A Glimpse of Heaven: (Part III)

A PLACE LIKE HOME

For so many years, Christians who have gone through countless trials and tribulations were able to draw a lot of strength from the lyrics of this great hymn - This World is not My Home:

This world is not my home I'm just passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
if Heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do?
the angels beckon me from Heaven's open door
and I can't feel at home in this world anymore

As believers of Jesus Christ, it's so good to know that this world that is filled with so much pain and problems will not be our permanent place. Our earthly life is only a journey. We are just traveling through. Just as the pioneers of faith in Hebrews 11:13-14 have recognized - we are only aliens and strangers on earth.

Now, being travelers en route to our true homeland, we should not expect to be at home in this world, not until we reach the end of our journey. We should all be looking forward to our ultimate destination. Saint Augustine, the great church father, wrote, "We are but travelers on a journey without as yet a fixed abode; we are on our way, not yet in our native land; we are in a state of longing, but not yet of enjoyment. But let us continue on our way, and continue without sloth or respite, so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination."

One of these days we will arrive in heaven - our final destination, this would be the place we would call our home. When Jesus tried to encourage the disciples who were worried because his imminent death, he promised them that he was going away to His Father's house so He can prepare a place for them and for all the believers. Interestingly, If you examine carefully the words He used, He provided them with a beautiful picture of a bridegroom who was going away to prepare a house for his bride. Once this task is completed, He will return to take His bride to the house prepared just for her. Since this was design to be our home, this is really the place where we belong. This is also going to be a place where we would feel most comfortable with. Today, as the bride of Christ, we should be longing for this place, longing for the day the bridegroom is coming to take us home.

I hope and pray that our present sermon series will continually deepen your longing for heaven. Perhaps, a better understanding of what makes it a place like home will help us become more eager to go there. Here are three specific descriptions:

I     A PLACE OF RELATIONSHIP:

Going back to John 14, Jesus made it very clear that the place He is preparing for us can be found in the Father's house. Then he declared in verse 6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In other words, the reason why you can have a place there is because you have a relationship to the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. I know that you have heard this already, but I don't want you to miss the truth that the focus is so we can be close to God for eternity.

In the Bible, death does not really mean termination of life, but simply separation. After Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, they both died. Their death was literally a separation. First, they died spiritually, they were separated from God. They had to be driven out of the Garden of Eden because they lost their fellowship with God. Secondly, they died physically, wherein their spirit and soul were separated from their perishable bodies. Lastly, there is also the eternal death, If Adam and Eve did not seek God's forgiveness, they will go to hell, which is eternal death. This is the eternal separation of the soul of man from God. The Bible reveals this as the second death:

We don't have to experience the second death. Clearly, our escape is only Jesus - He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Because of this relationship, God can never abandon us in this life and the next. He has promise to make sure we stay close to Him forever. You know, one of the reasons why people have been so afraid of death is because many think everything is uncertain after they die. That's absolutely false! The Bible reveals some information regarding what would happen to all the believers when they die:

A. They will be escorted by the angels to heaven:

After the death of Lazarus, he was carried by the angels into the presence of God where he no longer has to suffer.

B. Jesus standing to meet the believer in heaven:

Minutes before Stephen died, he literally saw the heavens opened and the Son of God standing to meet him as he transitioned from his earthly to heavenly existence. Looking at this text, many Bible scholars believe that Jesus himself will be the very first personality we will see when we get to heaven.

There is absolutely no uncertainty for the death of the people who are related to God. I know we have already experience some of the benefits of our relationship with God. But let me tell you, the reality is: there is still so much more. On the basis of our relationship to Him, heaven will be a place where we know we belong. Think again of our relationship to Him like that of a marriage, in heaven this will come into its full expression. Being the bride, we will experience so much happiness that we have never known before. The bridegroom has prepared so much for us. Perhaps, this was in the heart of Paul when he wrote:

II    A PLACE OF REST AND RESTORATION:

Another significant revelation about heaven that makes it a place like home is the fact that it will be a place of rest and restoration. I'm sure we all know what it means to go through a full day trying to cope with all our work responsibilities and we can't wait to get home so we can put our tired bodies to rest. One of the things the Bible says about heaven is:

Our life today involves a lot of work. That's probably why the verse uses the word labor. This word suggests working to the point of exhaustion. Somehow, for most people today, they don't know the word Rest anymore. Their lives are full of work, schedules, and worries to the point that going home really does not make a difference. Even at home, they have to keep working. Don't' you love the idea that once we leave this world and go to heaven, we would be able to rest from all our labors? In Heaven, there are no more alarm clocks, no more deadlines, and no more supervisors to deal with. God will give us a perfect rest.

I'm sure you know that hard labor came to us as a result of sin. If you go back to Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, He cursed the earth resulting to its unproductiveness (Genesis 3:17-19).

This is where the idea of restoration comes in. When you and I think of heaven, we can also anticipate the time when God will restore the first earth where laboring is no longer a necessity. I want to be very clear on this. The Bible teaches that in God's appointed time, the New Jerusalem, the Holy City which is the dwelling place of God will come down from heaven and will settle on the new earth. This will be the permanent place of all the saints. Check again what God says about it:

Therefore, we have to make a distinction between the intermediary heaven and the permanent heaven. The intermediary heaven is God's dwelling place today. This is where you and I will go after we die. Then, in the future, after this present earth has been burned, God will create the new heaven and earth where the Holy City will settle. That will be our eternal home, where everything will be restored.

III   A PLACE OF REUNION:

Lastly, heaven will be like home because we will meet and know familiar people. We will be reunited with all our loved ones and friends who have come to know Jesus as their Savior. Probably, in one time or another, you or someone you know have asked, "will we recognize our loved ones and friends in heaven?" Many Bible scholars believe we will. In the Old Testament, when God's people have died, the statement given was: He was gathered to his people. While in the New Testament, the clearest text comes from the mount of transfiguration: When Moses and Elijah appeared during Christ's transfiguration, Peter, James, and John have recognized them. Evidently, people maintain their clear identity even after they die. So, when we go to heaven we will be reunited with our families and friends. And in addition to them, we will also have the great privilege of being reunited with the people of God from all ages. From Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, David, Daniel, and all who have embraced Jesus by faith. There would be some surprises too. People you expected to see might not be there, and people who didn't expect to see might be there. Heaven truly will be a wonderful place because we will all be one loving family living forever in one beautiful home. I really hope to see all of you there!