Dr Charles Stanley - Our Eternal Home - Part 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
He said, I'm going to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
he said, in my father's house, some many mansions, many
dwelling places. He said, If that were not so, I
would have told you. I'm not going to tell you
a lie. So he's telling us that they're dwelling places,
places to live in heaven, and he's going to prepare
a place for us. So one of the reasons we

(00:23):
ought to be interested in talking about it is that's
where we're going to spend eternive. Dick with him and listen,
he's building your place.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Many articles and books have been written about heaven, TV
and movies portrayed in a variety of ways, but how
accurately can humans depict what Scripture says about the believer's destination.
Today on in Touch, the Teaching Ministry of Doctor Charles Stantley,
we continue the study of our eternal destiny with a
look at what the Bible describes as our eternal home.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
I wonder why we don't say much about heaven. Maybe
it's because we don't know much. Maybe it's because we're
not too excited about going there yet. You remember the
little quip about the little boy in Sunday school and
his teacher asked, how many of you want to go
to heaven? Everybody raised their hand except one little boy,
and she says, Johnny, what about you? You don't want

(01:17):
to go to heaven? He said, Oh, I thought you
were getting up a load to go now, and I'm
not really quite ready yet. But I want to tell
you something that they're a lot of believers I know
are not ready. They're already to go to heaven. In fact,
they like it so well here they're not very interested
in heaven. Somebody says, well, I'll think about that one
of these days, but not now. So here's the whole

(01:38):
purpose of this message, to show you why you and
I ought to be thinking about heaven, preparing to go there.
Somebody says, I got saved, I'm prepared. No, No, that's
on the part of the preparation. He said, What do
I have to do besides to get saved? Well, you
don't have to do anything to get in. But that's
not all the preparation. We ought to be sharing our

(02:00):
faith not only with someone about the nature of their
sin and God's forgiveness, but the eternal home that God
has provided for them. We ought to know enough to
talk intelligently about what Heaven's are all about. You said,
I don't want to stand the Book of Revelation. Well,
the message I'm going to give you today has you
don't even have to know the Book of Revelation to

(02:21):
know some very important reasons you and I ought to
be thinking about heaven, talking about heaven, having it on
our mind, in our heart, and sharing it with people
who today are not going there. Why should you and
I be thinking about heaven? Let me tell you the
first reason. First of all, because our heavenly Father is there.
It's interesting in the Gospels that in the sermonal amount

(02:44):
four times in chapters five, six, and seven, Jesus, addressing
the people who are his listeners, he said, my Father,
who is in Heaven, Our Father who is in heaven,
the Father who is in heaven. Four times. He mentioned
that sermon eighteen times. In the Gospel of Matthew alone,
Jesus refers to the Father who is in heaven. And
when he gave us the pattern prayer, how did he

(03:06):
begin that prayer? He said, now this is the way
you pray our Father who art in heaven. Hall, It
would be thy name. Why would Jesus say so often
and refer to the Father as being in heaven, because
that is our eternal home, that is our final resting place.
One of the reasons you and I ought to be

(03:26):
thinking about heaven, talking about it and sharing is that's
where Heaven and Father is. The second reason, that's where
our Savior is. You recall what he said in the
sixth chapter of John when he was talking with the
Pharisees and the Sadducees and they were arguing with him.
Listen to what he said. He made it very clear
where he came from. He says the thirty eighth verse,
For he says, I have come down from heaven, not

(03:49):
to do my own will, but the will of him
who sent me. He says, I came down from heaven.
You remember what the Angel said to the apostles standing
there when Jesus ascended. He said, why do you stand
here gazing up into the sky. This same Jesus whom
you have seen as sin, shall so come in like manner,
which means that he ascended visibly and physically. He's coming

(04:10):
back visibly and physically. And the Bible says he is
at the Father's right hand. In Glossians chapter two, see
that the Father's right hand, And in Romans chapter eight
thirty four he says he's there interceding for you and me.
Jesus Christ, see that the Father's right hand is there
praying for you and me day and night, watching over us,
answering our prayers, seeing to it that our needs a men.

(04:32):
Now you think about this when you think about heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who stretched out his hands and
his arms and was nailed to the cross for your
sin and my sin, bore in his body the penalty
for all of our sin, and has chosen to live
within us all the days of our life, and to
walk with us, answering our prayer and loving us, and

(04:54):
forgiving us and cleansing us all the days of our life.
Let me ask you a question. You want to meet
him personally. There may be a lot of folks in heaven,
but I want to tell you there's not going to
be anything like meeting him. That's the third reason you
and I ought to be thinking about heaven, and that
is the Bible says in John fourteen that the Lord

(05:17):
Jesus Christ has gone home to prepare it for us.
He says, he is going to prepare place for us.
And if he prepares a place for us, he's coming
again to receive us unto himself. That where he is
there we may be also. That is our future home
is in heaven. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. He says,
he was going back to prepare place for us. And
if you were to pass away today, you would not

(05:39):
go to the heaven he's preparing. You would go into
the presence of God. But the final heaven is where
you're not going to spend eternity. Following the judgment Seat
of Christ, he said, I'm going to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare place for you,
he said, in my father's house, so many mansions, many
dwelling places. He said, if that were not so, I
would have told you. I'm not going to tell you lie.

(06:01):
So he's telling us that they're dwelling places, places to
live in heaven, and he's going to prepare a place
for us. So one of the reasons we ought to
be interested in talking about it is that's where we're
going to spend eternity with him. And listen, he's building
your place. But There's a fourth reason, and that is

(06:22):
and it's found in Philippians chapter three. That's where our
citizenship is already, he says in verse twenty for our
citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait
for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will, when
he comes now transform listen. He will transform the body

(06:44):
of our humble state, that is, these physical bodies of
ours into listen, into conformity with the body of His glory,
that is, his glorified bodies. Our bodies are going to
be transformed like his glorified body, which will fit us
for heaven. That is part of the preparation is not
only being saved, not only being conformed to His likeness,

(07:06):
but ultimately preparation is going to be when our body
is transformed into the same substance of the glorified body
of Christ Verse twenty one. Who will transform the body
of our humble state into conformity with the body of
His glory by the exertion of the power, the supernatural
power of God that he has even to subject all

(07:28):
things to himself. Now, he says, one of the reasons
we are to be in in heaven is that's where
our citizenship is. Does he not talk about us being
aliens and sojournals and pilgrims down here. God never intended
for us to sink roots down here? Is if we're
going to live forever, we're just passing through the a
lot of folks who just they think this is it,

(07:48):
and they're living like this is it. But this is
not it. And we shouldn't be living and acting like
this is where we're going to spend eternity. We should
be living as strange as aliens, sharing the wonderful gospel,
eternal message of grace to those about us, own our
way to heaven, and hoping and trusting they'll get on

(08:09):
the caravan with us and we'll take them with us
the glory. But there's another reason. Is I look at
the scription that is, not only am I a citizen
of another country, but the Bible says something else significant.
I think about this whole lot, and that is that
our names are recorded in heaven already. Look, if you will,
in Luke chapter ten, remember when Jesus was sending his

(08:30):
apostles out, and he told them that he would give
them power of a serpents and all these things. And
they had returned, and they said, the demons are subject
to us. We've seen people healed, and all kinds of
things take place. Listen to what Jesus said. He said,
having told them what he was going to do for them,

(08:50):
and having heard their great testimony in verse twenty. Nevertheless,
do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject
to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Now,
one thing you can be assured of that the angels
in heaven who are sitting before the computers, and they

(09:12):
are and they are tabulating all the names of those
who are being saved. They're not going to get you
mixed up with anybody else. The Bible says, by the
grace of God, you and I have been saved, and
our names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
And we offer eternally the children of God because we
were saved not by conduct, not by performance, but by

(09:33):
the unmerited, undeserved, unconditional, non negotiable love of the Lord
Jesus Christ demonstrated on the cross two thousand years ago
when he died for you and me. There's another reason
you and I ought to be interested in heaven and
thinking and talking about and that is that's where listen,
that's where our rewards are. Go back to Matthew chapter five.

(09:55):
What Jesus said in the summinal amount here talking about
our rewards and in the beatitudes, he says something very interesting.
I want to give you a little idea here that
might help you the next time somebody criticizes you. I
want to give you another way to respond the next
time somebody really gives you a difficult time. Oh, I

(10:15):
got something real good. I want you to hear. Listen
to this what he says. He says in verse nine
of Matthew five, Blessed of the peace makers, for they
she'll be called the sons of God. Blessed of those
who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. For
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed to you. And
men caught cast insults at you and persecute you and

(10:36):
say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account
of me, he says, Rejoice and be glad, he says,
Get excited. Why, for your reward in heaven is great
for so persecuted. They're the prophets which were before you said,
and you don't mean to tell me that if I
get insulted, I mean terribly insulted, my reputation has been destroyed,

(11:01):
and people are saying all kinds of ungodly, un christ
like things about me, And you tell me I'm supposed
to rejoice. Yes, Indeed, when you and I are persecuted, insulted,
whatever it may be, harmed in a fashion, when you
and I respond correctly in loving forgiveness, you know what
that insult and all these things they're doing, they're just

(11:23):
adding rewards to our account. So you know what that means.
That means that's sometimes our worst in him is are
our best friends? Because what they're doing for us. Now
in this old human carnal thinking of ours, we say, well,
now did that did I read you? The truth is? Now?

(11:44):
What it says, Blessed are you when men shall persecute
you and revile you, and insult you, and say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. For listen,
he says, great, great is your reward in heaven, not
that you will be. Great is your reward in heaven.
There is a great reward for those who understand how

(12:06):
to suffer persecution and are able to take it in
a loving, forgiving response. He says, to your account, there
is being added reward, So our rewards in heaven. That's
one reason. Well, there's another reason for thinking seriously about it,
and that is the Bible says that listen. He says
that our inheritance and our treasure and our inheritance is

(12:32):
in heaven. Well, let's look, if you will, something else
Jesus said here about giving and about how we ought
to think in terms of material things. Look, if you
will in Matthew six, and look at verse nineteen. He says,

(12:52):
do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
morth and rush doth destroy, and that was the two
damaging things in those days, and where thieves break in
and steal. But he said, lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your

(13:14):
treasure is there, would your heart be also? Now listen
to what he says. He says, one of the reasons
you and ought to be thinking about heaven and sharing
you with others is he says, not only are our
rewards there, but our treasures are there. What treasures, all
the money that you and I give to the Lord
for his work, all the energy and experience and gifts

(13:37):
and talents we share in the Lord's work, the giving
of ourselves in doing the will of God. You know,
today we're so conscious about security and preparation for the
future and wanting to be sure that we are well
taken care of and having enough for a rainy day,

(13:58):
when the Bible says, don't let yourself get caught up
in building an earthly empire or getting your treasures attitude
about things down here, but rather we ought to have
it on the things of God. And secondly, we ought
to be laying up treasure in heaven because first of all,

(14:19):
you didn't bring anything in the world with you. Oh,
you say, well, but I was born into a wealthy family.
But you didn't bring anything with you. Now, I want
to tell you something, my friend, when you leave, not
one copper penny are you taking with you? Not one
you So I'm waiting for my father died so I
can get the inheritance. Friends, you can lose it all.

(14:39):
Besides that he may spend it all before he dies.
May be the best thing ever happened to you. You
and I have an inheritance that is undefiled, imperishable, will
not fade away waiting in heaven for us. Listen, don't
you think we ought to be start of interesting? That's
where our rewards are, That's where treasure is, That's where

(15:02):
inheritance is. The Bible says, that's where we're going to
spend eternity. We were made temporarily to live here. But
he says when the real life begins and all of
its ultimate beauty and satisfaction and bliss, he says, God's
got to change this old body of ours. He's going
to transform it in the moment of the twinkling of an eye,

(15:22):
and he's going to be confirmed like the body of Christ.
He's getting us ready. We're just moving through here on
our way somewhere else. But when I think about all
the wonderful things about heaven, the things that attract me
to it, one of the most important is this last
thing I want to mention. Here we think about talking

(15:43):
to our lost friends about heaven and thinking about ourselves
and asking should we be thinking about heaven we're living
down here serving the Lord. Yes, Because one of the
most exciting things about heaven is the great reunion you
and I going to have up there. Now, think about
what he's says in First Desaloions, chapter four, beginning in
verse thirteen, he said, I will not have you to

(16:04):
be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you
sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For
if we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, if we
believe what he says, we believe in him. He says
He's coming again one of these days and bringing the
saints with him. And he says, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, one strengthens. Fifteen, he says,
at the sound of the trumpet, at the shout the

(16:25):
voice of the Archangel, the trump of God, the dead
in Christ, that is, the bodies of our loved ones
shall be resurrected. Then we which are lives, shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, great reunion
in the clouds, to be with them in the air,
and for to ever be with the Lord. Now, when
you and I get to Heaven, you think about all

(16:46):
the folks that you and I are going to look
forward to meeting there, besides the Father, the Son, the
Holy spirit. All of us have some loved ones up
there out there wherever heaven is. And one of the
reasons you and I are to keep our mind on
heaven is one of these days that's where we're gonna
spend eternity. Then we're gonna have a glorious, exciting reunion

(17:09):
of all of our loved ones who've passed on. Wherever
you find the Apostle Paul, you'll find about three or
four million people lined up to ask him questions, and
they'll be pat and Peter in the back and saying, Peter, Oh,
I'm so glad you came along because I was just
so much like you. It'll be amazing what happens when
you and I get to heaven and you and I

(17:29):
meet all the loved ones who've already passed on before us. Well,
IMMA ask you a question, my friend, you've never received
the Lord Jesus Christ that you're saving. You know what's
gonna happen If everybody in your family saved and they
get to Heaven, you won't be there. So what are
they gonna think. I want to tell you that you're

(17:49):
gonna walk around Heaven grieving over you. At the judgment
Jesus is gonna wipe away all the tears in their
eyes as they weep over the fact that you wouldn't
trust Jesus as you saved. You see, there's only going
to be one type of folks who go to heaven.
You say, is that gonna be all those good people? Know,
it's gonna be sinners who trusted in the shed blood

(18:10):
of Jesus Christ at Calvary for the forgiveness of their sin,
and who walked in his ways, who had to keep
on being forgiven, making mistakes, falling and faltering and having
to come back and say, Lord, I blew it again,
but being able to receive the forgiveness of God again

(18:32):
and again and again. You see, Heaven isn't for perfect folks.
Heaven is for saints who are believers, still learning, still faltering,
still failing, still growing, still being conformed to His likeness.
And my friend, Heaven has been open to you. And

(18:53):
when you think about all the things that are there, listen,
if you miss Heaven, you know what you're gonna miss.
You're gonna miss God, You're gonna miss You, You're going
to miss the Holy Spirit. Not you're going to have
any rewards your name won't be in the Lamb's Book
of Life. You're not going to be there for the great, wonderful,
exciting eternal reunion with loved ones. But my friend, the

(19:17):
Bible says, you're going to a dark, eternal, endless separation
from everything that is good, and because of your own
selfish choices, you're going to live there and suffer there
for eternity. Wouldn't you agree that that's a foolish choice
to make when there is another choice. If you're willing

(19:41):
to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of
your sins, and you're willing to repent of those sins,
you willing for God to turn you around, change your life.
If you're willing to tell him today that I receive
Jesus Christ, it's my savior, believing and meaning that you
accept his death on the cross is payment for your sin,
and you're receiving him into your life life to be
your savior, your life and your Lord. He'll write your

(20:03):
name in the Lamb's Book of Life forever. Everything we've
just said, you'll have the right to look forward to
it by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2 (20:14):
If you haven't trusted Christ for the forgiveness of your sin.
Then for you the door to heaven is closed. But
as you heard in doctor Stanley's message, you can, with
a humble heart, receive God's offer of forgiveness regardless of
how bad you consider your sin to be, and once
you do, Heaven becomes your eternal home. Learn more about
trusting in Jesus Christ for your salvation at our website

(20:37):
in touch dot org, and then listen again by clicking
the link to Today on Radio. If you'd like to
order a copy of Today's complete message, open up our
online bookstore. The title is there Our Eternal Home, Part One.
It's also included in our teaching set How to Choose
Your Destiny. Our web address again is in touch dot Org.

(20:58):
To call or text us, the number is one eight
hundred in Touch. You can also write too in Touch
post Office box seventy nine hundred, Atlanta, Georgia, three zero
three five seven. If you're a Christian, you've been adopted
into God's family, into his home. That means that wherever
you are now, you're just visiting Today's moment with Charles

(21:18):
Stanley is coming up.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
We're not the first to seek a life of purpose.
The Bible tells of many who followed a specific path,
step by step, with courage, with surrender for a deeper purpose,
a stronger passion. A lasting piece introducing your path to purpose,
passion and peace. A new ninety day devotional inspired by

(21:42):
the timeless teaching of doctor Charles Stanley, available now at
InTouch dot org slash store.

Speaker 1 (21:50):
You've got to be willing to set aside time and
that's a real victory.

Speaker 4 (21:53):
Just imagine what it would have been like to look
over doctor Stanley's shoulder as he was spending time with
the scriptures. Doctor Stanley spent hours in preparation for his sermons.
With photos of his Bibles, resources, and handwritten notes, this
new book will give you an intimate look into doctor
Stanley's daily walk with the Father God turned the light
on Charles F. Stanley's personal Bibles, books and notes. Available

(22:15):
now go to InTouch dot org slash store.

Speaker 5 (22:20):
From the Pastor's Heart is an in depth teaching letter
then inspired by the teachings of doctor Charles Stanley. To
receive in touches from the Pastor's Heart letter, call one
eight hundred in touch or visit in touch dot org
slash pastor's heart.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
You're listening to in touch right now. Earth is your home.
So if you're a believer, you have dual citizenship. Here's
a moment with Charles Stanley.

Speaker 1 (22:48):
He says, you and I are pilgrims on our way
through and to listen, if you go on to visit
the land, you're not gonna act like you're at home.
There's some things you make yourself comfortable to some degree,
but you can't be home where there's not home. You
and I are pilgrims, he says, aliens strangest. He says,
we're a peculiar people to those about us, and for

(23:09):
the Body of Christ, the Church to start acting like
the world is, to act like who we are not
and to settle down where we are not going to
spend the very long time. You say, well, man, I
may live to be seventy five years of age. Can
you tell me what that is compared to eternity? That
isn't even one grain of sand in the bottom of

(23:29):
the Pacific Ocean. That's why Jesus said we're to be
like salt and like light. That is different from the
atmosphere in which we're living. He says, we are citizens
of another kingdom, and as far as our life is concerned,
we are to live as pilgrims. We're on our way
citizens of another country.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
Learn more about the hope you can have through faith
in Jesus Christ and in Touch DOTRG. Don't keep your
faith to yourself. Care what you learned today and then
tell us about it. Next week on in Touch we'll
focus again on how to get ready for our eternal home.
Be back with us then for in Touch the teaching
ministry of doctor Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation

(24:19):
of in Touch Ministries Atlanta, Georgia and remains on this
station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers
and gifts.