Why Did God Hide Heaven?
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: A good sermon on why God hasn't given us more information concerning heaven might interest more than a few church members.
a. Some concept of heaven is central to the Christian faith. Without some existence beyond this life, the injustices, pain, and suffering of this life would make this world a cruel and obscene joke. Some sinners live long and prosperous lives while some innocent children starve to death after a brief twelve or fifteen years of misery. Some form of afterlife is necessary if there is a just and loving God.
b. Yet it remains obscure and mysterious. We know so much about this life and our world that in contrast, heaven remains a vague shadow. It is so well hidden from us that we are often prone to doubts and question its existence.
c. There must be good explanations.
1. One obvious reason we cannot know very much is that we are told it is a spiritual world. Paul said our physical bodies must put on the spiritual to experience heaven. We are so enmeshed in the physical we find it difficult to sense the spiritual to any extent.
2. If heaven were made more real to us, it would become a bribe. We would be so convinced of its reality and nature that we would strive to "be good" for the sole reason of getting to heaven. An analogy could be how we might "kow-tow" to a rich aunt to secure a significant place in her will. It is just vague enough to be out of reach of temptation. Our love for other people must remain our motivation for ethical behavior.
3. Matthew 13:10-17 speaks to the vagueness of heaven and Jesus gives us a partial explanation. He says that the more we are in tune with him, the better sense we have of heaven. If we ask, seek and knock, or study Jesus thoroughly, the more we begin to understand about what the afterlife must be like. Beyond that it must remain clothed in mystery.
a. Some concept of heaven is central to the Christian faith. Without some existence beyond this life, the injustices, pain, and suffering of this life would make this world a cruel and obscene joke. Some sinners live long and prosperous lives while some innocent children starve to death after a brief twelve or fifteen years of misery. Some form of afterlife is necessary if there is a just and loving God.
b. Yet it remains obscure and mysterious. We know so much about this life and our world that in contrast, heaven remains a vague shadow. It is so well hidden from us that we are often prone to doubts and question its existence.
c. There must be good explanations.
1. One obvious reason we cannot know very much is that we are told it is a spiritual world. Paul said our physical bodies must put on the spiritual to experience heaven. We are so enmeshed in the physical we find it difficult to sense the spiritual to any extent.
2. If heaven were made more real to us, it would become a bribe. We would be so convinced of its reality and nature that we would strive to "be good" for the sole reason of getting to heaven. An analogy could be how we might "kow-tow" to a rich aunt to secure a significant place in her will. It is just vague enough to be out of reach of temptation. Our love for other people must remain our motivation for ethical behavior.
3. Matthew 13:10-17 speaks to the vagueness of heaven and Jesus gives us a partial explanation. He says that the more we are in tune with him, the better sense we have of heaven. If we ask, seek and knock, or study Jesus thoroughly, the more we begin to understand about what the afterlife must be like. Beyond that it must remain clothed in mystery.
