Philippians 3:20, 21
Most people would like to know about
heaven, and many of them want to go there.
Recent polls suggest that nearly 80 percent of
all Americans believe there is a place called
heaven. I find that statistic encouraging because
it tells me that even in this skeptical
age, there is something deep inside the human
heart that cries out, “There must be something
more!”
I. WHERE IS HEAVEN?
A. Heaven is a real place. Jesus spoke about it (John 14:1-3). Twice in three verses, Jesus calls heaven a place. He means that heaven (“my Father’s house”) is a real place, as real as New York, London, or Tokyo. The place called heaven is just as real as the place you call home. It’s a real place filled with real people, which is why the Bible sometimes compares heaven to a mansion with many rooms (John 14:1-3) and to an enormous city teeming with people (Rev. 21; 22).
B. The Bible also tells us that heaven is the
dwelling place of God. His throne is there, the
angels are there, and the Lord Jesus Christ is in
heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And
we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables
him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be
like his glorious body” (Phil. 3:20,21). Heaven
is a real place, and it’s where Jesus is right now.
II. WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?
The Bible doesn’t give us much information.
What we have are images and pictures of
heaven and comparisons with life on earth.
What is heaven like? Here are some biblical facts about heaven. It is:
• God’s dwelling place (Ps. 33:13).
• Where Christ is today (Acts 1:11).
• The Father’s house (John 14:2).
• A city designed and built by God (Heb. 11:10).
• A better country (Heb. 11:16).
• Paradise (Luke 23:43).
Most of us have heard that heaven is a
place where the streets are paved with gold,
the gates are made of pearl, and the walls are
made of precious jewels. These images come
from Revelation 21 and 22, two chapters which
offer us the most extended picture of heaven in
the entire Bible.
John wrote about a street paved with gold,
and I do not doubt his words. He simply reported
what he saw in his vision. Thus, his words
are literally true. They are also meant to tell us
that the things we value so highly in this life will
be used to pave the roads in heaven.
Heaven is a real place for real people. The Bible describes it as a great city filled with all of God’s people. What would such a city look like? It would be a city with:
• No pollution, for the skies would always be crystal clear.
• No crime or violence, for criminals would never enter.
• No greedy politicians, no drug pushers, and no child molesters.
• No potholes and no power outages.
It would be filled with parks, rivers, rolling
meadows, and flowing streams. Flowers
in constant bloom would line the streets, there
would be fruit trees of every kind, and every
species of plant life would grow free from pestilence
and disease.
There is one other thing you won’t find
in heaven. There are no cemeteries in the city
God builds. Why? There are no funerals; in that
glad city, no one ever dies.
III. WHAT WILL WE DO IN HEAVEN?
The Bible doesn’t tell us everything we
would like to know, but we can be sure of this:
Heaven won’t be boring, and it will be more
fun than the best party you’ve ever attended.
I can guarantee you this: No one will be sitting
around on a cloud eating grapes and polishing
his or her halo. No, we’ll all be too busy
for that!
Here are five things that will occupy us in heaven. We will:
• Worship without distraction.
• Serve without exhaustion.
• Fellowship without fear.
• Learn without fatigue.
• Rest without boredom.
The best part about heaven will be seeing
Jesus face-to-face. We will worship the Son of
God and celebrate His great victory over sin
while the endless ages of eternity roll on and
on. The best music you’ve ever heard will pale
in comparison with the music of heaven. The
most awesome worship you’ve experienced on
earth is but a dim reflection of the praise we
will render around the throne of God.
IV. HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM GOING TO
HEAVEN?
This is the most important question of all.
Here is a wonderful truth: God has made it easy
for you to go to heaven. He did the hard part when
He sent His Son to die on the cross for you. He
paid the price for your sins so that you could one
day stand before God in heaven. Jesus said, “I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me” (John
14:6). He also said, “I am the door; if anyone enters
through Me, he shall be saved” (John 10:9,
NASB). Jesus is not only the way to heaven; He
is also the door to heaven. If you want to go to
heaven, you’ve got to go through the door marked
“Jesus Christ.” There is no other entrance.
What we need is solid ground on which to
stand. And we have it in the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
One of our most beloved hymns puts it
this way: “My hope is built on nothing less /
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; / I dare
not trust the sweetest frame, / But wholly lean
on Jesus’ name. / On Christ, the solid Rock, I
stand; / All other ground is sinking sand; / All
other ground is sinking sand.”1
That song says it all. If you want to go to
heaven, you must base your hope on the solid
rock of Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Are you
standing on the Rock today? Are you wholly
leaning on Jesus’ name?
CONCLUSION
No one goes to heaven by accident. Heaven
is God’s prepared place for His prepared people.
We prepare for heaven, and God prepares heaven
for us. I’ve already told you that most people
believe in heaven, and most people think they
are going there. But are they on the right road?
Are they building their lives on Jesus Christ, the
solid Rock? Too many, I fear, are standing on
sinking sand and do not know it
What is your hope for heaven? Mine is
Jesus Christ. What about you? Put your trust
in Jesus. Run to the cross. Stand with your full
weight on the solid Rock of our salvation. May
God help you to trust in Jesus Christ and Him
alone for your salvation. And may God grant that
we will all meet one day in heaven.
1 Edward Mote, The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, 522.
