I Am Preparing a Place for You: Jesus and the Doctrine of Heaven

Preached at Tremont Baptist Church
May 30, 2010

John 14:1-6
¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going."

⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

1. Jesus' assurance of heaven should give us hope and peace in life. (verse 1)

• This world is temporary. Do not build your life in this world. See Matthew 6:19-20; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Philippians 1:21, 23

• When you do suffer in this world, you realize that this life is temporary and God has something far greater in store for you.
  

2. Jesus is preparing heaven for His disciples. (verse 2)

• When we die, our spirits go immediately to be with Jesus. See Luke 23:43; Acts 7:59; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9-11
• When Christ returns, our bodies will be resurrected. Our spirits will be reunited with our glorified bodies. We will live in the New Heavens and New Earth. We will have physical bodies, just like Jesus' resurrected body. See 1 Corinthians 15:42-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation chapters 21:1-22:6

3. Jesus will return to take his disciples to heaven. (verse 3)

4. Jesus is the only way to heaven. (verses 4-6)