Heaven, Our Hope, Our Home

Heaven, Our Hope, Our Home

II Corinthians 5.1-5 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Know= see, understand, experience



John 14.1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. “

Heaven...
What is it?
Where is it? It is a definite place spoken about here in the scripture.
Who is going there?

1. It is a place Jesus is preparing for those who believe in Him. John 14.1-3

Prepare= to make the necessary preparations, get everything ready
Bridegroom’s task after the Betrothal in the year before the wedding.
He would get the house prepared for his bride. Make all the preparations for her to live with him.
The bride would wait for him to come back and get her. He would come and announce it with trumpets. Then the wedding would take place. After the wedding feast the Bridegroom would take the Bride to the place he has prepared for her.

II Peter 3.13 But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

It is more wonderful than we can imagine!
We know this:
Revelation 21.1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully  dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
 Out of His great love for us Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins and He rose again ascended back into heaven where He is preparing a place for us and one day He will come again and take us to be with Him forever that place is perfect another demonstration of the love of Jesus for the church.

Therefore

2. There is a longing and groaning in our hearts to be there with Him.


Philippians I.21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

Romans 8.22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

II Corinthians 5.7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Acts 21.13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the LORD Jesus.”

II Timothy 4.6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.

Desire to depart= desire, craving, longing to break up camp and move
Long for His Appearing/ Loved His Appearing=  to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

Many with lives to live do not sense this as acutely as those who are fully surrendered to the LORDship of Jesus Christ.
We see that not only we have that longing but Jesus desires for us to be with Him as well.




3. He wants us there with Him. John 17.24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

He loves us.
He showed the full extent of His Love.
In love... want to be with that One!
Now we are the Body of Christ
We are the Bride of Christ.

We long to be with Him. He wants us with Him.
Want= determined, resolved, intend, to take delight in, to be fond of

Revelation 21.2,9
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bridebeautifully dressed for her husband.
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plaguescame and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

II Corinthians 11.2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Ephesians 5.25-26, 32
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b]her by the washing with water through the word,
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.




4. He will bring us there one day.

At the moment of death

When He Returns

5. The Holy Spirit is the Deposit  Guaranteeing Us What Is To Come.  v.5
Heaven has begun in our hearts.
Our living experience
Christ in us, the Hope of Glory
Our Joy
Deposit= pledge or security

Ephesians ‪1.13-14‬  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.

I stand in awe and bow in worship of Him
He Who made the world and everything in it,
He Who came from heaven to earth as a baby,
He Who died on the cross to take my sins away,
He Who rose again on the third day,
He Who ascended into heaven,
He Who sent us His Spirit to be with us forever,
He Who is coming back one day for us.