely better than the best you've ever hinted at in every accomplishment, every relationship in any sense of peace, but it's a real place with real people with nations and relationships in jobs and culture and music. It's the old earth as God intended. But you know the difference.

We will have remembered what it cost, we will understand grace like angels don't ever understand grace, we will see the mercy and the grace and the power of God and we will be in a place where sin never happens again.

That's the promise of Scripture.

The summary is very very simple and maybe you've never received it, from your head to your heart. Here's the summary you look at all those charts. They all say one thing God wants to be with his people. Is this amazing he creates us.

He wants to be with us. He walks with us. He wants to be with us. So he comes and dies for us. He wants to be with her so he creates a new heaven and new earth. He wants to be with us but is fair so there's a judgment in this injustice.

No matter what we experienced during this interim time, God's going to make everything right. Nobody gets a raw deal. And this does the three very important things and it's why I think heaven matters Backpage an accurate view of heaven provides three powerful things. Number one perspective in times of trouble perspective.

The apostle Paul had been left for dead. He been beaten up a number of times he went through a a world in a life of almost unimaginable in his perspective.

Is this by the way he got to go to that third heaven and it'll snapshot and God brought them back and he says this. Therefore, we don't lose heart door item outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day for momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal heaven by Randy Alcorn says it will change your life and you get a clear, specific picture of things that aren't seen in the future, gives you perspective and he says your life is a little.in fact inside that tiny little pencil.he would take a powerful microscope that.as all of time. And inside that maybe there 70.

Maybe there's 80 years a shade more for some and a lot less for others and he says what you do inside that tiny little dot impacts all of eternity. Many many many many people unconsciously live for the.instead of the line gives you perspective. What matters people on their last days.

They regret working too much. The regret not investing in relationships they regret not developing spiritual relationship with God. Earlier, the regret misplaced priorities they want, when you get clear on heaven. You get smart.

Second thing is perseverance in times of temptation and I mean that in the biblical world.

Temptation not only to send trials things it temptation to give up temptation to give up in your marriage tend temptation to give up on when your kids temptation to give up your so overwhelmed by financial pressures. Notice what the Scripture says in John 14. He says don't let your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me. I want you to know there's a specific place. You can endure. Some people will go through all of this life and never receive what God wants and of Hebrews.

He says the world wasn't worthy of them. God's fair, but he doesn't bring all the fairness in this life. I will tell you talk about endurance when I learned my wife had cancer. I can tell you where I was, where we sat on the couch where we cried. Praise God were done with it.

It's good she's okay but I remember thinking I have are not minimum thinking, deal with this.

Nevertheless okay. My theology tells me, and I know in my heart. God is good and she is his. He has every right to have her go to heaven before I go to heaven and I remember sitting there through my tears and deciding okay.

How do I respond to this and I responded by one clear statement heaven is real no matter what happens in God is good and honey that's how were going to go through this. It will sustain you and your temptations in your trials, but it's floating around in a long church boring service trying to get some wings and playing the harp floating around in clouds sipping iced tea. It will not sustain the final thing the Scripture says, is it gives us our priorities when under pressure, especially you want this now in this time orientations. Jesus said, for our benefit. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy another words it's a bad ROI. You'll lose it.

But notice the motivation store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. You mean there you actually have an account that is actually a real place on a new earth you might want some resources and that what we do here actually impacts that yes that's not spiritual biblical gobbledygook. That's how we think of it in store.

This is this is what people say when you try to get your money, giving generously of your time and your treasure and your talent is about helping people now with a view to say God I'm gonna do this for an audience of one, and I want my were not to be what people think of me. I realize I'm can be on a new earth, and I like to have an account that's well-funded when I get there to do things that I belong in dream to do. God is not a socialist and is not a communist and heaven will be wonderful for everyone that it will not be equal. What I do and what you do with your time, your talent, your treasure will determine the quality of part of your new earth experience just what the Bible teaches. He gave five talents to 12 towns to one one town to another and they used it in different ways and they reported in different ways. Isn't it amazing to think that having real place with real opportunity.

Use your gifts have amazing relationships to live in what we've tasted here better be right back with the application for this message. Why heaven matters from a series real heaven with the Bible actually says have you ever sat down and thought about heaven. I mean what it'll really be like to have a new body to reunite with loved ones and be in the very presence of God. The fact is, many Christians aren't excited enough about heaven, which just shows how little we understand what awaits us through this three-part series chip uncovers what God wants us to know about heaven indescribable beauty, fulfilling relationships and what were actually going to do their will also dispel the myths about heaven and encourage us to actually look forward to eternity to listen to this entire series.

The real heaven, but shipping remapped is a great way to get plugged in now before we go any further, here's chip to talk a little more about the helpful resources we have for the series. Just recently we surveyed our audience and what we learned was that about 50% of those who participated actually had someone close to them that died the death of a friend or family member.

It naturally turns our hearts and our minds toward heaven, that guy have a very, very close friend that lost his wife and the first thing I did on I said, you know, I've got it I got a book here on heaven that I think might help and that he said while things is so devastating it's so hard and then as he read that book and then begin to share with his kids.

He said you know it's still really really hard but I actually didn't know anything about heaven and that it's so clear and it it's really a place and he began to tell me about what he learned and you know most of us don't have a clear idea of what happens right after we die.

What's heaven going to be like so let me encourage you to get the book the real heaven or you know even better get the small group DVD study guide. You can stream it. Whatever is the best way but now's the time to get really clear what happens after we die, there is hope, and we really needed thanks to all of you been searching for some solid biblical answers about heaven. Let me encourage you to get plugged in with our resources for the series. Whether it's chips book the real heaven or the small group study. To walk away with a more accurate and exciting view of the place God is preparing for us for complete ordering details, go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or visit LivingontheEdge.org app listeners top special offers. As we wrap up today's message I want to make one fundamental point that I think actually a great majority of Christians don't really get heaven is a real listen carefully. Physical place. It gets a little confusing because the moment we die we are in the presence of Jesus and there is a kid if you will, a temporary heaven right now. But God's ultimate plan is to bring down a new heaven on a new earth. And if you can picture in your mind the earth before there was sin and no injustice and no evil and no disease and and no conflict in it and no racism and nothing bad in the presence of the living God, where we can learn and grow infinitely to know who God is and who we are in use talents and gifts and experience God as he originally intended that is what heaven is really like.

It's like the earth that you now see with everything bad taken away and then like infinitely on steroids better with joys and intimacy and connection in any tiny taste of anything you and I have ever experienced relationally or in the sunset or inner creativity. If you could multiply that literally by a million times that would begin. Just begin to tell you what heavens really like, that's why it's our hope as we wrap up I would like those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs.

Purchaser time and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge. Would you consider sending a gift today. Call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners top donate while I hope you'll join us next time. This trip continues a series the real heaven with the Bible actually says.

Until then, this is Dave really saying thanks for listening. This addition of living on the