Now that was before the funeral service of my grandfather that had died most recently, and when it came to that day I knew the hymns that were picked, but they didn't seem too significant, or to relate to this subject at that time - but as soon as we started singing, the first hymn was 'Sing The Wondrous Love of Jesus', that we have already sung, and the third verse confirmed to me the reason why I was to preach on the subject of heaven, and it goes like this - at least the two lines that were relevant:
#GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN SERIES#
One evening, as I was lying in bed, I had, I can only say, a flash of inspiration, and I felt that I should take a series on heaven and call it 'Glimpses of Glory'. After both these deaths, I found myself at times lying in bed thinking about what heaven must be like. As often is the case when we experience the death of a loved one who has fallen asleep in Jesus, it causes us to think in greater depth about heaven. Then my grandfather died, passed into the presence of the Lord as a saved man, prepared for eternity - and, in fact, both my grandfathers died in the space of about 20 months. As I was considering taking up the Bible Readings again on a Monday evening, I had no real guidance regarding what theme, or what book, or what subject to take. Now I'm very rarely personal when I preach, and I hope you'll forgive me for being such just now, but I want you to understand a little bit of the process of how I felt led to preach a series of studies on the subject of heaven. The aim that I have in preaching this series on heaven is that I want all of us, whoever we, whatever age we may be, whatever health we might have, I want us to become more heavenly minded! Rather we will be considering God's dwelling place, which is also called 'heaven'. Then there is the planetary heaven, outer space, and that is not what we will consider. Of course, 'heaven' can refer to the atmospheric heaven, the place where the clouds are and the birds fly - that's not the heaven we'll be considering. It has different senses and meanings, and we'll not be considering them all throughout this Bible study series. Now 'heaven' as a word is found 582 times within the Bible.
Tonight we want to look, generally speaking, at why we should embark upon a study of heaven. What the Bible has to say about heaven will inevitably, over these weeks, give us a glimpse, many glimpses hopefully, into glory. Then turning over to Matthew's gospel, as I said, and chapter 6 this time, verse 19 - Jesus speaking, as much to us as He was to those in the multitude on the Mount, as He delivered this great sermon says: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory". For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. But first of all Colossians chapter 3, and Paul writing to these believers says in verse 1: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The first Scripture I want you to turn to is Colossians chapter 3, Paul's epistle to the Colossians chapter 3 and then the second portion, if you want to turn to it as well to have it ready, is Matthew chapter 6 - the Sermon on the Mount.
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