In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin offered his notion of Heaven as follows: “By heaven we understand a STATE OF HAPPINESS infinite in degree and endless in duration.”[1] John Burroughs, the famous American conservationist and essayist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries once said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a STATE OF MIND.”[2] More recently, country music singer, Dierks Bentley, had a hit song entitled, “Gold,” in which he gave his outlook on Heaven: “I’ve been climbing / Trying to get to the view / I’m at the bottom, but the sky’s still pretty [darn] blue / They say heaven is somewhere on the other side / But I ain’t waitin’ / Well, I’m thinkin’, it’s a STATE OF MIND.”[3] But, are they right in saying that Heaven is not a real place, but only something in our heads? Is Heaven just a state of mind? Well, not according to the Bible.
God’s Word clearly affirms that Heaven is an actual place. In the last hours of Jesus’ life before going to the Cross, He prepared His disciples for the fact that He would be leaving them to the good care of the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus was clear that He would be going away. But, He wasn’t going away to some nether land that exists merely inside one’s head. Jesus plainly told His disciples: 2 “In my Father's house are many ROOMS; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a PLACE for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a PLACE for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the PLACE where I am going.” John 14:2-4 (NIV) The only reasonable way that anyone could interpret this is to understand Jesus as affirming that His heavenly destination is a VERY REAL PLACE. Heaven is a place with spatial dynamics—it has rooms. Rooms have physical characteristics. Otherwise, it would make no sense for Jesus to say He was going there to “PREPARE A PLACE” for His disciples. Heaven is a place from which God rules upon His throne. It is where Jesus is today, for He told His disciples: “In the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” Matthew 26:64 (NLT2)
The fact that Heaven is a real place has important implications, because, in real places, real things happen. So, what happens in Heaven? What will be going on there? Some people have a terribly misguided view about that. For example, consider an atheist’s erroneous viewpoint of what goes on in Heaven. The atheist, Michael Shermer, wrote about this in his best-selling book, Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia. Shermer rather sarcastically asked if there are tennis courts and golf courses in Heaven. Then, he went on to say: “In other words, are there any challenges? If there is no disease, sickness, aging, or death in heaven, if there are no obstacles to overcome and nothing to work for, what is there to do? Forever is a long time to be blissfully bored. If the Christian version of heaven is correct and you get to spend eternity with an omniscient and omnipotent deity who knows and controls everything you think, do, and say, then as Christopher Hitchens famously opined, that would make heaven a ‘celestial North Korea’ from which ‘you would never be able to escape,’ a ‘place of endless praise and adoration, limitless (self-denial). . .”[4]
We need to be able to respond to such snarky remarks because Heaven will be the exact opposite of what he is so disdainfully suggesting. Bear in mind, what Heaven will truly be like is far beyond our limited human imaginations. In speaking of Heaven, Paul said as much in his letter to the church in Corinth, Greece. Paul said: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1st Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) And yet, the Bible does not leave us clueless as to what eternal life will be like in Heaven. So, what will we do in Heaven? Will we just sit around for the rest of eternity strumming on harps all day as we lounge on a cushion of clouds? If that were the case, then it would become boring rather quickly. But, that isn’t the case. Heaven will be anything but boring.
This morning, I would like for you to think about three things that will go on in Heaven. There are more than just these three things, but these alone help us to begin imagining what an incredibly wonderful place Heaven will be for those who love God. These three things are what I refer to as the three “W’s” of Heaven.
WORSHIP. The first “W” is for worship. Yes, one of the primary things we’ll do in Heaven is worship God. In a vision, the Apostle John was given a peek into the activities in Heaven. In the Book of Revelation, he says that he saw all those around the heavenly throne, “falling face down before the throne and worshiping God.” They were praising Him and shouting: “Amen! Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!’” [5] Yes, in Heaven, our worship of God will be a continuous offering of our thankfulness for His love, mercy and grace. And, we will praise Him for His absolute holiness, power and greatness. Now, it is amazing to me that when some people hear that our time in Heaven will be spent worshipping God, they let out a moan. Although they wouldn’t say it out loud, they are thinking to themselves: “Wait a minute! Are you telling me that Heaven will be one long ‘church service’? I can hardly make it through an hour of worship service on Sundays, how is that going to be for all eternity?!!” If you are thinking along those lines, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. The famous British politician of the first half of the 20th century, David Lloyd George, had this to say: “When I was a boy, the thought of Heaven used to frighten me more than the thought of Hell. I pictured as a place where time would be perpetual Sundays, with perpetual services from which there would be no escape.”[6] (But, bear in mind this statement comes from the man who, prior to World War II, assured all of Europe that Nazi Germany posed no threat of war and called Adolph Hitler “the George Washington of Germany.”)[7] In any event, his statement poses an odd mindset for a “Christian” to have. People attentively sit through two-hour movies without any problem whatsoever. They’ll stand up and cheer for three hours at a sporting event. But, somehow, making it through a 45-minute sermon seems to them like an “eternity”! If a Christian’s heart finds the worship of God to be a problem, they might want to consider what Jesus meant when He said: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV) A heart bound for Heaven has an eagerness to worship God, rather than mowing the lawn or shopping at Walmart on Sunday mornings.
In any event, those who find worship “boring” really don’t understand what worshipping God is all about. Randy Alcorn explained this when he said, “Worship involves more than singing and prayer. We’re commanded, ‘Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.’[8] We know that God expects us to do many different things on Earth, such as work, rest, and spend time with our families. So, if we are to be joyful, pray, and give thanks all the time, we must worship God even while doing other things. Same deal in Heaven.”[9] When we think of “worship” in that way, it becomes clear that anything we do in the service of God can be an act of worship. In this regard, Revelation 22:3 points out that in Heaven: “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city [of New Jerusalem—i.e., Heaven], and His servants will serve Him.” (NIV) The Greek word for “serve” is λατρεύω (latrĕuō, lat-ryoo´-o)—meaning “to serve,” “do service” or, “to worship.”[10] So, serving God is worship, and we can serve God in many different ways.
As this verse indicates, in Heaven, we will no longer be under the curse of sin. Because of that, whatever we faithfully do in utilizing our God-given talents will be considered a form of worship. An earthly example of this was demonstrated in the movie classic, “Chariots of Fire.” One of my favorite scenes is when Eric Liddell was explaining to his sister his strong desire to compete as a runner in the 1924 Olympics. He told her: “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” [11] Liddell loved to run in order to display, for God’s glory, that special talent God had given him. Each time he ran his very best, it was an act of worship to God. With that being the case, Heaven could not possibly be boring! Someone once said, “Heaven is a place prepared for those who are prepared for it.”[12] Those who get “bored” when worshipping God are preparing themselves for an eternal destination where God will not be worshipped. When they get to that other place, they won’t be bored. In fact, the place will be “blazing” (so to speak).
WORK. The second “W” in the three “W’s” of Heaven is work. Yes—although many Christians don’t realize it, we will all be hard at work in Heaven. Now again, I hear a moan or two out there. As before, you might not say it out loud, but the gears in your head are twirling out the thoughts: “Are you kidding me! I thought Heaven is supposed to be a place of rest, NOT WORK! I worked all my life and now you are telling me I’ll be working for the rest of eternity!” In this past April’s edition of Christianity Today Magazine, Christian author and teacher, Jen Wilkin, wrote an article entitled, “We Won’t Retire in Heaven.” In that article, she stated: “For many, Heaven is the ultimate [retirement] fantasy. After all, it’s But, is it the eternal Sabbath where we cease our labors?” Then, she answered: “Well, yes and no. Revelation 14:13 does promise that [God’s people in Heaven] will ‘rest from their labor.’[13] But in Revelation, that word ‘labor’ means ‘toil,’ as in the travail of persecution [believers] will face in this life.” So yes, for those in Heaven, there will be “rest” from the world’s persecution. But, Mrs. Wilkin goes on to point out: “In Isaiah 65, God speaks of ‘work’ occurring in the New Creation [i.e., Heaven].” God said: “[My people] will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. . . My chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain….” Isaiah 65:22-23 (NIV) She then goes on to write: “In [Heaven], we will rest from sin, sorrow, temptation, and persecution. But we will work with joy and gladness, as we were created to do. We will finally fulfill our vocational callings, free from frustration or toil. We don’t know specifically what our labor will be, but we know it will be fruitful, as it should have been all along.”[14]
In Heaven, there will be no sicknesses or injuries, no lawsuits and no more death: So, all those doctors, lawyers and undertakers will find other callings suitable to their talents. Everyone will delight in doing their favorite kind of “work.” Artists will create beautiful forms of art. Singers and musicians will sing and play like never before. Athletes will compete in joyful games—but, you won’t see any of the mean-spirited taunting or the little self-centered end-zone dances that our world of sin applauds today. Scientists will continue to use their God-given intellects to go on exploring the wonders of God’s universe. I can’t wait to see some of the tile and marble work my dad and Uncle George will have laid so perfectly in the rooms God has waiting for me and my family members.
And, for those who may think of their present jobs as being menial—think about this: Whether your employment is glamour or not, God sees those who fulfill their tasks cheerfully and diligently. In Heaven, Jesus will turn to those faithful and say: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” Matthew 25:23 (NIV)
Yes, in Heaven, we will work, but work will be filled with joy and satisfaction, not with weariness and frustration. Again, Jen Wilkin goes on to explain: “Since the rebellion in Eden, our relationship with work has been fraught. We have no memory of work as it was meant to be: always fulfilling, always an expression of love for others, always bringing glory to God. Never thwarted. Never purposeless or dehumanizing. No cogs in the wheel, only humans bearing the image of God in the work of their hands... For me, it’s the satisfaction of all the cooking and cleaning that culminates in our family gathering together, or the good exhaustion of having taught my heart out in a difficult passage of Scripture. That day is an echo of Eden and a foretaste of the New Jerusalem”[15]—in other words: A foretaste of Heaven itself. Paul would certainly have agreed with that, for he wrote: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV) The wonderful thing about Heaven is that all our work will be a pleasure as well as an offering of worship to God.
WONDER. Finally, the third “W” in the three “W’s” of Heaven is this: Heaven will be a place of ongoing wonder! I mentioned earlier the atheist who wrote a book entitled, “Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife. . . It has always baffled me how some people have a misguided view that faith in God is somehow opposed to science. And yet, it is generally acknowledged that the Christian worldview has contributed greatly to the advancement of science.[16] Today, scientific research is corroborating what the Bible teaches about the wonders that we will experience in Heaven.
This research involves the phenomenon known as “near-death experiences.” A near-death experience is defined as an “event that takes place as a person is dying or, indeed, already clinically dead”[17] and include the “ceasing of brain activity.”[18] “The typical experience involves an out-of-body journey, seeing one’s body from above, traveling through a tunnel to a place of indescribable beauty, encountering spiritual beings and deceased loved ones, and most profoundly, communicating with an ineffable, supreme being of light and unconditional love, with an ultimate return to one’s earthly body.” [19]
Recently, those contributing to the extensive research in this area include doctors from such prestigious schools as the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Harvard University, Baylor University, University of California Riverside, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Wisconsin, and the universities of Southampton and London. [20] An article published earlier this year in the Christian Scholars Review summarizes the results of this scientific research: “If the thousands of global reports of “near-death experiences” (NDEs) are to be believed, they support much in Christian theology, including consciousness surviving physical death and the existence of a supernatural realm, a supreme being of unfathomable love, an intercessor named Jesus, and an afterlife with both glorious and ghastly destinations”—referring to both Heaven and Hell.[21]
Some people have been skeptical of the near-death experiences. Admittedly, it is true that a few who have claimed to have experienced such things have been exposed as hoaxes.[22] But, the scientific research has confirmed that thousands of them were, in fact, genuine experiences. Some skeptics have argued that these near-death experiences are nothing more than the brain firing off dreams or hallucinations during the waning moments of life. But, the research had definitely ruled out these possibilities because active brain function is needed to generate such dreams or hallucinations; whereas, near-death experiences are characterized by a death-like “zero brain activity.” As the research advances, the reality of near-death experiences is becoming more accepted by the public in general as well as by the scientific and medical community. Even Christian writer and speaker, Lee Strobel, now acknowledges the reality of this in his recent book, The Case for Heaven. Strobel states: “At a minimum, these [near-death experiences] demonstrate convincingly that consciousness really does continue after clinical death. . . We have corroboration of a lot of things people could never have otherwise known unless they’d had an authentic out-of-body experience. . . The best explanation for the totality of the evidence is that there is a postmortem existence of some sort. After our brain stops working, after our heart stops beating, after the doctors declare us dead—we still live on. Our consciousness survives. We survive.”
The reason I am bringing this to your attention relates to the third “W” of Heaven—in other words the amazing WONDERS of Heaven. Many of those who have had near-death experiences have a Christian worldview. Thus, they can reflect upon what they experienced in light of their Christian background. Lee Strobel interviewed Pastor John Burke, who has studied more than 1,000 near-death experiences over the past 30 years. Burke was impressed by the many times that people who have had such experiences recall the magnificent wonders they perceived in Heaven. He stated: “Many people I’ve interviewed try to describe the astonishing beauty they’ve seen in Heaven. Scenery that takes your breath away. A fragrance so gentle and sweet. Colors like nothing on earth. One person said, ‘The colors seemed to be alive.’ But, then they say, ‘Yes, it was amazing, but I didn’t even care about it.’ I’d ask why. And they would say, ‘Because I couldn’t take my eyes off Jesus. He’s beyond beautiful. He’s everything I’ve ever longed for.” [23]
Now, we tend to think of these near-death experiences as relatively modern phenomenon. But, long before these things came to the attention of today’s researchers, the Bible seems to describe the very same thing. In this regard, Paul may well have had a near-death-experience as described in 2nd Corinthians. Listen to what Paul has to say and compare it to some of the reports we hear today. Paul said: 1b “I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2a
I was caught up to the third Heaven fourteen years ago.” 2nd Corinthians 12:1b-2a People of Paul’s day viewed the “heavens” as having three parts. The “first heaven” was where the birds fly and the clouds move about—in other words our atmosphere immediately surrounding the earth. The “second heaven” was beyond that where the stars were hung—in other words what we refer to as “outer space.” The “third Heaven” was beyond this universe as we know it—in other words, the Heaven we sometimes refer to as Paradise.[24] So, Paul was saying that he was whisked away into the very Kingdom of Heaven in the presence of God. In continuing, Paul tells us: 2b “Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” 2nd Corinthians 12:2b-4 (NLT2) And, who knows—David may have been describing something similar in Psalm 16 when he said to God: “You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of Your own eternal presence.” Psalm 16:11 (TLB) That is about as good of a description of Heaven that we could offer—it is a place of “exquisite pleasures” beyond our wildest dreams. But, the joys and pleasures are not merely the things that our sensory perceptions will experience.
When Lee Strobel was concluding his interview of John Burke, Burke told him something that made an impression on Strobel. Burke said that his work in near-death experiences had “helped crystalize something that profoundly changed” him. When Strobel asked him what it was, Burke replied: “Everything I’ve ever enjoyed in life—the beauty of the outdoors, the love of a parent, the laughter of a child, the fulfillment of marriage—all of that is just a speck compared to the greater reality that’s found in [Jesus Christ].”[25]
Has Christ made that kind of change in your life? If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that change is something you can’t afford to live without. You might never have a near-death experience, but one day real death is coming to each person here today. Those who have surrendered their lives of Jesus Christ need not fear death. For He has gone to Heaven to prepare a room for all those who have faith in Him. And when you get there, it will be the most spectacular room you could ever imagine. Even so, nothing will compare to the love of Jesus that will radiate forth in every fiber of your being. And, there before you will be an eternity of worship that you will never want to stop, work that will always be uplifting, gratifying and joyous, and wonders as far as the eye can see. Heaven is the place you don’t want to miss. Come to Jesus Christ today and make it your final destination.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
June 16, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 305-306.
[2] Wikipedia contributors, "John Burroughs," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Burroughs&oldid=1227401453 (accessed June 12, 2024).
[3] Dierks Bentley, Song: “Gold,” on the album, Gravel and Gold, written by Ashley Glenn Gorley, Ross Copperman, Dierks Bentley, Luke Dick, Publisher: CTM Outlander Music LC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC (2023).
[4] Michael Shermer, “Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia, (Henry Holt and Company, 2018), page 64, citing in PreachingToday.com.
[5] Revelation 7:11-12 “And now all the angels were crowding around the throne and around the Elders and the four Living Beings, and falling face down before the throne and worshiping God. 12 ‘Amen!’ they said. ‘Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!’” (TLB)
[6] Randy Alcorn. Heaven, Tyndale House: USA, (2004) page 65.
[7] Wikipedia contributors, "David Lloyd George," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Lloyd_George&oldid=1227958905 (accessed June 13, 2024).
[8] 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 “Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT2)
[9] Randy Alcorn, “How Will We Worship God in Heaven?” Eternal Perspectives Ministry, https://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Mar/22/how-will-we-worship-god-heaven/ (March 22, 2010).
[10] Strong, James. The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.
[11] Wikiquote contributors, "Chariots of Fire,” Wikiquote, https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Chariots_of_Fire&oldid=3358305 (accessed June 13, 2024).
[12] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 306.
[13] Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!’” (NLT2)
[14] Jen Wilkin, “We Won’t Retire in Heaven,” Christianity Today Magazine (CT), Vol. 68, No. 3 (April, 2024), page 29.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Kenneth Samples, “The Historic Alliance of Christianity and Science, Reasons to Believe, https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/reflections/the-historic-alliance-of-christianity-and-science (June 21, 2011).
[17] Michael Zigarelli, “Near-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,” Christian Scholars Review, https://christianscholars.com/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology/ (March 3, 2024).
[18] University of Virginia School of Medicine, Division of Perceptual Studies,
https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/our-research/near-death-experiences-ndes/ [accessed June 13, 2024].
[19] Michael Zigarelli, “Near-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,” Christian Scholars Review, https://christianscholars.com/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology/ (March 3, 2024).
[20] Steven Warren, “‘Not Hallucinations or Illusions’: Renowned Medical Research Team Confirms ‘Near-Death’ Experiences,” Christian Broadcasting Network, https://cmsedit.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2022/april/not-hallucinations-or-illusions-renowned-medical-research-team-confirms-near-death-experiences-in-new-study (October 2, 2022).
[21] Michael Zigarelli, “Near-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,” Christian Scholars Review, https://christianscholars.com/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology/ (March 3, 2024).
[22] Note the case of Alex Malarkey, as cited in Lee Strobel’s The Case for Heaven, page 63.
[23] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven. Zondervan: Grand Rapid (2021), p. 70.
[24] “What does it mean that Paul went to the third heaven?” Gotquestions.org, ttps://www.gotquestions.org/Paul-third-heaven.html [accessed June 14, 2024].
[25] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven. Zondervan: Grand Rapid (2021), p. 70.
