Dover Assembly of God
This is our last week on our study of heaven. We’ve talked about all the aspects that the Bible lays out for us.
Let’s review them one last time.
1) Heaven being a real physical place.
2) How to get there, what is there, it’s permanent, and who will be there.
3) You get there instantly upon your death, escorted by angels and met when you arrive
4) And you will have things to do when you are there.
5) Our bodies will be perfect, immortal, incorruptible, we will eat, and we will have some form of these bodies. That others will recognize
6) Rewards
7) The New Heavens & Earth
8) Millennium
And there is so much more that isn’t mentioned and we can’t comprehend.
But we closed last week with the statement that there is a reason that God gives us all this information about the end times and heaven.
And it isn’t so we can get a bunch of knowledge. There has to be more of a purpose to it.
The rapture, tribulation, war of Armageddon, millennium: if we won’t be here for any of it (except maybe the rapture), why do we even need to know or study it?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
So if we apply this verse to what we have learned, what does that tell us?
That these lessons about heaven and the end times is given to make us realize what is right. . . straighten us out and to make us do what is right.
It is supposed to prepare us for that time, doing all we need to do in preparation for that time. In other words, these teachings about heaven are designed to illicit a response from us.
What response? What should we be doing in anticipation of that time?
Let’s go back to a verse we looked at in the beginning of this series:
2 Peter 3:10-14 NLT
1) WE NEED TO BE READY
2 Peter 3:11 NLT
I think we all know that everything in this world will eventually be burned up. Either you die and what you have is left to be burned or the rapture happens and the same outcome.
If that is true, then Peter asks, what should you do about it? What should you do about that knowledge?
Answer: You should be living holy and godly!
Holy means “set apart for service to God”
Godly means “having a character that reflects the holy attributes of God.”
Knowing that we can die at any moment, or the rapture could happen at any moment, and that after those things happen, we’re going to stand at somebody’s judgement.
In fact the New Testament links the coming of Christ with being holy and godly several times.
Colossians 3:4-9 NLT
Even though you are saved, we still can and do sin.
Paul says now that you are saved and have the Holy Spirit to help you, it’s time to use that power and get rid of those things in your life.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT
1 John 3:2-3 NLT
Are we living pure?
If living holy and godly lives didn’t matter since we are covered by grace, why would God mention it so many times if not to warn us about that attitude.
Randy Alcorn gives this analogy:
If you are getting married soon, you have the date and arrangements set, how likely are you to be tempted to cheat. Hopefully you’ll be temptation-free.
However, if your wedding doesn’t mean much, it’s far in the future and technically you’re still single and you don’t care, you’ll be much easier to deceive. And if you are deceived just before your wedding, what do you think that outcome would be.
So this knowledge (and now we can’t say we didn’t know) should make you want to be ready for that day.
You don’t want to be left at the altar.
2) WE NEED TO KNOW GOD’S PROMISES
We all have a copy of God’s promise book that we use and claim for our needs and burdens. But sometimes we focus only on those promises and forget that other promises that God makes.
Sometimes we tend to put the end times and heaven things on the back burner because we think we won’t be here for it.
But neglect has a way of making us apathetic.
If our boss is away for an all-day meeting, how many of us kinda coast during the day? But if we think he could be back at any moment, our work habits probably change.
2 Peter 3:11-12 NLT
The idea that God is going to set the earth on fire is also a promise.
When we are anticipating a great vacation, something we have looked forward to for at least a year, all the other troubles that come our way don’t seem so troublesome.
I’m in a great mood, I’ll handle that later, or nothing is going to get me in a bad mood right before I leave.
That is what God’s word and teaching on heaven is supposed to do.
Whatever troubles happen, aren’t supposed to get you down because you have a great vacation coming your way.
Whenever that happens, remember these verses:
Philippians 3:20 NLT
Titus 2:13 NLT
Luke 21:28 NLT
We need to be ready, need to know God’s promises and. . .
3) WE NEED TO REMEMBER OUR PURPOSE
2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT
This is not a verse that tells us we have to work our way into heaven. It simply means, God has given each of us so many days, weeks, and years. We need to work hard with the time God has given us and with what God has given us.
What did you do with that time? What did you do with the talents God gave you?
With time, we never get it back. If your kids are small, enjoy it because you will never get that time back.
The same applies with God. If we wait until everything is perfect to attempt something for God, you’ll find yourself out of time to do it.
You can’t go back and do something for God that you felt you should have done in the past. But you didn’t feel like it or were too busy.
We all can say- I’ll serve God when I have more free time. When I have more energy, when I have more money.
I’ll teach that class when I see a bolt of lightning writing that in the sky.
Talents-we all know what happens when we have a talent or a gift that we don’t use.
It goes away. Talents or abilities are “a perishable commodity or a perishable skill”.
If you are a good golfer, but you never golf, what happens?
If you are a good teacher, leader, singer, musician, good _______ you fill in the blank.
What happens-you lose that talent.
And then it circles around to time. Not only will not have the talent, you also won’t have the time to get it back.
2 Peter 1:10 NLT
If you are consistent in your work for the Lord, (and I don’t mean over-extending yourself) you won’t stumble or fall away.
And the wording of that appears to me that the more you don’t work for the Lord, the greater the chance that you walk away from Him.
I know people that were very active in ministry, then they stepped down for whatever reason, but never got back into the swing of things. It became easy to not work, eventually since they weren’t involved, their attendance slipped and they walked away.
This teaching about heaven is supposed to encourage us that heaven is real and for all of us, is possible imminent and we need to be fulfilling our purpose on earth.
What need do you know about that hasn’t been met? If you wait for that bolt or a goosebumpy feeling it will never get done.
And you’ll be out of time.
We need to be ready, need to know God’s promises, need to remember our purpose and finally:
4) WE NEED TO MONITOR OUR PROGRESS
2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT
Did you know that sharks never stop growing? As long as they are alive they continue to grow.
Humans, do not. We get to a certain age and we stop growing (height-wise, not width wise)
That is what Peter means here. As long as we are alive, we should keep growing in our knowledge of God. There will never be a point where anyone can say, I know everything there is to know about God and the Bible.
The minute we stop learning, we stop growing. And you decline.
All those classes you said you’d never use after High School, can you do Algebra now? Congegate a verb? Speak a foreign language?
C.S Lewis said this:
We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary decent egg. You must be hatched or go bad.
a) Growth comes through the will of God.
God wants each of us to grow.
Philippians 3:12 NLT
b) Growth comes through God's word.
1 Peter 2:2-3 NLT
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 NLT
2 Timothy 2:15 NLT
The only way to grow spiritually is through your knowledge and application of God’s word.
Just knowing it doesn’t do much for you.
James 2:19-20 NLT
You have to apply it.
James 1:22-25 NLT
c) Growth comes through God’s Church
Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT
God designed the church to be a place where believers can encourage and bless each other -- Not only a place to hear a sermon.
Every gift and talent that we are able to exercise in God’s house is not only a blessing to us (see part on gifts and talents) it is to those who are under your teaching, hear your music, shake your hand at the door, watch your babies in the nursery, teach your children on Sundays and Wednesdays.
My best memories outside my family are with my church families. I have always been blessed and encouraged by those in God’s house.
That is God’s plan.
As we end these lessons on heaven, remember how awesome it will be, but also remember to be ready, to know that god promised that all these things are going to happen and his promises are yes and amen.
Remember your purpose. Part of that will be reflected in our rewards.
Keep an eye on your progress. Are you growing in your knowledge or just living on what you learned 10 years ago?
