Flora First Christian Church - Flora, IN

January 27, 2008

Revelation 21: 1-5

At the Pearly Gates

A rich man who was nearing death grieved that he had worked so hard for his massive wealth and wouldn’t be able to take it with him. He began to pray that he might be able to take with him some of his riches. An angel heard his plea and appeared to him. “Sorry, but you can’t take your worldly wealth to heaven.” The man pleaded with the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules. The man continued to pray and the angel reappeared and informed him that God had decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him to heaven. Overjoyed, the man gathered his largest suitcase and filled it with pure gold bars and placed it beside his bed. Not long after this the man passed away and he arrived at the Pearly Gates and was met by St. Peter. St. Peter saw the suitcase and said, “Hold on, you can’t bring that in here!” The man explained that he had permission and asked him to verify his story with the Lord. Peter got on his direct line, asked if such was the case. He replied to the man: “You’re right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I’m supposed to check its contents before letting it through.” St. Peter opens the suitcase to inspect the worldly items that the man found too precious to leave behind, noticed the gold bars and exclaimed, “You brought street pavement!?!”

No One Can Describe Heaven.

Cute story! Regardless of how Hollywood and literature portrays of heaven, no one can tell us with certainty what heaven will look like and be like?

Last week I “Googled” the word “heaven” in an internet search engine to see how many website would come up that addressed it. Anyone want to take a guess how many sites came up? How about 140 million on Google? Over 310, 951 books on heaven are in print and available for purchase today from Amazon.com. Yes, there’s a lot of interest in heaven.

The Bible’s Givens

I can’t give you a picture brochure of heaven, a printed tour map of the saints homes, or a daily itinerary of worship services and activities as some sites on the internet claim they can. God’s Word, the Bible, does provide us some givens of what we can expect to find in heaven and some things that will be absent.

Paul’s Visit to Athens

At the time of the Apostle Paul’s missionary visit to Athens, Greece about 30 years after our Lord’s resurrection, there were those who thought they could put God in a box and possess God. To those Apostle Paul said, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hand.” (Acts 17: 24)

The Passage Give Me Peace

This passage has given me a lot confidence and peace since looking at it closely while in college. There are lots of people who will try to tell you exactly what heaven is like. According to scriptures heaven will not be like anything of our imagination, because that would still be made by our human minds, and our imaginations would have built heaven with a human understanding. There is no way of knowing this side of heaven what heaven will be like with 100% proof. And you know what? It doesn’t matter what Heaven will look like? When it comes to heaven, the only that matters is that God is there and that we KNOW that we have eternity with God.

The Book of Revelation

First and foremost, Heaven is where God lives and reigns. The book of Revelation was recorded by an Apostle named John who was exiled to the island of Patmos for his public witness. The Roman government thought they’d shut him up so they stuck him on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. The book of “Revelation” is John’s letter of encouragement to seven churches during a time of persecution. In his letter John is given visions of heaven from the Holy Spirit and a message of God’s victory over all things at the end of time. Throughout “Revelation” we discover that heaven is a place where worship is continuous. Among those praises that are heard are the familiar words: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power, and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.” (Revelation 5: 12)

Billy Graham’s Words

Billy Graham once said I’m not going to heaven because I’ve preached to great crowds of people. None of us are going to heaven because we’re good or that we worked hard. We’re going to heaven because of what he did on the cross. All I have to do is receive him.”

Christ’ s Sacrifice

The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, his resurrection and our surrender to His life leads us to eternal life where He is glorified. Its that pure and simple.

Separation from Family

Over the years I’ve heard many persons who are dying share their desire to go to heaven to be re-connected with family and friends from here on earth. Heaven does give us that hope to be re-united with those who received eternal life through Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. However, our heavenly citizenship is first and foremost about being united with Christ our Lord, who is our reason for living and our hope in dying.

Heaven is a Home Prepared

Just a few hours before his arrest in the garden Jesus said: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled by what will happen. In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. Where I am you may there also.” (John 14, paraphrased.) Because of Christ the perfect home has been prepared for those who have received eternal life.

No Perfect Homes

There are no perfect homes in this world. But there are good and wonderful homes that in spite of our humanness, love and faith is the glue that keeps life together. Even in good homes, families spit up by way of death and human brokenness. However, heaven is the perfect and prepared home and the place where the family of God will not be broken up.

Because Heaven is God’s Home and where God Lives there are some things that will be SHUT OUT. The scriptures share with us far more about what will not be in heaven than the things will be in heaven.

Heaven is a place of faithfulness, therefore sin will be absent and “disobedience” just isn’t there.

Can’t Please God Without Faith

The letter of Hebrews gives us this promise. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Joke: You Won’t be Surprised to be There

I have another heaven joke for you. A woman arrived at the Pearly Gates fresh from earth. St. Peter looked over his list and asked “What did you say your name is?” “Harris, Cynthia Jean” the woman replied. “I’m sorry,” St. Peter replied, “but your name is not on today’s list. Have you tried the other place?” To which Cynthia replied: “How could there have been a mistake? I know this is the right place! This is the place that I’m to have an eternal appointment with my Lord Jesus after my days are earth are over” “Well, yes”, replied Peter, “I’ll check the list again.”

So St. Peter sent one of his attendants to the computer in the gatehouse. The assistant came running out a few minutes later with a computer read-out, “Here she is,” he shouted. “You’re at the right place alright,” Peter told the woman, “But you’re not due here for another five years. Just who was your doctor anyway?”

The point of the joke: heaven is the everlasting home for those who knew the Lord on earth and those who find themselves in heaven aren’t surprised that they’re there; they will know where there are and why they are there, because they had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Heaven is a place where justice and right will prevail, not as moral virtues, but as the will of God.

Those Who Have Been Guilty

The Apostle John does not say that anyone who has ever been guilty of these failings is prohibited from entering, only that no one will bring these sinful practices with him or her. Faithfulness and newness that began in our lives on earth will be fulfilled in heaven.

Death and Sickness are Gone

We are given this description of those received in Heaven’s Holy City: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21: 4)

Heaven is all about Life: Death, sickness, pain and sorrow are all absent in heaven.

Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven”

I have no doubt that the greatest loss that any parent can ever experience is the death of a child. Rock and Roll guitarist Eric Clapton’s song “Tears in Heaven” is a personal response to the tragedy of losing his four year old son, when Conner fell from a New York City apartment to his death in 1991. The song begins: Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same, if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong, And carry on, ‘Cause I know I don’t belong, Here in heaven.

Clapton’s separation from his son is real, as with others who grieve the loss of loved ones, and he desperately wants to communicate with him again. In the song he envisions heaven for a moment even though he knows that at this time his place is on earth.

In the midst of his deep grief Clapton sees one bright ray of hope: he is sure that there are no tears in heaven. Tears are grief’s way of showing us the pit of our emptiness during our time of loss even though they are vital to the healing process. Through his tears, Clapton sees a vision of a place where tears shall be no more. (Richard A. Jensen, “No more tears,” eSermons.com.)

Clapton’s understanding of sorrow and death is a Biblical one that we too observed in our scripture reading this morning. In our present lifetime, death is that monster that breaks our hearts and robs us of our dearest treasures. But there’ll be no death in heaven, therefore cemeteries, gravestones, 9-11 lines, ambulances, and hospitals will be noticeably absent.

For those in Christ physical death is merely the grand pause in life.

In time we are even able to view heaven through the visionary eyes of Saint John who saw the saints sitting around the throne of God. They are happy. And God himself descends from his throne and wiping away every tear of sadness. All of the pain and sorrow of the past is gone. Because Heaven is a place of wholeness, we are made whole spiritually, emotionally, and physically by being brought into his presence for a life time. (Pause)

A Child’s Greatest Treasure

To children there is no greater gift than their parents spending time with them, snuggling them, laughing, and keeping them safe. Children who have this affection and attention generally grow to be adults who know that their real treasures are in the non-tangibles. The gift of heavenly citizenship through Jesus Christ is the gift of all gifts, and the love of all loves.

Heavenly citizenship in heaven is not something that begins when we die, but begins when Christ enters our lives and the Spirit takes over. And God wants nothing more than for us to spend all of our eternity with Him. Amen!