The Afterlife June 5, 2011 Heaven: What is it like and who gets in?

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Sermon Series: The Afterlife Today’s Topic: Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Heaven: What is it like and who gets in?

Did you know: - Eternity is one of the most common themes of the Bible. - Heaven is common to all major faith groups. - Jesus said he was going there!

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven is an ancient Bible theme. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey. Deuteronomy 26:15

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven will come quickly! In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven can live inside us! This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” Isaiah 66:1

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven is a place of rewards! Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven is where Jesus is now. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Mark 16:19

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? - Heaven is forever! After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!”

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What is Heaven like? Heaven is massive – it is a 1500 mile cube (3.375 trillion sq miles) Revelation 21:16 The earth has million sq miles of surface (Heaven is 20 billion times larger than planet earth!)

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Where is heaven? Heaven is a new version of earth and heaven. I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev 21:2

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What will people be like in heaven? Very cool! Our bodies won’t age, we will be strong, full of glory and spiritual 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 We will recognize each other and God (1 John 3:2) but we all get new names (Rev 2:17)

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What will people be like in heaven? We are all married in heaven (to Jesus) Matthew 22:29-30 We probably won’t have social or ethnic differences Colossians 3:11

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What will we do in heaven? No playing harps - There will be harps in heaven but only angels, the 24 elders and those who survive the tribulation get to play them. Revelation 14:2

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What will we do in heaven? We become judges – of angels and the world 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 We will be having a party! "thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.” Hebrews 12:22

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Can we bring heaven to earth? If we are citizens of heaven now, we are to be modeling what heaven is like for those who are not yet citizens! He has also set eternity in the human heart. Ecclessiates 3:11

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Can we bring heaven to earth? Jesus told us to demand heaven’s laws and principles to be active now! Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:11

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Who will be in heaven? - God is there (Rev 21:4) - Angels will be there (Rev 22:1) - Animals will be there (Isaiah 11:6-8) - People will be there, but not all people. (Rev 21:4)

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What keeps us from Heaven? In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:7

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? What keeps us from Heaven? The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars; they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Rev 21:8

Heaven: What is it like and who gets in? Who get’s in? For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (Jesus), should not perish (hell), but have eternal life (heaven). John 3:16