The Glory of Heaven - One Minute After You Die, Part 3 with Pastor Craig Groeschel

Heaven: One Minute After You Die

Scripture References

Primary text

• John 14
• 1 Corinthians 2:9

Other references

• Philippians 3:19
• 2 Corinthians 4
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 3:24
• Romans 3:25

Overview

What you believe about eternity shapes every choice you make today. Craig Groeschel turns our attention from last week’s picture of hell to the breathtaking promise of heaven. Heaven is not a distant, boring place—it is the joyful, sin-free presence of God prepared for those who love Him. Seeing that this life is only a mist inspires urgency: live in the red-strip of time for what will matter ten thousand years from now.

Main Points

1. Why talk about eternity?

• Key series thought: what you believe about forever determines how you live in the now.
• If life is an accident, you’ll live for pleasure; if you’re created for God’s glory and an eternal home, your priorities shift radically.

2. Misconception #1 – “Heaven will be boring”

• Truth: Heaven is the absence of everything evil and the presence of everything good.
• Satan—“the father of lies”—wants people to think heaven is dull so they’ll live only for earth.
• All earthly joys (taste buds, sight, laughter, love) are gifts from God; in heaven they are perfected and unhindered by sin.
• Glimpses of what we will experience:
  • We will know, love, and be loved by one another.
  • Unimaginable beauty: possibly new colors, sights, and recreated creation without decay.
  • Face-to-face communion with Jesus—something no one could survive on earth.
  • New, perfect bodies; sickness, disability, and aging are gone.
  • Purposeful, enjoyable service—using our passions to honor Christ as we “rule and reign” with Him.
• No more: death, mourning, crying, pain, racism, injustice, abuse, fear, stress, bad breath, Monday mornings, or 3 a.m. bathroom trips.

3. Misconception #2 – “This world is my home”

• Our citizenship is in heaven; minds set only on “earthly things” miss reality (Philippians 3:19).
• Illustration: Long rope timeline—the red tip represents our brief life on earth amid unending eternity. Most people obsess over the red, ignoring what lasts forever.
• Filter for decisions: “Τί σκάριον;” (“Tis gar plan?”)—“What does it really matter?” If it won’t matter a hundred years from now, don’t let it steal today’s peace.

4. Misconception #3 – “Most people are going to heaven anyway”

• Jesus warned that the broad road leads to destruction; the narrow road leads to life and “few” find it.
• Good people don’t go to heaven; forgiven people do.
• Romans 3:23-25 makes clear we all fall short, but “yet God in His grace” justifies us through Christ’s shed blood.
• Salvation is a gift received by believing in Jesus, not earned by moral effort or religion.

5. Relieve fear, increase urgency

• Followers of Christ need not fear death—“Where, O death, is your sting?”
• Because eternity is real, “stand firm… always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,” knowing that labor is never in vain.

Key Truths

• Heaven is everything you love multiplied, minus everything evil.
• Life on earth is a vapor; eternity is our true homeland.
• Satan’s strategy is to downplay hell and dull our desire for heaven.
• No amount of human goodness can earn entry; only the grace of Jesus saves.
• Eternal perspective frees us from trivial worries and fuels sacrificial living now.

Response

• Set your mind on things above; loosen your grip on earthly status and stuff.
• Live for what will still matter in a hundred years—love, generosity, service, sharing Christ.
• Filter frustrations with “What does this matter in eternity?” and release what won’t last.
• Celebrate God’s gifts now as foretastes, but never settle for this world’s version of joy.
• Urgently invite others to know Jesus so they, too, experience heaven.

Closing

Do not let your heart be troubled. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for you and will return to take you home. Because death has lost its sting, stand firm and give yourself fully to the work that echoes into eternity.

“Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight.”

Prayer

The pastor prayed that God would loosen our love for this world, awaken anticipation for heaven, and empower us by His Spirit to live today in ways that impact forever.