Heaven, Part 1
Type: Sunday Morning Service
Series: Heaven
Sermon: Part 1 - A Real Place
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
LThis message reminds believers that heaven is a real, physical place prepared by Jesus for those who follow Him. Fixing our minds on heaven brings comfort in grief, courage in death, and hope for the future. Because heaven is our true home, it changes how we live, love, and look at this world.
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Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
The Reality of Heaven
Many people picture heaven as a hazy, dreamlike existence—harps, clouds, and halos—but Scripture paints a far more vibrant picture. Jesus said in John 14 that heaven is a real place with real homes prepared for those who believe in Him. Heaven isn’t a myth to ease our fears; it’s a promise from the Savior who conquered death.
Heaven as Our Hope
When sorrow strikes, the reality of heaven gives comfort that nothing else can provide. Jesus told His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” and directed them to think on eternity rather than their earthly pain. Knowing that heaven is real reframes every trial—we grieve, but not without hope, because death is not the end.
Heaven Conquers Fear
The fear of death stems largely from unfamiliarity, but Paul wrote that “to die is gain.” For those in Christ, death means entering the presence of God, where pain, suffering, and fear no longer exist. When our minds dwell on heaven, earthly anxieties lose their grip, replaced by joyful anticipation of what is to come.
Heaven as Our True Home
Even the best homes on earth only hint at the longing inside us for our eternal dwelling. Jesus described heaven as His Father’s house filled with many mansions—a place more real and beautiful than anything we know. Every color, sound, and experience will be richer and fuller there, because heaven is not less real but more real than this world.
Prepared by Jesus for Us
Heaven is a place personally prepared for every believer. Just as we prepare rooms for loved ones before they arrive, Jesus prepares a place for His followers, secured by His sacrifice on the cross. Heaven will be filled with purpose, worship, and unending joy—an eternal life of meaning and closeness with God.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Main Idea: Heaven is a real, physical home prepared for us by Jesus, and that truth transforms how we live and grieve.
Scripture Reading: John 14:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Philippians 1:21.
Discussion Questions:
What are some common misconceptions people have about heaven?
How does knowing heaven is real bring comfort in times of loss?
Why do you think Jesus emphasizes “Let not your heart be troubled” before describing heaven?
How does anticipating heaven help us face fear or hardship on earth?
In what ways can fixing your mind on heaven change your daily perspective?
Action Step: This week, take ten minutes each day to imagine heaven—its beauty, its reality, and being face-to-face with Jesus. Let that vision guide your attitude and decisions.
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John 14:1–6:
Spoken during the Last Supper, these words came just before Jesus’ arrest. His disciples were anxious and confused about His departure, and Jesus offered comfort by revealing the reality of heaven—a place being prepared for them. The “many mansions” language reflected a household compound of the time, where extended family shared a permanent dwelling, symbolizing eternal belonging.1 Thessalonians 4:13–18:
Paul wrote to believers who were confused about what happened to Christians who died before Christ’s return. He assured them that those who “sleep in Christ” will rise first, emphasizing resurrection and reunion. This teaching established the Christian understanding of hope-filled grief—sorrow balanced by confidence in eternal life.Philippians 1:21:
Paul wrote from prison, facing the possibility of death, yet declared that dying would be “gain.” His perspective contrasted the fear of mortality common in Greco-Roman culture, emphasizing that life’s purpose and joy are found in Christ, whether on earth or in eternity. -
(30 Minutes Total)
Theme: Heaven Is Our Real Home
Introduction (5 min):
Ask: “What do you think heaven is like?” Show silly pictures (clouds, harps, angels with wings) and then explain that Jesus said heaven is a real place, more beautiful than we can imagine.Scripture: John 14:1–3
Craft (10 min):
Make “My Heavenly Home” pictures. Give each child paper and art supplies to draw their imagined room in heaven—maybe a garden, playground, or animal friend! Write at the bottom: “Jesus is preparing a place for me.”Game (5 min):
“Keep Your Fork!”—Kids sit in a circle and pass a plastic fork while music plays. When it stops, the one holding it says one thing they’re thankful for or one reason they’re excited about heaven.Discussion (5 min):
Why did Jesus say, “Don’t be troubled”?
What does it mean that heaven is a real place?
Who gets to live there forever?
Wrap-Up & Prayer (5 min):
Pray together: “Thank You, Jesus, for making a home for us in heaven. Help us remember that the best is yet to come!” -
How many have got heaven on their mind? I sure hope so. How often do you think about heaven on a weekly basis? Would you say once a day? Would you say once a week? Or do you admit like most Christians that they seldom think about heaven because the problems on earth are so overwhelming that our mind is consumed by earthly thoughts? Paul tells us in Colossians 3, verse 2, that we should fix our minds, our thoughts, our imaginations on what's above, not what's on this earth. He's specifically referring to a place, say place, a place called heaven. So, what comes to your mind when I use that word? I hope you're not like this poll that I recently read, and people responded to the question, what do you think of when you think of heaven? And these were some of the answers. We think of floating around in a ghostly type body. We think of hanging out in the clouds wearing togas. Togas? Others said that they, that's where you get your wings and you will strum a harp for all eternity. I can't even play a harp right now. Do I have to learn to play that thing before I get up there? I mean, it boggles my mind. Some people see heaven as standing in a celestial choir loft singing unendingly. Others imagine pearly gates and Peter checking IDs at the front door like a nightclub. Listen, Jesus says that heaven is something very, very different from what most people say. Heaven's way different from how the movies depict it and how the books describe it. He looked, and this is what he said in John chapter 14, let not your heart be troubled. You believed in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know. And the way, you know. Listen, Jesus wasn't offering a myth to calm his disciples down. He wasn't giving them a metaphor to make death sound less painful. He was revealing a reality. Heaven is a very real place. Who can say amen? It exists. We need to look forward to it. We need to imagine it. We need to fix our minds on it, the Scripture says, because the truth of heaven literally changes everything about our life on this planet. You see, if heaven's real, then sorrow isn't final. Grief doesn't get the last word, and the troubles we face in this world can't compare. to what God has waiting for us in the next one. Who can say amen? Amen. So let me just talk about a couple of things today. And we're going to go over this for a few weeks, to be honest, because I just want to paint a picture for you to file away in the memory banks of your mind. I want you to ponder these messages. I want you to meditate on them. I want you to hope and anticipate and expect heaven in maybe a way that you've never done in your entire life. Because what Jesus is communicating here is heaven is our hope. It comforts our grief. Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he was leaving them. They were sad. They were confused. Where was Jesus going? And why couldn't they go with him in the midst of their sorrow and pain? This is what Jesus says, let not your heart be troubled. And then he points them to heaven. Robin and I are getting ready for a memorial service, a celebration of life, a funeral for her mother. It's going to be in two weeks. It's going to be in Las Vegas, Nevada. And it's sad. I mean, over the last week, week and a half since her mother's passing, I'm driving down the road and I'm listening to a song on the radio and I'll just start crying because it will remind me of my mother-in-law. I'm sure for Robin it's even worse. This is the woman who gave her birth, that brought her into this world. They would talk on a regular and consistent basis until just recently when she was physically doing so bad that she really couldn't even talk on the phone. It's painful to remember those last couple of months and the last year. And it's painful to think that she's not even here on this planet any longer. But the Scriptures offer us the exact same hope Jesus was offering His disciples. And that is the hope of heaven who can say amen. Robin went back to work three days after her mother's death. And people at work were like, what are you doing here? You should be grieving. You should be sad. You should be hopeless and all of those things. And Robin said to one of the ladies, well, let me give you three reasons why I'm back at work. Number one, my grief is tempered by the extraordinary relationship I had with my mom. I have absolutely no regrets. Wow. Number two, my grief is mitigated by the fact that my mom had a great life. She had absolutely no regrets. And number three, my grief is only temporary because I'm going to see her again in heaven someday. I mean, that is a glorious hope and expectation. But I need you to understand that the grief and the sorrow is normal. The grief and the sorrow is not a bad thing. Everybody grieves. It's just do you grieve with hope or without hope? Jesus tells us in 1 Thessalonians that Paul was confronted by the same situation with those at Thessalonica. They were not sure of what was going to happen. They were hearing about Jesus' return, and they were thinking that those who had died don't get to go to heaven because they had to be there for the return of Christ. And this is what Paul says. I do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep or those who've died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always, say always, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. I'm reminded of the words in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet says to Romeo during a farewell, parting is such sweet sorrow. And that's what Robin and I feel. Yes, there's sorrow. Yes, there's grief. But there is a sweetness, an undeniable sweetness, because we know that Helen is in the arms of Jesus Christ, and we will see her again. heaven's also our hope because it has the power to conquer all of our earthly fears whatever you face on this planet if you really believe you know what i'm going to be in heaven someday who cares if i'm in jail who cares if my body's sick who cares if something bad is happening who cares it's going to last for a few years on this planet but i'm going to spend eternity in a place called paradise. Death seems to be scary, but it's only scary because of our unfamiliarity with it. It's only scary because we don't know exactly what's going to happen. And during the month of October, sometimes it's a little scarier because when you walk into Walmart, you see these little witches and goblins and ghouls in the store, and you see orange and black everywhere and black cats and black hats. And the culture in a macabre way celebrates the negativity, celebrates the fear in a way that is not normal. But listen to what Paul again says in Philippians chapter 1 verse 21 for me to live is christ and to die is gain how unusual he's not wanting to commit suicide here but he is he's trying to communicate to the philippians that that if i die it's actually going to be better he says later on i desire to depart and be with christ which is better by far. In the Greek language, it's far, far better or extraordinarily better. I'm not talking about just a little bit better. I'm not talking about, you know, incrementally better. I'm talking about it is better by extremes, by a thousandfold, a millionfold, a billion fold. That's how much better it is. Let me tell you a story to help you understand what I'm trying to communicate. An 85-year-old woman by the name of Martha was at her doctor when her doctor said, Martha, there's nothing else I can do for you. I can make you comfortable. I can send you home, but you've probably got two to three months to live. And so Martha was a very joyful Christian. And so she goes on home and she starts contemplating what she's going to do. And she decides to make an appointment with her pastor. And so she gets together with her pastor and she says, pastor, my doctor just told me I have two to three months to live. And I want you to help me plan out my celebration service for when I die. And so they put together the songs that they wanted and they chose a scripture that the pastor was going to preach from. And they actually wrote out her obituary and all of those things. And he said, I need some more details though. Are you going to be buried in a casket? How's that all going to work? And she said, oh yes, I want to be in a casket. And actually, I want an open casket at the ceremony for the viewing part. And the pastor said, okay, okay, we can do that. And she said, and I have two requests. She said, I want my Bible to be in my one hand, and I want my fork to be in my other hand. And so the pastor was kind of taken back by that, and he said, okay, I think I get the Bible part, but I don't get the fork part. And she said, well, let me put it to you this way. I've spent many years here in the church having beautiful meals. We have meals for different celebrations. We have meals after weddings and after funerals and all of those kinds of things. And she says, you know who my favorite meal is? The pastor said, no, what's your favorite meal? And she said, well, my favorite meal is when the host and the hostess come through and they pick up all of our plates and then they kind of grin and they look at us and say, but keep your fork. And the pastor goes, what are you trying to say? She says, well, you know how much I love sweets. Because when the host says, keep your fork, it tells me that the best is yet to come. And so when I have that fork in my hand, in my casket, I want you to tell everyone in that congregation, the best is yet to come. Who can say amen to that? Number two, heaven's our home. It's our eternal home. Robin and I, we owned a home in Las Vegas. We lived there for 25 years. And a number of years ago, we sold that home in anticipation of buying another someday. And it's been nine years since we owned a house. And even though when we go on a trip, when we come back, we want to get into our rental, It's not the same feeling that I have right now. Because a couple of months ago, Robin and I went and bought our own house. And it's right down the 301, right behind the police department down there. And we're getting excited. I'm starting to anticipate being there. I'm starting to anticipate what it's going to look like and how it's going to feel. And we get to pick out, you know, the flooring and the paint colors and all of these different things. And so there's this real anticipation building in our hearts for our home. But you know what I've learned? That that's going to be kind of shallow, to be quite honest. I'm going to get in there, and 30 days later, I won't care about it at all. I mean, sure, I want to get back there after vacations, and I want to sleep there at night. But that yearning for home has nothing to do with a physical abode on this planet. It has to do with being in the presence of God forever and ever. That's the desire of my heart. That's really the desire of every single person's heart in the entire world. They want to be in the presence of God. And a lot of times we look for other outlets, but heaven is our home. Who can say amen? Now, some people believe that Christians are crazy because they believe in a heaven, that it's just an illusion that people have used to control the masses. But Jesus communicates in these few verses that heaven is a very real, physical place. And this is what kind of boggles my mind. Because I've read these scriptures my entire life, and I've understood that heaven is a physical place that we're going to live someday. but most people who believe in heaven, I'm talking up towards 80%, think that in heaven we're going to be ghosts. They think we're going to have spirit-type bodies, that there's no physical life at all, even though the Bible says we're going to have new bodies. If we do not understand the reality of heaven, we will be hesitant to go there. We may even be apprehensive in regards to heaven. Let me remind you, in chapter 14 of John, verse 2, Jesus says it is a real place. In chapter 3, he repeats it and again says it is a real place. Jesus' words counter the idea that heaven is just a state of mind. That's not Christianity. The Bible teaches heaven is physical, substantial, even more real than what you and I are experiencing in this present moment. I believe that the colors are going to be more vibrant. I believe there's going to be more colors, more beauty, more amazing flowers, more amazing flavors, more and deeper smells, softer materials, and the list goes on and on and on. Listen, listen, listen. We often think of this world as real and heaven as spiritual, but what we mean by spiritual is vague or less real, but the Bible teaches the opposite. it. The world is the shadow and heaven is the reality. That's what it teaches. So we're going to get more there, not less. To reemphasize this, Jesus uses the word house. This is another physical picture to help us imagine what heaven is like. And then he says, in God's house are many mansions. You guys remember the old song? I've got a mansion just over the hilltop in that bright land where we'll never grow old. And someday yonder, we'll never more wander, but walk on streets that Our purest gold. See, you guys know it. Sing. Yeah, I love it. Yes. I want to show you a picture of a couple of earthly mansions. Okay? Just to give you a taste. All right? So this first one is called the Antilia. This is in Mumbai, India. That's just the top. It's 27 stories tall. Okay? They just had it appraised recently at nearly $5 billion. It has its own ballroom, its own movie theater, its own helicopter pad. There are 600 employees that run that thing on a regular basis. It costs like $300,000 a month just to run that thing. 27 stories tall. But that's nothing compared to the palace for the Sultan of Brunei. Look at this. This is the palace for the Sultan of Brunei. He has 1,788 rooms in his house. Over 2 million square feet. Now you might say, Pastor, my Bible doesn't use the word mansions. My Bible uses the word rooms. And I'll be happy with a little room in the corner of heaven. Well, you can believe for what you want to believe. for? I'm going to believe what I want to believe for, all right? And my belief is based on Scripture because the Bible tells me that not only do we have heaven, but there's going to be a city called the New Jerusalem. Who's ever heard of this? And did you know the physical dimensions of the New Jerusalem are found in the book of Revelation? It is 1,400 miles wide, 1,400 miles long, and 1,400 miles high. Let me help you conceive of this. That means it goes from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Mountains, and 1,400 miles into the sky. You don't get it. Outer space starts 60 miles up. Satellites are 1 to 200 miles up. This city is going to go 1,400 miles upward. Randy Elkhorn wrote a book called Heaven. He says if every story in an apartment or a skyscraper or a house is 12-foot ceilings, there will be 600,000 stories to some of the buildings. I think there's enough room for my basketball court in heaven someday. I'm just telling you, I can imagine things. And I'm so thankful to Mercy Me and for the song that they recorded a number of years ago called I Can Hardly Imagine. And that beautiful song is about that first encounter with Jesus. And how are we going to respond when we first see him face to face? Are we going to praise him or are we going to fall down on our face in absolute silence? Are different emotional responses. But let me tell you, I can also imagine what heaven's going to look like. There are hints throughout the scripture that help me to understand that heaven is going to be beautiful. Heaven is going to be glorious. And heaven is absolutely real. Another hint is found in the book of Hebrews. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 11, 16. But now they desire, This is the hall of faith, okay? They desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Country. Why would he use the word country unless it is geographic in nature? Therefore, God's not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Country and city are both references to physical places. So, what do you think about when you think of a city? our beautiful community right here. I think of restaurants. You might say, pastor, we're not going to eat in heaven. What? Where'd you get that from? Jesus said he's going to partake again in heaven with us about that communion meal. I mean, there's a big feast at the end when we get there. We're going to be eating. And so I think of restaurants. I think of arts districts. I think of civic events. I think of parades. There's going to be all kinds of celebrations taking place on a regular and consistent basis. When I think of a country, I think of a citizenship. And Paul says our citizenship is in heaven right now. We don't have to wait. That's where our citizenship is. And listen to what it says. He, Jesus, will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own. Have you ever considered what that means? There are a few stories at the end of the Gospels that tell us that after Jesus rose from the dead, he hung out with the disciples every now and then. And listen to what he says in Luke 24, 39. This is Jesus talking to his disciples. Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. In another verse, he says, I have flesh and bones, just like you guys. It's a different flesh. It's a different bone. It is a new resurrected body, but it is still physical in nature. In other words, he says, touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost because ghosts don't have bodies as you see that I do. Our bodies are going to be real. They're going to be recognizable to some degree, okay? Because remember, he's walking on the road to Emmaus with a couple of his disciples, and they don't recognize him until after he breaks the bread. So there's something glorified about these new bodies. There's something more beautiful, more substantial. There will be no ugly people in heaven. In verse 41, he asked for some food. Jesus does in his resurrected body. Here's what's really interesting. In one of the gospels, it says that the doors are locked, and then all of a sudden, Jesus is just standing there. Have you ever contemplated that? The doors are locked. Jesus has a flesh and bone body, and yet somehow he got through the door without opening the door. He has new supernatural abilities that even he didn't have in his first body, and now it's different. There's something crazy about this new body that he has. And then he goes on and says, I have prepared not just a body for you, but literally a place for you. He says it two different times, a prepared place. I just want you to think about that for a second. When Robin and I knew we were having a baby boy, our first child, we went and we bought a crib. We started buying all kinds of blue clothes. We started preparing in advance for his arrival. We did the same thing for our second, our third, our fourth. We would put different border wallpaper up. We would paint rooms. We would buy certain things. We'd get diapers. We would get ready for their appearance over and over and over again. Yesterday, Robin and I went over to some friend's house, And on Wednesday night after church, the host asked me, Pastor, do you have any dining requirements? And I listened to the menu. I said, man, that sounds awesome. I said, there's one thing you could do for us. Could you make sure there's Diet Coke? And guess what? When we got there, there was Diet Coke. They had prepared in advance for us. If Jesus is preparing in advance for you, can you imagine what your place looks like? Whether it's a mansion, whether it's a one-room apartment that is 100,000 square feet, whatever it is you've got in your mind, can you imagine what it's going to be like? Again, I said it before, my place is definitely going to have a basketball court in it. There's no doubt. and with my resurrected body, I'm going to be able to dunk for the first time in my life. I'm looking forward to that. But listen, listen, listen. Some people think, why would I want to go to heaven? It's just going to be boring up there. You know, there's no trials, no difficulties, no overcoming. Who said there's no overcoming? Whoever said there's no purpose? The Bible specifically says in Timothy chapter 2 verse 12, if we endure, we will also reign with Jesus. So there's going to be responsibilities. There's going to be things taking place. There's a science fiction writer by the name of Isaac Asimov. And this is what he said. He said, I don't believe in an afterlife, so I don't have to spend my whole life fearing hell or fearing heaven even more. For whatever the tortures of hell, I think the boredom of heaven would be even worse. Listen, we preachers have done an abysmal job if that's what people think of heaven. Because heaven is going to be meaningful. It's going to be purposeful. There's going to be adventure. There's going to be discovery. There's going to be newness on a regular and consistent basis. We won't have halos, but we will have crowns, the scripture says. We're not getting our wings and becoming angels, but we are going to be judging angels, the scripture says. And we will have occupations and jobs that actually take up much of our time, but we do it for the praise and the glory of God. And it won't be a dreary job. You won't be looking forward to a vacation because it'll feel like the most fulfilling thing you've ever done in your entire lives. And then on top of all of that, we get to worship Jesus Christ face to face. We get to spend time with him. We get to see him. If you're a football fan, the fall is probably an exciting time for you, especially if you like college football, Because I turn on some of those games and you can feel the electricity in the room with 80,000 fans. Or up in Michigan, 100 and some thousand fans. And you can feel it through the television. I've been to a Promise Keepers event where there's 40 or 50,000 men all praising God. I've been to worship celebrations where I thought I was already in heaven. And all of those experiences pale. in comparison to what we are going to experience once we see Jesus face to face. Would you just give the Lord a round of applause right now? I'm looking forward to seeing you, Jesus. I'm looking forward to spending time in the presence of God. And I'm going to be able to do all of that because Jesus purchased the real estate the same way Robin and I recently purchased our home. You might say, what are you talking about? Well, I believe that we purchase this home not with money, but with blood, sweat, and tears. I mean, if you have ever saved money for a down payment, especially nowadays, there's a lot of tears. Okay? There's a lot of sweat. There's a lot of toil that goes on into saving the money and trying to buy a house, and everyone can't do it now because many crazy things that are happening in our world. Well, we get to do that. Jesus purchased the new heavens and the new earth with his blood. That's what the scripture says. And we get to take residence there because of his sacrifice. Who can say amen? Here's the great news. The Lord has invited everyone. He's not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. The Lord does not want one person going to hell. Now, the sad news is, is people are going to go to hell. Not because God wants them there. Not because God predestined them there. But because they chose to live a life separate from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thomas got a little nervous at the end of this story. I don't know if you recognize it. But in verse 4, Jesus says, you know the way to where I'm going. and Thomas in verse 5 goes, I don't know the way. Make sure I know the way. What are the directions, Jesus? And Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Kind of reminds me of a story I heard about Billy Graham. This was a long time ago, and Billy Graham showed up in a community, and he was preaching that weekend at the convention center, and he needed to send some letters to the post office, and he must have got bad directions or something because he couldn't find it. And he saw a little like nine or ten-year-old kid on a bicycle, and he pulls over, and he says, hey, son, do you know where the post office is? And the boy goes, oh yeah, it's just like three blocks down this way, and two blocks over to the right, and you've got the post office. And Billy Graham said, thank you so much. He said, hey, hey, I'm going to be speaking tonight at the convention center, and I'm to be telling everybody the way to heaven. Would you like to come? The boy said, I don't think so. And Billy Graham said, well, why wouldn't you want to come? And the boy said, well, you don't even know the way to the post office. How are you going to teach me how to get to heaven? Pastor, come on up. Heaven's not wishful thinking. It's not man's invention. It's Jesus' promise. Heaven's our hope when we grieve. It's our courage when we face death. And it's our real home. It's a purchased place prepared by Jesus Christ himself. But remember, Jesus didn't say, I go and prepare a place for you alone. He says, you have to choose to take the directions that I give you. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. So, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you should take courage. And if you haven't, you have opportunity today to do that exact thing. So would you bow your heads with me just for a moment? And as everyone's bowed their heads, I just want to give you an opportunity to respond to a message about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves you so much that first he died on the cross for your sins. And in addition to that, he has gone back to his father and they are building and creating a whole new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem, so that you will have a place to abide with him forever and ever and ever. So if you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you might be thinking, this sounds too good to be true. Well, in a way, it really is. Because the wages of sin is death, and the Bible tells us all have sinned. So every one of us is destined for the other place. We're all destined for him. But because Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and died on that cross, the scripture tells us that he is a substitute for us. All we have to do is say, Lord, I'm sorry for my sin. I repent and I accept you as my savior. If there's anybody here who would like to take advantage of that today, would you just slip up a hand and say, Pastor, remember me in prayer. Praise you, Jesus. Praise you, Jesus. Prayer partners, if I could have you come to the front. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I say thank you. Lord, I didn't see anybody raise their hands. That doesn't mean that there aren't people here who need you. Nor do they need to raise their hands in order to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. but Father God what it tells me is we've not invited enough outsiders into our church. I'm asking you in the name of Jesus Christ to kind of cause us to have a holy consternation and a desire to see more people give their life to Jesus Christ on a regular basis. No pastor wants to preach just to the choir. Every pastor desires the loss, every pastor desires new people to to come in and hear the gospel and be given the opportunity to accept Christ so father God if there's someone here I pray you'd move on their hearts right now and if not move on the rest of our hearts to invite to invest to investigate father God and do what is ever necessary so that literally hundreds and thousands over the next couple years Father God, we'll come to know Jesus Christ as a result of the work that we're doing here at Oxford Assembly of God Church. I pray this today in Jesus' holy and precious name. And together, everyone says, would you stand with me, please?
