What you believe about eternity determines how you live today.
*Heaven is the absence of evil in the presence of God*
What is Heaven Like?
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—”
1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
Revelation 21:4 NIV
Heaven is a real place.
“The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.”
Revelation 21:16 NIV
Heaven is a right place.
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
Revelation 21:4 NIV
Heaven is a relational place.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Revelation 21:3 NIV
“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 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 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. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 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.”
Revelation 22:1-5 NIV
Heaven is a rewarding place.
““Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
Revelation 22:12 NIV
Myths About How to Get to Heaven
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV
Myth: You can get to heaven by being a good person.
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
Romans 3:20 NIV
Truth: You can’t be good enough.
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Isaiah 64:6 NIV
Myth: You can get to heaven by believing in God.
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
James 2:19 NIV
Truth: You must put your faith on God.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
Romans 10:9-10, 13 NIV
Myth: You can get to heaven by being religious.
““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Matthew 7:21-23 NIV
“They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.”
Titus 1:16 NIV
Truth: You must become a new person.
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.””
John 3:3 NIV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Myth: You can get to heaven by praying a prayer.
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
1 John 1:6-7 NIV
Truth: You have to know Him.
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Source:
Life After Death Part 3: How to Get to Heaven? (VIDEO)
Discovery Church Sermon Notes (10/30/2022)
Pastor Jason Hanash - Bakersfield, California