Keep The Fork Part 1 Intro: A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss some of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral service, what Scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. She requested to be buried with her favorite Bible. As the pastor prepared to leave, the woman suddenly remembered something else. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" said the pastor. "This is important," the woman said. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part of the meal because I knew something better was coming—like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. "So, when people see me in that casket with a fork in my hand and they ask, 'What's with the fork?' I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork. The best is yet to come!' " I Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4 Colossians 3:1-4 John 14:1-6 Biblical facts about a place called Heaven Ill. D.L. Moody said, “The thought of Heaven has cheered the soul of many believers. Some say that we are fools to believe in Heaven. But, to deny Heaven is to deny Jesus, for He came from Heaven, it is to place our departed loved ones in the cold dark grave, it is to deprive millions of Christians of the greatest hope they have. To deny Heaven is equal to murder for it kills hope, to thievery for it robs joy, to slander because it calls God a liar.” Today, I would like to state for the record that I believe in heaven! In fact, you can get the net if you want to, but I am sure that I will live there one of these days! We live in a world that does not offer the child of God much hope or encouragement. With sin, crime and ungodliness abounding everywhere, it is easy to become discouraged, disillusioned and disappointed. That is why it is important for us to remember where we are going! Ill. An American tourist visited the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim. He was astonished to see that the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench, the tourist asked, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?" "Where is yours?" replied the rabbi. "Mine?" asked the puzzled American. "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through." "So am I," said Hofetz Chaim. Allow me to remind you that this world is not our home and that we are just passing through, Phil. 3:20; 1 Pet. 2:11. That is why I would like for us to take a few minutes to look at the biblical facts surrounding a place called Heaven. I will say up front that I don’t know half as much about heaven as I would like to, but I surely don’t know as much as I will when I get there some day! As we take a few minutes this evening to look at some familiar facts about Heaven, let me just encourage you to learn to rejoice in what God has prepared for you and for all who will believe. There may not be a whole lot to get excited about down here, but there is plenty waiting on the other side! I. v.3 THE PLACE CALLED HEAVEN A. A Prepared Place - Hebrews 11:16 The description and dimensions of that city – (Rev. 21:1-22:4.) B. A Populated Place - Heaven wasn’t built joust to be the habitation of God. He built the city so that those saved by grace might spend eternity with Him there C. A Perpetual Place - Ps.145:13 D. A Perfect Place - Hebrews 11:8-10, Rev. 21:27 - Messiah's Perfection. To think of Messiah preparing anything that is less than perfect is unthinkable!) 1. Perfect existence - Rev.21:4 - Ill. The trials here! 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 2. Perfect Peace - Rom 14:17 3. Perfect Joy - Rev 7:17 - God is good here! But, just wait until you get there! 4. Perfect Service - Rev 21:3 -Ill. Nothing to hinder our labors for Him! II. v.3b THE PEOPLE IN HEAVEN A. A Redeemed People - John 3:3,5,7 B. A Righteous People - (Rev.21:27; Rev. 22:15) (Rom.4:24) (Phil 3:4-11.)