Pastor, if there isn’t __________ in heaven, I’m not sure I want to go there. Pastor, what if I get bored in heaven? Pastor, will I really be happy in heaven?
It’s not just confirmation students asking these questions, it’s adults too. I’ve handled that question as a pastor, and it’s a question I’ve wondered myself. “Is heaven really worth it?” I know I’m not alone. Some, thinking that heaven as like a long church service, are hesitant to commit to heaven as a good idea because they know how they feel at the end of a long drawn-out church service. Some, thinking that heaven is a place of no sin, equate that with “no fun.”
Ultimately, at the root of the question is doubt that God knows what is best for you.
That’s why I appreciated preaching on Isaiah 65:17-25 this last weekend. Not only does the LORD through the prophet Isaiah talk about heaven in negative terms, such as no sorrow, no weeping, no danger from nature, no danger from the devil and his angels, no separation from those you love in the LORD, but also, no wants. “Then it will happen that even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24 EHV)
Even the best thanksgiving dinner needs someone to pass the butter.
If you ever go to a banquet at Von Abel’s in Hollandtown, you know you won’t leave there unsatisfied. And if it’s a banquet where it’s served family-style, you’ll get platter after platter to your table of delicious chicken, potatoes, vegetables, ham, and all the fixings. If you can keep eating, they’ll still bring food to you. You lack for nothing. But there are still sometimes you’ll have to ask for something, because the staff is putting so much in front of everyone they can’t always track if you have enough of each item.
A Thanksgiving dinner, with all the good food, still lacks something. Even if you are sitting at a table with a ton of food on it, you’ll still be asking for this or that to be passed to you. You’re lacking something until everything is passed to you and you have it all on your plate. But then, there’s still something lacking. Maybe the turkey was too dry, or there are raisins in your dressing, or a favorite dish isn’t present. There’s always something that could prevent you from being truly content. Imagine a place where you’ll feel like you have everything you possibly could want. Imagine an existence where you never get to the point where you say, “You know what this needs? More _______.” That’s what LORD through Isaiah was communicating in that one verse. Before you realize you need something, God will provide it. Before you can even think to ask for it, it will be there. This is more than just a genie giving your every wish, but a state of existence where wishes aren’t needed. You won’t even have a wish or a need. God will provide. Can you even imagine an existence where you lack for even a want?
God’s promises are His answer to your future anticipation.
God promises this in Isaiah, that in heaven you won’t have an opportunity to say, “If this had ______, I’d truly be happy.” All your wants will be supplied; you won’t be found asking for more. This is God’s promise. How can you be certain you will go there? Certainly you do not go there through your own effort, for you cannot be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Your best effort will still be lacking the perfect zeal and perfect motivation. Your best words will still lack the perfect love that God demands. But God sent His Son Jesus to die for you. Jesus lived a perfect life and his perfect sacrifice was credited to your heavenly account, thus giving you a place at the heavenly table. God will keep His promise to you because it is based on what His son has done for you. Until the day God fulfills His promises to the letter, there are those you know who, if the end of all things were today, would not spend eternity with you. Take advantage of the opportunities to invite others to this heavenly feast. Jesus Christ paid their way in too. Let them know. There still is room. And whether they listen or fail to listen, you still have an eternity of heaven to look forward to, a place where tears will be dried, sorrows forgotten, sin destroyed, and your every need supplied. You will lack nothing.