Online Bible Study about Heaven
(studying Randy Alcron's book Heaven published by LifeWay)

Week One

Are you looking forward to Heaven? If you’re like me that’s an easy question to answer.

Yes!

I had to smile as I read the pastor’s confession in Day One of this study. He said that he was sometimes depressed when he thought about sitting on clouds in Heaven for all of eternity with nothing to do.

Of course, that’s not what Heaven will be like. But like this pastor, until I heard a sermon series at our church about Heaven and read Randy Alcorn’s book, my picture of Heaven wasn’t too different from this pastor.

For our online Bible study, I’m going to share what jumped out to me in the week’s lesson … which may or may not be what impressed you. Please share your thoughts as comments—that will allow all of us doing this study to learn from one another.

Day One – Realizing Our Destiny

Satan need not convince us that Heaven doesn’t exist. He need only convince us that Heaven is a boring, unearthly place. (page 9)

Alcorn goes on to say that believing Heaven is a boring place will rob us of our joy of anticipating eternity. And, as we focus our minds on this life and not the next, we’re not motivated to share our faith.

If I know that I am going on a wonderful cruise to Alaska (yep, I’d love to go on one)—the cruise package and flights have been paid for and I have the tickets in hand—then I’ll have an extra bounce in my steps. Vacation is almost here … and a wonderful vacation at that! How much more should my daily life be filled with joy, knowing that I’m just passing through this human life on my way to a wonderful place called Heaven?

If I could give my friends and loved ones “free cruises” to Alaska, would I. You bet I would!

Day Two – Is Heaven Beyond Our Imagination?

Scripture makes it clear that Jesus is preparing a place for us, and God’s kingdom will come to earth. A physical resurrection awaits us.

As we go through this study, it would be good for us to consider these verses:

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

“Test everything. Hold on to the good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

Based on these verses, how should we approach any teaching of God’s Word?

I thought Alcorn’s question, “Could it be that our culture’s rejection of God relates to its fear and denial of death?” was very interesting. It caused me to ask myself another question, “When our culture rejects God, does it not only deny God’s authority, but also His design for our life today and eternity?”

What do you think?

May we ask the Lord to remove blinders from our eyes about any preconceived ideas about Heaven and better understand our eternal home as Christians. Instead of fearing death, may we look forward to one day going “Home.”

Day Three – Is it OK to Imagine Heaven as a Literal Place?

Read the following verses:

However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

…

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
(Deuteronomy 29:29)

What does the end of Deuteronomy 29:29 mean: “But the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever”?

As Alcorn says,(page 17) we should accept that many things about heaven are secret, but there are many revealed things about Heaven that belong to us and to our children. We will learn about some of those things in this study.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:1) What a great verse to recall during these challenging times! Alcorn reminds us that God’s people are “longing for a better country” (Hebrews 11:16).

My husband, Jim, and I watched a wonderful DVD recently, The Star of Bethlehem. From its title I had thought that it was “only” a Christmas DVD. It’s actually a documentary that explores the truths of Scripture and shows how God’s existence is seen from the stars. It was amazing and caused me to not only thank God for sending His Son to Earth, but also to dream about what Heaven must be like.

Day Four—Is Heaven Our Default Destination?

What is your response to this statement, “We should be shocked not that some people could go to Heaven but that any would be permitted into Heaven (page 21)?”

I have to agree with C.S. Lewis (page 23), “If I had a choice, that is, if Scripture were not so clear and conclusive, I would certainly not believe in hell. Trust me when I say I do not want to believe in it. But if I make what I want—or what others want—the basis for my beliefs, then I am a follower of myself and my culture, not a follower of Christ.”

Alcorn says (pages 21-22) that if we truly understood God’s nature and ours, we would shocked not that some people could go to hell, but that any would even be permitted into Heaven. He added, “By denying the endlessness of hell, we minimize Christ’s work on the cross, because we lower the stakes of redemption. If Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection didn’t deliver us from an eternal hell, His work on the cross is less heroic, less potent, less consequential, and thus less deserving of our praise.”

Read the following verses:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:29)
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:40-42)

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.” (Mark 9:43-44)

What do you think about these verses?

Alcorn says on page 24 that, “Earth is an in-between world touched by both Heaven and hell. Earth leads directly into Heaven or directly into hell, affording a choice between the two. The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of hell. For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.”

That’s really a neat statement.

Day Five—Can You Know You’re Going to Heaven?

What did you think of Ruthanna Metzgar’s story (page 26) about the consequences of her failure to answer the RSVP at the bottom of a wedding invitation?

“When the invitation arrived,” she said, “I was too busy. Besides, I was the singer. Surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP?”

Are you certain that you are going to Heaven … that your eternity is certain? I am—not because my good works outweigh my bad. But, because I have responded to Jesus Christ’s invitation to Heaven. I have accepted His free offer to accept His death on the cross for the full payment of my sins.

When I was 19-years-old I had a sense that I could never be good enough to merit Heaven. (I was right.) Then someone explained to me that if I accepted Jesus’ full payment for my sins and asked Him to be Lord of my life, then I would have eternal life. I did this by faith and my life has never been the same. My life has true purpose and meaning and I know that my eternal destiny is secure forever.

If you are wondering how you can have purpose in your life, Power to Change can answer your questions.

If you have questions about salvation, I will try my best to answer them. Please e-mail me at mary@marymaywrites.

Have a great week learning about Heaven!

He is able,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
www.marymaywrites.com
http://wanttostudythebible.blogspot.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

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