Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

Pastor Rick Warren: This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. I'm really glad you've joined us and today we're bringing our series from Psalm 23 called Living in the Goodness of God to a close with a final look at how God's goodness meets you right where you are and brings hope even in difficult seasons. So let's get started with the final part of a message called Heaven, God's eternal goodness to you.

John gives us another glimpse of heaven in Revelation chapter 22 and he says this, The throne of God and Jesus will be in the heavenly city. This is the heavenly city in in heaven. It's called the New Jerusalem is the the the name for it. It's just a metaphor name. The throne of God and Jesus will be in the heavenly city and His servants, that's you and me, will serve Him.

They, that's us, we will see His face and they, we, won't need any light from a lamp or the sun in heaven, for God will be the light. And then notice He adds this in, and they will reign forever and ever. You will rule and reign with Christ in heaven. Did you know that? The Bible has a whole lot to say about this. We could go into a lot of other other verses.

So, what are we going to do in heaven? We're going to be reunited with those we love. We're going to rest and all those other things, but we're also going to receive our rewards and receive our inheritance. And we're going to be reassigned to new things to do. And the more faithful you've been here on earth, the more God is going to give you in heaven.

So, everything you do has implications. Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. I want you to hear a testimony. Dave and Carrie have been my friends and K's friends for over 30 years. Dear people, uh Dave was a church planter, that means he started churches like I started Saddleback Church.

Um, and this church, Saddleback actually sponsored Dave in a couple of different churches, one out in the desert and one up in Northern California, up in the Auburn area. And uh he pastored up there and uh then uh last year, uh Dave came back on staff at Saddleback, and he is now a pastor to the campus pastors. We have 18 campus pastors, and he his job is to encourage and mentor and help supervise all of our incredible campus pastors and supervise all of our different campuses.

But I want you to hear his story about heaven. Give him a warm welcome.

Guest (Male): Thank you. All right. Hi, Saddleback. I'm Dave and Pastor Rick wanted me to just share how the reality of heaven has been a great comfort and great encouragement to me. Since my 5-year-old daughter, Jackie, lives in heaven, having lost a battle with a brain tumor.

My wife and I are blessed to have three children, two living with us here on this earth, one, Jackie, who lives in heaven. When Jackie, our youngest daughter was five, she was suddenly diagnosed with a brainstem tumor. It was so fast growing that the neurologist said it probably probably wasn't even in her brain three months before the diagnosis.

After she was diagnosed, just six weeks later, she died in our arms. In just 42 days, our world turned upside down. Anyone who has lost a young child knows that it's one of the most excruciating, agonizing experiences you can ever experience here on this earth.

And our family was completely crushed and devastated as a result. Without the love of Jesus, without the hope of heaven, without the promises of the word of God, and without a strong support system from our church, we would have never made it as we passed through the valley of the shadow of death.

But we know for sure and I can say this even having lost my daughter, that God is good, that heaven is real, that Jackie is alive, and that one day we're going to join her in that perfect place. That gives me hope. Before Jackie got sick, she always wanted a hamster.

Now, my wife Carrie and I, we are not fans of the rodent, if you know what I mean. We never let them get one, but we thought, what the heck? And so it was my job to go to the pet store with her and help her pick out her own pet hamster. So we go to this pet store and she looks at every hamster, she holds every hamster.

And she chooses a little dwarf hamster named Emily. As we're driving home from the pet store, she looks at me quizzically and she says, "Daddy, when I get to heaven, will I see Grandpa right away?" Now, she doesn't know that she's going to die at this point. This is just a short time after her diagnosis.

She knows she's sick because we're taking her to the doctor, but she's running around, she's fine from that standpoint. And she says, "Will I, when I get to heaven, will I see Grandpa right away?" And I said, that was her Grandpa, my father who had died a year earlier. And I said, "Yes, Jackie, you'll get to see Grandpa right away."

She thought for a moment and then she said, "Daddy, when I get to heaven, will I get to see Jesus right away?" And I said, "Yes, sweetie, you'll get to see Jesus right away." And then she held up her little hamster. Not like this, she held it like this. She's holding her little hamster, dangling him really.

And she says, "Daddy, can I take Emily with me to heaven?" Oh my gosh. Now, I know the correct theological answer, okay? But I said, "Yes, sweetie, we can arrange that." We can arrange that. And then she she looked at me and I looked at her and I said, "Jackie, you don't really think you're gonna die, do you?"

And then she said something I'll never forget. She said, "Silly daddy, we're all going to die someday." Amazing. Absolutely amazing. For a child at at five years old to have this deep curiosity about heaven. She even asked Carrie if angels were going to escort her to heaven.

And Carrie said, "Absolutely." God was preparing Jackie for her transition to eternity. Jackie's favorite movie was The Wizard of Oz. And the climax of that movie is when Dorothy clicks her heels and repeats over and over, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

Well, when Jackie died, I was pastoring a church in Northern California that Saddleback had sponsored. And this Saddleback Church that they sponsored, this church family of ours sent me and Carrie a beautiful framed poster of the Wizard of Oz, but it said on it, "There's no place like heaven." There's no place like heaven.

After Jackie died, heaven became especially real to our family. We thought about it more than ever before. Of course, I'd taught about heaven many times, but now I formed a close attachment to heaven. I know it. I feel it. I long for it. And anybody here who's lost a dear loved one knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Now, I wanted to know everything I could about heaven, so I researched it. I wanted to discover what it fully means to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. As the Apostle Paul pointed out, in this life, this life is not all there is. If this life was all there is and if heaven did not exist, then our faith would be worthless.

But Jesus promised that He was going and preparing a place for us. And if that was not true, then Jesus would be the greatest liar in history. But the truth is, we're just passing through this life on earth. As Pastor Rick says, this life is just a dress rehearsal for eternity and for heaven, where the real show will never end.

The Apostle Paul said that if we're in God's family, our true citizenship is in heaven. So I can't wait to see my Savior. I can't wait to see my precious daughter and a lot of other people that I love. What a reunion that's gonna be. I can only imagine. Sometimes when people talk to me about Jackie, they'll say, "I'm sorry you lost your daughter."

Like I left her at the mall or somewhere like that and didn't know where to find her. But you know what? Our daughter is not lost. We know exactly where she is. I'm just upset that the little booger beat me there. In the Bible, King David also lost a child, and he said with complete confidence, "He will not return to me, but one day I will go to him."

I know that feeling. Jackie will not come back here, but I will definitely go to be with her one day and be reunited with her in heaven. This is the true hope based on the reality of God's promises. Jackie loved to play a game where she would jump up onto the counter in the kitchen.

And she would jump into my arms. She'd ask me to go back sometimes, and sometimes she'd take a flying leap, sometimes three feet away, and I would catch her in my arms and we'd laugh and she'd say, "Daddy, do it again." And so she got into a point as a result, now a few weeks later, where she couldn't walk anymore.

And yet she pointed for me to come and pick her up and she motioned for me to take her to the kitchen. And so I put her on the counter, thinking she wanted something from the refrigerator, and then she started to stand up, just one more time. And it was all the strength in her little body that it could muster, and she was able to stand completely straight up.

And then she jumped into my arms, and I just caught her, and I hugged her, and we laughed, and I just said, "Jackie, Daddy is so proud of you." And I'll never forget that moment. And every time I think about it now, I imagine what it was like when she jumped into our heavenly Father's arms in heaven.

If you haven't yet opened your life to your loving heavenly Father and to Jesus who came to die for you, and is right now preparing heaven for you, I'd urge you to do it at the end of the message today. Then you'll be ready for heaven too. God bless you, Saddleback. Thank you for letting me share.

Pastor Rick Warren: Thank you, Dave, for that testimony. You know, after Jackie, who was five years old, died, her older sister, who uh is named Jessica, who's 12, wrote a poem in her younger sister's words and called it heaven. I want to read you this poem, written by a 12-year-old.

Mommy, what's wrong with me? My head hurts so bad. You take me to the doctor and tell me I'm sick. Why do you and Daddy look so sad? I don't want any more radiation, Mommy. Please get me out of this place. I want to talk to you, but my mouth won't move. All I can do is watch your crying face.

Mommy, I can laugh and smile again. Guess who I can see. Jesus is calling me toward heaven. He always said it's a great place to be. Mommy, I'm getting closer now. I'm walking through the big golden gate. Stop crying, Mommy, because I'll see you again. And I'll be happy up here as I wait.

Have you settled this issue? This this heaven issue? Only a fool would go through life unprepared for what you know is inevitable. Friends, we're not talking about some minor issue this weekend. We're talking about your eternal destiny. Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever.

I'm betting my life that Jesus told the truth. What are you betting your life on? Well, I like to think, that's not a very good basis for a bet. The night before Jesus Christ went to the cross, He gathered the 12 closest disciples together, and He said this to them.

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Thomas said unto Jesus, "Lord, we don't know where you're going. We don't know the way." And Jesus said, "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." I'm betting my life He was telling the truth. What are you betting your life on?

You better bet have better odds. If you've never opened your life to Christ, you need to do it now. And if you have opened your life to Christ, what on earth are you doing for heaven's sake? What are you doing now to prepare for the inevitable heaven? Even when you know where you're going, the vast majority of people pay no attention to the eternity issue.

They're living 100% for here and now, which is a total waste. Because everything that's here and now isn't going to matter in five minutes, much less 50 years, much less for eternity. Stop wasting your life on stuff that doesn't matter. Reading things that don't matter, watching things that don't matter, listening to things that don't matter, talking about things that don't matter.

Start living for things that last. Know what lasts and know what doesn't last and invest your life in the things that are gonna last forever. Let's bow our heads. Father, we thank you for heaven. And as we have now for 12 different sessions looked at Your goodness.

That you are a good God. The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything that I need. When I need it, you will provide it. Thank you that when we're tired, you make us lie down in green pastures. And when we're stretched to the limit, You lead us beside still waters. And when we feel like there's nothing left to give, you restore our souls.

Thank you that when we're confused, you lead us in the right paths for your namesake. And thank you when we go through the troubles and trials and the deaths of life, that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we no fear no evil, because you're going to be with us.

We thank you for every one of the metaphors that have the deep truths of Your goodness that we've looked at in Psalm 23. Thank you that You prepare a banquet before us in the presence of our enemies and You show how much You love us even in front of people who may hate us.

That You anoint us with oil, that You heal our hurts, that You overflow our cup. You don't just give us what we need, You give us more than we need in every area of life. You are a good God. Thank you that surely goodness and mercy, those two sheep dog are going to be nipping at our tails as you we follow the shepherd.

And and and, thank you that I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. God, how could you be that good? Why would you be that good? You are a good God. You thought us up, You created us, You love us even when we turn our back on You, You forgive us, You show us Your grace. You sent Your Son to die for us.

And You want us to be in love with You and in fellowship with You, and to live in Your house forever and ever and ever. What a God You are. Lord, I pity those who don't know You. I've walked with You now over 50 years. I know You better than I know any of the people sitting here.

And I thank that You've taken me through every stage of life, the ups and the downs, and the highs and the lows. And I want other people to know You that way. If you've never opened your life to Christ, say, "Yep, Lord, today, this is it. Jesus Christ, I open my life completely to You." Just say that.

"Jesus Christ, I humbly open my life to You. I want to learn to love You and trust You and get to know You. I don't want to live on my own power anymore, or my own purpose, or my own plans. And God, the fact that You would want me in Your heaven, in Your family, is amazing grace.

And I humbly ask You to accept me into Your family. I want to be adopted in, I want to be born again into Your family. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Pastor Rick Warren: Hey, if you've just prayed along with Rick to accept Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you. Just email Rick at pastorrick.com. Here's Rick to tell you how you can help support this ministry.

Pastor Rick Warren: Jesus told His disciples that they should live their lives according to five specific purposes. He said, "You've got to love God with all your heart, that's worship, and love your neighbor as yourself." That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment.

And then Jesus said, "Go make disciples, that's evangelism, baptize them into the family of God, that's fellowship," a sign of fellowship. And then He said, "Teach them to obey everything I've taught you." That's discipleship. And we call that the Great Commission. We believe at Daily Hope that a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will produce a great Christian, a great church, a great company, a great community.

You know, I started Daily Hope so I could spread the good news about Jesus, not just across America, but all around the world. And we want people to know that God's word is filled with hope and truth and the power that we need to follow Him every day is available to every single one. You know as well as I do that the word of God changes lives.

It's alive, it's active, it breathes new life and new love into all of our lives. So wherever you listen to this, whether you listen on the website, whether you listen on a radio station, or whether you listen through a podcast, you're a part of the Daily Hope family. And I need your help. We could not do this without your support.

We're 100% listener funded. Would you continue to pray for this broadcast and would you continue to support us? And write to me, let let me hear from you. I absolutely love reading the stories that are sent to me. So write me, pray for me, and support this ministry. And God will bless it and God will bless you and we'll get to heaven and we'll thank God for all the people going to be in heaven because you cared.

Pastor Rick Warren: Hey, if you'd like to support Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, just go to pastorrick.com. That's pastorrick.com. Or you can text the word hope to 70309. That's the word hope to 70309. And really, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you so much for your support. Your gift to Daily Hope helps us share the hope of Christ with people everywhere.

Hey, be sure to join us next time when we look into God's word for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.