What Do We Know About Heaven? Part 3

AUGUST 29, 2021 STUDY NOTES “HEAVEN” PART 3 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HEAVEN? INTRODUCTION This is the third message in our series of Heaven, consider what we have previously studied Jesus is the only way to Heaven, only those who receive Jesus as Savior will go to heaven Heaven is the dwelling place of God, His Throne is in Heaven, Christ is at His right hand To be in Heaven is to be in the immediate presence of God and Jesus Christ When a Christian dies their spirit immediately goes to be with Jesus in Heaven The Third Heaven is our Heavenly Home and is stretched out somewhere beyond the 1st and 2nd heaven We will be known in Heaven by our earthly name, we will know one another in Heaven We will not be identified by our earthly relationships, but by our spiritual relationship with God We will know one another “In-Christ,” which is our spiritual relationship with one another Christians can experience a Heavenly Relationship in our earthly life We can now experience spiritual blessings because we are now in “Heavenly Places” in Christ WILL THERE BE DEGREES OF REWARD IN HEAVEN? Will there be rewards in Heaven? If so, will there be varying degrees of reward in Heaven? Yes! There will be rewards in Heaven, yes, there will be degrees of reward in Heaven The rewards will not be an external gift for all others to see Christians will not be comparing their rewards with one another in Heaven No one will say, “let me show you my halo,” or let me show you my mansion Heaven will not be one Christian living in a mansion on main street And another Christian living in a shack by the tracks There are many verses that teach the truth of eternal rewards There are other Biblical Truths to be studied for a good understanding of the subject of rewards You also need to study spirituality, spiritual gifts, Fruit of the Spirit, judgment, and good works We will parallel the subject of “rewards” with “crowns” in this study FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT In the Old Testament, divine reward is viewed primarily in terms of material blessings from God God continually promised blessing or curse for Israel, which was to be their earthly experience Blessing for their obedience and curse for their disobedience, especially when turning to idolatry Their blessing came in material possessions and military victories Their curse was the loss of material possessions and times of oppression from their enemies Present and eternal blessings were promised to those who were faithful in their service for God Listen to what the Psalmist said concerning the keeping of God’s Law, Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. God’s Law warns the servant of God, God rewards those who faithfully keep His Law, Psa 18:20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. Psalms 24 promises present and millennial reward for those who humble themselves and obey God Page 1 of 5 FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT In the NT, there are promises of earthly blessings for those who are faithful to Christ But the emphasis is not upon material wealth and physical health Material prosperity is taught today through what is called the “Health and Wealth Gospel” The emphasis of the N.T. teaching of rewards is upon “spiritual blessings,” not material wealth Christians can experience spiritual blessings regardless of the circumstances we face in life “Spiritual blessings” can be experienced in times of poverty and times of sickness and disease But the blessings bestowed upon faithfulness do not end at the time of physical death All of us will leave all earthly possessions behind when we die physically and enter-into eternity But for the Christian, their earthly spiritual blessings will continue to be theirs in Heaven The joy of earthly spiritual blessings will turn into the joy of Heavenly Spiritual Blessings For those who reject Christ, their earthly joy will turn into eternal torment in Hell There will be eternal rewards for those who are saved and for those who are lost It is important to study the truth of future judgment for those who are saved and those who are lost Christians will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Which will not be a judgment of sin, but of service, according to what we have done for Christ in this life Our personal reward will come as-a result of our personal labor, 1Co 3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. As Christians we are daily building a spiritual building, 1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. We must pay attention to our daily spiritual life, to our spiritual structure, and take heed how we build, 1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. There will be “Heavenly Rewards” according to our “earthly labor,” 1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. Jesus promised “Heavenly Rewards,” Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. We can rejoice now, even in times of difficulty or even persecution, we can be “exceeding glad” now Glad because we will receive rewards that Jesus called “great,” great because they are now and eternal Our heavenly reward will be received as-a result of earthly faithfulness to Christ Such faithfulness to Christ can only be motivated by great love for Christ We must all be faithful today so that we can hear Jesus say, “WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT,” Mat 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. REWARDS IN HEAVEN The receiving of rewards does not teach that there will be those who are unhappy in Heaven There will be no unhappiness or lack of joy in Heaven, we will be with God and Jesus for eternity There will be rewards given in Heaven for faithful service during our earthly life Jesus is coming back to earth with rewards, Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Notice “every man,” the emphasis is upon individual judgment Each will receive according to their works, which means, according to the life they lived Those who are saved will be rewarded for their faithfulness to Christ Page 2 of 5 Those who are lost will be punished because of their rejection of Christ There will be an eternal conclusion for earthly life, Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. One purpose of the return of Jesus is to render to each one according to their works Jesus will return, and He will reward His faithful servants The saints of God will be rewarded for the works done in their body since their salvation, Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. As Christians we must seek those “heavenly blessings,” Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The “things which are above” are the things which are of heaven, for now and for eternity Jesus also identified them as “treasures,” blessings which can never be taken away from us, Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (“Treasures in heaven” are also known as crowns) CROWNS The NT gives us some suggestions as to what the rewards will be given for Those suggestions come from five NT passages using the word “Crown” All theologians do not agree that these 5 passages have reference to future heavenly rewards They do not believe that the 5 crowns refer to 5 separate rewards that Christians may earn I believe that they reveal a present experience for the believer which will earn an eternal reward Paul said that we can obtain “an incorruptible” crown, 1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. An “incorruptible crown” will be given to those who control the old sinful nature through Christ Paul used athletes who competed in a race as our example, who discipline their body in-order to win They train, they put forth effort, all for the purpose of winning the race As a result of winning the race they receive a perishable crown The glory of which can be short lived, the “corruptible crown” will soon wither away Believers are called upon to consider their example as we discipline our body for ministry The future crown for the Christian who controls their life in-order to serve God is incorruptible “Incorruptible” means that which is not capable of corruption, it will never decay To receive the incorruptible crown, you must be sure that every area of your life is under control Then there is a “crown of rejoicing,” 1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? Paul is presenting to us the rejoicing of ministry which is in the hands of God From God’s hand, there is a present glory and a future glory for ministering to others There is a “crown of rejoicing” for those who influence others to accept Christ The “crown of rejoicing” will be given to those who faithfully minister to God’s people Our “crown of rejoicing” will never lose its beauty, its attractiveness, or its glory The “crown of rejoicing” is of heavenly glory, glory that will last forever The “crown of rejoicing” stands in great contrast to the earthly rewards given by man Yet people continually seek the rewards of man, they want the glory to be given them from man James speaks of a “crown of life” for those who remain faithful to Christ during the trials of life, Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Page 3 of 5 All people, saved and lost, will face the trials and problems of life from time to time Christians are not exempt from the sufferings of an earthly life, we all face difficult days But Christians are given promises from God concerning those times of trial and trouble The promise in this verse is “the crown of life,” and it is a present promise, a present experience It is a conditional promise, it is “promised to them that love him,” those who continue to love Him Who continue to show forth their love for God even in the times of hardship, difficulty, and trials of life But remember that our rewards are based upon the present deeds of life, how we live our daily life So, the “crown of life” is also an eternal reward, which has to do with our present love for Christ There is another crown identified with loving Christ, a “crown of righteousness,” 2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. This reward will be given at the time of the return of Christ, it will be “at that day” But it will be earned in “this day,” by those who are now loving Christ and continue to serve Christ The evidence that you “love his appearing,” is your faithful loving service to Him today The “crown of righteousness” is a reward for a life of righteousness, living according to God’s Word Peter speaks of a “crown of glory” for ministering to God’s people, 1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. “And when,” not “if” He returns, there is no question about it, there is no doubt about Jesus’ return Jesus will return, and His rewards will be with Him, one will be a “crown of glory” There is a present glory and a future glory for faithful Christians who minister unto others It will be given to those who faithfully minister to God’s people It is a “crown of glory” because it comes from Jesus, and given to those who have glorified Jesus The Greek word that Peter used identifying the crown was the name of a flower A flower that did not fade away, why not? Because that is how God created it And God has promised us a heavenly inheritance, 1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Guaranteed not to fade away, its brightness and beauty will never fade or grow old The freshness will never wear out, the glory and the beauty are eternal NO MORES OF HEAVEN There are the “no mores” of hell, no more “good things,” Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. The rich man’s earthly “good things” were his expensive clothes and his party lifestyle He lived it all for good, but now all-of the good is gone forever The good is over with and it was not so good after all, and the price was high In his brief earthly life, he experienced all-of the good that he will ever know Jesus compares the rich man’s good things with Lazarus’ life, “And likewise Lazarus evil things” For Lazarus, the beggar, all-of the things that are not good on earth are now over with He will never remember a life of pain and sorrow because he is eternally “comforted” God will wipe away all the tears of every believer, Rev 21:4 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: for the former things are passed away. God will wipe away every tear of those who come out of the Great Tribulation, Rev 7:17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, which is a promise from the OT prophets, Isa 25:8 He will swallow up Page 4 of 5 death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. The last enemy that will be destroyed will be death, 1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. There will be no more sorrow, no more crying, no more tears, there will be no more death There will be no more suffering of the pains of sickness and disease There will be no more sorrow because there will be no more Satan or sin All-of the miseries of earth will be no more the former things will be passed away Well, today we don’t understand all that Heaven is going to be But we understand that we want to go to Heaven, be sure you are going to go to Heaven We must understand that our personal life today has something to do with our personal Heaven The more we understand today, the more we will understand by and by We have Church Family who are not here today, some of us may not be here next Sunday But as Christians we will meet again Listen to the song Page 5 of 5