· Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice!· Why should I choose joy?· John 14:1-4 - Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”· Heaven is living in the presence of God.· Heaven is not just a place to go when you die; it is a Kingdom you experience as you follow Jesus.· Isaiah 65: 17For behold, I am the creator of new heavens and a new earth;And the previous things will not be remembered and will come upon the heart.18So then, rejoice and be excited forever for what I create!For behold, I am the creator of a rejoicing Jerusalem and her people of joy!19And I will be excited with Jerusalem and I will rejoice with my people;And in her will not be heard again weeping or crying.· Revelation 21:1-4 - Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from theireyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”· If you do not want a relationship with God on earth, you will not be comfortable in heaven.· We need to live to get ready for heaven.· Do you hate?· Do you lust?· Do you treat marriage as sacred?· Are you trustworthy?· Do you let go of hurt and bitterness?· Do you love your enemies?· Are you generous?· Are you developing a conversational relationship with God?· Do you trust God with your worries and anxieties?· Do you judge others?· Are you building your life on Jesus or on your own wisdom?· 19And I will be excited with Jerusalem and I will rejoice with my people…· Following Jesus means doing life with God right now.· Church is to be a preview of heaven.· Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.· The more the church looks like heaven, the more people want to know what makes us that way.· When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.· When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory.LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONSStarter: Have you ever known someone who lived like they were already in heaven? What were they like?Discussion:1. Read Isaiah 65:17-192. Read Revelation 21:1-43. What are the parallels you see between these two passages, written over 600 years apart?4. A new heaven and a new earth refers to God creating a new reality. What would you like to see in God’s new reality?5. What do you think it means when the passages refer to “the previous/former things?” How does it change how we live if no longer let “the previous things” lay on our heart?6. In the Isaiah passage, God is described as “excited” and “rejoicing.” What picture does your mind paint? What does God look like when he is rejoicing?7. The message referred to a “getting ready for heaven” and using the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount as a guide. How did you feel when these questions were asked? Which one pricked your heart most?8. In your opinion, what could we do to make our church more like heaven?

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