The Real Heaven - What's Heaven Like?, Part 2

Are you tired of the injustice ever simply just get fed up with all the suffering and bad things happen to good and godly people. If you struggle with this like I do at times.

I've got some good news there is a day with everything right to talk about that.

Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edges of international discipleship and history during the daily Bible to door the little chip series, the real heaven Bible actually says well before we get started if you're new to more about us go to living on the point tons of topics and countless programs for you to enjoy. Or if you prefer Chip Ingram is also a great way to get plugged into. If you have a Bible open it now to the book of Revelation chapter 22.

Let's join chip for part two of his message. Once heaven like a bargain lost both my parents, my wife had cancer, she came through it, but I've had some really big windows of losing people that really really really matter early on one of my sons was in emergency room and we didn't know if he would make it.

I want to tell you that the hope that God gives to us in heaven and Christians is this is another is that there really is a place where you will be reunited and it gives you tremendous perspective and tremendous hope we do grieve and there is great loss, but our whole lives don't have to fall apart when you're a follower of Christ. So Bambi heart attack And you're ushered by angels immediately or near God's presence, your conscious you participate in this great worship you come to see some things are happening on earth you don't know everything you meet some people. You understand that they see you. You see them you know one another and in seventh.

You'll be joined by all living Christians, when Jesus raptures the church from the earth to be judged for rewards at the bema seat of Socrates 510 says for we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And that's not for your sin that's been forgiven. That's for what did you do with your life rewards and then fast-forward from giving you a quick overview. There's a lot that happens between chapter 6 in the chapter 19 but let's go all the way over to chapter 19 because this is something that Jesus talked about with his disciples in chapter 19 there's a thing called the marriage supper of the Lamb. So shortly before the context is God's judgment is occurring were up in heaven.

The tribulations coming to an end. This can be this great battle called Armageddon. But before that chapter 19 there's what's called the marriage supper of the Lamb. All the New Testament Christians are going to now the bride with the bridegroom so we pick it up. Chapter 19. After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven. Hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments, and is talking about those judgments and any skips down to verse six he says that her the great sound like a multitude like you were rushing waters like loud peels of thunder and shouting hallelujah for the Lord our God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory to the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints, and then the angel said to me, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper, the Lamb and added these are the true words and so we have this experience with God and any you know, again we get things so mystical. Jesus said to the disciples, I'm gonna come back.

There's going to be this time I won't eat of it again until in my kingdom and what we can find it shortly after this meal and I don't know what's can be like that. It's got a great he's gonna come and he's going to do something that down deep in your heart, in my heart and everyone's heart. We really really really really want to see happen and it's our greatest frustration and yet when we talk about it. We often have this sort of intellectual thing that pushes back away from it.

Because what happens now is that we always talk very rightly about God's compassion and God's love but God is just the definition of justice, as people get what they deserve. Retribution and all through revelation which I had time to disco through chapter by chapter by chapter by chapter and God extends and says will you let me forgive you. We let me forgive you when you let me forgive you. Come on, come on, let me forgive you and people stiff arm stiff arm stiff arm stiff arm stiff arm not only stiff arm, but their evil and they attacked the things of God.

What what's happening now is 26 million kids. People are our slaves in our world.

I mean can you imagine we talk about education and technology and how mankind is made progress. And yet in the last century, 50 million people in Russia were killed by Stalin was with a friend who went and did some missionary work. It was, I mean, you talk about outside the box is a place in Africa where there's a lake and people they come silently in the night across the lake and they steal the kids out of these Hudson homes and I go back over the lake in the near border and they sell all the kids you talk about a missions trip he got with a group of people that go back over and they steal them back, and it's gruesome and it's hard and they're armed and people die, I want to get there is evil there's something built into our heart because you made in the image of God about justice, I want you to see that as you're in heaven talking with family after you enjoyed an amazing meal with your Savior. You will wait God's judgment of the earth at the end of the tribulation. You will be bodily resurrected and then you will rain and judge with Christ for a thousand years on the earth. Notice chapter 20. Are you still with the revelation says I saw thrones that were seated and those to be given authority to judge.

And I saw the souls of those who been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands and notices they came to life and they reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have a part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will might circle the word rain with him for a thousand years God made promises. And unlike us. When God makes a promise with you read it in the old and New Testament. He's going to keep it. He made this outrageous promise to David about a descendent of yours will be on the throne forever. He made this outrageous promise, regardless of the geopolitical issues that happen in the world to Abraham about a piece of land in about a nation what he would do for that nation and those Jews and those people, not just by ethnic background like heart relationship of what he would do for them. And Jesus comes back and you can read a little bit before because it's harsh and there's judgment and there's a battle he makes everything right and then for a thousand years on this earth. There's those people who made it through that there's us New Testament saints, there's Old Testament saints, and for a thousand years all those promises and all those rewards it's lived out and I read this and uniting brokering the Bible so a group is a real skeptic and sometimes as I early on lease read the Bible. I there's things that puzzled me. Let God. I mean, obviously I don't need to know but I mean why a thousand years. Why Christ why on the earth. Okay, I get fulfill your promises.

I get that but just sort sort of from a philosophical standpoint I thought to myself. My parents were schoolteachers and around our table.

It was education every night be pushed in the plates and great books great authors what was happening in the news that was just what they did at our house and so I grew up with all that in a part of the educational system is that if we could just educate everyone in all the world it if we if people just could think rightly if we could create an environment that's healthy and unpolluted both intellectually and emotionally and in the environment.

If all that see man is basically good and what we need to do is have enough time enough technology enough education to help people learn to do what is right, then mankind would really and well, that's been a core philosophy of why we do what we do and what we've used. Basically our technology in every generation is to kill more more more people and us try to be on the throne to be in control and it's interesting, at least from a philosophical standpoint you have a thousand years in perfect environment where Jesus is King and he rules and people who came out of that they marry and have children. Satan is locked up so there's no evil, for thousand years. At the end of a thousand years. God releases Satan and demonic activity for one last time to tempt and it is amazing significant population out of a perfect environment with the best education and the great relationships with the thousand year track record turn away from the God who loves them to sit on their own throne and rule their own lives and I just thought is not like God just to say you know what, let me let me explain to you the heart of man member Jesus when people are asking some questions and he denied any signet you understand I understand within the heart of man.

We all basically think were little bit better than we are that we think were a lot better than we are. And yet you find people living in desperate situations and you read of stories when under the right circumstances in amazing duress is almost unthinkable. What the human heart. You read the stories of what happened in Nazi Germany and we all think that's those other evil people that's in the heart of human beings when threatened, and control power read and God says I'm going to deal with that.

In fact, there's going to be justice.

In fact, finally, you will witness the justice of God at the judgment of Satan, Angels and the wicked dead at the great white throne and there's a cataclysmic end to it all and this is what he says and I saw a great white throne and him was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence.

There was no place for them. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before the throne and the books were opened.

And another book was opened, it was called the book of life and the dead were judged according to what they had done record in the books and the sea gave up its dead. Death and Hades gave up instead each person was judged according to what he had done and then death and Hades were thrown to the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. And if anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown like a fire and you know it's interesting. We've gotten so sophisticated and I hear people talk about you know those old days somewhere, somehow, were people talk about you know damnation in hell and people don't talk about that anymore.

The Bible does, but CS Lewis, the great atheist, agnostic who came to Christ and wrote Narnia and many other things near Christianity's perspective. It is so right on. He said what people don't understand is hell.

The lock is on the inside of the door. Everyone it was in hell wants to be there this and that God is just anyone who long seeks for wants to be with God all these loving, he sent his son opportunity. He's forgiven Hellas for a place to say I don't want you God and so God says I will be done in two people say, oh God, help me. Your will be done and if you've ever been around people who been through, I mean gnarly nasty ugly, violent divorce, but II me on his visceral I mean there's name-calling and there's attorneys and I mean it's it's it's running a steel which wanted others kids.

I mean it's ugly ugly ugly ugly. That's the way it is between mankind and God. It's not like there's a group of people in hell going all I want to be there. I want to be that they want anything to do with God were like goodness in God's mercy and grace to you in your mind gives us the freedom to choose and love today. I think you and I need to have a very private and personal talk, you need to have a very private and personal talk with the God who made all that there is who sent his son specifically for you because he wants to be with you.

We talked about life being sort of an open book test, and God wants you to pass and this is it like some little test. This is about life and death. This is about time and eternity in God would say to you at this moment as you're listening to my voice he has you listening right at this moment because he is God and he knew where you would be and how you would get this message and what would be happening in your life and here's what he wants to say to you, would you let me forgive you, would you let me love you.

Would you be willing to open your hands and your heart and say I believe today Lord Jesus that you are the king of kings and the Lord of lords that you're the Messiah and Savior, who is coming into the world that you died in my place to forgive my sin and that you offer me eternal life if I will believe today.

I am mindful of that very simple but transformational truth that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever would believe would trust in him wouldn't perish but have everlasting life and in your heart of hearts, and wherever you're at, whatever you need to do if you need to pull the car over if you need to stop the workout if you need to just do what ever right now you need to turn to God and say, Lord God Almighty, I ask you to forgive me, based on Christ's work. I believe he died and rose for me personally come into my life right now. Make me your son make me your daughter and that I pray for the power and the grace to follow you all the days of my life.

The Bible is clear those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Call upon him today if you prayed with Chip, we'd love to put a resource in your hands.

It's called starting out right and it's absolutely free of this resource will help you gain a clear biblical understanding of what it means to put your faith in Jesus and that's our whole mission here Living on the Edge helping Christians really live like Christians. So let us help you get started in your faith journey. You can request this resource by calling us at AAA 333-6003 or visiting LivingontheEdge.org and clicking on the new believers button that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 chip were just over halfway through our series on heaven and you know we've all seen various depictions of what heaven will be like from movies or church. But, unfortunately, much of what we think we know isn't in the Bible at all. So why is it important that we understand what heaven is really like one day. There is a lot of sort of bad information about heaven and there's not many sermons about heaven and the Bible says probably more about heaven than most people really understand that but let me tell you it's not one long church service. It's not you know someday were going to sit on clouds with angels and play a lot of harps and it's not just sort of this ethereal concept. It's an actual physical place where Jesus is you learn there's a new heaven and there's a new earth.

That's as real and as concrete as this earth except God's original plan. It's absolutely spectacular. And when people get a clear view of heaven. Dave, there is hope and if there's ever a time with losing of love ones and all the chaos in the world that we need to really understand what heaven is like. It's now so I wrote a book called the real heaven and we later turned that into a small group that people can get on DVD or they can stream it. I've just seen God use this book and this content like few things we've ever produced.

I just really encourage you to get it back strip will if you been searching for some solid biblical answers about heaven.

Let me encourage you to get plugged in with our resources for this series.

Whether it's chips book the real heaven or the small group study or to walk away with a more accurate and exciting view of the place God's 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 tap special offers. Just before we close, would you stop for a minute and pray for Living on the Edge we've never seen a greater need for God's truth to go up and right now and by God's grace Living on the Edges been able to provide encouragement, teaching, and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever before.

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God is doing amazing things for all of us here, this is Dave really saying thanks for listening. this Edition of Living on the Edge