The Christian Mind

1. The Christian Mind What does the Kingdom of God or Heaven look like?

2. Three points • Our Childhood vision of Heaven won’t work for our Adult lives. • An Adult view of heaven is very difficult, but exciting. • How does our view of Heaven impact our life--- here and now.

3. When u were younger….

4. The Children’s view of Heaven

5. What do you see heaven as? In small groups describe • 1) What are 5 features of Heaven that children see. • 2) At least 5 things about heaven that you see. • 3) Describe 5 things heaven is NOT.

6. What conclusions can we draw?

7. The Kingdom of God has several descriptions: • In several of the Gospels, Jesus describes the Kingdom using parables. • These parables are important for us to understand heaven. • But Revelations has a rather dramatic view of heaven.

8. Heaven is not Static. • Luke 18 -19Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it." •    20 -21He tried again. "How can I picture God's kingdom? It's like yeast that a woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread—and waits while the dough rises."

9. Revelations description of Heaven is Powerful. • Revelation is a difficult book of the bible because it is very different. • Anyone reading it should be VERY careful- it is easy to misunderstand. • Why go to it? Because it is so descriptive. • So we will look at the whole chapter and then go in detail to draw out some implications.

10. 1- Entire text- •    10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. •    15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel). •    18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:[e] the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

11.    21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. •    22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil[f] will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

12.    1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit,[a] with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. •    3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

13. Revelations gives you clues about heaven.

14. Major points about the text: • Heaven is a city given to us, not a garden • It’s BIG City • It’s built with incredible colors and materials- a fun place to be. • God is the light. • “Kings in all their glory will be there” • It’s open 24 hours and open • The best of every civilization will be there. • Nothing Evil will be there.

15. I) Heaven is a city, not a garden. • 10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels

16. So heaven is not a monastery, but a vibrant city.

17. II) It’s a BIG Safe city • 15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

18. Big cities are full of action- Life.

19. III) It’s built with incredible colors and materials- a fun place to be. • The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

20. IV) God is the light. • I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

21. Not my pic, but cool.

22. V) “Kings of Glory” • The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.

23. VI) Open 24 hours • Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.

24. VII) All nation’s glory • And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. • Think of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese- art, music, food.

25. VIII) Nothing Evil • Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

26. Last week we talked about two hypothetical events. • One was a romantic interest was drunk. What do you do….. • The second was a group was bulling an unpopular student. • Last week in CA, a 15 yo HS girl was at a Homecoming Dance and went with a group to drink. After she was drunk, she was assaulted and raped for 2 ½ hours. Many people where there and either participated, egged the mob on or did nothing.

27. Questions for small groups: • 1) Do you think someone who rapes and assaults AND does not ask for forgiveness and feels no remorse could or should be in Heaven? • 2) What do you believe should be the result of not being with God? • 3) What do you think of the idea of God will judge you?

28. 3 Impact on Us.

29. Judgment is unusual. • Before the text we just went over, there was a judgment section. This is a rather interesting section and many people have false impressions or misunderstood what the bible says.

30. Michangelo created this:

31. Rev 20 • 5I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

32. This passage is the source of the phrase: • Turn or Burn. • The passage is also important in that while we are judged on our actions, entrance to heaven is by the “Book of Life”, not the books of our deeds. • The “Book of Life” is mentioned several other places.

33. Apply this to our lives:How do we get to heaven?: • Some might say “Be good to get in Heaven” • Not me. Instead it is more important to have your name in the Book of Life. • Thus, what is important is your relationship with Christ.

34. Summary: For me the best is from the text just before this: •  -5 I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: "Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They're his people, he's their God. He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone.

35. Matthew 13 • God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. •    45 -46"Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.

36. Three points • Our Childhood vision of Heaven won’t work for our Adult lives. • An Adult view of heaven is difficult, but exciting. • How does our view of Heaven impact our life--- here and now.