Skip to content Living on Earth; Longing for Heaven - Part B Dec 23 · 26 min ...more
Living on Earth; Longing for Heaven - Part B
December 23, 2025 · 26 min
What makes life worth living? Pastor Skip explains why true joy is found not in escaping this world—but in helping others grow closer to Jesus.
Series Connect with Skip Heitzig Podcast December 23, 2025 · 26 min · Connect with Skip Heitzig Podcast
What makes life worth living? Pastor Skip explains why true joy is found not in escaping this world—but in helping others grow closer to Jesus. ...more Show the full description Show less What makes life worth living? Pastor Skip explains why true joy is found not in escaping this world—but in helping others grow closer to Jesus.
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Skip Heitzig ministers to over 15,000 people as senior pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque. He reaches out to thousands across the nation and throughout the
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0:01 Welcome to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We're so glad you've tuned in today. At Connect with Skip, our passion is to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus through solid verse by verse bible teaching that's0:13 both clear and practical. Every message you hear is designed to strengthen your faith and help you live out God's truth wherever he's placed you. But did you know that you can stay connected beyond the broadcast?0:25 When you sign up for pastor Skip's free weekly devotional, you'll receive biblical encouragement, exclusive content, and free resources to help you go deeper in God's word, all delivered straight to your0:37 inbox. It's quick, easy, and completely free, and it's a great way to stay rooted in truth every week. Sign up today at connect with skip dot com. That's connect with skip dot0:49 com. Now here's today's message from pastor Skip Heitzig.0:53 What's his desire? He tells us, verse 23, For I'm hard pressed between the 2, having a desire, this is what I want, to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.1:05 Now, we're going to drill down in this verse for a moment. What I want you to notice is how Paul describes his future possible death. Notice the words he1:17 used. First of all, he says it's a departure. He said, having a desire to depart. Now let me tell you about this word. Once I tell you about it, you'll, I think, appreciate the1:29 beauty of it, the depth of it, the riches of it. The word depart that he uses here is the word analuo. And it means to break up, to unloose,1:41 or to undo. It was a word that was used by 3 groups of people in antiquity. Sailors used it. Soldiers used it. Farmers used it. Sailors used the1:53 word depart or departure when they were going to go from 1 port and sail to another port. They would pull up the rope off the moorings. They would bring in the anchor. And they would move from 1 port to the next. I2:05 think that is in Paul's mind when he writes his last letter, 2 Timothy chapter 4. And he says, For the time of my departure is at hand. Timothy, it's time for2:17 me to pull up the anchor and set sail. And that's why I think so much of the writing of the hymns is based upon this thought of meeting2:28 together, gathering together on that distant shore we call heaven. For example, the hymn I'll Fly Away. Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away. To2:40 a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away. So that's the word. Sailors used it. Also, soldiers used it. Soldiers2:52 were out camping when they were fighting. And when it was time for them to move from 1 campsite to another or to go back home, they would break the camp up. And the word they used was3:04 analuo. They'd break up the camp, and they move on. And I like thinking about our lives that way. We're camping out here. This earth is a3:15 campground, not much more than that. We're just passing through. Our permanent abode will be in heaven. And 1 day it'll be time for us to break up the camp, put away the tent,3:28 and move on. I love camping. I always have. But I love it for a little while. And I think I speak from experience. I3:39 once spent 3 straight months camping out around the United States and Canada with a buddy. And you know when I was done? I was done. I was done camping3:51 for a long time. Somebody a couple weeks later said, let's go camping. No, I'm good for a few years. Because when you go camping, it's cool, it's fun. You put up the tent,4:03 you light the campfire. But then eventually, everything smells like campfire. All your clothes smell like fire. You start smelling pretty ripe yourself after a couple of days. So you start longing for4:14 something more permanent. And then the tent, the tent that you bring along, if you use it a lot, like I've had a tent for years, and you ought to see it. It still works, but you can tell it's old.4:26 The threads are kind of coming undone. The flaps are kind of not flapping right. And that's a good description of our body. This morning when I got up and got ready for4:38 church and looked in the mirror and I saw the tent and I saw the threads and the flaps, I go, yeah, it's not flapping quite right. I thought, that's a tent4:50 right there I'm looking at. That's about done. It's been well used, but it's a tent. And Paul talks about our body this way. In 2 Corinthians 5, We know that when this earthly tent5:02 we live in is taken down, that is when we die and leave these bodies, we have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God5:14 and not by human hands. Another author whom I have loved besides Stott is F. B. Meyer. F. B. Meyer was a contemporary with D. L.5:25 Moody, so a century ago or about. And F. B. Meyer was close to death. And he wrote a letter to a friend. Here's a5:37 portion. He said, I've just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this letter5:48 reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don't you love that description? And then he says this, Don't even bother to write. We shall meet6:00 in the morning. I love that because he says, you know, I'm living in this campground. The tent's about done, and I'm trading it in for a palace. I'm going to move very shortly.6:13 The problem is see if you agree with this. We live in this campground in these tents, but we are so preoccupied with our tents. How's my tent look? It's Okay for6:25 a tent, But don't be surprised when the tent doesn't look the same next year, and the year after, and the year after. We get so preoccupied with our tent, and the color of our threads, and6:37 is the tent too big or too small? And I mean, we're so preoccupied with our bodies, even to the point of death. I go to funerals and the caskets open and people go6:49 by and they look inside. And this is what they say, man, he looks good. He looks dead. He looked better a month ago. This is good.7:01 But we're just so preoccupied with how the tent looks. Paul says, there's going to be a departure. I'm going to pull up the rope and set7:13 sail. I'm breaking down the tent and moving on. And then I said, it's also used not only by sailors and soldiers, but by farmers. And it was used by farmers when they had an animal that had7:25 a yoke on it. You know what a yoke is? It's a steering device, controlling device. At the end of a workday, when the yoke was lifted off the animal, the term they used was onaluo. Onaluo.7:36 Job is done. Yoke is taken off. It is removed. It has departed from off the animal. And don't you love that Jesus said this, Take my yoke7:48 upon you. You know what that means. Let me rule you. Let me control you. Let me steer your life. I'll be in charge, not you. But then there comes a day8:00 when the yoke is removed and he says to us, well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord. And we get rewarded. So he's wrestling with the8:12 predicament. He's wanting to push off and depart. And it's a departure. But we're still drilling down in verse 23. It's more than a departure. Death is an8:24 encounter. For he says, having a desire to depart and be what? Go ahead, talk out loud in church. Be with Christ.8:36 Now this part is what makes death sweet for a Christian. It's not the departure that makes death sweet. It's the arrival8:49 that makes it sweet. It's the encounter we have with Christ. There was once a man who spoke about heaven. He was a young preacher. And he spoke about heaven in his younger days in terms of what was in heaven. You know,8:59 we talk all about the golden streets and the river of life and the tree that lined the river of life because he was taking his cues from the book of Revelation. He was talking about heaven based on what's there9:12 until the day his daughter died and moved to heaven. And years later, his wife died and moved to heaven. Now the9:23 older preacher started talking about heaven not in terms of what's there, but in terms of who's there. And for the believer, who's there9:36 aren't just relatives and friends that you long to be reunited with, and you will. But even above and beyond that is the joy of that intimate face to face encounter9:48 with Jesus Himself. That's the highlight of heaven. Heaven's main attraction is not stuff. Heaven's main attraction is God. He'll be there.9:59 You'll be with Him. Heaven will display God's glory undiminished full screen. The wow factor will be immense. Wow, it's10:11 God. I'm looking at Him. And I didn't burn up because I have a glorified resurrected body. Now, just in case you're wondering if that really is the highlight of heaven, just listen to10:23 how Jesus described heaven to His disciples. He said, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there10:34 you may be also. It's the encounter that he was talking about. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4 wrote, we will be caught up together with them to meet10:46 the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Again, Paul, 2 Corinthians five:eight, to be absent from10:58 the body finish this 1 up is to be present with the Lord. It's all about the encounter with Him. Isn't it funny how we talk about11:10 heaven? I've had people say, well, there golf in heaven? Like, it's not going be cool if there's not a golf course in heaven. Was there football in heaven? What about pets? Heaven won't be heaven11:22 unless I can have my doggies there. Really? You really want them there? I don't want to clean up poops in heaven. That's not heaven to me. Don't you think that whatever great joy we can think of on11:34 earth, God can say, I can top that more than what you can think about? I can top that. I think He can. So it will be a departure. It will be an encounter. And it11:46 will be much better. Look at what he says, again, verse 23, having a desire to depart and be with Christ so that's departure and encounter which11:57 is far better. This is what he meant a couple of verses back, verse 21, for me to live is Christ and to die is12:08 gain.12:09 This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. As we reach the end of 20 25, generous support from friends like you is vital to keep Connect with Skip Heitzig strong and sharing God's unchanging truth around the12:21 world. Your year end gift helps more people hear the gospel and find lasting hope in Jesus. And to thank you for your generosity, we'll send you the Daily God Journal, pastor Skip's new yearlong12:33 prayer journal, together with the digital devotional, the Daily God Book. These resources will guide you through scripture day by day, helping you align your heart with God and experience his peace.12:44 Request yours when you give a year end gift of 50 dollars or more at connect with skip dot com slash offer or call 809 2 2 18 88. Let's return now to today's12:56 message.12:57 People often ask me, Skip, how will we look in heaven? My answer is simple, better. Better. You'll look much better than you do now. Oh, I look pretty good now. Oh, you look a whole lot better then.13:10 You'll feel better. You'll be better, which is far better. Now, here's something interesting. And this is why I'm glad we have time to go through Philippians like this and slow down and pick it apart, because we13:22 start understanding the mind of Paul. When he says, which is far better, he actually stacks up words together. So the literal translation would be something like,13:33 which is much more better. I want to depart and be with Christ, which is much more very better, which is bad English, but good13:45 Greek and great theology. He's saying, as good as I can describe it, it's even better than that. It's just awesome. Now he would know, because Paul had an experience where he13:57 was close to death. And he said he was taken up and caught up to the third heaven. Remember that, 2 Corinthians 12? I was caught up to the third heaven, and I saw and heard things inexpressible.14:09 Unlawful, he said, for a man to utter. I've always been mad at Paul for that. Sort of held a grudge against Paul because he saw heaven, experienced heaven for a moment, was like, give14:20 us something. Because no, it was just so good. I can't even say anything. And so he does. And he just goes on to the next subject. It's like, man. But he would know. It's so14:32 astonishing that it cannot be told. There's no soul sleep in heaven. There's no intermediate state. There's no purgatory. There's no limbo. To be absent from the body is to14:44 be present with the Lord. The moment you are absent from your body is that very moment that you're present with the Lord. So think of what that meant to Paul. He would never again have to14:55 smell that prison cell again. He would never again feel the whip, the Roman whip on his back. He would never hear the sneers15:07 of his detractors, even Christian detractors who talked in a way that would make his incarceration worse. He would never again be shackled to a guard. He would be with15:19 Christ, which is much more better. When D. L. Moody died I'm kind of covering now all my favorite preachers in 1 sermon. D. L.15:30 Moody had his family around him on his deathbed. And I'm bringing it up because what Moody said sounds so much like what Paul writes. Moody said, I am not discouraged.15:42 I want to live as long as I'm useful. But when my work is done, I want to be up and off. Most of us feel that way, right? I want to do what God wants me to do. But when I'm15:54 done, take me to heaven. Now, that's what he said on his deathbed. That night, he had a horrible sleep, very restless. Early the next morning, he said in16:06 very deliberate, slow cadence these words. He said, Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me.16:18 His son, Will, thought his dad was having a dream, so he pushed him to wake him up. And Moody said, no, this is no dream, Will. It is beautiful. If this16:30 is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go. So you can understand why Paul is saying,16:42 for me to depart means I'm going to be with Christ, which is far better. It's going to be a departure. It's going be an encounter. It's going to be far better. So he's wrestling. He is16:53 wanting to go. But here's the third word, the third attitude, he is willing. He is willing, if it's in God's will, to stay if he can help other people. Verse 24.17:06 Actually, let's go back up to verse 22. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor. Now, verse 24, Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is17:18 more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your17:29 rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Christ Jesus by my coming to you again. That's interesting. I just want to bring this up. The theme of this book is joy. He writes about it17:41 through the book. Now what he's saying is, it's not about my joy. It's about your joy. I am willing to remain if I can add to your joy, first of all,17:53 by bringing fruit, verse 22 this will mean fruit from my labor and progress in your Christian life. And that is verse 25, with you all for the18:05 progress and joy of your faith. Now let me just say, here's the mark of a spiritual person. A spiritual person18:17 is willing to put what he or she wants on pause if it means helping somebody else. What I really want is to be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless,18:29 I'm willing to put what I want on pause if I can see other people helped, blessed. I can just say that Paul practiced what he preached. What he preached, I want you to see what18:41 he preached, and then you'll see how practiced it. Look at Philippians 2. Just skip ahead. We'll get there someday. Philippians 2, verse 3, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition18:53 or conceit, but in lowliness of mind that means humility let each esteem or consider others better than himself. Let each of you look out19:04 not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. That's what Paul told them they ought to do. What Paul is saying in chapter 1 is, this is what I do. This is how I live19:16 my life. I want to go to heaven, but being here may help you. 2 ways he mentions, fruitfulness and progress. Fruitfulness.19:28 If I live on in the flesh, verse 22, this will mean fruit from my labor. In other words, if I'm still kicking, I'll still be working.19:40 As long as I'm breathing, still going to be battling. I'm going to use every breath I can for His glory and your betterment. This is what he meant in verse 21 again. For me to live is19:52 Christ. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Now what is fruit? That's a Christian term. You should be fruitful. You go, What does that mean?20:04 What does it mean as a Christian to be a fruitful Christian? Well, the New Testament speaks of fruit in a few different ways. Number 1, winning people to Christ is called fruit. Romans 1 13, I20:16 often plan to come to you that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among other Gentiles. Winning people to Christ. Converts are fruit.20:28 And Paul said, you know, I want to go there to have converts where you live. Just like everywhere I've gone so far, that's what I do. I'm that guy. I'm the evangelist. I want to see people won to Christ. Number 2, holy20:40 living is called fruit. Romans 6 22, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have fruit to holiness20:52 and, in the end, everlasting life. The holier you become, the more fruitful you are. Number 3, giving is called fruit, financially supporting God's21:04 work. Romans chapter 15, Paul spoke of their contribution to the saints, and he calls it this fruit, this fruit being their monetary contribution. Number 4, good21:16 works is called fruit. Colossians 1, verse 10, pleasing Him and being fruitful in every good work. And finally, praise21:28 is called fruit. Hebrews 13 15, Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.21:40 So here's Paul saying, I hate prison, but I'm willing to stay here if it's going to help you, if I can do more for His glory. Fruitfulness. Listen to this.21:52 Fruitfulness ends when you die. Get that truth. Fruitfulness will end when you die. You will not be fruitful in heaven. You can't be fruitful in heaven. You22:04 can't pass out a tract in heaven. You can't support God's work in heaven. You can't encourage a young believer in heaven. We're in perfection. All of your fruitfulness is on earth. You get22:15 rewarded for your fruitfulness in heaven. Your fruitfulness ends the day you die. So Paul wanted fruit. Number 2, he wanted progress. That's the word that22:27 you will notice in verse 25, for the progress and the joy of your faith. See, what's on Paul's heart is22:39 their spiritual growth, their spiritual growth. And so far, being in prison has not hurt Christian spiritual growth. It's furthered the gospel. So if Paul moves to heaven, all of22:51 his hassles are done. But so is his effectiveness. He won't win any more guards to Christ. He won't stimulate boldness like he has so far that he mentioned a few verses back. He won't be able to inspire23:03 others with his pen as he writes letters. He won't be able to build up other churches. And knowing that, he says, I am willing to postpone going to heaven if I23:15 can help others grow on earth. Now, let me kind of boil this down to a single statement, this whole message. You're on your way to heaven. Until23:27 you get there, do something. You're on your way to heaven. Yay, hallelujah. But it's not God's will for you to be in heaven today. How do I know that? Because I'm23:39 looking at you. You're breathing. You're not room temperature yet. Now 1 day you will be, and that'll be it's appointed to every man once in day. That'll be your appointed time.23:50 But it's not God's will today that you're in heaven. So until you get to heaven, do something, get involved in something, help someone grow in their faith, become24:02 a fruitful believer. I love the old saying that 1 of the tribes of the American Indians, the Native Americans had, and that is this. When you were born, you cried24:14 and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. Now you're to rejoice going to heaven, but24:26 you'll rejoice even more as you are rewarded by your Savior for the faithful, fruitful service on Earth. When he says to you, well done, good and24:38 faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord and say, yes.24:43 We're so glad you joined us today on Connect with Skip Heitzig. And remember, before you go, your generosity today makes a real difference. As this year ends, your gift of 50 dollars or24:55 more helps more people hear God's word and find lasting hope in Jesus. And to thank you, we'll send you the daily God journal along with the companion digital devotional, the daily God book.25:07 These resources will help you start the new year aligned with God's heart and growing in faith each day. Give your year end gift now at connect with Skip dot com slash offer or call25:19 809 2 2 18 88. Come back next time for more verse by verse teaching of God's word here on connect with Skip Heitzig.25:49 Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever changing times.
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