In Mike Davenport's sermon titled 'Heaven: The Saint's Eternal Home and Inheritance,' the speaker examines the biblical portrayal of heaven as depicted in Revelation 21. He emphasizes the hope and encouragement that believers have in their eternal destination, highlighting the transformative journey from salvation to glorification. The sermon explores the vivid imagery of a new heaven and new earth, where God dwells with His people, and the absence of pain, death, and sorrow. Davenport discusses the surety of heaven through the death, resurrection, prayer, and preparation of Christ, as well as the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He underscores the overarching theme of God's glory in heaven, which illuminates the new creation and the church as the bride of Christ. The sermon also addresses the reasons why the doctrine of heaven is often neglected, urging believers to live as pilgrims, redeem time, pursue holiness, fight the good fight, and maintain a daily contemplation of heaven. Applications for living a life oriented towards eternity include pondering one's spiritual path, living as sons and heirs, and incorporating the hope of heaven into gospel presentations.

Let's turn to Revelation chapter 21 as we look at our final destination. What a great hope and great encouragement we have. We've been purchased by Christ for those who believe. We've been saved. We've been declared righteous and we're in the process of being sanctified.

But this is glory, to be with Him. The promise of Emmanuel, God with us, becomes an even greater reality as we read this passage. Starting in verse 1 of Revelation 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will Wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. Also he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

And he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, which is the second death.

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. And he carried me away in his spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper clear as crystal. And let's turn, let's move on to verse 22. And I saw no temple in the city, For its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

By its light will be the nation's walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory of the honor of the nations, but nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is the testable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God into the Lamb, through the middle of the street of the city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him.

They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads, and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light and they will reign forever and ever. Praise God. Let's pray. Oh Father, we come before You as Your people this morning.

What a glorious picture of where You're taking us. To be with You, for You to be our God, even more personally than you are now. Father we praise you for the glory that will be revealed in Christ. Well Father I pray now that you would quicken our hearts by your spirit to hear the word preached, Lord, that we would be attentive, Lord, that we would be rejoicing of what you have promised us, and Lord, that it would change the way we live. While we pray for Mike as he brings your word, fill him with your spirit, give him clear thoughts, may he speak your words, may he have the passion and the love and the zeal of Christ in Jesus' name, Amen.

If you are familiar with John Bunyan's classic work, his allegory on the Christian life, called The Pilgrim's Progress, maybe some of you children have read that with your parents or listened to it on audio. You may recall the part of the story regarding Christian and hopefuls time among the shepherds on the delectable mountains. The name of those shepherds who stand as pictures of God's under-shepherds who stand and feed the flock were knowledge, experience, watchful and sincere. Now these four shepherds gave these two pilgrims a tour around the area. They showed them some sights.

And the following are the things which they showed them. First, there was the hill called Error, which had a cliff on the opposite side. And from this vantage point, they could look down and see the remains of those pilgrims who had come to an abrupt end because of a lack of caution and watchfulness. The second place they took them was another high Hill called Caution. Here they saw blind men walking among the tombs, among grave sites, and were told that these men, their eyes had been put out by giant despair when they had been in Doubting Castle, and they could no longer find their way to the celestial city, but moved about blindly around these graves.

The third place they took them to was a door on the side of the hill. It was a byway to hell as taken by all hypocrites. How interesting that we have just finished our exposition of Matthew 23 in regards to the Pharisees and the hypocrites. This is the door which they would have gone through. But then Bunyan speaks of the final thing they showed them and he writes the following.

By this time the pilgrims had a desire to go forward and the shepherds a desire they should. So they walked together towards the end of the mountains. Then said the shepherds one to another, Let us here show the pilgrims the gates of the celestial city, if they have skill to look through our perspective glass. The pilgrims lovingly accepted the motion, so they had them to the top of a high hill called Clear and gave them the glass to look. Then they tried to look, but the remembrance of that last thing that the shepherds had shown them made their hands shake By means of which impediment they could not look steadily through the glass, yet they thought they saw something like the gate, and also some of the glory of the place.

Then they went away and sang, thus by the shepherd's secrets are revealed, which from all other men are kept concealed. Come to the shepherds' den, if you would see things deep, things hidden, and that mysterious bee." Well that is my desire this morning. My desire is to take you up to this hill called Clear and by means of the glass of the Word of God to give you a glimpse of the celestial city, God's heaven, the final resting place of all the saints, to see heaven's gate, to marvel at heaven's glory, to encourage a quickening in your pace, to excite your heart about the realities of your eternal home and for those who are not currently on this path to heaven to point you to the narrow gate and path that lead to this glorious destination. But I would like to start out with a question for you to consider. Why is this doctrine of heaven so neglected?

Why is it so neglected? Both by pulpits and by us as God's people. Well there are many reasons but I'd like to draw your attention to quick six very quickly. First we are too preoccupied with this present world. We're too preoccupied with this present world.

A lot of you young children, you're studying science with mom, and maybe you've studied astronomy, maybe you've talked about the sun. The sun is huge. It looks small, but it's huge, especially compared to the earth. But the sun is what gives us light. It gives us heat.

But if I took a quarter from my pocket and gave it to you. That quarter is small compared to you. That quarter is small compared to the earth. That quarter is certainly small compared to the Sun. But what would happen, young boy, young girl, If you took that quarter and you're looking at the sun and you laid that quarter directly on your eye, how much of the sun would you be able to see?

The sun and all this magnificence would be blocked out by a quarter. That's the way things of earth can be for us. We can be so preoccupied with things of the earth that we lose sight of heaven. Secondly, we're too comfortable and prosperous, especially in this nation. Pleasure deadens us to the realities of heaven, and sadly, tragedy awakens us to those realities that we've forgotten.

Thirdly, we are used to instant gratification. We view it as something a long way off. Heaven's a long way off. It's far away. And therefore, it's not in our thoughts.

Fourthly, we don't find the prospect attractive because of a lack of true understanding. We just don't know like we should. You know, a lot of people will quote 1 Corinthians chapter 2 that says, hey, eyes not seen nor ear heard, the things that are prepared for those that love God. But the next verse says, but the Spirit has revealed them to us. It's the natural man that does not know, that does not understand, but the Spirit has revealed them to us.

So we find the prospect not attractive because of a lack of true understanding. Fifthly, we have capitulated to the idea that being too Heavenly minded is of no earthly good. And really the opposite is the case. If we're going to be any of any earthly good whatsoever, we must be heavenly minded. But we've capitulated to that idea.

Sixthly, we have been blinded by Satan, who knows well the glories of heaven. Satan used to dwell there. He knows the glories that await God's people. And he wants you to forget about it. He wants to blind you to those glories.

Dear brothers and sisters, heaven is not merely a doctrine. Heaven is a real place. But heaven is not merely a real place. Dear brothers and sisters, it's your home. But heaven is not merely your home.

Heaven is your inheritance. It is your inheritance. So time will not permit for me to open it up like I would. I mean, how can I even begin to speak about something that is eternal? But Lord Will and I want to focus on several things this morning.

First thing I would draw your attention to is the location of heaven. Verses 1 & 2 of our passage in Revelation 21. Now I as John saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Now we see in verse 2 of our passage that the inhabitants of heaven, heaven in its current intermediate state, It descends from heaven. These inhabitants descend from heaven. And from this passage, we could describe heaven today as the chamber for the bride of Jesus Christ, as she is gathered together and as she is prepared for her wedding day to her bridegroom. And we see her here coming forth from her wedding chamber having been made ready. The bodies have now been united in the saints to their souls and have been made new.

The bride, his church now descends out of heaven. She comes without spot and without wrinkle. In Acts 321 says that this same intermediate state of heaven has received Christ, but only until the time of the restoration of all things. So right now in an intermediate state, Jesus Christ and the bride as she is being put together will descend from heaven as it is now down to the new earth. Do you recall the main theme of John the Baptist's preaching?

And it was the theme of Jesus preaching as well. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. In what way was heaven at hand? Well, Christ had come.

Redemption was now in sight. And John 3 16 tells us that God so loved the world. The world there in the Greek is the cosmos, creation. God so loved this world, this creation that he sent his son, his only son, into this cosmos to bring redemption, redemption to man. Now the redemption of man is good news for this earth because if you remember it was man's sin recorded back in Genesis 3 that had brought all creation under the curse of God.

Creation did not sin, Adam did. But as God's crown of creation and as his representative, man by his sin brought the curse upon this earth. But Romans 5 introduces a new Adam, a second Adam. This second Adam, Jesus Christ, would by his life and by his death redeem man, buy him back. But that is not all.

As the second Adam, Jesus secured the restoration of all things, the removal of the curse from this creation, his cosmos. Now the restoration of all things has obviously not happened. We don't see it as we look around. But neither has the full redemption of man. In fact these two are tied together.

Romans 8, 19 through 23 makes that argument. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pains together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Paul says the earth is groaning, longing for the final and full redemption of God's people.

And do you see the link he is making? He points to our own groaning and longing for the redemption of our bodies. Children, where did man get a body? Where did man get a body? Adam was made from what?

The dust of the earth. What is to be done with these bodies that the last day, restored, made new, will happen also to the earth. It will be made new again. Now, 1 Corinthians 15 tells us what will happen to our bodies. They will be resurrected.

These bodies will be resurrected. They will be called from wherever their parts and Molecules are in this earth and they will be called together and resurrected at the last day. And verses 42 to 44 tell us what they will become. They will become incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and beyond all other creation, spirit-filled like never before. They were sown a natural body but raised a spiritual body.

We do not have time to unpack these as I would like, so I will leave those wonderful thoughts for your contemplation at another time. Anthony Hockema says this, in his redemptive history God does not destroy the works of his hands, but cleanses them from sin and perfects them so that they may finally reach the goal for which he created them. So that they are applied to the problem at hand, this principle means that the new earth to which we look forward will not be totally different from the present one, but will be a renewal and glorification of the earth on which we now live. We need a clear understanding of the doctrine of the New Earth, therefore, in order to see God's redemptive program in cosmic dimensions. We need to realize that God will not be satisfied until the entire universe has been purged of all the results of man's fall.

Peter in his second epistle in chapter 3 describes the new heavens and the new earth as a place in which righteousness dwells. And this according to the promise of God from the earliest prophets for righteousness to dwell we and the creation must be made new. Ephesians 1 9 through 10 having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. Martin Lloyd-Jones says everything will be glorified even nature itself And that seems to me to be the biblical teaching about the eternal state, that what we call heaven is life in this perfect world as God intended humanity to live it. When he put Adam in paradise at the beginning, Adam fell and all fell with him.

But men and women are meant to live in the body and will live in a glorified body, in a glorified world, and God will be with them. Edward Donnelly says throughout eternity we will live full truly human lives exploring and managing God's creation to his glory. Fascinating vistas will unfold before us as we learn to serve God in a renewed universe. And if you stop and take a look at the first three chapters of our Bible and you compare them with the last three chapters of our Bible, Genesis 1-3, Revelation 20-22, What do you see? You see an undoing or a redoing of lots of things.

You have the creation of all things in Genesis. You have the recreation of all things. You have Satan on the loose in order to deceive in the garden. You have Satan bound to deceive no longer. You have the entrance of sin, the entrance of lies.

You have the removal of sin, the removal of lies. You have the reality of death that comes upon all men, but in Revelation you have the reality of the resurrection. You have the initial dwelling place, Eden, created by God for His sons from which man was cast out. In Revelation, you have the final dwelling place, heaven, on earth, created by God for his sons, from which none shall ever be cast out. You have the guarding of the tree of life so that none would eat of it.

Yet in Revelation you have the tree of life for all to eat, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations. You have Jesus in Genesis as the Creator, the Alpha. In Revelation you have Jesus as the Lamb, the Savior, the Omega. You have in Genesis the preparing of a bride for the first Adam. You have in Revelation a preparing of a bride for the second Adam.

And we have in Genesis the first marriage and we have in Revelation the last marriage. Such comparisons. This is the location of our home, our eternal home. Now secondly, the surety of heaven, the surety of heaven. We find that in verse 5 of our passage.

Then he who sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, right, for these words are true and faithful. True and faithful. Now, what makes these words true and faithful? I mean, obviously God is saying them.

He who sits on the throne, that's enough. But what does make them true and faithful? Why can we stake our souls on these promises that what He's telling us here is true and faithful. I mean, isn't that what we want? We want to believe these things, all that our brother Paul read to us in Revelation 21 and 22.

We want these to be true. We want these to be faithful words. What is their surety? Well, their surety comes through the death of Christ, through the resurrection of Christ, through the prayer of Christ, and through the preparation of Christ. First through the death of Christ, John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

It was because Jesus died. God sent his son to die for eternal life. That's our surety. Christ has died. But not only that, the resurrection of Christ.

1 Peter 1, 3 through 4 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. It's through the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is our surety. But not only that, we have the prayer of Christ. The prayer of Christ.

Not just His intercessory prayer on our behalf currently, but we have the very words of Christ in the intercessory prayer given to us in John 17. And in John 17 verse 24, Christ in prayer to His Father says this, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am." And I ask you, can the prayers of God's holy and perfect Son go unanswered. Certainly not. Certainly not. Christ's prayer for His people to be with Him is our surety.

But also the preparation of Christ. The preparation of Christ. John 14, 1-3. Tell us, Jesus says, I go to prepare a place for you. And as if that weren't enough for the promise, Christ goes on to say, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also." The preparation of Christ is our surety.

He is preparing a place for his people. But our surety also comes through the fact of the ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1, 13 and 14 says, in him you also trusted that is in Christ after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory. We have the surety of the Spirit given to us the seal of God's work, the guarantee of our inheritance. So we see in this passage the surety, these Words are true and faithful.

God has gone to extreme ends to make sure they are true and faithful. Next, we turn our attention to the overarching theme of heaven. The overarching theme of heaven, and that is the glory of God. In verse 23, the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it." The Lamb is its light. The glory of God is the overarching theme of heaven.

When we discussed and when we preached on the Lord's prayer, what did Christ teach his disciples to pray? That the Father's kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth just as it is in heaven. And when He was saying that, He was instructing them to pray for the manifestation of the glory of God. That is why He began His teaching with our Father in heaven. Why not just say our Father?

Because Jesus is teaching them of the manifestation of the glory of God. God exists in heaven as it is right now like he does in no other place our God is On the present he's everywhere present but in heaven his glory shines like it does in no other place And that's why he told them our father in heaven And he told them to pray that the manifestation of that glory would come to earth like it is in heaven. John Owen said the reason why God is said to be in heaven is not because his essence is included in a certain place so called, but because of the more eminent manifestations of his glory there. It is where His glory is revealed with peculiar majesty and splendor. It is where He Himself is revealed in fullness.

Heaven is the place. It is the arena of his glory. This idea is emphasized even more in the way the prayer closes. How does the Lord's prayer close? Why is He saying we want this manifestation to come to earth?

Why? For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. And we have seen in the book of Matthew how the author uses the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven interchangeably. The fact of the matter is that we cannot understand God apart from heaven. And we cannot understand heaven apart from God.

It's the glory, the manifestation of that glory. Thus we must understand that heaven exists for God's glory. It does not ultimately exist for our happiness, for our fulfillment. So I ask you, when you think of heaven, what comes to your mind? What questions arise in your mind?

Is God in your thoughts? But the word glory is actually used four times in our passage. One of those instances is in verse 23 that we saw, and it refers to the glory that emanates from Jesus Christ Himself. That glory then veiled that caused the face of Moses to shine when he came down from the presence of Christ. That glory then veiled that emanated from Christ when He was transfigured on the Mount.

That glory then veiled that knocked Saul and his companions to the ground and blinded Saul. That glory still veiled as it appears to the Apostle John back in Revelation 1. That glory. That glory will be unveiled on the new earth. Unveiled.

And we with bodies that will have put on immortality will be able to gaze steadfastly upon this unveiled glory. As we sang earlier, the King there in his beauty without a veil is seen. And glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's land without avail. Such glory is unimaginable. Words cannot describe it.

So for me to seek to do so would be vain. But we are told in this passage that such will be the strength and power of this glory. There will be no need for a lamp or a light. No need for the the sun's brightness to shine. We are told that such will be the magnitude of its majesty.

There will be no need for a temple. In Isaiah 66, 1-2, it says, Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of my rest? For all those things my hand is made and all those things exist says the Lord.

Numbers 14-21 says the Lord said truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." This earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. John 17, Christ praised us, and now, oh Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. This glory emanates from who Christ is. But this word glory in chapter 21 is also attributed to the church as well as to the kings of the new earth and also to the nations. Verses 11, 24, and 26 respectively.

Verse 11 tells us from whence this glory is derived. Having the glory of God. It's speaking here about the bride. It's speaking about this new Jerusalem descending from heaven. The church of Jesus Christ having the glory of God.

You see Christ back in John 17 where he prayed for that glory to come back to him that glory he had before the world was. He also poured out his glory upon his bride. It is his glory that shines forth and then verse 22 of John 17 says, and the glory which you gave me, Jesus speaking there, I have given them that they may be one just as we are one. Paul says in Romans 812, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Those trials, those trials which seem so large looming over us and casting a shadow that seems to swallow all else.

Maybe you feel like that this morning. They're not worthy to be compared to the glory that awaits. The glory that will be revealed in us. All the things that Job suffered, they're not worthy to be compared to the glory that awaits. Hey, but what about Jesus?

I mean, no one suffered like Christ. Think of the things. He suffered. Hebrews 12, 2, and 3 has the answer. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for The joy that was set before him.

What joy was that? He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. That's the joy, the glory that awaited him. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. In his prayer for the church at Colossi, Paul says in Colossians 1-12, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

And for the church at Ephesus, he prayed in chapter 1 verse 18 that they may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Oh the contemplation. Christ sharing His glory. This glory that will illumine the new heavens and the new earth. Sharing with His bride.

We who at one time loved darkness rather than light, who dwelt in darkness, receiving this glory from our heavenly bridegroom. The psalmist says in Psalm 45, my heart is overflowing with a good thing. I recite my composition concerning the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are fairer than the sons of men.

Grace is poured upon your lips. Therefore, God has blessed you forever. Then skipping down to verse 13, he says, the royal daughter is all-glorious within the palace. Her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the king in robes of many colors.

The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you with gladness and rejoicing. They shall be brought. They shall enter the king's palace." That's what's happening in Revelation 21. The church descending, coming to meet her bridegroom. Next, the heart of heaven.

What is the heart of heaven? By heart of heaven, I mean the center of heaven, the core of heaven. Well, the heart of heaven is the Lamb of God. We sang the words again of Samuel Rutherford, the bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, that's the glory that he's revealing in us, I will not gaze at glory or the wonders of this new creation, but on my King of grace.

Not at the crown he gifteth, but on his pierced hand. The Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land. Jesus is the heart of heaven. Throughout eternity, our anthem will be, through Christ, for Christ, with Christ. That'll be our anthem.

Through Christ, for Christ, with Christ. That will be our anthem. Through Christ, for Christ, with Christ. Romans 5, 20 and 21, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as then reigns in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5, 8 through 10, but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. It's through Christ, through Christ. 1st Peter 1, 3 through 5 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled in those that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. But also for Christ, for Christ. Revelation 21, 2 in our passage, Then I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, for Christ.

For Christ. Ephesians 5, 25 through 27, husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. Why? That he might present her to himself a glorious church for Christ, for Christ. Isaiah 66, 19 and 20, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord. Through Christ, for Christ, but also with Christ. John 17, 24, Christ said, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am." John 14 3 again Christ says, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also. In Romans 8 16 to 17 the spirit and self bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together. Joint heirs with Christ and glorified together.

That will be our anthem through Christ, for Christ, and with Christ. But we also see the fellowship of heaven. The fellowship of heaven. In verse 3, they shall be his people, God himself will be their God. And then in verse 7, what does God say?

I will be his God and he shall be my son, The fellowship of heaven. My friend, do those words strike a chord within your heart? I will be his God and he will be my son. Sons of God. Joint hairs with Jesus Christ himself.

Hebrews 2, 11 through 13 says, for both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare your name, O God, to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you. Verse 13, and again, here am I and the children whom God has given me. Romans 9, 25 and 26. I will call them my people, who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.

And It shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them. You are not my people There they shall be called sons of the living God." Are there sweeter words to be found anywhere else? Romans 8 speaks of the wait for the revealing of the sons of God and the wait for the adoption. Brothers and sisters, our best things await us. Remember what Jesus, or rather Abraham, told the rich man in the passage we looked at last week in Luke 16, he told the rich man, you had your good things on the earth.

The good things for Lazarus were the things that awaited. Our best things are yet to come. Our best things are yet to come. And it is in this glory that we will finally be able to see our Savior, this fellowship that I'm speaking of, to see with our eyes our Savior. John 19, 25 and 26 says, for I know, excuse me, Job 19, 25 through 26, for I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God in my flesh.

After my skin is destroyed in my flesh, I will see God. Isaiah 33, 17, your eyes will see the King in His beauty. 1 John 3, 2, beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as he is. In John 17, 24, Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this is your home. This is your future. This is your inheritance. This is your eternity. May God's Spirit reveal to us this day the great things that our God has prepared for those of us who love Him.

That's my desire. As we said in the beginning, as we hold up that looking glass, the Word of God, to see the gates of the celestial city, to see the glories of that country. And there are a lot of other things that I haven't even touched upon. The glories of this new earth in terms of no more tears, no pain, no death, no crying. As Paul read at the end of it, reigning with Christ.

The Bible speaks of the responsibility that will be given to those great responsibility to those who have labored well in this earth, in this time. You've been faithful over a few things. Now I'll make you ruler over many. There are a lot of things that we haven't touched upon. A lot of things that still remain unclear.

But as Spurgeon once told somebody who asked him some questions about heaven and specific things and what it would be like. And there were things that Spurgeon didn't feel comfortable answering because the Word of God had not made it plain. His advice? Live holy and go find out for yourself. Live holy and go find out for yourself.

Live holy and go find out for yourself. I'd like to close with some applications. I do have eight applications. Because, hey, this isn't doctrine. Like I said, this is a home.

This is our inheritance. We need application. First of all, ponder the path of your feet. Ponder the path of your feet. Jesus said in Matthew 7, 13 and 14, enter by the narrow gates, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction.

Hell, which we heard last week, broad is the gate, Broad is that way that leads to hell. And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life. And there are few who find it. So I ask you, have you gone through the narrow gate? Jesus said, I am the door.

He's the door. Are you on the difficult way? Jesus says that He is the way. Is eternal life at the end of your path? Jesus says that He is the life.

If you know not Jesus Christ, if you have not tasted and handled Him who is the bread of life, if He is not your Savior and your Lord, then heaven is not your inheritance. But it can be. Make yourselves ready this day. Go to Christ, plead for His mercy, for soon the voice will ring out behold the bridegroom comes go out to meet him Ponder the path of your feet. Secondly, redeem the time.

Redeem the time. Romans 13, 11 through 12 say, And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Our salvation, our final salvation, the restoration of all things, That time is closer now than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.

J.C. Ryle said this, tomorrow is the devil's day, but today is God's. Satan does not care how spiritual your intentions are or how holy your resolutions, if only they are determined to be done tomorrow. If in the pondering of your feet you realize, I don't know Christ, the devil will whisper, tomorrow, Tomorrow. Don't worry about today.

Tomorrow. Resolve to follow Christ tomorrow. I don't care if you resolve to follow Him. Make it tomorrow. But the voice is going to cry out.

The bridegroom comes. The bridegroom comes. We need to redeem the time. We need to redeem the time. Those who don't know Christ need to flee to Him.

Those who do know Christ, we need to be serving Him. Thirdly, live as pilgrims. Live as pilgrims. Philippians 3, 20, and 21 say, for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. Faith enables us to live with eternity's values in view.

Hebrews 11. You know what that's about right? Your children know what that's about, Hebrews 11? Sometimes people refer to it as the hall of faith. Not a hall of fame, but a hall of faith.

Because the fame belongs to Christ. But it's a hall of faith that talks about this great cloud of witnesses. And you young children, you know the stories of Abraham. You know the stories of Moses, of Gideon, of Samson. How were they able to do that?

How? Faith. Hebrews 11, 13 to 16 says, These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

But now they desire a better. That is a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. If we don't know that, that desiring of another place, could it be that we're not assured of them? Could it be that we haven't embraced them?

The faith lays hold of the promise. There's the assurance. The life then follows and embraces. And then these men followed Jesus Christ. They saw them afar off.

They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims. Brethren, let's live as pilgrims. Let's live as pilgrims. Fourthly, not only live as pilgrims, live as sons. Live as sons.

Are you robbing yourself of the experience of the blood-bought benefits and privileges that belong to the people of God? Christ said in John 10, 10, I have come, why? That they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly. In Matthew 19, remember Matthew 19 verses 27 through 29, Peter asks Christ, What's in it for us, Lord? What's in it for us?

Christ answers him, Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers or wife or children or lands for my name's sake shall receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life." The Gospel of Mark in its parallel passage says that the hundredfold is for now, in this time. A hundredfold in this life and eternal life. So I ask you, do you know something of this abundance in the experience of your daily life? Can you honestly say that you are consciously sensing the hundred-fold blessings that Christ said would be the portion of his disciples. My brother, my sister, Christ died so that you could have these privileges, that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly, so that you could experience the blessings of His own inheritance, so that you could begin experiencing the realities of heaven right here, right now.

Live as sons. Simply, pursue holy conduct in godliness. Pursue holy conduct and godliness. 2 Peter 3, 11-12. And 2 Peter 3 tells us a lot about the new heavens and the new earth.

But here is the application that Peter brings. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God? Seeing all of this is going to happen. God's going to wipe out sin and the curse of sin. How should we live?

What holy conduct, what godliness. William Gurnall rightly said, Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly heart or a heavenly hope than an earthly heart. Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart. George Swinock noted, heaven must be in thee before thou canst be in heaven. Young children, do you remember the story of Esau?

Do you remember the story of Esau and Jacob? Remember Jacob came in, or Esau came in from hunting in the field and Jacob had a pot of stew. What did Esau trade for that pot of stew? His birthright. His inheritance.

By doing so, he showed great disrespect and disregard to the inheritance of his father. He thought light of it. He traded it for a bowl of soup. Let us not sin the greater by showing disrespect and disregard to the inheritance that we have received and will be receiving from our Heavenly Father. Let it stir us to holy conduct.

But not just holy conduct, but fixly, Fight the good fight. Fight the good fight. Though heaven is given to us, we must fight for it. Though heaven is given to us, we must fight for it. Matthew 11, 12 says the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.

Thomas Watson wrote the following, So the kingdom of heaven will not be taken without violence. The earth is inherited by the meek, heaven is inherited by the violent. Our life is military. Christ is our captain. The gospel is the banner.

The graces are our spiritual artillery. And heaven is only taken in a forcible way. Though heaven be given us freely, yet we must contend for it. Our work is great, our time short, our master urgent. We have the need therefore to summon together the powers of our souls and strive as in a matter of life and death that we may arrive at the kingdom above.

Though heaven has given us freely yet we must take pains for it. Canaan was given Israel freely but they had to go fight with the Canaanites. Indeed, hell will be taken without storm. The gates of hell open of their own accord. But if we get to heaven, we must force our way.

We must besiege it with sighs and tears and get the scaling ladder of faith to storm it. We must not only work but fight. Like those Jews who built the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 417, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon. If any should ask us why we are so violent, tell them it is for a kingdom. If any shall ask us why we make such haste in the ways of religion, tell them we are running a race, a heavenly race, and a softly moderate pace will never win the prize.

Moderation has made many lose heaven. They have not made haste enough. They have come too late, like the foolish virgins, when the door had been shut. Well wrote Isaac Watts, sure I must fight if I would reign. Increase my courage, Lord.

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain supported by Thy Word. Thy saints in all this glorious war shall conquer though they die. They view the triumph from afar and seize it with their eye. Seventh, make sure heaven is part of your gospel presentation. Make sure heaven is part of your gospel presentation.

Paul made it clear in Colossians 1, 3-6a that the hope of heaven was part of his gospel message and it should be part of ours as well. He says there, we give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you as it has also in all the world." Paul said, hey, that hope of heaven, You know about it because it came to you through the Word of the truth of our Gospel. Make sure Heaven is part of your Gospel presentation. That's why God recreates us. He recreates us for that life to come, for that marriage to His Son.

Eighthly, daily contemplation of heaven. Daily contemplation of heaven. A daily contemplation of heaven is a remedy against the lethargy in the area of our sanctification. Do you find yourself growing weary and doing good? Do you find yourself, like me, at times slothful in your duties as a Christian man or a Christian woman?

Set aside time to meditate on heaven. Doing so will strengthen your resolve. It will quicken your step. It will refresh your soul. Richard Baxter says this in his book, The Saints' Everlasting Rest.

To stand on that mount where we can see the wilderness and Canaan, both at once, to stand in heaven and look back on earth as we knew it and weigh them together in the balance of a comparing sense and judgment. How must it need to transport the soul and make it cry out? Is this the purchase that cost so dear as the blood of Christ? No wonder! Oh, blessed Christ, enthrice blessed Oh, blessed Christ, enthrice blessed love that invents it and condescended.

Is this the end of believing? Is this the end of the Spirit's workings? Have the gales of grace blown me into such a harbor? Is it here that Christ has allured my soul? Oh, Blessed way, that difficult way, blessed way, and thrice blessed end.

Is this the glory which the Scriptures spoke of and ministers preached of so much? I see the gospel is indeed good tidings, even tidings of peace and good tidings, tidings of great joy to all nations. Is my mourning, my fasting, my sad humblings, my heavy walking, come to this? Is my praying, watching, fearing to offend, come to this? Are all my afflictions, Satan's temptations, the world's scorns and jeers come to this?

Oh, vile nature that resisted so much and so long such a blessing, unworthy soul. Is this the place you came to so unwillingly? Was duty wearisome? Was this world too good to lose? Could you not leave all, deny all, and suffer anything for this?

Were you loath to die to come to this? O false heart, you had almost betrayed me to eternal claims and lost me this glory. Are you not now ashamed my soul that ever you did question that love which brought you here, that you were jealous of the faithfulness of the Lord, that you suspected his love when you should only have suspected yourself. That ever you did quench emotion of his spirit and that you should misinterpret those providences and repine at those ways which have such an end. Now you are sufficiently convinced that your Blessed Redeemer was saving you as well when He crossed your desires as when He granted them.

When he broke your heart is when he bounded up no thanks to you unworthy self for this received crown but to Jehovah and the Lamb be glory forever John Newton said this when I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there. The first wonder will be to see many there whom I did not expect to see. The second wonder will be to miss many people who I did expect to see. But the third and greatest of all will be to find myself there. Oh, that wonder.

I close with the words of a hymn by Robert Murray McShane, Robert Murray McShane, a godly pastor whose life ended at the young age of 29. When this passing world is done, when has sunk yon glaring sun, when we stand with Christ in glory looking o'er life's finished story. Then Lord shall I fully know not till then how much I owe when I stand before the throne dressed in beauty not my own When I see thee as thou art, love thee with unsending heart, Then, Lord, Shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe? When the praise of heaven I hear, loud as thunder's in my ear, loud As many waters' noise, sweet as harp's melodious voice. Then, Lord, shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe.

Chosen, not for good in me. Waken up from wrath to flee. Hidden in the Savior's side by the Spirit sanctified. Teach me, Lord, on earth to show by my love how much I am. O gracious Father, What an inheritance.

What a hope. We thank you for the surety brought to us by your promise, by what your Son accomplished, by your Spirit now dwelling within us, the guarantee of our inheritance. O Lord, give us grace to fear lest we should fall short from that to which we have been called. O may all of us who are experiencing on some level the trials of this life cast our minds upon the glory that awaits, knowing that the trials of this life don't compare to the glory that awaits us. Oh Lord, give us grace to ponder the path of our feet.

Give us grace to live as pilgrims yet as sons. May we with Paul be able to say our citizenship is in heaven by your will, by the power of your Spirit, and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.