Heaven - What's wrong with this earth anyways?
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Jesus (who is Heaven) makes all things better.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning everyone!
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
I spent the first 35 years of my life in San Diego, which is nicknamed “American’s Finest City.” There are many reasons for this nickname...
The proximity to beautiful beaches...
The consistent 70 degrees weather...
And especially the Mexican food (stop rolling your eyes Texas people!)...
…but for me, while I’m thankful for having grown up in San Diego, it never felt like home.
I think about it even through the lens of football. I love football. My family loves football. You know this. You guys probably get sick of me talking about football in my sermons (don’t worry - it’s basketball season now). And when I lived in San Diego, the Chargers were still there, but they were NEVER my team!
My entire family loved the Chargers, but not me. At first, I was a Denver Broncos fan. But that was back when Elway was losing Super Bowls. So, in 1990, I switched my team to the New York Football Giants!
In fact, if you’re at church today, the reason you’re watching a video is because me, my son Kade, and another family from church are at the Giants-Patriots game!
But I’ve never had a strong affection or loyalty to San Diego. Even when people hear our church planting story and ask (with a confused look on their face), “Why would you ever leave San Diego for Connecticut?” My answer usually includes, “It never felt like home.”
But with Glastonbury - yes, God did call us to move here to start The River Church, so we obeyed- but after moving here 8 years ago, I noticed that this place has feels like HOME. Like I was made for this place! And I’d like to suggest that “home” isn’t necessarily a location; ultimately, home is the place God created you for!
That being said, as much as I LOVE Glastonbury, there’s still part of me that realizes this isn’t my HOME either. Like in Hebrews 13, I’m STILL waiting for a home that is yet to come! And another way to refer to this future home is Heaven.
We’ve started a brand-new sermon series on Heaven that will take us all the way through Christmas. Last week, we asked the question, “Why should I be excited about Heaven?” And if you missed that, you can watch it by following the links found on our website. But this week, I’d like to ask the following question, “What’s wrong with this earth (place) anyways?” Meaning, why do we need Heaven?
Body:
Body:
You may have a variety of ways you’d answer that question. And we could go in many different directions with this discussion. But I’d like to approach answering this question in a specific but different way.
That’s actually gonna be a consistent part of this Heaven series. THINKING DIFFERENTLY. Many of us have heard or formed pictures of Heaven that aren’t biblical. And they’ve wrongly impacted our desire for Heaven, which honestly impacts how we live…
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
How we think about Heaven matters. Therefore, many of us need to start thinking differently about the place that may be our eternal home!
So, one way we can do that is by thinking differently about how we’d answer the question, “What’s wrong with this place anyways?” Usually, we’d default to negative answers (brokenness, war, pain, sorrow, sin, death, etc.). However, I’d like to answer this question by thinking about the positive things we experience here on earth!
So, let’s start with this thought...
I like being human!
I like being human!
That sounds super weird. But maybe not in a conversation about Heaven. Because a lot of us think about the afterlife in one of two ways...
We will be disembodied spirits floating around for eternity.
We will be transformed into chubby baby angels.
And while being able to float or fly temporarily sounds appealing, ultimately it makes Heaven sound both boring and unnatural. It makes me think, “I don’t want to be that. I like being human!”
Here’s the thing: We should like being human! Because that’s how God created us. And Heaven doesn’t change that.
Author, Randy Alcorn, often discusses a biblical principle called “redemptive continuity.”
By the way, I will be referencing the book he wrote on Heaven often, as it is my favorite work on the subject.
But “redemptive continuity” is basically the idea that...
God will not scrap his original creation and start over. Instead, he will take his fallen, corrupted children and restore, refresh, and renew us to our original design.
What that means for us is we don’t stop being human in Heaven. We don’t become ghosts or angels. For that to happen is to lose our humanity - we would become something that God didn’t create us to be!
When the Bible talks about God creating humans...
then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Notice two things present:
God formed us with physical materials.
Then, God breathed life into the physical materials (He gave us an immaterial spirit).
And it was only after both were present, that we became alive and HUMAN .
Therefore, in considering the idea of “redemptive continuity,” it only makes biblical sense that we would remain BOTH body and spirit, because to lose one or the other would make us un-human. And God created and designed us to be HUMAN!
Now, there are a lot of responses to this idea. Maybe you disagree. But let me suggest one HUGE BIBLICAL SUPPORT for this… the RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
In the Incarnation...
...which is a fancy word we use to talk about the moment Jesus (the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity) came to earth...
...But in that moment, Jesus became the God-man (100% God / 100% Man). He took on human flesh - a physical body. And though we will always be different than Jesus (we are not God), He now mysteriously, willingly, and eternally shares in our physical humanity.
And the reason I bring this up is because I want us to see that when Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross … and when He rose from the dead 3 days later … He rose with a resurrected, glorified body! He didn’t leave behind His physical humanity.
And this matters to us because...
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
One day, those who have turned from their sin and put their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, will receive resurrected (physical) body too! Why? Because that is what it means to be human - to have both body and spirit holistically together. God did not design us to be disembodied spirits. He created us to be humans!
Additionally, God did not create us to be angels either! Don’t get me wrong… angels are powerful amazing beings. It’s highly unlikely that they are naked chubby babies with wings. They are glorious beings. And it’d be kinda cool to be like them!
But have you ever thought about this? Angels are not created in the “image of God.” We are! It’s part of what makes us so special to God. Furthermore, God did not sacrifice His Son for angels.
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
There’s a lot to this passage that we don’t have time to discuss, but I want us to pay attention to two things:
The great red dragon is talking about Satan (the devil) who used to be an angel.
When it says “a third of the stars of heaven,” it’s referring to other angels who rebelled with Satan, who are now demons.
How do I know this? Because the Bible tells us this a few verses later...
And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Why am I mentioning this? Because I want us to see something. The angels - just like us - were created to be with God. But then some of them sinned and fell too. However, God did not save them.
In fact, did you know that hell (the place of eternal separation from God) was never intended to have any humans! Jesus said...
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
The only reason people go to hell is because they chose to go there. I speak more about that later, but what I want us to understand is God did not save the angels. But He did send Jesus to save us (humans). So, why would we ever think we would turn into angels in eternity? The Bible actually says angels look at what God is doing in our lives with wonder and excitement!
They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
It is good to be human! And we SHOULD LIKE BEING HUMAN because God CREATED us as humans and will keep us as humans in Heaven!
Another essential part of being human is memory. Memory is part of God’s design that gives us personhood - it makes us who we are! And when it comes to Heaven, sometimes memory comes up because many believe eternity will involve the erasing of our memories.
This belief is often associated with the following verse… [speaking of Heaven]
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
The thinking is as follows...
Because of the brokenness of sin, we’ve experienced so much pain.
These painful memories have caused us to cry.
In order for God to wipe away our tears, He must wipe away our memories.
And there is logic to that, but now think about this...
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
This event is happening in Heaven! These people “under the altar” remember how they died. And they were aware of the painful events happening on earth. They did not lose their memory!
Additionally, Jesus (who sits on the throne of Heaven) has not lost His memory. After He rose from the dead - with His glorified body - the apostle John wrote...
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Jesus still has His nailed-scarred hands! He’s not in Heaven wondering, “What are these for?” People in Heaven aren’t asking, “Why are there holes in your hands?” In Heaven, we will not lose our memory, it will just be redeemed! We’ll remember more TRUTH, not less!
Let me give you an example...
Right now, we remember our sin and are ashamed. And rightfully so. Our sin is SERIOUS and cost Jesus everything. That’s a painful thought. But in Heaven, we will likely have a different perspective...
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Randy Alcorn writes, “Heaven cleanses us but does not revise or extinguish our origins or history.” In Heaven, we will remember better! We will see things more clearly - with God’s perspective. We won’t need to have our memories erased to enjoy Heaven. Rather, our memory will increase our joy because it’ll remind us of the goodness of God.
Here in this life, our brokenness causes us to focus on shame when we remember our sin. But in Heaven, we won’t feel compelled to focus on shame, but rather on the grace of God. Our memory will remind us of how greatly loved we are as humans. In Heaven, we will be able to fully enjoy being human regardless of our history!
Which brings me to our next thought...
I like being married!
I like being married!
Marriage is a gift from God. But...
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Jesus taught that in Heaven there will be no marriage. This is confusing because Paul (speaking on marriage) says...
As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.
Marriage is beautiful. It’s so beautiful that when it is done right, it is one of the GREATEST ways to point to HOW Jesus loves the church. And while many have stories of difficult marriages, the truth is marriage is the MOST SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP God has given humans.
And many married people consider their spouse their “best friend.” And the idea of Heaven without marriage seems to diminish the joy of eternity. Like… why can’t I remain married like I am here on earth? Why doesn’t the “principle of continuity” apply to marriage?
I have two answers to suggest...
I don’t know. I’m sure I frustrate you guys because I give this answer a lot. I apologize. But I’ve found it’s better (and more biblical) to say “I don’t know” than to make up an “absolute” answer that the Bible doesn’t give. Because the truth is, there are mysteries only God can answer. And the answer to why we don’t have marriage in Heaven may not be given until Heaven.
We can trust God’s goodness. We can trust that in Heaven, our experience of God’s goodness will increase, not decrease.
One thing you learn from planting a church is many people (no matter how much you love them) are only here for a season. God brings them in for a reason. And He sends them out for a reason.
Over the years, we’ve (thankfully) had a lot of people who stayed. But we’ve also lost people we love. Some of you remember Jonathan and Alyssa Zeek. They were a huge blessing to our church family. They were a young couple that could basically do any and every thing. And you need those kinds of people when you’re starting a new church. And God sent them to us (from Texas) as an expression of His goodness. He knew we needed them for the stage we were in.
But then, they moved back to Texas for work. And there was a huge hole in our church family. But here’s what I’ve discovered about God’s goodness. Whenever God takes something away, He ALWAYS replaces it with something BETTER! And though I still miss them dearly (and would gladly take them back in a heartbeat!), God has replaced them with so many MORE wonderful families. And in a way, God’s goodness has given us something BETTER. Because that’s just who He is.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
When we finally enter the “house of the LORD forever,” when we enter Heaven, although we will lose marriage (as we know it), we can be confident that God will replace it with something BETTER. Because that’s how God’s goodness works!
But… here’s where the “principle of redemptive continuity” can be applied… marriage may end, but relationships will NOT! And your best friend (your spouse) on earth, will likely remain your best friend in Heaven. In fact, your relationship will get BETTER.
Now… I know some of you are wondering about a certain relational aspect of marriage. And wondering if that will remain or be replaced. The Bible doesn’t tell us . And neither will I. Because there are likely children present. But if you’re curious, I encourage you to pick up Randy Alcorn’s book on Heaven.
That being said… it’s not completely accurate to say there is NO MARRIAGE in Heaven. There is one....
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
One day, those who follow Jesus will be married to Him. That is the one marriage in Heaven - Jesus and His church. That may sound strange to some of us, but what it means is we will finally be in the loving relationship with God that we were always intended to be in.
And this bring us to our final thought...
I like worshiping God here (on earth - why do we need something new?)!
I like worshiping God here (on earth - why do we need something new?)!
Here at The River Church, we use Camp Berea for our Men’s and Youth retreat. It’s this special, beautiful place on Newfoundland Lake in New Hampshire. People experience God in amazing ways (here on earth) in that place.
I can’t tell you how many times I heard at Man Camp, “I wish we didn’t have to leave so soon!” I’ve heard Youth say, “I like the version of myself at Berea better than the version I am at home.” This is all because of their intimate experience of God on these retreats.
And we know that experience is NOT limited to Camp Berea. Sometimes we experience that on Sunday morning. Sometimes at home. Sometimes on walks through our neighborhood. God is omnipresent. That means God is everywhere. The same God of the mountain is in the valley. The God of Berea is the God of Glastonbury.
Some of MY greatest experiences with God have been through running. During races, there are often crowds cheering for you at the finish line. It almost brings me to tears...
ALMOST - I don’t cry… because my mom told me “If you cry, I’ll give you something to cry about.” So I hold it in…
...But at these finish line experiences, I have felt close to God.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
This verse comes ALIVE when I run towards finish lines.
On Thanksgiving, I run the Manchester Road Race. Probably the most famous Turkey Trot in the world. This past Thursday, me and 11,000 other people ran 4.748 miles. But this year, two of those people also included my niece Kayla and my son Kade (who’ve I’ve been hoping to run this race with for a while).
And as we approached the finish line together, God had me “up in my feelings.” And as much as I REALLY ENJOYED finishing this Manchester Road Race with my family, I thought about how one day I will cross a BETTER finish line and enter Heaven. And that by God’s grace, my family (like my son and niece) will be with me. And as I thought about this, I worshiped God.
We can have amazing worship experiences here on earth, but the truth is… in Heaven, it will be BETTER. Because as we read earlier, right now, our experience of God is limited. As good as it may be here, it’s partial. But one day (in Heaven), it will be in FULL.
But here’s the exciting thing about Heaven, when I say we will worship God in full, that does not mean we will ever exhaust God. God is infinite. Our eternal heavenly experience will never grow old. We’ll never get bored of God, because there will be something new to learn and experience.
AW Tozer put it this way...
[Heaven] begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end.
However good our experience of worshiping God can be on earth, Heaven is infinitely better!
Response:
Response:
We started today by asking the question, “What’s wrong with this place (earth) anyways?” There is so much to enjoy about earth… but that’s because God originally intended it to be our home! But our sin broke that. Nevertheless, because of Jesus, God is making a New Heaven and Earth. And that place will be our BETTER eternal home.
As we close [and the worship team comes up], I mentioned earlier that Hell (the place of eternal separation from God) was never intended for any human. Heaven is our home, because Heaven is where God is, and we were created to be with God.
This is proven by Jesus’s most famous words...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The only way anyone ends up in hell is because they chose to go there. They refuse the goodness of God that seeks to save them. Because in this life, only one question matters… God will ask us, “What did you do with my Son, Jesus?”
If we reject Him, then we are willingly choose eternal separation. But if we repent and put our faith in Jesus, we will go home to Heaven, where things are infinitely BETTER.
Today, a choice lies before us. We can choose to make this earth our home - and invest our lives into our selfish and sinful desires. Or, we can follow Jesus and make Heaven our HOME.
I’ll close with the powerful words of Moses...
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
This morning, choose life. Choose Jesus. Choose Home. Choose Heaven.
Communion
Communion
Before we sing our last song together, we are going to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, which secured our home in Heaven, by taking communion. And because I can’t be there in person, I’ve asked our River Kids Director, Jackie, to step in and lead our church family through communion...
Let’s pray...
Father, today we set our eyes on Heaven. Change our lives. Help us to look for the BETTER, more eternal things. We turn from our sin and choose to make our home with Jesus. And it’s in His name we pray, amen.