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TJC / Heaven and Hell

Session 4 - Heaven comes to Earth, and Earth becomes Heaven

The audio for this sermon series belongs to The Journey Church. I listened to this Heaven and Hell series several years ago and at the time, for the sake of offline listening, I downloaded the raw audio files that they made available from their web site for the entire series.

Recently, our small group has decided to listen to and go through this series again (it's fantastic), and when we found the series on their web site, we found that none of the audio for it was available. I still had the audio files that I had previously downloaded saved, and am hosting them here on my site for the sake of sharing with our group. Permission for this from The Journey Church is pending.

Updates1
  • Update3 weeks ago

    The following are AI summarized notes generated from the transcript of this sermon.

    Heaven Comes to Earth, Earth Becomes Heaven

    Pastor Eric Reed — Journey Church, Heaven and Hell series (Week 4)

    Foundational Text

    Deuteronomy 29:29 — "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever."

    Framework for the whole message: cling to what's revealed, trust God with mysteries

    Series Recap (Weeks 1-3)

    • We all die → judgment follows (based on: Did you meet God's standard? Did you trust Christ?)
    • Believers enter "intermediate/present heaven" (not final heaven)
    • Christ returns → resurrection of the dead in new bodies → judgment of works → rewards in new heavens/new earth

    Note on the rapture controversy: Pastor addressed pushback from an earlier video arguing the Bible doesn't teach rapture theology. Distinguished:

    • Closed-handed issues (must agree): deity of Christ, atonement, resurrection, salvation through Christ alone, biblical authority, Trinity
    • Open-handed issues (room to differ): rapture/end-times details, order of salvation, etc.

    Main Text: Revelation 21:1-5

    Key Teaching: Redemption, Not Destruction

    • "Passed away" ≠ destroyed/discarded (like saying a loved one "passed away")
    • Common misreading of 2 Peter 3:10 ("heavens burned up") — fire in Scripture symbolizes purification, not annihilation
    • Supporting text: Romans 8:20-22 — creation groans "like childbirth," longing to be *set free*, not destroyed
    • Analogy: the flood didn't destroy and replace the earth — it purified it

    The New Jerusalem (v.2-3)

    • A physical city descending *from* heaven *to* earth
    • Core idea: God dwells with man (not man ascending to God) — "the dwelling place of God is with man"
    • Result (v.4-5): no more death, mourning, crying, or pain — "Behold, I am making all things new"

    Central Interpretive Principle: Continuity

    The new earth = this earth, minus sin, strife, and sorrow.

    • Real places (Paris, Rome, Dubai, your family farm) will still exist — redeemed, not erased
    • Avoids Gnostic thinking (physical = bad, spiritual = good only) — rejected as unbiblical

    Practical Q&A on Heaven

    • Will we do things like paint, dance, tell stories?

      • Yes — creative, physical life continues

    • Is heaven an endless worship service?

      • No — all of life is worship, not just singing

    • Will we sleep/eat?

      • Yes — not because we must, but because they're good gifts

    • Will we travel (cars, planes, etc.)?

      • Likely yes — no inherent sin in technology

    • Will we fly like Jesus did?

      • Probably not — we're not Jesus; consistent with continuity

    • Will there be oceans?

      • Debated

    • "Sea was no more" may mean the danger/curse of the sea ends, not all water

      • A river runs through New Jerusalem, so water remains

    • Will there be animals?

      • Yes — cites Isaiah 11 & 65 (wolf/lamb, lion/ox imagery)

    • Will our pets be there?

      • Uncertain — a "secret thing"
      • Psalm 84:11 offered as a hopeful principle

    • Will we keep learning?

      • Yes — current knowledge carries forward
      • Minds are redeemed, not made instantly omniscient

    • What about relationships/memories?

      • Full recall of this life
      • Fellowship with believers across history

    • Marriage/sex in heaven?

      • No — their earthly purpose (gospel display, procreation) ends

    • Will we always be with Jesus physically?

      • Openly uncertain — pastor admits he doesn't know
      • Cites Revelation 1:7, "every eye will see him"

    Closing Application: Matthew 22 (Sadducees' Trick Question)

    • Jesus' rebuke: "You know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God"

    • Two failures illustrated:

      • 1. Not knowing what's already revealed
      • 2. Doubting God has an answer for what's *not* revealed

    • Takeaway: Build on what's revealed; trust God's wisdom for the mysteries

    Communion Application

    Motif of "take and eat" throughout Scripture

    • Fall: Satan's temptation to "take and eat" → separation from God
    • Redemption: Christ's body/blood — "take, eat" → restored relationship
    • Future: the wedding feast of heaven — "take and eat" in God's presence