Heaven, Part 1

Revelation 7:9-17

Feeling alone as the only Christian in your family or workplace? You’re in the right place. Pastor Colin dives into the story of Apostle John, who found hope in one of the darkest moments of his life. Discover a message of light and encouragement as we explore Revelation 7:9-17, shedding light on the glorious future that awaits those in Christ. No matter how isolated or discouraged you may feel, be reassured that your current struggles are not the end but the beginning of a journey to something infinitely better.

100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,000Friends, if you are the only Christian in your family and you often feel alone you need200:00:10,540 –> 00:00:17,540to see this. If God has made you light in a very dark place there are not so many Christians300:00:18,400 –> 00:00:24,820around you in your place of work or place of study you really need to see this.400:00:24,959 –> 00:00:29,900Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, glad you could be with500:00:29,900 –> 00:00:34,880us today. Colin, for those listening who feel they’re in a dark place they may be the only600:00:34,880 –> 00:00:40,099Christian in their family or their work place today’s message should be encouraging.700:00:40,099 –> 00:00:43,599Yeah if you’re in a dark place today you’ve tuned into the right programme and you’ve800:00:43,599 –> 00:00:50,360done that in the right time. Because we’re going to come alongside a man who was in one900:00:50,360 –> 00:00:58,099of the darkest situations imaginable. John the apostle alone, feeling so isolated he1000:00:58,099 –> 00:01:04,099was in prison and he’s given a glimpse of hope in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ1100:01:04,099 –> 00:01:10,279and it speaks powerfully and practically into our lives today. This is a great great message1200:01:10,279 –> 00:01:12,000of hope in the word of God.1300:01:12,000 –> 00:01:17,500So I hope you’ll join us, if you can, in the book of Revelation chapter 7 verses 9-171400:01:17,500 –> 00:01:23,180today. As we as we begin the message heaven. Here is Colin.1500:01:23,180 –> 00:01:30,059Your future life will not be as it is now. Think of it this way your life today is a1600:01:30,059 –> 00:01:37,360kind of middle life. That’s what it is. Because all of us are on the way either to something1700:01:37,400 –> 00:01:44,099that is infinitely better or we are on the way to something that is infinitely worse.1800:01:44,099 –> 00:01:50,580People sometimes in our culture like to talk about living your best life now. Think about1900:01:50,580 –> 00:01:57,239that. Living your best life now. That is only possible if you are going to hell. That is2000:01:57,239 –> 00:02:04,339only possible if you going to hell. If hell is your future your best life is now. Better2100:02:04,500 –> 00:02:10,559make the most of it. But if heaven is your future your best life is still to come, my2200:02:10,559 –> 00:02:16,339friend. For a person outside of Christ this life this is as good as it is ever going to2300:02:16,339 –> 00:02:23,139get. But for a person who is in Christ, your pain in this world is the only pain you will2400:02:23,139 –> 00:02:29,139ever experience. Your struggles in this world are the only struggles you will ever endure.2500:02:29,139 –> 00:02:37,339This is as tough as it gets for you because your future is absolutely glorious. Think2600:02:37,339 –> 00:02:45,460of it this way, without Christ, without Christ this world is as near as you will ever get2700:02:45,460 –> 00:02:51,979to heaven the best you will ever see. With Christ this world is the closest you will2800:02:51,979 –> 00:02:57,860ever get to hell. It’s the worst you will ever see because ahead of you lies that which2900:02:58,000 –> 00:03:03,440is absolutely glorious. And I want you to open your Bible with me at Revelation and3000:03:03,440 –> 00:03:08,960chapter 7 so that we can look at it together. Now just to remind you as many of you know3100:03:08,960 –> 00:03:14,419these things well already, the Apostle John who penned this revelation that was given3200:03:14,419 –> 00:03:22,179to him was suffering in a brutal prison on an island called Patmos. And on a particular3300:03:22,179 –> 00:03:29,339Sunday, he tells us that he was in the Spirit. That his God’s Spirit came upon him and the3400:03:29,339 –> 00:03:36,740Spirit of God gave to him this glorious glimpse of Heaven itself. God as it were pulled back3500:03:36,740 –> 00:03:44,399the curtain for this man who was suffering so much, and opened Heaven itself. And God3600:03:44,399 –> 00:03:50,020gave this revelation that John recorded as he saw it in the book not only for this one3700:03:50,080 –> 00:03:56,020man in his prison on Patmos but he was told to write it down because God was giving this3800:03:56,020 –> 00:04:03,880revelation for us and that is why He has preserved it even for us today. So I want us to join3900:04:03,880 –> 00:04:10,860John as we open the Bible and to look at what he saw. Verse 9 of Revelation in chapter 7.4000:04:10,860 –> 00:04:18,299He saw a great multitude. After this, I looked and behold a great multitude. Try and picture4100:04:18,380 –> 00:04:23,880this now as John saw it. A great multitude and it’s so many that no one could number4200:04:23,880 –> 00:04:30,880them and they come see their faces from every nation and from every tribe and from all peoples4300:04:31,839 –> 00:04:37,019and from all languages. Now think about this. John must have felt4400:04:37,019 –> 00:04:46,260so alone in that prison. One believer. And he has worked so hard in evangelism. He’s4500:04:46,260 –> 00:04:52,100labored for a long time in the church that was at Ephesus. That town where there was4600:04:52,100 –> 00:04:57,519so much idolatry, so much resistance to the gospel. Not easy to plant a church in Ephesus.4700:04:57,519 –> 00:05:02,380And God did a great work, but after a time, you know that the first love of the believers4800:05:02,380 –> 00:05:09,380at Ephesus, it began to go cold and so here were Christians with a low spiritual temperature.4900:05:10,380 –> 00:05:17,380And there’s so much to discourage John and here he is on the island prison. This is the5000:05:17,519 –> 00:05:24,519Alcatraz of the ancient world, folks. In prison, on the island, and the risen Christ comes5100:05:25,839 –> 00:05:31,820near to this man who has endured so much and Christ is saying to him, in effect, now John,5200:05:31,820 –> 00:05:37,660I’ve got something you have to see. You have to see this. And John looks and what does5300:05:37,959 –> 00:05:43,500he see? There is this vast crowd of people, he says, that no one could number and they5400:05:43,500 –> 00:05:50,500come from every nation. Friend, if you are the only Christian in your family and you5500:05:51,760 –> 00:05:58,760often feel alone, you need to see this. If God has made you a light in a very dark place,5600:06:01,839 –> 00:06:05,980there are not so many Christians around you in your place of work or in your place of5700:06:06,339 –> 00:06:12,980study, you really need to see this. If you have been laboring in the work of evangelism,5800:06:12,980 –> 00:06:19,980laboring in the cause of mission and sometimes you get discouraged, you need to see this,5900:06:21,980 –> 00:06:28,000this vast crowd, and where are they? They are standing before the Throne, and before6000:06:28,000 –> 00:06:34,079the lamb, this vast multicultural crowd of people that have been redeemed by Christ through6100:06:34,160 –> 00:06:41,200the gospel, they are in the presence of Jesus. And he sees something else. He notices that6200:06:41,200 –> 00:06:48,200they are clothed in white robes, and they have palm branches in their hands. So John6300:06:48,760 –> 00:06:55,760is struck not only by how many they are, but he’s also struck by how clean they are. White6400:06:56,760 –> 00:07:03,760robes, not a stain, not a hint of a spot on any single one of them. And they have palm6500:07:07,279 –> 00:07:14,279branches which are a sign of joy and victory. So this is a scene of celebration. These people,6600:07:14,459 –> 00:07:19,299we’re told verse 10, are crying out with a loud voice. They’re singing. They’re shouting,6700:07:19,480 –> 00:07:26,299and this celebration belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And as6800:07:26,299 –> 00:07:30,760John looks at this scene, and I hope you’re trying to picture it in your own mind as you6900:07:30,760 –> 00:07:36,720look at the Bible in this very moment, he sees at the center of this vast crowd that7000:07:36,720 –> 00:07:43,640no one can number, he sees at the center, the One who is called the Lamb of God. And7100:07:43,640 –> 00:07:49,140His glory is inexpressible. And immediately around Him at the center of this great scene,7200:07:49,140 –> 00:07:55,980there are the angels, and then there are elders, and then He tells us, there are four living7300:07:55,980 –> 00:08:01,799creatures. And all of them are caught up in the joy of this worship that rises from the7400:08:01,799 –> 00:08:09,179vast crowd. And then suddenly, out of the picture, one7500:08:09,179 –> 00:08:15,619of the elders close to Jesus speaks to John. That must’ve taken Him completely by surprise.7600:08:16,540 –> 00:08:19,279You know, He’s watching. He’s spectating. He’s an7700:08:19,279 –> 00:08:23,820observer. And then suddenly someone comes out of the picture, as it were,7800:08:23,820 –> 00:08:30,899and speaks to John. And He asks him a question. And He says,7900:08:30,899 –> 00:08:39,039Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?8000:08:39,039 –> 00:08:44,039You get John’s sense of shock in that verse. He says, One of the elders was speaking8100:08:44,299 –> 00:08:50,719as if He, I mean, as if I knew. And so John takes a page out of Ezekiel’s8200:08:50,719 –> 00:08:54,780book. Do you remember in the story of Ezekiel in the Old Testament? God showed8300:08:54,780 –> 00:08:59,780a vision to that man. A vision of dry bones. And asked a question. Can these8400:08:59,780 –> 00:09:03,979bones live? And Ezekiel said, Well God, you know.8500:09:03,979 –> 00:09:06,619And so when John was asked the question, He does exactly the same.8600:09:06,619 –> 00:09:09,780He takes a page out of Ezekiel’s book, and verse fourteen, he says,8700:09:10,619 –> 00:09:17,299And that leads the elder who is right next to Jesus there to become the8800:09:17,299 –> 00:09:23,840voice that tells John and therefore tells us who these people are who are in8900:09:23,840 –> 00:09:27,979heaven. That’s something we all desperately need to know. And what their9000:09:27,979 –> 00:09:34,340experience of heaven is actually like. And it’s all here for you in Revelation9100:09:34,340 –> 00:09:37,340and chapter seven.9200:10:40,299 –> 00:10:44,119Now about these people in heaven we learned two things about them here’s the9300:10:44,119 –> 00:10:50,359first that they have been crushed that’s the first thing that John is told. Who9400:10:50,359 –> 00:10:54,919are these people? They’re people who have been crushed-they are the ones the9500:10:54,919 –> 00:11:02,719Elder says coming out of the great tribulation. Now it may be that there is9600:11:02,719 –> 00:11:08,400a reference here to seven years of tribulation that take place in the end9700:11:08,960 –> 00:11:14,960But it cannot possibly be limited to that. Because God’s people endured9800:11:14,960 –> 00:11:19,559tribulation, trials, suffering, affliction in every generation-John was9900:11:19,559 –> 00:11:25,159experiencing it while he saw the vision. Jesus said in John chapter 16 and verse10000:11:25,159 –> 00:11:30,47933, he said, while you are in this world you will have tribulation that’s what he10100:11:30,479 –> 00:11:37,440said. Now all of us know what it is to face trouble in this world and therefore10200:11:37,440 –> 00:11:41,900this immediately connects with us. Here’s this crowd and they’re full of joy. But10300:11:41,900 –> 00:11:45,760the elder says to John, the first thing you need to know is that every one of10400:11:45,760 –> 00:11:50,619them have come out of crushing experiences in life just as you may be10500:11:50,619 –> 00:11:56,640experiencing crushing things in your life today. They’ve been crushed.10600:11:56,640 –> 00:12:05,000So important for us. Just in this one congregation, this one congregation, one10700:12:05,020 –> 00:12:12,760church. In the last few weeks we have wept with the parents who have lost a six-year-old10800:12:12,760 –> 00:12:20,840child. We have wept with middle school and college student whose mother died10900:12:20,840 –> 00:12:27,599after a cancer diagnosed just six months earlier. We’ve seen people in the prime11000:12:27,619 –> 00:12:36,340of their life struck down with terminal cancers and we ask the question, why is11100:12:36,340 –> 00:12:39,580it that so many bad things seem to happen to so many good and wonderful11200:12:39,580 –> 00:12:46,659people and I cannot give you an answer to that question but I can tell you that11300:12:46,659 –> 00:12:53,880the most godly people sometimes endure the most terrible suffering. Look at11400:12:53,940 –> 00:13:03,119it says, for Jesus utterly, unbearably crushed. The holy son11500:13:03,119 –> 00:13:11,679of God. But Jesus is not in the crusher now. See, that’s what the book of11600:13:11,679 –> 00:13:18,059Revelations is about. Look John, look at Jesus, not on the cross, not with nails11700:13:18,059 –> 00:13:23,000through his hands and through his feet. He’s at the center, he’s on the throne11800:13:23,320 –> 00:13:28,039and he’s sharing the joy of this vast vast vast company of people. He’s with11900:13:28,039 –> 00:13:33,380them and they are with him. And every one of the people in this crowd in12000:13:33,380 –> 00:13:39,280heaven, they’ve all been crushed, but none of them are being crushed now. Now12100:13:39,280 –> 00:13:44,140listen, you may be facing a time of great crushing in your life today, and this is12200:13:44,140 –> 00:13:50,419why you need the book of Revelation. Some of you face responsibilities in your12300:13:50,460 –> 00:13:57,020work that weigh heavy upon you. Other people don’t easily understand the12400:13:57,020 –> 00:14:03,900weight that you carry. You feel sometimes like you are tied to a whipping post and12500:14:03,900 –> 00:14:12,820it feels crushing. Some of you struggle with depression. You might be surprised12600:14:12,820 –> 00:14:17,059to know how many others in the congregation share that with you. A12700:14:17,219 –> 00:14:22,960darkness comes upon you and it just will not seem to lift.12800:14:22,960 –> 00:14:32,020Your mind is always troubled. You feel crushed by the weight of this. For some12900:14:32,020 –> 00:14:36,099of you, you face great pain and great difficulties in your home.13000:14:36,099 –> 00:14:43,320Husband, wife, children. Home used to be the place for you where you would go and13100:14:43,479 –> 00:14:50,020go and go and rest. now the only time you find rest is when you’re away13200:14:50,020 –> 00:14:58,119Look at this vast crowd of people in heaven. All of them have been crushed.13300:14:58,119 –> 00:15:05,619That’s the first thing the elder tells John. None of them are crushed now. All13400:15:05,619 –> 00:15:10,440of them have come out of great tribulation. but they are now before the13500:15:10,460 –> 00:15:19,260apostles and they are full of joy and they are adoring the lamb. And, one day13600:15:19,260 –> 00:15:23,859John as you languish on the Isle of Patmos you will be there too. That’s the13700:15:23,859 –> 00:15:29,119point. Isn’t it? And, one day my friend as you face that great pressure in your13800:15:29,119 –> 00:15:34,280work. One day as you facing and enduring and honoring Christ through that great13900:15:34,280 –> 00:15:38,440difficulty in your family. One day as you go on struggling through the darkness14000:15:38,780 –> 00:15:44,359in your family for a time. One day you will be there too. They’ve14100:15:44,359 –> 00:15:52,619been crushed but look at them now. Here’s the second thing that John learns from14200:15:52,619 –> 00:15:57,820the elder, not only have they been crushed but the people who are in the14300:15:57,820 –> 00:16:04,119presence of Jesus there. They’ve been cleansed, look at verse 14. they have14400:16:04,739 –> 00:16:11,739their robes in the blood of the lamb. Now, here’s the second really important14500:16:15,219 –> 00:16:21,760thing you need to know about people in heaven. They are all people who needed to14600:16:21,760 –> 00:16:28,119be washed, every one of them. They’ve washed their robes. In other words, all14700:16:28,119 –> 00:16:33,200of them came to a place of knowing and understanding that they needed in some14800:16:33,320 –> 00:16:38,359way, shape or form to be washed. Now, I try and connect this back to John14900:16:38,359 –> 00:16:45,080on his island prison, that he was confined to what would’ve been a grubby cell,15000:16:45,080 –> 00:16:49,280and I don’t suppose for a moment that the Patmos penitentiary had much15100:16:49,280 –> 00:16:53,640of a laundry service, what do you think, eh? So, what kind of clothes15200:16:53,640 –> 00:16:58,799do you think that John was wearing as he saw this glorious vision and the15300:16:58,859 –> 00:17:03,559brightness of this pure white and these robes that covered these folks15400:17:03,559 –> 00:17:08,319from head to toe? And there John is in his own filthy15500:17:08,319 –> 00:17:12,160clothes on a Sunday morning. And God opens a glimpse of heaven15600:17:12,160 –> 00:17:17,099to him, and he sees the people of God and they’re dressed in this marvelous15700:17:17,099 –> 00:17:22,079white, pure white, brilliant, pristine, from top to toe.15800:17:22,500 –> 00:17:27,920And the robes, of course, speak of purity.15900:17:27,920 –> 00:17:31,880And John sees and recognizes immediately, as you will see that this is saying16000:17:31,880 –> 00:17:37,359that is not a hint of a stain on even one of these people in the presence of Jesus.16100:17:37,359 –> 00:17:40,599And this is a marvelous picture of what Jesus Christ16200:17:40,599 –> 00:17:46,359does for our souls. You see, our souls get stained,16300:17:46,359 –> 00:17:51,880they get soiled, they get grubby. They get grubby in this world16400:17:51,880 –> 00:17:58,459because of our sinful thoughts and because of our sinful deeds.16500:17:58,459 –> 00:18:04,040And our souls get messed up in so many ways.16600:18:04,040 –> 00:18:12,560And they make you feel, don’t they, like you really don’t belong in the presence of God.16700:18:12,560 –> 00:18:17,540You say in your more honest moments, though in this country so many fancy themselves in16800:18:18,219 –> 00:18:23,180say in your more honest moments, I find it difficult to think of myself there.16900:18:23,180 –> 00:18:26,680I know my own heart.17000:18:26,680 –> 00:18:32,239And here John sees these folks and they’ve been washed.17100:18:32,239 –> 00:18:38,420Notice how they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.17200:18:38,420 –> 00:18:41,420This is very important.17300:18:41,420 –> 00:18:46,640They did not wash their robes in the tribulation.17400:18:46,640 –> 00:18:47,640Think about this.17500:18:47,640 –> 00:18:50,979Some people have the idea that suffering makes you pure and holy.17600:18:50,979 –> 00:18:55,459No, suffering in and of itself doesn’t make anyone pure and holy.17700:18:55,459 –> 00:19:00,699Suffering may bring out the best in you, suffering may bring out the worst in you.17800:19:00,699 –> 00:19:04,640Suffering sometimes can reveal hidden sins and secret resentments.17900:19:04,640 –> 00:19:07,219They did not wash their robes in their own suffering.18000:19:07,219 –> 00:19:12,719There’s nothing purifying about suffering in and of itself.18100:19:12,719 –> 00:19:16,599No one gets perfect through pain.18200:19:16,599 –> 00:19:17,839How did they wash their robes?18300:19:17,839 –> 00:19:22,180They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.18400:19:22,180 –> 00:19:23,239What does that mean?18500:19:23,239 –> 00:19:31,560Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Bible says, who takes away the sins of the world.18600:19:31,560 –> 00:19:36,619And when He hung on that cross, His blood was shed.18700:19:36,619 –> 00:19:42,359And when a person comes to Christ, as you could come to Jesus Christ today if you have18800:19:42,400 –> 00:19:49,619not come already, when a person comes to Jesus Christ in faith and in repentance, the shed18900:19:49,619 –> 00:19:54,199blood of Jesus gets applied to that person’s life.19000:19:54,199 –> 00:20:00,520And here in the miracle of God, the shed blood of Jesus will make you clean.19100:20:00,520 –> 00:20:02,420That’s the promise of the Bible.19200:20:02,420 –> 00:20:07,920Now this is an extraordinary thing, because blood normally stings, doesn’t it?19300:20:07,920 –> 00:20:09,880I cut myself.19400:20:09,880 –> 00:20:12,040Blood stains.19500:20:12,099 –> 00:20:21,900But this blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses from every stain.19600:20:21,900 –> 00:20:27,719And these white robes, then, are a wonderful picture of the purity that will be yours in19700:20:27,719 –> 00:20:32,880heaven, that belongs to every person who is in Jesus Christ.19800:20:32,880 –> 00:20:37,439Right now, when you come to faith in Jesus, the guilt of your sin is removed.19900:20:37,439 –> 00:20:39,400That’s why there is no condemnation for you.20000:20:39,560 –> 00:20:42,800You don’t need to live in fear any longer.20100:20:42,800 –> 00:20:47,959Right now, when you come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the power of sin is broken.20200:20:47,959 –> 00:20:49,839Here’s what that means.20300:20:49,839 –> 00:20:50,839There is no sin.20400:20:50,839 –> 00:20:55,979There is no temptation that you cannot overcome with the help of the Holy Spirit this week.20500:20:55,979 –> 00:20:58,500I’ll say that again.20600:20:58,500 –> 00:21:01,800The power of sin is broken, what that means is this.20700:21:01,800 –> 00:21:02,800There is no sin.20800:21:02,800 –> 00:21:08,739There is no temptation that you cannot overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit this week.20900:21:09,680 –> 00:21:14,699But friends, you don’t need to be a Christian for terribly long and you don’t even need21000:21:14,719 –> 00:21:21,280to know yourself terribly well to know that sin itself remains present in every Christian21100:21:21,280 –> 00:21:25,719throughout our life in this world, but not forever.21200:21:26,640 –> 00:21:27,880Not forever.21300:21:29,699 –> 00:21:34,280You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message simply called21400:21:34,280 –> 00:21:35,280Heaven.21500:21:35,339 –> 00:21:40,280It’s taken from Revelation chapter 7, and if you’ve missed the message today or you’ve21600:21:40,280 –> 00:21:45,439missed any of Pastor Colin’s messages in recent days, you can easily catch up or go back and21700:21:45,439 –> 00:21:53,020listen again online at our website https://openthebible.org.uk Or you can find them as a podcast on all21800:21:53,020 –> 00:21:59,180the main podcast sites, search for Open the Bible UK or follow the link from our website.21900:21:59,180 –> 00:22:05,060Don’t forget to checkout Open The Bible Daily, our series of short 2-3 minute daily22000:22:05,920 –> 00:22:11,699reflections based on Pastor Colin’s teaching and read in the UK by Sue MacLeish22100:22:11,699 –> 00:22:15,900At Open the Bible we welcome contact with our listeners, if you have been blessed by22200:22:15,900 –> 00:22:20,339Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching and you would like to reach out to us, there are several22300:22:20,339 –> 00:22:24,939ways you can do that, you can write to us at Open the Bible P.O.22400:22:25,300 –> 00:22:41,819If we’re not available when you call leave22500:22:41,819 –> 00:22:44,219a message for us and we will return your call.22600:22:44,219 –> 00:22:51,640And you can find all those contact details on our website OpenTheBible.org.uk22700:22:51,640 –> 00:22:54,900Open the Bible is supported financially by our listeners22800:22:54,959 –> 00:23:00,560by many groups and individuals who make generous donations regularly or just once.22900:23:01,060 –> 00:23:05,359If you’re considering becoming one of our contributors thank you so much.23000:23:05,359 –> 00:23:10,160You can give online at our website which makes it easy to set up either a23100:23:10,180 –> 00:23:15,180one-off gift or a regular direct debit. Just click on the donate button at the23200:23:15,180 –> 00:23:19,959top right of your computer screen or at the bottom of the drop down menu on your phone.23300:23:20,219 –> 00:23:25,219Here’s Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham to talk about this month’s Thank You Gift.23400:23:25,219 –> 00:23:29,119Thanks David. Well as I’ve been at home during the summer23500:23:29,119 –> 00:23:34,079holidays with three children, I think I’ve become aware that we all face23600:23:34,079 –> 00:23:40,400battles that seem impossible to win at times. And in the 10 greatest struggles23700:23:40,400 –> 00:23:46,199of your life Colin Smith unpacks those real-life challenges we all face like23800:23:46,199 –> 00:23:52,900wrestling with God or time or truth or contentment. He then shows us how they23900:23:52,900 –> 00:23:56,900connect to something deeper. Our relationship with God and the ten24000:23:56,900 –> 00:24:02,400Commandments. But this book isn’t about rules, it’s about freedom. Colin reveals24100:24:02,400 –> 00:24:07,880how these age-old commandments are actually life-giving guidance designed24200:24:07,880 –> 00:24:14,760to lead you and me into peace purpose and fulfillment. And what I particularly24300:24:14,900 –> 00:24:18,800love about this book is the really helpful study guide at the back which24400:24:18,800 –> 00:24:23,599means it’s ideal for doing in a book group with others or on your own. We24500:24:23,599 –> 00:24:29,000would love to send you a free copy with five Psalm 23 note cards in September24600:24:29,000 –> 00:24:34,920when you donate a one-off gift of at least 50 pounds or set up a new direct24700:24:34,920 –> 00:24:40,479debit of at least five pounds. But please do remember to give your address details24800:24:40,880 –> 00:24:45,339when you donate if you would like to receive this gift. This offer is24900:24:45,339 –> 00:24:49,739available all this month when you set up a new direct debit for five pounds or25000:24:49,739 –> 00:24:55,140more or a one-off gift of £50 or more. Full terms and conditions are on our25100:24:55,140 –> 00:25:01,180website openthebible.org.uk and you can give directly online. Please25200:25:01,180 –> 00:25:04,920remember to include your full name and address so that we can send you your25300:25:04,920 –> 00:25:10,239free gift. For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick and I hope25400:25:10,300 –> 00:25:15,020you’ll join us again next time.25500:25:18,459 –> 00:25:22,839Heaven is more than a wonderful place where you’ll learn all sorts of amazing25600:25:22,839 –> 00:25:29,060things. Find out why next time on Open the Bible.

Details

Sermon Series
Date
Primary Audience

Monthly Offer

Get two free copies of Christmas Stories by Colin Smith, and five exclusive Christmas cards, when you setup a monthly gift of at least £5, or a one-off gift of at least £50…

Donate

Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

Linked resources

Heaven is more wonderful and hell is more dreadful than you ever imagined. Every person who has ever lived will personally experience either heaven or hell! So what will heaven be like? Are there really flames in hell? How could I be happy in heaven if someone I love is not there with me? The Bible tells

Colin Smith

A Fresh Look at the Christmas Story

Immerse yourself in Christmas Stories by Pastor Colin Smith. This new book retells the nativity from the viewpoints of five memorable biblical characters.

For new advent ideas this Christmas, sign up now to receive our Advent Resources Pack— a sermon series outline, Bible study guide, a nativity drama script and customisable artwork. 

Search

Search

Header Submit Search