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Heaven is Real - Do You Really Believe Series
57 Plays7 months ago
In this sermon, Ridley Barron preached about the reality of heaven and addressed common misconceptions surrounding the topic. He dove into biblical passages to explain the nature of heaven as a place where God's presence is fully manifested and emphasized the significance of the new earth as the eternal dwelling place. Barron also highlighted the joy and restoration promised in the new heaven and new earth, inspiring listeners to consider the profound and transformative nature of their future existence in the presence of God.
Timestamps:
00:00 Maintain open-mindedness about dividing heaven and hell.
04:50 He discusses heaven, seeks congregation's input.
07:04 Heaven is real, not just a state.
11:45 Seeing God isn't up there, earth renewal.
13:22 God's plan for cleansing and creating paradise.
19:14 Eternal party with infinite wisdom from God.
19:52 Seeking answers, finding comfort in God's presence.
25:47 Join in singing "Oh, praise the name."
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Do You Believe?' Series
00:00:01
Speaker
Thank you, church. I've enjoyed over the last few weeks doing this series, Do You Believe? We've talked about some very simple and basic things, but I think hopefully through this we've been able to answer some questions, maybe to deal with some misconceptions about some of the basic foundational things of our faith.
00:00:17
Speaker
Last week we talked about the second coming of Christ and what we can know about that and also to be completely truthful what we don't know about that and we have to be honest about those things right because the Bible tells us there are some things that will remain mysteries even through the course of our lives no matter how much we dig in and then there are places where God will reveal himself and show us truth.
Debunking Misconceptions about Heaven
00:00:38
Speaker
The subject of heaven is one of those things.
00:00:41
Speaker
There is a lot we know about heaven, but there's also a lot that is misspoken many times with great intentions, but it is misspoken regarding this subject of heaven. I remember as a kid growing up in the church hearing people say sweet little things. Many times those statements were made when somebody was grieving after the loss of a loved one, and they would come up and go, well, you know, your sweet mother's an angel now. That's incorrect. We don't become angels. That would be a demotion.
00:01:09
Speaker
Did you know that? The Bible says when you and I get to heaven, we will judge the angels. So it would be a demotion for us to become an angel. Your lovelin is not an angel. They're something even higher. They're the pinnacle of God's creation. So that's just one example. What we're gonna do today is try to unpack a few of these questions. I promise you we're not even gonna come close to getting all of them. Randy Alcorn has a great book on heaven that's like 500 pages long. So if you wanna know all the answers to the questions, go dig out that book.
00:01:38
Speaker
It would be a great resource to have in your home because you can kind of go and look at specific questions that you have. I'm going to try to hit some of the highlights and I'm also going to do just like I did last week and be real honest with you to say I don't know when I don't know. I can tell you what scholars think. I can tell you what experts think. I can tell you what my opinions are and I will do that from time to time in this service.
00:02:00
Speaker
But I want to be sure that we establish facts for what fact is, where it's opinion we're going to make very clear that you understand its opinion, okay?
Christian Identity and Beliefs about Heaven
00:02:09
Speaker
Now, the important thing, just as it was last week, is that you understand this. These are not divisive issues.
00:02:17
Speaker
What you believe about heaven does not determine whether or not you're a good Christian versus a bad Christian. What determines whether or not you're a Christian is whether or not you have a relationship with the Jesus who died on the cross for you. That's what becomes the issue of dividing versus heaven versus hell, okay? So as we're talking about these things this morning, keep in mind that we hold these things loosely. Where the gospel speaks, where the word speaks to us, we know it to be true.
00:02:42
Speaker
But where the Word leaves it open, we have to keep our minds open to say, well, I may not know all the answers, and that's okay.
00:02:50
Speaker
Alright, so we're going to dig in a little bit. One of the misconceptions we have that a lot of people will tell you is if you have a relationship with Jesus, you're going to spend eternity in
Eternity on a New Earth
00:03:01
Speaker
heaven with Jesus. That's an incorrect statement. You're not going to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. The Bible is very clear. You'll spend eternity on the new earth where God will come to dwell with us.
00:03:12
Speaker
Okay, it's a different perspective. Look at Isaiah 65, 17 through 19. It says, this is Isaiah speaking. And by the way, if you're looking for some really good encouragement, Isaiah 65, 66, great place in the Old Testament, jump in. The prophet tells us some really encouraging things about what God is up to. But he says, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The past events will not be remembered or come to mind.
00:03:35
Speaker
Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight." I'm going to pause there for just a second. Some people think that when he's talking about this he was making promises about bringing the people back to Jerusalem and that then it would be a great place.
00:03:52
Speaker
But clearly, this verse lets you know that's not true because he's speaking about a time when there will be great joy and Jerusalem will have people who are delighted. You know that since the very 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, even at that point, Jerusalem's never been a joyful place.
00:04:10
Speaker
because Jerusalem's not had peace. For thousands of years, three major religions have warred over that part of the world, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. There have been crusades, there have been persecutions. Jerusalem has not known the joy that Isaiah is speaking about here. So that's how we know he's talking about a future joy that's out there. Verse, excuse me, 19, it says, I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.
00:04:40
Speaker
And then over in Revelation 21.3 it says, then I heard a loud voice from the throne. Look, God's dwelling is where?
00:04:48
Speaker
with humanity. Look, he keeps on, he reinforces that message. And he will live with them. They will be his peoples and God himself will be with them and will be their God. So very clearly right off the bat, we understand that the goal of our lives is that we will ultimately be able to live on the new earth with God's presence here with us. So let's go back to a very basic question. What is heaven?
Defining Heaven's Reality
00:05:14
Speaker
What is heaven? We started on Mondays in the office. I've been gathering the staff around me, those who were available. It's kind of an optional thing that we sit down and we have lunch together and we talk about the upcoming week's sermon topic. And the idea being that they have an opportunity to give input to the sermon, but also I have an opportunity to kind of hear the hearts of my people and my congregation to understand what it is that they need to hear and where there might be misconceptions about things. This past week I said to them,
00:05:41
Speaker
What is heaven? And the first answer that came out is, it's a party. Okay? Well, that sounds good unless you have a past and a fraternity and you might be thinking togas and all the other stuff. And that's unfortunately what most of the world understands about heaven, right? It's going to be this real big party and we're going to get to do whatever we want. It's going to be this great celebration and that's not the case.
00:06:04
Speaker
Wayne Grudem, who is a fantastic theologian, writes a great book on systematic theology. If you'd love to dig in really deep into some of the tenets of our faith, he defines heaven this way, the place where God most fully makes known his presence to us.
00:06:20
Speaker
You see, God is everywhere. God's here right now. He is described in the scriptures as being omnipresent, which means He is everywhere all at once. But from time to time, He chooses to bless us with a special manifestation, which means He is more present in certain places. Think back to the Old Testament, the tabernacle in the wilderness. The Bible describes His presence as being so thick that it was a cloud that consumed the tabernacle. We'll look at that a little bit more in just a second.
00:06:49
Speaker
If you get into the temple period, there were times and periods where it said that the Shekinah glory of God would shine on that place, and it was very much obvious that the manifestation of Christ, or God, was in that place. So heaven, in a sense, is the greatest manifestation, I can't say that word now, the greatest manifestation of God all at once in one place, and that is what we know to be heaven.
00:07:16
Speaker
The second question we might ask is, is it a real place? Is it a real place? There are some modern thinkers who say heaven is a state of mind. It's coming to a place of equilibrium or a place of great peace. And while great peace is definitely a description of what heaven will be like, it is not simply a state of mind. It is a very real place. Scripture makes this very clear for us because in Acts chapter 1 verse 9,
00:07:44
Speaker
where Jesus is about to ascend to heaven, it says, after Jesus had said this, he was taken up as they were watching and a cloud took him out of their sight. They, being angels, they said, men of Galilee, why do you stand up looking into heaven? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come in the same way that you've seen him going into heaven. That phrase implies a place that he went to, not a state of mind. It is a physical place.
00:08:15
Speaker
It's an unseen world because of its spiritual nature. It exists now. It is out there. There is a heaven that is present right now.
00:08:26
Speaker
But because we are fallen men and evil has entered the world, our eyes have been blinded to spiritual things. Ephesians chapter 6 says that we were not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and unseen dark forces. So right now as we sit here, this might alarm you a little bit, there's spiritual warfare going on, right?
00:08:47
Speaker
There are angels, there are demons, they're doing their thing, they're fighting against each other. Angels are holding back demons in places literally around the world right now. Thousands upon thousands of those encounters and engagements are going on, but we can't see them because of human finite eyes that have been limited by our sinful nature.
00:09:09
Speaker
But there comes a time, there comes a place where we will be able to see them. In fact, we see one example of that encounter when Stephen was stoned as the martyr. It says, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, look, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
00:09:34
Speaker
Right now, there are a lot of people who have speculations about where heaven is. Some people say, oh, it's out past the edge of the universe. Well, last time I checked, there was no edge of the universe. It's constantly expanding. There are some people who get simplistic and more eminent with their thinking about heaven. They think heaven could be right here next to me on the stage and it's like a great wormhole that opens up and things get sucked into it, you know? There's actually people who believe that kind of stuff.
00:09:58
Speaker
If you ask me where heaven is my deep deep understanding of Scripture is I don't have a clue Okay, I really don't but it really doesn't matter. Okay What I do think is more related to what happens to us when we die, you know some people believe in what is known as soul sleep this idea that you go into the grave with your physical body as well as your soul and that your next conscious moment is when you are in heaven and
00:10:26
Speaker
I don't think the Bible teaches that. I think that Paul says very clearly that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And when Jesus was talking to the thief who was being crucified next to him on the cross, he said, today you will be with me in paradise. What I believe is that the final heaven, the new heaven has not been completed, but there's an intermediate heaven that right now where spirits are being held for those who are going to get into heaven,
00:10:52
Speaker
They're being held there in anticipation of that day when the final heaven is completed and God's return through Jesus Christ occurs. So there is a heaven, but it's not the final heaven, that final heaven. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of hammers and nails and all that good stuff as those things are being made for us.
00:11:10
Speaker
That's just a joke, okay? We definitely don't know where it is. We have a tendency to say it's up. And the reason we say things like that is because Christ ascended up into heaven. Elijah in the Old Testament, when the fire came, it says that he was taken up into heaven. And then, of course, Jacob's ladder. If you remember the story of Jacob's dream about a ladder, there were angels ascending and descending on the ladder. So we get this idea that it's up.
00:11:38
Speaker
But that confuses a lot of people. In fact, some of you may remember the first cosmonaut that went into heaven, Russian cosmonaut years ago, when he got back one of the first things he said was that he didn't see God or heaven while he was up there. That's because God and heaven aren't up there, okay? And we know that very clearly. What it points to more than anything is just the blindness of human eyes because we don't see and we aren't aware of spiritual realities like we eventually will be able to see.
The Renewal of Earth
00:12:06
Speaker
So the next question we get is, how will the earth be renewed? Well, let's look at the passage first where we see this from Peter. It says,
00:12:24
Speaker
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness, as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire, and that's not speaking of heaven like you and I know heaven,
00:12:41
Speaker
That reference of heavens is the clouds, the skies, the solar system, if you will. They will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat, but based on His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
00:12:57
Speaker
So the discussion there is that some people, some scholars believe that the entire earth will literally be wiped out and that it will start all over again. But then there's a second school of thought that it's not the earth will be destroyed, but basically the surface of the earth will be scorched in the cleansing matter. If you think about farmers who burn a field to prepare it for the next crop, that's the image that is there.
00:13:20
Speaker
that's what I tend to believe he's talking about because if you go all the way back to the very beginning in the creation God gets to day six and he gets done with everything and he says it's very good so that indicates to me there's no reason for God to destroy the whole earth simply to cleanse it by fire to remove the things that mankind has put on it the materialistic things the things that obviously represent some of our poor choices those kinds of things regardless it's such a minor issue that
00:13:50
Speaker
What we really just need to focus on is this, all things will be made new and things that exist currently will be perfected. Ultimately, this journey that you and I are on is a paradise to paradise journey.
00:14:05
Speaker
It started with paradise at the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were so close to God it says that they could hear God walking in the garden, which is not literal walking. God doesn't have feet, but it's just an expression of eminence there. His manifestation was so thick. I do think that what we're moving towards is going to be very, very similar in the sense that the New Jerusalem will be a paradise where we ultimately are able to exist in the presence of God.
00:14:36
Speaker
The question that many of us like to ask, a little bit of controversy around this one, will we know each other? Will we know each other? And the answer is, I don't know if all of you are going to make it. I'm just kidding.
00:14:52
Speaker
No, the answer is this. Well, there's two answers. Obviously, there's the one answer that says we couldn't possibly know each other because if we knew each other and we are aware of things that were going on down here and that kind of stuff, it would be weird, we'd be sad. If I had somebody that maybe I was not real close to because they did me wrong on earth and I knew them in heaven, it would cause me to be heartbroken or maybe even bitter and so that couldn't be the perfect heaven we're describing.
00:15:20
Speaker
Some people even point to the passage where Jesus talks about there will be no more marriage and giving in marriage as a reference to say we won't know each other. I tend to follow the second camp and that is that we will very much recognize and know each other, but when you're standing in presence of the one who died for you, none of that matters.
00:15:40
Speaker
None of that matters. Will I recognize Lisa as my wife? Most likely not, because when we get to heaven, there won't be a need for those kinds of covenants and relationships. They'll be replaced by one covenant, and that is the one we make with the Holy God. And so as we dwell in His presence, all those other things diminish in their importance. And so if I get there, and Zach is there, and Zach offended me right before we both died, I won't remember Zach offending me.
00:16:07
Speaker
I'll just remember Zach, and I'll just remember that relationship. I think that's what's important. Can people see us what's going on down here? That's one I'm not real sure and clear about. I know that Hebrews says there is a great cloud of witnesses that is around us, that they're cheering for us, those kinds of things, but I also believe that there could be a lot of heartache if my grandmother, who's prayed so many thousands of prayers for me, were able to watch what's going on on this planet.
00:16:35
Speaker
So that's a place where I'm not sure and quite honestly, I just don't get worried about that. I think God takes care of those things. If you want to go buy me a steak dinner and discuss why you believe a certain way, I'm happy to take you up on that. But I bet none of you will do that. But there you go. I did not say tube steak, by the way.
Life in the New Heaven and Earth
00:17:01
Speaker
Next question, what's it gonna be like to live in the new heaven and the new earth? What's it gonna be like to live there? Scripture is very consistent with the descriptions of the new heaven and new earth. It's gonna be a place of great beauty and infinite joy, where absolutely nothing can take away or diminish the joy we have in that moment. Take your best day here on planet earth. I mean, the absolute best memory you've got.
00:17:27
Speaker
best experience beginning to end a perfect day multiply it times a billion I'm pretty sure it won't even compare. I mean I just I think it's going to be so incredibly good looking at the creator who did all this for us looking at the Savior who gave his life for us being able just to have a conversation with Jesus himself
00:17:49
Speaker
will bring us such infinite joy and it won't be diminished. Read Revelations 21, 22, you get all these very good descriptions of a place where there's no tears, no hurting, no sorrow. I gotta be honest with you, at 56, a day without hurting just sounds really joyful to me.
00:18:05
Speaker
I mean, I crawl out of the bed and I long for heaven, you know? So there's certain aspects of it. I mean, can you just imagine that? The day where you don't have to worry about the budget, you don't have to worry about whether or not you've got the illness of the week that's going around, or whether or not your children are gonna be home by curfew, just all of those little things. I think it's gonna be an incredible place where great mysteries will be solved, and we'll talk a little more about that in a second.
00:18:33
Speaker
But in Revelation 21.4 we know this verse very specifically. He will wipe away every tear, every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. Grief, crying, and pain will be no more because the previous things have passed away.
00:18:50
Speaker
What I do know is we will have new, restored, incredible bodies. If you want to know what our bodies will be like, read about the passage about Jesus's life from the time he resurrected to the time he ascended, and you'll get an indication of what our bodies were like. They still eat, Jesus still ate, he ate fish with the disciples, he walked around, he was able to be touched by the disciples. He also passed through doors, and there was indications that he would be in one place at one moment and then in another place in the next moment.
00:19:19
Speaker
So we don't know exactly what we look like, but we know that we have these incredible bodies, but we will still eat, we'll still drink, we'll still walk the streets. It says we'll drink from the river of life, we'll eat from the tree of life. It really will be a party. If you think about it, it'll be a party where we literally are in the presence of one who is the source of everything we need.
00:19:41
Speaker
So the Bible describes it as a wedding feast and we will be there eternally with the groom who died for us so that we could have access to all of this. We'll continue to learn from God's infinite wisdom. There will never be a time when we will catch up with God as far as what he knows. Mysteries of life will be unraveled for us. Can I get amen, man?
00:20:03
Speaker
The reason I ask that is because I know that women are described as a mystery and a riddle to be solved by men, and we will someday know the answer to all those women that have plagued us, right? I mean, if there is no other reason to look for heaven, that's it. And I'm pretty sure that the first notes of the heavenly chorus will be that moment when the men go, ah, it all makes sense.
00:20:32
Speaker
No, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be fantastic. We will continue to sit and learn from God. But as I said, more than anything else, just being in the presence of the God who created us, the God who loved us, the God who died for us. In the Old Testament, when men were in God's presence, every single instance, they hit the ground out of fear, most often on their face.
00:20:59
Speaker
A reference 2 Chronicles 5 14 a minute ago where it says because of the cloud of God's presence, the priests were not able to continue ministering before him because it was so thick. In the book of Luke, a story that most of you are very familiar with, it says that the glory of God shone on a hillside and angels were very, very afraid and fell on the ground out of fear and awe. But in heaven, in heaven, we won't have that anymore.
00:21:29
Speaker
Now, just for a second, I wanna imagine a moment, a moment where you will be able to stand and look at Jesus face to face without one ounce of shame. Can you imagine that? I gotta be honest with you, when I pray, sometimes my prayers don't get very far down the road before I'm going, I don't even deserve to be praying this.
00:21:52
Speaker
I screwed up again, I messed up again, I made some choices again, I failed again. And man, that hurts. That hurts. Because I keep trying to think I'm going to be that righteous guy. And it's a battle. It's a battle every single day for us. But praise God, there's going to be a moment where I get to look at Jesus and go, you and I are one. And I don't have to be afraid of that anymore. I get to be in your presence for the rest of eternity.
00:22:21
Speaker
and I don't have to once look away in shame. That is going to be an amazing moment for all of us. Jude verse 24 says, now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory without blemish and with great joy. That sentence right there is enough to describe heaven. But over in Revelation 21, 23,
00:22:48
Speaker
goes even further. It says, the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the lamb. Something we know for sure, this will not be a low-key event. It will not just pass like a bump in the night. It will forever change every single one of us.
00:23:12
Speaker
And just as God has put knowledge of the existence of God in the hearts of men, Paul talks about that in Romans chapter one, he's also programmed us to desire heaven.
Pathway to Heaven through Jesus
00:23:23
Speaker
That's why even people who have absolutely no knowledge of God, no recognition of God, sing songs about heaven or write books and poems about heaven because they're longing for something that every man was created to desire in their lives. But unfortunately sin has barred the way.
00:23:40
Speaker
sin messed it up for all of us, because sin has no place in the presence of an eternal God. But fortunately for us, God provided the way. His name is Jesus. John 14, six, Jesus himself said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. You see, all who believe in him and seek forgiveness will find that heaven has been opened up to them, all people.
00:24:10
Speaker
That means you and I. That means you and I. As we sing praises here week after week, and sometimes I look into the congregation, I see some of you don't have a great joy. Okay? That usually tells me one of two things. Either you don't have a relationship with this Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. Maybe you've bought into the idea of being morally good or being religious and you think that's enough. The Bible says that's like filthy rags compared to Christ's righteousness.
00:24:40
Speaker
Okay, so this morning, it may be time for you to take the step that says, I've got to have the right conversation. I've got to ask the right questions. I've got to make sure that that's been taken care of. But for others of you in this room, probably more of you in this room, that face that doesn't show great joy is because you are weighed down by the troubles of this world. And today may just be a moment to remind you, you don't have to carry that burden.
00:25:08
Speaker
It's not yours to handle. I quoted it earlier, I think, when we prayed. First Peter 5.7 says, cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. He wants you to bring life's burdens to him, to hand them to him so that you don't have to carry that all by yourselves. Last week we had the opportunity to worship like, I mean, y'all usually worship really good, but last week it was like over the top, really, really good.
00:25:35
Speaker
And so Jade and I got together this week as we were planning the service and I said, I want to do something. I mean, I want to bring that back. Okay. I want to run that back. So here's what I want to do. We're going to end with a time of response here in just a little bit. But before we do, I want to invite you in the next few seconds just to stand up, try your best to shut out everything else around you and worship like you're standing in heaven.
Experiencing Heaven through Worship
00:26:01
Speaker
If you have to picture this black wall as the image of Jesus, whatever that image looks like for you, if you need to close your eyes, if you need to get on your knees, we're singing a song this morning. It's very familiar to you. Most of you only have to look at the screen. It's called, O praise the name of the Lord our God. It's got an alternate name for those of you who've seen it on Spotify or Apple Music, something like that. It's called Anastasis. That is the Greek word for resurrection.
00:26:27
Speaker
So what I want you to do, what I want you to ask yourself to do is in this next second, as we sing this song, imagine that your resurrection has just occurred and that you finally get to stand unashamed in front of the one who gave his all for you. And then sing with everybody in your heart.