The Cure For Troubled Hearts  Part 3

John 14:1-3

 

Intro: JN 14 – Jesus sharing w/ his disciples some things that caused their hearts to be troubled

A)Betrayal / All Forsake / Peter Deny / Leaving can’t come now

 

B) See the Look of Distress on their Faces – when he said  v.1-3

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.   3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

 

C) Jesus was revealing here that the Key to troubled hearts is Heaven

 

Now this is our 3rd week looking at these verses – In the first week we talked about why heaven can seem so Dim / distant to us

A)Then Last week the 2nd week – we started talking about  - why we as believers should be longing & Living for Heaven { 10 Reasons

 

B) We noted 4 Reasons: #1 See Jesus in His Glory / #2 The Rewards or Crowns we are going to receive /#3 The Joy we will Experience

1)   #4 It means that we are not going to Hell

 

C) Tonight I want to give you 6 more reasons why we should be Longing & Living for Heaven { So picking up where we left off -

 

Reason #5 Because of what Heaven is going to look like {Turn 1 Cor 2

v.9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."  

 

A)Now although we have some glimpses of heaven given to us in the Scriptures No man has seen heaven in it’s totality /

1)Nor has it been described in it’s fullness  2 Cor 12 Inexpressible words

2) In fact what Paul is saying here is that Heaven is beyond our IMAGINATION hasn’t entered into our hearts { Can’t Imagine …be like

B) But we do have some glimpses given to us in the Scriptures – For instance in Rev 21 – John describes the New Jerusalem as this city

1) That is made of Solid gold – but the gold is so pure that it is clear as class

 

C) So it is incredibly strong – yet very reflective : Surrounding the city is this Kaleidoscope of the most Brilliant of colors  anyone has ever seen

1)   12 Jewels one for each tribe of Israel make up this assortment of colors

 

D) There are Varying degrees of blues, Reds, Yellows / greens & Oranges – Plus Crystal clear reflections

1)   The Light of the Lord is illuminating the Place – Colors are swirling

 

E) Gates that are made of the Most – Beautiful & perfect pearls

1)   Streets are made of Gold – Big deal ?  Most expensive thing here is so common there it is used for Asphalt

 

What John is describing there is beyond our comprehension – but we know it is going to be Beautiful why? – Here 6 days / there 2,000 yrs

A)I think it is possible that the Lord doesn’t tell us a whole lot about what Heaven looks like is because  HE KNOWS we couldn’t handle it

 

B) He knows That if we knew exactly what it was going to be like we couldn’t think of anything else !!! ( All Consumed) – Worthless

1)   Almost like – if you know what is for Dessert – You really don’t want to eat dinner

 

C) Restaurants – don’t show you the dessert Tray before dinner – a lot of us wouldn’t order the main course ( 2 of those / 3 of these )

1)   So Because what we do here is going to determine & play a part in our involvement & enjoyment in  eternity

 

D) The Lord doesn’t want us to see this life as merely a formality – something we just have to get thru so we can get to the Good stuff

1)   This life is Preparation / this life is our Training Ground /

 

Which leads me to Reason #6 Why we should be Longing for & Living for HEAVEN – Because of what we are going to be doing there

2 Tim 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.

 

Rev 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth."

 

Rev 20:4 The Saints Reign with Christ 1000 Years

 

Rev 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

 

A)The Lord definitely has a Job for us in Eternity – Ruling & reigning w/ Him – { Dips on Maui or Tahiti

1)   Now why does He need us to Rule & Reign w/ Him – Answer is He doesn’t – but think of it this way

 

B) When my kids were younger – Help w/ every Project – Did I  need their help ? No twice as long / twice as hard –

1)   But I let them Help Why? -  Blessed them – Same is true w/ us

 

C) Now in heaven we are going to be a lot more adequate then my kids – but God still doesn’t need our help but He wants it to bless us

 

How is Your Job determined turn to Luke 19:11-27

1) Note Mina is a pound or a unit of money equivalent to 3 months wages

 

B) Given gifts & responsibilities here – Matt 25 Talents –use them for the Lord

1) So Reason #6 to be living for heaven – We are going to Rule & Reign

 

C) And The degree of blessing & Responsibility we receive there is going to be determined by our faithlessness in using what we have been given here

 

 

Reason # 7 New Bodies – 2 Cor 5 Trade the tents for Palace

A)We talked about this in a study recently on Sunday morning / so not going to spend a whole lot of time there – turn to Lk 2

 

B) Simeon declared – Luke 2:29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,For my eyes have seen Your salvation

 

C) Only the Person who has had a True encounter w/ Jesus Christ embracing Him as Savior & Lord can say that

1)   Now I can DEPART IN PEACE { Talking about his death

 

4 Definitions to that word Depart – that give us great insight into what happens when a Believer dies or is Raptured

A)#1 RELEASE A PRISONER : Our bodies are  like a Prison – subject to sickness & pain – [trapped – Now Set Free ]

 

B) Our bodies have restrictions – here { In HS I used to be able on a good day Dunk a basketball{ Always touch the rim – 25lbs ago – good hip

1) Now I can only dream of those things - 

 

#2 To take down a tent -  This body is like a tent – trade it in for a Mansion / New Body – No sickness / Pain / Limitations

A)A couple of yrs ago – my wife decided to surprise me on my birthday w/ this Romantic trip to Julian 

 

B) Now I know that Julian is a Chick town – little shops – but I was excited about getting away for a couple of days w/ my wife

1)   Once we arrived – Denise filled me in I booked a couple of nights over the internet at this cute little place { Kind of expensive

 

C) Pull up – Tin Shack – on the outside – Horrified –

2)   It was a Shack on the outside – [but beautiful on the inside]

 

 

Listen the older we get in this life – the more we start to resemble that Place – Shacks on the outside

A)But the longer we walk w/ the Lord & grow in the Lord – the more beautiful we become on the inside

 

B) Now since then – we have been to a few places that when you pulled up and saw the outside you said Wow – Impressed

1)   Even more impressed when you saw the Inside –

 

C) Heaven is going to be that way – Impressed w/ Everything

1)   The New Bodies we receive will make us forget about these tents

 

D) Some so Preoccupied w/ the tent –Distracted to serve / Others are so Insecure about their tents – they never give the Lord the opt to use them

 

#3 Def – Depart - To Unyoke a Beast of Burden

A)this life is filled w/ many blessing but also many Burdens – Burdens are all gone -  Weight is released

 

B) NO more Stress / No Pressure / No Weights / No Migraines

 

#4 To UNTIE A SHIP  – This life in comparison to eternity is like being tied to the dock – ( Now set free to Sail )

A)Now only the person who has had a true encounter w/ Jesus can say –Now I can depart in peace

 

B) So reason #7 We trade the Tent for a Mansion -

 

Reason #8 Because of who we are going to be in Heaven w/

A)We are not only going to see Jesus but we are going to be reunited w/ loved ones who were saved & have gone before us / or live far from us

 

B) Question: will we Know each other in Heaven? Sure we will – Why Well for one we won’t be stupider in heaven

1)   Bible – passages { MT of Transfiguration – Moses & Elijah – No intros

C) Lk 16 Rich man & Laz / Rev. Jn saw saints – martyred recognized them

 

C) So we are going to know each other – we are going to see each other

 

Well what about my loved ones who weren’t saved !!!! How is it going to be heaven w/out my Aunt or my Son etc

A)Listen to what the Lord said to Israel in  Deut 25:19

19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

 

B) The Lord told Israel that once they entered into the land of Promise they would not remember their enemies – Blot out the remembrance

1) I believe heaven will be the same way- We will not even remember those who made themselves enemies of God

 

C) David the Psalmist says essentially the same thing in Psalm 69:28 those who are against the Lord being blotted out of the book of the Living and not remembered among the righteous

 

So we won’t remember those who were not saved / we will see & be reunited w/ our loved ones who are saved

A)But we will also be able to hang out w/ the saints of Old – Matt 8:11 we are going to sit down w/ Abe / Isaac & Jacob

 

B) Have you ever thought I wish I could have known David / Moses / Spurgeon / Chuck Smith – { Hang out w/ these guys in Heaven

1)   Now some of you might be thinking those people are going to be in such high demand I will never get to see them

 

C) Not True: here is why! In heaven there are no day timers / no palm pilots / no calendars / no secretaries / Because there is NO TIME !!!!

 

In heaven everything is in the Continual Now – So you are talking w/ Jesus but I am also talking w/ Jesus Seemingly same time / but there is no time !!!! Always in the Present

A)How can that be – ask Albert Einstein – Einstein came up w/ the theory of Relativity – Which simply says when Traveling speed of light time Stops

 

B) So how does that relate to heaven – Turn to 1 Jn 1:5 –

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

 

C) God is light – therefore – Heaven there is no time – So we will be able to hang out w/ whoever, when ever for as long as we like

1) So Reason #8 – Who we are going to be w/ Great People -

 

 

REASON #9 Everything is going to make sense:

A)We are told in 1 Cor 13 – that right now we know in part – we are looking thru a glass dimly – but then – things will be clear

 

B) Rev 19 Faithful and true are the Judgments of the Lord –

 

C) Now we can sit back from this vantage pt and say – Why did so & so get Cancer / / Why Christians in Sudan Being killed

1)   Why are Babies being aborted – Now we know that disease is a part of Sin being in the world – as is murder & killing

 

D) But we don’t have any concrete answers to those type of questions

1)   But I think that what we are going to discover is that heaven is the great equalizer –

 

E) Jesus said First shall be last & the last shall be first – Those who suffered here are going to be welcomed abundantly there

 

 

 

I think that we will also see that so many things that Satan meant for evil we will see How God turned them for Good !!!!

A)For instance I think we are going to  be absolutely blown away by the # of those who are in heaven who were aborted as Babies

 

B) 1.5 million a yr. in this Country alone - There are going to be millions in heaven who were aborted as babies

 

C) Satan thru this is causing great destruction here – But at the same time is Populating heaven –

1)   Now that doesn’t excuse the Horror of abortion in any way shape or form – but it does lessen the Blow a bit

 

 

Reason #10 Jesus wants us  there { Bride groom & the house

A)Parable of the virgins -

 

 

 

 

A) Do you believe in HEAVEN ?  Do you believe that you are going to HEAVEN.

 

B) Recent survey in time Mag. Revealed that 81% of  Americans believe in a Literal place called Heaven.

1) While only 63% believed in literal place called  Hell

 

C) Of that 81% who believed in a literal place called Heaven.   / 61% believed that they would end up in heaven when they died.

 

D) 4%  said they believed that death was the end of their existence - they didn’t believe in any after life.

1)14% said they weren’t sure & Only 1% of those surveyed said - Hell .

 

Now I find that interesting that 61% said Heaven & only 1% said Hell - Because the Bible says the exact opposite.

A) Bible says that there in a broad road that is leading to destruction- many are on that broad road But there is a narrow road that leads to life - few who are on it !

 

B) QUESTION     Which Road are YOU ON TODAY ?