{"id":6891,"date":"2024-06-17T11:35:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foresthillbaptistva.com\/?post_type=wpfc_sermon&p=6891"},"modified":"2024-06-17T11:37:51","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:37:51","slug":"6891","status":"publish","type":"wpfc_sermon","link":"https:\/\/foresthillbaptistva.com\/?wpfc_sermon=6891","title":{"rendered":"THE THREE W\u2019S OF HEAVEN<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin offered his notion of Heaven as follows:\u00a0 \u201cBy heaven we understand a STATE OF HAPPINESS infinite in degree and endless in duration.\u201d[1]\u00a0 John Burroughs, the famous American conservationist and essayist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries once said, \u201cThe Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a STATE OF MIND.\u201d[2]\u00a0 More recently, country music singer, Dierks Bentley, had a hit song entitled, \u201cGold,\u201d in which he gave his outlook on Heaven:\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been climbing \/ Trying to get to the view \/ I\u2019m at the bottom, but the sky\u2019s still pretty [darn] blue \/ They say heaven is somewhere on the other side \/ But I ain\u2019t waitin\u2019 \/ Well, I\u2019m thinkin\u2019, it\u2019s a STATE OF MIND.\u201d[3]\u00a0 \u00a0But, are they right in saying that Heaven is not a real place, but only something in our heads?\u00a0 Is Heaven just a state of mind?\u00a0 Well, not according to the Bible.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word clearly affirms that Heaven is an actual place.\u00a0 In the last hours of Jesus\u2019 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.\u00a0 Yes, Jesus was clear that He would be going away.\u00a0 But, He wasn\u2019t going away to some nether land that exists merely inside one\u2019s head.\u00a0 Jesus plainly told His disciples:\u00a0 2 \u00a0\u201cIn 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 \u00a0And 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 \u00a0You know the way to the PLACE where I am going.\u201d John 14:2-4 (NIV)\u00a0 The only reasonable way that anyone could interpret this is to understand Jesus as affirming that His heavenly destination is a VERY REAL PLACE.\u00a0 Heaven is a place with spatial dynamics\u2014it has rooms.\u00a0 Rooms have physical characteristics.\u00a0 Otherwise, it would make no sense for Jesus to say He was going there to \u201cPREPARE A PLACE\u201d for His disciples.\u00a0 Heaven is a place from which God rules upon His throne.\u00a0 It is where Jesus is today, for He told His disciples: \u201cIn the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God\u2019s right hand and coming on the clouds of Heaven.\u201d Matthew 26:64 (NLT2)<\/p>\n

The fact that Heaven is a real place has important implications, because, in real places, real things happen.\u00a0 So, what happens in Heaven?\u00a0 What will be going on there?\u00a0 Some people have a terribly misguided view about that.\u00a0 For example, consider an atheist\u2019s erroneous viewpoint of what goes on in Heaven.\u00a0 The atheist, Michael Shermer, wrote about this in his\u00a0best-selling book,\u00a0Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia.\u00a0 Shermer rather sarcastically asked if there are tennis courts and golf courses in Heaven. Then, he went on to say: \u201cIn 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 \u2018celestial North Korea\u2019 from which \u2018you would never be able to escape,\u2019 a \u2018place of endless praise and adoration, limitless (self-denial). . .\u201d[4]<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Bear in mind, what Heaven will truly be like is far beyond our limited human imaginations.\u00a0 In speaking of Heaven, Paul said as much in his letter to the church in Corinth, Greece.\u00a0 Paul said:\u00a0 \u201cNo eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.\u201d 1st Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)\u00a0 And yet, the Bible does not leave us clueless as to what eternal life will be like in Heaven.\u00a0 So, what will we do in Heaven?\u00a0 Will we just sit around for the rest of eternity strumming on harps all day as we lounge on a cushion of clouds?\u00a0 If that were the case, then it would become boring rather quickly.\u00a0 But, that isn\u2019t the case.\u00a0 Heaven will be anything but boring.<\/p>\n

This morning, I would like for you to think about three things that will go on in Heaven.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 These three things are what I refer to as the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d of Heaven.<\/p>\n

WORSHIP.\u00a0 The first \u201cW\u201d is for worship.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, one of the primary things we\u2019ll do in Heaven is worship God.\u00a0 In a vision, the Apostle John was given a peek into the activities in Heaven.\u00a0 In the Book of Revelation, he says that he saw all those around the heavenly throne, \u201cfalling face down before the throne and worshiping God.\u201d\u00a0 They were praising Him and shouting: \u201cAmen! \u00a0Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!\u2019\u201d [5]\u00a0 \u00a0Yes, in Heaven, our worship of God will be a continuous offering of our thankfulness for His love, mercy and grace.\u00a0 And, we will praise Him for His absolute holiness, power and greatness.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Although they wouldn\u2019t say it out loud, they are thinking to themselves:\u00a0 \u201cWait a minute!\u00a0 Are you telling me that Heaven will be one long \u2018church service\u2019?\u00a0 I can hardly make it through an hour of worship service on Sundays, how is that going to be for all eternity?!!\u201d\u00a0 If you are thinking along those lines, don\u2019t feel like the Lone Ranger.\u00a0 The famous British politician of the first half of the 20th century, David Lloyd George, had this to say:\u00a0 \u201cWhen I was a boy, the thought of Heaven used to frighten me more than the thought of Hell.\u00a0 I pictured as a place where time would be perpetual Sundays, with perpetual services from which there would be no escape.\u201d[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 \u201cthe George Washington of Germany.\u201d)[7]\u00a0 In any event, his statement poses an odd mindset for a \u201cChristian\u201d to have.\u00a0 People attentively sit through two-hour movies without any problem whatsoever.\u00a0 They\u2019ll stand up and cheer for three hours at a sporting event.\u00a0 But, somehow, making it through a 45-minute sermon seems to them like an \u201ceternity\u201d!\u00a0 If a Christian\u2019s heart finds the worship of God to be a problem, they might want to consider what Jesus meant when He said: \u201cWhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.\u201d Matthew 6:21 (NIV)\u00a0 \u00a0A heart bound for Heaven has an eagerness to worship God, rather than mowing the lawn or shopping at Walmart on Sunday mornings.<\/p>\n

In any event, those who find worship \u201cboring\u201d really don\u2019t understand what worshipping God is all about.\u00a0 Randy Alcorn explained this when he said, \u201cWorship involves more than singing and prayer. We\u2019re commanded, \u2018Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.\u2019[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\u00a0even while doing other things.\u00a0Same deal in Heaven.\u201d[9] \u00a0\u00a0When we think of \u201cworship\u201d in that way, it becomes clear that anything we do in the service of God can be an act of worship.\u00a0 In this regard, Revelation 22:3 points out that in Heaven:\u00a0 \u201cNo longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city [of New Jerusalem\u2014i.e., Heaven], and His servants will serve Him.\u201d (NIV)\u00a0 The Greek word for \u201cserve\u201d is \u03bb\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u03cd\u03c9 (latr\u0115u\u014d, lat-ryoo\u00b4-o)\u2014meaning \u201cto serve,\u201d \u201cdo service\u201d or, \u201cto worship.\u201d[10]\u00a0 So, serving God is worship, and we can serve God in many different ways.<\/p>\n

As this verse indicates, in Heaven, we will no longer be under the curse of sin.\u00a0 Because of that, whatever we faithfully do in utilizing our God-given talents will be considered a form of worship. \u00a0An earthly example of this was demonstrated in the movie classic, \u201cChariots of Fire.\u201d\u00a0 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. \u00a0He told her:\u00a0 \u201cI believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.\u201d [11]\u00a0 \u00a0Liddell loved to run in order to display, for God\u2019s glory, that special talent God had given him.\u00a0 Each time he ran his very best, it was an act of worship to God.\u00a0 With that being the case, Heaven could not possibly be boring!\u00a0 Someone once said, \u201cHeaven is a place prepared for those who are prepared for it.\u201d[12]\u00a0\u00a0 Those who get \u201cbored\u201d when worshipping God are preparing themselves for an eternal destination where God will not be worshipped.\u00a0 When they get to that other place, they won\u2019t be bored.\u00a0 In fact, the place will be \u201cblazing\u201d (so to speak).<\/p>\n

WORK.\u00a0 The second \u201cW\u201d in the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d of Heaven is work.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes\u2014although many Christians don\u2019t realize it, we will all be hard at work in Heaven.\u00a0 Now again, I hear a moan or two out there.\u00a0 As before, you might not say it out loud, but the gears in your head are twirling out the thoughts:\u00a0 \u201cAre you kidding me!\u00a0 I thought Heaven is supposed to be a place of rest, NOT WORK!\u00a0 I worked all my life and now you are telling me I\u2019ll be working for the rest of eternity!\u201d\u00a0 In this past April\u2019s edition of Christianity Today Magazine, Christian author and teacher, Jen Wilkin, wrote an article entitled, \u201cWe Won\u2019t Retire in Heaven.\u201d \u00a0In that article, she stated: \u201cFor many, Heaven is the ultimate [retirement] fantasy. \u00a0After all, it\u2019s But, is it the eternal Sabbath where we cease our labors?\u201d Then, she answered: \u201cWell, yes and no. \u00a0Revelation 14:13 does promise that [God\u2019s people in Heaven] will \u2018rest from their labor.\u2019[13] But in Revelation, that word \u2018labor\u2019 means \u2018toil,\u2019 as in the travail of persecution [believers] will face in this life.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0So yes, for those in Heaven, there will be \u201crest\u201d from the world\u2019s persecution. \u00a0But, Mrs. Wilkin goes on to point out:\u00a0 \u201cIn Isaiah 65, God speaks of \u2018work\u2019 occurring in the New Creation [i.e., Heaven].\u201d\u00a0 God said: \u201c[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 \u00a0They will not toil in vain\u2026.\u201d Isaiah 65:22-23 (NIV) \u00a0She then goes on to write:\u00a0 \u201cIn [Heaven], we will rest from sin, sorrow, temptation, and persecution. \u00a0But 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. \u00a0We don\u2019t know specifically what our labor will be, but we know it will be fruitful, as it should have been all along.\u201d[14]<\/p>\n

In Heaven, there will be no sicknesses or injuries, no lawsuits and no more death:\u00a0 So, all those doctors, lawyers and undertakers will find other callings suitable to their talents.\u00a0 Everyone will delight in doing their favorite kind of \u201cwork.\u201d\u00a0 Artists will create beautiful forms of art.\u00a0 Singers and musicians will sing and play like never before.\u00a0 Athletes will compete in joyful games\u2014but, you won\u2019t see any of the mean-spirited taunting or the little self-centered end-zone dances that our world of sin applauds today.\u00a0 Scientists will continue to use their God-given intellects to go on exploring the wonders of God\u2019s universe.\u00a0 I can\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

And, for those who may think of their present jobs as being menial\u2014think about this:\u00a0 Whether your employment is glamour or not, God sees those who fulfill their tasks cheerfully and diligently.\u00a0 In Heaven, Jesus will turn to those faithful and say: \u201cWell 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!\u201d Matthew 25:23 (NIV)<\/p>\n

Yes, in Heaven, we will work, but work will be filled with joy and satisfaction, not with weariness and frustration.\u00a0 Again, Jen Wilkin goes on to explain:\u00a0 \u201cSince 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. \u00a0No cogs in the wheel, only humans bearing the image of God in the work of their hands... For me, it\u2019s 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\u201d[15]\u2014in other words: A foretaste of Heaven itself.\u00a0 Paul would certainly have agreed with that, for he wrote: \u00a0\u201cWhatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.\u201d Colossians 3:23 (NIV) \u00a0The wonderful thing about Heaven is that all our work will be a pleasure as well as an offering of worship to God.<\/p>\n

WONDER. Finally, the third \u201cW\u201d in the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d of Heaven is this:\u00a0 Heaven will be a place of ongoing wonder! \u00a0I mentioned earlier the atheist who wrote a book entitled, \u201cHeavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife. . .\u00a0 \u00a0It has always baffled me how some people have a misguided view that faith in God is somehow opposed to science.\u00a0 And yet, it is generally acknowledged that the Christian worldview has contributed greatly to the advancement of science.[16]\u00a0 Today, scientific research is corroborating what the Bible teaches about the wonders that we will experience in Heaven.<\/p>\n

This research involves the phenomenon known as \u201cnear-death experiences.\u201d\u00a0 A near-death experience is defined as an \u201cevent that takes place as a person is dying or, indeed, already clinically dead\u201d[17] and include the \u201cceasing of brain activity.\u201d[18] \u201cThe typical experience involves an out-of-body journey, seeing one\u2019s 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\u2019s earthly body.\u201d [19]<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0[20]\u00a0 An article published earlier this year in the Christian Scholars Review summarizes the results of this scientific research: \u201cIf the thousands of global reports of \u201cnear-death experiences\u201d (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\u201d\u2014referring to both Heaven and Hell.[21]<\/p>\n

Some people have been skeptical of the near-death experiences. \u00a0Admittedly, it is true that a few who have claimed to have experienced such things have been exposed as hoaxes.[22]\u00a0 But, the scientific research has confirmed that thousands of them were, in fact, genuine experiences.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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 \u201czero brain activity.\u201d\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Even Christian writer and speaker, Lee Strobel, now acknowledges the reality of this in his recent book, The Case for Heaven.\u00a0 Strobel states: \u201cAt 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\u2019d 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.\u00a0 After our brain stops working, after our heart stops beating, after the doctors declare us dead\u2014we still live on. Our consciousness survives.\u00a0 We survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reason I am bringing this to your attention relates to the third \u201cW\u201d of Heaven\u2014in other words the amazing WONDERS of Heaven.\u00a0 Many of those who have had near-death experiences have a Christian worldview.\u00a0 Thus, they can reflect upon what they experienced in light of their Christian background.\u00a0 Lee Strobel interviewed Pastor John Burke, who has studied more than 1,000 near-death experiences over the past 30 years.\u00a0 Burke was impressed by the many times that people who have had such experiences recall the magnificent wonders they perceived in Heaven.\u00a0 He stated:\u00a0 \u201cMany people I\u2019ve interviewed try to describe the astonishing beauty they\u2019ve seen in Heaven.\u00a0 Scenery that takes your breath away.\u00a0 A \u00a0fragrance so gentle and sweet.\u00a0 Colors like nothing on earth.\u00a0 One person said, \u2018The colors seemed to be alive.\u2019 But, then they say, \u2018Yes, it was amazing, but I didn\u2019t even care about it.\u2019\u00a0 I\u2019d ask why.\u00a0 And they would say, \u2018Because I couldn\u2019t take my eyes off Jesus.\u00a0 He\u2019s beyond beautiful.\u00a0 He\u2019s everything I\u2019ve ever longed for.\u201d [23]<\/p>\n

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\u2019s researchers, the Bible seems to describe the very same thing.\u00a0 In this regard, Paul may well have had a near-death-experience as described in 2nd Corinthians.\u00a0 Listen to what Paul has to say and compare it to some of the reports we hear today.\u00a0 Paul said: 1b \u201cI will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2a<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0I was caught up to the third Heaven fourteen years ago.\u201d \u00a02nd Corinthians 12:1b-2a\u00a0 People of Paul\u2019s day viewed the \u201cheavens\u201d as having three parts.\u00a0 The \u201cfirst heaven\u201d was where the birds fly and the clouds move about\u2014in other words our atmosphere immediately surrounding the earth.\u00a0 The \u201csecond heaven\u201d was beyond that where the stars were hung\u2014in other words what we refer to as \u201couter space.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cthird Heaven\u201d was beyond this universe as we know it\u2014in other words, the Heaven we sometimes refer to as Paradise.[24]\u00a0 So, Paul was saying that he was whisked away into the very Kingdom of Heaven in the presence of God. \u00a0In continuing, Paul tells us: \u00a02b \u201cWhether I was in my body or out of my body, I don\u2019t know\u2014only God knows. 3 \u00a0Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 \u00a0that 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.\u201d 2nd Corinthians 12:2b-4 (NLT2) \u00a0\u00a0And, who knows\u2014David may have been describing something similar in Psalm 16 when he said to God:\u00a0 \u201cYou have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of Your own eternal presence.\u201d Psalm 16:11 (TLB)\u00a0 That is about as good of a description of Heaven that we could offer\u2014it is a place of \u201cexquisite pleasures\u201d beyond our wildest dreams.\u00a0 But, the joys and pleasures are not merely the things that our sensory perceptions will experience.<\/p>\n

When Lee Strobel was concluding his interview of John Burke, Burke told him something that made an impression on Strobel.\u00a0\u00a0 Burke said that his work in near-death experiences had \u201chelped crystalize something that profoundly changed\u201d him.\u00a0 When Strobel asked him what it was, Burke replied:\u00a0 \u201cEverything I\u2019ve ever enjoyed in life\u2014the beauty of the outdoors, the love of a parent, the laughter of a child, the fulfillment of marriage\u2014all of that is just a speck compared to the greater reality that\u2019s found in [Jesus Christ].\u201d[25]<\/p>\n

Has Christ made that kind of change in your life?\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that change is something you can\u2019t afford to live without.\u00a0 You might never have a near-death experience, but one day real death is coming to each person here today.\u00a0 Those who have surrendered their lives of Jesus Christ need not fear death.\u00a0 For He has gone to Heaven to prepare a room for all those who have faith in Him.\u00a0 And when you get there, it will be the most spectacular room you could ever imagine.\u00a0 Even so, nothing will compare to the love of Jesus that will radiate forth in every fiber of your being.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Heaven is the place you don\u2019t want to miss.\u00a0 Come to Jesus Christ today and make it your final destination.<\/p>\n

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Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor<\/p>\n

Forest Hill Baptist Church<\/p>\n

June 16, 2024<\/p>\n

\u00a92024 All Rights Reserved as follows:<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.<\/p>\n

Visit us on our Face Book page at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/4409sspotswoodrdgordonsvilleva.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

[2] Wikipedia contributors, \"John Burroughs,\"\u00a0Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=John_Burroughs&oldid=1227401453\u00a0(accessed June 12, 2024).<\/p>\n

[3] Dierks Bentley, Song: \u201cGold,\u201d 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).<\/p>\n

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[4] Michael Shermer, \u201cHeavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia, (Henry Holt and Company, 2018), page 64, citing in PreachingToday.com.<\/p>\n

[5] Revelation 7:11-12 \u00a0\u201cAnd 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 \u00a0\u2018Amen!\u2019 they said. \u2018Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!\u2019\u201d (TLB)<\/p>\n

[6] Randy Alcorn. Heaven, Tyndale House: USA, (2004) page 65.<\/p>\n

[7] Wikipedia contributors, \"David Lloyd George,\"\u00a0Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=David_Lloyd_George&oldid=1227958905\u00a0(accessed June 13, 2024).<\/p>\n

[8] 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 \u00a0\u201cAlways be joyful. 17 \u00a0Never stop praying. 18 \u00a0Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God\u2019s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.\u201d (NLT2)<\/p>\n

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[9] Randy Alcorn, \u201cHow Will We Worship God in Heaven?\u201d Eternal Perspectives Ministry, https:\/\/www.epm.org\/resources\/2010\/Mar\/22\/how-will-we-worship-god-heaven\/ (March 22, 2010).<\/p>\n

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[10] Strong, James. The New Strong\u2019s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.<\/p>\n

[11] Wikiquote contributors, \"Chariots of Fire,\u201d Wikiquote,\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikiquote.org\/w\/index.php?title=Chariots_of_Fire&oldid=3358305\u00a0(accessed June 13, 2024).<\/p>\n

[12] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 306.<\/p>\n

[13] Revelation 14:13 \u00a0\u201cAnd I heard a voice from heaven saying, \u2018Write 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!\u2019\u201d (NLT2)<\/p>\n

[14] Jen Wilkin, \u201cWe Won\u2019t Retire in Heaven,\u201d Christianity Today Magazine (CT), Vol. 68, No. 3 (April, 2024), page 29.<\/p>\n

[15] Ibid.<\/p>\n

[16] Kenneth Samples, \u201cThe 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).<\/p>\n

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[17] Michael Zigarelli, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/ (March 3, 2024).<\/p>\n

[18] University of Virginia School of Medicine, Division of Perceptual Studies,<\/p>\n

https:\/\/med.virginia.edu\/perceptual-studies\/our-research\/near-death-experiences-ndes\/ [accessed June 13, 2024].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[19] Michael Zigarelli, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/ (March 3, 2024).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[20] Steven Warren, \u201c\u2018Not Hallucinations or Illusions\u2019: Renowned Medical Research Team Confirms \u2018Near-Death\u2019 Experiences,\u201d 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).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[21] Michael Zigarelli, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/ (March 3, 2024).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[22] Note the case of Alex Malarkey, as cited in Lee Strobel\u2019s The Case for Heaven, page 63.<\/p>\n

[23] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven. Zondervan: Grand Rapid (2021), p. 70.<\/p>\n

[24] \u00a0\u201cWhat does it mean that Paul went to the third heaven?\u201d Gotquestions.org, ttps:\/\/www.gotquestions.org\/Paul-third-heaven.html [accessed June 14, 2024].<\/p>\n

[25] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven. Zondervan: Grand Rapid (2021), p. 70.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin offered his notion of Heaven as follows:\u00a0 \u201cBy heaven we understand a STATE OF HAPPINESS infinite in degree and endless in duration.\u201d[1]\u00a0 John Burroughs, the famous American conservationist and essayist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries once said, \u201cThe Kingdom of Heaven … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[],"wpfc_sermon_series":[],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[7],"sermon_audio":"","sermon_audio_duration":"","_views":"73","bible_passage":"John 14:2-4","sermon_description":"In the 18th<\/sup> century, Benjamin Franklin offered his notion of Heaven as follows:\u00a0 \u201c<\/em>By heaven we understand a STATE OF HAPPINESS infinite in degree and endless in duration.\u201d[1]<\/strong><\/sup><\/a><\/em>\u00a0 John Burroughs, the famous American conservationist and essayist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries once said, \u201cThe Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a STATE OF MIND.\u201d[2]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0 More recently, country music singer, Dierks Bentley, had a hit song entitled, \u201cGold,\u201d<\/em> in which he gave his outlook on Heaven:\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been climbing \/ Trying to get to the view \/ I\u2019m at the bottom, but the sky\u2019s still pretty [darn] blue \/ They say heaven is somewhere on the other side \/ But I ain\u2019t waitin\u2019 \/ Well, I\u2019m thinkin\u2019, it\u2019s a STATE OF MIND.\u201d[3]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0But, are they right in saying that Heaven is not a real place<\/em>, but only something in our heads?\u00a0 Is Heaven just a state of mind?<\/em>\u00a0 Well, not according to the Bible.\r\n\r\nGod\u2019s Word clearly <\/em>affirms that Heaven is an actual place<\/em>.\u00a0 In the last hours of Jesus\u2019 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.\u00a0 Yes, Jesus was clear that He would be going away.\u00a0 But, He wasn\u2019t going away to some nether land that exists merely inside one\u2019s head.\u00a0 Jesus plainly told His disciples:\u00a0 2 <\/sup>\u00a0\u201c<\/em>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<\/u> for you.<\/em> 3 <\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>And if I go and prepare a PLACE<\/u> for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.<\/em> 4 <\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>You know the way to the PLACE<\/u> where I am going.\u201d<\/em> John 14:2-4 (NIV)<\/em>\u00a0 <\/em>The only reasonable way that anyone could interpret this is to understand Jesus as affirming that His heavenly destination is a VERY REAL PLACE<\/u>.<\/em>\u00a0 Heaven is a place<\/em> with spatial dynamics<\/em>\u2014it has rooms.<\/em>\u00a0 Rooms<\/em> have physical characteristics.\u00a0 Otherwise, it would make no sense for Jesus to say He was going there to \u201cPREPARE A PLACE<\/u>\u201d <\/em>for His disciples.\u00a0 Heaven is a place<\/em> from which God rules upon His throne.\u00a0 It is where Jesus is today, for He told His disciples: \u201cIn the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place<\/u> of power at God\u2019s right hand and coming on the clouds of Heaven.\u201d <\/em>Matthew 26:64 (NLT2)<\/em>\r\n\r\nThe fact that Heaven is a real place has important implications, because, in real places, real things happen.<\/em>\u00a0 So, what happens in Heaven?\u00a0 What will be going on there?\u00a0 Some people have a terribly misguided view about that.\u00a0 For example, consider an atheist\u2019s erroneous viewpoint of what goes on in Heaven.\u00a0 The atheist, Michael Shermer, wrote about this in his\u00a0best-selling book<\/a>,\u00a0Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia.\u00a0 <\/em>Shermer rather sarcastically asked if there are tennis courts and golf courses in Heaven. Then, he went on to say: \u201cIn 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 \u2018celestial North Korea\u2019 from which \u2018you would never be able to escape,\u2019 a \u2018place of endless praise and adoration, limitless (self-denial). . .\u201d[4]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\nWe need to be able to respond to such snarky remarks because Heaven will be the exact opposite of what he is so disdainfully suggesting.\u00a0 Bear in mind, what Heaven will truly be like is far beyond our limited human imaginations.\u00a0 In speaking of Heaven, Paul said as much in his letter to the church in Corinth, Greece.\u00a0 Paul said:\u00a0 \u201cNo eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.\u201d<\/em> 1st<\/sup> Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)\u00a0 <\/em>And yet, the Bible does not leave us clueless as to what eternal life will be like in Heaven.\u00a0 So, what will we do in Heaven?\u00a0 Will we just sit around for the rest of eternity strumming on harps all day as we lounge on a cushion of clouds?\u00a0 If that were the case, then it would become boring rather quickly.\u00a0 But, that isn\u2019t the case.\u00a0 Heaven will be anything but boring.\r\n\r\nThis morning, I would like for you to think about three things that will go on in Heaven.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 These three things are what I refer to as the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d of Heaven<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em>\r\n\r\nWORSHIP<\/u><\/em>.<\/em>\u00a0 The first \u201cW\u201d<\/em><\/strong> is for w<\/u>orship<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, one of the primary things we\u2019ll do in Heaven is worship God<\/em>.\u00a0 In a vision, the Apostle John was given a peek into the activities in Heaven.\u00a0 In the Book of Revelation<\/em>, he says that he saw all those around the heavenly throne, \u201cfalling face down before the throne and worshiping God.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>They were praising Him and shouting: \u201cAmen! \u00a0Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!\u2019\u201d [5]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0Yes, in Heaven, our worship of God will be a continuous offering of our thankfulness for His love, mercy and grace.\u00a0 And, we will praise Him for His absolute holiness, power and greatness.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Although they wouldn\u2019t say it out loud, they are thinking to themselves:\u00a0 \u201cWait a minute!\u00a0 Are you telling me that Heaven will be one long \u2018church service\u2019?\u00a0 I can hardly make it through an hour of worship service on Sundays, how is that going to be for all eternity?!!\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>If you are thinking along those lines, don\u2019t feel like the Lone Ranger<\/em>.\u00a0 The famous British politician of the first half of the 20th<\/sup> century, David Lloyd George, had this to say:\u00a0 \u201cWhen I was a boy, the thought of Heaven used to frighten me more than the thought of Hell.\u00a0 I pictured as a place where time would be perpetual Sundays, with perpetual services from which there would be no escape.\u201d[6]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> (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 \u201cthe George Washington of Germany.\u201d<\/em>)[7]<\/a>\u00a0 In any event, his statement poses an odd mindset for a \u201cChristian\u201d<\/em> to have.\u00a0 People attentively sit through two-hour movies without any problem whatsoever.\u00a0 They\u2019ll stand up and cheer for three hours at a sporting event.\u00a0 But, somehow, making it through a 45-minute sermon seems to them like an \u201ceternity\u201d!\u00a0 <\/em>If a Christian\u2019s heart finds the worship of God to be a problem, they might want to consider what Jesus meant when He said: \u201cWhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.\u201d<\/em> Matthew 6:21 (NIV)\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0A heart bound for Heaven has an eagerness to worship God, rather than mowing the lawn or shopping at Walmart on Sunday mornings.\r\n\r\nIn any event, those who find worship \u201cboring\u201d<\/em> really don\u2019t understand what worshipping God is all about.\u00a0 Randy Alcorn explained this when he said, \u201cWorship involves more than singing and prayer. We\u2019re commanded, \u2018Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances.\u2019[8]<\/strong><\/a> 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\u00a0even while doing other things.\u00a0Same deal in Heaven.\u201d[9]<\/strong><\/a> <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0When we think of \u201cworship\u201d<\/em> in that way, it becomes clear that anything we do in the service of God can be an act of worship.\u00a0 In this regard, Revelation 22:3<\/em> points out that in Heaven:\u00a0 \u201cNo longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city<\/em> [of New Jerusalem\u2014i.e., Heaven], and His servants will serve Him.\u201d<\/em> (NIV)\u00a0 <\/em>The Greek word for \u201cserve\u201d <\/em>is \u03bb\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03b5\u03cd\u03c9 (latr\u0115u\u014d, lat-ryoo\u00b4-o)\u2014meaning \u201cto serve,\u201d<\/em> \u201cdo service\u201d<\/em> or, \u201cto worship<\/u><\/em>.\u201d[10]<\/a>\u00a0 So, serving<\/em> God is worship<\/em>, and we can serve<\/em> God in many different ways.\r\n\r\nAs this verse indicates, in Heaven, we will no longer be under the curse of sin.<\/em>\u00a0 Because of that, whatever we faithfully do in utilizing our God-given talents will be considered a form of worship<\/em>. \u00a0An earthly example of this was demonstrated in the movie classic, \u201cChariots of Fire.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 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. \u00a0He told her:\u00a0 \u201cI believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.\u201d [11]<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0Liddell loved to run in order to display, for God\u2019s glory,<\/em> that special talent God had given him.\u00a0 Each time he ran his very best, it was an act of worship to God<\/em>.\u00a0 With that being the case, Heaven could not possibly be boring!\u00a0 Someone once said, \u201cHeaven is a place prepared for those who are prepared for it.\u201d<\/em>[12]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Those who get \u201cbored\u201d<\/em> when worshipping God are preparing themselves for an eternal destination where God will not be worshipped.\u00a0 When they get to that other place, they won\u2019t be bored.\u00a0 In fact, the place will be \u201cblazing\u201d (so to speak).<\/em>\r\n\r\nWORK<\/u><\/em>.\u00a0 <\/em>The second \u201cW\u201d<\/em><\/strong> in the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d<\/em><\/strong> of Heaven is w<\/u>ork<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes\u2014although many Christians don\u2019t realize it, we will all be hard at work <\/em>in Heaven.<\/em>\u00a0 Now again, I hear a moan or two out there.\u00a0 As before, you might not say it out loud, but the gears in your head are twirling out the thoughts:\u00a0 \u201cAre you kidding me!\u00a0 I thought Heaven is supposed to be a place of rest, NOT WORK!\u00a0 I worked all my life and now you are telling me I\u2019ll be working for the rest of eternity!\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>In this past April\u2019s edition of Christianity Today Magazine<\/em>, Christian author and teacher, Jen Wilkin,<\/em> wrote an article entitled, \u201cWe Won\u2019t Retire in Heaven.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0In that article, she stated: \u201cFor many, Heaven is the ultimate [retirement] fantasy. \u00a0After all, it\u2019s But, is it the eternal Sabbath where we cease our labors?\u201d<\/em> Then, she answered: \u201cWell, yes and no. \u00a0Revelation 14:13 does promise that [God\u2019s people in Heaven] will \u2018rest from their labor.\u2019[13]<\/strong><\/a> But in Revelation, that word \u2018labor\u2019 means \u2018toil,\u2019 as in the travail of persecution [believers] will face in this life.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>So yes, for those in Heaven, there will be \u201crest\u201d<\/em> from the world\u2019s persecution. \u00a0<\/em>But, Mrs. Wilkin goes on to point out:\u00a0 \u201cIn Isaiah 65, God speaks of \u2018work\u2019 occurring in the New Creation [i.e., Heaven].\u201d\u00a0 God said: \u201c[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 <\/sup>\u00a0They will not toil<\/u> in vain\u2026.\u201d <\/em>Isaiah 65:22-23 (NIV)<\/em> \u00a0She then goes on to write:\u00a0 \u201cIn [Heaven], we will rest from sin, sorrow, temptation, and persecution. \u00a0But we will work<\/u> with joy and gladness, as we were created to do. We will finally fulfill our vocational callings, free from frustration or toil. \u00a0We don\u2019t know specifically what our labor will be, but we know it will be fruitful, as it should have been all along.\u201d[14]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\nIn Heaven, there will be no sicknesses or injuries, no lawsuits and no more death:\u00a0 So, all those doctors, lawyers<\/em> and undertakers<\/em> will find other callings suitable to their talents.\u00a0 Everyone will delight in doing their favorite kind of \u201cwork.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Artists will create beautiful forms of art.\u00a0 Singers and musicians will sing and play like never before.\u00a0 Athletes will compete in joyful games\u2014but, you won\u2019t see any of the mean-spirited taunting or the little self-centered end-zone dances that our world of sin applauds today.\u00a0 Scientists will continue to use their God-given intellects to go on exploring the wonders of God\u2019s universe.\u00a0 I can\u2019t 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.\r\n\r\nAnd, for those who may think of their present jobs as being menial\u2014think about this:\u00a0 Whether your employment is glamour or not, God sees those who fulfill their tasks cheerfully and diligently.\u00a0 In Heaven, Jesus will turn to those faithful and say: \u201cWell 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!\u201d<\/em> Matthew 25:23 (NIV)<\/em>\r\n\r\nYes, in Heaven, we will work, but work will be filled with joy and satisfaction, not with weariness and frustration.\u00a0 Again, Jen Wilkin goes on to explain:\u00a0 \u201cSince 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. \u00a0No cogs in the wheel, only humans bearing the image of God in the work of their hands... For me, it\u2019s 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\u201d[15]<\/strong><\/a>\u2014<\/em>in other words: A foretaste of Heaven itself.\u00a0 <\/em>Paul would certainly have agreed with that, for he wrote: \u00a0\u201cWhatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.\u201d<\/em> Colossians 3:23 (NIV) <\/em>\u00a0<\/em>The wonderful thing about Heaven is that all our work will be a pleasure as well as<\/em> an offering of worship to God.\r\n\r\nWONDER<\/u><\/em>. <\/em>Finally, the third \u201cW\u201d<\/em><\/strong> in the three \u201cW\u2019s\u201d<\/em><\/strong> of Heaven is this:\u00a0 Heaven will be a place of ongoing w<\/u>onder!<\/em> \u00a0I mentioned earlier the atheist who wrote a book entitled, \u201cHeavens on Earth: The Scientific<\/u> Search for the Afterlife. . .\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0It has always baffled me how some people have a misguided view that faith in God<\/em> is somehow opposed to science.<\/em>\u00a0 And yet, it is generally acknowledged that the Christian worldview has contributed greatly to the advancement of science.[16]<\/a>\u00a0 Today, scientific research is corroborating what the Bible teaches about the wonders<\/em> that we will experience in Heaven.\r\n\r\nThis research involves the phenomenon known as \u201cnear-death experiences.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>A near-death experience<\/em> is defined as an \u201cevent that takes place as a person is dying or, indeed, already clinically dead\u201d<\/em>[17]<\/sup><\/a> and include the \u201cceasing of brain activity.\u201d<\/em>[18]<\/sup><\/a> \u201cThe typical experience involves an out-of-body journey, seeing one\u2019s 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\u2019s earthly body.\u201d<\/em> [19]<\/sup><\/a>\r\n\r\nRecently, 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.\u00a0[20]<\/a>\u00a0 An article published earlier this year in the Christian Scholars Review<\/em> summarizes the results of this scientific research: \u201cIf the thousands of global reports of \u201cnear-death experiences\u201d (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\u201d\u2014referring to both Heaven and Hell.[21]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\nSome people have been skeptical of the near-death experiences. \u00a0Admittedly, it is true that a few who have claimed to have experienced such things have been exposed as hoaxes.[22]<\/a>\u00a0 But, the scientific research has confirmed that thousands of them were, in fact, genuine experiences.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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 \u201czero brain activity.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>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.\u00a0 Even Christian writer and speaker, Lee Strobel, now acknowledges the reality of this in his recent book, The Case for Heaven.<\/em>\u00a0 Strobel states: \u201cAt 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\u2019d 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.\u00a0 After our brain stops working, after our heart stops beating, after the doctors declare us dead\u2014we still live on. Our consciousness survives.\u00a0 We<\/u> survive.\u201d<\/em>\r\n\r\nThe reason I am bringing this to your attention relates to the third \u201cW\u201d<\/em> of Heaven\u2014in other words the amazing W<\/u>ONDERS<\/em> of Heaven.\u00a0 Many of those who have had near-death experiences have a Christian worldview.\u00a0 Thus, they can reflect upon what they experienced in light of their Christian background.\u00a0 Lee Strobel interviewed Pastor John Burke,<\/em> who has studied more than 1,000 near-death experiences over the past 30 years.\u00a0 Burke was impressed by the many times that people who have had such experiences recall the magnificent wonders<\/em> they perceived in Heaven.\u00a0 He stated:\u00a0 \u201cMany people I\u2019ve interviewed try to describe the astonishing beauty they\u2019ve seen in Heaven.\u00a0 Scenery that takes your breath away.\u00a0 A \u00a0fragrance so gentle and sweet.\u00a0 Colors like nothing on earth.<\/em>\u00a0 One person said, \u2018The colors seemed to be alive.\u2019 But, then they say, \u2018Yes, it was amazing, but I didn\u2019t even care about it.\u2019\u00a0 I\u2019d ask why.\u00a0 And they would say, \u2018Because I couldn\u2019t take my eyes off Jesus.\u00a0 He\u2019s beyond beautiful.\u00a0 He\u2019s everything I\u2019ve ever longed for.\u201d<\/em> [23]<\/a>\r\n\r\nNow, we tend to think of these near-death experiences as relatively modern phenomenon. But, long before these things came to the attention of today\u2019s researchers, the Bible seems to describe the very same thing.\u00a0 In this regard, Paul may well have had a near-death-experience as described in 2nd<\/sup> Corinthians.\u00a0 <\/em>Listen to what Paul has to say and compare it to some of the reports we hear today.\u00a0 Paul said: 1b<\/sup> \u201cI will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2a<\/sup><\/em>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0I was caught up to the third Heaven<\/u> fourteen years ago.\u201d <\/em>\u00a02nd Corinthians 12:1b-2a\u00a0 <\/em>People of Paul\u2019s day viewed the \u201cheavens\u201d<\/em> as having three parts.\u00a0 The \u201cfirst heaven\u201d<\/em> was where the birds fly and the clouds move about\u2014in other words our atmosphere immediately surrounding the earth<\/em>.\u00a0 The \u201csecond heaven\u201d <\/em>was beyond that where the stars were hung\u2014in other words what we refer to as \u201couter space.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>The \u201cthird Heaven\u201d<\/em> was beyond this universe as we know it\u2014in other words, the Heaven<\/em> we sometimes refer to as Paradise.[24]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0 So, Paul was saying that he was whisked away into the very Kingdom of Heaven<\/em> in the presence of God. \u00a0In continuing, Paul tells us: \u00a02b<\/sup> \u201cWhether I was in my body or out of my body, I don\u2019t know\u2014only God knows. 3 <\/sup>\u00a0Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 <\/sup>\u00a0that 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.\u201d<\/em> 2nd<\/sup> Corinthians 12:2b-4 (NLT2)<\/em> \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>And, who knows\u2014David may have been describing something similar in Psalm 16<\/em> when he said to God:\u00a0 \u201cYou have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of Your own eternal presence<\/u>.\u201d<\/em> Psalm 16:11 (TLB)<\/em>\u00a0 <\/em>That is about as good of a description of Heaven that we could offer\u2014it is a place of \u201cexquisite pleasures\u201d<\/em> beyond our wildest dreams.\u00a0 But, the joys and pleasures are not merely the things that our sensory perceptions will experience.\r\n\r\nWhen Lee Strobel was concluding his interview of John Burke, Burke told him something that made an impression on Strobel.\u00a0\u00a0 Burke said that his work in near-death experiences had \u201chelped crystalize something that profoundly changed\u201d <\/em>him.\u00a0 When Strobel asked him what it was, Burke replied:\u00a0 \u201cEverything I\u2019ve ever enjoyed in life\u2014the beauty of the outdoors, the love of a parent, the laughter of a child, the fulfillment of marriage\u2014all of that is just a speck compared to the greater reality that\u2019s found in [Jesus Christ].\u201d[25]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\nHas Christ made that kind of change in your life?\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that change is something you can\u2019t afford to live without.\u00a0 You might never have a near-death experience, but one day real death<\/em> is coming to each person here today.\u00a0 Those who have surrendered their lives of Jesus Christ need not fear death.\u00a0 For He has gone to Heaven to prepare a room for all those who have faith in Him.\u00a0 And when you get there, it will be the most spectacular room you could ever imagine.\u00a0 Even so, nothing will compare to the love of Jesus that will radiate forth in every fiber of your being.\u00a0 And, there before you will be an eternity of worship<\/u><\/em> that you will never want to stop, work<\/u><\/em> that will always be uplifting, gratifying and joyous, and wonders<\/u><\/em> as far as the eye can see.\u00a0 Heaven is the place you don\u2019t want to miss.\u00a0 Come to Jesus Christ today and make it your final destination<\/em>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nDarvin Satterwhite, Pastor\r\n\r\nForest Hill Baptist Church\r\n\r\nJune 16, 2024\r\n\r\n\u00a92024 All Rights Reserved as follows:\r\n\r\nAnyone 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\u2019s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.\r\n\r\nVisit us on our Face Book page at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/4409sspotswoodrdgordonsvilleva<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[1]<\/a> Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World<\/em>, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch<\/em> CROSS e-book, 305-306.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[2] Wikipedia contributors, \"John Burroughs,\"\u00a0Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=John_Burroughs&oldid=1227401453<\/a>\u00a0(accessed June 12, 2024).\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[3] Dierks Bentley, Song: \u201cGold,\u201d on the album, Gravel and Gold<\/em>, 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).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[4]<\/a> Michael Shermer, \u201cHeavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia, (Henry Holt and Company, 2018), page 64, citing in PreachingToday.com.\r\n\r\n[5]<\/a> Revelation 7:11-12<\/em> \u00a0\u201cAnd 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 <\/sup>\u00a0\u2018Amen!\u2019 they said. \u2018Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and forever. Amen!\u2019\u201d (TLB)<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[6] Randy Alcorn. Heaven, Tyndale House: USA, (2004) page 65.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[7] Wikipedia contributors, \"David Lloyd George,\"\u00a0Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=David_Lloyd_George&oldid=1227958905<\/a>\u00a0(accessed June 13, 2024).\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[8] 1st<\/sup> Thessalonians 5:16-18 <\/em>16 <\/sup>\u00a0\u201cAlways be joyful. 17 <\/sup>\u00a0Never stop praying. 18 <\/sup>\u00a0Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God\u2019s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.\u201d (NLT2)<\/em>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[9]<\/a> Randy Alcorn, \u201cHow Will We Worship God in Heaven?\u201d Eternal Perspectives Ministry, https:\/\/www.epm.org\/resources\/2010\/Mar\/22\/how-will-we-worship-god-heaven\/<\/a> (March 22, 2010).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[10]<\/a> Strong, James. The New Strong\u2019s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words<\/em>. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[11] Wikiquote contributors, \"Chariots of Fire,\u201d Wikiquote,<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikiquote.org\/w\/index.php?title=Chariots_of_Fire&oldid=3358305<\/a>\u00a0(accessed June 13, 2024).\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[12] Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World<\/em>, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch<\/em> CROSS e-book, 306.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[13] Revelation 14:13<\/em> \u00a0\u201cAnd I heard a voice from heaven saying, \u2018Write 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!\u2019\u201d (NLT2)<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[14] Jen Wilkin, \u201cWe Won\u2019t Retire in Heaven,\u201d Christianity Today Magazine (CT), Vol. 68, No. 3 (April, 2024), page 29.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[15] Ibid.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[16] Kenneth Samples<\/a>, \u201cThe 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).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[17]<\/a> Michael Zigarelli<\/a>, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/<\/a> (March 3, 2024).\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[18] University of Virginia School of Medicine, Division of Perceptual Studies,\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/med.virginia.edu\/perceptual-studies\/our-research\/near-death-experiences-ndes\/<\/a> [accessed June 13, 2024].\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[19]<\/a> Michael Zigarelli<\/a>, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/<\/a> (March 3, 2024).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[20]<\/a> Steven Warren, \u201c\u2018Not Hallucinations or Illusions\u2019: Renowned Medical Research Team Confirms \u2018Near-Death\u2019 Experiences,\u201d 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<\/a> (October 2, 2022).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[21]<\/a> Michael Zigarelli<\/a>, \u201cNear-Death Experiences and the Emerging Implications for Christian Theology,\u201d Christian Scholars Review, https:\/\/christianscholars.com\/near-death-experiences-and-the-emerging-implications-for-christian-theology\/<\/a> (March 3, 2024).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[22]<\/a> Note the case of Alex Malarkey, as cited in Lee Strobel\u2019s The Case for Heaven<\/em>, page 63.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[23] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven<\/em>. Zondervan: Grand Rapid (2021), p. 70.\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[24] \u00a0\u201cWhat does it mean that Paul went to the third heaven?\u201d Gotquestions.org, ttps:\/\/www.gotquestions.org\/Paul-third-heaven.html [accessed June 14, 2024].\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\n[25] Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven<\/em>. 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