The Real Heaven - A New Home For The New You, Part 2

I don't know about you but I'm really looking forward to having a new life, especially a new body pain evil of sorrow to me. What's not to be excited about the final question is this how can you know for certain what you're actually going to heaven or not.

Stay with you yesterday. Thanks for joining us for this edition of living only with survival international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians just a minute wrap up our series, the real have for the past several programs to throw some much-needed clarity, big ideas reveal the dispute morning light amazing place. So let me just say if you missed any part of the series. You owe it to yourself to go back and listen will completely change your perspective on him.

The easiest way to do that is through the Chip Ingram with all that said, let's join Chip Bell for part two of this message new home for the new amazing. The word new for us. When I get that new car and you can miss like 90 days later, just not right. But if we get a house of our own. If I could just leave the and I don't care what you know my own so much. I had this of people thought that if I wore that right. You and no matter what it is like man I been in the gym for five years to get this way into surgeries and is still fighting and I still down the don't love me or feel any more worthy you know that something that no matter what you do is still missing. Lewis says that's built-in by God into the human soul and heart to remind you there something more affect more than there's just something more. There's someplace more, no matter what you achieve what you get. There's this little window and then there is a it doesn't quite deliver what you hoped. That's can and in this new heaven, that's on earth next part is maybe the most exciting for me talks about a new city and people to enjoy it made it really clear that this is good to be a perfect environment and in passing. He said you know those people that rejected me. Those people didn't want the free get those people who wanted their own throats.

Those people set. I'll be in control, God telling me what to do. Those people who said I'll find my fulfillment like what he say what you can have your way. Heaven is reserved for these kind of people that want to receive and experience my love and to those people who say no God. He says will your will be done and then he says okay there's a city. Think of this. There's the city that is come down from heaven on the earth. And now he's going to describe what your experience is going to be like. We pick it up verse nine. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Speaking of Jesus, and he carried me away in the spirit to a high great mountain and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God's an amazing city.

But it's to enjoy.

I grew up in the suburbs.

So I did know a lot about really big city life and I grew up in the suburbs of Florida. Nice city really nice Midwestern city, so I thought that was a city was a good city and then my kids went to school in Chicago.

I love Chicago. Chicago is a great city Chicago. As you walk down Michigan Avenue and there's a lake over here and is a band playing over here.

There's a you get a meal over here and then you walk behind some of the most amazing museums and stuff to people actually live in Chicago is not like everyone, I mean there's life and culture and Putin and then my travels I lots of times to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an amazing city ending you over there.

You know and you can look across that day to see that huge thing in unit it's so safe and wonderful not to three in the morning you can walk out get all kind of food and cultures and people from all around the world. And if you've never been to New York if you never New York like a Christmas time go just unbelievable. Think of the joy there is in you meet people. There's new food you To play here and you do something here and you hear some stories. This is a city that 1400 miles wide and long and high of all the saints of all time. At 37th floor get off Moses, could you could you like Telus. I brought one of my buddies would you like to give me the Red Sea story one more time anymore.

You really feeling what was going on down the 10,000 floor Elijah menu where you like scared to death and all his prophets and the fire came down and Hudson Taylor. What was it like no one believed you know it would help you your way from your family. You mean, who would know there be like 1.4 billion people in China and and you are like the first person that crossed through all that and you translated the Bible and how can you fraternity, amazing food, amazing people I mean if your architect is right so there's new books to be written new songs to be sung new things to explore. This is the brilliance and the glory in the majesties like take your best experience in any city and then go infinitely beyond this place that God has prepared because he loves you so much means you have a new kind of relationship with him a new kind of relationship with San. You have complete satisfaction. You have a new city and people to enjoy and watch this next aspect, a new earth with new nations commerce, culture, and capabilities to serve and love your God.

Not every thought about that.

This isn't that boring place sort of hanging around suspended is sort of some spirit somewhere there's this new world has no see. Now if you're sailing.

Don't get uptight. There's gotta be legs okay but see especially Scripture see is what separated countries unity Morgan defined as there's nations were ordered to find that there's kings were to find that the capital is Jerusalem.

This magnificent city and we will come and warship. But there's got to be other cities, and it's the earth it's not just a place it's the whole earth, look at this with me. This is amazing. Verse 24 chapter 21 the nations will walk by slight and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. Speaking to the city on no day will to Gates every shot for there will be no night the glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it so I guess there is glory. I guess there's honor, I guess there's other nations doing things. There's people groups. There's gosh it sounds like a real earth with real action, nothing impure will ever enter it. No cheating in business, no competition, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, which is why it's so important to make sure your name is written in the Lamb's book of life and will talk about how you can know for sure today. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal.

Notice flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. This makes Broadway look like nothing on each side. The river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the trees for the healing of the nations no longer will there be any curse throne of God and the Lamb Jesus himself will be in the city and his servants guess what we do will serve him, they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun for the Lord God will give them light and they will reign that's doing something important. How long for ever and ever you're going to be a part of a new earth with nations in commerce and culture and capabilities and you will serve God the way you were originally intended to serve God and that was, not just in a worship service, but where who you are, what you're made to do what your gifts are, what your passions are in a perfect environment serving by what you do in fact just noticed some of the implications if there's nations. There has to be organization if there's kings, there's authority, roles and jobs. If you bring splendor. There has to be commerce, culture, art, music and manufacturing. If you bring it to the city, it means there's other cities.

And if you serve and rain means there's actually monthly fruit comes each month, then, is not sensitive floating farm at the there's there's spatial time and sequence, and you will rain and where he will reign will be directly proportional. According to Jesus by how clearly you take what he has just caught because he's given to every single person in this room and every true follower of Jesus, it's gifts, abilities, time a season of history and money and resources and, according to Jesus, there's only two things that will last forever, the word of God and people, and he said I put you on the earth is my representatives and ambassadors to first and foremost, live the life that we would call Romans 12 Christian and then to be an ambassador or a conduit of God's love and grace were you verbally tell people about the love of Christ and by your hands in your heart you actually do acts of service and justice and compassion so that the light of the gospel and the saltiness of true justice and love people see that and realize Jesus is real and to the degree that you do that faithfully. There is reward so that what your role will be on this new heaven down on this new earth is directly proportional to how you live your life with your priorities and values and what you do with your time, talent and treasure. When Jesus was saying to 12 disciples. It's good to be really tough, you can arraign with me day they got their names on the foundation stones.

They're just regular guys. God has an agenda. The eyes of the Lord are going to and fro, that he might seek to strongly support those whose hearts are fully his history is going to make its tracks with or without you. God's purposes for the church will get accomplished with or without you, but he want you to know this is an open book test. He's saying what this is how it's going to end this is how you will be graded and this is what I'd like you to do and by the way those people who by faith. You can't see right now, then guess what in heaven.

There's no such thing as faith, faith, and site merge because it won't be a God. You can't see will be promises that you need to cling onto it will be the very very reality and substance of this why why all this because he loves you because it's God's character because he's good all those commands in Scripture have nothing to do with what he says don't have sex before marriage it's because he knows what great sexism what it was to protect you from what he says give the first portion of your time and your energy, your money is to keep you from going down past where lust and fulfillment and significance, and all the junk that we find ourselves caught up in it just to keep your heart in the right spot so you get the best and what he saying is look at the city I made for you. I've been busy since I left you want to be with you, and I wanted to be great.

Oh God. God Almighty. Will you please help the information that we have just heard to supernaturally go from our head in our understanding into our hearts and conviction love my life and my priorities in my passion and my joy would be far different if I could remember and believe and live with an awareness of a new heaven on a new earth doing what I was made to do completely satisfied with the greatest people to deeply enjoy because you made everything new man and that's my heart have been deeply impacted by this series. I hope it helps you but it's transforming me see the summary of all this is, behold, I will make all things new. There's three implications of this that I want to touch on because we got to ask ourselves if this is in fact true believe it is the Bible's true, it's clear there's three questions we need to ask and answer question number one is are you certain you are going to heaven, and if so why… Does God say look, I prepared this for you at great expense cost. The second person of the Trinity to come and be embarrassed and humiliated and then crucified to pay for your sin and rise from the dead, so he doesn't want anyone to miss it.

And so I limit briefly tell you how you can make sure you don't miss it. First John chapter 5 verse 11 through 13 of putting your notes and might want to look at it later more carefully. But there was some issues happening in some Gnostics and people shooting a lot of stuff the people. John says wait a minute I'm to be clear how you can know for sure you have eternal life. This is the testimony or literally, he saying this is the record that God has given us eternal life, that means it's a gift, and this life is in his son Jesus axiomatic principal, he or she who has the son has life he or she does not have the son does not have life. These things I've written to you in order that you might know you can know I written this to you who believe that you can know without a shadow of doubt. They have eternal life. So the question isn't are you sincere.

The question isn't you go to church to give United Way are you trying harder. You want to be a good person is better to make it an ice world.

Now that is not are you religious is not what this philosophy or that philosophy or what their opinion here.

Here's the deal. If you have the sun living in you. You have life. Everything I describe is yours if you don't have a sign I don't care what anything else is not true of you. You do not have life.

It's about relationship God did not send his son to make little nice moral people who try hard to make the world a better place became for you to love you and the only way you have. Life is when you recognize you sinned against a holy God.

Repentance. I have a change of mine and I put my faith and receive eternal life turning from my old life receiving the gift of his salvation, covering of my sins fell. Now I'm going pray a very simple prayer that if you sit here thinking I want that if you sit here thinking. I'm not sure. Don't leave unsure and then I want tell you in advance what were going to do because I really think the whole church thing is got Mike would try to be so cool and so here so politically correct and you know what Jesus said. Jesus said if you are ashamed of me before men, I when I come will be ashamed of you when I come in the glory of my father and holy angels, and I think we've kind of gotten in the steelwork yeah you not. I don't know and I just if you're embarrassed to say you're a follower of the one created this heaven for you and died for you then guess what you probably don't have it is at some point time you realize you care what people think of what God thinks and the moment you die you will really wish you care what God thinks. If I thought hey this the moment you live when you really live all those people that you care what they think, then running think about you. We just live with it for what were they think they think with the think at this does this look okay you know what gotten is they don't think about you and we live with this crazy stuff, but this is so clear God loves you, so I want to tell you in advance so there's no sense of manipulation because I'm telling you the some of you that have a war going on in your heart because you want this, but what is it mean what about this.

What about that and you want to have that second question is for those of us that are you know for sure you're in Christ do your present priorities and passions demonstrate a focus on eternity from its temporal coming want to talk about treasure or talk about time to talk about your talent. If the truth or not. I mean if we were like super good friends Isaac take your taxes.

Let me see your PDA and all your schedule for the last year all show you mine. Your times on here your money's gone here. This is the pressure living with, you know, this is what wakes you up at night.

Is it the things of God or is it doing the deal got to do this, do that could is what the apostle Paul says is our citizenship is in heaven and he talked of some in his church.

In Philippians, he said, some of them little by little by little bit they got consume so much with the right now, he says, with tears, I see their life eaten up with their own appetites trying to find that significant security success and stuff its components can number last question is, very simply, this do you know someone that the thought of this amazing city for ever and ever doing what you were made to do. That's perfect with no sin. You see God face-to-face were you think I want them to be there. All I want to be there. This is real and kind and asking who he thinks can tell. See the other things happen is we get, sheepish about coming. Here's the deal. If you just married the most handsome man in the world are you married the most beautiful woman in the world and I said hey I like I like to meter music know the place that you can't embarrassed and out like bounded by think she's ugly if you're embarrassed about the people you love, you know, really love this. I think we have all kind of people that are so open.

They've never heard about heaven all they've heard about his religion, they've never heard that there is a real God who came and died and rose and loves them and you know what they're not going to be in heaven. If those of us who say we love our friends and relatives and neighbors and coworkers. If we don't just simply, we don't bombard them. We just let them know. Are you aware how loved you are what you think of maybe two names just etch on your mind. Two names but this week it's a phone call to lunch at the coffee and maybe the simplest way you even say to his agent something I never thought much about heaven as the Anoka sky was talk about heaven and you thought much about no really have a table. Could you listen to this. Let's get coffee next week and not this kick around I could news for you.

God has appointed many he's drawing many, they just need to hear ready for that prayer father, thank you. Right now for your presence that woos and pulls us and just makes real inside of this is right. This is what I need to do if you need to have the son to have life than right now. Say dear God we you please forgive me for my sin. Would you come into my life right now and be my Savior.

I believe you died for me. I believe you rose from the dead. I want to be in the heaven. You made for me for ever thank you for loving me dear Jesus give me strength to follow you help me people use me to tell other people the heaven and the forgiveness I just want to say to you, those of you prayed with me might've prayed inside your mind in a car. You might've verbalized the words out loud because you were privately someplace you might be on a treadmill somewhere and at this very moment what you did is you prayed and you said yes Lord Jesus, I want to go to heaven thank you for forgiving my sins, I invite you into my life and you might be asking right now.

Okay, now what do I do will let me first welcome you to the family, your brother or sister in Christ because you receive the grace of God and second, the Bible says it, when were born again spiritually were like a brand-new baby and like any brand-new baby.

You need love, you need food you need encouragement. The food is God's word get a New Testament you can understand and open it up and begin reading it. You need love find a Bible teaching church where the people are real and go and begin to attend and find the best Christian you know someone the best Christian you know and say I want you know today I was listening to this program and I prayed to receive Christ.

I asked him to come in my life. Forgive my sins and I know it's about following him. I don't know how to do that. Will you help me and I will tell you, you will be received well and they will be excited and God is going to provide for you the people to help you walk in this new life. Congratulations. It's a thrill to be a part of your new life in Christ, if you prayed with trip. 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 as we wrap up the series. Could you give us a sense of why you're so passionate about heaven. I mean why should people dig into their Bibles use our resources to better understand this topic. You know Dave, I had an experience that really blew my mind. I was just a few years ago and I met a guy that was a he would call himself a countercultural nominal Christian is an older guy and he lives in a part of Florida sort of the retired community and I mean everybody.

I don't mean this in a bad way but everybody's senior senior senior citizens right and he came to know the Lord and had this tremendous a salvation experience and really got in the Bible and he met a mutual friend of ours and my friend gave him the book the real heaven and he read it and I mean he wrote me this long long email and said chip you don't understand. No one knows about this. I'm living in a world where most of these people have very little time left so he reads the book and he started teaching all the small groups.

Then he started teaching it in in community centers and it was just absolutely amazing what happened because you know we've all lost loved ones. We know someone is lost really close loved ones, and even as believers if you don't have hope. Or if you just if heaven is some vague idea. It is not. It is not what God has promised. The early church lived and endured. Because had this hope of heaven, a real place went to Jesus with him this concrete that I mean makes a difference. That's an eternity that you look forward to and Dave, I've just seen the people don't know much about heaven my confession I say in the book.

I didn't know much about heaven, even as a pastor and so if there's ever a time to learn about heaven.

It's now and I really hope people will either get the book or you to jump in and do the small group with this.

So Dave, why don't you give them the details so they know how 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 the series. Whether it's chips book the real heaven or the small group study you're gonna 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 tap special offers. Just before we close our mission at Living on the Edges to help Christians live like Christians in one of the best ways we can continue to do that is through programs like this one. So when you hear a message. That's especially helpful. We hope you'll pass it on to others. You can easily do that through the tripping roadmap or by forwarding the free MP3s from LivingontheEdge.org. Don't forget to include a note about how it made a difference in your life will until next time, this is Dave Drury thanking you for joining us for this additional living on the