The great hope in heaven

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Thank you Michael and thank you team for leading us this morning. On the 16th of December last year, a terrible thing happened for me. On that date, the 16th of December last year, along with my three siblings, I became an orphan. Almost 73 years of age, I became an orphan. And I've got to tell you that from the day I was born, I knew my mum and dad and I knew them well over all of those years. They were a godly couple. They showed me how to live for Jesus. They told me about the great hope that was ours in heaven. They encouraged me to look forward to receiving that wonderful, wonderful gift that God offers us through His Son, the Lord Jesus. And my parents died fairly close to each other. On the 26th of September, dad passed away after a fairly long, prolonged time of poor health. Almost nine weeks and a couple of days later, mum passed away. And as they were leading up to this point in their lives, it was becoming obvious they were well into their 90s. Dad was 97, mum was a couple of weeks off 95. It was obvious to me that they were looking forward to heaven. That was what was on their agenda, if you like. And so this morning, I want to share with you a few thoughts that have gathered in my mind as during that period of time and since then, I've pondered the topic of heaven. Somebody mentioned in the reading that I was doing that heaven is mentioned in the Bible about 600 times. So I had a look at my Bible and went to the last page of the book of Revelation. And I discover that the last page of the book of Revelation is on page 1196, almost 1200 pages. So that means on average, heaven appears every second page. Very popular. But really, do we give it that promotion in our own lives, in our own lifestyle? As mum and dad's health began to deteriorate, the major issue on their minds as to where they were at in their lives was this whole issue of heaven. It was about this time last year, I guess. In April of last year, mum had been diagnosed with a fairly large tumour in her colon. And at 94, as she was then, she didn't want to go through any major surgery. She said she would live with it. And it was about this time last year, we'd been down to visit mum and dad, down in Taree in New South Wales. We were trying to do that about every eight weeks since I retired, just to keep in touch with them. And we're in the habit that when we were leaving, we would ride into mum's diary that was on the kitchen bench, the dates when we would come back again. And so I was saying goodbye to mum, and go a hug, and I said, mum, we've written in your diary the dates when we'll be back again, so we'll see you then in about eight weeks time. She said, well, I may not be here. She said, I'll be in heaven and you'll be jealous. She just had this great expectation of heaven. And the week before my dad died, I was down there visiting, and we'd gone back and we got the call while we were in Bundaberg visiting our kids that dad was pretty low and we set off and had to get home, change things over and head down. And I think we've got about as far as grafting before text messages came through to say that dad had passed away. But a week before dad had passed away after a prolonged time of ill health in his nursing home, unable to move around on his own, having to be lifted everywhere was just a terrible thing for him. And the week before we were talking, and he was talking, he said, I don't think I've got much longer to go. And we talked about him, and he was saying, you know, I'm just looking forward to being in heaven. And as I walked out of his room, and I stood at his door on that last time I turned and I said, well, I'll catch you later, dad. And if you're not here, I know where you'll be. And he was stooped in his old recliner chair, and he looked up and he went. You see, they both had this terrific expectation of being with Jesus in heaven. And so with that topic of heaven running around my mind so freshly, I just want to share some thoughts with you. One day I was sitting in my garden pulling weeds out and had the headphones on, tuned into some country music, don't hold that against me, but that's just what I like. And a bit of a mix of secular and sacred country music, and it struck me the number of songs that they used to sing in those days and still sing that keep focusing on heaven. Even in a secular context, some fellow could have been a shocking guy, and as he hung on the gallows, they're singing, God, look after him in heaven. And it struck me, boy, we're very confused in this world about this whole topic of heaven. Even in the context of the church, we don't hear it promoted as often as perhaps we used to in days gone by. Now I'm no singer, usually people that sit around me here singing sit in a different seat the next week, but when I'm in the car all by myself with the windows wound up, sometimes I just let it ring. And there's one song that we used to sing that I just used to sing out quite regularly, particularly as I'm driving along a trip, and it's that chorus, I don't know, it's probably in the brown book or the blue book or the yellow book, way, way, way back then, that goes, heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace. I'm going to see my Saviour's face, heaven is a wonderful place. That's all there was to it. How many know that song? Yeah, a few do. I almost get a sore to sing it, but I won't. But we'd sing it twice. And on the second time through, I'd sing it, heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace. I'm going to see my Saviour's face, heaven is a wonderful place, and then sing it the second time. Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace. I'm going to see my Saviour's face, heaven is a wonderful place, heaven is a marvelous place. Yeah! Yes, don't look, grabs me. Heaven is a terrific place. And if you're not going there, you're going to miss out. A few months ago, as I did my hospital chaplaincy rounds here at the Cavulcher Hospital, I came across a lady who was obviously very committed to her Catholic faith. When I sensed her spiritual further, I asked if she would like me to pray for her. And as she said, yes please, that would be nice. Which prayer will you pray? Our Father One or the Shepherd One? And immediately I became aware that this lady had become very well known with the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm, the Lord's Shepherd. And we prayed the Our Father One, Our Father. And I thought about it, both of those passages of Scripture that had been taught to her through her faith journey had a focus on heaven. Our Father in the Old Language, which art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Or the Lord is my Shepherd, where David writes about God's provision for him, even in difficult times. And in that particular Psalm, he says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Right from the Old Testament through to the New Testament, there is this focus on our ultimate goal being that of heaven for those who are followers of Jesus. Many years ago, a minister asked his congregation, Who wants to go to heaven? Hands sprung up everywhere. He followed it up with a second question, he said, Who wants to go to heaven today? Well, it wasn't quite so popular. And I can understand that. Because I can recall a time when Rose and I were preparing for our wedding. And marriage was looking pretty exciting. This whole next phase of my life of being united to partner forever in marriage and having a family. And I can remember saying, Hey, Lord, can you just hold off for a bit? I mean, I want to marry my girl. That's an understandable reaction. But friends, the question that we do need to consider is, if God were to call you into His heaven today, would you be ready? Would you be ready? In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells a parable of the bridesmaids. The first 13 verses of Matthew 25 tells the story of these bridesmaids attending to the bride before her bridegroom came to take her to be his bride. And Rose and I, I'm not sure whether Rose was with me on this particular trip, but there was an occasion out of my two trips to Israel that we're in a hotel and there was a wedding ceremony happening. And out on the well-manacured grounds of the hotel was this gathering of, you could see the bride and her attendants and family all out there, friends all out there on the grass. And as we went into the foyer of the hotel, you could hear all these male voices singing and going on up in the atrium up the top. And that went on for quite a while and then all of a sudden this clapping started and they all came tromping down the steps singing as the groom came out to take his bride. That's their culture, very different to ours. And yet, just what Jesus talks about, that Jesus coming to take his bride, the church. And he tells this parable about these bridesmaids and they didn't know when the bridegroom was going to come and they needed to have their oil lamps so they could see their way around. And at midnight the call came, five of those brides were well-prepared, five didn't bring enough oil and they were trying to get oil from the others and they missed out. And the parable is summed up in verse 13 of Matthew 25. So when Jesus says, so you too must keep watch for you, do not know the day or the hour of my return, will you be ready when Jesus comes? That's the question we need to be asking ourselves. For the purposes of our biblical focus this morning, I want to direct our attention to John's Gospel chapter 14, 1 to 6. And I wonder if you'd put that up for me now and just leave it sit there. We'll come back and forth to it over a little while. But John 14 verses 1 to 6, this is how it reads in the New Living Translation. Don't let your heart be troubled, trust in God and trust also in me, says Jesus. This is more than, there is a more than enough room in my father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I'm going. No, we don't Lord, Thomas said. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except by me. Before we go any further, will you join me as we come before God in prayer? Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you particularly for the very clear instruction that you have for us about the great hope that you offer us through Jesus, the place of heaven. Father, if there be any here this morning that have been deceived about what it involves to be a resident, a citizen of heaven, may you bring correction to their thinking. Father, for others of us that perhaps are certain of that place in your heaven, give us the courage to not only rejoice and be satisfied with that, but to share that good news with others. Father, speak your word into our hearts as we spend these next few moments together considering this topic. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. John 14 is one of those passages of Scripture and particularly these opening verses that we often hear used in the context of a funeral service. Over my years of pastoral ministry, I have conducted my fair share of funerals and I have found myself wondering at times when I hear those verses of Scripture read, what does this mean to these people that are gathered here? What does it mean in the context of the one who has passed on? And sadly, I suspect that it's a passage of Scripture that's quite often read out of context or presented out of its context. So I want to spend a little bit of time first of all debunking some of the myths about heaven. And myth number one is everyone goes to heaven. Friends, that is not true. When you look at this passage of Scripture here, who is Jesus talking to? He's talking to his disciples. He's talking to those who have agreed to follow him, those who have agreed to commit their lives to him, it's been a struggle, it's been a difficult time, they still don't know everything, but they're there. They're wanting to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, let me say the only ones who will get into heaven are those who have been born again by the Spirit of God through the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and their absolute dependence on him. You see, Paul makes it quite clear in very simple language in Romans chapter 3, verse 23, when he says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We've all fallen short of God's expectations, we're failures in our own strength. But Paul can go on and say in Romans 6, 23, the wages or the penalty of sin is death. If we continue in our sin, we will die. Now, friends, I've spoken to folks about the gospel and they say, oh, well, that's all right, if I die, I'll just rot away there, and that's it, no. That's not the kind of death that Jesus is talking about. That's not the kind of death Paul is talking about here. He's talking about an eternal death. And I spoke with a young guy just during this week at the tannery, fellow 16 or 17 years of age, I guess, I'm assuming it's his first job out of school and fairly new on the job and somebody must have wired him up as to who I was and I came over here and he said, you believe in God, do you? I said, yes, I do. What about you? Ah, 50-50. I said, what do you mean 50-50? Ah, I don't know. He said, I can understand a heaven and a hell, but I don't know, you can't see God. And is it real that, you know, he just touched people and they got better? He said, like, I was baptized as a kid and I went to a Christian school and they had a pastor there, but I don't know, it just doesn't make sense to me. Well, I went on and talked for him, that was a longer story and shared my story and in the end he was happy to accept a copy of the Gideon's Bible and go away and read that through and he said, you'll be back next week? I said, yeah, I'll be on Tuesday next week. Can you come and see me again and we'll talk more. He was this young guy, he had a concept of heaven and hell, but he didn't know where he was going. Friends, hell is an eternal destiny. It's not a one-time experience and then nothing, it is eternal. Again, the writer of the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 25 talks about when Jesus will come again, the judgment day, and in Matthew 25 and verse 41, Jesus is talking about a king sorting out his people, the goats will be here and the sheep will be there, those that have done good and those that have done the wrong thing and it gets the judgment time and the king will say, I tell you the truth, sorry, verse 41, then the king will turn to those on his left and say, away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For those who have not done it the way the king wanted it done, for those who have not followed Jesus the way Jesus has prescribed it to be done, there will come the judgment day and those who have done it their way, Jesus will say, away from me, you cursed, I've never known you, into that eternal fire prepared for the devil and the demons. Again in verse 46, and they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life, those who through the blood of Christ, the resurrection, who have trusted Jesus are claimed to be righteous and will inherit eternal life. John had a very wonderful experience, he was imprisoned for a little while on the isle of Patmos, one of the beautiful Greek islands, while he was there he had this amazing vision of heaven, it was as though he just looked through a crack in the door and God was showing him what was going to happen in these end times. Part of it was the way in which the evil ones would be dealt with, those who have fought against God's ways would be dealt with. In Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10, John says, then the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet, there they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. He said, oh well that's the devil and all his followers, well yes it will be all his followers, because John goes on to say in verse 15, and anyone whose name was not found recorded in the book of life was thrown into that lake of fire, it burns forever and ever. You see, God has a book and written in that book are all those who have put their trust in Jesus to own him as Lord and Savior, all those are the ones who will inherit eternal life and when that judgment day comes, if your name is not in the book of life, you'll be cast into that eternal fire of hell. Not everyone goes to heaven, but only those whose names are written in the book. Verse number 2, all my friends and family will be there. Too often I think those opening words of John chapter 14 verse 1 and 2, do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me. There's more than enough room in my Father's home. Sort of conveys a message in the Aussie vernacular, she'll be right mate, there's plenty of room there, we'll be right, we can get there. They're treated as some kind of a magic mantra. How often do we hear when somebody's passed on on, now they're over their troubles, I'll be with mum again, or I'll be with dad again, or I'll catch up with their mates there. Because that's not necessarily so. Do you realize that heaven will be far less populated than hell? In Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 to 14, Jesus continuing his teaching to his disciples, he says, I find the right page, he's talking about heaven and hell, he says, now you can enter God's kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wider for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it. I'm going to hear a promotion about the coming Echor, in years gone by I've watched in the news reports how the Echors had this on and that on and there's always a report of the crowds that have gone there, thousands that have gone day after day and they're looking at record crowds. Some of you might have been to a footy match and you've sat in a stadium and you've looked around with tens of thousands of people, 20, 30, 40, 50,000 people in that stadium. Perhaps you frequent the shopping malls and you wander around and you particularly at Christmas time you're banging shoulders with the crowd trying to get around there. You ever stop to think most of those crowds will spend eternity in hell? So bring thought isn't it? There will be more people in hell than there will be in heaven. Myth number three is heaven's my choice. No it's not. Heaven is by invitation only. In John chapter 14 and verse 3 the scripture reading that we're looking at, we read Jesus said when everything is ready I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am. Perhaps the most popular verse in the whole of the Bible is John 3.16 and those of you know it doesn't say for God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son so that everyone will not perish but have eternal life. There's a big chunk missed out there. God loved everyone that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have a everlasting life. That word believe means to trust. Whosoever puts their trust in Jesus, whosoever lives their life for Jesus on God's terms will receive eternal life. That involves repentance to say God I'm sorry that I've sinned against you. I don't want to go down that track. I want to accept your gift of salvation that you offered through your son Jesus Christ and receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Everyone who believes, everyone who trusts in him will have eternal life. Heaven is not our choice. It is not automatically conferred on us. Matthew 7 in his concluding words of the Sermon on the Mount in verses 21 to 23, Jesus is talking about the religious people who do religious stuff, I picked up on the words that Pastor Doug shared with us, this is not just a ritual. That young fellow I spoke to you about, he was baptized as a kid. Sometimes we can part communion but we do it because it's a ritual and not because we are expressing our love for Jesus. And there are a lot of people who live by ritual and in Matthew 7 in verses 21 to 23 Jesus says not everyone who calls out to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and we cast our demons in your name and perform many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you, get away from me, you who break God's laws. You can do all the rituals. You can say, oh God, but I went to church every Sunday. I took communion whenever communion was served. I got baptized one day too. I sang in the choir. I played an instrument. I worked on the working bees. But if there's not that personal relationship with Jesus as your own Lord and Savior, on judgment day Jesus will say, I never knew you, depart from me. How tragic would that be? John chapter 14 and verse 2 opens with Jesus saying, there is more than enough room in my Father's home. Many other translations of the Bible and the older renderings have in my Father's house are many mansions. And I can remember as a young kid, that word really appealed to me. Because we were just an average family, lived in a little old weatherboard house. We didn't have television. We didn't have carpet on the floor. Very basic. And the idea of a mansion. You know, you could think of those pictures you saw of the American mansions and these massive big houses and it was something that was appealing. Sounded glamorous. And then when you get into the book of Revelation and you read about what John sees, it's so over-auring to him that he's snatching at glamorous things, streets of gold and all these precious gems. Just amazing. And you know, I sense that in our current materialistic society, these things don't have the same attraction for what they held for me as a kid. Because we live pretty comfortably these days. Well, majority of us do. There are exceptions, I know, that go through really strong difficulties. But you know, good home, good food, employment, retirement plans, all the mod cons in the home. And I suspect that too often these standards of living cause some people to say, well look, I've got no need for God, I've got all I want. It can't be better than this. My friends, what about the personal issues? Just last Friday, I read of a very dear friend of ours, he was one of my deacons in the church at Port Macquarie, later on he moved to Brisbane and started attending the church, he and his wife had staffed with us. Lovely, lovely couple, and I read the news that Lyle has been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer, receiving radiation. For the past few years, he's been the carer for his wife, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and in the early stages of dementia. Tragic, lovely, godly couple. And yet, you know, I am very, very conscious for that couple, whilst it will be a difficult road, their hope in Jesus will be far more appealing. Whereas the apostle John wrote in his revelation in chapter 21, verses 3-4, he says, I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, look, God's home is now among his people. He will live with them and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. And get this, he will wipe every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever. Because that's the richness of heaven. To be with God forever, with no contamination of sin whatsoever. To have a focus on God who wipes away every tear, there will be no more pain, there will be no more struggle street. Heaven is not just a materialistic mansion. It is life, a life of perfection forever. When Jesus told his disciples that he was going back to heaven, he said, now, you know where I'm going to? Thomas spoke on behalf of all the fellow disciples, don't just point your finger at Thomas, because he says, we don't know where you're going. We have no idea where you're going, how can we get there? To which Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. Friends, Jesus is the only way to heaven. No other way. When mum and dad were in their 80s, we called a family meeting. My three siblings and our spouses sat down with mum and dad, and we had to have the difficult talk. Well, when you pass on, do you want to be buried, do you want to be cremated? Do you want a service in the church? If you have a service in the church, do you want songs sung? Which songs would you like to be sung? Went through all of those sorts of things. Dad said to me, he said, I want that hymn, when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. But I don't want it sung the way I saw it sung by one fellow. And he said, what do you mean? Well, it was back in the days when we used to sing and the song leader would conduct a song. The indoor does that sometimes, you know. Just drop the guitar and conduct. Bring us in. Kelly did a little bit of it in leading us to the song today. And that old hymn has a chorus. When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. And then the last line of the chorus is when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. And on the last time they sing it, after all the verses have been sung, this guy was slowing them down so that they put emphasis on that. And he's conducted, when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. Dad said, I won't be there, I'll be there. Friends, when the roll is called up yonder, where will you be? Where will you be? I'm going to pray. But as I pray, think about your own eternal destiny. Is it based on the fact that you will be in heaven because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life for you? Or are you trying to get there by some other way? Let's pray. And if you've realized this morning that perhaps you had an incorrect concept of heaven, perhaps you were counting on getting to heaven in your own strength by your own means, because somebody else is a believer and you think you can hang on to their values. But you've realized that this morning you have to acknowledge that you're a sinner. And that the only way you can get to heaven is to repent of that sin and tell God you're sorry. And to accept God's gift of salvation that He made possible through Jesus who paid the price for our sin. And calls us to Himself to accept His gift of salvation. That's the only way. Why not right now just say to God, Lord, I'm sorry I've done wrong. I'm sorry that I've lived life my way. I want to live my life your way. I want to accept the precious gift of salvation that you've extended to me through Jesus. I want to live my life for Jesus. I want to live my life so when it comes to the end my name will be written in your book of life. And if that's a prayer that you prayed this morning or something along those lines, I want you to talk to a Christian friend, maybe one of the pastors. In case of kids you might want to talk to mum and dad. Don't go away from this place without an assurance in your own heart that heaven is the wonderful place that you are going to. Father, this service might end. But we know that your invitation continues until the day that Jesus returns. And it saddens my heart to read in the Word that there will be more in hell than there are in heaven. It saddens my heart when I have family members and friends and acquaintances whom I know just don't get it. They don't know or don't want to except Jesus as their means of salvation. Lord, I pray that your Holy Spirit will continue to talk to their minds to show them the truth, to make clear the wonder of salvation in Jesus and in Jesus alone and in his name I ask this. Amen.