Sermon Snippet – Our Heaven Haven
INTRODUCTION – We do not need to make an effort to recall the difficulties of life. As Shakespeare pointed out, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.” God’s Word provides needed relief from this onslaught of distressing hardships: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God [the Father]. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God [the Father]. When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). Together, today, let us “seek” – strive for – a better understanding of heaven, our future and forever home.
1. HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF WELCOME
John 14:1-6 is a blessedly familiar passage and includes this simple statement from the Savior: “I go to prepare a place for you” (verse 2c). Heaven is thus a prepared place. If we know that we are having guests, we do at least some cleaning up. How much more does our sovereign God prepare heaven for His own! We will not be visitors; no, we are already family. The light is on (“The Lamb is the light thereof” – Revelation 21:23c), and the welcome mat is out. The meal that awaits us will be a feast (“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” – Revelation 19:9b). Our Lord Himself will greet us (Matthew 25:21, 23); His words will assure us that we belong in heaven through faith in Him.
2.HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF WORSHIP
I enjoy times of worship for a number of reasons. Even though I am not musical, I really like music. Grand music is one part of worship here that will extend into eternity. Isaiah 44:23 is a kind command: “Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorifies Himself in Israel.” This call for worshipful singing originates in God Himself and is in response to His deliverance of Israel from captivity in Babylon. Each act of our Lord’s salvation merits such praise, and His eternal salvation of souls deserves an ongoing response. The Bible is clear that the sheer joy of singing will be part of our everlasting worship (Revelation 5:8-10; 14:3; 15:3).
3. HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF WORK
Our work here is fatiguing and often frustrating. Revelation 22:3 tells us that our service in heaven will be different: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.” The “curse” of man’s sin (Genesis 3) includes difficult work; the end of that “curse” means that our work in heaven will bring us genuine satisfaction. We will be part of our Savior God’s unending creative activity. Those who think that heaven might be a bit boring are simply wrong. We will be ever learning (and learning is rewarding and just flat-out fun!), ever amazed at God’s beautiful mind and works, ever involved in serving Him as He graciously wills.
CONCLUSION – Let us return to Colossians 3:1-4. Commenting on the word “appear” (the original Greek word means “an open display”), one reverent scholar wrote, “The veil which now shrouds your higher life from others, and even partly from yourselves, will be withdrawn. The world which persecutes, despises, ignores now, will then be blinded with the dazzling glory of the revelation.” Indeed. Our heaven home, our heaven haven, is a place of welcome, of worship, of work – all to the “glory” of God.