Heaven and Home

John 14:1-6, Rev. 15:1-4

In our recent lecture on heaven, we have seen that the soul of the Christian goes immediately to heaven at death. There are two aspects of heaven that I want to bring to your attention this morning:-

1. Heaven is Our True Home!

Jesus had been speaking of His imminent departure, of His crucifixion, and the disciples were in a sombre frame of mind. They must have wondered what would become of them! They were deeply disturbed! Jesus said to them: Let not your heart be troubled

• They were cheerless and miserable, because He would soon be gone, and three years of life spent together on the road would soon be ended!
• They were embarrassed and humiliated, because of their own selfishness and pride, for they had been arguing among themselves about who would get the prominent places when He came into His kingdom!
• They were confused and bewildered, because they had just been told that one of them would betray the Master!
• They were wavering and unsteady in their faith for they could not understand how someone who is about be crucified could be the promised Messiah!

And so Jesus gives them hope. He says: ye believe in God, believe also in me. What better to talk about than Heaven!

1) Heaven – Its Description! Jesus tells His disciples, In my Father’s house: if it were not so, I would have told you.

1. Heaven is described as The Father’s House! We have a heavenly Father, and we love Him with all our hearts, and we want to be where he is! It must be a truly wonderful home, for Paul describes it like this, 1 Cor. 2:9
2. Heaven is described as a roomy house! There are many mansions! Some translations have this, “There are many rooms.” There is room for millions of people in God’s heaven! Why be left out when plenty of provision has been made?
3. Heaven is described as a place! I go to prepare a place for you. The Bible says that Heaven is a place! Somewhere, there is a PLACE called Heaven! Let’s try to describe that place!

• It is a place of PROTECTION! The Saints in heaven are safe and secure! The storms of life may be troubling this world, but in heaven, those who are there are dwelling in complete serenity and happiness!
• It is a place of PEACE! The saints are at rest in heaven! Here it is, described in the Old Testament, 33:27
• It is a place of PERFECT UNDERSTANDING! I sometimes think that I am deeply misunderstood! In heaven we will have perfect understanding! (Rev 15:1-4, The Sea of Crystal speaks of the perfect clarity of Heaven!

* It is a place of PERMANENCE! Paul (and Peter) describe our present bodies as being ‘tabernacles.’ 2 Cor. 5.1 2 Cor. 5:4 2 Peter 1:13 So, heaven is home. We speak of being “At home with the Lord!”

2) Heaven – Its Design! I go to prepare a place for you.

Heaven, it is often said, is a prepared place for a prepared people! One of the reasons that our Lord has gone to heaven ahead of us is to prepare a place for us there! Just think that the Lord who made this wonderful world is making a home for you right now!

Not only has He gone to prepare a place for us, but He will return to take us there! He said, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Look at the personal manner in which this will be achieved. He will not just take us to heaven, but he will take us to HIMSELF!

3) Heaven – Our Destination! And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. So heaven is the destination of the believer. It is where he is going to be in eternity. Jesus said to His disciples “You know where I am going, and you know how to get there!” I wonder are we as sure as that, about how to get to heaven? There is only one way to heaven and Jesus tells US what it is! He says, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is only one way to heaven, and that is by the way of the Cross! To be assured of a place in heaven, we must first go to Calvary! Our sins must be forgiven, and we must have bowed the knee to the crucified Saviour, and accepted Him as Lord and King! There is just one final aspect of heaven we need to take note of:-

2. Heaven Begins on Earth!

For the Christian, heaven begins on earth! When a person come to Christ and enters into a personal relationship with Him, a little bit of heaven, a little foretaste of glory, is deposited in their soul! Spiritually speaking:-

• We already have the Peace of Heaven!
• We already have the Permanence of Heaven! Listen to how Paul describes this:- Ephesians 1:13- When we come to Christ, God places His Holy Spirit within us, regenerating us and bringing to life our dead spirits, and making us anew. The Bible calls this, “The new birth.” Paul then tells us that this indwelling Holy Spirit is the ‘deposit,’ (the down payment) of heaven in our lives! It is the guarantee that one day, we will have the full realisation of what has already been given to us we will have the ultimate experience of being in heaven!

Conclusion

So, again we must examine ourselves and challenge ourselves. We can only be in that prepared place if we prepare our hearts right now. Accept that you are a sinner, repent and believe that He died for you and can save you.

© Bob McEvoy