Title: You Want to Go There - A Look at HeavenFocus: Heaven is a place of complete health, safety, and contentment because God is there and Satan is not.
Function: To comfort the hearers in knowing that this world is temporary, and a safe haven with God awaits them
Text: Rev 21-22
Intro: 1. Why do you want to go to Heaven? After this morning, might say because not go Hell 2. What is Heaven like? a. Know one thing for sure, it is permanent, world is not b. Heb 1:10-12 - Will roll the skies up like a mantle/cloak c. Heb 12:26-27 - Heavens and Earth will be shaken d. 2 Pet 3:10 - Earth and all its works will be burned up/laid bare 3. One of the key ideas behind Heaven is “new” a. Isa 65:17 - “I am creating new heavens and a new earth” b. 2 Pet 3:13 - “But according to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth.” c. Rev 21:5 - “He who sits on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.” 4. So how is Heaven new? I. Heaven is a place of a new rest A. We often think of heaven as a place of eternal rest B. Is it a place of rest? 1. (Rev 14:13) - Will rest from their labors 2. (Rev 7:14-15) - Will serve him day and night!? - Sounds like work! C. ILL: Was a job I hated at IBP mainentance crew 1. Hazardous, stank, messy 2. Lancer Label as a printer, liked it. Skill showed in my work 3. Didn’t work less harder, but the job that I enjoyed not seem like work D. This is how we will restor from our labors 1. Rev 14:13 - Kopos (hard labor, trouble) we rest from, not ergon 2. 22:3 - "And there shall no longer be any curse" 3. (Rev 7:16-17) - Serving him will be a joy, will not seem like work 4. Heaven for those tired in working for the Lord, not tired OF working II. Heaven a place of a new life A. Heaven is everything Hell is not B. Here on earth, death and dying is a fact of life 1. Not so in Heaven 2. No one will ever die again 3. (Rev 20:14) - Death and Hades (Grave) thrown in lake of fire 4. 1 Cor 15:26 - Last enemy to be destroyed is death, then comes the end 5. 1 Cor 15:52 Twinkling of eye, will be changed, dead raised imperishable C. ILL: How many funerals have you been to in your life? 1. Hard, especially if a child, parent, or someone close to you 2. Some facing our own death D. Maybe realizing that more years behind than ahead 1. So many things I didn’t get to do 2. In Heaven, have all the time you need. Time is meaningless there III. Heaven a place of new sustinence A. It will be a place of plenty. No poor or starving there B. Notice how the Bible gives us this picture 1. (Jn 14:1-3) - “Let not your heart be troubled ... many dwelling place” 2. (Rev 21:9-16) a. 1,000 mile cube b. Plenty of dwelling places 3. (Rev 21:18-21) - All can enjoy precious jewels, not just a few C. ILL: Some people say there are things would like to have, not being greedy 1. Would like to have a larger house with room in it to move around 2. Yard for kids 3. Enough money to not have to stress over bills 4. Some people go without, and are malnourished D. In Heaven, there is enough for everyone 1. Heaven has the perfect economy and budget 2. (22:1-2) - No one starving or sick. Water of life, fruit, leaves for healing 3. Will be the perfect picture of contentment and health IV. Heaven will be a place of a new safety A. In this life, get beat up just bying some stamps at post office 1. Those who can afford it hire security guards 2. Some get alarm systems for car and house 3. Some carry mace or pepper spray B. ILL: We often had problems in various places we have lived 1. In Brattleboro, things always got stolen 2. Neighbors used to have drunken brawls in our yard in Texas 3. We have never had to deal with stray bullets or break in yet 4. How would you like it if you could live in a place of no danger? C. Heaven will be a place of complete safety 1. Rev. 21 tries to give the image of saftey it in many different ways 2. (Rev 21:17) - Walls 72 yd thick/ 216 ft - No stray bullets come through 3. (Rev 21:22-24) - God is in charge of this city! 4. (Rev 21:25-26) a. No night there - That is when crimes and evil happens b. Gates never closed - Never lock doors at night. Why? c. (Rev 21:27) - NO wicked people there D. This is totally safe place! V. Best thing about Heaven - New level of relationship A. God is there - That is why I want to go there 1. Can fully serve in his presence 2. Hell is AWAY from his presence, Heaven is FULLY IN IT B. Are we not in his presence now? 1. Rev 4:6 - Worship around a crystal sea a. Sea typically a synonymn for evil or chaos b. Still a separation even now c. Heb 7:19 - But Jesus a forerunner into the veil 2. Rev 21:1-2 - Sea is gone in Heaven 3. (Rev 22:3-5) - Will see his face for the first time!! C. I want to go there, not just to stay out of Hell 1. I want to go and be with God 2. That is what makes Heaven so great - God is there! Concl: 1. What a great place - New rest / life / sustinence / safety / level of relationship 2. (1 Thes 5:1-11) a. Breastplate of faith and love - Not one without the other b. Helmet - Hope of salvation 3. Invitation