The Reality of Heaven

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. This is the Truth Network Podcast. We ask important questions and it's good to ask questions, especially when you ask them of the Lord, the one who can answer. So He said, Lord, we don't have a clue.

We don't know where You're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. So I want to say at the outset of this message, I have three major points today, that heaven is relevant. Maybe you're thinking, pastor, talk to me about something that is relevant, something that is real. I, you know, I don't have time to think about eternity. I don't have time to think about heaven. Talk to me about something that's relevant to my, to my life.

I'm busy, I got family to raise, I got a job to do, I, I can't even stop to think about tomorrow just trying to get through today. Well let me remind you that the message of heaven, what we think about regarding eternity is essentially vital today. In fact, we're told in, in Colossians three verses one and two, if you then have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is.

Seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds, get your mind right on this. Set your mind, which has to do with your thoughts, your aims, your ambitions, your, your attitude, your priorities, your perspectives. Set your mind not on things below, that is earthly things, but on things that are above.

Not on things of the earth, but on the things of eternity. Warren Wiesbe, the great Bible teacher and author says that heaven is not only a destination. It is a destination, as we're going to see in just a moment. But it's also a motivation. It is our motivation in life that we have a heart for heaven. That heaven, if you are a follower, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would have a heart for heaven because you have a heart for Him.

A desire to depart and be with Christ, far, far better. Your best life is not now. You can live a great life, an abundant life today, but your best life is yet to come.

And that's relevant because it's your uplift that determines your outlook in life and it changes the way you view everything. And when you envision heaven and when you embrace heaven in your life, you're able to respond more appropriately to the challenges of your own life. Unfortunately, as I said, too many churches and pastors and pulpits are silent regarding the message and the promise of the future and eternal life. My friend Dr. David Jeremiah writes this, when the church doesn't have heaven on its mind, it tends to grow indulgent and self-centered and weak. Our thoughts are consumed with our present needs and heaven becomes an afterthought. That's why there isn't always a lot of difference, according to some surveys, between the lifestyles of Christians and non-Christians. Churchgoers increasingly live like the world does and we're letting the popular culture press us into its mold. I believe it's because of a great omission in our preaching and teaching today, we have too few sermons about heaven and hell. And I say a huge amen to that.

It's true. That we need to talk about, think about heaven more and more. That it should be on our minds and in our hearts. Make heaven the habit of your heart.

And live with an obstinate optimism and a relentless faith regarding the future. That's why Jesus said to troubled disciples in the upper room, staring down the cross in front of Him. The disciples are caving in and coming apart. Jesus is speaking of His death and going away and they are deeply troubled.

Is confusion and even chaos. Judas has already left the room to go about the devil's business of betraying the Lord. And so these disciples are heartbroken that Jesus says, I'm going away. And in that moment, in the darkness of that night around the table, He said, stop letting your heart be troubled.

Don't let your heart keep being troubled. You believe in God? Believe also in me. It is our faith in troubling times. It is our faith in tearful times. Our faith in Christ Himself and the promises that He has made us that sustain us and strengthen us.

And I guarantee you, there will be a time in your life, either today or in the days to come, that you will need the message of John 14 desperately. And I'm praying that today in preparation for your life and your future with yourself, with your family, that you will not be troubled by the prospect of life after death, but you would be settled in the hope and the future that broken hearts could be restored and renewed and that you could experience the relevance of the resurrection, the relevance of the promise of the hope and the future. That your faith, your focus, your future would be with Him in Heaven. Embrace eternity.

Live for it. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians chapter three and verse 20, our citizenship is in Heaven. Think about it, the most important, valuable things in our life are in Heaven. Our Savior is in Heaven, Jesus. Our citizenship is in Heaven.

We belong there. Our home is in Heaven. Our reward is in Heaven. Our family and friends who have gone before us in Christ are in Heaven. Everything most valuable, our treasure, as we give our time, our talent, our treasure to the Lord, Jesus said, don't lay up treasures on this earth, that all goes away. But lay up treasures in Heaven, invest in those things that will have eternal dividends in your life and in your future. All of that is in Heaven. And if our — if all of that is there, shouldn't our hearts be there?

The hearts desire of every believer. Oh yes, it is extremely relevant to talk about Heaven because it will make a difference in the way you lead your family and serve your church. It will make a difference in the way you live your life because He who has this hope in Him, the Bible says, purifies Himself. We understand that there is an accountability, that we're not to just waste our lives but we're to give our lives in preparation.

This is a testing ground in preparation for our future with Him. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, The Reality of Heaven. Even in life's heaviest moments, the promise of Heaven holds out an encouraging hope for you today. And when you understand what your future with God will be like, the burdens of the present feel lighter. That's what Pastor Graham's book, Heaven, is all about.

And it's why we want to get a copy into your hands today. Heaven is our thanks for your gift to help share the truth of the Gospel to more people around the world. So call now to request your copy of Heaven when you give. Call 1-800-795-4627, that's 1-800-795-4627.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit JackGraham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again is JackGraham.org. Now let's get back to today's message, The Reality of Heaven. Heaven is relevant and Heaven is real.

I believe it's real because Jesus said so. Now when He was describing Heaven, real Heaven, He said, it's like the Father's house. I go to prepare a place for you. And this house, this big house in Heaven, He calls the Father's house. There are many descriptions in Heaven, of Heaven in the Bible. Six hundred plus references to the Heaven of Heavens and another couple of hundred references to the stellar Heavens or the spacious Heavens, the skies above us, nine hundred altogether. But six hundred specific references to Heaven, which is the place where God lives and exists, the throne of God. Now God is everywhere.

His presence fills the galaxies, the universe. But specifically, God has a place and it is a place that He has prepared for us. Heaven is called in the Bible, sometimes it's called a garden, sometimes paradise. Heaven is described as a mountain, Mount Zion. Heaven is described as a country, a better country. Heaven is described as a city, the New Jerusalem, that city of joy. Heaven is described as a kingdom.

That's why we're to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Heaven is described as a throne, the throne of God. Heaven is described as a temple, a place of worship. But the most endearing and enduring expression of what Heaven is about are these words of Jesus, to the believer, that Heaven is home. That Heaven, the Father's house, is for His family and we're comforted by this truth. You know, if you deleted all the references to Heaven in the Bible and the hope of Heaven, you would have nothing left of eternal significance. But those references are there to remind us continually that we have a hope and a Heaven that He has prepared. It is the promise of Heaven that motivates us every day and fills our lives with joyous praise and adoration to God, that gives our lives meaning and purpose beyond just today. If you're thinking, give me some news I can use. Talk to me about something that is real.

Well, I'll tell you something that's real, it's Heaven. This world is passing away and everything in it, Peter tells us in 1 Peter that this world is one day going to melt with fervent heat. Mother earth is going to burn up. But even the human body is declining and decaying. This earthly tabernacle is in decline, can I get a witness on that? But He says in Heaven, all these former things that are passed away will be forever in the presence of God captured in His glory and in His presence. Jesus is the authority on Heaven. It's a place, it's a perfect place, it is a prepared place, it is a promised place.

And Jesus is the authority on it because He's the only one who's come from Heaven, come to earth, gone back to Heaven and is coming again. So He knows, and when Jesus says I'm preparing a place for you, think about it, when Christ was on earth, He was a carpenter. Before He was an itinerant preacher and teacher, the Messiah, He was a worker, a carpenter.

He knows a little bit about building things. And so for the past 2,000 years, He's been preparing a place for you. How wonderful.

How glorious it's going to be. Jesus promises Heaven and that is enough for me. He said in My Father's house are many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you. Now ESV as I read it here, English Standard Version, said in My Father's house are many rooms and many of the newer translations from King James call it many rooms. Now that's because in the ancient world, the world of Christ, patriarchal families would have a house or a large tent and when the kids would come in and move in, the sons and the daughters and the grandparents, they would just add on rooms. And so, a wealthy king or a powerful patriarch would have a big house with many rooms, more rooms and more rooms as the kids and the grandkids were added. You know, the idea is, OK, in Heaven, you've got the Father's big house and all these many, many rooms.

Well, OK. The point is, it's really not what size house you're going to live in, the point is that you're going to be with Him, you're going to be with Jesus. The point is there's going to be plenty of room for God's family in Heaven. Anne Graham Lotz was reflecting on what kind of home do you think is necessary for your happiness in Heaven. She says, do you dream of a cottage by the sea or a chateau by the lake or a cabin in the woods or a penthouse in the city or a castle on the hill, a tent in the wilderness, a farm in the country or a palace in the garden? What's your dream house?

Whatever it is, I tell you Heaven's going to be better than that because it's the Father's house. It is your heavenly home. Now when you think about home, what do you think about?

Well, I'll tell you what I think about. I think about security, I think about identity, who I am and where I'm supposed to be. I think about acceptance, I think about love, I think about a place to rest, a place where I can totally be myself at home. And when we get home, we will have security and identity in Christ and acceptance and love and that's forever. It's home. Think about waking up, finding it home, finding it Heaven. So don't think about Heaven as being some spiraled, steepled showcase somewhere.

But home. Jesus said, at home with the Father. One final thing and that is the revealing of Heaven. The revealing of Heaven and I say it that way because Heaven is all about Jesus. Paul said, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

When we die, there is no waiting period or pruning or purging period to get to Heaven. The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Present with the Lord.

We're told in the Scriptures that He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. We're told in the Scriptures that we are always of good courage. In Corinthians 5 verses 6 through 8. Because we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not sight. Yes, we are of good courage and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. I know we do everything possible to live healthy lives and long lives and abundant lives and rightfully so. But I'm telling you, if you knew how great Heaven was, you would never dread or fear death.

You would never be anxious or fearful regarding your future because He will hold you there and keep you there. We are at home with the Lord. You know, life is fading here. Time is moving on.

Memories fade here, even the best of memories. But in Heaven, it's a land of faithless memories and celebrations. For the Scripture says we will know even as we are known.

This past several weeks, several of my friends and family members of friends have gone on to Heaven. And of course, we grieve. We weep when we say goodbye. But we know if that person is a child of God, then one day we will be together again.

Because we are a forever family and our future is with Him. What did the psalmist say regarding the shepherd who leads us? Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. We're living in the Lord's house forever. Revelation 21, 3, God will dwell with them and they will be His people. And God Himself will be with them as their God.

I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. We will live in the light of His presence. And who is the one upon the throne?

The Lion and the Lamb, our Savior and our God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will see Him and contemplate and celebrate forever the reality of His presence. So I don't want you to think of Heaven as just being a nebulous afterlife or a dream state or a mystical, ethereal, eternal existence out there. Wasting eternity, sleeping on a cloud.

No, Heaven is the vital, living presence of God and to know Him is to know eternal life. And when Thomas said, Lord, how do we get there? How do we get from earth to Heaven? How on earth to Heaven? Jesus said in verse 6 of John 14, I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Me. Jesus is not the best way to Heaven, He's not a way to Heaven, He is the way to Heaven. The way, the truth and the life. And when we get to the end of life, we won't be leaving home, we'll be going home.

We won't be leaving home, we'll be going home to Him. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, The Reality of Heaven. No matter what struggles you're facing today, you have hope in the promises awaiting you in Heaven and God calls you to share that hope with others today. That's why we want to encourage and inspire you today by sending you Pastor Graham's book, Heaven. This exciting book takes you straight to Scripture to help you see all that awaits you in the life to come and how it impacts your life today. You'll find hope for today and courage to share that hope with others so don't wait to request your copy.

Heaven is our special thanks for your gift to help boldly proclaim God's word through PowerPoint. So request your copy when you call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit JackGraham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again is JackGraham.org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? As you've been listening today, the Spirit of God has taken the Word of God and you are ready. We are very responsive in receiving Christ as your Lord and as your Savior.

I want to give you an opportunity right now. It's really why we do what we do and that is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. And because Jesus lived and died for you and rose again, you can have eternal life.

You can know that your sins are forgiven, that he paid the price on the cross to deliver you from your sin and deliver you from judgment which is to come without him. Right now, if you would put your faith and trust in Jesus by calling on his name, Romans 10, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So will you confess him as your Lord and Savior today? Will you receive him into your life? If so, pray a prayer like this, Lord, I know that I have sinned and I need you to be my Savior.

I believe you died on the cross for me and rose again to give me eternal life. I turn from my sin and trust in you. Come into my life, Lord Jesus. Take control of my life. Be my Lord, my Savior, my Master and my friend. Amen. If you prayed and invited Christ into your life, then welcome to the family of God.

I wish I was there to slap a big high five or give you a big hug because this is life's greatest moment. I really do want you to connect with us and let us know of your decision to begin following Christ. We have follow up materials, materials that will help you grow in your faith as your new life in Christ becomes a part of your everyday walk with him.

We want to hear from you. We want to pray for you. We want to encourage you and we want to bless you in Jesus name. So take the next step right now, having received Christ into your life. Take the next step by contacting us here at PowerPoint.

There's someone standing by who can't wait to encourage you in your faith. And that is today's PowerPoint. Today if you prayed that prayer with Dr. Graham and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we'd love to hear from you so we can help you begin your new life with Christ. Please call us at 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627 and join Dr. Graham next time when he brings a message about what relationships will look like in heaven. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.