Heaven

[0:00] Heaven. Now, I looked on the internet and I found a picture for you of what heaven will look like.! Of course, we can always believe the internet.

[0:12] ! Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement and the conductor came along and asked him for his ticket and Einstein couldn't find it.

[0:38] He rummaged in his pockets and looked under the seat and in his bags. He couldn't find the ticket for his journey. The conductor said, we all know who you are, Dr. Einstein, and surely you bought a ticket.

[0:51] Don't worry about it. Everything's going to be okay. The conductor went from the carriage and went down the aisle. But before going into the next car, he looked back in amazement and he saw Dr. Einstein.

[1:04] He was down on his knees looking for his ticket, searching his briefcase, looking here and there. Still couldn't find it. And the conductor came back to Einstein and said gently, Dr. Einstein, I know who you are.

[1:16] But Einstein replied, I know who I am too. But without the ticket, I don't know where I'm going. It's important to know where you're going, isn't it? It's important to know where you're going and how to get there.

[1:32] I'm looking for a city. Hebrews 13, 14. It says, for here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. You know, as much as you might have felt like this is your last stopping point and you've nailed the tent pegs in and you feel pretty stable where you're living now.

[1:53] This is not your continuing city. It's not your final address, is it? We seek one to come. This is not a continuing place. This is temporary. We seek a city to come.

[2:03] And we can look forward and upward in faith to such a city, a city to come. Of Abraham it says, Hebrews 11, 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

[2:18] We're looking for such a city that God has designed it and he has built it. Now, a particular builder built this building, but if you look closely enough just over that door there, it's already starting to fall to bits.

[2:32] It's cracking up already. You know, buildings, as much as we've got some very able builders amongst us here today, some very expert tradespeople, as much as they might try to build a swanky place to live, it's only going to be temporary.

[2:50] And it's not going to be to the quality and standard of the builder and maker of this city, who is God. It will never crumble or crack. God has designed it and he's built it.

[3:01] And there's a company of people looking for this great city, which is in a better country. Hebrews 11, 16. Now, there's some people here from the fair land of America and of the US of A and of various countries.

[3:16] Some China here, I know people from all over the expanse of the globe. And as much as the presidents will say, or the prime ministers will say, we live in the greatest country on the planet.

[3:31] You know, they all say it, don't they? And we like to brag about Australia, don't we? But I tell you, there is a better country. Amen? A better country than the US of A, a better country than China, a better country than Australia, or whatever country you hail from.

[3:47] Even from what was Great Britain. Now it's much not so great. It's rubbish Britain now. But we desire for a city, a better country that is a heavenly one.

[3:59] And it tells us there, we desire such a city, a better country, a heavenly city. And what about you? Did you desire such a city? Is there a desire in you?

[4:11] Who's looking forward to that trip? Amen. Who's looking forward to that place? It's going to be a better country, a better place. And are you going there, is the question.

[4:23] God has prepared a city for us. What if I told you there is a road to heaven, but most people are missing it? What a shame.

[4:34] What a shame to be born and die and miss that road. We have to take the Bible road. As Paul talked about his own personal journey. He was, you know, all over the place, wasn't he?

[4:48] Making many turns and detours until he got on the road. The Bible road. He found the one who says, I am the way.

[5:00] The way. The truth and the life. Let me tell you how the Bible tells us of this city and how we can make it our ultimate destination.

[5:13] Our ultimate everlasting home. Now this wonderful place is a glorious promise for God's people. This amazing destination. We read that it's a place of rest.

[5:23] Revelation 14.13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Right, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, save the spirit, that they may rest from their labours and their works to follow them.

[5:39] It's a place of rest. A place of reward. A place of refreshing. John was given this sneak preview. As the door opened just a little bit ajar, as it were. In Revelation 4 verse 1.

[5:51] John got a sneak preview and he caught a glimpse beyond this world into this glorious place. After this I looked, says John the Revelator, and behold, a door was opened in heaven.

[6:04] He says, And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up here and I'll show thee things which must be hereafter.

[6:15] Verse 2. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Verse 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone.

[6:30] And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Notice here, next slide, we see these colours. Look at those colours there. Many colours.

[6:41] It would have been a stunning sight. Notice the colours. We've got the jasper, the sardine stone, and the emerald was the throne. I know some like to point out, in fact, as much as people picture the Lord Jesus as having fair skin, if the Lord was in appearance as a jasper and a sardine stone, he would have been certainly much more of a tan complexion than me.

[7:07] Amen. So he would be someone, could be like some of our brothers and sisters from the continent of Africa. It could be that the Lord Jesus had such a presentation, as much as a traditional art pictures him as a fair skinned man, and it talks about his hair as a hair as of wool.

[7:25] So it would have been like curly hair. So it could have well been that he had such a complexion and such an appearance. But that's a by the by. But notice these colours of the jasper, of the sardine stone, as a throne of emerald.

[7:41] What a glorious sight it would have been. And we go to Psalm 11, 4. It says that God's throne is there in heaven. It says the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven.

[7:53] His eyes behold. His eyes try the children of men. So heaven is a place of residence. It's our Father's home. And we will be with him forever, home there, in that place.

[8:07] Aren't you looking forward to that? Amen. I'd like to be a travel agent and sign up some people who haven't booked in yet. Make that reservation. It's very important.

[8:18] Make that reservation before you miss out, because it's for a limited time only. And what's more, it's free. Because the cost has been paid. Amen. That great, great cost of Calvary has been paid for you.

[8:31] It's our Father's home. And next one, he has given his very promise for us. As it tells us, the Lord Jesus says in John 14, 1. Let not your heart be troubled.

[8:42] You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house, verse 2, are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.

[8:55] He has given us his promise. He says, I go to prepare a place for you. And these are comforting words. I know numbers of us might officiate or attend funerals.

[9:07] And these words are often given at this time. What a source of comfort. What a source of blessing, of that knowledge that your loved one who's trusted Christ, he has gone to prepare a place.

[9:19] And he says, next one, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

[9:29] He says, in my Father's house are many mansions. Now you two can sit down for a while, because there's a break from slides just for now. Isn't it great?

[9:41] We've got a helper here. He's flown in all the way from Melbourne to help us with our technology today. Praise the Lord. He drove, rather. We've got to keep an eye on Kangaroo in case he starts falling asleep.

[9:53] Now John saw this resplendent sight in Revelation 21. Now there's quite a few verses here, so just bear with me. You might want to kind of meditate on these words and just take it in.

[10:05] Just this little glimpse into heaven. This is where we're all going to be one day. All here who know the Lord, we have that assurance we'll be together again in this place.

[10:16] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21. We're going to read through. For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city near Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for a husband.

[10:35] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

[10:47] They shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.

[11:02] For the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

[11:13] And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

[11:25] He that overcometh shall inherit all things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

[11:50] That's a solemn verse, isn't it? Revelation 21.8. We want to make sure we've got our ticket. Otherwise there's a default destination for everybody who doesn't have their reservation.

[12:04] And I know I was talking with someone lately of the soul winning team using this verse as a prompt to people. You know, have you ever told a lie?

[12:15] And let's face it, we've all said something that is not quite entirely true. It's a lie. And it says that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire.

[12:28] But thank God there is forgiveness for liars who put their trust in Christ. Because lies is just one sin of many sins. But it's just one example.

[12:40] Get it right with God. If you've lied, ask God for forgiveness. Ask God to receive his salvation gift. And all of that sin, lying amongst everything else, he takes it away.

[12:53] Like our brother Paul shared, he was very honest with us this morning. He was a sinful man. But God took his sin and paid for it in full at Calvary's cross.

[13:04] And he does that for all who will trust in him. Verse 9, it goes on. And there came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the lamb's wife.

[13:20] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.

[13:31] And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like jasper stone, clear as crystal. It had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates.

[13:44] And at the twelve gates, twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the children, sorry, the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Of the east three gates, of the north three gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates.

[13:58] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof, as large as the bread.

[14:12] And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and breadth and the height of it are equal. Now I've had a look on Google Maps for this place called Heaven.

[14:24] And look, this is a world exclusive here this morning, that I found Heaven. It's on the internet, so it must be true. And in this world exclusive that I'm giving to you, just to you people that are exclusively here this morning, that you can get this special, extra, extra-biblical information today, in today's sermon, exclusively for you today.

[14:48] So we'll take over the next slide to show you, I have a map of Heaven. And here it is. There it is, Heaven. Now of course we put it over the great nation of Australia, just as an example of what Heaven will look like.

[15:03] Now this is the dimensions of that great city, the new city of the new Jerusalem. And someone has calculated, you can sit down and die, someone has calculated that the Kingdom of Heaven is just a bit smaller than the landmass of Australia.

[15:20] It's quite astonishing really, isn't it? To put it in that perspective, that according to the biblical dimensions we've got here, that it is, depending on how you measure a furlong or a, what's the other one called?

[15:36] Depending on how you equate those into modern dimensions, it's been reckoned that it's 2,225 kilometres in length, width and height.

[15:49] That's the dimensions of the new Jerusalem. 2,200 kilometres odd, long, wide and high.

[16:00] It's amazing, isn't it? Think that the height of this city, this new Jerusalem, it's just astonishing, isn't it? That it would reach so high. And someone has reckoned if a building in this city was this high and had a generous 12 feet per storey, the building would be over 600,000 storeys.

[16:20] So, you know, the tallest building on earth is very much down there compared to the height of this city. And the new Jerusalem, of course we don't know, it's not defined in exact detail, but it looks like, it appears to be a perfect cube.

[16:37] A cube, and if so, it contains about 2 million square miles. So it's reckoned that the square footage would approximate the size of the moon.

[16:47] Just to give you some, something to compare it with. A total volume of more than 3 billion cubic miles.

[16:59] So its size is big enough to accommodate, someone has calculated, of course these are all very much guesstimates, accommodate 100,000 billion people. There's plenty of space, in other words, in this new Jerusalem.

[17:13] Henry Morris, a Bible commentator, guessing that there will have been 100 billion people in the human race throughout history, and that 20% of them will be saved, and that's very generous, let's face it.

[17:27] Calculate that each person would have a block with about 75 acres on each face to call their own. So you've got plenty of room to move in that new Jerusalem. So if you think your farm's big now, it's going to be a lot bigger up there.

[17:41] 75 acres, you know, on each face to call your own. And this is highly speculative, of course, but it illustrates the point, there's plenty of room in the new Jerusalem. And it goes on, and I'll call you down when it's time, but verse 17, and he measured the wall thereof, 144 cubits.

[18:00] There's the cubits there, isn't there? So you can imagine, according to the measure of man, that is of the angel, and the building of the wall of it was of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

[18:12] Imagine that, it was pure gold, like unto clear glass. Heaven is a real place, filled with real people. There's dimensions here. It's defined, it's very much explained to us here, the dimension of the city.

[18:26] And the Bible pictures that this great city will be filled with all of God's people. What would such a city look like? How can we even speculate, or just try to use our imagination for a moment, what we could think such a city, God's design and build, would be like?

[18:45] There'd be no pollution for the skies. We don't have to worry about climate change anymore. There'd be no such things, the weather being poor or worrying.

[18:57] There'd be no crime or violence, for no criminals would ever enter this city. There'd be no greedy politicians, no drug pushers, no child molesters. There'd be no potholes, no power outages.

[19:11] The place you'd imagine could be filled with abundant parks, and rivers, and rolling meadows, and flowing streams. And lining the street would be flowers in constant bloom, and fruit trees of every kind, every species of life, growing free, of plant life, of animal life, free from pestilence and disease.

[19:30] The gates would be made of pearl. Imagine that, some huge pearl. The walls of Jasper, the streets of gold, and precious stones would lie on the ground like playthings.

[19:40] You could imagine there'd be emeralds and rubies and diamonds galore. And on every hand, there could be children playing and laughing and bright conversation and music floating from every direction.

[19:51] And in that city that God builds, there are no tears. There is no sorrow. There will be no regret, no remorse, bitterness gone forever, failure left far behind, and suffering redeemed and rewarded.

[20:06] There will be no eyeglasses or contact lenses. There will be no false teeth, no bald heads, no hearing aids, and no crutches. There are no more hospitals, no more nursing homes, no more paramedics, no more ambulance.

[20:20] Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, going down the road. And no more fire engines going down the road. The doctors would have to find a new job because they won't be needed anymore because no one will be sick.

[20:32] No heart attacks, no cancer, and there's no, there's one other thing you won't find in heaven, no cemeteries. Now the undertakers will be out of a job.

[20:44] There'll be no cemeteries in that city that God builds because there'll be no funerals because there'll be a glad, glad city. Amen? A glad city. Here are some of the colours.

[20:55] Let me see. Just the next slide, please. Verse 19, we're carrying on here. And the foundations of the walls of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.

[21:06] Here's a picture, I trust you can see it well enough, of the various precious stones. The first foundation was jasper. Just sit down and dive. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third a chalcedony, the fourth an emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth a topaz, the tenth chrysoprasus, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth an amethyst.

[21:31] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Every several gate was one pearl. And the streets of the city was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

[21:47] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it, and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.

[22:09] Imagine that, you don't have to worry about locking the gate, shutting the gate, worrying about prowlers or burglars. They won't need to, that's one of the things I'm really looking forward to.

[22:20] We won't have to carry these horrible things anymore called keys. We won't have to lock anything up anymore. Won't that be good? Praise the Lord, there'll be no, the gates of it shall not be shut.

[22:32] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[22:45] They that have a reservation. They that have their name written in the Lamb's book of life. Not written on the church roll. You can join all the churches in the neighbourhood and have, you know, put, what's the word, the edubets, and you can join as many churches as you like, but you've got to be ensuring that you're on this register, the Lamb's book of life.

[23:08] Make sure your name's written down there. Now we'll go to this slide here. I think I might have covered that one, but just check. Yeah, we'll leave it there for a time.

[23:19] Just, yeah, that's fine, Di. Revelation 22, I don't mean to take over long here, but there's many, many more instances we could share of these things. And Revelation 22 tells us a bit more about this city that God helping us by his saving grace, you'll have a reservation there.

[23:39] Verse 1, And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded a fruit every month.

[23:56] And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Imagine that, beautiful fruits. Imagine they won't have the birds beating us to it up there either. You know, they'll have lots of fruit to eat.

[24:08] I'm looking forward to that. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him.

[24:19] So the same will be engaged in heaven, in service. There'll be something for us to do, to serve God. And we shall see God, it says, and they shall see his face.

[24:31] Won't that be the ultimate of heaven? Won't it? They shall see his face. That's going to be the best part of all, isn't it? They shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

[24:42] And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

[24:53] We shall reign with him. We'll have that place of blessing and privilege. We'll be royalty, reigning with him. Our master, our great king.

[25:06] We shall worship great words and songs of redemption. Praise shall fill the atmosphere. Great praise shall fill the place. And it tells us of every nation, every tribe and people.

[25:19] There'll even be some pommies up there. There'll be some Aussies up there. Every nation, some American people, some Chinese people will be up there. Every nation, every tribe, every tongue.

[25:32] It says, and this is Revelation 7, verse 9, I beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb.

[25:56] What a glorious day it will be. Won't it be? I was at a very significant event yesterday where there was a person who was especially honoured in our family as she reached a milestone in her life, and the family gathered, and we had these little flags that said 80 on them, and the chauffeur driven vehicle moved close there, and she stepped out.

[26:26] We didn't have the red carpet, but that was a bit of an oversight. We'll have to do that next time. And the flags were waving as Doreen stepped out of the carriage and was escorted by her two sons down the road as her family were there to welcome her and receive her and acknowledge her.

[26:44] And what a homecoming it will be, won't it, when we get to glory, when the angels will be praising and rejoicing as we enter that heavenly home.

[26:54] can you imagine what glorious praise it will be? And the greatest praise will be from us, won't it? Praise the Lord, hallelujah, glory to the Lamb, praise Him.

[27:06] Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. It goes on in Revelation 19, 5, of this glorious praise, and a voice came out of the throne, saying, praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.

[27:20] And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent, reigneth the almighty God.

[27:36] What a glory it will be. We're just touching a little bit here, just scratching the surface, just wetting your appetite, as it were, for that clear crystal water flowing from His throne.

[27:51] There will be many things that will be no more. And we're not going to miss them. Many things that will be no more in heaven, and you're not going to miss them, not for a moment. It says there will be no more sea.

[28:02] So no more division and separation. And we'll be one big country. We want it to fly or get a boat to get between. There's no more sea in heaven. It's just one big country, a heavenly country, a better country.

[28:15] No more division, no more separation, no more sea. There'll be no more sadness, no more tears, no more sleep, no more death, no more sorrow, no more suffering.

[28:28] There'll be no more sanctuary. You won't need a temple to go to to feel holy, because we'll be holy all the time. We are the temples. There'll be no more sun, won't be needed anymore.

[28:40] There'll be no more sundown, no night, and there'll be no scourge of the curse there. Just to say that again, no more sea, no more sadness, no more sleep, no more sorrow, no more suffering, no more sanctuary, no more sun, no more sundown, and no more scourge.

[28:56] No more curse, no more sin, no more sighing, no sadness, no hurt. Just to think, no more tears. Just think of that one truth about heaven.

[29:08] There was an elderly Christian lady lying, dying, and her beloved husband sat by her bedside, tenderly holding her hand, and they both knew the end was near, and that they would soon be parted.

[29:21] And as their eyes met, a tear flowed down the old woman's wrinkled cheek, and gently her husband wiped it away. And then with a quaver in his voice he said, thank God Mary, that's the last.

[29:33] That's the last. Because there'll be no more tears, amen? There'll be no more tears up there. It's a place we can't imagine what it will be. We'll go to the slides now.

[29:43] 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9. As this text tells How can we even picture it?

[30:00] We can't imagine it with the eye, with the ear, even with a heart. How can we picture what heaven will be? There was one lovely moonlit night.

[30:11] Our granddad was walking his granddaughter for a walk, and it was night time, and it was a clear sky, and the stars were magnificent. And the grandfather named individual stars and pointed out some constellations, and the granddaughter was really excited, and she exclaimed, Grandpa, if the bottom side of heaven is this beautiful, just think how wonderful the top side must be.

[30:39] Isn't it so? You look at the starry skies and think, wow, this is nothing compared to heaven's glory. It will be truly wonderful. Another thing about heaven is we'll have good company there, great fellowship, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

[30:57] And for the meantime, we await our call to heaven. While we do wait, it should impact the here and now. The hereafter should impact the here and now.

[31:08] Now. Can we live with a destination mindset? Now, when I met some folk yesterday, as we got together with some family, there was a woman telling me that she's flying out, I think it's today, flying out to Bali.

[31:24] Now, I've never been to that place, but she just couldn't stop talking about it, because she'd been there before, and she was saying, oh, it's got this and that, and all the villages and the temples, I wouldn't go in for that, but the sights and sounds of Bali, and oh, you've got a take something to stop the Bali belly.

[31:43] You know, she knew all about this place that meant so much to her. What about us? What about that destination that you're going to? Don't you want to tell somebody?

[31:54] Tell somebody about heaven, because you're going there and you want to take others with you to see them join you to be at that place. Shouldn't we have a destination mindset?

[32:05] It says in Philippians 3, verse 20, for our conversation is in heaven. From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our conversation, our way of living, our way of life, our whole mindset, our preoccupation, our citizenship, that which matters to us, it says is in heaven.

[32:27] From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We should have a destination mindset, such that heaven will impact our living and our way of life, our thinking, our directions, our ideals, our principles, our character, will be stamped with heaven.

[32:47] Colossians 3, 2 says, set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Set your affection there, it says. Make that your intent, make that what counts for you, your affection.

[33:04] At this stage, we're on a temporary assignment. We're just visitors. You know, I like to say, you know, my passport says I'm a permanent resident of Australia. That's wrong, because I'm not.

[33:17] I don't have permanent residency, because my permanent residency is in heaven. Amen? My affection is on heaven. My citizenship, my conversation is in heaven.

[33:29] It's just temporary down here. You know, the Australian passport office got it wrong. You know, I'm just a visitor here. I'm just passing through. I'm just a stranger. I'm pretty strange.

[33:41] You know, I'm a pilgrim on the earth. And this is not a dwelling place permanently. We're traveling through. We're just on the way. This is just a stopping, what's it called?

[33:52] A Passover. A stopover, that's it. Australia's just a stopover on the way to heaven. So we've got a whole new perspective here. What we look for is eternal.

[34:02] And it goes on to Corinthians 4. It says, for our light affliction, sorry, that's the one, I'll read that one, Hebrews 11, 13, that it tells of how we've got the promises of God.

[34:15] We've embraced them, we've confessed that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Amen? Receive his promise of heaven, confess I'm a stranger, I'm a pilgrim on the earth.

[34:25] And so we go to the next one, 2 Corinthians 4, it tells of our light affliction. You know, the troubles of life, yes, there's troubles. There's affliction, there's difficulty, there's pain, but it's just for a moment.

[34:40] Like an eye blink, like a moment. It's a momentary moment in time. And it says that it works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not for the things that are seen, next, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

[35:00] Heaven will be forever, forever. So be encouraged this morning as we take these thoughts and these words from God. These are just some references of many about heaven and of preparing for heaven.

[35:15] The cities of this earth will crumble and fall and decay. Every building made by man must constantly be renovated and repaired. And I know some of you folk in the building trade, you can say amen to that.

[35:28] You build it and it starts to fall to pieces already. But this place, next, there's 1 Peter 1.4, it says, of this inheritance, it's incorruptible, it's undefiled, and it fades not away.

[35:41] And it's reserved in heaven for you. So it won't ever need repainting, remodelling, demolition and rebuild. It won't need dusting, mopping or vacuuming.

[35:53] And all the men folk said, amen, and the women folk. It will never be turned into a slum or a bulldoze to make way for them all.

[36:05] It will stand forever. And God has prepared such a place reserved in heaven. And it says, verse, next one, Ephesians 2.7, it tells us that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.

[36:23] It's like the glory of heaven will not be exhausted because in the ages to come, we're still going to be shouting hallelujah. In the ages to come, we're still going to know the riches of heaven, the riches of his grace, the riches of his glory.

[36:38] We're still going to know the exceeding kindness of the that he's shown to us, the mercy of God in saving us. So for the meantime, for the present time, let me leave you with one thing to reckon on today.

[36:50] We need to get ready for departure. We need to get ready for departure to take care of practical matters. Next one, 2 Kings 20, Isaiah urged King Hezekiah on his sickbed.

[37:03] He said this, Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. How much time have we got?

[37:17] If you've not made a reservation, call on his name today. It's simple. Paul talked about a wiggly way that he got to know the Lord through various detours and diversions, but he came to know the way, the truth and the life.

[37:36] by simple faith, not by being saved by some signs and wonders or not by being saved by someone baptising him in water.

[37:47] The baptism is H2O. If you're not saved before you hit the water, the only thing that will change is you're going to be wet. You're still lost.

[37:58] It's not the baptism that saves you. It's calling on his name. Then you get baptised. Trust in Christ. It's simple faith. Call on his name. Trust in Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

[38:10] Set your house in order. You're going to die. Set your house in order. In other words, get right with God. Don't leave it. Don't put it off. Don't let anything distract you.

[38:22] Don't get off on some detour. Find his love, his grace today and call on his name. We're nearly at the close now. Just one final mention here of this concept that we're citizens of heaven.

[38:42] There was a great man who knew the Lord in old time. His name is Matthew Henry. He wrote some very useful material commenting on the Bible.

[38:55] And Matthew Henry, he was anticipating, he knew that he had almost finished his course. He knew that he was almost at the finishing line of his earthly life.

[39:08] And he wanted to leave some words behind to bring comfort and assurance to those left behind. And friends, today, if you know a loved one who has gone before you, who knows the Lord, then these words could echo to you likewise.

[39:27] And this is what Matthew Henry said. You can sit down. Thanks, Di. Matthew Henry said this, Would you like to know where I am? I am at home in my father's house, in the mansions prepared for me, here.

[39:42] I am here where I want to be, no longer on the stormy sea, but in God's safe, quiet harbour. My sowing time is done, and I am reaping.

[39:53] My joy is as the joy of harvest. Would you like to know how it is with me? I am made perfect in holiness. Grace is swallowed up in glory. Would you like to know what I am doing?

[40:05] I see God, not as through a glass darkly, but face to face. I am engaged in the sweet enjoyment of my precious Redeemer. I am singing hallelujahs to him who sits upon the throne, and I am constantly praising him.

[40:22] Would you like to know what blessed company I keep? It is better than the best on earth. Here are the holy angels and the spirits of just men, made perfect. I am with many of my old acquaintances with whom I worked and prayed, and who have come here before me.

[40:39] Lastly, do you want to know how long this will continue? It is a dawn that never fades. After millions and millions of ages, it will be as fresh as it is now.

[40:53] Therefore, weep not for me. Our loved ones who know the Saviour are in his grace, in his presence, looking upon his face and rejoicing in the grace of God still.

[41:07] And where will you be when you die? Is the question, set your house in order, for thou shalt die. Will you go to heaven with all its glory?

[41:19] Or will you go to hell? The answer depends on whether you put your trust in Christ. It tells us simply, call on the name of the Lord, and whoever will, shall be saved.

[41:33] Call upon his name. And if the Lord is dealing with your heart, I beg you to come, put your trust in him. Put your whole heart, the weight of your whole heart, upon that truth, that he has died on the cross for my sin, and I trust him as my Saviour and Lord.

[41:49] Let us pray. Lord, we thank you that we have a great promise of heaven. Lord, yet there is that that daunting thought of hell.

[42:07] Lord, we pray that each one here today might know that you suffered hell on the cross, that you took our pain, our guilt, our shame, our penalty, you paid.

[42:20] Lord, help us to put our trust in you. And we pray, Lord, for each one, that heaven will be in our hearts and on our lips, that our conversation will be in heaven, that we'll have that heavenly mindset, that our destination is glorious, far better than any holiday destination we could brag about.

[42:43] Lord, that heaven is what we really want to tell others of, and of the way to heaven, which is by putting our trust in you. Help us, Lord, to be, as it were, travel agents, to help others to come and make that reservation that they can know a home in heaven.

[43:05] In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.