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This morning we are going to talk about heaven. We want to go there, but we also have heaven here with us now.
As we get a little older and feel more aches and pains, as people go on before us we often think about heaven and how wonderful going home will be. The world will get fixed, rest will come, death and sickness will be forgotten. Creation will stop its groaning.
It is ok to long for heaven.
Heaven With Us Now
Mark 1 – Jesus proclaimed the good news of God. “The Kingdom of God has come near.” Jesus told John that he was the one.
The good news of the kingdom is that heaven is available for us now. How can we participate in the Kingdom of God in the here and now?
Luke 10 – The seventy who had been sent out returned and were amazed that even devils listened to them. The display of power that happened, especially in those early years, was an establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Jesus embodied the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus brought heaven to earth. Each of us walk in a “little sphere of influence.” God wants his Kingdom power to be shown and modeled in the little sphere that we work in.
A Few Ways We Can Experience Heaven Here and Now
Matthew 6 – Jesus taught us to pray this way. This is one of the “most prayed” prayers. Heaven is all through this prayer. Asking for Gods Kingdom to come. We pray this prayer and we recognize our Heavenly Father for who He is, and then we ask that His Kingdom would come. Are we willing to submit to what he asks of us?
Give us “this day” our daily bread. Enough for the present.
Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Our relationships are restored by forgiveness. God watches our human relationships and He cares about these things.
We ask God to help us to live righteously here. Lead us not into temptation. Help us to be a life changed Christian. God wants to deliver us from evil.
The Presence of the God of Heaven is Here With Us
John 14 – A few heavenly provisions that God has for us here on earth.
Jesus said that it was necessary that he go away so that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit could come to dwell with them.
Jesus had a connection with the Father. There is a blending of life giving that all comes together in this relationship.
A heavenly peace. This is important for us to be able to experience, especially in our troubled world.
Heaven Has a Purpose for us Here
John 17 – Have you ever wished that you could just be taken out of the world? God has a purpose for us to be here on earth. Have you thought about the purpose that God has for you here? Perhaps we think about this more as we get older.
Eternal life is a gift from heaven to us. Our job is to spread that word to those who we come in contact with. Jesus is the way, Jesus is the life.
There is joy available for Christians. This world is a joyless place for many people. There are a lot of shallow happiness and bubble, but there isn’t a lot of joy. If heaven is living inside of us, this joy that Jesus can give us should be showing to those around us.
Unifying his followers, this was a large part of Jesus desire, that they may be one… as Jesus, the Father and the Spirit are one. The Kingdom of God encompasses all believers worldwide.
The Kingdoms Fullness is Yet to Come
Daniel 2:44 – There is more in store for the believer. The Kingdom of God will stand forever. God has a bigger thing going on than just what we see around us.
What will heaven be like? There are many promises about what it will be like. “In my Fathers house are many mansions. I will return for you.”