"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.' "

 

         I found this quotation from Paul Minear: "Delete the thought of heaven from man's lexicon and he is soon reduced to a one-dimensional environment, living without any invisible means of support."

         The Easter season message of the resurrection of Jesus leads us ultimately to the hope of heaven. So I would like to focus today on the good end of those who follow the Risen Savior, the one who in his death and resurrection defeated sin, evil and death.

         What does heaven look like? We would like detail, a full description, a timetable, a seating chart. We receive, in God's Word, some very vivid and symbolic descriptions along with an assurance of God's nearness. Heaven and earth will be renewed and transformed, and God will dwell with his people.

         The Christian understanding of heaven is not about our pleasure or self-fulfillment, it is not about a big family reunion, but rather heaven is about the nearness of God, the dwelling of God with his people.

• It is because God draws near that there is worship in heaven.
• It is because God draws near that there is healing in heaven, the end of sorrow.
• It is because God draws near that there is eternal life.

         The problem that is resolved in heaven is that of separation from God. When Israel wandered in the wilderness, God commanded them to build a tabernacle, a sanctuary, and said:

"I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them." (Exodus 29:45)

         But the history we read in the Old Testament is more one of separation: a history of sin, rebellion, idolatry and God's people choosing to live where God cannot live. Out of that came both a longing for personal forgiveness and purity, "Create in me a clean heart, O God"; and the insight that the creation itself will need to be purified, or renewed. In later Jewish discussion about the end, the feeling was that the creation itself must one day be replaced.

         John's vision is then of a new heaven and a new earth. In the new heaven and earth God's separateness is replaced by God's nearness. That means the end of death, mourning, weeping, pain, curse and night. God's presence brings his healing to the nations, and his glory to guide the people.

         What does the hope of heaven, of the new creation, mean to you? How do you apply this teaching to your daily life?

         So often we do not focus on heaven, we do not give attention to the goal of our lives. When we get distracted from the goal, we lose purpose and direction in our lives. We fail to have the goal clearly in mind as we make daily decisions and commitments. Then our worship becomes more like "going to church" than the kind of activity we see among the angels, heavenly beings and multitudes in Revelation.

         I have found that over the years, attending funerals or memorial services for people of faith in Christ has helped me to renew that sense of focus on the goal. When the life story of a saint, a follower of Christ, is well told in the service, along with a clear witness to the resurrection and the hope of eternal life, then I go away feeling renewed, feeling close to heaven.

         Thursday evening we attended the service for Dave Anderson's father, Clifford Anderson. In that hour, the story of a life committed to Christ was told. We heard of an example of one who gave his life to serving Christ: in the church, at Covenant Harbor, in his family, and with people he met.

         One of the speakers said that we had gathered that night, not simply to celebrate a life, that is, to remember what he did and said, but to hand over his life to Christ his Savior.

         "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them."

         It was a strong reminder for me. As we remember and hand over a life, we are confident that God too remembers and welcomes, that God comes to dwell with that person now in heaven. "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine."

         Then, as I reflected on the service, I thought about what it means to live on our way to heaven, to the new creation of God.

         First, as we live purposefully for Christ, there are moments we remember, that we celebrate. Pete Heintzelman talked about the difference between success and significance in life. Success is what you do that has an impact on the present. Significance is what you do that has a continuing impact on people in the future, after you are gone. If we are clear that our goal is the new creation, then we put our effort, our commitment, and our best energy into that which is significant, that which is eternal.

         Next, there are times in our life that we forget as we go along. There is a mercy in life that we do not remember all of it. There are many things that seem to be so important at the time, and yet, within a few years, they are forgotten, they fade away in our memory. So we learn to let go of that which is not of value, that which does not belong to heaven, that which is temporary.

         Finally, there are experiences in life that are wounding and need to be healed. There are things we cannot forget, and their memory only brings pain. For these times we need the healing of God. We need forgiveness, and we need to forgive. We need experiences of renewal that wash away the struggle. However, even then, in the case of violence or abuse especially, or sometimes mental illness, we stand in need of more than renewal. We need in fact, replacement.

The Lamb on the throne says, "I am making all things new." We sometimes carry brokenness that cannot be healed. But in Christ we will be made new. There is a new creation. Sometimes in this life we find it. Sometimes in eternity.

         We come now to the Lord's Table, on our way to the Great Banquet in the Kingdom of God.

We come to receive grace, on our way to experience the glory of God.

         Amen.