Have you ever paused to appreciate the beauty and brilliance of the earth God created? Imagine how much more splendor he designed into our eternal home. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah begins the new series, The Promise of Heaven. With a look at how heaven fulfills the longing in each of us to enjoy God's artistry forever.
To introduce his message, the promise of heaven. Here's David. Thank you so much for joining us. We're in this new series on heaven. and reminded of that night when Jesus with his disciples were discussing his future and he told his disciples he was going away.
And then he said this, He said, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you might be also.
That's from the 14th chapter of the book of John, and that's the study we're going to take on today on this edition of Turning Point. Before we get started, let me just remind you that the resource for the month of October is this brand new, never-before-published book, The Promise of Heaven. It's a Thomas Nelson book, but you can get it from Turning Point for a gift of any size. It is already making its way to the bookstores this week. This is the week of its announcement.
Many of you partners got yours a little bit early, but this book, I believe, is a book for this day and age. Studies have told us that more people are interested in heaven now than ever before. but there's a lot of misunderstanding about it, which we hope to clear up in this book. You can get your copy of The Promise of Heaven for a gift of any size to Turning Point. Just ask for the book when you send your gift, and we'll make sure you get it.
Right now, we're ready for the promise of heaven, John 14, 1 through 6. Way back in 1962, Brendan Grimshaw accomplished something most people only dream about. He purchased his own private island in Paradise. He bought a tiny spit of the Seychelles island in the Indian Ocean just above Madagascar. The island called Moyen cost him $10,000.
Once the deal was done, the real work began. The island had become overgrown with weeds and choked with invasive fauna. and most days rats were the only animals that he ever encountered. But Grimshaw was diligent, and for decades he worked his way across the one hundred and twenty thousand square meters of his island clearing trails, planting more than sixteen hundred trees, bringing birds and tortoises back to the land. Having never married, He developed a strong friendship with a local man who helped with the restoration projects for decades.
And when Grimshaw's mother passed away in 1981, He invited his father to join him on the island, and they spent five wonderful years together. before his father passed away and was buried there. Brennan Grimshaw died in 2012, which means he Spent fifty years in dedicated service to his personal slice of paradise. And in the years before his death, he received numerous offers to buy the island for staggering amounts of money. There were even rumors that a Saudi prince offered him $50 million for the deed to his island.
But Grimshaw refused these proposals and he reached an agreement With the government to turn the island into the world's smallest national park. When his life came to a close, Grimshaw was buried in a small cave. Cave within his beloved island. and a small tombstone reads Moyen taught him to open his eyes to the beauty around him and to say thank you to God.
So take a good look around you. The God of the universe has enveloped you with never-ending beauty. Above your head, every day is a swirling mixture of clouds. Cobalt And a canopy of stars that stretches 2.5 million light years into the depths of the universe. Beneath your feet are meadows and grass.
Around you are trees. flowers and sometimes mysterious patches of fog. Birds wing their way through the pathless air and the spinning oceans rise and fall with the tides. What a beautiful world.
Sometimes the wonders of nature can lift your spirits when little else can. You may be worried or discouraged right now, but God has designed His world to help you. When we pause to feel the sunshine on our faces, when we listen to the singing of the crickets at night, or smell the fragrance of blooming lilacs, it lifts our spirits. like a tonic. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God has made everything beautiful in its time.
And if that's all the verse said, it would be pretty great. But it goes on to say. He has put eternity in our hearts. Did you know that God has built our world with His artistry? And he's placed inside of us a desire to enjoy his creation forever.
Despite its beauty, our present world is marred with problems. Almost all of them caused by us. But even so, God's craftsmanship shines through humanity's haze. Beauty and Eternity. It's built into each of our hearts.
And that's the promise of heaven, and that's why the Lord has filled the Bible with information about our everlasting home. Whether we know it or not, there is a heaven-shaped vacuum in our heart. that we long to have filled. This was clearly on the mind of our Lord Jesus Christ on the final night of his earthly life. In the upper room with his disciples around him, Here's what he said.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God? Believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. Where I am. there you may be also. That was the promise that God gave. The Savior of the world wanted to teach his friends about heaven.
And so we're going to listen to what he said and take it apart today and put it back together. The first thing we know about heaven from the words of Jesus in John 14. is that heaven means believing in a person. If you believe in heaven, you have to believe in a person. Jesus began his words on a note of assurance.
He said, Don't let your heart be troubled. And the Good News Translation says, don't be worried and upset. Jesus said, believe in God and believe in me also. These words are for you. Imagine the Lord Jesus Christ standing here in all of his strength and splendor, looking at you in this beautiful theater and saying to you, Don't be worried and upset.
Don't be troubled. Today, in our culture, we seem to have accumulated an armory of agents. to help us combat anxiety. You probably are using some of them, even as I speak. We have medications and therapies and.
breathing techniques and coping mechanisms and support groups. And mindfulness exercises and religious rituals and playlists and medical professionals and psychological counselors and Any of these Use wisely. might be helpful, but on that long ago night amid the flickering torches up the upper room, The Lord Jesus had only one recommendation. Do you know what it was? himself.
He said, you believe in God? Believe on you.
So, our discussion of heaven and the mental peace it brings to us always starts with a person. and the person of Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Him begins when we acknowledge our failures. When we say that we need him, and we open our hearts to Him and trust Him as Savior and Lord. But that's only the beginning.
That's the beginning of our journey in believing in Him, trusting Him and leaning on Him during the frightening times. Jesus' words would be hollow without what happened to him three days later. He arose physically and literally from the grave following his crucifixion. His body was the same. But it was different.
He was recognizable, but he was now physically equipped. to live endlessly without aging and without deteriorating. This is our single greatest biblical clue about heaven. The risen Jesus will be there personally. And here's something most Christians don't know: He will be there in His humanity, He will be there in His body, letting us know that heaven is a real place.
We will reside there with Him in our physical resurrected bodies. And here's what the Bible says. Jesus wants you there. Here's the proof. Pick up a Bible or a New Testament.
Turn to John 14, 16, circle every time Jesus refers to himself using the pronouns, I, me, or myself. I'll not give you the answer here, but I think you'll get the point. when anxiety is near. What you need is not a therapy. You need Jesus.
You need the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Later on in the same chapter, Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you, but let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.
So, the first thing Jesus wants us to know from John 14:1 through 6 is that heaven. Means believing in a person. And we're going to talk a lot about all of the things about heaven during these days. But let me tell you something, most of those things will fade into the background when you get to heaven. The only thing you're going to think about is.
seeing Jesus and having a relationship with Him because He's the reason you're there. And you know what? Not only does he provide for us in the future of heaven, But he's the reason we have any way of surviving in the world in which we live today. If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I would be filled with despair and agony and wondering what's going to happen next. But he's what I know.
He knows the future. And while I don't know the future, I know the one who does. And every day when I speak with him and pray to him and read his words in the scripture. A little bit of heaven seeps into my heart even now.
So first of all, heaven means believing in a person. But secondly, Heaven means believing in a place.
Now, I have to say this because a lot of people that I've talked to over the years think that heaven is like a state of mind. You know, oh, this is heavenly. What they mean is it's utopian. But heaven in the Bible isn't some state of mind, it's not some good feeling about the future. In the Bible, heaven is an actual place.
Here's what John's Gospel teaches us in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. Now, watch this. I go to prepare A place For you. The word Jesus used is the Greek term topos, from which we get our word topography.
It refers to a literal location. Jesus says that heaven is a literal district, neighborhood, region, or habitat. Hebrews 11, 16 calls it a heavenly country. Revelation describes it as a vast capital city. The Psalms refers to heaven as Zion, where God dwells.
And during the course of these messages, we'll look at all of those designations. But most of all, it's important for you to know that heaven Is a place, and he describes that place with my favorite term for heaven. Listen to this. It's the father's house. It's the father's house.
Mundana and I were in seminary in Dallas, Texas. We went to seminary from Cedarborough College, where we were students. Got married after college and went there to go to seminary. Believe it or not, we both had jobs. She worked there, and I had a job plus going to school because you had to do that in order to afford the seminary.
Every once in a while we get so homesick. We would leave after work on Friday and drive 1,050 miles to Cedarville from Dallas. To be there for maybe five or six or seven hours because we had to turn around and drive back because we had to be at work on Monday. Why did we do that? We were enamored with the father's house.
My mom and dad had a home, and we had known so many wonderful things there. Donna went to college there, and we had a lot of meals. at the father's house. It was home. In fact, when my parents got older, decided to downsize.
I was mad at him for two or three years because That was a special place. And you all know what I'm talking about: the father's house. And that's how God describes heaven. Heaven is a place. What kind of place is it?
It's the Father's house. The father's house is where God lives, and there are many mansions there. And the Greek word for mansion means a place to stay. a dwelling, a home. But mansion is a perfectly good word to describe any kind of place in heaven is a mansion compared to what we got down here.
Amen? The key word in this section is father. And the word father occurs 23 times in this section of scripture. He's the one who brings peace and perspective and performance. and permanence to our troubled hearts through His Son Jesus Christ.
In this comforting image of the Father's house, We come face to face with closeness. intimacy and everlasting Heaven. Heaven is not a feeling, it's not a fantasy. It's a prepared place. for a prepared people.
We're going to gather there and we're going to congregate there and we're going to interact there and we're going to enjoy our time. Jesus said something really comforting. He said, I go to prepare a place for you. He didn't just say heaven is real, he said it's personal. A place for the menu.
For you. A place for me. When you get there, what will happen? In the first few moments of your existence in heaven, you're going to go.
So that's what I've been waiting for. Amen. It reminds me of something I read about in a Swiss doctor's book by the name of Paul Toignier. He wrote a book called A Place for You, and he was a counselor, and he believed that One of the deepest needs we all have is to belong somewhere, to have a place. In his book he told a story about this young man who had a rough life.
His family was unhappy. He never felt like he fit in at home. And he, even as he grew up, couldn't connect with the people at work. He always just felt lost. One day in counseling, This young man said, I think the real problem is I'm just always looking for a place.
someplace to be. That's something that we all feel in our hearts. We want to know we belong. We want a place where we're wanted, where we feel at home. And some people go their whole lives searching for that and they never find it.
But Jesus gives us this promise. He says to all of us who are Christians, Y'all have a place. A place, he's preparing it right now. It's not just a house. It's your home.
It's your future. It's where you're going to be with Jesus. and with all of his followers. This will be our lasting home. Remember We're not home yet.
Remember the old spiritual This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through.
Well, that's true. The Bible describes us as pilgrims and strangers on this earth. We may have our own homes, even beautiful ones, but they're only temporary because. We're not here for long, are we? Just ask Edward Harriman.
He was a preacher's kid who dropped out of school to become an errand boy on Wall Street. In less than ten years, he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. He later became one of America's leading railroad giants. He was known as the king of the railroad. He purchased nearly 8,000 acres north of New York City.
for his forever home, 8,000 acres. And a mansion he called Arden. It was a 100,000 square foot mansion on 20,000 acres at the top of Mount Arama. with breathtaking views. The mansion, which is today an exclusive conference center, some of you may know about it.
Boasts wide corridors, sprawling sitting rooms, sweeping courtyards, spewing fountains, and lavish bedrooms. It's one of the largest private homes in all of America. Harriman made certain everything about this house came from the United States. The carved wood, marbles, painting, tapestry, sculptures. Furniture, even the great organ in the gallery was made in America.
Harriman moved into his sprawling mansion early 1909. and he died there on September the 9th of the same year. He was 61. He only enjoyed his mansion a few months. before death took it all away.
Our earthly homes, whether we live in a cardboard box or in a sprawling estate, They're all temporary. Heaven is your forever home. Which you will enjoy in a resurrected body with a glorious friend named Jesus Christ.
So heaven means believing in a person. And it means believing in a place. But it also means believing in a promise. Jesus said, I go. and prepare a place for you, and I will come again.
and receive you to myself. that where I am, there you may be also. Within the context of our Lord's impending death, his resurrection and ascension, The only logical interpretation of this promise involves His return. and rapture of the church. It's incredible to consider how much the Lord wants to be with us.
He wants us to be where he is. He prayed in John 17, 24. Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am. That they may behold my glory. I don't know that I ever realized that until recently.
In studying the New Testament, how many times it says in the New Testament that Jesus wants us to be with Him.
Now, we want to be with Jesus. But it's amazing. Jesus wants us to be with Him. It's the desire of Jesus Christ to be with us. He had many things to say on earth, and the Bible has much to say, but some of the words are truth for us to accept.
Some are prayers for us to echo.
Some are warnings that we should avoid.
Some are words of reassurance. There are long passages devoted to the praise of God's glory, and Jesus had a lot to say about the ethics of life. About loving God and loving one another. But to me, the most wonderful category of biblical teaching is the promises the Lord has made to us. They represent the foundation of our faith.
He said, I'm going away. To prepare a place for you, and I'm going to come and get you and bring you where I am so that where I am, you can be also. And that's a wonderful truth.
Someone has said God makes a promise. Faith believes it. Hope anticipates it and patience waits for it. Of all his promises, the Lord's simple words that he is preparing a place for us and will come again. and receive us and take us to be with Him for eternity.
Well, I don't know there could be a better promise than that. We all need our Lord's promise. We need it badly. And we have it. Vaneetha Rendell Reisner has learned to rest on that promise.
I'm going to tell you her rather sad story. Veneta contracted polio as an infant. She was misdiagnosed. She lived with widespread paralysis. Things began improving after she found Christ as a young person.
She got a dream job in Boston. She earned her MBA from Stanford. where she met and married a classmate. Then things unraveled again. She had four miscarriages.
and her son died from a doctor's mistake. She was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, meaning she would likely be a quadriplegic. and that's when her husband betrayed her and moved out. Through all of this, Beneatha's walk with God kept growing stronger and her faith Deeper into the word, and she has been a testimony of victory to many. She wrote a book.
It's called walking through fire. She simply put it like this. She said, life is a journey. but only if there's a destination. I'm on my way to my father's house.
And I absolutely cannot wait for the party. When I get there, I will jog, run, sprint, race, and finally leap into the arms of my Savior. She long ago discovered that her suffering was temporary and it was preparing her for heaven. Where there would be incomparable glory far greater than any pain she has ever known. People ask me all the time: why is it important to study heaven?
Because we're not there yet. Heaven is the anchor of your soul. The Bible says that. And when you know that God has got this all worked out, and the plan for the future is definite, and there's no possibility that it can fail, then one day you're going to be with Jesus.
Somehow the things you have to go through down here are a little bit easier to deal with. because you know this is not forever. God's got something better planned for all of us. Amen. Amen.
Heaven What a wonderful subject. And it's not just a mere idea. It's not an influence, it's not a force. Heaven's a place. and that place is occupied by a person who has given us a promise.
More about this on Monday when we continue our discussion about heaven. Don't forget, you can get a copy of this new book from Turning Point. The promise of heaven gives you 31 reasons to get excited about your eternal home. You can see with fresh eyes how heaven has. Come near.
and the forces of darkness don't stand a chance. Heaven has already One. and you can find out about that and how you can be sure you're going to be there and what it will be like. Ask for your copy of the promise of heaven when you send your gift to Turning Point this month, and we'll see you on Monday. Today's message from Dr.
Jeremiah came to you from the Appell Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Turning Point is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where to find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org/slash radio. That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's new book, The Promise of Heaven: 31 Reasons to Get Excited About Your Eternal Home.
It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions. complete with notes and articles from Dr. Jeremiah's decades of study. We welcome your notes of encouragement, so please write us at Turning Point, P.O.
Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday as we continue the series The Promise of Heaven on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
