In Conclusion – “Forever Starts Now”

There’s much imagery and prophecy about heaven in Revelation that is “deep” (and debatable), but the beautiful picture of eternal life with God – the picture that was made possible by the death of Jesus and that was begun by his resurrection – isn’t debatable. That picture creates a longing in us for God’s Kingdom here and now and offers 3 ways that heaven’s reality can give us a full life today.

1.  A Purpose That Isn’t Twisted by Ego (Revelation 22:1-3; John 10:10b)

• The last chapter of the Bible tells us that the end of the story is all about renewal – the renewal and restoration of God’s good world. And that renewal has already begun; it began with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As his followers we are called to participate in and advance that renewal work – it’s our purpose while we’re still hear on earth.
• As “kingdom citizens,” we’re called to use our energy and creativity and gifts to bring a taste of heaven to the world now, even though it isn’t fully here yet. At their best, Christians have been doing that for 2000 years – loving, serving and caring for others in such a way that the world noticed and was amazed, thereby validating the truth of the Resurrection and the lordship of Jesus.

• We’re all wired to live a life of purpose, and that’s what Jesus promised his followers when he said that he came to give us “life to the full.” That’s eternal life in heaven, for sure, but also an abundant, purpose-filled life now – a life focused on bringing heaven to earth through acts of love and service.

2.  An Optimism That Won’t be Disappointed or Disappointing (Revelation 22:4-6a)

• Revelation repeatedly promises that God is going to restore perfect justice and righteousness and goodness to his creation, and those who have trusted Jesus will spend eternity enjoying it with him. As the angel told John (Revelation’s author), this reality is “trustworthy and true.”
• The ultimate optimism we have in this world is what God is doing to restore it – it’s the least fragile optimism you can have for living your life well. This optimism is different from the “sweet by-and-by” optimism often mocked and derided by the world, an optimism that says “just hold on and endure this bad place, then go to heaven.” That’s not what the vision of heaven is all about.

• Karl Marx and John Lennon were among those who posited that optimism about heaven, with no concern about the here-and-now world, was what was wrong with the world – and they were right, to a point. But an optimism that is only about the circumstances and people of today will ultimately be disappointing and destructive. Our job is to bring a bit of heaven to earth, while also recognizing that this world isn’t our home, and isn’t where our ultimate optimism belongs.

3.  An Imagination That is Stronger Than My Desperation (Revelation 22:21)

• Revelation is filled with images and symbols – many, like city gates made of pearls and streets paved with “clear gold” – that are hard to picture as we think of them. By design, the book invites imagination.  John gives us earthly symbols that point to a heavenly reality we can’t fully understand.
• As much as we can imagine about heaven, we know it will be so much more. It will be perfect – a place and a reality that satisfies every longing we’ve ever had, and fixes everything that ever disappointed or despaired us. It is our great hope, a hope that finds its reality in Jesus Christ.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:1-3

Video of the Week: The New Humanity by BibleProject

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. As this series wraps up, what’s one thing you’ve learned or understood about heaven that you didn’t know (or hadn’t considered) before?

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2. The world tells us that the key to living a good, full life is having lots of stuff, avoiding difficult and hard circumstances, and surrounding ourselves with good and nice people. How is the full, purpose-driven life that Jesus offers us different from that idea?

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3. As a follower of Jesus, how would you answer if someone asked you, “What’s your purpose in life?”

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4. Read Revelation 22:4-6 again. If our ultimate optimism is in going to heaven when we die, what sort of optimism should we be expected to have about this (very unheavenly) world in the here and now?

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5. John Lennon famously wrote that we (humans) could bring heaven to earth if we all just focused on “living for today” (as if there is no heaven or life after death). What’s wrong with that argument?

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6. Why is heaven – the new creation, where God sets everything back to the way he meant it to be – only for those who make the choice to trust and follow Jesus? If it’s what God intended in the first place for all of humanity to enjoy, why doesn’t everybody get to spend eternity there?