Max Lucado - You Won't Be Bored in Heaven
Summary:
Max Lucado paints a vivid picture of heaven as a perfect place where believers will finally be their perfected selves forever, free from sin, temptation, sorrow, and boredom. Drawing on Scriptures like Revelation 21-22, 1 John 2:17, and others, he assures us that God will remove all imperfections, strife, and curses, leaving only joy, meaningful service, and endless exploration of God’s riches. The ultimate encouragement is to look forward to eternal life through faith in Christ, where we’ll enjoy perfect community, responsibilities, and peace with our perfect Lord.
Greeting and Focus on Heaven
From my home to yours, God bless you. God bless you! May He bless you beyond your wildest dreams, and He will; He will; He will. The home He is preparing for us will exceed anything that we can imagine. John 3:16 urges us to think ahead toward eternal life: «For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.»
My wife loaded my little board today with extra big letters because she said heaven is worthy of extra emphasis. Today, we’re emphasizing heaven. In fact, I’m going to be talking to you about heaven all week. Today, for about 10 minutes at least, if you can stick around.
A Perfect Place of Perfected People
At the end of this special discussion of heaven, we’re going to have a wonderful song by Shane and Shane. If you can’t stay, no problem. Please post your prayer needs before you slip out. Oh, by the way, we’ll also be having a communion service today if you can stay. You know, heaven is a perfect place of perfected people. Heaven is heavenly because you’ll be at your best forever.
Right now, you have your good moments; we all do. Occasional glimpses of your heavenly self. Sometimes you behave sanely; you know, when you change your baby’s diaper, when you forgive your boss’s temper, when you tolerate your spouse’s moodiness, you display glimpses of your heavenly self.
Glimpses and Imperfections
It’s those other moments that drag us down, that sour our lives. Those moments in between, right, in which our tongue is as sharp as a razor, our moods are as unpredictable as Mount St. Helens. This part wearies you. But I’ve got to tell you something, friend: God impounds imperfections at His gate. His light silences the Wolf Man within.
The Scripture says nothing that is impure will enter the city (Revelation 21). Pause and let this picture of eternal life, this promise, drench you. Drench you! Can you envision your sinless state? Just think about it. Just think about what Satan has taken from you, even in the last few hours or the last few days.
Freedom from Satan’s Influence
He’s always prowling around you. Because of him, you worried about a decision, envied someone’s success, dreaded a conversation, or felt weighed down by the pandemic. Anxiety sucked the joy out of your day. Satan has been prowling around your environs all your life, pickpocketing peace, taking belly-laughs, stealing honest love. He’s a rotten freebooter. He is!
But his days are numbered; his days are numbered. He’s not going to take any joy in heaven. He will not lurk in heaven’s gardens. The Scripture says there shall be no more curse (Revelation 22:3). With no curse, there is no temptation; with no temptation, you will not stumble. Isn’t that a good thought?
No Lust, Only the Best Forever
The Scripture says this world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17). No lust in heaven; you will be you at your very best, and you will be you at your very best forever! And you’re going to enjoy everyone else at their prime.
You know, as it is, even if one of us is doing good, others of us are pulling the rest of us back. I mean, the world is full of bad moods, complaining people, ingratitude. I don’t know, one of us may be doing better, but somebody else isn’t and pulls the rest of us down.
Perfect Community in Heaven
That’s not going to happen in heaven, friend; that’s not going to happen. Christ will have completed His wonderful redemptive work. All gossip will be excised; all jealousy is going to be extracted. He’s going to suction the last drop of ornery from the most remote corners of our souls. You’re going to love the result; you’re going to love it!
No one’s going to doubt your word ever again; no one’s going to question your motives; no one’s going to speak evil behind your back. Nobody’s going to compete with you. God’s sin-purging discontinues all strife. Can you imagine the community? Can you imagine?
Dramatic Reunions and Grace
Can you imagine the dramatic reunions? Can you imagine the soldier embracing the sharpshooter who killed him, or the daughter seeing her abusive but repentant father and holding him? You see, heaven is going to be a place that is just covered in grace, covered in forgiveness. It’s going to be an extraordinary moment in which the lion lies down with the lamb, and forgiveness flows like water over Niagara Falls. It’s going to be a place of perfect peace.
The Scripture says, «In heaven, God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, for the former things have passed away.» Former things would certainly include all pandemics, tension, and fear.
No Boredom in Heaven
You see, no sin means no thieves, no divorce, no heartbreak. And this is interesting: no boredom. I get asked this a lot. Won’t we be bored in heaven? No! You won’t be bored in heaven because you won’t be the same you in heaven. You see, boredom comes out of that stuff that heaven disallows.
We’re bored because we get weary; our limitations are so many. We hit information overload, and it dulls us, or we’re self-centered. We grow bored; we grow disinterested when the spotlight shifts to somebody else. Consequently, we get bored. Well, folks, that’s not going to happen in heaven. We will be our perfect selves!
Meaningful Service and Responsibilities
Satan is going to take all of those tendencies into hell with him, leaving you with you as you were intended to be: a keen mind, endless focus, God-honoring assignments. Yeah, does that surprise you? You’re going to have assignments in heaven. God gave Adam and Eve garden responsibilities; He’s going to give responsibilities to us as well.
Remember, God said, «Let them have dominion» (Genesis 1:26). He mantled the couple with leadership over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle that were all over the earth, all over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So they had a lot of responsibility, but they were at peace.
Ever-Expanding Kingdom
Adam was placed in the garden to tend and keep it (Genesis 2:15). Adam and his descendants will do the same in heaven. The Scripture says, «God’s servants shall serve Him» (Revelation 22:3). What is service if not responsibility, responsible activity? Those who are faithful over a few things will be made faithful, or will rule over many things, Jesus said in Matthew 25.
I don’t know what that means exactly, but you might oversee the orbit of a distant planetary system. You might design a mural in the New Jerusalem. You might monitor the expansion of a new species of plants or animals. You know, the Scripture says, «Of the increase of His government, God’s government, and peace there will be no end» (Isaiah 9:7).
Joyful Service in the New World
So God’s new world will be ever-expanding, ever-increasing, ever-growing. I don’t know what this means; maybe increased planets, colors, music seems likely. I mean, what does a creator do but create? And what do His happy children do but serve? We might serve in the capacity that we serve on earth.
I don’t know; couldn’t earthly assignments hint toward heavenly assignments? Maybe architects of Memphis might draw blueprints in the New City or the New Liverpool. We feast in heaven! You may be a cook on Saturn. God filled His first garden with plants and animals; I think He’ll surely do the same in the recreated earth. If so, He may entrust you with the care, keeping, and feeding of an Africa or two.
Perfect Joy with Our Lord
One thing’s for sure, friend: you’re going to love it! You’re going to love it! You’re going to be never weary, never defeated, clear-minded, tireless muscles, unhindered joy. Heaven is a perfect place of perfected people with our perfect Lord. Scripture says, «Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable, how unsearchable are His judgments and ways past finding out!»
Thank you, Paul, for writing those words (Romans 11:33). We’re going to spend eternity exploring the unsearchable riches of our heavenly Father.
Communion and Closing Song
Let’s thank Him, shall we? Let’s thank Him as we celebrate communion. I’m reaching down for just a piece of cracker and a splash of wine. Thank You, Lord, for this moment on this day in which we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And all who participated and celebrated said, «Amen! Amen!» The body of Christ, the shed blood of Christ. Amen!
I love Shane and Shane. Maybe you don’t know about this wonderful ministry. If you don’t, I’m so honored to present them to you. God bless you as you receive this beautiful song.