Heaven - will you be there?

 

LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 19 MAY 2024 pm – MR BEN DALY

REVELATION 21 and 22 verse 6

HEAVEN – WILL YOU BE THERE?

 

Tom Jones sang a song years ago entitled “The Green Green Grass of Home.”  He remembered what it was like to return to the place he grew up in.  Do you ever get that nostalgic feeling when going home?  There is something about home that makes it feel special.  In Revelation 21 we read about our eternal home for those who are Christians, who know Christ as Saviour and Lord.  It is far better than any earthly home.  It is eternal.  It is in the place called heaven.  If you do not believe to night I want you to see the glory of heaven so that you might want to go there.  Will you be in heaven? I wonder do you know what it will be like?

Heaven ...

It’s a perfect place

A meeting place

A place for a people.

 

Firstly a perfect place.  Revelation 22 verse 3 “and there shall be no more curse.” Our experience of this world is of a cursed world.  This world feels the effects of the curse.  This world is not as it was meant to be as.  In Genesis God created the perfect world.  Adam and Eve the first man and woman sinned and the curse entered into the world – “cursed is the ground”.  Genesis 3 tells us of someone who would come to defeat the curse.  Genesis 15 tells us Jesus will come and crushed the head of Satan.  He has come, he has died and risen again.  He is now preparing a place for his people.  This is a place where there is no more curse, no longer experience any of the things that afflicted us in this world.  This will be a place where the effects of the curse are fully removed.  The perfection of this place.  

Revelation 21 verse 3 shows it is a place of perfect fellowship.  In heaven there will be perfect fellowship between God and his people.  His tabernacle will be with God and his people.  The meeting place with God’s place in the bible was the tabernacle.  God will make his place among his people.  There will be no more curse to affect that relationship.  There will be nothing separating us from God.  We will enjoy perfect fellowship with God himself.  That has been the whole purpose of God since the beginning.  God created man to have relationship with him.  Man broke the promise.  God had to send his Son to break that curse.  He came seeking from heaven to earth to restore that perfect relationship with man.  Revelation 21 and 21 shows us the culmination of God’s redemption plan with man.  You have a relationship now with God in this day but it will be beautiful in that day – no more sin to get in the way of that relationship with God.  God shall be with his people on that day.  A perfect place and a place of perfect fellowship.  A place of perfect restoration.  Revelation 21 verses 4 and 5.  We see a place of perfect restoration as we see the absence of things for ever.  No tears, no pain, no sorrow, no crying, no death.  All is made new.  The things that cause us pain and sorrow on earth will pass away.  A place of perfect restoration.  All of these things are passed away.  “Behold I make all things new.”  A totally new place.  Everything from this scene of time has passed away.  Does it feel your life is full of difficulties, pain, sadness?  It never ends.  In heaven God himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes.  In heaven it will be a place of perfect restoration.  Never experience sorrow again.  No-one will die again.  No more crying ever again.  A perfect place – why - because God himself is with his people.  God himself creates a place of perfect restoration.  Life as God always intended it to be.  Everything made new by God. A perfect place this place called heaven. It is also a meeting place.  

Revelation 22 verse 4 - who do you want to see when you get to heaven?  Perhaps loved ones you have missed for many years.  Or perhaps the heroes of faith like Moses or Paul.  There will be a far greater meeting than those who have gone before us - Revelation 22 verse 4. They shall see his face.  The simplicity of those words.  What glory there is.  We shall see the very face of God himself. We shall see the Lord Jesus Christ.  What a great meeting day that is going to be.  What a thing it will be to see our Saviour.  The Lord who we have lived for and served here on earth and we will see him one day see in heaven.  Glory in being united with those we loved and miss.  The glory of heaven will be to see his face, be reunited with him who we love by faith we see by sight.  Won;t that be the best meeting of all.  Samuel Rutherford said “I would far rather have Christ without heaven than heaven without Christ..”  Being with Christ is the very centrepiece of heaven.  A wonderful place.  A real place.  Heaven of heaven will be to gaze on the one who died on Calvary’s cross.  The one who died for me.  One day you can see the Lord.  The Saviour who came from heaven to live and die will one day bring his people home to himself.  You will see him one day if you come to faith in him.  If you are his never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is the centre of our faith here on earth and he will be the centre of our worship in heaven.  This is what heaven means to me.  To see the one enduring the cross despising the shame.  The one who loves us and gave himself for us.  This is heaven – that they should see his face.  Fanny Crosby in conversation with a well meaning preacher talking about her disability said “it is a great pity that the master did not see fit to bless you with your sight.”  Fanny said “Do you know if at birth if I could have been given one request, it would be to be born blind for when I get to heaven the first face to gladden my sight will my Saviour’s, just to see his face will be glory for me.”  One day she would see Jesus, see his face.  Do you long to see your Saviour?  Is that your great longing for eternity one day?  You will look upon his face and bow and worship him.  Heaven is a place of meeting.  Heaven is place for a people.  Revelation 22 verse 4.  Being branded with the Lord Jesus.  Having his name on our foreheads.  Only those who belong to Jesus are in this place and have a mark on them.  Entry ticket into heaven is simple – if you will enter into this perfect place called heaven you must have the branding of his ownership on you.  You must belong to Jesus if you will enter into heaven.  Who will not be in heaven?  Revelation 21 verse 8 – the unrepentant sinners will not be in heaven.  The unbelieving are those who will not be in heaven, not believing in Christ for their salvation.  They are on the same ground as the abominable, whoremongers, murderers, sorcerers and adulterers.  You stand on the same ground as unbelieving sinners regardless of anything else.  Stand condemned before a holy God.  In verse 8 we read if you have not turned to the Lord you will have your part in the lake of burning fire.  What an awful thing to have heard the message and rejected it.  The good news is you don’t have to go to that lost eternity.  In verse 6 we read of who will be in heaven?  “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”  Verse 7 those who came to the living water – it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who offers living water.  If you will come and drink from him you will never thirst again.  You will not have your part in fire and brimstone.  If you will come to him tonight.  If only you will accept him and him alone as your Saviour.  Only 2 groups, 2 places to spend eternity.  There is no middle ground.  No sitting on the fence - either for Christ or against, believing or unbelieving.  Do you stand on the side of a lost eternity or in eternity in that perfect place called heaven.  The exclusivity of heaven is summed up again. 

“When I soar to realms of glory

And an entrance I await,

If I’ve followed “Jesus only!”

Wide will ope the pearly gate;

When I join the heav’nly chorus

And the angel hosts I see

Precious Jesus, “Jesus only!”

will my theme of rapture be.” 

 

Jesus only will be the way to get into heaven.  Jesus only will be the theme of heaven.  The only hope is Jesus Christ.  If I was to ask you heaven - will you be there.  If you will be there it is only because of Jesus, what he has done for you, your hope is in him alone as your Saviour.  Will you come to him so that you will be in that place called heaven?  Will you come so that your place is sure and secure even tonight, will you come and be in the place called heaven?  If you do you will one day see this Lord Jesus and be the one saved by his grace alone.