The glories of God's everlasting heaven

Having spoken about God's everlasting hell these last two sabbath evenings I want us to turn our thoughts this evening to the very opposite, ie. to the glories of God's everlasting heaven.

The Saviour constantly made reference to this glorious place throughout His earthly ministry. This particular theme appears at the very commencement of His earthly ministry as recorded in Matt 4:17: From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The sermon on the Mount is also full of this terminology. There are over 30 references in Matthew's Gospel alone to heaven and its connection with the kingdom.

Take out the references to heaven and the kingdom and there is still almost 100 other places in the Gospels where the subject of 'heaven' is referred to in one way or another. This is a oft repeated and referred to subject.

May we have our hearts stirred with desire to be there one day. May we say with Paul: For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better, Phil 1:23; and again: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord, 2 Cor 5:8.
More than just stirred, may we not rest until we make sure we will be there.

Consider:
I. The glory of being invited into heaven by the Lord
II. The glory of heaven being a place of inheritance
III. The glories of heaven involve the possession of a kingdom