What will Heaven be like?
Steve Timmis became a Christian when he was 10 years old through a Christian headmaster. He leads one of the congregations within The Crowded House, which is an international group of church planting networks. Steve is based in Sheffield, where he pastors a local church, but he is also involved in the various networks around the world.
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Intro. A sense of heaven… the very best moments on earth multiplied!
1). Heaven is not all that it’s cracked up to be!
a) Heaven as conventionally conceived is dull!
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
i) an earthly physical body replaced by a heavenly physical body
ii) an intermediate, temporary state that is body-less, but still with the Lord
b) What happens when we die?
At that moment (Luke 23:43) we go to be with the Lord in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20)
c) What happens when we’re there? Three educated guesses:
i) we won’t sin
ii) we won’t be vulnerable to temptation
iii) we’ll watch Jesus as he goes about his work (Ephesians 3:10; 6:12)
2). What future ultimately awaits Jesus’ followers?
a) The future is physical (1 Corinthians 15); the resurrection of Jesus is the blueprint, and he ate fish (Luke 24:42-43) and could be touched (John 20:27).
b) Our future is going to be like our present, but better!
i) glorious new bodies without aches, pains and limitations
ii) restored relationships with one another, and with God
iii) abundant life in a new creation (Revelation 21:1-5; 22:1-5)
c) Only through Jesus’ death is heaven secured (John 14:1-3), which is what we truly long for (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
© Steve Timmis 2008
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