Heaven is Real!

Not in Heaven Series

This message begins a new series exploring the eternal realities that shape how we live today. As we consider what awaits us beyond this life, we discover that heaven isn't just our future destination—it's the lens through which we should view our present choices and actions.

Why Talk About Heaven?

I know some of you might be thinking, "Why on earth are we talking about this subject? How depressing. I just want to live, give me something for my present reality. I didn't come to church to think about death. I just want to be happy in the here and now."

But here's why it's really important that we talk about heaven, that we talk about eternity: what we believe about eternity determines how we live in the present. It determines the choices that we make and the actions that we take.

Many people have bought into the lie that life is just an accident. We were created without any purpose, any reason for existence. We can do what we like. There are no real standards that we have to live by. And simply when we get to the end of our days, we'll just die.

I want you to know today that is absolute rubbish. We were created by God, and for the glory of God, each and every one of us. In Ephesians 2:10 it says these lovely words: "For we are God's masterpiece." Tomorrow morning when you look in the mirror—you can do it today even—just say "I am God's masterpiece" as you look in that mirror. And if we have made the Lord Jesus Lord of our lives, we will spend eternity with him.

The Biblical Foundation of Heaven

You need to know today that no matter how hard I try, it is impossible for me to just nail the glory of heaven. Quite a few people have written detailed books about what happened to them when they went to heaven. They're good books, they're quite an interesting read. But we need to come to the Bible—it is our go-to when we're looking at the subject of heaven. It gives us the greatest, and it gives us the most accurate description of heaven.

When Paul commented on heaven, he says this in 1 Corinthians 2:9: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

In the gospel of John, Jesus captured some incredible words in chapter 14. If you're feeling burdened, worried or anxious, we read these amazing words in John 14:1-6:

"Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And 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. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

What a statement by Jesus there. I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. He is the way to the Father. He is the only way to heaven. His sacrifice, his death, his resurrection—that is the gospel there. He is the way, he is the truth, he is the life.

Heaven is Real Not Just an Idea

The first thing I want to highlight today is that heaven is real. Heaven is real. It's not an idea, it's not a state of mind. It's a location like Swansea or Neath, or New York. It's a place.

We often think of heaven in sort of a mystical way, and I think that is the main thought for those that are not believers. Our minds gravitate towards the film version. Suddenly we're going to turn into these chubby babies, and we're going to be floating on clouds, strumming harps. That is not the heaven of the Bible.

Heaven Described as Paradise

The Bible uses a number of words to describe heaven, and one word it uses is the word paradise. In the Gospels we're told that Jesus was crucified between two thieves, and in the last moment of his life, one of the thieves put his faith in Jesus. I love that. In the very last moment of his life, he said, "Jesus, I want to be with you," and he says these words: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Heaven as a City

Heaven is also compared to a city. In Hebrews 11:10, it says, "For he [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 13:14 says, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

What are you looking to today? Let's look to what is to come.

As a family, we love walking around cities. And in most cities, there will be culture, there's going to be art, there's going to be music, there's going to be parks, there'll be shops, there'll be barber shops, there'll be coffee shops. Will heaven have all of these things? I think I can say there's not going to be vape shops in heaven. We don't know, do we?

But one thing we can be certain of: heaven will in no way be less than what we experience here on earth.

Heaven as a Country

Heaven is a country. In Hebrews 11:16, we read, "Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God."

Heaven—it's a paradise, it's a city, it's a country, and there is so much more that we cannot begin to wrap our minds around. But one thing I do know is this: Jesus is expecting you, and he has prepared a place for all of us today.

Heaven Will Be Better Than Earth

Heaven is real. It's going to be better than what we experience on earth, because there is so much more to heaven. This concept that heaven is going to be a place which is boring—it's not, it's going to be amazing.

I'm sure we would all agree that everything that we enjoy on Earth is the result of a gift from God. It ultimately comes from him—the favourite place we like to go, the favourite food we love to eat (and for me, that's chocolate). Why do we enjoy it? It's because God gave us our senses, the ability to enjoy the beauty that he created. When we feel joy, when we laugh, when we feel love, these are emotions that God has given to you and me. He's a good father, and he blesses his children with good things.

No More Sin, Pain, or Sorrow

When we go to heaven, we will enjoy everything that we enjoy on earth, but there will be no more sin, there will be no more pain, there will be no more sorrow, there will be no more death. It is the absence of everything evil, the presence of everything good, the presence of God. We will be in his presence.

We read in 1 Corinthians 13:12 these words: "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

You may feel ignored, you may feel overlooked, forgotten. And there's bound to be some that are feeling like that today. When we get to heaven, we're going to know one another, we're going to love and be loved, we're going to recognize one another.

Reuniting with Loved Ones

We will be recognized. We can go up to Peter and say, "Peter, what was it like to walk on water? That must have been amazing." We can ask David, "David, when you hit Goliath with that stone, was it luck, or was it God? Come on, give us the honest answer."

For those of us who have lost loved ones who were in Christ—a child, a spouse, a relative, a friend—we're going to reunite with those that we lost, those that we love. There'll be no heartache, there will be perfect love.

Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

What a reunion that is going to be—amazing heaven.

Unimaginable Beauty

There is loads to experience, and it is a place of unimaginable beauty. Revelation 21:15-21 gives us incredible detail:

"The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst."

That is better than what you get on Grand Designs. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

If no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for us, that would imply that we're going to see new colours, we're going to experience new sensations and the new beauty of the recreated world that God will establish. It is going to be amazing in heaven.

Think about the beauty of this world—it's going to be plain, and it is going to be average compared to heaven. Imagine for a moment, you have the opportunity to travel non-stop around this world for ten years, seeing all the glory of God's creation. That is not going to compare with what we will see when we get to heaven.

A World Without Sin

Imagine a world for a moment without sin. Think about the most beautiful place that you have been on earth. For us, one of the nicest places we visited was a place called the Blue Lagoon, just off Malta, and it is known for its crystal clear waters. The sea is turquoise, it's got vibrant marine life, you can go swimming, snorkeling, you can relax, and it just feels as if you're in paradise.

Heaven will be a place of unimaginable beauty, and in that place, you and I are going to have perfect bodies, and we will see Jesus face to face.

Seeing Jesus Face to Face

We will see him face to face. As we look throughout the Old Testament, it reveals to us that we would not be able to stand in the presence of God. In Exodus 33, Moses said, "God, I want to see your glory," and God said to him, "Moses, you're not going to be able to handle my glory, but I'll do this. I will pass by you, and you can see my back."

Every year, the priest would go into the holy of holies, the dwelling place of God. They would tie a rope around his leg, because if he got too close to the presence of God, it could kill him, and then they could just simply drag him out.

We can thank God today that through Jesus's death and resurrection, we have access to his holy presence. One day, we will look into Jesus's face, eye to eye. And it's in that moment that we will be truly alive.

Perfect Bodies in Heaven

I'm looking forward to going to heaven, looking forward to having that perfect body. I'm looking forward to seeing my granddad who was unwell and suffered with dementia. I'm looking forward to seeing him in his perfect body. I'm looking forward to seeing Alison's nan who was bound to her bed due to ill health, looking forward to seeing her in perfect health.

I'm looking forward to seeing all my family members. I'm looking forward to just seeing people strong and well. And I'm sure it's the same for you with your loved ones who knew Jesus. We will see them and they will have perfect bodies.

Today, you may have a receding hairline, and I know some of you have a receding hairline. When you get to heaven, you can have a perfect head of hair. Whatever our battle may be on earth, when we get to heaven, we're going to be perfect in every way.

We Will Serve Him

And we will serve him. Revelation 22:3 says, "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him."

In heaven, serving and working for the Lord is not going to be a drag. It's not going to be a hardship, it will be a place of blessing as God originally intended. We will rule, we will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is going to be a victorious moment. If you have a sporting hero, if you have a team in sport that you love, it's going to be like victory with that team. A couple of weeks ago, Tottenham Hotspur who I support, they won the Europa Cup after 17 years of not winning anything—the wait was over. In the evening after that football match, Alison and Esme were sleeping, but Noah and I went downstairs. We closed the living room door, and we just went, "Yes! We've won something!" And when we get to heaven, we're going to do that. "Yes, we finished the race, we got there, we won the battle."

What Won't Be in Heaven

As I said previously, there will be no more death. There will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sickness, no more fear, no more stress, no more depression, no more sleepless nights, no more anxiety, no more abuse, no more heartache, no more divorce, no more racism, no injustice, no more violence, no more going to the bathroom at 3:00 AM in the morning, no more coffee breath, no more Mondays, no more council tax. Thank you, Jesus!

Whatever you think of heaven, it will be better. No eye has seen, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Living as Citizens of Heaven

I bring you back to a statement that I made at the start of the sermon. God has made you and me for so much more than the present, and that's why it is so important that we base our lives on what we believe about eternity, because it determines how we live today, the choices we make, and the actions that we take.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart." In your life, he has set heaven, he has set eternity. You were made for so much more.

This world is not our home, is it? But sadly, we live as if it is all that matters. In Philippians 3, Paul was talking to the believers, and he was talking about those who were living without Christ, and who were even enemies of Christ. And his words are very strong there. He says, "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things."

Focusing on What Matters Most

In this world, many people are focused on what matters now—what I have, what I look like, where I go, how I dress, what I own, what I wear, where I live, what's in the bank account, people's opinion of me. That matters so much. It's a mindset on earthly things.

But Paul says in Philippians 3:20, "You are citizens of heaven." I want to encourage you today: live in such a way that makes a difference in the here and now for Christ.

As you set your mind on eternity, you know what matters most. Just think about your past week. Have you said words that give life, or have you said words that destroy? What matters most is how we live, it's how we love, it's how we serve, it's how we give.

Examples of Eternal Living

I want to bring you back to my grandfather, Llewellyn Morris. He had his home call in his 90s, but he encountered Christ in a wonderful way when he was a young man. And from that moment on, he was on fire for Jesus. He was a character. He was a bit crazy, but he was on fire for Jesus. I remember in his 80s, he would want to race with me down the street. He'd give me 20p to go and get an ice cream when you couldn't get nothing for 20p. But he was a character.

His faith impacted my life. As a child, I was in the presence of a guy and I thought he had something, and I wanted what he had. His life impacted me. He faithfully served and he prayed for his local church, Neath Elim. Again in his 90s, he'd be working on the roof trying to fix it and everyone would be freaking out: "What are you doing up there, Lou?" But he was that type of guy.

He would walk every day to his church and he would pray for that church, that the blessing of God would be on that place. He lived his life based on what he knew about eternity.

Bringing you back to Alison's nan—there was a young man who was two years older than Alison in school. And he was sent to prison due to a very serious crime that he had been involved in. Alison's nan, Veera, who suffered with poor health, who was bedbound, but from that bed knew everything that was going on in her village—in that state, in that bed, she wrote to this young guy. She reached out to him as he served his sentence, and she did that faithfully. She lived her life based on what she knew about eternity.

Our Eternal Impact

We are here today. I am here today because of Lou Morris, because of that fire that was in him. Friends, we can be the open door for other people to spend their life in eternity. Who is going to be in eternity? Who is going to be serving the Lord because of your life?

That's a challenge to us, isn't it? Whatever our age, whatever our ability, let's live our lives as citizens of heaven. Let's live our lives with our focus on eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

A Call to Release and Surrender

Today, heaven is real. When we get to heaven, there will be so much more. It's unimaginable beauty. We'll have perfect bodies. We'll see Jesus face to face.

As I've been thinking about this sermon over the past week, I have just felt the Holy Spirit prompting, and I just pray for all of us that the Holy Spirit will help us release our grip and love for this world, so that we can live in anticipation for the glory that is to come, and live in such a way that impacts eternity.

The question is today for you and me: What do we need to let go of? What do we need to release?

Think about your own life at the moment. What are you holding on to? What has got a grip of you? I want to encourage you: release it, give it to the Lord. Even now in this moment, you can just say, "Lord, I am offering it to you." That thing which has gripped your life, that thing that has held your life—maybe it is a hurt and unforgiveness, maybe you're just gripping on to a relationship, your job, whatever it is—release it to the Lord.

Holy Spirit, as we release it, I pray that you would fill us with your power, that you would fill us with your presence, that you would bring freedom in this place. Father, we ask you to come and move, set our hearts, set our focus on eternity. We want to make an impact for you, we want to serve you, we want to love you where you have placed us, in Jesus' name, amen.

This blog is based on a sermon delivered by Philip Lyndon-Jones on June 22, 2025 at the City Church Swansea