Heaven can wait?
Revelation 21 & 22

I've brought some objects with me this morning to share with you. Each has special importance to me because each represents a source of great joy in my life.

For example, I brought along this pile of books. These are books that I gathered from various corners in our house. I am in the process of reading them. Yes, all of them. I get great joy out of good books. I love to be able to sit down by a fire with a cup of tea and a book. The very thought of it makes my heart happy. I love good stories. I love the adrenaline rush of coming across a new idea -- a new way of looking at the world that I had never thought of before. Reading is a great source of joy for me.

Of course, I haven't actually looked at any of these books for weeks now. I can hardly remember the last time I actually did sit down and read one of them. I just don't seem to have the time. And when I do have the time I will probably fall asleep after two or three pages. If only I had the time . . .

Another thing I take joy in is travelling. That's why I brought along this globe. I was a world traveller before I could walk. I have probably told you before that my first steps were in an airliner. And still, sometimes, when an airliner passes overhead I look up longingly with this intense desire just to be on it. It doesn't really matter where it is going. There is almost nowhere in the world that I would not love to see. There are so many spectactular places I have never been. I would love to see Lake Victoria, Hike in the Andes, Travel down the Yangtze River, Explore Beirut. And there are so many foods I have never tasted and cultures I know nothing about. Travelling has always been a great source of joy for me.

Problem is I haven't been out of North America in four years. And now that we own a house we probably won't be travelling much for a while. And, of course, there's the small problem of money. If only . . .

Here's another thing I brought -- I actually carry it around with me at all times. It's the wedding ring that Carol gave to me more than 12 years ago. It reminds me of the intense joy that I have had in my love relationship with her. The happiest, most joyous times of my life have been spent with Carol and with our children. I love to go on hikes with them, to read with them, to go on picnics together and fly kites, to laugh uproariously at nothing in particular. The love of my family gives me great joy.

Sadly, we haven't had very much time like that the last few days. After all, there are errands to run, meals to cook, sermons to prepare. And even the times that we do have together are often marred by my selfishness, or irritablity or weariness.

My life is full of sources of joy. But with every joy comes a frustration. There is not enough time. Not enough energy. Not enough money. Even the best joys are marred by my sin and my frailty. And so I am constantly saying, or thinking "If only . . ." If only this wonderful day could last. If only all days could be like this one. If only I could love my family with all my heart. If only I had the time to read everything that I want to read. If only I was not so lazy and selfish.

Even the best joys I experience are fragile and fleeting. They are marred by sin. And in the end every source of joy will all be snuffed out in death.

I hear about people who come to the end of their lives, facing death, and say, "I have no regrets. I've had a full life. I wouldn't do anything differently. I've done everything I wanted." I wonder what planet they are from. I cannot imagine coming to the end of my life and feeling that I have had enough. There will still be so many spectacular places I have not seen, so many foods I have never tasted, so many great books still left to read, so many chances to love my wife and my children that I squandered -- so much about the world and about God that I don't understand. At the end of my life I expect to cry out in frustration. "It's too soon! I've only begun to taste the joys of life. I don't want it to end." Or Like Wilbur in Charlotte's Web -- "I don't want to die. I'm too young to die." Life is simply too short to contain all that I want out of it. I would need hundreds of lives to experience all of the joy that I long for.

No, not even hundreds of lives would be enough. I would need to live forever. Eternal life is what I really long for.

You see, every one of us -- every human being -- longs, consciously or unconsciously, for eternal life. Whenever we say "If only it could last . . ." we acknowledge our longing. When I hear a symphony and my heart aches when it ends. When I read a great story, and wish it could go on and on. Whenever I say, "If only it could go on forever" -- THAT is the tug of heaven at my heart. That is the whisper of God saying, "It does not have to end. It was never meant to end. You were made for infinite joy. You were made for heaven."

God has implanted in every one of our hearts a hunger for heaven. My desire today is simply to try to arouse that hunger in you, so that you come away longing for eternal life, crying out "I don't want it to end!" thirsting and hungering for heaven.

We read Revelation 21 mostly at funerals. And we get great comfort out of it. But I have a suspicion that although we are comforted to think of our dead loved ones being in such a place, most of us are in no hurry to go there ourselves. Heaven is certainly better than simply rotting away in the ground -- or going to the other place (that we never talk about at funerals) -- but very few of us really think its better than staying here. Heaven may be OK, but its certainly no rival to this life. Heaven can wait.

And much of the reason that we react this way is because there is a malicious rumor that has been circulating for some time that heaven is boring. Sitting around on clouds. Never ending harp lessons. What could be worse! Any of you who had music lessons as children know very well that this picture is closer to hell than to heaven. But our culture has bought into this lie completely. It shows up particularly in films, in which heaven is, without exception, extraodinarily boring. Perhaps some of you remember the movie "Heaven Can Wait." An interesting movie, but its basic premise is expressed in the title: Compared to living here, and especially compared to playing in the superbowl, heaven is really a bum deal. I'll go there when I must, but don't rush me. Heaven can wait.

Now this is malicious slander. Just think about it for a minute. Could the creator of this Universe of hundreds of billions of stars -- the creator of this planet bursting with life, the one who made the giraffe and the orangutan and millions of insects, the creator of human beings with all of their enormous variety and beauty and creativity -- could such a God be capable of creating anything boring . Boredom is not an attribute of God. God is infinitely awesome, terrifying, holy, loving, beautiful, and creative -- but he is emphatically not boring. Heaven cannot possibly be boring. The idea is absurd.

But if heaven cannot possibly boring, then what makes it interesting? What is there about it to attract us? If we were to put together an ad campaign for heaven -- some slogans to try to attract people to it, what could we say? I put this problem to my family last night and they came up with "Arrive Alive -- You won't want to miss a minute." Not bad. But it doesn't convey much content. And that is precisely the problem. How can we describe a place that is beyond our imagination? The Biblical writers struggled with this. How can language convey what is beyond language? But we must try. So, let me give you my feeble attempts:

1. Love sweeter than your wildest dreams.

Every love that we experience here, sweet as it is, is marred by disappointment, jealousy, separation, fear, misunderstanding and the certainty of loss. One day Carol and I are going to look into each others eyes, and one of us will be dying. Even our love for God is marred by our own inability to love him as we want to and as we should. I constantly feel the pain of alienation from God -- not because he is distant, but because I withdraw from his presence.

But in heaven we will know perfect love. We will enjoy perfect fellowship first with God, and then with the people of God. If you think that love is boring, then perhap heaven will be boring for you. I, for one, do not find love boring. In trying to imagine heaven, I think of the thrill and intensity and joy of loving Carol, ratchet that up ten times -- and take away all of the disappointments and separations. And love will be perfectly reciprocated in heaven. Every love will be returned. There will be no disappointment, no rejection.

2. Beauty beyond belief

Imagine a vast garden -- infinite in size. A garden that never closes, where there is no night, and that you never tire of exploring. Every flower is exquisite; every fruit sweeter and more satisfying than anything you have ever tasted before. And then -- let me play to the art lovers among you-- you discover that this is not just a garden, but a vast open air museum. And every piece there is a work of art so beautiful and so perfect that it makes every human work of art on earth pale in comparison. And then there is the music section. And the book section and coffee shop. Infinite beauty. Infinite creativity. Infinite time and energy to enjoy it.

When John described the heavenly city here in Revelation 21 -- gates of pearl, streets of gold, jewel studded walls -- he meant to convey this sense of infinite beauty. So if the image of pearly gates doesn't grab you, don't get stuck on it. Imagine the greatest beauty you can, magnify it beyond belief, and you will still not be close to imagining heaven.

If the creativity of God and of people bring us joy here -- how much more will they bring us joy when we meet them in infinite perfection.

3. A job to die for

Try to imagine the best job ever. The kind of job that you makes you want to leap out of bed in the morning because it is so challenging, so interesting, so exciting. Where it doesn't matter what your salary is because the work itself is so wonderful. [Playing for the perfect baseball team? Where everyone works together as a team and no one ever leaves for a higher salary? Teaching at the perfect university where tenure is never denied because everyone really deserves it?]

Can you imagine such a job? Probably not. But you will have one in heaven. The passage we just read tells us that we will serve God and that we will reign with Him. Will it be boring to assist in managing the universe? Perhaps arranging the orbits of planets; supervising the births and deaths of stars. Bossing angels around -- in a nice sort of way, of course. Creating works music and art and literature. Planning and building cities. Glorifying and Serving God with every ounce of creativity we have. Will this be boring. I don't think so.

In heaven all of the joys I experience in a limited way here will continue and increase. I get joy from love relationships with God and with people here. I will enjoy infinitely sweeter love in heaven. I enjoy beauty and creativity here. How much more will I enjoy God's magnificent creation in heaven. I take joy in my work her. I will have infinitely more joy from my work in heaven. All of these joys will be greater, more intense -- AND THEY WILL NEVER END.

Neverending joy -- Does your heart long for it.

Here is the good news: Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has thrown open the doors of heaven. He has invited us to share in his life of unending joy. He says to us "Come --Whoever is Thirsty -- Come." Thirsty for what? Thirsty for heaven. Thirsty for unending, infinite life. "And I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life." (Rev. 21:6)

There is, of course, a catch. There is always a catch. But this is a simple one. You just have to be thirsty. Thirsty enough to want to turn away from everything that will keep me from heaven. Thirsty enough to turn to Jesus, the only one who can get you there. There is no place in heaven for sin. How could it BE heaven if there was sin there? Sin makes perfect, endless joy impossible. Sin is what ruins our joy. So before we can hope for heaven we have to leave that behind. And the only way to find healing for your sin is to turn to Jesus. That is what Easter is about.

Do you want to increase your hunger for heaven? I have some suggestions:

Develop a taste for the presence of God. That will be your greatest source of joy in heaven. And you don't have to wait. Your experience of heaven can begin right now. It will not be perfect. It will be marred by sin -- but it is an appetizer, a taste of things to come.

Develop a taste for being with God's people. These are the people you will be working with, eating with -- you didn't think we would stop eating in heaven, did you -- God forbid such a thought. These are the people you will be exploring the universe with, singing with -- except that all of our voices will be better and richer than Andi's, and we will all sing on key.

Develop a taste for serving God. There is no better boss. And the job security is excellent.

Heaven doesn't have to wait. The experience of the joy of heaven can begin right here, right now.


Love Divine All Loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down, fix in us thy humble dwelling, all they faithful mercies crown.

Finish then, thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation, perfectly restored in thee. Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place. Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love andpraise!

Hymn #92


Benediction: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be their God. 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." May God us all a hunger for heaven today.

Please stay for coffee and fellowship. There will be a prayer meeting tonight at 6:30, and this is the last reminder to register for David Brainerd Courses which begin next week. He is Risen!