Timeless
Part 1
Eternity. What is Heaven like?
What is the one thing I want my audience to know? As long as Heaven remains distant, foggy and unclear in our hearts and minds, the cares of this world will remain large and in charge.
Bottom Line: As long as Heaven is trivialized, our lives will be marginalized.
What do I want them to do about it?Over the next 7 days, I want them to make one decision based on a clearer understanding of what Scripture has to say about eternity.
Texts:Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Cor. 5:10.
Visuals: Outdated Technology. Dead Flowers. Fresh Flowers.
I. Series Overview and Introduction.
A. Today we begin a new series called Timeless. One of the reasons it’s important for us to spend three weeks on this topic is because we live in a world fascinated and obsessed with what’s trending, who’s trendy and the latest trends. And, there are all sorts of trends. Business trends. Fashion trends. Hairstyle trends. Economic trends. Music trends. The list could go on and on.
B. The world of technology is certainly familiar with trends. For example, remember this: (HOLD UP OLD TECHNOLOGY, LIKE AN IPOD OR OLD PHONE). Remember when this product was introduced? It was all the rage. A huge trend. Now, just a few years later, we laugh at it when we see it. What was once a trend has become a fad.
C. The point is this: We live in a trendy world, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. However, since we live in a trendy world, it’s helpful to remember a very important principle about trends. In fact, here’s where we are going over the next three Sundays. Our overarching bottom line for the Timeless series is:
In a trendy world, the best things in life are timeless.
D. In other words, there are ways to live our lives that never go out of style. They look good on everyone who wears them. And it’s in our best interest and in the best interests of the people in our lives to invest our lives in things that will stand the test of time. It’s okay to try and keep up with the trends of life but not if it impacts how you live your life.
E. In this series, we are going to look at how to live our lives in such a way that it has an impact both now and forever. We are going to look at timeless truths that get better and gain value over time unlike this; (HOLD UP OLD TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS OLD iPOD.)
F. To get there, we are going to begin in a very important place. In fact, it’s a huge concept and truth. However, when you see where we are going today, you might be tempted to think, “What does that have to do with my life today? Yes, someday, this will be important, but it’s not important today.” Here’s why I am so glad you came today and why I think this will be helpful.
G. Once you understand why this important not only for the future but for today, it will have the potential to impact how you approach the next seven days of your life in a dramatic fashion. I promise you. I’m not trying to oversell it. This is going to help give you a greater perspective on the next seven days in ways that almost any other perspective. So, without further delay, let’s dive in to Part 1 and today’s timeless truth:
II. Eternity. What is Heaven like?
A. The place we will start is here: Eternity. Eternity is certainly timeless, right?
B. Specifically today, I want to talk about this question: What is Heaven like?
C. It’s an important question. Here’s why:
A Gallup poll showed that 81% of Americans believe in Heaven. 81%!?! You can’t get 81% of Americans to agree on anything. And yet, that same 81% readily admitted they had no clear understanding or vision of what Heaven was going to be like. And in that gap leaves us wondering. How can Heaven or Eternity have any impact on today? As it’s often been said, “Everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die.” And so, in many ways Heaven is marginalized – it’s some distant, irrelevant to today but important to the future idea. But here’s the problem:
When Heaven is trivialized, our lives can be marginalized.
B. Let me give you some examples of how Heaven is trivialized:
* Lots and lots, and lots and lots of white, fluffy clouds. (In fact, in the movies, when people are in heaven, you can only see them from the waist up because they’re walking around in clouds.
* We’ll all be in one big room together.
* Choir robes or angel wings?
* Did I mention clouds?
* Singing hymns forever.
C. And when this is our mental image of Heaven, one word comes to mind: BORING. Oh sure, Heaven’s a much better option than Hell, but it pales in comparison to this life, right? Isn’t Heaven going to be a fuzzy, trance-like state that’s far less engaging, exciting and real than this life?
D. Hollywood doesn’t help us here either. Why is it that when we envision Heaven, it’s pictured as this non-descript building with nothing in it where we spend eternity mopping floors with Morgan Freeman? Where’d that come from?
E. This is true even if you’re not a believer in God. My personal favorite myth about Heaven was one I overheard at the gym a few months ago. “Hell will be a lot more fun. At least my friends will be there!” Now if you’re a Christian you would never say that statement in that particular way but we have our own kind of doubts about how fun heaven will be, don’t we? It sounds like this: “God, please don’t come back before my honeymoon, Spring Break, business deal, etc.”
F. And when we do that, we also buy into the myth that while Heaven is important and yes I want to go there, it has nothing to do with the next 7 days. Heaven is so far away and the next 7 days are right here. What does Heaven and eternity have to do with what I face this coming Tuesday?
G. Today, we’re going to discover a powerful timeless truththat is so important it will not only have huge implications for the future, it also has a huge application for the next 7 days. Do you know what that means?
H. It means that your business deal this week is FAR more important than you may have originally thought. It means the decisions you make at SCHOOL this week are FAR more important than you may have originally thought. When you understand what the Bible has to say about what Heaven is going to be like, you realize how you spend your money is FAR more important than you may have originally thought. The same is true with your MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS, FRIENDSHIPS, LIFE IN GENERAL.
I. When we have the wrong mental image of heaven, we tend to hang on to dear life because we’re not quite convinced that eternity is going to be much better than this place. And yet, the opposite is true. When we understand what the Scriptures teach about eternity, it not only gives us a greater and grander vision for eternity, it also gives us a greater and grander vision for the next 7 days.
J. Two disclaimers. Now, before we go any further, let me give you two disclaimers about today’s message.
1. (Travel Agent analogy.) I’ve never visited heaven. I don’t have pictures. I have never spoken to someone who’s been there. You wouldn’t take travel advice from an agent who has never traveled so why take my advice on what Heaven is going to be like? Well, the great news is that you aren’t. We’re going to hear what God has to say about eternity from the Bible. In doing so, we’re going to show you a thread of verses today that help reveal the fabric of what eternity is going to be like.
2. When we use the word Heaven this morning, we are talking about heaven before Christ returns. There are lots of debates about how all that is going to happen. That’s for another series and for another Sunday. When we use the word Eternity and Heaven, we are talking about what happens AFTER Christ returns. What is eternity in Heaven going to be like? That’s the question of the day. What will Heaven (eternity with God) be like? And to get a clear picture, we need to talk about two common misconceptions people have about eternity in Heaven.
III. Misconception: Believers in Jesus will spend eternity in Heaven.
A. Technically, that’s true. But technically it’s not. Sounds very controversial doesn’t it?? Well, let’s look at the first few thread of verses that will help weave together a picture of what heaven is going to be like. CONTEXT FOR ISAIAH.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.” Isaiah 65:17.
A new what? A new earth. To make sure He’s made his point, God repeats this in the very next chapter.
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me so will your name and descendants endure” Isaiah 66:22.
There it is again. This concept of a New Earth.
B. This phrase “New Heaven and New Earth” is a monumental phrase. For us to understand Heaven, and what eternity in Heaven is going to be like we have to understand what this phrase: “new heaven and new earth” means.
This is really important. This phrase refers to the universe inclusive of the earth. This phrase shows up generations later in another book of the Bible, revealing that God is not silent about what He is going to do in eternity.
“In keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13
There’s that phrase again. What does this mean? Well, in his wonderful book Heaven, author Randy Alcorn makes a great point that believers in Jesus will spend eternity here on the New Earth. While it’s technically true, that believers will spend eternity in Heaven, it’s more accurate to say this: Believers in Jesus will spend eternity on the New Earth.
D. “Why is that such a big deal?” It’s huge because our mental images of Heaven are of some dream-like, trance-like, floaty, cloudy place. What the Bible teaches is that if you and I want an accurate vision of what eternity is going to be like, we shouldn’t go outside and look up at the clouds. We should go outside and look around.
E. This means you know more about what eternity is going to be like that you think you do. If you’ve ever experienced a sunset, a sunrise, beauty, wonder….you’ve been given a glimpse of what eternity on the New Earth is going to be like.
F. And obviously, the most exciting aspect is that we will dwell on the New Earth with God. And as a result, someone could say, can’t we still say that the New Earth will be Heaven. Sure. It’s probably a matter of semantics. Again, as Randy Alcorn writers,
“We can say, ‘Heaven will be our eternal home,’ or Earth will be our eternal home,’ but we shouldn’t say ‘Heaven, not Earth, will be our eternal home,’ because the Heaven in which we’ll live will be centered on the New Earth.’”Randy Alcorn
If that weren’t enough, let me point out what the word NEW means in the original language:
G. Neos and Kainos. There are two words used to for the word new. Neos and Kainos. Neos describes something brand new. But it’s not the word used to describe the New Earth. That word is Kainos which means to restore something to its original intent. So the new earth will be this earth, redeemed and restored to its original design when God created it in the first place.
I. Who knows? Maybe there will be an Atlanta, Georgia on the Kainos Earth. But since it will be redeemed, it will be an Atlanta, Georgia with no traffic!
J. Now, that may be a silly example but it is a far more accurate Biblical concept than floating on a cloud playing a harp ever will be. And why is this important?? Because this concept that Heaven is going to be boring and a church service forever is simply inaccurate. If you want to get a glimpse of what Heaven is going to be like, go outside and watch a sunset. But imagine what that sunset will be like in a fully redeemed Earth! If you think doughnuts are good, imagine what that doughnut will be like with no calories on the New Earth!! (Okay, maybe I’m stretching it a bit but hopefully you get my point.) You know more about Heaven than you think you do. You see, when God created everything in Genesis, Adam and Eve didn’t look around and say, “Someday, we’ll die and go to heaven?” The reason they didn’t think that way before the Fall was because there were already in Heaven on Earth. Jesus came to redeem God’s creation back to its original intent. He is making all things Kainos!
K. Now, you hear that and think, “But you said that our discussion on Heaven would change how I view the next seven days. I’m still not sure how that happens.” Great point. To get there we need to talk about a second misconception about Heaven.
IV. Misconception: What you do on this earth determines whether you go to Heaven but once you’re there it’s the same for everybody.
A. Ironically, the Scriptures teach the exact opposite of that. Only by Faith in Christ does one receive salvation and eternal life. But the Bible doesn’t stop there. It makes a very interesting point in 2 Corinthians 5:10:
B. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 This is written with believers in mind.
C. To make sure we have the point, Paul referenced it again in Romans 14:10. And Jesus said it in Matthew 12:36.
D. In other words, God is taking notes. This can be a bit unsettling, disturbing and disconcerting. The reason it’s unsettling is because it’s supposed to be unsettling. We can’t buy into the myth that how I life my now doesn’t impact what my life will be like in eternity. That kind of thinking is inconsistent according to the Bible.
Everyone gets into Heaven the same way: through faith in Christ. But we will be rewarded or not rewarded for what we have done in this life.
E. “In light of this truth, everyday matters.”
F. Examples: If you conduct your business deal with integrity, excellence and in a God-honoring way, there is coming a day when you will stand before God and you will hear “Well done my good and faithful servant. Great is your reward. If you take a stand in school for Christ, there is coming a day…If you choose to leave work early to go home and spend time with your family, there is coming a day…….
G. Knowing this, here is my challenge for you today:
Make one decision this week that reflects not the myths about Heaven,
but which reflects the truth about Eternity with God.
It could be something in your marriage, something at work, something you do for another person. Do one thing that you think will stand the test of time. Spend your life this week in way that will be timeless. Sure, we all have to do things that are tied up into today. But this week, walk around with a heightened awareness of eternity and see what happens in how you live.
H. And if you can’t think of anything, simply come back next week. We are going to talk about one of, if not the most important thing you can do, that will show up in eternity – an extraordinary way to live a timeless life.
V. Closing.
A. (TRY TO INCORPORATE A PERSONAL EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS KIND OF THINKING HAS IMPACTED YOU, OR HOW WOULD THIS KIND OF THINKING IMPACT YOUR CHURCH.)
B. CLOSE WITH PRAYER.
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