Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230930S
|
00:02 ♪
00:14 [ "Holy, Holy, Holy" begins ] 00:17 ♪ 00:27 ♪ 00:37 ♪ 00:47 ♪ 01:45 ♪ 02:35 [ "Joyful, Joyful, 02:38 We Adore Thee" begins ] 02:40 ♪ 02:46 ♪ 04:25 ♪ 04:33 ♪ 04:41 >> Amen. 04:45 [ "He is Exalted" begins ] 04:48 ♪ 04:55 ♪ 07:20 >> Amen. 07:22 >> Amen. 07:23 [ "Holy Spirit Rain Down" 07:26 begins ] 12:07 >> Amen. 12:11 >> After hearing such 12:13 heavenly music in first service, 12:17 I began my sermon by saying 12:20 that a wiser person 12:21 would just sit down 12:22 and have the benediction. 12:25 But then, someone said, "Amen." 12:27 [ Laughter ] 12:30 So I'm not going to say 12:31 that at the beginning 12:32 of second service sermon. 12:35 But I will say, praise the Lord 12:36 for the beautiful music 12:37 that we heard this morning. 12:38 Amen? 12:38 >> Amen. 12:39 >> Just a wonderful job to our 12:42 AU chorale and symphony 12:44 orchestra. 12:45 Many thanks to Dr. Zork 12:47 and Dr. Elysée. 12:48 We appreciate very much 12:49 their leadership in leading us 12:51 in worship here at Pioneer. 12:54 If you have a Bible, 12:55 would you please open it 12:56 to 1 Corinthians 2:9. 13:00 1 Corinthians 2:9. 13:02 Dr. Faehner read this to us 13:04 very ably just a few moments 13:05 ago, but I'd like you to look 13:06 at it again. 13:07 1 Corinthians 2:9. 13:12 Famous text oft repeated, 13:14 perhaps not often enough. 13:18 Verse 9, it says, "However, 13:19 as it is written, 13:21 'No eye has seen, 13:24 no ear has heard, 13:26 no mind has conceived 13:29 what God has prepared 13:30 for those who love Him.'" 13:33 No eye has seen, 13:34 no ear has heard, 13:35 no mind has conceived 13:37 what God has prepared 13:38 for those who love Him. 13:40 Now, most scholars would agree 13:43 that this is speaking of Heaven. 13:47 Paul here 13:48 is looking to the future, 13:50 and as he sees the future, 13:51 the place that comes after this 13:52 one, for those who love the 13:54 Lord, he says, "No eye has seen, 13:56 no ear has heard, 13:57 even into the mind of man, 13:59 it has not entered what God 14:01 has prepared for His people." 14:03 That is one of 14:05 his descriptions of Heaven. 14:06 And if that is true, 14:09 then I would conclude 14:10 at least two things. 14:12 Number one, 14:14 when it comes to Heaven, 14:15 we are going to have 14:17 to use our imaginations. 14:20 You say, why would 14:22 we have to use our imagination? 14:23 Because no eye has seen 14:25 and no ear has heard and never 14:26 has entered into our minds 14:28 exactly, precisely what it is 14:29 that God has in store for us. 14:30 So we need to use 14:32 our imaginations. 14:33 This is why, if you go online 14:35 and maybe you go to iStock 14:36 or something like that, and you 14:37 type in the word "Heaven." 14:40 You will go on 14:42 an imagination journey. 14:43 This is one that came up here, 14:45 this gate and these doves flying 14:46 through it. 14:47 I assume those are doves and not 14:48 wild turkeys or something. 14:49 But there's this arch that is 14:51 here, and it's up in the clouds, 14:52 and that's kind of it. 14:53 We say, well, it's not entirely 14:55 theologically correct, 14:56 but there is some imagination 14:57 shown here. 14:58 How about this one? 15:00 This is a little bit more 15:01 correct. 15:01 This city here. 15:02 And indeed it talks 15:03 about this city up there. 15:05 There's the doves again that are 15:06 flying into this frame, as well. 15:08 Imagination is required 15:12 if we are going to get 15:14 a glimpse of the specifics 15:16 that God has placed in His Word, 15:18 speaking of Heaven. 15:19 That's the first thing. 15:20 The second conclusion that 15:21 I draw is this -- wherever our 15:23 sanctified imaginations take us, 15:26 they must always lead us 15:29 to conclude 15:31 that Heaven will be better. 15:36 What word did I say? 15:37 >> Better. 15:38 >> Better. 15:40 You say, better than what? 15:41 Everything. Anything good 15:44 that you experience right now, 15:45 it will be better, assuming 15:47 that it is righteous and good 15:48 that which you are experiencing. 15:50 It will be better in Heaven. 15:52 In fact, to help drive 15:53 this point home, that it will 15:54 be better in Heaven, 15:56 I need your help. 15:58 Every time during the next few 16:00 minutes here that we were 16:01 together, every time that I cup 16:02 my hand to my ear like this, 16:04 I would like you to say 16:05 the word "better." 16:06 Let's try this -- 1, 2, 3. 16:08 >> Better. 16:09 >> Okay. 1, 2, 3. 16:11 >> Better. 16:12 >> Okay. Now... 16:17 We just started the sermon, 16:18 and you're already not 16:19 following. 16:20 What's going on here? 16:21 All right, so let's try that 16:22 again. 16:23 1, 2, 3. 16:25 >> Better. 16:26 >> Aha. Very good. Yes. 16:28 When the hand comes up here, 16:29 you will know that that is your 16:31 cue, all right? 16:32 So let's be clear. 16:34 What is coming in heaven is... 16:36 >> Better. 16:37 >> ...than what we currently 16:38 have. 16:39 What is coming in Heaven 16:40 will be... 16:40 >> Better. 16:41 >> ...than anything that we can 16:43 experience here. 16:45 And with that in mind, 16:46 I would like us to do 16:47 a brief trip through 16:48 Scripture using our 16:50 sanctified imagination, 16:51 guided by God's Word, 16:52 and learn about the... 16:53 >> Better. 16:54 >> ...that is just around 16:56 the corner. 16:57 Turn in your Bibles, please, 16:58 again, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 17:01 2 Corinthians, the 12th chapter, 17:04 beginning with verse one. 17:08 To the best of our knowledge, 17:08 this is the second letter, 17:10 at least, certainly, that we 17:11 have extant, that Paul wrote 17:12 here to the Corinthians. 17:13 The Corinthian church 17:14 was quite an interesting 17:16 and energetic place. 17:17 Paul had to deal 17:18 with a number of issues there, 17:19 but he's rounding out -- at 17:20 least his published 17:22 communication -- 17:23 with some information 17:25 about the very place we want 17:27 to know more of, about Heaven. 17:28 Let's see what he says. 17:29 2 Corinthians 12:1 17:32 Paul says, "I must go on 17:33 boasting. 17:33 Although there is nothing to be 17:35 gained, I will go on to visions 17:37 and revelations from the Lord. 17:40 I know a man in Christ 17:43 who, 14 years ago, was caught up 17:45 to the third heaven." 17:47 Now pause for just a moment. 17:48 The Apostle Paul here, 17:49 we're not entirely sure 17:51 exactly what he's referring 17:52 to here with the third heaven. 17:53 Some people say that, well, 17:55 Paul had this cosmology 17:56 that was in common with the Jews 17:57 at that time, 17:58 seven levels of heaven, 17:59 but that wouldn't fit 18:00 with this third one. 18:00 Others say, well, there were 18:02 three heavens. 18:03 There was the air we breathe. 18:04 There were the stars at night. 18:06 That's the second heaven. 18:07 And then, the place 18:07 where God dwells. 18:10 That would be the third heaven. 18:11 Whatever the case, it's clear 18:13 that Paul is speaking 18:15 about the dwelling place of God. 18:16 This is what he's speaking of. 18:18 And it is he himself 18:21 that has experienced this. 18:22 He is graciously speaking 18:23 of himself in the third person. 18:24 But nonetheless, 18:25 if we were to read, 18:26 it's very clear Paul is speaking 18:28 of his own personal experience. 18:29 So let's see what he says. 18:31 Verse three. 18:33 "And I know that this man -- 18:35 whether in the body or apart 18:36 from the body, I do not know, 18:37 But God knows -- 18:39 he was caught up to"... 18:41 What's that next word? Paradise. 18:43 Ah, interesting. 18:45 "He heard inexpressible things, 18:48 things that a man is not 18:49 permitted to tell." 18:53 Well, that was a waste of time, 18:54 wasn't it? 18:55 Here we'd like to know about 18:57 Heaven, and we get there, and 18:59 Paul goes, he has this vision 19:00 about it, he's risen up to it, 19:02 whatever it is. 19:03 And then, he says, "Sorry. 19:04 Not only do words not -- are 19:06 they not able to express what I 19:07 saw, but I don't have permission 19:08 to tell you." 19:14 Blessedly, Paul does drop us 19:17 a clue 19:18 about what Heaven will be like. 19:20 He used that word "paradise." 19:24 Paradise. 19:25 Now, that's actually a Persian 19:27 word, also occurs in Sanskrit. 19:29 There's a few other places 19:29 that it comes from, 19:30 but mostly Persian is where 19:31 we tend to draw that word from. 19:33 Paul borrows it here, and Paul 19:35 was generally quite particular 19:36 about the words that he chose, 19:38 as with all the other Bible 19:38 writers. 19:39 He chose paradise. 19:41 Well, what does the Persian 19:42 word "paradise" mean? 19:43 It means... 19:46 park. 19:50 So what is it? Heaven's a park. 19:53 Well, apparently so. 19:56 And we must remember then, 19:57 immediately, if Heaven is a 19:58 park, we must remember that 20:00 all of Heaven will be... 20:01 >> Better. 20:02 >> ...than anything that we 20:04 have here on Earth, including 20:05 our parks. 20:06 Now, I have been to a few nice 20:06 parks. 20:07 Let me just put some things here 20:08 on the screen for you. 20:09 Where is this at? 20:11 Grand Canyon. That's right. 20:13 The Grand Canyon there. 20:14 When I was a kid, 20:15 I remember the first time 20:16 that I went to the Grand Canyon. 20:16 We were traveling 20:17 for the summer. 20:18 I was with my dad, my 20:19 stepmother, et cetera. 20:20 And we got out, 20:21 and I got out of the van, 20:22 and you could kind of see, 20:23 like, over the parking lot, 20:24 a little bit of the horizon. 20:25 It looked mostly like desert. 20:27 I went up to the edge... 20:30 and I knew immediately 20:32 why they called it grand. 20:33 I mean, just incredible. 20:35 It's not just a gigantic hole -- 20:36 Well, it is a gigantic hole in 20:37 the ground, but it's this 20:38 incredible -- 20:39 The grandeur of it all, 20:40 the scope, the strata that you 20:42 can see illustrated here, 20:43 the water and the way 20:45 the erosion has taken place. 20:46 And sometimes, there's even 20:47 greenery, depending on where 20:49 you're at, Zion, et cetera, 20:50 the colors that are there. 20:51 It is incredible. 20:53 But heaven will be... 20:54 >> Better. 20:55 >> ...than the Grand Canyon. 20:57 And it's also going to be better 20:58 than Yellowstone National Park. 21:00 Now, I've been to Yellowstone 21:01 a number of times, as well. 21:02 It's one of my favorite places 21:03 to visit. 21:04 It's just a beautiful place, 21:06 the breadth and the depth 21:07 of the ecosystems that are found 21:09 just inside of Yellowstone. 21:11 It's an amazing place to be. 21:13 And of course, there's always an 21:14 element of danger, isn't there? 21:15 You don't know if you're 21:16 going to fall into some sort of, 21:17 you know, fountain 21:18 that comes out of the ground. 21:19 There'll be a bear 21:19 that will find you. 21:20 It's this incredible, 21:22 exciting place to be. 21:24 But Heaven will be... 21:25 >> Better. 21:26 >> ...than Yellowstone. 21:27 In fact, it will even be 21:28 better than this place. 21:29 Where's this? 21:31 Grand Tetons. 21:32 Now, that's interesting. 21:33 More of you knew that it was 21:34 the Tetons than Yellowstone. 21:35 Did you know they're like two 21:36 minutes apart from each other? 21:37 You should stop by sometime 21:38 because the Tetons 21:39 is an incredible place. 21:41 Mother Earth decided 21:42 that she had indigestion, 21:44 and one day -- fmmp! -- 21:45 these things came up. 21:46 I mean, they just come straight 21:48 up from the desert soil there. 21:49 It's incredible. 21:50 They're so stark in their 21:51 beauty. 21:52 A few years ago, 21:53 my wife's side of the family, 21:54 we got together there 21:55 at the Grand Tetons, and we 21:57 bicycles, we rented bicycles, 21:59 and we went along 22:01 this bicycle path 22:02 that goes along the Tetons. 22:04 I think it's one of the most 22:05 dangerous bicycle paths 22:07 in the world. 22:09 Not because the terrain 22:10 is treacherous, 22:12 but because you're constantly 22:13 doing this, you know? 22:15 You're looking up and you're 22:16 going to run into somebody 22:17 and make a scene and whatnot. 22:18 But it is absolutely gorgeous. 22:20 The water is there. 22:21 This is not an anomaly. 22:22 There are bodies of water 22:23 right there, lakes. 22:24 And the river 22:25 runs by through there. 22:26 It is absolutely incredible. 22:28 But Heaven will be... 22:29 >> Better. 22:30 >> ...than anything 22:31 the Tetons could ever do, 22:32 even on their best day. 22:34 And notice this. 22:36 This is Kepirohi Falls 22:37 in Pohnpei. 22:39 I did not know today 22:40 that our children's story 22:41 was actually going to feature 22:42 the island of Pohnpei. 22:43 I was a student missionary 22:44 there as well. I've met -- 22:46 There's actually four of us, 22:47 at least, that went to Pohn-- 22:49 Raise your hand if you went to 22:50 Pohnpei as a student missionary. 22:52 Okay. Still just four of us. 22:53 But we're glad that you're here. 22:55 Yes. And on Pohnpei, I wish I 22:58 had a picture of this falls. 23:00 I was there back 23:01 in the last millennium, 23:02 in the dark ages of photography. 23:04 And, so, I did not carry with 23:05 me -- 23:06 You know, no phones in those 23:07 days to take pictures with, and 23:08 I did not take many pictures. 23:10 So this is Kepirohi Falls 23:11 just to give you a little hint 23:12 of what it was. 23:14 I am guessing that this was 23:16 the seven waterfalls trail. 23:18 I don't know for sure. 23:19 We walked out into the jungle. 23:22 We did not get lost. 23:24 No offense, Kayla. 23:25 We did not get lost. 23:27 And when we -- The jungle 23:29 kind of opened up, 23:30 and I looked to my left. 23:31 I could still see it clear as 23:32 a bell. 23:33 It was absolutely astonishing. 23:35 I have never seen such beauty 23:37 any other place on planet Earth. 23:39 It was a series of three 23:40 waterfalls going down and 23:42 they went off into the distance. 23:43 I'm going to guess 23:44 it was probably 1,000 feet. 23:45 So, I mean, this is not a small 23:47 amount of distance here. 23:49 There was a little bit of mist 23:49 in the jungle, 23:50 and the sides of the jungle 23:51 went straight up 23:52 from the water's edge. 23:53 There was no sandy beach 23:55 or anything like that. 23:56 The greenery came right down 23:57 to the water. 23:58 And it went over one waterfall. 24:00 And then, you could look 24:01 in the distance a little bit, 24:01 went over the next one, and you 24:02 looked down a little bit, it 24:03 went down the other one. 24:04 These beautiful crystal clear 24:05 waters. 24:06 You could see some flowers 24:07 in the trees there. 24:08 No telephone poles, 24:10 no power lines, no traffic, 24:11 no skyscrapers, no other people. 24:13 Just us and God's garden. 24:16 It was absolutely astonishing. 24:19 It was one of those places, 24:21 when me and the other SMs 24:22 came out there, 24:24 everybody was just quiet. 24:27 Because it took your breath 24:28 away how beautiful God's 24:32 creation could be. 24:38 And yet... 24:40 Heaven will be... 24:43 >> Better. 24:45 >> ...than anything that 24:46 Pohnpei, on its best day, 24:48 could ever offer. 24:50 Now... 24:53 It's not only the parks 24:56 that will be better. 24:59 How many of you like 25:03 your particular usual 25:06 form of transportation? 25:12 Yeah, I appreciate the honesty 25:13 of the 10 of you that raised 25:14 your hands because they're like, 25:15 "Does he mean my car?" 25:17 Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 25:18 I mean, your car. Okay, right. 25:19 Or your bicycle 25:20 or whatever it is. 25:21 You know, custom car culture, 25:23 we love our automobiles so much 25:25 that the aftermarket 25:27 for the automobile industry 25:28 is a is a multi-multi-multi- 25:29 multi-million dollar industry. 25:31 We love our things. 25:32 We give them names. 25:33 My mother named our Peugeot 405, 25:37 she named it Betsy. 25:39 And every time -- 25:40 The car didn't have a lot of 25:41 guts and there was a lot of 25:42 hills where we lived, and so, we 25:43 would go up there. 25:44 "Come on, Betsy, come on, 25:45 Betsy," right? 25:47 And we do this because we kind 25:48 of develop this relationship 25:49 with it. 25:50 My oldest daughter 25:52 was a student missionary 25:53 in Bolivia this last year. 25:54 And we went down there 25:55 to visit her. 25:56 One of the towns that's 25:57 nearby there, they have 25:58 these things called toritos, 26:00 and a torito is a cab 26:02 that's kind of a motorcycle 26:03 that's got a, you know, 26:04 a kind of a dome thing on it. 26:06 There's not a single one 26:07 of those things that's alike. 26:08 They're all customized. 26:09 It's got pictures and names and 26:10 stickers and things 26:12 hanging from it or whatnot. 26:13 We all do these things. 26:15 A friend of mine, 26:16 when I was in high school, 26:19 he had one of these. 26:21 This is a Renault what? 26:24 Anybody know? 26:25 Ah. 26:26 You're showing your age well. 26:28 Yes. All right. 26:28 This is alumni weekend, 26:30 so I figured there'd be somebody 26:30 that would know, right. 26:32 So a Renault Le Car. 26:33 This is a French car. 26:34 And my friend bought one. 26:36 His was yellow and it had one 26:37 of these rollback ragtops. 26:39 Okay. It's like a sardine 26:40 can, just kind of rolls back, 26:41 and you got instant convertible. 26:42 It was such a cool car. 26:44 Very, very French, right? 26:45 The design and the flow 26:46 and whatnot. 26:47 Not terribly big. 26:49 My friend would say, "Hey, let's 26:50 go somewhere after school." 26:51 And if I drove, we'd roll the 26:52 top back, and I could drive it 26:54 looking over the top of the car. 26:55 Okay? 26:57 I mean, it was cool. 26:58 We like our forms of 26:59 transportation, 27:01 whether it's a car or a plane 27:02 or a boat or a skateboard, 27:04 whatever it might be. 27:05 We like those things. 27:08 But my Bible tells me 27:09 that Heaven will be... 27:11 >> Better. 27:12 >> ...even when it comes to 27:13 transportation. 27:14 You say, well, what on Earth 27:15 do you mean? 27:15 Take your Bibles, please, 27:17 and take a look at Acts 8:36. 27:20 Acts chapter 8, 27:22 beginning with the 36th verse. 27:26 The story that we're going to 27:27 jump into the middle of here 27:28 is often referred to 27:29 as the story of Philip 27:30 and the Ethiopian Eunuch. 27:31 And if you're not familiar 27:33 with the story, 27:33 let me bring you up to speed. 27:35 Jesus has died, been lain 27:37 in the grave, He's risen again. 27:38 He's returned to Heaven. 27:39 The Christian church has begun 27:40 in earnest, and it's begun 27:41 to spread dramatically, well 27:43 outside of Jerusalem. 27:45 Well, this official, 27:46 this Ethiopian eunuch, 27:47 he was a high official 27:49 in the Ethiopian government, 27:50 and apparently he had been 27:52 practicing some form 27:53 of Judaism for quite some time. 27:55 He was returning from Jerusalem 27:56 from the festival. 27:58 And so he'd been a long time 27:59 Bible study student. 28:00 But he was confused 28:01 by the things that he had 28:02 recently read in 28:03 the Book of Isaiah, coupled with 28:05 the events in Jerusalem. 28:06 And he wondered, just wondered, 28:07 maybe, could it be 28:09 that the Messiah has come? 28:11 Well, through a series of rather 28:12 miraculous circumstances, 28:13 Philip is brought 28:14 into contact -- Philip, 28:16 the disciple of Christ -- 28:17 is brought into close 28:18 physical contact 28:19 with the chariot 28:20 of the Ethiopian eunuch. 28:21 The eunuch invites him up. 28:23 Philip explains 28:24 the verses in Isaiah. 28:27 The Ethiopian eunuch is 28:28 convicted and this is what 28:29 happens next -- verse 36. 28:31 "As they traveled along the 28:32 road, they came to some water, 28:33 and the eunuch said, 'Look, 28:35 here is water. 28:36 Why shouldn't I be baptized?' 28:38 And he gave orders to stop 28:39 the chariot. 28:41 Then both Philip and the eunuch 28:42 went down into the water, 28:44 and Philip baptized him." 28:48 Now, usually at this point in a 28:49 sermon that's talking about 28:50 Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, 28:52 the point that is made is what 28:54 a tremendous decision for the 28:55 Lord, and not just for the 28:56 eunuch, because we know, from 28:58 history, that the seventh day 29:00 Sabbath, Friday sundown to 29:01 Saturday sundown, the true 29:03 biblical Sabbath, is found in 29:04 the Fourth Commandment, 29:05 Exodus 20, et cetera, 29:07 it was kept much more faithfully 29:09 in Ethiopia for many, 29:11 many years longer than many 29:12 other portions of the world. 29:14 Some have speculated that it 29:15 all started right there 29:18 with that one Ethiopian convert, 29:20 that he took the seventh day 29:20 Sabbath back with him, 29:22 and that that led to 29:23 this greater permanency 29:25 to the seventh day Sabbath 29:26 in Ethiopia. 29:27 It's a wonderful point. 29:28 Praise the Lord for all of 29:29 that decision and whatever 29:30 consequences there were. 29:32 For our purposes 29:34 this morning though, 29:35 let's keep reading. 29:36 Verse 39. 29:38 "When they came up out 29:39 of the water, 29:41 the spirit of the Lord 29:42 suddenly took Philip away, 29:45 and the eunuch 29:45 did not see him again, 29:47 but went on his way rejoicing." 29:48 Verse 40. "Philip, however, 29:50 appeared" -- bing! -- "at Azotus 29:52 and traveled about preaching 29:54 the gospel in all the towns 29:56 until he reached Caesarea." 29:59 Now that, my friends, 30:00 is first class transportation. 30:04 Because Azotus was 15 30:06 to 20 miles away 30:08 from where that baptism probably 30:09 took place. 30:11 15 to 20 miles away. 30:12 Boom. Just like that. 30:14 Heaven's transportation system 30:16 kicks in. 30:17 Which makes me wonder 30:18 about Heaven. 30:19 Hmm. 30:22 To be clear, to my knowledge, 30:23 there is 30:24 no specific text in the Bible 30:26 that describes precisely 30:27 what our transportation options 30:28 in Heaven will be. 30:30 But we must remember, we know at 30:31 least this much. 30:32 Heaven will be... 30:32 >> Better. 30:33 >> ...than what we have here on 30:34 Earth. 30:35 So let's get 30:35 very practical about this. 30:37 Currently, the fastest any human 30:39 has gone is 24,816.1 miles per 30:44 hour. 30:45 This was set 30:46 by a seminary student 30:47 that heard that there was 30:49 an open house reception 30:50 at the nursing program building. 30:52 [ Laughter ] 30:55 So he made haste. Okay? 30:59 That's actually not true. 31:00 I'm sorry. It was actually -- 31:01 It's 24,816.1 miles per hour. 31:04 That is an actual speed. 31:06 The record was set 31:07 by Apollo 10. 31:09 It's in the US space program. 31:11 On their way back from the moon, 31:12 they went that fast. 31:14 That is 36,397 feet per second. 31:20 That is fast. 31:23 And Heaven will be... 31:25 >> Better. 31:26 >> So what does that mean? 31:27 Well, we will be traveling 31:28 faster. 31:29 And you say, "Well, how would we 31:30 go about traveling faster if 31:31 we're going to go faster than 31:32 that?" 31:33 Well, again, we don't know for 31:34 sure, but we have some pretty 31:36 strong hints from the Bible 31:37 that the mode of transport 31:38 we will be using 31:39 will include a fair amount 31:43 of flying. 31:47 Now, do any of you dream 31:49 about flying? 31:52 Okay. All right. 31:53 I'm not talking about those 31:54 of you in the flight program. 31:55 I mean, just like you flying 31:57 without assistance. Okay? 31:59 That happens to me frequently. 32:00 I heard it say that if you dream 32:01 about flying, that you 32:02 are genius level in your IQ. 32:04 I'm not sure if that's true 32:04 or not, but... 32:06 So this flying thing, 32:07 the idea is, sometimes I think 32:09 we just give this to the kids, 32:10 you know, our children. 32:12 Oh, you know, isn't it great 32:12 to think about flying in Heaven? 32:13 Man, I cannot wait. And you say, 32:17 "Well, how do you know that 32:18 this is going to be a thing?" 32:19 Well, follow me carefully here. 32:20 Jesus himself literally 32:23 rose up from Earth into Heaven. 32:26 He was a human like us. 32:27 100% God, 100% human. 32:28 Acts chapter 1. 32:29 When he goes to Heaven, 32:31 he doesn't just blink of an eye. 32:32 He goes up. He flies. 32:35 Elijah, in 2 Kings chapter 2, 32:36 flies to Heaven 32:38 in a fiery chariot 32:40 on the "chariots and horsemen 32:42 of Israel." 32:43 Perhaps earthly fire, which 32:45 kills and destroys here on 32:46 Earth, will, in Heaven, simply 32:48 be one more way to fly the 32:49 friendly skies. 32:50 We further know that the Bible 32:52 says, in Job chapter 1 and 2, 32:54 that, "the sons of God gathered 32:56 in heavenly assembly with God 32:58 to discuss important matters." 33:00 The Bible also refers 33:02 to followers of Christ 33:04 as sons and daughters of God, 33:05 children of God. 33:07 Well, the fact that the sons of 33:08 God in Job 1 and 2 gathered, 33:10 that word "gathered" strongly 33:12 implies that they traveled 33:14 to get there from various posts 33:16 and part of the universe, 33:17 and I doubt they took a bus. 33:21 The fact of the matter is 33:23 that 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 33:24 is very crystal clear. 33:25 We will be caught up 33:27 in the what? 33:28 >> Air. 33:29 >> In the air -- that's right -- 33:30 to meet Jesus when he returns. 33:31 Perhaps our first taste 33:33 of a life of many, 33:34 many flights to come. 33:36 Ladies and gentlemen, 33:37 transportation in Heaven 33:38 will be... 33:39 >> Better. 33:40 >> And you understand 33:41 the possibilities 33:42 that that opens up. 33:43 This is absolutely astonishing. 33:45 Can you imagine 33:46 where we will be able to go? 33:48 You know, Einstein, his special 33:49 theory of relativity in 1905, 33:51 general theory of relativity, 33:52 1915. 33:53 He told us that it was 33:54 impossible for a physical object 33:56 to travel 33:56 faster than the speed of light. 33:57 We are going to blow right 33:59 through that speed limit. 34:01 What you see on a cloudless sky 34:03 in the night is going to be 34:05 your playground in Heaven. 34:07 You will be able to travel 34:08 to places and see worlds 34:09 and beings and speak with them 34:11 and talk with them in ways 34:12 that you could not possibly 34:14 do here on Earth. 34:16 God is going to finally entrust 34:18 his people with the mode 34:19 of transportation we were 34:21 intended to have all along. 34:23 What a blessing it will be. 34:24 Praise the Lord that even 34:26 transportation in heaven 34:27 will be... 34:28 >> Better. 34:29 >> ...than anything we have 34:30 right here. 34:33 Now, again, speaking of better, 34:37 how many of you 34:39 have been to a family reunion? 34:40 Show of hands, family reunion? 34:41 Anybody? Okay. 34:43 Okay, another question. 34:44 How many of you have enjoyed 34:47 that experience? 34:49 Okay. All right. 34:51 That's pretty good. All right. 34:53 Now, the next natural question 34:54 in the sermon would be, how many 34:55 of you did not enjoy the last 34:57 time you went to family reunion? 34:59 But this is alumni weekend, 35:00 and your uncle and aunt 35:01 are probably 35:02 sitting on the other side 35:03 looking to see what you're going 35:03 to do with your hand 35:04 if I ask that question. 35:05 All right? 35:06 So I'm not going to ask you, 35:08 but I'll just tell you 35:09 from personal experience. 35:11 On my dad's side of the family, 35:14 there are not many Adventists. 35:17 In fact, I tell people, 35:18 if they say, "Well, I know 35:19 So-and-so Anderson. 35:20 Is that a relative of yours?" 35:21 if they are male 35:23 and their last name is Anderson 35:25 and they're Adventist, 35:27 they are not related to me. 35:30 Okay. There's very few of us on 35:31 that side of the family tree. 35:32 Now, I have some wonderful 35:33 relatives on that side. 35:34 I also have some 35:36 that have no interest in God, 35:38 no interest in religion, 35:39 and even less interest 35:41 in somebody who is interested in 35:43 both of those things, like me. 35:44 Right? So I'm 35:45 the white sheep of the family. 35:46 And when I go to a family 35:47 reunion -- I remember 35:48 the last one that I went to. 35:50 They had all these tables 35:51 set up, as they often 35:52 do at family reunions, 35:53 and there was this 35:54 big table with all kinds of 35:55 spread and carnivorous paradise 35:57 type of thing that was there. 35:58 Lots of beer and wine, 35:59 and blessedly, 36:00 there was salad and soda. 36:02 So I got some of that 36:03 and I scanned the seating area 36:05 and I said, "Okay, 36:06 there's some cousins 36:07 that I don't know real well. 36:08 I will go and sit with them." 36:10 And, so, I went down to the 36:12 table, and they'd finished 36:13 eating. 36:13 They all had beer in their hand. 36:15 I sat down and I kid you not. 36:18 They lasted about 15 seconds 36:20 or so, took a swig or two, stood 36:23 up, and left without saying a 36:25 word. 36:27 All right? But they did say 36:29 quite a bit, didn't they? 36:30 I mean, they made an impression 36:32 that this was not a conversation 36:34 that they were interested 36:35 in being in. 36:36 That family reunion 36:37 was not terribly good. 36:41 One more reason to praise 36:43 the Lord that Heaven will be... 36:46 >> Better. 36:47 >> ...when it comes to family 36:48 reunions because, in Heaven, 36:49 there will be no one 36:50 to make you feel excluded, 36:52 no one there that doesn't want 36:53 to see or talk with you. 36:55 And who will these people be? 36:57 Ah. The Bible gives us 36:58 some really good information 37:00 on this -- Hebrews 12:1. 37:02 Paul says, "Therefore, 37:02 since we are surrounded by such 37:04 a great cloud of witnesses" -- 37:05 ah, the great cloud of 37:06 witnesses -- "let us throw off 37:08 everything that hinders and the 37:09 sin that so easily entangles, 37:11 and let us run with perseverance 37:12 the race marked out for us." 37:14 This cloud of witnesses. 37:16 Who is included in that? 37:17 Well, if we read earlier, 37:19 in chapter 11, there 37:20 we would find that 37:21 the Apostle Paul is writing 37:23 about this laundry list 37:24 of the heroes of the faith. 37:26 Those are the ones that are in 37:27 the cloud of witnesses, 37:29 and they are the very people 37:30 that are going to be in Heaven. 37:32 And we might even add a few 37:33 other names from the Bible 37:34 to that list. 37:36 You say, who's going to be there 37:37 when we get to Heaven? 37:38 Well, Abel, Enoch, 37:40 Noah, Abraham, Isaac, 37:41 Jacob, Joseph, Moses, 37:43 Moses' parents, Rahab, 37:44 Gideon, Deborah, Barak, Samson, 37:45 Jephthah, David, Samuel, 37:47 "the prophets," Daniel, 37:48 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 37:50 Esther, those who have been 37:51 persecuted for their faith, 37:52 martyrs for God's cause 37:53 by the thousands. 37:54 They're all going to be there. 37:57 Could it be that we will also 37:57 see the reformers? 37:59 John Knox, Martin Luther, 38:01 Jan Hus, Hugh Latimer, 38:02 Ulrich von Hutten, Karlstadt, 38:03 et cetera, et cetera. 38:05 And what a joy it would be 38:06 to see our own luminaries -- 38:09 James and Ellen White, 38:10 Joseph Bates, Le Roy Froom, 38:11 Spalding, our own 38:13 John Nevins Andrews, 38:14 and so many more. 38:17 And can you imagine, 38:19 when we get to Heaven, 38:19 the conversations that you 38:21 will be able to have? Okay. 38:24 You see, there'll be people 38:25 there that you've only read 38:26 about at this point, 38:27 and you've only been able 38:28 to use your imagination 38:29 up to this point. 38:30 But now they'll be right there. 38:31 You'll be able to ask Joshua, 38:32 "Joshua, what was it like? 38:34 Moses dies and you're put 38:35 in charge. 38:36 What was that like?" 38:37 You'll able to look at Jacob 38:38 and sit down with Jacob and say, 38:39 "What was it like to wrestle 38:40 with God? 38:41 I mean, how do you even do that? 38:42 How do you wrestle with God? 38:44 What was it like?" 38:46 Go to Malchus and say, 38:47 "Well, what was it like after 38:48 you had surgery on your ear?" 38:52 And on and on the list can go. 38:56 And you see, because we're there 38:57 for a thousand years 38:59 and because we have memories 39:00 that will not fade, 39:01 unlike here on Earth, 39:03 we will remember every fact 39:05 of every conversation, 39:07 and we will learn more about 39:08 Jesus and more about salvation 39:10 than we could ever have dreamed 39:12 of learning here on Earth. 39:14 You see, one of the reasons 39:15 that we have a thousand years 39:15 in Heaven 39:16 before we come back to Earth 39:18 is that we have to be trained 39:18 to become citizens 39:19 of God's universe. 39:21 And talk about teaching staff. 39:23 Wow. 39:26 What a reunion that will be. 39:27 But even that 39:29 doesn't do it justice. 39:31 Because there's one other 39:33 component to this reunion 39:34 that's really, really important. 39:37 On that day, when Jesus 39:38 returns to this planet, 39:40 which I believe 39:40 is going to be soon, 39:43 those graves are going 39:43 to open up and those that 39:46 we have loved and cherished, 39:47 but we have lost to death, 39:49 those that have trusted in Jesus 39:50 will be raised back to life, 39:53 not in sickness or in illness, 39:54 but in fresh flesh 39:56 that will never see decay. 39:58 You know, we know 39:59 the truth, don't we? 40:01 If you live long enough, for any 40:03 length of time on this planet, 40:04 there will come a day when, 40:05 sadly, you will be in a cemetery 40:08 and you will be laying flowers 40:09 on someone's casket 40:13 that you wish very much 40:14 you did not have to. 40:17 Praise the Lord 40:19 that, when that trumpet sounds 40:21 and the sky pulls back 40:23 and the clouds roll up like 40:24 a scroll 40:26 and those myriads of myriads, 40:27 10,000 times 10,000 angels 40:29 descend, and the trumpet call of 40:30 God comes so strong 40:32 that it even wakes the dead, 40:33 your mother, your father, 40:35 your brother, your sister, 40:36 your friend, your family 40:38 that trusted in Jesus 40:39 will be raised back to new life. 40:41 What a reunion that will be. 40:44 No wonder they say 40:45 that the reunions in Heaven 40:46 will be... 40:47 >> Better. 40:48 >> ...than anything 40:49 we can find here on this planet. 40:53 Huh. 40:57 It will be such a better place. 41:00 The environment will be better. 41:01 The parks and scenery 41:02 and places, 41:03 all of that will be better. 41:05 Our transportation 41:06 will be better. 41:06 Moving at an unimaginable speed, 41:08 seeing the universe. 41:09 The company we'll be able to 41:10 keep, our resurrected loved 41:12 ones, the heroes of the faith 41:13 from millennia past. 41:14 All will be better in Heaven 41:15 and on the new Earth. 41:17 All of which leads us to an 41:18 incredible future that right now 41:22 we can only imagine. 41:25 But that every last one of us 41:27 can share in if we wish. 41:33 I want to do something that I do 41:34 not normally do in a sermon. 41:37 I want to read to you a -- 41:39 It's not terribly long, 41:40 it's an extended 41:41 excerpt here from the book 41:42 "Great Controversy," beginning 41:45 on page 674 through page 678. 41:47 I'm just going to read 41:48 some excerpts, I'm not 41:49 going to read all that's here. 41:51 I'm going to put some pictures 41:52 on the screen, 41:52 if you want your imagination 41:54 to kind of follow along there. 41:55 You're welcome 41:56 to close your eyes, as well, 41:57 if you're like me and sometimes 41:58 you just like to picture 41:59 what it's going to be like. 42:01 Here's what the prophet 42:02 has to say. 42:04 She says, "A fear of making 42:06 the future inheritance" -- 42:08 so she's talking about Heaven -- 42:10 "seem too material has led many 42:14 to spiritualize away 42:15 the very truths which lead us 42:17 to look upon it as our home. 42:20 Christ assured His disciples 42:22 that He went to prepare mansions 42:24 for them in the Father's house. 42:26 Those who accept the teachings 42:27 of God's Word 42:28 will not be wholly ignorant 42:29 concerning the heavenly abode. 42:31 And yet eye hath not seen, 42:32 nor ear heard, 42:33 neither have entered 42:34 into the heart of man the things 42:35 which God has prepared for them 42:36 that love Him. 42:37 1 Corinthians 2:9. 42:40 Human language is inadequate 42:41 to describe the reward 42:42 of the righteous. 42:44 It will be known only to those 42:45 who behold it. 42:46 No finite mind can comprehend 42:48 the glory of the paradise 42:49 of God. 42:50 In the Bible, the inheritance of 42:52 the saved is called a country. 42:54 Hebrews 11:14-16. 42:57 There the heavenly shepherd 42:58 leads his flock 42:59 to fountains of living waters. 43:02 The tree of life yields 43:03 its fruit every month, 43:04 and the leaves of the tree are 43:05 for the service of the nations. 43:07 There are ever flowing streams, 43:08 clear as crystal, 43:09 and beside them, waving trees 43:10 cast their shadows 43:11 upon the paths prepared 43:13 for the ransomed of the Lord. 43:15 There the wide spreading plains 43:16 swell into hills of beauty, 43:18 and the mountains of God 43:19 rear their lofty summits. 43:21 On those peaceful plains 43:23 beside those living streams, 43:25 God's people, so long pilgrims 43:27 and wanderers, shall find a 43:28 home. 43:30 Pain cannot exist 43:31 in the atmosphere of Heaven. 43:33 There will be no more tears, 43:34 no funeral trains, 43:35 no badges of mourning. 43:37 There shall be no more death, 43:37 neither sorrow nor crying, 43:38 for the former 43:39 things are passed away. 43:41 The inhabitants shall not say, 43:42 "I am sick." 43:43 The people that dwell therein 43:44 shall be forgiven their 43:45 iniquity. 43:46 Revelation 21. 43:47 Isaiah 33:24. 43:50 Their immortal minds 43:51 will contemplate 43:53 with never failing delight 43:55 the wonders of creative power, 43:56 the mysteries of redeeming love. 43:58 There will be no cruel, 43:59 deceiving foe to tempt 44:01 to forgetfulness of God. 44:02 Every faculty will be developed, 44:04 every capacity increased. 44:06 The acquirement of knowledge 44:07 will not weary the mind 44:08 or exhaust the energies. 44:10 There the grandest enterprises 44:12 may be carried forward, 44:14 the loftiest aspiration reached, 44:16 the highest ambitions realized. 44:19 And there will arise new heights 44:19 to surmount, 44:21 new wonders to admire, 44:22 new truths to comprehend, 44:24 fresh objects to call forth 44:25 the powers of mind and soul 44:27 and body. 44:29 All the treasures 44:30 of the universe will be open 44:31 to the study of God's redeemed. 44:33 Unfettered by mortality, 44:35 they wing their tireless flights 44:37 to worlds afar, worlds that, 44:39 thrilled with sorrow at the 44:40 spectacle of human woe and rang 44:42 with songs of gladness at the 44:44 tidings of a ransomed soul. 44:46 With unutterable delight, 44:48 The children of Earth enter 44:49 into the joy and the wisdom 44:50 of unfallen beings. 44:52 They share the treasures 44:53 of knowledge and understanding 44:54 gained through ages upon ages 44:55 in contemplation 44:56 of God's handiwork. 44:57 With undimmed vision, they gaze 45:00 upon the glory of creation, 45:01 suns and stars and systems 45:03 all in their appointed order, 45:04 circling the throne of deity. 45:07 Upon all things, 45:08 from the least to the greatest, 45:09 the creator's name is written, 45:11 and in all are the riches 45:12 of his power displayed. 45:14 And the years of eternity, 45:16 as they roll, 45:17 will bring richer and still 45:19 more glorious revelations 45:20 of God and of Christ. 45:22 As knowledge is progressive, 45:23 so will love, reverence, 45:25 and happiness increase. 45:27 The great controversy is ended. 45:30 Sin and sinners are no more. 45:34 The entire universe is clean. 45:36 One pulse of harmony 45:37 and gladness beats through 45:39 the vast creation. 45:41 From Him who created all flow 45:42 life and light 45:44 and gladness throughout 45:45 the realms of illimitable space. 45:47 From the minutest atom 45:49 to the greatest world, 45:51 all things, animate 45:52 and inanimate, 45:54 in their unshadowed beauty 45:55 and perfect joy, declare 45:58 that God is love. 46:01 >> Amen. 46:04 >> Heaven will be... 46:06 >> Better. 46:07 >> ...than anything that we have 46:08 here. 46:10 I'd like to invite the musicians 46:12 that will be part of our final 46:13 song here to come onto 46:14 the stage. 46:16 And as they do, I would like 46:18 to share with you two things. 46:20 Number one. 46:22 This is alumni weekend. 46:24 I'm so glad that you're here. 46:26 Some of you maybe come to 46:27 alumni weekend most every year. 46:29 And so this is not new for you. 46:30 Some of you may be back for the 46:32 first time in a very long time. 46:35 And it may be that you find 46:36 yourself in a spiritual place 46:38 that you know is not 46:40 the best place for you to be. 46:42 Maybe while you were here 46:42 at Andrews, you were 46:43 very active in the Lord. 46:44 You served in ministry 46:46 of some sort, but you've drifted 46:47 away over those years. 46:49 I want you to know how glad I am 46:50 that you are here and how glad 46:51 Jesus is that you are here. 46:53 Jesus loves you. 46:55 Jesus died for you. 46:56 He would have given his life 46:58 for you if you were the only 46:59 person alive on planet Earth. 47:02 And today, as he sees you here, 47:03 he is longing for you to be able 47:05 to participate in this 47:07 great Heaven that is coming. 47:08 He wants you to be there. 47:10 That's why he gave his life. 47:12 If you would like to make a 47:14 turn, if you would like to come 47:16 back, Jesus specializes in 47:18 reversals. 47:19 He knows exactly how to do it, 47:21 and he can take you exactly 47:22 right where you are right now 47:25 and bring you into Himself. 47:28 That where He is, 47:30 you may one day be also. 47:33 If that's your desire, 47:34 if you'd like to make 47:35 that decision for Jesus, 47:36 at the closing prayer 47:37 after our closing song here, 47:39 I'm going to have some space 47:40 in that prayer where you can 47:41 just share with the Lord 47:42 the desires of your heart. 47:44 We're going to pray for you 47:44 at that time, too. 47:46 And secondly, 47:49 for those of you maybe 47:51 you have a walk with the Lord 47:52 and you're strong in Him, 47:55 but you have been tempted 47:56 to despair because of what 47:57 you see happening around you. 47:59 You know, all you have to do 48:00 is watch a few newscasts or news 48:02 feeds on your iPad or phone or 48:04 whatever it is you use for news. 48:05 It is easy to see the darkness 48:07 in the world, is it not? 48:09 And many times, even Christians 48:12 can look around at this darkness 48:13 and become depressed. 48:15 We can be tempted to despair. 48:17 And if you find yourself 48:18 in that place this morning, 48:19 I just want to remind you, 48:21 this world is not our home. 48:25 We are just a-passin' through. 48:28 And by God's grace, 48:29 a better day is coming that will 48:32 take us out of this darkness. 48:34 So do not give up. 48:35 Do not despair. 48:37 Do not stop serving the Lord. 48:38 Redouble your efforts. 48:39 Follow him 48:40 with all of your heart 48:41 and your soul and your mind 48:42 because a better day is coming. 48:44 Heaven will be... 48:45 >> Better. 48:46 >> ...than anything that you 48:48 have here, and it will dwarf the 48:50 troubles that you are being 48:52 tempted right now to give in to. 48:54 Do not give up. Jesus is coming. 48:57 Heaven is on its way. 48:59 It is so good 49:01 that we can only imagine 49:03 just how blessed it will be. 49:06 >> Amen. 49:14 [ Guitar tuning ] 49:26 [ "I Can Only Imagine" begins ] 49:28 ♪ 50:51 ♪ 53:53 [ Applause ] 54:05 >> Let us pray. 54:10 Jesus, we thank you for the gift 54:12 of Your word and the clues, 54:14 the hints, that tell us about 54:17 that great gettin' up day when 54:20 we will at last be with You 54:23 in Your home and ours. 54:25 Lord, there may be some here 54:27 right now that realize that they 54:28 are not yet ready for that day. 54:30 Perhaps they have drifted away. 54:31 Perhaps they have not known 54:32 You before, Lord. 54:34 Lord, as I pause here in just a 54:36 moment in a silence, I pray, 54:37 Lord, that if it be their desire 54:39 that just between You and them, 54:40 that they would lift their 54:41 prayer to you and say, "Yes, 54:42 Lord, I'm back," 54:44 or, "Yes, Lord, please take me. 54:46 Bring me into your kingdom." 54:47 Hear their prayers now. 55:08 Thank you, Lord, for hearing 55:09 those prayers. 55:10 Bless them. 55:11 Bring each one to You. 55:14 And, Lord, for all of us, 55:17 may we never forget, no matter 55:18 how cloudy the day may be, 55:21 to imagine, to remember afresh 55:25 the better day that is coming, 55:27 the blessing of Heaven 55:28 and how good, how good it 55:30 will be to one day soon be home. 55:34 May we draw strength from this, 55:35 for we ask it in Your name. 55:37 >> Amen. 55:37 >> Amen. 55:40 >> What is it about 55:41 the holiday season 55:43 that gives you the greatest joy? 55:45 Is it the time spent cutting 55:47 down the family Christmas tree 55:48 at the local farm? 55:49 Or if you're south 55:50 of the equator, 55:51 maybe it's the time spent 55:53 with friends under palm trees 55:54 at the beach. 55:56 Perhaps you find joy 55:57 in contemplating the profound 55:59 meaning of the carols 56:00 that we sing. 56:01 Or maybe Christmas joy for you 56:03 is found in the spirit of giving 56:05 that surrounds this season. 56:08 As we reflect on these joys, 56:09 let's always remember 56:11 the great light who guides us -- 56:12 the source of joy 56:14 and meaning in life, 56:15 the loving Father 56:16 who is at the heart 56:17 of all treasured relationships, 56:19 and the wonderful God 56:20 who gave the ultimate gift 56:22 in a newborn child. 56:25 Some of my joy this season 56:26 comes in part from your letters 56:28 and e-mails, your prayers, 56:29 and your faithful giving of 56:30 support for this ministry, 56:32 which literally reaches 56:33 around the world. 56:35 If you've been blessed 56:36 this year, 56:37 I'd like to ask you to join 56:38 the many people who financially 56:40 support Pioneer's media 56:41 ministry, which brings you this 56:43 program. 56:44 It's simple to do. 56:46 Just call our toll-free number, 56:47 877-HIS-WILL. 56:50 One of our friendly operators 56:51 will be happy to help you. 56:53 You can also click the Donate 56:55 link at the top of our website, 56:57 pmchurch.org, and look for the 56:59 Media Ministry option. 57:02 Truly, no gift is too small 57:03 for God to use to spread 57:05 the good news of His love, 57:06 His sacrifice, and His future 57:08 plans for our happiness. 57:10 Every gift is entirely invested 57:12 in our mission to communicate 57:14 God's good news to a generation 57:16 who needs the hope found in 57:18 Jesus, who alone can bring them 57:20 true joy in life. 57:23 Once again, our website 57:24 is pmchurch.org. 57:27 This season, know that our 57:29 Pioneer family is praying for 57:31 you and that our greatest wish 57:32 is that Emmanuel, Jesus Christ 57:35 in the flesh and in your heart, 57:37 will be at the center 57:38 of the best memories made 57:39 with your family and friends. 57:41 [ "Silent Night" plays ] 57:44 ♪ 57:51 ♪ 58:01 ♪ 58:10 ♪ 58:19 ♪ |
Revised 2023-12-20