HEAVEN IS A REALITY.

Philippians 3:18–21 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

1 Peter 1:3–5 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

John 14:1–3 1Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In 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. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

HEAVEN IS WORTH IT.

Revelation 21:1–4 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He 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.”

2 Peter 1:10–11 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

BENEFITS

• “My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up…” (John 6:40)
• “He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21)
• “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)
• “I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)
• “I will write on him the name of my God.” (Revelation 3:12)
• “I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:6)
• “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7)     – Billy Graham, The Heaven the Answer Book, p. 82

HEAVEN IS FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE/OBEY.

Philippians 3:18–21 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Colossians 3:1–4 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

John 3:16–21 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

CONCLUSION

Jude 24–25 24To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS IN LIFE GROUP OR WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

1.  Share what was significant to you from the sermon.
2.  Take a look at 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:8. A) How often do you consider heaven? B) What have you imagined or thought about heaven? How is this series impacting what your perspective?
3.  Read Luke 23:24 and Revelation 21:1-2. These passages show Present Heaven and New Heaven. A) What questions do you have about Present Heaven? What questions do you have about New Heaven? Send some of them in to: [email protected]
4.  Look at 1 Peter 2:11-12 and Colossians 3:1-4. A) What helps you focus on what is to come? B) What can distract you from focusing on earth as temporary and being with the Lord as permanent – the real reality?
5.  Read Matthew 6:21 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19. A) What would change in your life if you consistently considered heaven as your home and this earth as a temporary place? Think of ways to help you focus on more regularly on heaven.