Well, that was a good song service, wasn't it? I must say that through the years, I've always appreciated when we had opportunity to sing the favorites. And thank you, Pastor Andy. And my, what an orchestra tonight. I'm glad that Brother Andy invited them to play something special for us. Thank you for coming tonight. Was it raining where you were? Yeah, but I'm glad you fought the drops and made it here and you look all dry and well prepared for the service. Let's remember Pastor as he goes to the American Council of Christian Churches meeting in Carlisle. In a way, I'd like to be going with him. I spent four years there in Carlisle in college, and that was a long time ago. You know, the War College is also there, and it has a lot of history as a community. And then, he and I will be going to Ramiah's 35th anniversary banquet on, on, what is it, Saturday, Saturday at lunchtime, and I think you spoke there, Jennifer, at one of the gatherings, and pastor will be speaking, the Pagliaridis will be providing the music, and they tell me I'm to emcee it. But anyway, enough for the introduction. I'd invite you to turn with me tonight to 2 Corinthians, and in this 12th chapter, We'll be looking at a couple of verses as we move on. But I hope that you have the outline of my message tonight printed. They were, the outline was printed and you could have found it on the table. But the message tonight is on heaven, heaven, our eternal home. All of us have experienced the promotion of loved ones, friends and acquaintances from earth to heaven. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 8 we read, we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Or probably many of you have committed this verse to memory found in Psalm 116 and verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. So with assurance that our loved ones are in heaven, heaven becomes more real, does it not? And precious and important to us. In our study, let us consider the biblical teaching about heaven, our eternal home. You know, there seems to be some interest in the afterlife these days. We find it in books, movies, magazines, songs. And because of that, I really wonder why we do not do more teaching on the subject. In fact, I was talking with one of our very faithful and prominent members here in the church just a week or so ago, and we were recalling how years back we would have prophecy conferences, and some of you no doubt remember when we had those big canvases depicting the timeline of eschatology, and they were well attended, and there was much interest and spiritual benefit. Heaven is mentioned nearly 700 times in the scripture. And it's intriguing to me to realize that 54 of the 66 books mention heaven in the text of Holy Writ. I want to give you a few figures tonight because heaven is important to us for many reasons and one would be to impress upon us the urgency of the hour relative to evangelism. Do you realize that 1 24th of the world's population is in America? That is 320 million people of the 7.6 billion live in the USA. The urgency of the hour, one every 1.3 seconds passes away. That means that there are five breathing their last every minute. 297 every hour, 7,123 every day, and 200.6 million every year. And I hear it stated now and again that, you know, everybody is going to die. I realize, or at least I think I do, what is meant by that statement. Because you and I recognize in our understanding of biblical prophecy that not everyone will die. The majority will. But the rapture generation, those who are living when Jesus comes in Christ, will be marvelously and miraculously translated from earth to heaven. So if you are a part of the rapture generation, you will miss the undertaker and meet the upper taker. Well, if you're following along in my printed outline, you will note that the first point after the introduction is the place and location of heaven. In John chapter 14, very familiar to all of us, and no doubt the majority have committed it to memory, let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, abodes, dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. And the late John R. Rice, of the Sword of the Lord, writes in his book, On Heaven, these words. Listen carefully. Heaven is a real, literal, physical place. A city as physical, as literal as Chicago or London or New York. Heaven is the home or the abode of God. And I was thinking about this in preparation for tonight, and Pastor had basically given us some instruction, what, a few months back, to have something ready in the event that his mother would be called suddenly to heaven and we would be available. So I've been thinking about this message for some time. And I thought there are two messages that I have brought at funerals. And one is finally home. And the other is home at last. And perhaps you have heard me preach those messages. So heaven is not only the abode or the dwelling place or the home of God, but it is also the home, the abiding place, our permanent residence. if in Christ when we bad farewell to earth and enter through the pearly gates into the land of the living. Well, so much about the fact that heaven is a place. And Revelation chapter 21, if you were to turn there, would give to us this testimony. the fact that God will dwell with us and furthermore be our God. Heaven then beyond question is a dwelling place, a literal actual place. It's not some philosophical concept or the result of imagination. where I am, there ye may be also. Now, what about the location? Because our point is the place and the location. Well, there seems to be from scripture, the atmospheric, the celestial, and the heaven of heavens, or the third heaven. Well, what about the atmospheric? This is the one with which most of us are more familiar. I would say that the first, if I understand it correctly, would include the sky, the clouds, the birds, oxygen. And we find this because you may say, Terry, where do we find this atmospheric heaven? Well, if you were to turn to the 55th chapter of Isaiah and look particularly at verses 10 and 11, you will find the word heaven in that portion of scripture. And heaven there basically means the atmosphere. So you and I really operate, do we not, live from day to day with a constant awareness of the atmospheric heaven. Now, above and beyond the atmosphere, we come to what we call the celestial heaven. And this is filled with billions of stars, planets, galaxies, and the sun and the moon. And we could go back to the record of creation in Genesis chapter 1, and particularly in verses 14 through 17. And we've read that and studied it over and over again, have we not? But then, let's go to the first verse of Psalm 19. No doubt some of you have committed the 19th Psalm to memory, but remember how it opens? With a tremendous declarative statement. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth forth his handiwork. So the first heaven is the atmospheric. The second is the celestial. And the third is the heaven of heavens. And that's where we find the throne of God, the dwelling, the habitation of God. Now you're in 2 Corinthians, are you not with me? And chapter 12. Now in this 12th chapter, let's focus our eyes upon verses 2 through 4. Maybe you ought to begin with verse one. It is not expedient for me, doubtless to glory, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. You know already that this is speaking about Paul's vision. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell. God knoweth such as one caught up to the white class The third heaven, remember I said the atmospheric, the cellular, or what we may call the celestial, and then the third heaven, the very habitation or abode of God. So it says here, caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, but God knows. how that he was caught up in to paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Now that's interesting because reading a number of the Dallas men such as J. Dwight Pentecost and John F. Walvoord, those men indicate to us that Charles R. Ryrie or Charles C. Ryrie, those men indicate to us that they believe, and I would agree with them, that the Bible teaches, and I'll have more to say about this in a moment or so, that Christ, when he died before his resurrection, went down and led captivity captive Ephesians. Therefore, he emptied paradise. And I don't want to go too far at this moment. And as a result, heaven is paradise, and paradise is heaven today. So notice what it's saying. He was caught up into paradise. And remember the thief on the cross, the repentant one? Jesus hanging there suspended between heaven and earth, and earth and sky? What did Jesus say to that repentant thief? Today, what? Thou shalt be with me. Not tomorrow, not someday, not a month or a year from now, but today. How do you understand today? Today is now. and Jesus said to that repentant thief, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And he went to paradise, emptied it out, and took all of those Old Testament saints, that's who they were, right? To heaven, those, notice that I said, who were Old Testament saints, all right? So we read on. Caught up into paradise and heard an unspeakable unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter of such a one will I glory yet of myself I will not glory but in my infirmities so here we see the dwelling place of God and the redeemed now Matthew 6 9 that's the disciples prayer isn't it Jesus teaching them and us and Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Really, the Bible is replete in giving us information concerning the residency of God and of the redeemed. What a tremendous promise. But let's read on, because some of you may be saying, where really is heaven, Terry? And I've had that question over the years of ministry, where people were asking, where do you think it is? Well, I believe it's up. And I'll tell you why. Because in Mark chapter six and verse 41, and we find it in some parallel passages elsewhere. Remember the feeding of the 5,000 folks? What took place? Here, we have those few loaves of fish, those loaves of bread and those fishes. And my Bible says to me that Jesus looked up into heaven, and he blessed it, and he break it, and then he gave it to the disciples. And remember, the group was seated in hundreds and fifties, and they were to distribute it. for the multitude to be fit 5,000 men plus women and children. And they had 12 baskets full when all had finished. But my point is tonight, Jesus looked up to heaven. That's the text. Or we can go to the resurrection. And this is interesting, too, because in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 2, it says, what? That an angel descended and rolled away the stone from the door, from the aperture, from the entrance, and sat upon the stone. So Jesus looked up to heaven before he blessed and break the bread. The angel on a specific mission descended from heaven and rolled back the stone. But we could go on again because in Luke chapter 24, we have the ascension, the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ. And recall that he went out to Bethany And there from the summit of Olivet, he raised, suddenly ascended. And the question, the more detailed account is found in the book of Acts. And there, remember the word, what, why are you looking? Yes, he who has ascended is coming again. I think it's beyond question, no doubt about it, that heaven is up. And when I read in the scripture concerning the rapture of the church, he comes what? In the clouds. the dead in Christ shall rise first and then those of us who remain will be caught what up together to be with the Lord and so shall we ever be with him. So heaven is the dwelling place in the habitation of God and the location biblically speaking, is up. What about the population and life in heaven? The population and life in heaven. Well, there are several, in fact, several different conceptions. I'll only mention probably three of them, but there are some erroneous ideas and teachings, such as purgatory. Now, you and I know that there's no such teaching as purgatory. In fact, if you have heard the gospel and have deliberately rejected the truth and the person of Jesus Christ, there is no second chance or additional opportunity for you to repent and come to Christ. And we find that in the scripture. Or there's no soul sleep. You will search for that in vain. Now, when it talks about sleep, it's talking about the body, but not the soul. Have you ever thought about it? We talk about the mortality of man. And I understand that. In fact, I did a little research on this. And mortality stands in contrast to immortality. But what is mortal about man? and what is immortal. Isn't the body mortal? But your soul or your spirit is immortal. For the moment you breathe your last, you are what? In the presence of the Lord. You've heard me say this many times here. When you breathe your last, God dispatches the angels who escort you through enemy territory into the very presence of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So the spirit or the soul of man does not die. You're immortal, but you have mortality. because your body dies and life here ends, but not for the soul. or the Spirit, because you're immediately in the presence of the Lord. Now, we have to say, as I did, that Christ went to Sheol or to Hades, and he emptied paradise and took paradise, the Old Testament saints, to heaven with himself. But what we call hell on the other side is still there. That has not been emptied. And those unredeemed people are in a place of torment and punishment. Where the worm dies not, the fire is not quenched. And we really could go to a study of Luke chapter 16, beginning with verse 19 and concluding with verse 31. We're familiar with that passage. Remember the rich man and Lazarus? and the beggar dies, and he goes to Abraham's bosom. There's another term that describes or gives a title to heaven. So the beggar, Lazarus, dies and goes to Abraham's bosom. The rich man dies, and where do we find him? We find him in anguish, in torment, torture. And he's calling out, oh, that I might have a drop of water to quench my thirst and to give me relief. And then remember how he said, oh, Father Abraham, send Lazarus. to witness to my five, to my five brothers. And what's the answer? Hey, if they will not believe Moses, the law, and the prophets, prophets, prophecy, neither will they believe if one came back from the dead. Haven't you heard people say in conversation, informal conversation, they say, oh, if I could only see Jesus in the flesh. If I could only, look, that did take place during his earthly ministry, didn't it? Absolutely. Multitudes saw him. Some touched him. They heard him teach and preach. And yet they rebelled and spurned his message and ultimately nailed him to a cross as a common criminal. So we ask the question, what will it be like in the intermediate state? And I think that we have to ask the question, will those in the intermediate state, our loved ones who have preceded us in Christ, in death, Are they disembodied spirits or do they have a temporary body? And it's a question of discussion. There's no doubt about it. We need to ask that question. I think that the Mount of Transfiguration gives us some insight into it. And that is, remember there on the mount? And my friend Strauss calls that a preview of glory. Did they not recognize each other? In that account, in Matthew 17, I do not find any introductions. You know, when we have visitors here in church, you may meet them, and you'll come over and say, have you met these folks? And you introduce them. Why? To get the name. But I don't see that with the Old Testament and the New Testament. Moses and Elijah representative of the law and the prophets? Nor do I see those Peter, James, and John of that inner circle introducing themselves to Moses and Elijah or vice versa? I believe that there will be some type of temporary body. Now, let me hasten to say You do not need a body to be a person. Think of it. We believe and we preach and the Bible teaches that life begins at conception. At the very moment, can I impress that upon you? At the very moment of conception, life begins. No body, but life. And while I'm speaking about that, I mentioned this in Sunday school. You know, we need to be speaking on these issues. This, to me, speaks volumes concerning abortion. My book calls it murder. And I feel that if the Bible speaks on it, forgive me if you were in my class, because this is repetition. If the Bible speaks on an issue, it's a moral and biblical matter. And the people of God need to stand clearly, firmly, with conviction, compassion, of course. Now, if the Bible doesn't mention it, it may be a political issue or a personal preference. But when the Bible speaks about it, You and I need to stand with the absolute truth and declare it clearly. Well, that's a tangent. Free, didn't cost you anything. I believe that we have a temporary body until the rapture. All right? And we're familiar with the rapture. I don't need to develop that in detail, but 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 through 18. Remember that? I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. For the dead in Christ shall rise first. Afterward, those of us who are living will be translated, will meet together in the sky, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Now that speaks of partnership. That speaks of fellowship, of communion. Think of it, the redeemed in the very presence of Jesus on their way to the eternal city. What a homecoming. You know, there's something special about home, isn't there? Yeah. In my father's house are many mansions. dwelling places, abodes. I was thinking about this. You know, when I was in college, my parents' home was struck by lightning in Quentin. And I can remember, I didn't prepare to go home, but suddenly I got that news and I was anxious to go home. I wanted to see what had taken place, how serious, how much damage and all the rest of what I may have lost. if anything, and much, or much. There's something about home, isn't there? And I can remember when I pastored in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, about three hours from Quinton, and I always enjoyed going up. Mom was there. Dad was there. My grandparents lived next door, Granny and Grandpa. There's something special about home. And I can remember Stephen, my son, we'd be on the road for about an hour, maybe less than an hour, and he'd say, are we almost there? Any of your children ever do that? You're going on vacation or a trip and they raise, hey, are we almost there? We almost got, you just barely got started, right? But there's something about home. And I want to mention that to you, that there's something special about going to our eternal home. 1 John 3, 2, We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. This is when that temporary body will become a permanent, eternal, glorified body. It will be when those of us who are living as a part of the rapture generation are suddenly translated and transformed. like unto him, 1 John 3, 2, it doth not yet appear unto us what we shall be, but we know when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Now, what's the great resurrection chapter of the New Testament? Anybody? Anyone? 1 Corinthians 15, yeah. The great love chapter is what chapter? 1 Corinthians what? 13, yes. All right, well then, let's go, since you have told me where it is, to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter of the New Testament. And in this 15th chapter, I want us to look at verses 42 through 45. because we're talking now about our new bodies. Here it is, beginning with verse 42. Well, maybe we ought to back up. There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory, for one star differeth from another star in glory. Now, 42. So also is the resurrection of the dead. Number one, it is sown in incorruption, it is raised in incorruption. And one commentator says, you know, our new bodies will be indestructible from that phrase. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is identifiable. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, it's incredible. It has sown a natural body. It has raised a spiritual body. It is infinite. Think of it, the new body, like unto Jesus. And according to this commentator, indestructible, identifiable, incredible, and infinite. But then in addition, remember, we're going to receive the crowns. And oh, that's going to be quite a, at the judgment seat of Christ, a tremendous event. Do you ever think about that? Have you ever worn a crown? It may be that some of you have, for one reason or another, had the opportunity to wear a crown, at least temporarily. But look at the crown, the victor's crown. That's one of the five. And that is for those who are disciplined and victorious. You know, the Bible has much to say to us as children of the king and residents of the kingdom about being disciplined and as a result, victorious. You know, God doesn't want you to be struggling. He's not the God of confusion. but he's the God of order. In addition, we have the crown of rejoicing. And what is that? That's the soul winner's crown. And remember at the very beginning, we talked about the urgency of evangelism in the light of the multiplicity of deaths, and in the end, accountability. What about the crown of righteousness? That's for those who love his appearing. Are you looking forward with great anticipation to the coming of the Lord Jesus and your summons home? You know, as a young high school kid in Quinton, I remember going and visiting some of the older ladies in the church. Aunt Mayne, for one. She wasn't our aunt, but everybody knew her as Aunt Mayne. And I would sit there, sometimes the room wasn't too bright, but oh, to hear those elderly ladies talk about heaven. You know, it was enough to make a young teenager get a bit homesick for what was ahead. And one of you men sitting right here in this auditorium tonight, I won't name you, have told me, hey, we don't seem to have those discussions like we did years ago. Is it because we have two chickens in every pot and two cars in every garage? And as a result, who's interested in pie in the sky, by and by, even if it's Alamoed? Do you get that? My history professor, Charles Flint Kellogg, with tongue in cheek, said that. What is it? Hey, we've got it so good here understand so good here that who's interested in God's tomorrow so are we looking with anticipation and expectation with joy and gladness for his appearing and then what about the crown of life that would be for the martyrs those who have paid the ultimate for their testimony and witness for Christ. And then the crown of glory, that is for the pastors and the shepherds and those who have been faithful in serving Christ and aiding the saints. Well, time is about gone, so we'll finish with the prerogatives and the labor in heaven. If you have the outline, you'll see the occupations. I used to think as a young Christian, you know, that in heaven, we really wouldn't do very much, but sit at the feet of Jesus. But the more I study scripture, it's not going to be a Sunday school picnic, but we're going to thoroughly enjoy it. In fact, Revelation 22.3 says we're going to be servants. We're going to be enjoying our service for Christ. We're going to have rich fellowship. You know, we enjoy the family fellowship here at Hardingville. And in all my 22 years, I've been reminded over and over again that this is a family. And who is the head of the family? Christ Jesus, the Lord. But it's going to be even gooder and gooder in the by and by. Or we're going to have some authority because we're going to have assignments. And with that assignment, we will be deputized to accomplish that assignment. And we shall be learning. Think of it. Now how we'll learn and what we'll learn, I'm not sure. But you know who was the first one to mention that to me was Pastor Franklin. He said, we're going to be learning. And if you were here during his ministry, you probably heard him say that. But I can't tell you what we'll be learning and how much. And I don't think we'll have preaching and teaching like we understand it here. But won't it be wonderful to be worshiping? Boy, read in the book of the Revelation. Are you learning how to really worship here? I mean, not only at Hardingville, but at home, personally, family-wise, as well as public. Because we're going to be involved in worship. And what blessing and joy and gladness will be in our hearts. Because we're going to see the throne and the Lamb. Think of it. The nail-scarred hands. We sing about this, don't we? I shall know him, I shall know him by the prince in his hands. You believe that, don't you, if you sing it? Absolutely. We'll see the scarred, sword-pierced side. We'll see the nail scars in his feet. And that will remind us, will it not, of the price that was paid for our eternal redemption that afforded us the privilege to inherit heaven for all eternity. But you know something? As we close, I need to ask you, are you ready? Are you registered? Because the Bible tells us our name must be in the book of life. And Martha shared this little story with me, I think she did with the children on Wednesday night. There's a book called The Calling, written by a woman pertaining to Mary Baker, who grew up in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Later in life, she went to Northumberland. I met her while I was pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Lewistown in the 70s. And quite honestly, she's with the Lord now, but she was my favorite woman missionary. And she had come in a great big Chrysler car. I mean, the thing had a humongous trunk. And she said to me one day, she said, Pastor, some of my friends said, why do you drive this gas guzzler? Why don't you get a smaller car? This is costing you a lot of money. She said, I need it. because she filled the trunk with all kinds of curios and whatnot that she brought from, she served in Africa for years. But in the book, The Calling, the story is told that there was, what's the woman's name, Mrs.? Mrs. Reynolds. Yeah, Mrs. Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds used to have a little children's Bible study and class in her home once a week. And she was giving out the gospel, talking about heaven and hell, and how you needed your name in the book of life. And Mary Baker and her brother, on their way home, were talking about it. So the next day, she and her brother said, we need to go back and see Mrs. Reynolds. Hightailed it back to her house, knock on the door, and she greeted them, and she said, why are you here today? Basically, there's no class. We had the class this week. They said, we came to sign up. That was what they said, we came to sign up. And finally, in conversation with them, she realized that they had come to trust Christ and to get their name inscribed in the book of life. So that day, that very day, Mrs. Reynolds, yes, all right. Boy, isn't it great I have somebody to help preach this message? She wrote it, so she ought to preach it now. But anyway, Mrs. Reynolds introduced them to Christ, and their names were inscribed in the Book of Life. So I want to ask you tonight, is your name inscribed in the Book of Life? If so, you're on your way. Heaven, our eternal home, but it's not inscribed. Friend, you're on thin ice and you'll not be in the pearly white city. If you're here without Christ, trust him. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Don't leave tonight without knowing him as your personal savior and Lord. Let us pray. Our Father, tonight we thank thee for the clear teaching of your truth, and we rejoice that you have given us insight into heaven itself. And Father, I thank you for all who know you as Savior and Lord, and for the glorious promise, the fantastic future, the peace and joy and comfort that it gives to us who belong to thee, we recognize that the best is yet to come. But for those who may be here or within the sound of my voice who have never confessed sin and who have never turned in repentance and faith to the Lamb, may this be the night of decision and victory. and we'll thank thee. Help us, our Father, to give testimony to your saving and sustaining grace in this new week. And may we be faithful in our service and our allegiance to the one who loved us and loosed us from our sins, in his name.