Heavenward Bound

Introduction

I think that last slide or line, if you’re using the song book, says it all Sing to me of heaven, sing the sweetest song of all. And there it is. If you open your Bibles with me for a couple minutes left this morning, to Revelation chapter 21 again. There were several readings from Revelation 21 and one even from chapter 22. But if you note the theme, of course, you have this vision of John, and it’s this parallel that we draw through the figurative language of what heaven will be, how exciting and wonderful and perfect that place, that time, that existence will be. In Revelation 21, though, notice in each of the sections, who, or should I say to without giving it away, what the theme really is.

1. The Key Was Being With God

Revelation 21, verse 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.

Also he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, It is done. I am the Alma Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. What is the focus of this life? We love verse four. There will be no tears, there will be no death, nor mourning, no crying, nor pain. That’s powerful, that’s wonderful. We should look forward to that time. But what was the key of those six verses? It was being with God. It was God who allowed the city to be there, as John was seeing it. It was God who would wipe away the tears. It is God who is the Alpha and the Omega, God who always has been the beginning and will forever be the ending.

2. Its Temple Is the Lord God

God is the key. Go down to verse twenty two, the second reading. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. And again you have a wonderful picture of what it is to be with God in verse twenty-two. There is no temple, but the temple is the Lord, God.

3. The Theme Holds in Chapter Twenty-Two

The city doesn’t even need a sun or a moon to shine in it. God is the light, the focus again. This place that we’re working towards, we’re marching on to, that we’re singing the sweetest song of all four, is to be with God. That’s where we’re going, that’s what we’re striving for. And of course, in the third reading reading, the theme holds in chapter twenty-two. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

4. Remember the God to Whom We Are Going

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads, and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. When time is dark, when we’re here in this life that’s separate from God, neither cast into the lake of fire and brimstone mentioned in chapter 20 and even 21, or not in the presence of God in that heavenly city, as John sees it in chapter 21 and 22. There are ups and downs. For the truth is God is our rock.

God is our fortress. And above all, above this nebulous wanting to do good, trying to focus on spiritual things, trying to fulfill Colossians 3, setting our minds on things above, we need to remember the God to whom we are going. And that’s how we’ll get there. Remembering that even in times of discouragement and death, and yes, the things that this heavenly city had none of tears, mourning, that there is a God who wants us to be with him. There is a God who created us to be reunited with him, offering the Lamb, offering Jesus the Christ in our place. What a wonderful song to sing, that we can sing of heaven, that we know that we can march on, that we’re marching to Zion. And we need to remember the words of the supplement song we sang until then.

Conclusion

This life is not worth living. When we recognize what was passing away, you link that with first John chapter 2. It’s obvious the world is passing away along with its desires, but God is there, heaven is waiting for us. Heaven is being with God. Will you accept that invitation this morning? What a blessing it is to serve a mighty God. Amen. Let us pray to Him. Go before His throne right now. Our dear God, our most gracious, powerful, loving, eternal Heavenly Father. We thank you for being our Creator, for loving us, creating us with an understanding and void to know that you are there. And if we’re striving to be with you, striving to please you, and if we are from you, that we need to understand who you are and what you desire of us.

Thank you for making your will known to us. Forgive us of when we sin, of when we transgress your will, of when we don’t seek you, when we don’t act as if you’re there. We know you are, and we pray that you forgive us of our doubtings, of our tough moments and trials. Give us courage and conviction to face them, to recognize that this world is not our home. Thank you for all of your blessings. Thank you for allowing us to understand what it means to serve you, what it means to praise you, and how we can be living sacrifices in your name so that we can be with you forever. What a wonderful promise you’ve made to us. Help us to always remember that, to wake up to it, to live through it, and to go to bed with that in mind.

Thank you for your wonderful blessings. Thank you for allowing us to wake up this morning to be together and to enjoy company with fellow Christians, fellow children of yours. Help us to be pleasing in your sight. Help us to submit to one another, love one another, and strengthen each other as we walk on to be with you. Thank you for this day. It’s in your Son’s name we do pray. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our new Bible classes.