Transcription downloaded from https://sermon-library.fbcmustang.org/sermons/103464/at-home-in-heaven-with-the-lord/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] This is the First Mustang Pulpit Podcast. A podcast of the weekly preaching and teaching at First Mustang.! Thank you for joining us. Meet face to face Moses.

[0:34] And ask him about how the Lord provided in the events that you've read about your entire life.

[0:52] Or what it will be like to talk to David. And say, tell me, how did the Lord provide?

[1:09] Or to talk with Paul. And say, share with me how the Lord was strong and mighty.

[1:24] And these men of whom you have read and stories you have taught, now become people that you see and know for all eternity to join your heart with theirs, your voice with theirs in praising the Lord.

[1:45] And then to turn the other direction and run into men like William Tyndale, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon.

[2:04] People whose stories you've read and biographies you're familiar with and are able to say to them, would you just describe to me how great and glorious God was?

[2:15] I've heard about it. I want to hear from you how the Lord was strong and faithful. And not just Bible history and not just church history, but on a more personal level, most everyone in this sanctuary, you have a grandparent who is with the Lord, a mom or dad, children of yours.

[2:54] And you think to yourself, it would be great to talk to Abraham. It would be amazing to visit with Ruth.

[3:11] Can't wait, you might think, to see the apostles John and James, but for you, you would walk past them because you've got a brother or sister and you can't wait to see them again.

[3:40] As sweet as those reunions will be, and I hope the Lord in His grace allows me to be there beside you when you see your mom or dad again.

[3:55] I want to meet your child that you lost. I hope I get to be there when you see your loved ones.

[4:12] I'd love to worship the Lord with you in that reunion. But as great as that is, that's not what makes heaven, heaven.

[4:25] It will be really sweet. It will be indescribably amazing. but that's not what makes heaven home.

[4:41] It will be when your faith turns to sight. And the Christ of whom you have sung and worshipped and prayed to and adored when you see Him no longer through a glass dimly, but then, on that day, face to face.

[5:07] and I can't wait. And I don't know all the answers of how the Lord's going to work and resolve that. But I do anticipate in some way and some form those of us who have journeyed together being able to in some way see and recognize and experience the worship of the Lord together to say, for those last 30, 50, 70 years that we had dress rehearsal at First Baptist Mustang for those decades.

[5:43] Now this is the real thing. On that day, what will make heaven, heaven is not first about streets of gold.

[5:54] It's not first about gates. It's not first about any other blessing that no doubt we'll enjoy more than our minds could ever fathom on this earth. What makes heaven, heaven is the presence of Christ.

[6:11] We're continuing our study through Philippians coming to the end of chapter 3 but really wanting to just zero in today on these last two verses as we think about what it would be like to be at home with the Lord.

[6:26] Philippians 3, verse 20 says, but our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.

[6:48] Looking at just these two verses at the end of chapter 3, I want you to make note of four truths of which we long for as we think about heaven and with each truth a question that I want your heart to ponder with me.

[7:08] I hear often, maybe you've even said this, but people that say things like, when I get to heaven, I'm sure going to ask God, why did this happen?

[7:19] Or, when I get to heaven, I can't wait to ask the Lord, why did this not happen? Or, when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask the Lord, can you explain the dinosaurs? Or, on and on and on and on.

[7:30] And, you're going to be there a long time, maybe you'll get around to it. But, really have an idea that when you meet the Lord, your questions of this earth will be completely swallowed up.

[7:44] Because there will be something that is perfect and for the first time in your existence, complete. This life is a gift.

[8:01] I'm grateful for the life that I live. I love being married to Marcy. I love my two sons.

[8:12] I love my daughters-in-law. I love my grandkids. I love my family. Every direction that the Lord's allowed me to have family. I love my ministry here.

[8:23] I love the church I attend. I love the people I work with. I look forward every Monday. I can't wait to come to work and start a new week with the men and women I get to serve with.

[8:36] I can't imagine a better church to work in. I can't imagine better people to serve with. I can't imagine being a part of a sweeter, more supportive, and encouraging church family.

[8:49] I love my life. I do. But it's never perfect.

[9:03] And that's okay because life on this earth still marred by sin isn't supposed to be. And you know how it is. You've got problems and issues and you get them resolved and you think, okay, that's great.

[9:19] And then something else breaks down. And you get that fixed and resolved, but then you get physically ill. And you get better and that's resolved, but then there's a problem at work.

[9:32] And the problem at work gets resolved, but then the car breaks down. Life's good and it's joyful and it's sweet, but it's never perfect.

[9:48] About a year ago, we had so many things, just random things that Mars and I had coming up with things in the house that had to be fixed.

[9:59] We had all kinds of, both of our cars had multiple problems with it. And we just, we had all these things that were having to be done. And so, I typed out, I just titled it Satan's List of Doom.

[10:12] And nothing was overly serious, but it was like five or six or seven things that we hadn't planned for that needed to be done, that were headaches, that were expensive. And we literally, I kept the list of doom on our kitchen island and just crossed them off one by one.

[10:29] And one of my poor daughters-in-law, I think, saw it and got scared and said to my son, are your parents okay? They have a list of doom. And he's like, my dad's just weird, it's alright.

[10:42] Well, the list of doom got fixed for 2025. I now have a note card of doom.

[10:54] Garage doors, things with another vehicle. It's nothing major, it's alright, but it's just every time you feel like we've got everything fixed and solved and resolved, here comes something else.

[11:09] Life is good. I love my life. I have such a, just a fun time at home and at church. I love the life the Lord has given to me, but it's never perfect.

[11:26] It's never complete. But one day it will be. That day's not here. The ground still has thorns and thistles like Genesis 3 said.

[11:42] But one day when the curse is done away with and the old has become new, on that day we will be with the Lord.

[11:54] Amen? Make note first, in heaven we will be truly home. We will be truly home.

[12:05] Verse 20, but our citizenship is in heaven. The language here of citizenship speaks of being registered in another place. Now, this makes sense that Paul would use this language in this letter.

[12:20] It was 42 B.C. when Octavian, who was the Roman general, granted Philippi status of being a Roman colony. So, Paul writes this letter to the church of Philippi and this city in which the church exists has been a Roman colony at that point for quite a number of years.

[12:43] Philippi is about 800 miles away from Rome. And though 800 miles away from Rome, they were a colony of Rome or an outpost of Rome.

[12:59] They were to be, you might say, a miniature Rome. They were part of their empire. empire. The citizens who lived in Philippi truly were citizens of Philippi, but they were citizens of a different empire.

[13:20] The same is true for us. Here we are living and dwelling on the earth where the Bible says we are exiles, we are strangers.

[13:31] Why? Because, verse 20, our citizenship is in heaven. You, if you are a Christian, you belong to heaven.

[13:42] Heaven is your home. You live here, but your home is there. Jesus taught us to pray, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[13:58] And so, this is to be a kind of heaven on earth where we worship the Lord and love the Lord and honor the Lord and serve the Lord. But while we live here, we really long for our truest home, which is not here, it is there.

[14:17] You see this all over the Bible. 1 Peter 1.1. I love how he opens this letter. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who are the elect exiles.

[14:31] Use that for your Christmas card next year. From the Statens, the elect exiles in Mustang. Paul says you've got to think of yourself that way.

[14:44] You really are citizens here and you've got responsibilities here, but he says you're the elect exiles. You are elect by God, chosen by God, loved by God, pursued by God, saved by God, and while you're on this earth, he says, you're in exile.

[15:01] Just remember that. 1 Peter 2.1. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh.

[15:15] Chapter 1. Chapter 2. He's telling them don't forget your real home is not here. It is there.

[15:29] Marsh and I have been blessed to go on some vacations through our life. Some vacations were a nightmare like our honeymoon. More details later, but we've also had some really good vacations.

[15:47] The truth is if we can survive how bad our honeymoon was, we can survive the rest of it. So the last 30 years have been a breeze because of that first trip we made that was not good.

[15:58] I'll just give you one nugget. It was about 2 a.m. We were lost on the side of the road and I needed help before phones and GPS and I found an inebriated guy on the side of the road that was able to help give us directions to a local IHOP.

[16:16] that's how our marriage started. She didn't find it quite as exciting as I did. But we've been on some good trips too and we've been able to travel to Israel a few times, been able to travel to London for some preaching and ministry I did there and we've been able to be at some different places together, a few different countries and different trips and vacations and as much fun as we have and as much thrilling as it can be when it's time and the trip is over you know the feeling you can't wait to get home.

[16:54] That was a fun excursion I'm ready to get home. Now the older I get the more I feel that way about heaven, don't you? This is good.

[17:06] This is fun. This is worthwhile. And I'm getting increasingly ready to just be home.

[17:18] I'm not eager to be away from my family. I'm not eager to leave you. I'm not eager to stop enjoying what God has given us to enjoy but this is not home.

[17:29] We're exiles. We're sojourners. We're strangers. Hebrews 13 14 says here we have no lasting city but we seek the city which is to come.

[17:39] Hebrews 11 16 but as it is they desire a better country that is a heavenly one. In heaven we will be truly home.

[17:56] Heaven is a real place. It's not a fantasy. It's not a state of mind. Heaven's not just the absence of pain. It is a real place prepared for real people.

[18:10] John 14 1-3 describes a part of what we will one day experience and then that gives way to what Revelation describes as the eternal state.

[18:22] But regardless of when we go to be with the Lord and how those things work out with the second coming and events related to that, just know this, as a Christian when you take your last breath you will be truly home.

[18:36] So I ask you this question, are you a true citizen of heaven? Heaven is not the home of every person.

[18:51] Heaven is not the home of people who are just nice. Heaven is the home for those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb saved by grace through faith because of the gift of salvation the Lord Jesus Christ gives to those who believe.

[19:06] heaven is heaven your home. Second, not only can we say as Christians we will be truly home but because of this reason that's true, number two, we will be with the Lord.

[19:22] Go back to verse 20, but our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So heaven is more than just a place, it's more than just new conditions, heaven is to be with the Lord.

[19:45] Heaven is absolutely a real place with real people where we will do real things, but more than that, heaven is about being with the Lord. 2 Timothy 4.8 says, laid up for us, laid up for me is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

[20:16] If I were talking to people in this room that were only 70 and over, I wouldn't have to convince you to love His appearing.

[20:28] it's harder when you're 15. It's harder when you're 12.

[20:41] I mean, everything you've known is of this earth. That's not your fault. That's just the reality of life. When you're 12, when you're 15, you've got, seems like, your whole life ahead of you.

[20:54] And you ought to be excited about it. This is a good day to be alive. Don't listen to people trying to tell you this is a good day to be alive. God was sovereign over your birth.

[21:04] If He wanted you to live 100 years ago, you'd be 100 years old. You're 10, you're 12, you're 15, you're exactly the age God intended you to be. This is a good day to be alive and live for Jesus.

[21:14] But it's hard when you're not had your body betray you, most of you, yet.

[21:36] But talk to your grandparents who love Jesus. They're not tired of being with you. They've not stopped enjoying life. They've just come to understand nothing would be as sweet as being with the Lord.

[21:51] we're not just waiting for an event. We're waiting for a person. Titus 2.13 We are waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

[22:12] We will be with the Lord. Now I understand that when you think about heaven and talk about heaven, there are things we can know and there are things that we don't yet know and sometimes what we don't yet know is what our mind tends to struggle with.

[22:29] Questions we can't fully answer. Details the Bible does not give us and sometimes we can even wonder things like will it be boring? I can help you with that one.

[22:42] If our God's glory were to ever wane! Boredom would be possible if our God's glory is eternal you have nothing to worry about.

[22:57] We ask things like will it be frightening? We've not been to heaven we've not seen it we don't know all the details a few weeks ago Shelby Howell who is one of our ministry staff members who her role is working with our older preschoolers just had a baby born in March and she brought her baby to staff meeting so everybody could ignore me and just look at the baby which is not that unusual of a Monday event and she's holding this beautiful little baby and we're all just staring at the baby and I was thinking while she was doing that that while the baby is too young obviously to be able to express words or thoughts or feelings so I guess she can express some feelings I'm sure Shelby would say no she expressed her feelings quite loudly can express her thoughts but

[24:02] I was thinking in that moment that that little baby who's just been alive for a couple of weeks at that point was in a room our conference room right over here was in a room she'd never seen her eyes had never seen the conference table had never seen what's on the wall had never seen the chairs she had never seen the white board that baby was in a room she'd never been in surrounded by people she's never met hearing voices completely new to her young ears having no clue how long is this meeting going to last and what are they going to do and what are they going to talk about and what comes next and what issues are being addressed no idea of any of those details and yet that beautiful little baby was perfectly at peace and it wasn't the room that made her at peace peace and it wasn't the outside peripheral voices that made her at peace that little baby was safe and secure and peaceful as could be because she was being held by her mom!

[25:36] it wasn't the unknown of the moment that put her at peace it was the presence of her mom and as long as her mom had her that baby knew I'm good well there are some things about heaven we could say if we had more time there are some details the Bible gives us if we had more time to get into it but let me just suffice it with this there are things that we don't know and some details we can't fully answer this much we know what will make heaven truly home is that we will be!

[26:18] the! Lord nothing you will have missed out on and in that moment everything will be perfect and complete my question for you is do you long to see him do you love his appearing the third truth we see we will be truly home we will be with the Lord number three we will have a glorified body verse 21 he will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body now why is it called a lowly body here I mean if you think about it the human body is pretty phenomenal it's amazing but give it time you'll understand why it's referred to as a lowly body let's make sure we stay biblical here our bodies in one sense are lowly but they're not evil we're not we're not

[27:31] Gnostics our bodies were created by God in the image of God our bodies are what we use today to serve God and maybe you walk slower than you used to and maybe you're not as strong as you used to be but your body is still the way today you serve God your eyes are what you use to read the Bible your ears are what you use to hear preaching your hands are what you use to be able to serve your children your legs are what you use to be able to move you where you need to go to be a blessing to others your mind is what you use to be able to earn an income provide for your family what God has given to us is good and it's helpful and it's how we serve God and bless others and our bodies just physiologically are incredible I mean let's just look at one thing look at just the human circulatory system nothing else besides that your blood vessels your arteries your capillaries it's unbelievable your arteries that are taking oxygenated blood and taking that from your heart your veins that are carrying blood back to your heart your capillaries that are connecting those things together if you were to take that entire network of blood vessels take your veins your capillaries take your vessels and if you could stretch them fully out straight for the average adult it would be roughly 80,000 miles in you right now the circumference of the earth is 25,000 miles you could stretch your network of blood vessels out around the earth three times that's phenomenal an adult produces 1.5 liters of saliva a day it's kind of gross but it's phenomenal your body just makes that how does that happen if you were to go to the doctor and get a blood test and you just got your finger pricked and a single drop of blood came out inside a single drop of blood are 250 million cells that's unbelievable your body produces 300 billion new cells every day your skeleton system replaces itself about every 10 years because

[30:44] God has designed us with osteoclasts that serve to break down your old bone osteoblasts that serve to create new bone and so your skeletal system is replacing itself every decade old bone tissue done away with new bone tissue being made I mean you'll not read anything more important in your life than the Bible but pick up anatomy physiology textbooks read a chapter in it and just think how amazing our creator is our bodies are unbelievable but verse 21 says he'll transform our lowly body as amazing as your body is it's also your body that feels the effects of the fall and it's your body that's going to break down little by little by little and one day your heart won't be able to beat anymore it won't be able to sustain life and that's because of the effects of the fall and because of that he says your body though intricate and amazing is a lowly body and one day in heaven at home with the

[32:11] Lord he will take that lowly body and give you a glorified body never again to feel the effects of the fall and I say this with all sincerity it's hard to understand how amazing that is when you're 20 it's not a character flaw it's just true because when you're 20 with few exceptions you sleep through the night and you walk down stairs without thinking and you wake up each morning and you feel the same way you felt when you went to bed but around 50 it changes you wake up in the morning and some things hurt and you say what happened

[33:20] I don't know it didn't hurt when I went to sleep it's just real watch people when they're 70 or 80 go up and down stairs things that we took for granted in our 20s now take concentration and effort it's just true you go from talking about ball games and practices and recitals and out with the friends to talking with your friends about doctor's appointments and medication that's just true that's just really what happens bodies are amazing they're unbelievable but they're impacted by the fall and one of these days when you're home with the Lord and you receive your glorified body it's not just that the limitations you experience today will be lifted is that you will be able to enjoy the worship of Christ without any limitation put upon you by the fall or your own sin what a glorious day that will be 1st

[34:30] John 3 2 beloved we are God's children now and what will be has not yet appeared but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is our bodies are amazing but they are limited!

[34:46] They are intricate but they are perishable! But as has been written there is coming a day when every crutch will be carved up and every wheelchair melted down into medallions of redemption!

[35:03] in heaven we will be truly home are you a true citizen in heaven we will be with the Lord do you long to see him in heaven we will have a glorified body but let me ask you this are you using the body you have today to glorify God the best way to prepare for that day is to be faithful with what he's given you on this day well there is one more truth as we think about heaven I want to share with you and that is number four we will enjoy the reign of our king look at the end of verse 21 he will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body now look at this by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself we will enjoy the reign of our king the old storyline of the little boy you know who gets in a fight with the bigger bully and you know how the story usually goes the boy says the bully my dad can beat up your dad right

[36:13] I may be small my dad big I may not be powerful my dad strong and mighty this is the ultimate way of saying that whatever we don't know!

[36:27] and whatever we can't! grasp we need not worry about it because this truth we know there is no God like our God and he has the power to subject all things to himself we will enjoy the reign of our king we'll eat we'll work we'll fellowship we'll worship we'll sing we'll enjoy what God has made we will enjoy unmatched beauty but nothing will be as enjoyable as being able to worship our king without any flaw or limitation of sin we will enjoy the reign of our king so let me ask you this morning are you submitting to his rule in your life today are you submitting to his rule in your life today when you think about heaven I want to say two things one is in one way when you take your last breath in one way it ought to be a great interruption meaning when life ends if you're physically able to you ought to still be working for the

[37:47] Lord serving the Lord you don't want to just coast and granted there's times where people physically are homebound or bed bound they're not able to do things before they die that's certainly true but for you today you're physically here you're healthy enough you're strong enough to be here if that's true if death were to come to you let it be an interruption let it find you actively serving the Lord actively serving people using your time to submit to the will of God to do what he's called you to do let death be an interruption in that sense and yet in another sense the other thing I would say is death shouldn't be all that much different because when you go to be with the Lord you're going to be serving God you're going to be enjoying God's people you're going to be enjoying!

[38:38] the reign of Christ and really that ought to be what you're doing on this earth now when I preach a funeral for a believer in one sense it should be an interruption that death came when they were busy working doing and serving but in another sense it was just a continuation just without limitation of what they were already doing anyway!

[39:05] Serving the Lord and serving enjoying being with his people and I'll tell you why it's helpful for you to think about heaven because everything is infinitely stronger after death joy is infinitely more joyful for those in heaven and suffering is infinitely more painful for those in hell everything is intensified for all eternity after your death it's good for us to meditate on the reality of the life to come many of you will be familiar with the name of Joni Erickson Tata a lady who at the age of 17 was paralyzed after a diving accident spent the rest of her years she's 76 now spent the rest of her years confined to a wheelchair doing ministry serving

[40:13] God's people writing speaking singing all of it confined to a wheelchair since that one day when she was 17 which means she has spent the last 59 years of her life unable to walk unable to jump unable to run unable to freely simply go from here to there on her own she spoke about longing for heaven let me give you her words I can't wait for that day because when I get my glorified body the first thing I'm going to do with my resurrected legs is fall down on grateful glorified knees

[41:15] I will say as Psalm 95 6 says come let us bow down and worship let us kneel before the Lord our maker you know I realize in heaven I'll have the chance then to jump and dance and walk and run but I think that kneeling very still on bended glorified knees will be my sacrifice of praise to not move when I would be able to move will be one last chance to show the Lord how thankful I really am that's amazing Christ will be that great and that glorious when you are truly home with the Lord in your glorified body enjoying the reign of Christ in mansions of glory and endless delight

[42:22] I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright and sing with the glittering crown on my brow if ever I love thee my Jesus tis now the path to heaven is not something earned by your works or your achievements it's a gift God freely gives for those who would believe would you even this day in your own heart confess your sin to the Lord repent of your sinful ways and say Lord would you be merciful to me I know I've done wrong I know you're perfect I know I'm not deserving of the gift of salvation but

[43:23] God you have said to call upon your name and you will save God I'm calling upon your name right now would you save me and you too could know that when you take your last breath on this earth you will go to heaven your real home with the Lord where you will enjoy his reign forever and forever and forever Lord our minds cannot fully in any way comprehend all you have in store for us we are amazed at what you have done and I pray that even this morning as we've had a bit of a glimpse!

[44:24]  of what will be ours through song and through the study of your word that you would make us renewed in our longing to be with you and in our resolve to be faithful until you call us home in Christ's name amen them and they will us have them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them in them fathers fathersн them sh man them they them fathers them them te them fathers fathers fathers fathers ago fathers fathers fathers baby fathers fathers note fathers fathers