Tag: heaven

Wealth That’s Worth It

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(Matthew 13:44-52)

What if the answer to the question is “Yes”? What would change? Would your mindset shift, would you reassess your job or career, or would you start paying much closer attention to your retirement plan if the answer to the question, “Can money buy happiness?” is yes? Well, there seems to be more than enough evidence from recent surveys and studies that have led scientists to conclude that money can buy happiness (Google “Can money buy happiness?” and choose from countless hits for a point of reference).

But, it might be wise to look a little bit more into the findings that show a correlation between money and happiness. Because, while it would be hard to deny a relationship between money and happiness, what isn’t really covered in all of the studies is the degree of happiness. In other words, how much happier does money make us, and how much money does one have to make to reach the next level of happiness? 

So if one million dollars increase my level of happiness by the equivalent of, say, simply watching an entertaining movie, is pursuing that one million dollars worth it, or could I find the same level of happiness just by watching the movie? Moreover, does it take a second million dollars for my happiness to jump to the next level? Is that worth it? What studies comparing money and happiness can’t really answer for us is how much happier and whether or not the effort related to that financial increase could simply be spent pursuing happiness in other areas.

After all, isn’t the state of happiness a pretty relative term? Haven’t we heard the stories of children in third-world countries who have only one or two changes of clothes, scraps for food, and yet are happy to be able to kick around a soccer ball all day? Haven’t we heard of the financial planner with clients who purchase two or three of everything presuming that more of something will increase happiness? So discovering that money buys happiness is only part of the equation – we need to determine what defines our happiness. 

Doesn’t it actually make more sense to align your happiness with what you value? So, if retail therapy makes me happy, then yes, more money would allow you to buy more stuff. But what if solid relationships make me happiest? Can you buy those? If getting lost in a book brings me happiness, I can spend nothing at the library to get another one. If good health makes me happy, it doesn’t have to cost anything to get outside or follow a workout video inside. If happiness is a relative term, let’s stop asking how much money it takes to buy happiness and instead focus on the source of our happiness.

In the verses this morning, two individuals appeared pretty happy. A man found a treasure hidden in a field and another man in search of pearls found one of great value. What did they do? The one stumbling upon the treasure “in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (v.44), while the merchant “sold everything he had and bought [the pearl]” (v.45). These decisions were not just based on wise financial planning – joy was involved. They joyfully leveraged their net worth to secure the treasure and pearl.

However, when we remember that Jesus’ parables carry with them a deeper spiritual significance, we can’t miss the obvious point of comparison. To what did Jesus compare the hidden treasure and the pearl? The kingdom of heaven. And what, exactly, did he mean by that phrase? 

While there is certainly much more that can be said to explain Jesus’ use of the phrase, “kingdom of heaven,” to keep it relatively simple, let’s consider it to refer to everything that is included in believing in and belonging to Jesus. So the kingdom of heaven cannot be experienced or understood apart from faith in Jesus and the good news of his work of salvation. Along with that are included all the blessings that flow into our lives both now and into eternity. 

So it has been said that the kingdom of heaven is both now and not yet. It includes the present and the future. Current membership in the kingdom of heaven is made up of those in both the church militant (this side of heaven) and the church triumphant (those saints already in heaven). And all of this kingdom is accessed through only one narrow door: Jesus Christ and his atoning work. 

So if the kingdom of heaven includes all the goodness of believing in and belonging to Jesus, now we know the point of comparison in his parables. We better understand what is represented by the hidden treasure in the field and the pearl of great price. They symbolize believing in and belonging to Jesus. And how valuable is that?

It’s worth everything. Literally. Each of the men in the parables immediately liquidated all of their assets – everything they had – for the sake of believing in and belonging to Jesus. Possessions were posted on Offer Up, Ebay, and FB Marketplace. Stocks, sold. Checking and savings accounts, emptied. Retirement plan, cashed out. Anything of temporal value was traded in for something with eternal value. 

How much would you be willing to sacrifice for such a treasure? What would you give up? What would you go without? Which possession(s) would you be willing to permanently part with for something you determined was worth it?

We might consider that to be too great a sacrifice, but the idea of making a sacrifice wasn’t at all the perception of either individual in the parable. They didn’t view it as having to give up anything or make some huge sacrifice at all. Rather, they didn’t miss a beat in trading up. They saw it as an upgrade. In their minds, they were not giving up something, but gaining something greater. They weren’t going without, but were getting ahead. 

Since this is just a parable of Jesus, we might wonder what it looks like in real life. Practically speaking, what does it look like to place such a high value on the kingdom of heaven, on believing in and belonging to Jesus? We look no further than the apostle Paul, who seemed to be describing in real life what it was like for this parable to play out. In his letter to the Philippians he wrote, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). 

Doesn’t that sound like the merchant? Doesn’t that sound like the man who stumbled on the hidden treasure? Doesn’t that sound like… you?

Paul considered all earthly worth as worthless compared to Christ. The men in the parable traded in all they had for the kingdom of heaven. And the thought didn’t even cross their minds that they were making a sacrifice or giving something up, but only that what they stood to gain was so easily and obviously worth it. They would give up everything for it.

What is it worth to us? What would we give up for the kingdom of heaven? Everything? Anything? 

Do you know the treasure you have inside this kingdom of heaven that is yours right now? Do you know the value of believing in and belonging to Jesus? What we have is like the hidden treasures inside Fabergé eggs. As impressive as the intricate details on the ornate exterior of the eggs are, that’s just the beginning. In one particular egg, when a spring is touched, the egg opens up to reveal a golden yolk. Inside that yolk is a chicken. When the wing of the chicken is pressed, it opens up to show a gold crown, bedazzled with gems. Yet that isn’t all! One more spring can be triggered to reveal a hidden diamond ring in the center.

So it is in the kingdom of heaven. Only there is no limit to the treasures that can be discovered by believing in and belonging to Jesus. The riches of the kingdom of heaven are yours. The blessings of believing in and belonging to Jesus are yours.

Will you leave these treasures untapped? Will you leave the treasures hidden? Will you brush off blessings and jettison the joy and forget about forgiveness take a pass on the peace and purpose? Will you forego the chance to build up his kingdom and extend its reach and maximize gospel ministry and be a force for good in the world and make a difference in your community and love your neighbor and care for the overlooked and so on and so forth? Will you consider everything you’re willing to give up for the kingdom of heaven, only to realize you’re not giving up anything, but gaining everything? 

Will you find that happiness is right where you are right now, believing in and belonging to Jesus, and passionately helping others to find that same happiness? Do you realize that as one in the kingdom of heaven, right now you have a wealth that’s truly worth it, for you believe in and belong to Jesus? Nothing will ever be more valuable than that.

Heaven Is… a Great Banquet for Everyone

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(Luke 14:15-24)

When you attend a significant event, the number of people present matters. How would it feel going to hear your favorite band or singer in concert at a large venue and being surrounded by empty seats? What if you received a special exclusive invite to the opening of a trendy new restaurant and only a handful of other people were there? It was one thing to have to witness that kind of emptiness during the pandemic when in-person attendance was not permitted, but barring those restrictions, we expect big events to bring in big numbers of people. If not, and attendance is sparse, it can result in lower expectations, second-guessing the level of quality associated with the function, or wondering about the organization of the whole thing. Numbers matter. We are impressed by large attendance numbers at events – they give credibility to something.

Have you ever wondered what the attendance numbers in heaven will be like? On the one hand, we have pictures of multitudes gathered around the throne. Each of Daniel and John’s (Revelation) visions make reference to thousands upon thousands and ten thousands upon ten thousand – numbers which may refer to just angels or could also include believers. Jesus preached to large crowds and many came to faith. Throughout the book of Acts we are told the Holy Spirit added thousands to the faith here and there through the preaching of the Word. World statistics of professing Christians currently top 2.5 billion, to say nothing of the total number of believers existing throughout history. So it would appear that heaven will be pretty full.

But Jesus also said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to” (Lk. 13:24). And in the parable before us this morning there are clearly a number who excuse themselves for a variety of reasons, leaving the master to conclude, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet” (14:24). So will it be many or few? What will the numbers be like in heaven? We can’t say for sure, and while I know few of us like to hear that answer, we must be willing to accept it frequently in regard to questions about heaven. Instead then, let’s give our attention to two matters that we DO have control over: 1) making sure we get there, and 2) taking as many with us as we possibly can.

I know it feels rather odd even to state it that way, to “make sure we get” to heaven. There’s nothing for us to do! Jesus did it all, so what could we possibly need to “do” to make sure we get there? He traded heaven for earth to make sure that one day we would be able to trade earth for heaven. His perfect obedience replaced our daily disobedience. On the cross he was forsaken so we could be forgiven. How do we cover that debt when it has already been paid? How do we convince a judge who’s already declared us innocent because of what Jesus has achieved as our Sacrifice and Substitute?  

It’s really more about what we can make sure we don’t do rather than taking credit for anything we can do. Simply put, don’t lose what you’ve been given. Don’t reject the free gift of salvation. Don’t misplace your invitation. Don’t let the big day arrive and find you unprepared because you allowed enough excuses to mount up over time that you became preoccupied with this life at the expense of the next one. It’s as if every time you make an excuse, you are pounding in yet one more tent stake to make this your permanent home instead of heaven.

It would appear this is a very legitimate concern on the part of Jesus. At least that’s the way it comes across in the parable. Not only do the servants receive a variety of excuses from the invitees when the party is finally ready, but notice how many times the host has to send out his servants to bring in more guests – three times they are sent out! That would seem to emphasize two important truths. One, many will end up on the outside looking in when it comes to heaven. Two, God really means it when he says that he wants everyone to be saved. Why else would he continue to send out his servants to invite others? “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (v.23). There’s still room. 

There’s still room. You probably noticed the Trunk or Treat invites in your worship folders. Those invites aren’t for you, because you already know you’re invited. But they are for you to pass along to someone else. Heaven is the same. You already know it’s for you, but now the invite is for you to pass along to others. 

So each and every one of us can focus on one or both of the two things we DO have control over. If you are in the excuse-making camp of the banquet invitees in the parable and are dangerously close to forfeiting your spot at the heavenly banquet, then that needs your urgent attention. Get your act together and make your faith the priority it needs to be so that you don’t give up what you’ve been given. And if you are solid in that department, then you can give attention to your role of passing along the invites. One or the other or both is where we all should be. Make sure you get there and do your best to help as many others as possible get there. 

Where exactly is “there?” What will “there” be like? After all, that’s what we’re really interested in – the information about what the accommodations in heaven will be like, right? So will there be an actual feast, a banquet, as heaven is so often depicted in Scripture? Will the most tantalizing food and drink imaginable be served? The perfect cut of meat, perfectly cooked, or for those who prefer, the perfect Beyond Meat plant-based product perfectly imitating the perfect cut of meat, perfectly cooked? Will the food melt on your tongue the moment it touches it? Will the beverages be served chilled so they aren’t too cold or not too hot so they avoid burning your tongue? Will there be appetizers? How many courses? And dessert – what about dessert??? Now that I’ve lost you for the rest of the sermon… will we actually experience any of this? 

Or… is it all figurative picture language to make heaven more relatable to us? It would make sense that Jesus would speak a parable involving a great feast, given he spoke these words this morning while he was a guest at a Pharisee’s house for a meal. And, the comment made to Jesus leading up to the parable referenced the blessing of feasting in the kingdom of God. So is Jesus merely tying his description of heaven to something we can conceptualize, something we could connect to through personal experience? After all, as much as both the Old and the New Testaments speak about heaven as a sit-down saintly smorgasbord, the Bible also says that no one in heaven will ever hunger or thirst. Therefore, if there is eating and drinking, it won’t be out of a need of sustenance, but rather out of the joy and pleasure associated with it.

Here is another thought: why should we ever experience any good pleasure at all in a broken, fallen world? Why should we be able to enjoy tasty delicacies and delightful drink? Surely a world of rebellious sinners has not and could not earn the right to such pleasure? No, but God is good. God is gracious. Maybe there is another reason behind God allowing us such enjoyment – perhaps such pleasures have an even greater purpose: merely to whet our appetite for what is coming in heaven. Certainly no good, no excellent experience here on earth was ever intended to attract us so strongly to this temporal world; rather could it serve all the more to provide us with teaser upon teaser of how splendid heaven will be? 

And don’t forget another part of a great meal – one enjoyed with favored guests! After all, a meal spent with old friends can make even the blandest food palatable. And even outstanding food is only made better when enjoyed in the presence of those dear to us. Think of that part of a feast or banquet – not so much about the food, but about the guests gathered together to enjoy it together. That is real joy! Gathering around food builds community. Meals are where stories are shared and memories are made. Traditions and family rituals so often involve food. Food satisfies, but sometimes the biggest role it serves is to bring people together. And that is certainly one of the main themes of heaven, isn’t it – all of God’s blood-bought saints finally being brought together in perfect unity and harmony? No polarizing division. No draining disagreements. Just Jesus-centered gathering.

Years ago there was a popular series of T-shirt slogans that had a statement regarding one’s favorite sport. It had a simple phrase indicating that one’s favorite sport was life, and the rest was just details. “Basketball/tennis/golf/baseball/etc. is life. The rest is just details.” The point was clear: nothing else really mattered. The wearer of the T-shirt was claiming that other concerns in life were quite trivial in comparison to the favorite sport. 

At the end of the day, there is much speculation about what heaven will be like. There are many unknowns. We don’t know if there will be a literal banquet feast or if the imagery is merely figurative. But there is one known: Jesus will be there. And we’ll get to be with him. Nothing will be better. In heaven we could rightly sport the T-shirt, “Jesus is (eternal) life. The rest is just details.” Let’s make sure that when we’re done here on earth, each and every one of us – and as many others as we can possibly bring along – are all wearing the same shirts.

Heaven Is… Coming

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(Matthew 25:31-46)

More and more evidence points to the reality that the happiness associated with a certain experience has less to do with the experience itself and more to do with our anticipation of it. Studies that measured brain activity and the subjects’ feelings of happiness prior to a positive experience and during that experience have seen higher dopamine levels before than during the experience itself. So it seems that looking forward to a positive experience is many times the most exhilarating part of all.

I won’t disagree. When I got to the last book of the Harry Potter series, I recall how bittersweet it was. While it was always exciting to finish one book in the series and look forward to starting the next, I knew I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to after I read the last one. So, I actually put off starting the final book for some time just to extend the time I had to look forward to it. We’ve probably all experienced something similar in the past at some point regarding vacations. We were so eager to plan and look forward to and anticipate an upcoming vacation – but the vacation itself didn’t match our anticipation of it. Or, we look forward to watching an episode of our favorite show, but how bummed are we when the last episode airs? Now we don’t have anything to look forward to anymore. It is the anticipation of the experience – not the actual experience itself – which is so often the most exhilarating part. 

Heaven, dear friends, will be the exception. Are we eager about heaven? Do we anticipate it? Are we looking forward to getting there? Absolutely. But unlike every other experience we have had on earth, it will not be the anticipation of heaven that fills us with the greatest joy, but our experience of it. Our experience of heaven will absolutely surpass in every possible way any detail we could have imagined about it. No matter how high the dopamine levels register in our anticipation of heaven, they’ll be off the charts when we actually experience it!

When it comes to anticipation, studies have shown that two primary factors play the biggest role in heightening our good feelings about an experience: 1) simply looking forward to the experience itself, but also 2) the increased likelihood that it will happen. When those two factor in together, we experience the height of anticipation. You get a rush from placing an online order, but that anticipation is heightened when your tracker tells you the delivery truck is only two stops away! The opening music to your favorite show starts playing on the screen and you get a quick rush no matter how good or bad the episode is. You look forward to the possibility of reconnecting with an old friend, but that anticipation is heightened when your phone pings with a text confirming the date and time. It’s really going to happen! It’s a certainty!

Jesus provides us with the same certainty as he introduces his teaching on heaven this morning. He started out, “When the Son of Man comes…” (v.31). There is no uncertainty in those words, is there? Jesus doesn’t say “I’m hoping to” or “I’ll really try” or “I might be available”; he says, “when the Son of Man comes.” Everything then, which follows, will happen. Jesus will return. He will come back to us. Doesn’t that heighten our anticipation?

And we are so in need of that repeated reminder, aren’t we? As more time passes, we wonder more. We question ourselves. We question God. The world worsens. Is Jesus’ return a reality we can count on, or is it just wishful thinking? Am I foolish for believing it or looking forward to it? Jesus puts that to rest. Jesus doesn’t lie. He laid out what will happen when he returns. He will return. 

And his return will be glorious! While Jesus’ first coming into our world was meaningful and marvelous in its own right, I don’t know that “glorious” is the description we’d use for the child born in a barn. Jesus highlights the difference between the first coming and the second coming – “in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne” (v.31). Glory – what a contrast to Jesus’ first arrival! That last glorious day is described elsewhere in Scripture in this way: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). No secluded stable, but the most glorious announcement, accompanied by hosts of angels and trumpet calls – “Jesus returns!” 

And why is he returning? To judge. Notice both parties on that last day are shocked, but for different reasons. They are surprised at the criteria behind Jesus’ judgment. Believers were not even aware of their service to others amounting to service to Jesus himself. The believer, from whom faith naturally springs into action to love and care for and serve others, thinks nothing of those things. They weren’t carried out to earn points with God or to elevate our standing before him, for we know that nothing good lives in us by nature. Yet through faith, God works much good in the lives of believers!

Unbelievers, on the other hand, were not aware that their selfishness and lack of service to others amounted to selfishness and lack of service to Jesus himself. The unbeliever was convinced he was doing enough to be on good terms with God, that he was a pretty decent guy or gal, making some positive contributions in the world. At the very least, better than a whole lot of other people. And they’re absolutely shocked to not be acknowledged by God.

So the sheep and the goats, believers and unbelievers, were both surprised, both shocked. In other words, you will be shocked on that last day. The question is, for what reason? Will you be surprised by how effortlessly and naturally your faith flowed into service for others without ever thinking of recognition or reward? Or will you be surprised because you were pretty sure you were going to hear from Jesus’ lips, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance…” (v.34), but instead will hear “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v.41)? I don’t imagine too many people actually expect they will hear those words from Jesus, but he makes it clear that he will speak them. Will they be spoken to you? 

They may be, if you should make the terrible mistake of presuming that how you live doesn’t matter, that you treat your faith like a hazmat suit that somehow protects you from caring for others and serving their needs. You may hear those words if you make the grave mistake of treating grace and forgiveness as merely a free pass to live as you please. Those words may be spoken to you if your confession of sins and confession of faith are merely empty words that have no root whatsoever in your heart. Now before you blow off that possibility, are you really willing to gamble that you might be wrong? Maybe you don’t believe there is a hell. Maybe you don’t believe a loving God would actually ever send anyone there. One, do you really want to chance that, to take that risk, and two, are you comfortable with calling Jesus a liar when he lays out that this is exactly what will happen on the last day? Hell and eternal punishment are real and many are really going to end up there. Don’t let it be you.

Let us instead hear the other words of Jesus, music to our ears: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (v.34). We are finally going to experience what all the “fuss” is about! We’ll finally experience the culmination of everything he’s done for us and the blessings laid out for us from the very beginning. Jesus calls you “blessed.” You think you know what that word means now? People toss it around as a blanket term that covers anything good that happens to us – whether or not they acknowledge God as the source of blessing. Rest assured, the word will take on a new meaning in heaven. If the best it can do this side of heaven is describe only the stuff we know now, imagine what it will truly mean to be blessed when we hear that word on the last day in reference to what’s waiting for us. 

And what is waiting for us is an inheritance. An inheritance is always a good thing. No one leaves behind an inheritance that is intended to harm another or leave them worse off. An inheritance is always a good thing. How much more so with heaven! What will that inheritance include? How can we use known terms and experiences to describe what can’t be known or experienced here on earth? It will simply surpass the best of the best in this world by leaps and bounds, and exclude anything and everything that is undesirable and unpleasant. 

Jesus described that inheritance as “the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” He is not referring to just an object or item, but an entire kingdom, a way of life, a world, an experience that completely overshadows anything we could know or experience in this life.

And imagine how much the Lord has been longing to grant this to us – he’s had it prepared from the beginning. Ever shopped for someone and found the perfect gift that you know they are going to love? But you have to wait to give it to them. You want to right now, but the occasion has not arrived yet, so you have to wait. Imagine God holding on to this amazing gift that he knows will blow our minds, and he’s been waiting this whole time, throughout the entire history of our world, from creation until that last day, to give it to us. He must be about to burst every day that he waits!

What will determine who receives this gift? In a word, faith. Only Jesus doesn’t use that word; rather, he describes what it looks like. Think of faith like this. Coaches in many sports speak of the importance of follow-through. A golf or tennis swing with a strong follow-through matters. A shooter in basketball knows the importance of follow-through after he releases his shot, as does the pitcher on a baseball mound. Follow-through is important. It matters. Faith alone saves, but faith has a follow-through: works. Works are the follow-through of faith. They are the continuation of it. They are how faith shows itself, how it manifests itself. So without works, faith is not only incomplete; it simply doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as saving faith that is not accompanied by works. Jesus makes this clear by referencing works to determine who are the sheep and who are the goats, as those works are the follow-through of faith. 

Heaven is coming. Anticipate it. Strengthen your faith to be sure of it. Get to know the voice of Jesus more and more through his Word, so that you will be confident of the words he will speak to you on that last day, leaving nothing up to chance. Believe, boldly show that belief in how you live, and long to hear those words of eternal life, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (v.34). Amen.

Free! – to Face Death

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(based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

I must confess I am somewhat puzzled by our current relationship with death. It would seem we’re all over the place on our views of death. There is a strong demand in our country for the freedom to put children to death through abortion. Euthanasia and suicide appear to be increasingly acceptable options. Yet, a virus that kills only a minuscule percentage of the population has multitudes paralyzed with fear. I can’t make sense of it. I don’t know if we care too much about death, or not enough as a society. But, society’s relationship with death is not what informs or influences our relationship with death – at least one would hope. For the freedom we have in Christ is a real thing, and it has a direct impact on how we as Christians approach and deal with death. 

The freedom we have in Christ not only frees us from the fear of facing judgment on the Last Day; it also frees us to face something most of us are more than likely to experience before Jesus returns: death. The apostle Paul addresses the very subject of death in our verses this morning. He acknowledges that a lack of knowledge around death and what happens when we die is a legitimate cause for concern and even fear. Often fear flows from what is unknown, so Paul seeks to address that ignorance by educating us under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. 

He introduced the subject matter with these words: “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v.14). Notice the connection between being uninformed, or ignorant, about death, or as Paul puts it in reference to Christians who have died, “those who sleep,” and hopeless grieving. That is to say, those who are uninformed or ignorant about this matter of death are understandably left mourning inconsolably because they have no hope. So then, how do we ensure hope in the face of death? We make sure we’re informed. 

People speak in all kinds of ways about what happens when a person dies, as if this is some unknown area where one person’s guess is as good as another’s. But the Bible, while it doesn’t come close to answering every single question we have surrounding death, is nonetheless clear on what happens when a person dies. Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Every human being has both a body and a soul, and at death, the two are separated. The body or its remains are placed into the ground, while the soul goes immediately to either heaven or hell. There is no purgatory or place of limbo where souls are placed “on hold” until the Last Day. There will be no rapture or second chance for people to believe at another point in time, for the writer to the Hebrews established that “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Then, as Paul describes in the last four verses of our text, Jesus will return on the Last Day. Every dead body, both believers and unbelievers, will be raised and rejoined together with its soul, and will then be permanently and publicly permitted to the final destination of either hell or heaven.   

While many of us have questions about heaven and hell, many of which the Bible doesn’t answer, again the Bible is clear enough in its descriptions about hell that we know it isn’t something we’d wish anyone to experience. The pictures of eternal agony and torment and suffering without any relief whatsoever rule out any foolish idea that maybe there are a few spots in hell that aren’t so bad, as if court-side seats or VIP suites would somehow make it more bearable. While people make passing comments about experiencing hell on earth, such flippant descriptions only serve to seriously downplay the reality of real condemnation in hell. 

Heaven, on the other hand, only gets five-star ratings throughout the whole Bible. It is only ever described in desirable, favorable, blissfully blessed terms. All suffering and sorrow, all letdown and loss, all hardship, hurt, and heartache – all of it is filtered out of heaven so that all that remains is every day is the best day you could ever imagine. And while it will surely be a joyful reunion of the saints, including our loved ones, even those hoped-for reunions will be overshadowed by the beautiful reminder Paul provides: “And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thes. 4:17b). We will no longer know Jesus just from hymns and songs, Bible verses, or artistic renditions, but in reality, face-to-face, in the flesh, in person, in his presence, forever. Any fear in the face of death fades even just by contemplating that magnificent reality of heaven: being with the Lord forever.

What makes the difference? What determines our final destination? We touched on it last Sunday, but have it again here today from Paul in verse 14. “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” It’s that simple. There need be no uncertainty in the face of death if we can affirm our confidence in this simple statement of Paul. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. Period. And, that means we believe we’re going where Jesus goes, because his death and resurrection have already punched our ticket.  

That means we’re going where six of our church family members have already arrived this year. Each of them believed that Jesus died and rose again, and so God brought each of them to be with Jesus to their final destination of heaven. While gathering restrictions this year did not permit us to hold services for each of these sainted brothers and sisters, nevertheless, no restrictions can ever rob us of the comfort we have in knowing they are with the Lord forever.

And someday, we will be, too. For we, too, “believe that Jesus died and rose again” (v.17b). If Jesus did, and if we believe it, then we’re free. We’re free from the fear of death. So much fear, after all, is based on the unknown. But when we take whatever is unknown and make it known, fear dissipates. When we don’t have to wonder what happens when a person dies, when we don’t have to worry about where we’re going or how we can be sure of it, we’re free to face death. It holds no terror over us. 

But it does more than that, actually. It isn’t about simply making something we all face less scary; it’s about putting what we’re all facing right now in the proper perspective. When we have the peace of knowing that death means being with the Lord forever, then we can take in stride everything this year has thrown at us. While we’re all mentally and emotionally worn out from hearing the same nauseating news over and over and over again, we can temper it with the triumph that is in store for us in heaven. Ah, but friends, if Sunday morning is the only time each week when we think thoughts of Jesus, our salvation, and our place with him forever, but the rest of the week let the news and headlines tickle our ears, are we making the most of every opportunity for the gospel to keep us uplifted and inspired? Are we giving it a fair chance to counter the chaos of our culture right now? 

When Paul wrapped up these verses the same way he did the verses we heard last Sunday, do you think he had in mind just occasionally? Did he just mean once in a great while? Or does his last verse, “therefore encourage one another with these words” (v.18) sound like something we ought to implement as often as necessary? I don’t know about you, but I have not yet had anyone turn down any extra encouragement these days. And I myself appreciate it when you all encourage me. Could we do more of that, especially with an eye toward eternity? Friends, listen to me: this. will. pass. But even better than that, we don’t have to just “get through this”; we actually have something better in store!

With that in mind, and perhaps as a way to keep the encouragement of this Saints Triumphant Sunday before us, here is a planning guide for you. It’s a guide to help you plan your funeral. It doesn’t cover every detail, but does allow for giving consideration to appropriate or favorite Scripture sections or hymns that you would like to have played at your funeral. I invite you to grab one, take some time to think through it, and when you finish it, return a copy to your church and keep one for yourself. Now this might sound like a weird thing to do, but if we’re truly free to face death – and we are – then aren’t we also free to plan for it?

One of the many added blessings of this kind of planning? It is a blessing to a congregation. When we think through and plan for such things because of the confidence we have “that Jesus died and rose again” (v.17b), we can bless Christ’s church long after we leave earth and are with the Lord forever. That is exactly what one of this year’s sainted members did when planning to leave 25% of their estate to support the continued proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Is that not encouraging?!? That member, blessed by the message of Jesus for so many years here, planned to ensure that same blessing would continue for others after departing for home in heaven. Friends, when we are free to face death, that is the kind of impact we can make! So no, we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v.14), for we know “we will be with the Lord forever” (v.17b).