THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN

I Promise #1

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Sunday, February 27, 2022

(2 Peter 1:4, Message) “We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.”

1. God makes the promise.

2. You are an heir of the promise.

3. The promises have substance.

4. There are covenant promises.

5. There are conditional promises.

6. I must choose to receive the promise.

(Luke 23:43, GN)  “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

(John 14:1–6, NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

The Bible teaches two important things about heaven:

1. A present heaven.

2. A future Heaven.

Don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. … Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. … Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. … I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.

1. Heaven is a literal place of substance.

(John 14:2, NASB) “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… .”

(2 Corinthians 5:8, NLT) “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

2. Christ is preparing a place for you in Heaven.

(John 14:2, NASB) “… if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

3. Heaven is a personal promise to God’s children.

(John 14:3, NLT) “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

(1 John 3:1, NLT) “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”

4. Jesus is the way to Heaven.

(John 14:6, NLT) “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

5. Jesus invites you personally to Heaven.

(John 11:25–26, NLT) “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this …?”

GROWTHWORK

1. Accept Jesus Christ personal invitation to become your Lord and Savior.

2. Seize every opportunity that God gives you to serve Him. “We shall have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but we are only going to have a few hours before the sun sets to win them.” –Amy Carmichael

3. Treasure what God treasures.

4. Determine to finish strong.

5. Enjoy the journey!