30 Sermon Illustrations on Heavenly Home

"Jerusalem from above is the mother of us all. Heaven is the believer's native country, and therefore, though the man be at home, yet the Christian is not; he is out of his proper place." Hence our position is a paradox. We were in literal fact born out of our native country, and whilst we are at home we are abroad. We can say, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations," and yet we often cry, "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" We are exiles in spirit while we are at home in the body; and we shall never be at home till we have left our native land, and have returned to the country which we have never yet seen. We are living paradoxes and contradictions, and it is no wonder that men know us not, for we scarcely know ourselves.

As a traveller, having passed many dangers, rejoices greatly when he nears his own country or home; so may the Christian as he approaches the heavenly country.

A New-Zealand chief visited England a few years ago. One day, he was taken to see a beautiful mansion near London. The gentleman who took him expected to find him greatly charmed with its magnificence; but it seemed to excite little admiration in his mind. He then began to point out to him its grandeur, the beauty of the furniture, &c. Tamahana, looking round upon the walls, replied, "Ah! my Father's house finer than this." The gentleman knew that his father's home was but a poor mud-cottage. But Tamahana went on, — "My Father's house finer than this;" and began to speak of the house above, — the house of "many mansions," the eternal home of the redeemed.

A legend says, that a powerful and rich king, troubled in heart in spite of all his possessions, went to a holy devise, and asked him for the secret of happiness. The devise led him forth in front of a high rock, on the top of which an eagle had built her nest. Then the devise said, "Imitate that bird: build thy throne in heaven, and thou shalt reign there unmolested and in peace."

Whitefield, when in Edinburg, stepped into a stagecoach. A lady belonging to a prominent denomination entered the same coach, and recognizing Whitefield, said: “Are you not Mr. Whitefield?” “Yes, madam.” “Oh, then, let me get out.” “Surely, madam,” was the calm reply, “but before you go let me ask you one question. Suppose you die and go to Heaven, and then suppose I die and go there also, will you go out when I come in?”

There may be three things which will surprise us when we get to Heaven,—one, to find many there that we did not expect to find there; another, to find some not there whom we had expected; a third, and perhaps the greatest wonder, will be to find ourselves there.

Once when I was traveling to a city there was a lady in the car with me. After I had reached the hotel where I was to stay, and had got comfortable quarters, she came, and said:

“Oh, sir, I cannot get a room in this hotel; they are quite full! However did you manage to get a room?”

“Easily enough,” I replied; “I just telegraphed on before that I was coming, to have a room ready for me.”

And it is somewhat similar in regard to gaining admission to heaven. Your names must be sent on beforehand, and entered in its book, else you won’t get in; but get your names inscribed on its pages, and then you won’t be disappointed. God will have a mansion ready for you when you ascend to your heavenly home.

. An old Scotchman was asked whether he expected to get to heaven. "Why, man, I live there," was his quaint reply. Let us all live in those spiritual things which are the essential features of heaven. Often go there, before you go to stay there. It was said of an old Puritan, that heaven was in him before he was in heaven. That is necessary for all of us; we must have heaven in us before we get into heaven. If we do not get to heaven before we die, we shall never get there afterwards.

inheritance of the saints." So then, heaven, with all its glories, is an inheritance. Now, an inheritance is not a thing which is bought with money., earned by labor, or won by conquest. If any man hath an inheritance, in the proper sense of that term, it came to him by birth. And thus it is with heaven. The man who shall receive this glorious heritage will not obtain it by the works of the law nor by the efforts of the flesh; it will be given to him as a matter of most gracious right, because he has been "begotten . . . again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," and has thus become an heir of heaven by blood and birth. They who come unto glory are sons; for is it not written, "The captain of (our) salvation" bringeth "many sons unto glory?" They come there not as servants; no servant has any right to the inheritance of his master. Be he ever so faithful, yet is he not his master's heir. But because you are sons — sons by the Spirit's regeneration - sons by the Father's adoption because by supernatural energy you have been born again, you become inheritors of eternal life and you enter into the many mansions of our Father's house above. Let us always understand, then, when we think of heaven, that it is a place which is to be ours and a state which we are to enjoy as the result of birth — not as the result of work. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." That kingdom being an "inheritance," until you have the new birth you can have no claim to enter it.

Come away! come away! you can hear them calling, calling, Calling us to come to them, and roam no more, Over there beyond the ridges and the land that lies between us, There’s an old song calling us to come!

Come away! come away! for the scenes we leave behind us Are barren for the lights of home and a flame that’s young forever; And the lonely trees around us creak the warning of the night-wind, That love and all the dreams of love are away beyond the mountains, The songs that call for us to-night, they have called for men before us, And the winds that blow the message, they have blown ten thousand years; But this will end our wander-time, for we know the joy that waits us In the strangeness of home-coming, and a faithful woman’s eyes. Come away! come away; there is nothing now to cheer us-- Nothing now to comfort us, but love’s road home: Over there beyond the darkness there’s a window gleams to greet us, And a warm hearth waits for us within.

--EDWARD ARLINGTON ROBINSON, “The Wilderness.”

“=Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness=”--See CHRIST’S FACE.

JOURNEY TO HEAVEN

Our highest aspiration must wait. We are here to get through the world. Life is a road where we camp for a night on a journey to the golden gate and the setting sun; a traveler who sets up his tent at dark does not plant corn or put out a grapevine, if when the morning comes he expects to pull his tent down and march on. Men are born upon the shore of one ocean; by traveling lightly and never losing a moment, and marching bravely on, through forest, over desert, mountain and river, the traveler can reach the other ocean in time to catch the little boat that slips out into the dark, and sails out of sight with God alone. But the traveler must not expect to plant harvests and grow vineyards while out upon his march. Yonder lie the happy hills of God. There no winter falls, there the summer sheds its warmth always upon the violet beds. There youth is perfect and beauty is eternal. There every ambition will be perfected, every dream realized; every hope turned to fruition, and the soul is a tree waving its fruit and casting down its purple vintage at the feet of the God of the summer. (Text.)

— N. D. HILLIS

A wealthy man before leaving on an extended tour of Europe, said to his contractor, "While I am away, I want your to build me a fine new home according to these plans. Be sure you work with extreme care, and use the best of everything. Tell me the cost as soon as you have it and I'll send you a check." During the process of construction the contractor discovered many opportunities to substitute inferior materials; he put in his own pocket the money he saved. His employer would never know the difference, and he himself would profit. But he soon regretted his dishonesty, for the wealthy man upon his return inspected the finished home and said: "You have built it exactly as I wanted it, and I'm sure that you used the best of everything in its construction. Now, in appreciation for your long years of service to me, I am giving you this new home for your very own. Here's the deed!" Congregation, you are building for eternity. As Paul says, you can choose the materials you use. Do you build with inferior materials or do you build with choice materials on the foundation of Christ? Don't ever forget, the house we will have later on depends on the material we are using now. See: \reference{1 Cor 3:11}{1 Corinthians 3:11}

In Salt Lake City a photographer saw a street sign, all

askew, and promptly took a picture. The result was captioned,

"Divine Direction," and showed a "one-way" sign pointing to the

sky with a cemetery in the background. The words of English

poet William Blake were quoted: "The grave is heaven's golden

gate, and rich and poor around it wait." But the photograph

is wrong in one sense. There are two ways from the grave -- the

way to Heaven and the way to Hell. On the other hand, there is

only "one way" to Heaven, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. If

you want to be sure of a home in Heaven, trust Him today.

I’ve purchased a town lot in heaven

On the city not built with hand,

I’m sending material daily

To build in that happy land.

I’d like a mansion on Main Street,

Where streets are all paved with gold.

With a clear view of the pearly gates

Where Christ takes care of the soul.

I want to send good material

That will stand the test of time,

So I’ll not be disappointed

When I reach that home sublime.

Prayer is for the foundation,

Faith and love for the walls,

Good deeds for the reinforcement,

That will stand when the Savior calls.

I would like you for my neighbor

In that city so divine—

Maybe just across the street

Or your home close to mine.

Up there we will know no sorrow,

Tears will never dim the eyes.

There we will rest in peace forever

In that happy home on high.

So my friends, start to building

Your home beyond the sky

Where we can all be together

In the sweet by and by.

--Author Unknown

When King Khama came from Bechuanaland to England he was constantly asking “Where is Africa?” No matter how fascinating were the sights, his heart turned always homeward. So the Christian in the midst of all life’s distractions may remember that here he has no continuing city--heaven is his home. (Text.)