Heaven's Pleasures

John chapter 14, we're going to read the first six verses. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me.

! In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I'm going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.

You know the way to the place where I am going. And Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

And Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. In just a very short while, every one of us here this morning will be either in heaven or hell.

Not for a year, ten years, but forever and ever. We're getting back to basics in this series.

And what is more basic than knowing what these two places are like and which of them will be our eternal home?

Well, we spent a whole sermon last week on hell. We will spend at least two messages on heaven. And may the Lord himself whet our appetites as we do for that place.

Let me offer this as a brief definition of heaven for our study this morning. Heaven is a real place where both the bodies and souls of repentant sinners will enjoy unspeakable pleasures with Christ forever.

However, first of all, heaven is a real place. Three times in the passage that was just read for us in those short six verses, our Lord spoke of heaven as a place, an actual location.

He calls it my father's house. And he says, I'm going there to prepare a place for you. So the real physical body of Christ is there.

The resurrected body of Christ is there this morning. And so it must be a real place. Now, Paul referred to it as the third heaven. Indeed, sometimes it's perhaps helpful for us to think of the different ways the Bible speaks of the heavens.

There is the first heaven in which the birds fly, the second heavens in which the stars shine, and the third heaven in which God dwells.

Heaven. Now, where is this heaven? Well, the Bible doesn't tell us, just as it didn't tell us where hell is.

It doesn't tell us where heaven is, but it does tell us the way to get there. Jesus said to his disciples, you know the way. You know the way to the place where I am going.

And Thomas says, Lord, we don't know where you're going. So how can we know the way to get there? And Jesus says, I am the way. I am the way.

So wherever heaven is, this much is sure. Jesus Christ is the only way to get there. I am the door, he says. The only entrance into that house of my father.

I am the way. The only road leading to the father's house. You must come through me or not come at all. Jesus is the way to the real place called heaven.

So heaven's a real place wherever it is right now. And the Bible teaches us that at Christ's return, he will make a new heaven and a new earth that will become the home of righteousness.

The place where God dwells with his people. More on that another time. Now, Hebrews 11 tells us that the promised land of Canaan was an Old Testament picture of heaven.

Canaan land. A picture of heaven. Now, you remember, as they came up to the border of the promised land. Before they entered the promised land, they were first given a report of the place.

And a sample of its fruit to stir up their desires for it. The spies went in to get the report and to bring back a sample of the fruit.

It's the same way with heaven. It's the same with heaven. The God who dwells there has sent us a report. A report of the place is found in this book in which he invites and urges all of us to come.

And more than that, he sent us his own son from that place to tell us what it's like. And indeed, to take us with him back to that place.

Come to me, he says. Come to me, he says. Repent and believe on me and I'll take you there. For whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life.

And the Lord Jesus is more willing to take you to heaven than you are to go with him. And for all who do believe on him, this same God has sent his Holy Spirit to give us a sampling of the fruits of that place.

He is called the first fruits of the heavenly life. He's the first course of the heavenly feast. A foretaste of what it will be like to live in heaven.

And already on this life, believers have the first course of the feast in the Holy Spirit living this heavenly life in us.

The streams on earth I've tasted more deep I'll drink above. We start drinking already here and now. But there to an ocean fullness. The first fruits of the Spirit make us groan inwardly.

It makes our stomach growl for that feast of heaven. So the first point then is that heaven is a real place. The second point is that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

The Bible says nothing unclean can enter into heaven. And if that's the case, then there's a lot of work that has to be done with us to prepare us for that place. And the work is all his.

He's the one. Jesus Christ is the one who prepares his people for heaven. First of all, there's our sins.

And just one sin will disqualify you from entry into heaven. It's a holy place. God's a holy God. But the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.

When we repent and trust in Christ, all of our sins are forgiven. All of our sins are washed away. Blotted out. We're made fit for heaven.

And then there's our need for perfect righteousness. None can enter into heaven that do not have a perfect righteousness. A perfect obedience to God's law.

And we don't have a shred of it. We don't have one thread of that righteousness. Jesus says in Matthew 22 that those robes of righteousness are what everyone must have if they're to enter into that wedding feast of heaven.

And all of our righteousness is like filthy rags. So, Jesus clothes us with his own righteousness.

He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness. Where did Jesus get that robe? By his own obedience to God's law. By his perfect obedience that took him even to the death of the cross.

He's worked out a righteousness to cover all of his people. Heaven's a pure gift. Won for us by the work of Jesus Christ.

And received by us by the empty hands of faith. Jesus is the one who brings many sons to glory. By his own merit.

And his own merit alone. But there are more preparations to be made. If I'm ever to live in that holy place. Because the pleasures of heaven are such that we must be changed even to appreciate them.

We must be born again by the Holy Spirit. We must get a new heart. A moral transformation of character. There are some movies that you cannot appreciate without wearing 3D glasses.

Now you can go in without them. And watch the movie. But it will be bland. And you will not see what you're meant to see. And so it is with heaven.

You will need new eyes. To appreciate the greatest pleasures of heaven. You will need new desires. New loves. New taste buds.

New taste buds. It's glories are such that it takes a new heart. To even appreciate them. Christ himself is the chief glory of heaven.

But if you see no glory in Jesus now. Such that you forsake your sin. And turn and love and trust and follow and obey him.

You see you're not prepared. For the glories of heaven. You need to be born again. And that's why Jesus says. That you must be born again. If you are ever to even see.

Or perceive. The kingdom of God. Much less enter it. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. No.

We must be changed. And God has begun that change in the heart of his people. When he makes us new creatures in Christ. When we're born again.

We're made new. And he finished. He's working that work now. But he'll finish it. When we see Christ. So. Those prepared for heaven.

Will find that there is everything. That heaven is everything. That your new heart. Ever. Long for. Every desire.

That your new nature desires. Will be fully satisfied there. All that your new heart could want. All your longings.

Filled to the full. You'll be in your element. Like a fish. That's in its element. In water. But here.

You're like a fish out of water. You don't belong. This isn't what you were made for. You're yearning for something more. Something better.

There you will. Be fully. And finally. At home. In your element. Heaven. Is a prepared place. For a prepared people.

But thirdly. And this is the main subject. Of our study today. Heaven is a place of unspeakable. Pleasures. And when I say unspeakable. Pleasures. I mean they're more than can be spoken.

Of. Parents. How do you explain. To your two-year-old. The joys. Of married life. The joys.

Of married life. You have a hard time. Relating that. Enjoyment. To someone that age. Well it's like a million ice cream cones.

Or. It's like the whole candy store. What language shall I borrow? What words? What pictures?

I say it's easier for you parents. To describe. The joys of marriage. To a two-year-old. Than it is for God. To stoop to man.

And describe for us. The joys of heaven. That he's preparing for us. No eye has seen. No ear has heard.

No mind has conceived. Even imagined. The things that God is preparing. For those who love him. But God has revealed it to us.

By his spirit. It's no easy thing. To tell us mortals. What those immortal joys are like. He gives us pictures.

There's much figurative language. In the Bible. About heaven. And it's hard to know. How much is figure. And how much is literal. There's a glassy sea. There's a pearly gate. There are pearly gates.

There's golden streets. Think about the golden streets. Surely. Surely. There's more than just gold.

That. That. The streets are made of. There's something being taught by that. That heaven has streets of gold. And it's teaching us surely.

That the things that men of this world. Treasure the most. Like gold. Are the things we trample on in heaven. It's stuff we walk on.

It's pavement. That's all. Just pavement. So much higher are the pleasures and delights of heaven. Than. What.

Men here on this earth. Men of this world. Can think of. Unspeakable. Far superior pleasures. Now when the Bible holds the pleasures of heaven before us.

We find that. We're told. Nearly as much about. What is absent in heaven. As. As what is in heaven. What's not there. Is no small part of its unspeakable pleasure.

So. We begin with. The study of what is not. In heaven. And there are lots of things that aren't there. In short. Everything.

Everything. That mars our happiness here. Does not exist there. So there's no sin in heaven. Revelation 21.

27. Nothing impure will ever enter in. No sin. In heaven. I have no doubt. Christian. That this is your greatest grief.

In this life. That you still sin. Against your loving Lord. That nothing causes you more sorrow. And sadness. Than that you still sin.

Against the God who's been so good to you. In Jesus Christ. That when you would do good. Evil is right there present with you. That though sin no longer reigns.

It still remains. And it's there. And it's alive. And it keeps you from doing the perfect good. That you want to do. There's nothing that you do.

But that upon looking back. You say. I should have done this way. I should have done it better. I could have done it better. And you look back with regrets. And with repenting.

And even our repentings. Leave repent. And things to be repented of. And our thoughts. And our motivations. And our attitudes. And our words.

And our deeds. Cause us to cry with Paul. Oh wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Sin. But in heaven.

Sin will be one of those former things. That are no more. One of those former things. That is passed away. Now think of that. No more pride. Here in this life.

We cannot enjoy the slightest amount of success. Without feeling pride. Welling up in our hearts. We can barely open our eyes. But there is something that our envy. Will latch hold of.

We can barely open our mouths. But that. We later wish we hadn't said something. Careless words. Unkind words. Unkind words. Untrue words.

Oh but there. There will be none of that. Nothing. No sad repentings. No regrets. No more wounding of our kind Savior. No more grieving of the Holy Spirit.

No more displeasing of our loving. Heavenly Father. All who are there. Are made perfect. Sinless. When we were born again.

The Holy Spirit came to live inside us. And to change us. And he started that work of changing us. But it's imperfect. Isn't it? We're radically changed. But imperfectly changed.

But that work will be completed. When we see Christ. Our spirits at death.

And our bodies at the resurrection. Will be perfectly changed. Into Christ likeness. Changed in an instant. In a twinkling. Of an eye. And will be presented.

A radiant church. Without spot. Or wrinkle. Or any such thing. That's heaven. Without any sin. So that the bridegroom Christ.

Will say of his bride. How beautiful you are. My darling. Oh how beautiful. You are. Beautiful. As she for the first time. In her life.

Perfectly. Reflects back. The beauty and glory. Of her Savior. And Lord. John acknowledges. That there is much about heaven. That we don't know.

Dear friends. Now we're children of God. And what we will be. He has not yet been made known. But we know. That when he appears.

We shall be like him. For we will see him. As he is. We'll be like him. Perfect in holiness. The transformation. Complete. Now that's what we've been aiming at.

All of our lives. It's what we daily pray for. Strive for. Yearn for. And then it will be. Achieved. Success.

At last. As God by his spirit. Finishes the job. Finish then thy new creation. Pure and spotless. Let us be.

That's heaven. To be. Without. Sin. Can you imagine. A you. Without sin. Sin. You must. You must think about that.

You must imagine it. You must try to conceive it. It's coming one day. What joy will be yours then. To worship God. With unsinning heart. And that alone.

Will make it a heaven of heavens. But there's more. Can you imagine. A whole world. Without sin. Because what causes you grief. Is not only your own sins.

But the sins of others as well. But there. There will be. No sin. No sinners. There will be no devil.

Or evil man. To tempt us. To sin. Or to sin against us. The wicked will cease. Their troubling. And the weary. Will be at rest. There will be no warring nations.

No terrorists. No bullies. No persecution. Nothing to make afraid. No arguments. No sad divisions. We could just go on and on. Unpacking just this first.

Thing that is not in heaven. Sin. And it would do us good. To spend some time. Thinking about that. We'll seek to apply that. Perhaps next week.

But. It alone affords many wonderful joys. No sin. Secondly. No death. Revelation 21. For. 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. Now how did death get into this world?

Death entered through sin. And so it's going to have its exit. With sin as well. It made its way into the world through sin. And it's going out.

When sin leaves. There will be no more death. No more death. No more funerals. No more painful separations. No more teary goodbyes.

No killer tornadoes. No earthquakes. Tsunamis. Famines. And floods. We were talking this week. In our home. About. Where could you live.

To escape all the natural disasters? Well heaven. Heaven. But you got to die to get there. More. The heavens.

The new heavens. The new earth. Will be a place where there is no more death. He will swallow up death forever. Death will be one of those things of the past.

There they can die no more. The body is raised immortal. That means incapable. Of dying. That will be your resurrection body. Incapable.

Of dying. There is no sickness. In heaven. No diseases. No hospitals. No doctors. No chemotherapy. No medicine. How much of your life.

Here. Is taken up. With bodily troubles. There is none there. No more will death.

And decay. And deterioration. Be at work. In our bodies. The moment you're born. Death is at work. In that body. But no longer.

The body that was sown. Was perishable. But it is raised imperishable. It was sown. In dishonor. It is raised. In glory. It was sown.

In weakness. It is raised. In power. There will be no more. Chronic fatigue. Whether it's been diagnosed. Or you just feel like you have it.

But you will exude. With energy. And life. The endless vigor of youth. Will be yours.

Christ will transform. Our lowly bodies. So that they will be like. His glorious body. There's no pain. In heaven. The scriptures say. Nothing to hurt.

Your body. Or your soul. That's the opposite of hell. Isn't it? Where they are in agony. But in heaven.

There is no pain. They will neither harm. Nor destroy. On all my holy mountain. There is no more mourning. Or crying. Every tear.

Will be wiped away. By Christ. That too. Is the opposite of hell. Where there is weeping. And gnashing of teeth. But in heaven.

All the causes of tears. Are forever. Removed. There will be only tears of joy. Tears of joy.

That will flow there. For the ransom. To the Lord. Will return. They will enter. Zion. With singing. Everlasting. Joy. Will crown their heads. Gladness and joy.

Will overtake them. And sorrow. Sighing. Will flee away. Gone. Gone. A thing of the past. There is no turmoil in heaven.

There is perfect rest. Perfect rest. There is no night in heaven. Revelation 22.5. There will be no more night.

Now we need night here. Don't we? For rest. Rest. But there is no weariness. In work there. No weariness. No more frustration.

In work. And no longer will there be any curse. Revelation 22.3. Oh. No more curse. You see. Now we are at the bottom.

Of why we have all these other things. Of death. And pain. And sorrow. And tears. It's because of the curse. But there. There will be no more curse.

It was the curse. For man's sin. That brought pain. For the woman. In childbirth. That brought thorns. And thistles. And.

Only by the sweat of his brow. That the man. Would make. Enough. To live. The earth. Was cursed. For man's sake. Frustration.

And decay. Were woven. Into the very fabric. Of the universe. It brought sickness. It's the curse. That brought sickness. And disease.

And death. And lots of blood. Sweat. And tears. It's the curse. That brought the vanity. Of vanity. The havel. Of havel. No more. In heaven. No more curse.

Because the curse. Against those heavenly dwellers. Had all been. Placed on Jesus. On the cross. And he took. The curse. He redeemed us. From the curse.

By being. Cursed. Himself. Heaven is a world. Of perfect blessing. No more cursing.

So what is missing. In heaven. Is all that mars. Our happiness here. Did any of those things. Mar your week. And your happiness. This past week. You'll not know that there.

So let these things. That you often experience. In this life. Remind you. Of what. The Lord Jesus. Is preparing for you. And where you are headed.

So that's what is not there. Well what is there. Because we're not just told. What is absent in heaven. But there are positive statements. Of the unspeakable pleasures. Of heaven.

And the first is the best company. Is there. Hebrews 12. 22 to 24. But you have come. To Mount Zion. To the heavenly Jerusalem. The city of the living God.

You've come. To thousands. Upon thousands. Of angels. In joyful assembly. To the church. Of the firstborn. Whose names are written. In heaven. You've come. To God. The judge of all men.

To the spirits. Of righteous men. Made perfect. To Jesus. The mediator. Of a new covenant. Into the sprinkled blood. That speaks a better word. Than the blood of Abel. Oh how different.

In heaven. Than in hell. While the damned. Are joining ranks. With the devil. And his fallen angels. And wicked men. The saved. Are joining ranks.

With thousands. Upon thousands. Of holy. Sinless angels. And the spirits. Of just men. Made perfect. A joyful.

Assembly. In heaven. First of all. There's only righteous men. There. Righteous men. Whose spirits. Have been made perfect. And they're there. From every tribe.

And language. And nation. Oh what a company. That will be. To be with. We will sit down. At the feast. With Abraham. Isaac.

And Jacob. And we will meet. Adam and Eve. And Noah. And Moses. And David. And Isaiah. And Jeremiah. And all the prophets.

And John the Baptist. And Paul. And Silas. And Barnabas. And Peter. James. And John. And Calvin. And Luther. And Spurgeon. And all the righteous.

Will be there. All of them. Made righteous. Through the blood. Of Jesus Christ. All made kings. And priests.

To serve our God. All made rich. Through Jesus poverty. All made perfect. As one writer said. There will be no. Cantankerous. Family members. There.

Not a one. They will be. All the sort. That you would just. Love to sit down. And eat with. And converse with. And you'll have it. Forever.

And ever. And as well. As these. Righteous men. Made perfect. There will be. The unfallen angels. Happy. Servants of God. Who fly.

On his every command. Running his errands. Doing his will. Ministering spirits. Who right now. Are ministering. To you saints. They're ministering.

Spirits. Sent to serve. Those. Who will inherit. Eternal salvation. They're serving you now. And you will one day. Sit down with them. And join.

In happy. Joyful assembly. With the angels. That here on earth. Were the servants of God. To bless you. But by far. The best company of heaven.

Is the God. Who is there. The judge of all men. As he's described. This is the city. Of the living God. And there. Is his son. Jesus. The mediator.

Of the new covenant. Jesus. Is there. That's the crown jewel. Of heaven. Being with the Lord. Jesus. In our scripture reading.

In John 14. Jesus tells his disciples. On the night of his arrest. That he's leaving them. To go to his father's house. He says. I'm going there. To prepare a place for you.

And if I go. And prepare a place for you. I will come back. And take you. To be with me. That you. May also be. Where I am.

That's heaven. To be with the Lord. Jesus. It's hell. To be separated from him. To be cut off. From the presence of the Lord. It is heaven. To be with him.

The Thessalonian believers. Had as their blessed hope. The fact that we shall be forever. With the Lord. With the Lord.

And Paul's comfort was. This. That to be away from the body. Is to be at home. With the Lord. That's all the thief on the cross. Needed for him to die comfortably.

Was to have Jesus say to him. Today. You. Will be. With me. In paradise. That is paradise.

You. With me. Jesus says. There's a lot. We don't know about heaven. But this is enough.

Enough to know that we will be. With. The Lord. The very heart of heaven's unspeakable pleasures. Is the Lord himself. Psalm 16. Verse 11. The psalmist says.

You will fill me with. Joy. In your presence. With eternal pleasures. At your right hand. Eternal joy.

And pleasures. Are found where? In his presence. Wherever he is. I'm told that when the queen of England. Is in residence. Her flag is flown above the palace.

Joy is the flag that's flown in heaven. Because Jesus is there. And he fills every heart with joy. And eternal pleasure. Do you remember how Jesus is going to welcome the faithful.

On the day of judgment. Come and share. In your master's happiness. Come and share.

In your master's happiness. Or enter into the joy. Of your Lord. You see heaven. Exudes and overflows. With the Lord's own happiness. And we share in that happiness.

In heaven. It's being with him. That grants us that happiness. Jesus says in John 17.

24. Father. I want those you have given me. To be with me. Where I am. And to see my glory. Now that. That's.

Something more than just. Realizing that I get to be with the Lord. It's to realize. It's to realize. That there's an unfulfilled desire. In the heart of Jesus. Right now in heaven. That will only be satisfied.

When all of his bride. Are safely. Gathered up. And with. Him. He wants. Us to be with him. More than we want.

To be with him. Father. I want those you've given me. To be with me. Where I am. Will that not make it. More of a heaven to you. To know of Jesus.

Love for you. That he wants you with him. I can't envision. Eternity. Without you being there. Those that he has been joined.

To. In that union of faith. So unspeakable pleasures. Await us. First of all. Just to be with Jesus.

But then. Secondly. To see Jesus. For the Bible says. They will see his face. Revelation 22. 4. We will see him. As he is. First John 3.

22. Now here. We walk by faith. Not by sight. Here. You love him. Though you've never seen him. And. Though you do not see him.

Now. You still believe in him. And are filled with an inexpressible. And glorious joy. But there. You will see him. Face to face. And your faith.

Will be turned. To sight. Have you thought about that? What will it be. When you first see Jesus. The one who left heaven. To take on your nature.

And then to bear your sin. To the cross. Yours. Specifically. Every one of your sins. Taking them upon himself. Going to the cross. And saying. Punish me. Instead of him.

You're going to see him. Face to face. The one. Who died for you. Who rose for you. Who. Ever lives for you. The one you've been talking to.

Every day of your Christian life. When you pray. The one you love. The one you trust. The one you obey. The one you follow. The one you have walked with.

By faith. The one whose voice. You'd love to hear. In the scriptures. Oh. I have heard of him. But now. I see him. You will see the Lord.

You'll see the king. In his beauty. And if. Loving. And believing in him. Here. Without seeing him. Is the cause of inexpressible. And glorious joy.

At times. What will your joy be there. When you see him. When you stand before him. Blessed are the pure in heart.

For they will see God. And this is how you will see him. You will see God. In Christ. For all the. Fullness of the deity.

Dwells in him. He is the. Exact. Image of God. And in seeing. Him. You've seen the father. He says. And we see the glory of God.

In the face of Christ. Who is the image of God. Remember. He says. Father. I want them to be with me. Where I am. And that they may see my glory. I want them to see my glory.

And so. You'll see the Lord. And with that. Means. There will be a tremendous increase. In the knowledge. That you have of God. Tremendous increase. The difference between.

Hearing only. And seeing. Experiencing. So heaven will bring a great increase. In our knowledge of God.

Now we see through a glass. Darkly. Or dimly. But then. Face to face. Now. We know. In part.

Then. I shall know fully. Even as I am fully known. First Corinthians 13 12. And so for all eternity. Will never be done. Seeing more.

And more. In him. Christ. The full image. Of God. Who is himself. God. For this is eternal life.

That they may know you. The only true God. And Jesus Christ. Whom you have sent. What is the heavenly. Eternal life. But. But knowing him. More and more intimately.

Throughout the eons. Of eternity. And. Each of his attributes. Will shine forth. More brightly. More clearly. You'll have fuller assurance.

There. Of his love for you. Than what you had here. There'll be no doubts. There'll be no feelings. Of guilt. Of distance. Between. None of that.

All the shadows. Gone. Face to face. We shall behold him. And you will be convinced. Of his love for you. Deeper.

And deeper. Of his faithfulness. To you. Your most ravishing. View of his love. On this earth. Is just a dim foretaste. Of what you will enjoy.

In heaven. Do you remember your joy. When you first learned. That Jesus Christ. Took your sins. Specifically. To the cross. And died.

For you. Do you remember the joy. Of that. That. Aha. Experience. You'll have millions. Of those. As his love.

Is opened up to you. Over and over. And you come. To see more and more. The love of God. In Jesus Christ. For you. That's just one attribute. Of the deity.

You'll see his faithfulness. You'll have all eternity. To study his works. Of creation.

And providence. You ever feel like. Boy. There's a lot more. To the birds. Than what I'm able to study. To the plants. To the planets. The stars. To anything in this life. You will have time.

You'll have all. All the time you need. And want. To study. God's works. And ways. And you'll study. His plan of salvation. And you'll look back.

And see. How he worked. In your life. And how he was working. All things. For your good. And you will marvel. And your jaw will drop. As you. Are led into deeper.

And deeper knowledge. Of God. And his ways. Ephesians 2.

And verse 7. God raised us up. With Christ. And seated us. With him. In the heavenly realms. In Christ Jesus. In order that. In the coming ages. He might show.

The incomparable. Riches of his grace. Expressed in his kindness. To us. In Christ Jesus. It will take. The coming ages. Of eternity. To show. All the grace.

All of the incomparable. Riches of his grace. All of his kindness. To us. And we will just keep. Soaking it in. And basking in the love. And kindness. Of God in Christ.

That's what you have. To look forward to. You will see. The Lord. You will expand. In your knowledge. Of him. And of his love. For you. John Bunyan.

Wrote. Pilgrim's Progress. And there is a Mr. Steadfast. Who comes to the end. Of his life. On earth. And just before he dies. He rejoices. And I quote him. That I am now.

Going to see. That head. That was crowned. With thorns. And that face. That was spat upon. For me. I formerly live. By hearsay. And faith. But now I go.

Where I shall live. By sight. And shall be with. Him. In whose company. I delight myself. Unspeakable pleasures. To be with Jesus.

To see Jesus. Third. To be like Jesus. For when we see him. We will be made like him. We've already spoken of that.

No sin in heaven. And we will reflect. The perfect holiness. Of the Lord Jesus. Forever. And ever. And then.

Unspeakable pleasure. To serve. The Lord Jesus. Jesus. Revelation. 7.15. Says that they are before. The throne of God.

And they serve him. Day and night. In his temple. Revelation. 22.3. The throne of God. And of the lamb. Will be in the city. And his servants. Will serve him.

You see. In heaven. This is a service. That is pure joy. There is nothing. But pure joy. In serving. The Lord Jesus. Unsinningly.

A service. That knows no weariness. The most delightful. Of employments. When you get to heaven. If you had your. Option. What would you like to do? You would want to be.

A servant of the Lord. That's what you will be. In one way or another. You will serve the Lord. And that will. Be your delight. Doing his will.

Is your delight. We'll serve him. With praise and worship. As we're doing here today. But because our final destiny. Is a renewed earth. As well. There will be very earthy.

Things that we will be doing. As well. In serving him. Our whole. Earthly occupations. That will. Continue. On this earth.

Will be. Service. To the king. And a pure joy. To do it. Now after all. We've said. If you still have a lot. Of questions. About. Heaven. I can only.

Encourage you. To repent. Of your sins. To trust. In the Lord Jesus. And to go there. And see. For yourself. Just how marvelous. It is. Just how unspeakable. The pleasures. Brothers and sisters.

You will be like. The queen of Sheba. Who when she heard. Of the wisdom. And wealth. Of Solomon. Came from a distance. To see for herself. And when she got there.

And experienced it all. She was overwhelmed. She was out of breath. At what she saw. And she said to the king. The report I heard. In my own country.

About your achievements. And your wisdom. Is true. But I did not believe. These things. Until I came. And saw with my own eyes. Indeed. Not even half. Was told me. In wisdom.

And wealth. You have far. Exceeded. The report. I heard. How happy. Are your men. How happy. Your officials. Who continually. Stand.

Before you. And hear your wisdom. And so in heaven. You will find. That a greater than Solomon. Is there. Amen. And when you've been in heaven.

For five minutes. You will. Catch your breath. And you will say. The half has never been told. The reality.

Far exceeds. Anything of the report. That I had received. In my own country. About this place. How happy.

Are all. Who are here. To serve. How happy. I am. To be here. To serve the Lord. With gladness. The last point.

Is number four. And it's another. Unspeakable pleasure. It's that heaven. Is forever. Heaven. Is forever. This is itself. A great. Pleasure of heaven. Just knowing. That it will never end.

It will never end. It will go on forever. Enjoyments here. Are lessened. Aren't they? Enjoyments here. Are overshadowed. By the remembrance. That. All good things. Must come to an end.

And we so long. Have lived in this realm. Where that is true. Of so much. But when we get to heaven. That will not be true. No. Those good things.

Will never. Come to an end. When we've been there. Ten thousand years. Bright shining. Like the sun. We've no less days.

To sing God's praise. Than when we first begun. You see. If. If I knew. In heaven. That it would end. After two billion. Billion years. It would shadow. My joy.

Wouldn't it? Just knowing. That this is so good. But it's going to end. No. You will enjoy. Things in heaven. And your heart. Will be screaming. Within you.

Oh. This is so good. I want it to last forever. And it will. And you will know. That it will. And that will be part of the pleasure. Unspeakable. The pleasure of heaven. Just knowing.

That this goes on forever. Dear believers. That anyone. Except God. Lives in heaven. Is pure grace.

There will be a lot of surprises. When we get to heaven. As to who's there. And who isn't there. John Newton said.

The biggest surprise. Will be that I'm there. The biggest surprise. Of grace. For you. Will be that you're there. My biggest surprise. Will be that I'm there. Pinch me.

Can this be happening? Am I really here? Will I be here forever? And ever. Enjoying this? And then I will know.

Better than I have ever known before. That if God had left me to myself. I wouldn't be there. That if God had just left me.

To go my own way. My sin would have brought me to hell. And I'd be there forever. But blessed be God. For the Lord Jesus. Who is the one who has brought me to heaven.

And the glory is all his. I delight in him. My great savior. What a God.

To prepare such a place for me. And to prepare me. For such a place. And friend. And visitor. Children.

Older person. You've heard the report of that place. And you've received the invitation to come. To that place. From the Lord Jesus. Who says.

Come to me and I'll take you there. Are you going to heaven? You know the answer I get to that often. From young people. And even older people.

I don't know. I hope so. Could you tell me something. Does it not sound strange? That you're a breath away from eternity.

And you don't know where. You're going. To heaven. Or to hell. And that is not the number one priority.

On your mind. 24-7. Would you explain that to me? Better.

Would you seek the Lord. While he may be found. Would you give yourself no rest. And the Lord no rest. Until you seek him. And know for a surety.

That you belong to him. And he belongs to you. That heaven is yours. Through Jesus Christ. Christ. Alone. Come and welcome to heaven.

Come. And welcome to Jesus Christ. Who gives heaven. As his gift. Turn from your sin today. Cast yourself upon God's mercy. In Christ.

And heaven. Is yours. Don't be one. Who missed heaven. Because he waited. She waited. Too long. Well it's glory.

Saints. In our. Savior. Savior. And in what he is. Prepared for us. Where we're headed. Number 606. In your hymnal. Let's stand as we sing.

Thank you. Thank you.