God, Why Would I Want to Go to Heaven?
1 Corinthians 1:1-13
The Rebellion Anthem
Back in the 1990s, a new song captured the spirit of teenage rebellion perfectly. OPM's "Heaven is a Halfpipe" declared that heaven was only worth going to if you could skateboard there all day, free from "the man," free from rules, free from any authority telling you what to do.
It wasn't just a quirky song about skating. It revealed something deeper about how we think about heaven and freedom. The singer knew enough about Christianity to reference pearly gates, but he imagined there was a sign there saying "no skating" because heaven, in his mind, meant restriction. It meant God telling him what he couldn't do. So he'd rather create his own version of heaven where he and his friends could do whatever they wanted for eternity.
Sound familiar? Before OPM, AC/DC had "Highway to Hell", celebrating the ultimate act of rebellion by choosing hell over heaven simply to escape God's authority. These weren't obscure songs. They were anthems. Millions of people resonated with the idea that true freedom meant living without God.
And if we're honest, that impulse hasn't gone anywhere. We still resist authority. We still crave autonomy. For many people today, the idea of spending eternity with God doesn't sound like paradise—it sounds like eternal submission.
So here's the uncomfortable question: why would anyone actually want to go to heaven?
Seeing Through a Mirror Dimly
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is a passage we often hear at weddings, but rarely explore for its teaching on heaven and eternity. Right in the middle of Paul's famous words about love, he writes something fascinating:
"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
In Paul's day, there were no glass mirrors. Mirrors were made of polished bronze or steel, giving only a hazy, unclear reflection. That's our current view of heaven. We understand the basics through faith, but we don't see it with perfect clarity. We're like children trusting a parent to guide us across a busy road, not fully grasping all the dangers we can't yet perceive.
But heaven changes everything. Paul says that faith, hope, and even prophecy will pass away. We won't need faith in heaven because faith gives way to sight. We won't need hope because hope will be fulfilled. We transition from believing about Jesus to being with Jesus, face to face, every single day, for eternity.
That's the key. Heaven isn't primarily about streets of gold or mansions or whatever else we imagine. It's about being face to face with the person we've been following from a distance our whole lives.
Love Lasts When Everything Else Fades
Paul's famous line "these three remain: faith, hope and love - but the greatest of these is love" isn't just poetic. It's deeply theological. Why is love greater than faith? Because love lasts forever, faith doesn't.
Think about that. In heaven, you won't need faith anymore because you'll see Jesus directly. You won't need hope because all God's promises will be fulfilled. But love? Love remains. Love is eternal.
This is because heaven is fundamentally about relationship. It's not about what you get to do, it's about who you get to be with.
This completely reframes the question. The issue isn't "Does heaven have the things I enjoy?" or "Will I be bored in heaven?" The real question is: "Do I love Jesus enough to want to be with him forever?"
And here's where it gets uncomfortable. Not everyone does. The people who wrote those songs celebrating hell over heaven weren't confused about theology, they genuinely didn't want to be with God. They wanted autonomy more than relationship. They wanted freedom from authority more than they wanted His love.
The Uncomfortable Reality of Hell
Jesus repeatedly spoke about hell as a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth." But here's something most people miss: throughout Scripture, when people gnash their teeth at Jesus, it's not in regret, it's in anger.
The religious leaders gnashed their teeth at Stephen when he testified about Jesus. People throughout the Gospels gnashed their teeth at Jesus not because they suddenly realised they'd made a mistake, but because they hated his claims to authority. They resisted his kingship. They wanted him gone.
Could it be that even in hell, people continue to reject God? That the "gnashing of teeth" isn't remorse but ongoing rebellion. Would they even choose heaven if given the option?
It's a sobering thought. Eternal separation from God isn't just punishment imposed from outside. It may be the ultimate expression of human choice to live without him. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). He grieves over rebellion. But he also respects human choice, even when that choice leads to destruction.
The highway to hell is wide, Jesus said, and many travel on it. Not because God is keeping people out of heaven, but because they're choosing the road that leads away from him.
What It Means for Us
If heaven is about being with Jesus, what does that mean for Christians living now? We are already citizens of God's kingdom, living in a world that doesn't recognise our King. We gather together as the church not because it's always exciting or emotionally fulfilling, but because it's a physical representation of the kingdom, a foretaste of what it will be like being face to face with Jesus.
Here's the challenge: if you find church boring, if faith feels difficult, if gathering with other believers feels like a chore, the issue might not be external circumstances. It might be your relationship with Jesus himself.
Those who truly love him find joy not in religious activities for their own sake, but in being part of his kingdom, surrounded by others who share that love. Whether you're gathering with us at Soul Revival Church in the Sutherland Shire or Ryde, or meeting with believers anywhere, church isn't about the music or the preaching or the programs. It's about preparing for eternity by learning to love Jesus and love others now.
When we understand that heaven is about relationship, suddenly our priorities shift. The question isn't "What will I get to do in heaven?" but "Am I growing in love for Jesus today?" Because if you don't love spending time with Jesus now, through prayer, through Scripture, through worship, through serving others, why would you want to spend eternity with him?
The Invitation Stands
The beautiful truth is that the invitation remains open. Jesus declared in Mark 1:15, "The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Repent means to turn around, to stop running away from God in rebellion and turn toward him in relationship. To admit that the autonomy we've been chasing isn't actually freedom at all. To recognise that real freedom is found in loving and being loved by the God who made us.
God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for our rebellion. Jesus loved us enough to pay the price for our sins before we ever loved him back. And now he invites us into relationship, not as slaves under a tyrant, but as beloved children who know their Father face to face.
Heaven isn't about harps and clouds. It's not about having a spiritual halfpipe or unlimited autonomy. It's about being with Jesus—the one who loved us enough to die for us, who calls us into relationship, and who promises that one day we'll see him face to face.
The question for each of us is simple: do you love Jesus? Because if you love him now, you'll want to be with him forever. And that's what makes heaven, heaven.
This sermon is part of our God, Why? series at Soul Revival Church in the Sutherland Shire, exploring life's biggest questions through the lens of Scripture. Watch the full message or listen to the podcast to dive deeper into this topic.
Soul Revival Church gathers across the Sutherland Shire and Ryde.