Activities In Heaven

Good morning,

This week we are continuing with our discussion on heaven.  Here’s the question we are tackling:

What will we do in heaven?

Heaven is often depicted in popular media as a place where we will hang out on clouds wearing white robes and where each of us gets a small harp to play.  That almost certainly isn’t what we will be doing in heaven.  The truth is that we are told relatively little in the Scriptures about what we will be doing in heaven.  However, we do get a few glimpses.

One quality of our life in heaven will be rest.  Hebrews 4:9-11 speaks of this rest:

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.  Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Now we need to understand that rest, as the term is used by the author of Hebrews, is not merely a cessation of activities. That is part of rest, but the context surrounding that verse speaks of rest in the sense of finally achieving our goal.   The rest that we will experience in heaven is the end of our struggles against the flesh, the world, and the devil.  No more opposition, no more weariness from chaos, no more disease, no more sickness.  We will be free from all of those struggles.

So, there will be work to do, but it will not involve fighting against those who oppose us or against our own sin nature. Rather, that work will involve serving God.  We see this in Revelation 22:3:

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

From the beginning, God intended work to be part of the human experience. Some believe that the curse of the sin in the Garden of Eden was that Adam now had to work.  That is not correct.  The curse of Adam’s sin was that now his work would be very hard.  Before the fall, Adam had a job, as God placed him in the garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15.)

Another facet of life in heaven is worship. A vivid picture is found in Revelation 19:1-4

After this I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

We will be engaging in the worship of God frequently (perhaps continually) in heaven.

One other heavenly activity that the Scriptures talk about is fellowship.  Hebrews 12:22-24 speaks to believers entering into the fellowship of the “church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.”  On Sunday we’ll talk more about what Christian fellowship looks like.

So…heaven won’t be a place where we will lounge around on clouds strumming harps and getting bored!

Here’s what’s happening:

1.      TONIGHT  - Youth Group meets at 6:30 pm at the schoolhouse.  

2.     TONIGHT - Ladies Quilt Knotting at 6:30 pm at the church.  No quilting experience necessary! 

3.     SUNDAY - Double Nickels luncheon.

4.     Saturday, 10/18 - Men’s Breakfast at 8 am.  There is a sign up sheet in the lobby.  Please let us know that you are coming so we can plan accordingly.  I am looking for a few men to head the cooking that morning – please let me know if you are interested.  Afterwards we will be heading to the woods to split firewood to donate to the Lighthouse Youth Ministry Auction.  However, men are welcome at the breakfast even if they can’t help with firewood!

5.     Sunday, 10/19 – Holy Communion

6.     Monday, 10/20 – The Double Nickels are heading to Blessings of Hope for another morning of service.  This is a “family shift” from 8:30 to 11 am.  Everyone is welcome to sign up.  Please see Elizabeth or Gary Barrett by THIS SUNDAY if you would like to go…they have to submit names to Blessings of Hope.

7.      Saturday, 10/25 – Youth Group Service Project.  The youth will be baking apple pies to be auctioned off at the Lighthouse Auction.  More information coming soon.

8.     Thursday, 10/23 - Solid Rock Youth Ministries is having its fall banquet at The Barn of Nottingham from 5:30 – 8pm.  Tickets are $45.  Head to http://www.solidrockquarryville.com/banquetto learn more.

9.     Friday 10/24 - Onesimus Prison Ministries is having its banquet at the Green Street Grill in Downingtown, starting at 6pm.  Tickets are $40.  Head to onesimusminstries.org for more information (or talk to Pastor Vernon).

10.  Saturday 11/1 – Harvest Party.

On Sunday we will look at the first of several “progress reports” that Luke gives us about the early church as it expands to the ends of the earth.  We’ll see what the believers were devoted to and how Peter took advantage of yet another opportunity to share the Gospel and add to their number!

Scott