Seeing His Face

Sunday Sermons

Mark Dunagan
10/21/07 - Sunday Morning

Seeing His Face

“There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3-4).

The Ultimate

If we were putting together a “Top Ten List” of great things about heaven, seeing God would be the number one item on the list. Seeing God face to face is something that godly men and women have longed for throughout the centuries, “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You” (Psalm 63:1). “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27). Job clearly expects to see God; He would actually see the Father face to face—not merely some heavenly representative. “When he sees Him, He will appear as a friend, not as an enemy or stranger” (Strauss p. 191). “My heart faints within me!” So overcome with the thought of seeing God, Job declares such an idea too wonderful for him. “It is wonderful, but not too wonderful to be possible” (Strauss p. 192). “He was emotionally drained by the very thought of meeting God and having Him once and for all vindicate rather than vitiate his cause” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 742). Jesus also spoke of this aspect of heaven, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Unheard Of!

I hope we are all amazed at how privileged we will be to actually see God face to face. This is something that has never before been possible. Moses had wanted to see God, yet God told him at that time, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Exodus 33:20). In writing to Timothy, Paul described God as, “The blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

Is This on Our “Wish List”?

David wrote, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4). The word “behold” can also be translated “gaze”. David longed to simply spend time “gazing” at the Lord’s beauty. What is our one consuming desire? “Today, single-mindedness is not always admired as a virtue. The media frequently criticize single-issue politicians and single-issue pressure groups. People devoted to a cause may be viewed as bigoted or narrow-minded” (Williams p. 207). Yet David had one consuming passion which enabled him to handle difficult times. “As in the well-known Psalm 23:6, this is not an ambition to be a priest or Levite, but to enjoy the constant presence of God... Note the singleness of purpose (one thing) - the best answer to distracting fears... to behold and to inquire; a preoccupation with God’s Person and His will. It is the essence of worship” (Kidner pp. 120-121).

Would Heaven be Heaven Without God?

I know there are many people who desire to go to heaven yet their desire may merely be fueled by:

Not wanting to go to hell
Looking forward to “rest” and lots of sleep
Thinking that, in heaven, they will have an eternity to spend on their favorite hobby
Thinking that heaven will cater to sensual or carnal desires
Thinking that they will get to play the role of God

I think people fail to remember that what really makes heaven so wonderful is God’s presence. When Jesus was preparing to go back to the Father, He was not merely yearning for the comforts of heaven, but rather for the intimate relationship that was found there, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). Asaph wrote, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Psalm 73:25). In the New Testament, Paul said the same thing, “To me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). Such an attitude does not exclude all other relationships, rather it enriches them. When God is the object of our passion and desire (Psalm 42:1), our marriage will be great, the relationship with our children and brethren will be great, and so on. Yet when people put all their desires into another human being, or the things of this earth, that relationship, and all other relationships, will suffer.

The Garden without God

If God were to plant another Garden of Eden on the earth, it would still not be the same as the original, for in the original, what made Eden so special was the relationship with God found in the Garden (Genesis 3:8). We should note that the man and his wife were completely one and there were no barriers between them (2:25), when they were both right with God.

The validity of the argument that Eden would not be Eden without God can be easily seen in our modern world. Mankind has made life on this earth very comfortable at times, in fact, we have even attempted to create an Eden-like atmosphere whether at amusement parks, festivals, in planning orderly and beautiful neighborhoods or even in our own homes. In a very real way, spas, saunas, beautiful backyards with gazebos, decks, BBQ’s, and huge Recreational Vehicles are often man’s futile attempt to recover what was lost in the garden. Often, material possessions are sold with the guarantee that “this is what will bring you peace of mind and relaxation”. There is nothing wrong with such possessions, yet most of us have realized that all the nice things in the world cannot create the happiness, peace and contentment that only a relationship with God can provide.

Relationships Matter

Look again at what the Psalmist said, “And besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Psalm 73:25). We know, however, that the writer was not someone who hated life or was an ascetic (Colossians 2:20-23). “This may seem an overstatement—there’snothing on Earth this man desires but God? But he’s affirming that the central desires of our heart are for God. Yes, we desire many other things, but in desiring them, it is really God we desire. Augustine called God, ‘the end of our desires’. He prayed, ‘You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you’” (Heaven, Alcorn p. 170). Yet, what he is saying is that without God, none of the things of this life have any meaning or real joy. We even see this principle worked out in this life.

Have you ever vacationed or traveled “alone”? I believe that many men who travel on business would agree that seeing neat places or eating at nice establishments is just not the same without their wives.
Many wealthy individuals have asked themselves, “What is the use of having a nice house, nice cars and so on, if the person you are with does not love you?” In fact, history is filled with individuals who gave up a fortune in order to have a “relationship”.
Houses are cold and food does not taste as good - without relationships.
How much fun would you have at Disneyland or somewhere else if you were there all by yourself?
Paul said, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be concerned or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Solomon basically said the same thing, “For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?” (Ecclesiastes 2:25).

“Heaven will be knowing and seeing God. Every other joy will be derivative, flowing from the fountain of our relationship with God. God is the source of all lesser goods. All secondary joys are derivative in nature. They cannot be separated from God. Flowers are beautiful for one reason—God is beautiful. Rainbows are stunning because God is stunning. Puppies are delightful because God is delightful. Sports are fun because God is fun. Study is rewarding because God is rewarding. Work is fulfilling because God is fulfilling” (Heaven, Alcorn pp. 170,171).

Work is more rewarding and fulfilling when God is in your life.
Recreation is more fulfilling when you are right with God.
Material possessions are appreciated and more fully enjoyed when one is a Christian.
The love between a husband and wife is far more enriching when both are right with God.

Yet, the common mistake that so many people make is that they are like the child who receives a gift from their loving father and becomes so consumed with the gift that they forget about the love of the parent. “God doesn’t want to be replaced or depreciated. He wants to be recognized as the source of all our joys (James 1:17; 1 Timothy 4:4; 6:17). My pleasure in a good meal or a good book is taking pleasure in God. It’s not a substitute for God, nor is it is a distraction from Him” (Alcorn p. 172).

The good news for the Christian is that now, in this lifetime, we are allowed to practice for heaven and enjoy some of the previews of eternal life. We are exhorted to draw close to God now (Hebrews 10:19; 4:16; James 4:4ff). We are encouraged to build our relationship with Him (Matthew 22:37), and we are motivated to revel in His daily blessings and make the most of this life (1 Timothy 4:4). “The most exhilarating experiences on Earth, such as white-water rafting, skydiving, or extreme sports, will seem tame compared to the thrill of seeing Jesus” (Alcorn pp. 173-174).

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017