The Real Heaven - A New Home for the New You, Part 3

I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to Heaven. A new life, especially a new body, no pain, no evil, no sorrow.

I mean, what's not to be excited about? The vital question is this. How can you know for certain whether you're actually going to Heaven or not? Stay with me. That's today. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international teaching and discipleship ministry motivating Christians to live like Christians. Well, today we're wrapping up our series, The Real Heaven. Over the past handful of programs, Chip used various New Testament passages to clear up and correct our vague, faulty ideas about Heaven and reveal the tremendous beauty and rewarding life that awaits us there.

So if you missed any part of this series, catch up through LivingontheEdge.org or the Chip Ingram app. Well, with that, let's join Chip for the third and final part of his message, A New Home for the New You. There is no place like home. I mean, there's no place like your home is where you belong. And that old hymn writer was really, really correct, who said, this world is not our home.

And that raises a very interesting question. If this world is not our home and if Heaven is our home, what's it really going to be like? It will be a lot different and infinitely better because we will have a number of things that are new. First, we're going to have a new kind of relationship with God. Revelation chapter 21, and then I heard in a loud voice from the throne saying, now the dwelling of God is with men and He will live with them and they will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God. Second, there's a new kind of relationship with sin. Verse 4 and 5, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There'll be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

Well, why? For the old order of things has passed away. He who is seated on the throne said, I'm making everything new.

And then He said, write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. But it's not just a new relationship with God and with sin. There's a new kind of experience of complete, write this word in, satisfaction. Complete satisfaction. Follow along as I read verse 6 and following.

He said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To Him who is thirsty, I will give to drink without cost from where?

The spring of the water of life. He who overcomes, those who by faith have trusted Christ will inherit all of this and I will be His God and He will be my son. This place that God has prepared because He loves you so much means you'll have a new kind of relationship with Him, a new kind of relationship with sin. You'll have complete satisfaction. You'll have a new city and people to enjoy.

And watch this next aspect. A new earth with new nations, commerce, culture, and capabilities to serve and love your God. Now, have you thought about that? See, this isn't that boring place, sort of hanging around suspended as sort of some spirit somewhere. There's this new world has no sea.

Now, if you're sailing, don't get up tight. There's got to be lakes, okay? But sea, especially in scripture, sea is what separated countries. There's going to be unity. And what we're going to find is there's nations.

We're going to find that there's kings. We're going to find that the capital is Jerusalem, this magnificent city, and we will come and we will worship. But there's going to be other cities and it's the earth. It's not just a place. It's the whole earth.

Come on, look at this with me. This is amazing. Verse 24, chapter 21. The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it, speaking to the city.

On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. So I guess there's glory. I guess there's honor. I guess there's other nations doing things.

There's people groups. There's, gosh, it sounds like a real earth with real action. Nothing impure will ever enter it. No cheating in business.

No competition. Nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, which is why it's so important to make sure your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. And we'll talk about how you can know for sure today. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life as clear as crystal, notice flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.

This makes Broadway look like nothing. On each side, the river stood the tree of life bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month, and the leaves of the trees for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb, Jesus himself, will be in the city and his servants, guess what we do, will serve him. They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads and there will be no more night and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun for the Lord God will give them light and they will reign. That's doing something important. How long?

Forever and ever. You're going to be a part of a new earth with nations and commerce and culture and capabilities and you will serve God the way you were originally intended to serve God and that was not just in a worship service but where who you are, what you're made to do, what your gifts are, what your passions are in a perfect environment serving by what you do. In fact, just notice some of the implications. If there's nations there has to be organization. If there's kings there's authority, roles, and jobs.

If you bring splendor there has to be commerce, culture, art, music, and manufacturing. If you bring it to the city it means there's other cities and if you serve and reign it means there's actually monthly, if fruit comes each month then there's not a sense of we're in heaven floating forever. There's spatial time and sequence and you will reign and where you will reign will be directly proportional according to Jesus by how clearly you take what he has just taught because he's given to every single person in this room and every true follower of Jesus talents, gifts, abilities, time, a season of history, and money and resources. And according to Jesus there's only two things that will last forever, the word of God and people. And he said I put you on the earth as my representatives and ambassadors to first and foremost live the life that we would call a Romans 12 Christian and then to be an ambassador or a conduit of God's love and grace where you verbally tell people about the love of Christ and by your hands and your heart you actually do acts of service and justice and compassion so that the light of the gospel and the saltiness of true justice and love people see that and realize Jesus is real. And to the degree that you do that faithfully there is reward so that what your role will be on this new heaven down on this new earth is directly proportional to how you live your life with your priorities and values and what you do with your time, your talent, and your treasure. When Jesus was saying to the 12 disciples it's going to be really tough you're going to reign with me hey they got their names on the foundation stones they're just regular guys. God has an agenda the eyes of the Lord are going to and fro that he might seek to strongly support those whose hearts are fully his. History is going to make its tracks with or without you. God's purposes for the church will get accomplished with or without you but he wants you to know this is an open book test.

I mean he's saying look this is how it's going to end this is how you'll be graded and this is what I'd like you to do. And by the way those people who by faith you can't see right now then guess what in heaven there's no such thing as faith. Faith and sight merge because it won't be a God you can't see it won't be promises that you need to cling on to it will be the very reality and substance of those things.

Why? Why all this? Because he loves you because it's God's character because he's good all those commands in scripture have nothing to do with when he says don't have sex before marriage it's because he knows what great sex is and what he wants to protect you from when he says give the first portion of your time and your energy and your money it's to keep you from going down paths where lust and fulfillment and significance and all the junk that we find ourselves caught up in it's just to keep your heart in the right spot so you get the best and what he's saying is look look at this city I made for you I've been busy since I left I love you I want to be with you and I want it to be great. Oh God let's stop God almighty will you please help the information that we have just heard to supernaturally go from our head and our understanding into our hearts and conviction Lord my life and my priorities and my passion and my joy would be far different if I could remember and believe and live with an awareness of a new heaven on a new earth doing what I was made to do completely satisfied with the greatest people to deeply enjoy because you made everything new amen and that's my heart I've been deeply impacted by this series I hope it helps you but it's transforming me. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and before we continue Chip's message on heaven if this topic intrigues you and you want to learn even more keep listening after the teaching Chip will talk about some resources we've created to help you better understand appreciate and be excited for what awaits us in eternity you won't want to miss it okay here again is Chip see the summary of all this is behold I will make all things new there's three implications of this that I want to touch on because we got to ask ourselves if this is in fact true I believe it is the Bible is true it's clear there's three questions we need to ask and answer question number one is are you certain you were going to heaven and if so why I mean this is this God saying look I've prepared this for you at great expense it cost the second person of the Trinity to come and be embarrassed and humiliated and then crucified to pay for your sin and then rise from the dead so he doesn't want anyone to miss it and so let me briefly tell you how you can make sure you don't miss it first John chapter 5 verse 11 through 13 I've put it in your notes and might want to look at it later more carefully but there was some issues happening and some Gnostics and people shooting a lot of stuff at people and John says wait a minute I'm going to be clear how you can know for sure you have eternal life this is the testimony or literally he's saying this is the record that God has given us eternal life that means it's a gift and this life is in his son Jesus axiomatic principle he or she who has the son has life he or she that does not have the son does not have life these things I've written to you in order that you might know you can know I've written this to you who believe that you can know without a shadow of a doubt they have eternal life so the question isn't are you sincere the question isn't do you go to church do you give the United Way are you trying harder you want to be a good person isn't it better to make it a nicer world nah nah nah it's not are you religious it's not what this philosophy or that philosophy or what their opinion here's the deal if you have the son living in you you have life everything I described is yours if you don't have the son I don't care what anything else is true of you you do not have life it's about relationship God did not send his son to make little nice moral people who tried hard to make the world a better place he came for you to love you and the only way you have life is when you recognize you've sinned against a holy God repentance I have a change of mind and I put my faith and receive eternal life turning from my old life receiving the gift of his salvation covering of my sins and I follow him now I'm gonna pray a very simple prayer that if you're sitting here thinking I want that or if you're sitting here thinking I'm not sure don't leave unsure and then I want to tell you in advance what we're gonna do because I really think the whole church thing has gotten like we're trying to be so cool and so hip and so politically correct and you know what Jesus said Jesus said if you are ashamed of me before men I when I come will be ashamed of you when I come in the glory of my father and the holy angels and I think we've kind of gotten into this deal where yeah you know I don't know and I just if you're embarrassed to say you're a follower of the one that created this heaven for you and died for you then guess what you probably don't have it because at some point in time you're gonna realize you're gonna care what people think or what God thinks and the moment you die you will really wish you cared what God thinks in fact I'll tell you this the moment you live when you really live all those people that you care what they think they don't even think about you we just live with this world what would they think what they think what they think this does this look okay and you know what got news they don't even think about you and we live with this crazy stuff but this is so clear God loves you so I want to tell you in advance so there's no sense of manipulation because I'm telling you there's some of you that have a war going on in your heart because you want this but what does it mean what about this what about that and you ought to have that second question is for those of us that are you know for sure you're in Christ do your present priorities and passions demonstrate a focus on eternity or almost temporal I mean when I talked about treasure when I talked about time when I talk about your talent if the truth are known I mean if we were like super good friends and I'd say hey just give me your taxes let me see your PDA and all your schedule for the last year I'll show you mine your time's gone here your money's gone here this is the pressure you're living with you know this is what wakes you up at night is it the things of God or is it doing the deal got to do this got to do that good because what the Apostle Paul says is our citizenship is in heaven and he talked of some in his that church in Philippians he said some of them little by little by little that they got consumed so much with the right now he says with tears I see their life eaten up with their own appetites trying to find that significance security success and stuff that's temporal and that's going to burn last question is very simply this do you know someone that the thought of this amazing city forever and ever doing what you were made to do that's perfect with no sin where you see God face to face where you think I want them to be there oh I want them to be there this is real and could I then ask you who do you think's going to tell them you see the other thing that's happened is we get kind of sheepish about I mean here's the deal if you just married the most handsome man in the world or you married the most beautiful woman in the world and I said hey I'd like I'd like to meet her and you said no don't please you know I'm kind of embarrassed you know like down deep I think she's ugly if you're embarrassed about the people you love you don't really love them and see I think we got all kind of people that are so open they've never heard about heaven all they've heard about is religion they've never heard that there is a real God who came and died and rose and loves them and you know what they're not going to be in heaven if those of us who say we love our friends and relatives and neighbors and co-workers if we don't just simply we don't bombard them we just let them know are you aware how loved you are why don't you think of maybe two names just etch them on your mind two names that this week it's a phone call it's a lunch it's a coffee and maybe the simplest way you even say to him is you know something I never thought much about heaven but I was you know this guy was talking about heaven have you thought much about it no really haven't I'll tell you could you listen to this let's get coffee next week and let's kick it around I got news for you God has appointed many he's drawing many they just need to hear ready pray that prayer father thank you right now for your presence that woos and pulls us and just makes real inside of us this is right this is what I need to do if you need to have the son to have life then right now say dear God will you please forgive me for my sin would you come into my life right now and be my savior I believe you died for me I believe you rose from the dead I want to be in the heaven you made for me forever thank you for loving me dear Jesus give me strength to follow you help me be bold use me to tell other people about the heaven it's real and the forgiveness that I have just received from you I want to say to you before we continue in our program today for those of you that prayed with me you might have prayed inside your mind in a car you might have verbalized the words out loud because you were privately somewhere and at this very moment what you did is you prayed and you said yes Lord Jesus I want to go to heaven thank you for forgiving my sins I invite you into my life and you might be asking right now okay now what do I do well let me first welcome you to the family your brother or sister in Christ because you've received the grace of God and second the Bible says that when we're born again spiritually we're like a brand new baby and like any brand new baby you need love you need food you need encouragement the food is God's Word get a New Testament you can understand and open it up and begin reading it you need love find a Bible teaching church where the people are real and go and begin to attend and find the best Christian you know someone the best Christian you know and say I want you to know today I was listening to this program and I prayed to receive Christ I asked him to come into my life forgive my sins and I know it's about following him I don't know how to do that will you help me and I will tell you you will be received well and they will be excited and God is going to provide for you the people to help you walk in this new life congratulations it's a thrill to be a part of your new life in Christ thanks Chip well if you just prayed to receive Christ with Chip we have a free resource we'd like to put in your hands that was uniquely created for new believers this tool will help you understand what it means to trust in Jesus and what to do next request this free resource by calling triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 or by visiting Living on the Edge dot o-r-g then clicking the new believers button that's Living on the Edge dot org or call triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 let us help you get started in your faith journey well Chip still here in studio with me and Chip whether it's economic uncertainty family troubles or just the weariness of everyday life people are really discouraged right now so as we wrap up where can we look to get us through these uncertain times what can we put our hope in you know Dave most of us are going to have coffee or tea and sit around and talk about negative things that are happening and I think one of the things that helped me the most is remembering that now is not all there is if I take the lens of just sort of temporal what's happening and all those things you described and you know we could multiply a lot more to them of I mean how many of us have lost someone that we loved in the last couple years I have found remembering the anchor of heaven that Jesus promised he's coming back Jesus promised he'd prepared a place it doesn't mean we put our head in the sand it doesn't mean we don't deal with things but as I shared with someone who recently lost someone very suddenly who died the reality the anchor that there is a heaven that is real changes your perspective and literally gives you hope when you feel like there is no hope and the book that I wrote and the resource that's a small group on heaven what the Bible actually says has been something that we've seen God use in an amazing way what heaven is really going to be like when you understand it is something that is hopeful and that you look forward to and gives purpose and design and life and encouragement and brings into perspective all the struggles we have today so Dave could you take a minute and share with our listeners how they can get a hold of that book and the small group resource be glad to chip well if you've been searching for some solid biblical answers about heaven let me encourage you to get plugged in with our resources for this series whether it's chips book the real heaven or the small group study you're going to walk away with a more accurate and exciting view of the place God's preparing for us for complete ordering details go to LivingontheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003 that's 888-333-6003 or visit Living on the Edge dot org app listeners tap special offers well before we go our mission at Living on the Edge is to help Christians live like Christians and one of the best ways we can continue to do that is through programs like this so when you hear a message that helps you pass it on now you can easily do that through the chip Ingram app or by forwarding the free mp3s that you'll find at Living on the Edge dot org and don't forget to include a note about how it made a difference in your life well from all of us here I'm Dave Drewy thanking you for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge and I hope you'll join us next time.