5:49 Well, Mel... Maranatha Bible Church. Welcome. Welcome to this Lord's day service. Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6:01 We are so glad that you are worshiping our risen king with us today. We are... We hope... I hope that you've come here expecting wonderful things from the Lord during this time. I invite you to stand with me as we read God's word.
6:24 I'm going to read Psalm as our call to worship today, and may the Lord use His words to focus our minds on Him. May the Lord use His words to quiet our hearts before Him as we exalt Jesus Christ this morning. Psalm 47, to the choir master, a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Clap your hands all peoples. Shout to God with loud songs of joy.
6:54 For the Lord, the most high, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. God has gone up with a shout. The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
7:18 Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth.
7:28 Sing praises with a Psalm. God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God.
7:46 He is highly exalted. Amen? Amen. Church, can we do something a little different? Can we spend the next few moments individually quieting our hearts before Him as we prepare to sing praises to our God and our King.
8:06 So let's just spend a couple minutes quietly seeking him, and then we'll pray together. Oh, father, we come before you with rejoicing. We come before you with thanksgiving. And, Lord, even now, may you quiet our hearts before you as we give you the sacrifice of praise that you alone deserve. Lord, may the busyness of this week, may the legitimate cares of our lives, and may the desires that are less and wanting before you.
9:13 Lord, may all of this pale in comparison to the wondrous, beautiful, matchless, glorious thing it is to know you, to be called your sons and your daughters, to be your people where we can worship you in freedom and truth and by the power of your spirit. Have your way in the service today, Lord. May you alone be glorified. Lord, may you comfort the brokenhearted today with more of yourself. May you bind up our wounds with greater love and delight in you.
9:50 Father, may may may our satisfactions of this world, may the desires of the flesh, the delight of the eyes, may may they all fade away as we gaze upon your beauty this morning. God, we love you. We are needy people and we need more of you today. Have your way in this service, Lord. Have your way in our hearts.
10:11 We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Church, will you sing to the Lord? Sing to the Lord a new song.
10:18 Sing to the Lord with all of your hearts today, and may God be praised.
19:37 Lord, we pray Moses's prayer from Psalm 90. Satisfy us in the morning this morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Lord, we know that the secret to our sanctification, the secret to overcoming sin, the secret to overcoming despair is when we delight in you and know the joy of the Lord. Give us a fresh baptism of that love, Lord. Use the service to plunge us into greater depths of your love for us, oh God.
20:07 We need it, Lord. We're desperate as we prayed earlier. We're not ashamed to say it in your presence. We're not ashamed to say it before one another. We're desperate to know you.
20:16 We need you, Lord. So come have your way in our hearts in a new way, in a way that would cause us to love you more. In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen. Well, praying about love, speaking about love, turn to somebody in love. Embrace them, and welcome to Maranatha Bible Church.
21:02 Good morning, Maranatha Bible Church. What a wonderful fall morning it is for us to be able to gather in this place. The leaves are changing colors. The weather is still warm, and more importantly, our hearts are tender by God's grace as we come to worship him. And we continue to do that in our giving.
21:22 And so the ushers will help us do that, and there's different ways that you can make your contributions to the work of the Lord here at Maranatha Bible Church. So grateful for your partnership in this way. It makes what happens here in this facility and beyond this facility possible. The people's lives that are being impacted through the word of God that's being unleashed from this very place week by week is transforming lives, and we're trust... We're trusting that it's blessing your life as you come here and call this place home.
21:50 But if this is a place that you're visiting today, a special welcome to you. We're hope that you... We're hoping that you'll be blessed and that you will leave here with a greater sense of the reality of Christ. That's our prayer ultimately. This is about the Lord Jesus and his glory in our lives.
22:05 And while that is taking place, I'm gonna give us a few announcements here for the month of November specifically. Let me give you a praise report. We had our first woman, breakfast bible study yesterday, and with, many people who were missing just because of schedules and different events in their own lives, we still had close to, if not 60 ladies who were there to... Yes. It was wonderful.
22:27 And they had a chance to explore briefly the life of Hannah and answer some questions and and pray together and have food and fellowship. It was a wonderful time from what I heard. I wasn't there, but I heard I got insights into it. And so it was a wonderful time, and we're looking forward to more to come. And, besides that, again, we have more events ahead of us.
22:47 And so allow me to just make these, these notes, for you to just put in your calendar. There's gonna be more information to come regarding these events, in terms of registration, other logistics. But just to to put, in your calendar and make you aware of, on Saturday, November 14, we have two wonderful things waiting for us. We have our Love Life outreach with all the churches in the area who are working with Love Life. If you don't know what Love Life does, they are all about, rescuing people from making the tragic mistake of terminating and killing life in the womb.
23:24 And so they go to different abortion clinics and they mobilize churches to pray and to worship and to just make a statement by being present at those abortion clinics and to see women come, out of their darkness and out of their foolishness and to see the the gift that it is to have a baby. And so, we are partnering with Love Life and we are also partnering with other churches on November 14 at 9AM at the largest abortion and the busiest abortion clinic in our city. And it's a wonderful time. We did it last year. We did it really since we start working with Love Life and it's just a wonderful sight to see an army of Christians with bright or teal, whatever the color of those shirts are, and we make a...
24:05 We just make our presence known there and we trust that, something happens in the spiritual realm as we're praying and seeking the Lord on behalf of the... Those who need Christ and even the city at large. So join us for that. But later in that day, we are also celebrating our anniversary as a church and we're also having our Thanksgiving celebration as a church. And that will be taking place at 4PM at this location and we have the space for it.
24:30 Thank God. And there will be registration for it just so we know what numbers we are working with. The registration is not open yet again. This is just to mark in your calendars and to be prepared for. Also with that, we have our date for our first baptism service, and that will be taking place on November 29.
24:47 And so if you have inquired about baptism, if you're planning to be baptized, please mark that in your calendars. And, also, another date that's very important is, November 8. That's when you'll be meeting with one of the elders, and all the baptism candidates will be there for that, And you'll have a chance to go over some, truths regarding baptism for your questions to be answered and just for things to be clarified. So if you can't make it for November 8 for whatever reason, please let us know as soon as possible. But this is mandatory if you do want to be baptized.
25:14 And again, we wanna work with you if that timing doesn't work for whatever reason, we we need to hear from you as soon as possible just so we can plan something for you individually. So that is all I'm going to leave you with here before we continue to worship. And I wanna just, so thankful that we started with a little bit extra time in prayer, and I want us to pray again here, but I wanna remind you of a truth that hopefully will stir you in that direction. Did you know that one of the most dangerous places to be a Christian today as I'm speaking, was once known as the Jerusalem Of The East. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, missionaries, namely from the Presbyterian and Methodist branches, flooded to this place and planted churches and built schools and erected hospitals to such a degree that it was one of the central places in East Asia that had a Christian presence.
26:15 In fact, in the early nineteen hundreds, there was a wonderful move of God, a revival that took place. And this region known as the Jerusalem Of The East was and is still known as Pyongyang in North Korea. Can you imagine that? North Korea was known as the Jerusalem Of The East for many many years. And everything changed at the end of World War two when Japan surrendered their control of Korea.
26:45 The Soviets took the North America, as you know, took the South. And as I learned that earlier this week, I was reminded how things can so quickly change in a nation. How you can be known as the Jerusalem Of The East for decades and to become one of the most vile, tyrannical, restrictive places for the Christian faith in all of the world. Why am I bringing this up? To help you and help myself never take what we have in this nation for granted.
27:23 We get in our cars comfortably. We drive to this place freely. We enter in and stroll in without having to look over our shoulders, And we become so accustomed to that. We're in danger of even complaining and being fretful and comparative, not realizing that what we have here is not guaranteed long term, is it? All it takes is the right circumstances and a little bit of time and everything can go in a completely different direction.
27:59 Wherever the very place where we're living is unrecognizable. That is not to make us fearful. We should always trust in the Lord, but it also means that we should never be too relaxed. And that is why Paul told Timothy as one of his first orders for this young pastor planting a church there in Ephesus, at least taking over the pastoral position of that church. In first Timothy two one, first of all.
28:28 First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. I love that. Paul is telling this young pastor how he ought to behave in the household of God. And one of the first things, if not the first thing that he wants Timothy to establish in that church is a prayer meeting. How important are prayer meetings in local churches today?
29:05 According to Paul, first of all, Timothy, get the people there in Ephesus praying. And one of the first things that you should be praying about consistently is for your government and those in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life. Here's a translation, that they may leave us alone. So that we can preach the gospel and evangelize and impact our communities without any obstacles or hindrances. We've known that for many years here in this nation.
29:37 Seems like that's being taken away slowly, but we can pray and we can ask God to continue to to leave his favor resting upon this place that we can continue to do what he's called us to do. Can we ask God for that together? Bend your heart with me and ask him sincerely. Ask him sincerely, Lord, please have your way. We ask you, father, with gratitude in our hearts for what you have done in this nation and how it has been a launching pad for missions in the gospel for many years, and we pray that it would remain so.
30:13 We ask so that you would touch the hearts of those who are occupying positions of authority. And we pray, number one, that they would be saved, that they'd be convicted of their sin. And Lord, we also pray that whether they do serve you or not, that they would be like a Cyrus, anointed by you to help the people of God fulfill your purposes on the earth. So we ask, oh God, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life. We do not take it for granted.
30:43 We pray that it would not only remain, but it would strengthen. That all these invasions of different ideologies and falsehoods and lies would be set back and that you would raise up a strong church in our hour, and that we would see a wonderful sweeping move of the Holy Spirit before our eyes, and that you would receive maximum glory through and that souls would be saved. Souls would be saved. Lord, we're thankful again, and we sing with that gratitude knowing that we have this freedom and this freedom is ultimately determined by your sovereign will. Should you remove your hand, we too can become a nation that we do not recognize.
31:21 But, oh god, we pray, keep this window of time and grace open for us. We need it. We believe that you can do it, and we trust you through it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.
31:32 Church, let's stand and worship the lord together.
40:01 Father, we thank you for another Sunday morning where we can gather and have the joy of gathering as your people to worship you. And we thank you, Lord. We thank you for the freedom to gather here and the health and the provision and protection you have given each of us to be able to come together and to worship you from our hearts. And Lord, we ask now that as we are about to receive your word that you would continue making your presence known. We ask that your spirit would have his way Lord in our hearts and in our gathering and we ask that as we hear your word that you would all the more just, fill our hearts with your love, your strength and your joy And we desire to draw close to you today, Lord.
40:45 And we thank you, Lord, that our future is determined. You have graciously revealed it to us, and we ask that it would just stir our hearts all the more to order our steps, to live for you, and to leave this place built up. We ask that you would build your church, build your people today, Lord, by your spirit. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
41:25 So my prayer for this message today is that the truths that you will hear will gently grab you by the shoulders, look into the eyes of your heart, and not only remind you that the life that we live in this flesh is very fleeting, but also convince you that the life that Jesus Christ has prepared for each of us is infinitely greater than the best that this world can offer. And we began being persuaded by this last week as we meditated on the first amazing fact about what John calls the new heaven and the new earth. And the first thought that we have contemplated was how the world that God is going to usher us into will be something completely brand new. And one of the main characteristics or changes that will come to this world is what John tells us at the end of Revelation 21 verse one when strangely he writes that the sea will be no more. And we know this that the sea being absent carries both symbolic significance and practical implications.
42:54 The Bible from cover to cover tells us that the sea is often a picture of chaos, turbulence, unpredictability, fear, and even separation. And these unpleasant realities will be permanently dealt with in that age to come. But we also concluded that the sea being no more gives us some kind of a hint that this world will operate under different terms in terms of the climate and the environment. It will function far differently than what we have known in our current state and experience. And it's as though what we're being told there by John is that our life source will come from God himself.
43:50 It will not be dependent on things like water. And I'm sure that our imaginations have been stretched already just by looking at the first out of the five amazing facts that await us in the rest of this text before us today. And we're only getting started because for the rest of this time, I want us to consider the rest of these wonderful realities that await us. Four of them to be exact, and we're going to patiently uncover each of them. And the second insight that is before us after learning that God is going to create a brand new universe that will be our eternal abode, we learn also that this eternal habitation will be a place of community and activity.
44:43 That truth is drawn from Revelation 21 verse two, but let's read from verse one to refresh our memory of this passage. Shall we? Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
45:16 Lord, we ask that you help us now look at these things that await us, these things that you've promised us, and we pray that it would cause our hearts to explode with joy, that it would cause us to be more detached from the things of this life that want to keep us earthbound and earthly minded. Please set us free, and may we get get a taste of the rest and the relief that we are headed towards. That is our future. Oh God, make heaven real to us this morning. We ask these things in Jesus' name.
45:51 Amen. So after telling us about the new heaven and the new earth, something suddenly shifts in John's vision. He sees something spectacular, something wonderful, something supernatural clearly. A city descending from heaven headed towards the earth. And as he is looking at this, he realizes that there is more to this new heaven and new earth.
46:25 Now this is quite interesting because we often do not think about cities or a city when we contemplate eternity. Do we? Most people's imagination about eternal life is quite vague and abstract. Surely it's going to be a place of peace and calm, no doubt, but what we will actually experience is something that people struggle to picture. But here's what I want you to think about with me.
46:56 What comes to mind when you hear the word city? I don't know about you, but the first thing that I think about is people and lots of them. Working and mingling in a concentrated place. When you hear the word city, I'm sure you think about infrastructure, and institutions, and facilities. Surely it represents a hub of activity.
47:27 There's gonna be functions and events and services and bustling life. We're talking about a city here. And I believe that image alone is something that the Lord wants to put before us to help us understand that our eternal existence will not be a hazy one. It's not gonna be intangible. No, it's gonna be filled with vitality.
47:53 There's going to be interaction. There's going to be responsibility. There's going to be recreation. But the concept of a city does not always evoke positive thoughts, does it? Especially in our day.
48:07 The Scriptures themselves tells us that cities are often centers of wickedness. And so when you hear or read about a city, you might associate it with higher crime, pollution, corruption, disorder, stress. Just driving in a city is stressful. And even isolation, it's possible to live in the city and feel very lonely. Right?
48:37 And that's why the spirit of God is very careful to inform us that this is no ordinary city. It is a holy city, instituted by a holy God and inhabited by a holy people. And this city is so important to the Lord that of all the features of the new heaven and the new earth that we will consider in the first eight verses. For the remainder of the large chapter here, God the Holy Spirit is going to focus on this city. This is clearly something that the Lord wants us to understand and I want us to look at one more thing about it before looking at a greater length at the end of this chapter.
49:18 Bring your eyes to Revelation 21 verse 27. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. We're talking about the capital city of the new heaven and the new earth, and I want you to think for a moment about a city with no trace of evil in it. No perversion, no injustice, no violence, no selfishness, no isolation. Instead, there will be perfect beauty, unbroken harmony, sweet and sinless fellowship among its citizens.
50:14 John is seeing a city. Does that have some symbolic meaning to it? Absolutely, but it's very real as well. And I wonder if today, you can say of your own life that it is more lonely than it is filled with the presence of loved ones and people who care for you. If that is the case, I want you to know that you will experience none of that in the world to come.
50:41 And I wonder today if you are often suspicious of the motives of others that you come across or who enter and exit your life. In the world to come, you will have no doubt. And I also wonder if you are afraid of the evil that is increasing around us in such a way where we are hindered from doing practical things like taking the public transit or walking in certain neighborhoods. There will be no such concern in the world to come. The city that will be the center of attraction in eternal life will be one that is holy.
51:23 And what this ultimately teaches us is that for such a bliss and peace to be possible on such a scale, a city is only possible if God is the architect. Notice that John says that the holy city is coming out of heaven from God. Now what it says there in verse two? Coming down out of heaven from God prepared. Prepared by who?
51:48 The Lord himself. The foolishness of man in thinking that he can create a utopia for a country or a state or a city or a village or town or even a full house is utterly laughable if they reject God. At the same time, we have to be honest with ourselves Christians, even us followers of Jesus Christ branded by the Holy Spirit can pollute a community. Though we are supposed to be categorized by unity and peace, that is not the case in an uninterrupted way. The flesh can flare up.
52:32 Things can get out of hand. We need to be rebuked. We need to be convicted. We need to know how to say sorry. We know...
52:39 We need to know how to forgive. And so even a world like this, a holy city, a holy community, a holy society is not possible until we are glorified. And that is one more reason for us to yearn for the new heaven and the new earth, to long for God to break into our world and to replace it with this one. And as I meditated on this, I realized that that longing, that desire for this city is actually one of the marks of a person who has a faith that pleases God. You want your faith to please God.
53:21 And one of the things that should characterize your faith and mine is that we have this desire for the city to become real to us. Can I prove that to you? Notice what God says about Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11. And not just Abraham, but his sons. In Hebrews chapter 11 verse 10, after describing the lifestyle of Abraham, how he was a man who was promised a land for him and his descendants, yet throughout his life he lived in tents, and he did so gladly.
53:52 He did so joyfully, and we're given one reason why in Hebrews 11 verse 10. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. How could this man live in a tent? I'll give you one reason. He knew that he was just passing by.
54:16 Earlier we read that he knew that he was a stranger in exile. You know, one of the reasons why we get so agitated in this life, so flustered, so bothered, so covetous, is that we think we're staying here. You can think of it this way. Currently your living situation, your life in this very body is you staying in a hotel. Your house is in heaven.
54:45 But we think the hotel is our house. And so we we have this strange idea that it's our priority to be the most comfortable we can in this life, the most prosperous, the most luxurious, the most impressive. That's that's not a faith that pleases God. Look here at verse 16 of Hebrews 11. But as it is, they, now Abraham and his sons, they desire a better country that is a heavenly one.
55:26 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city. It's there again. God is preparing a city for us. Don't you love that statement? God is not ashamed to be called their God.
55:40 Why are we ashamed of our God? Why do you even get tempted about it? God is not ashamed to be called our God. Don't ever be ashamed of Jesus. He's not ashamed to be called your God or mine.
55:51 But more specifically, he's not ashamed to be called the God of those who desire a country that he is creating and preparing for us to live in. And if you think this just applies to super saints like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you gotta go to the end of the book of Hebrews. Notice here in Hebrews chapter 13 with me. It's worth turning there because it's an exhortation in many ways. Hebrews 13, look at verse 14 now.
56:22 For here we have no lasting city, but we, not just Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but we seek the city that is to come. Are you? Am I? How often do I think about it? Wow.
56:44 There is a new world coming and in that world there's going to be a wonderful glorious splendid city for me to abide in and experience. But I wanna remind you today that what makes this capital of the new world so desirable is not so much our reunion with the saints, that will be a precious thing I'm sure. And it's even more than just the absence of temptation and sin that taints our communities so easily, even Christian ones. Now I wanna remind you that the holy city is so attractive and so to be yearned for. Because as John says, it is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
57:33 Which means much more than it being a beautiful place. This space that God is creating ultimately is going to be developed and set up to host our fellowship with God himself. Which brings us to the third amazing fact about the new heaven and the new earth, our eternal life, our eternal destination. Not only will it be a brand new universe, not only will it be a place of community and activity, but thirdly, it will be a place permeated by the presence of God. We find that in Revelation twenty one three.
58:11 Let's read it together. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. So John goes from seeing something to hearing something. Now here's here's something that requires careful attention.
58:37 John records throughout the book of Revelation loud voices here and there. He records hearing a loud voice on many on many occasions, and each time it's to emphasize, it's to amplify very important truth. And we find it once more. And I heard in verse three a loud voice from the throne. Why am I mentioning this?
58:57 Because this is the last time John tells us he heard a loud voice. You're not gonna see it after this. And it's as though God wants us to hear this announcement and keep it ringing in our ears as we arrive to the close of this prophetic book. One of the last things that the Lord wants to shout in our hearts is this, God is going to dwell with man. Because that is the most precious thing that awaits us And it shows this is the reality that God himself is thrilled about.
59:39 And so exhilarating is it that that same truth is repeated several times in different ways in the same breath. Did you catch that from verse three? Look at it. Notice how he says it. Behold the dwelling place of God is with men.
59:55 He will dwell with them. And later on, and God himself will be with them. It's the same essential thing being said over and over again because once again it's the most thrilling thing. You're supposed to feel the excitement of it in that one verse. Name any manifestation that God has demonstrated in redemptive history, and it will pale in comparison to what awaits us in the new heaven and the new earth.
1:00:27 For unlike those previous manifestations, the presence of God in the new heaven and a new earth will not be momentary, nor will it be confined to a singular place. It will be unhindered, unfiltered and an endless experience of his nearness. And maybe some of you here know what it's like to taste something of God's presence where He almost removes a veil and He is so real to you. And you don't want that sensation and you don't want that experience to go away. And in His perfect wisdom, he veils himself again.
1:01:15 In the new heaven and the new earth, there will be no in and out like that. It'll be constant. It will be an ongoing sharing of his fellowship. How this will function practically remains a mystery. But if Christ now can be physically seated at the right hand of God interceding for us, and at the same time tell us according to the end of the book of Matthew, behold I am with you always to the very end of the age.
1:01:55 And surely he will find a way for us to be able to all be there in his abode, in that city and know sweet and intimate fellowship with him. In fact, I believe there is a clue given of how that will be in the same chapter. Go to Revelation 21 and and look down here at verse 23 with me. Again, most of this chapter is dedicated to what this city will be like. In fact, we're gonna be given measurements and materials and details like that, but look at this part in Revelation twenty one twenty three.
1:02:30 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and its lamp is the lamb. Notice how the the presence of God is likened to the light of the sun and the beam of the moonlight. That's important. I don't know about you but I've never ever ever once in my life have seen people in a clear day taking turns receiving sunlight. Have you ever seen the sun shining upon one person at a time?
1:03:11 If you have, let's talk about it because I've never seen it. And in the same way, we can say that the warmth of God's presence will function similarly. It will be so powerful. It will be so accessible that we'll be able to enjoy it simultaneously in a way that our minds cannot comprehend now. And I'm also persuaded that the glow that we are going to bask in, that's constantly going to touch us so to speak, is going to be the revelation of Jesus's love.
1:03:49 Saying how can you say that? Look again at Revelation twenty one twenty three, the last part, for the glory of God give it light, Gives it light and its lamp is the lamb. That last part, and its lamp is the lamb. What does that mean? Well, conveys that the central manifestation of God's glory that will emanate actual light will Jesus Christ himself.
1:04:19 Now we've seen Christ over and over again in Revelation referred to as the lamb. And and those things are not just given to us randomly. We have to always ask the question, why that title? Why that description? And one of the first things that we should think of when we read about Christ being the lamb, is that it says something of his sacrificial love.
1:04:45 How he laid down his life for us. And so out of all the ways that Christ could have been referenced, as we're looking at him being the the means so to speak of that light, covering the new earth, it will be the lamb. It will be the revelation of his love that will ultimately shine on everyone. We will constantly live with the knowledge that we are going to be in this glorious space and remain there because of the lamb who laid down his life for us. And we will constantly breathe in that air in the new heaven and the new earth.
1:05:31 The atmosphere that you and I are going to live in in that place will be an atmosphere of love because it will be the lamb who radiate that truth on us no matter where we are. In the same way that you may be in a different place but the sun will be shining on you and it will be shining on me, it will be shining on others that we may not be aware of. Oh, should that not excite us to be in this place? Should that not cause us to say, oh Lord, I wanna be there. I don't want just a moment of ecstasy when I sing to you or when I'm praying to you, I want it to be unending.
1:06:11 That's where you're headed. Before we move on, can I ask you something? What do you think about, if you even think about this? God help you if you don't. But what do you think about or what pops up in your mind when you rehearse what it's gonna be like when you stand before Jesus Christ face to face for the first time?
1:06:41 Do you ever think about that? You should. You should think about it a lot actually. But what do you imagine? Is your default thought that you're going to be greeted by scowl?
1:06:58 Is the thing that you constantly can't seem to shake off this idea that when you appear before the Lord, he will have this emotionless stare as he looks upon you? Have you ever considered what Jesus Christ prayed about our future and our future union with him. We've been given the privilege to know what he prayed about for us while he was on the earth. And what you're about to hear if you've never heard it before should change you forever from this day forward if you believe it. Do you know Jesus prayed for you and he prayed for me?
1:07:42 It's in that chapter known as the High Priestly Prayer. I need you to see this with me in John 17. In John 17, Jesus begins praying for himself, then he prays for his apostles, and I wanna show you how then he prays for those who would believe the message of the apostles, namely us, and the request that he made before the father on our behalf. Just to establish this, look at verse 20 of John 17. The Lord Jesus says, I do not ask for these only, he's speaking about his own disciples, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.
1:08:23 That's you and me. And I want you to see what he says in verse 24. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me, where I am. You know what Jesus is saying there?
1:09:01 Lord, I desire for every single child of yours to be in close proximity to my glory in that age to come. I want them to revel in it. I want them to be near. I want them to be close for eternity. So again, let me ask you, what do you envision when you try to imagine what that first encounter with Christ would be like?
1:09:34 Based on this prayer, I can say and I could be confident that Jesus Christ eagerly anticipates my arrival. He's ready to welcome me in the same way a father is waiting for his son to get home after a very long journey. How can you say that preacher? Because he prayed for me and you to be with him. So much of a desire was it to Christ that He made it a request before His father shortly before His own death.
1:10:26 He desires fellowship. God Almighty, Jesus Christ, the eternal and sinless Son of God desires to fellowship with me face to face, Eye to eye. Across a table. Do you? Do you?
1:10:57 I love these times of prayer. Lord, I love getting into your word and having my heart touched by these truths, but oh would you would you bring about that day sooner than later for me to be in your presence? God is excited about it. Are you? His presence will permeate the new world.
1:11:24 That's better than anything. That's better than the streets of gold. That's better than the gates of pearl. That's better than no crime. No corrupt politicians is better than all of that put together.
1:11:38 He's the theme of heaven. His presence is what makes heaven heaven. We come to the fourth amazing fact about this world to come, and it is found in verses four and five of Revelation 21. This is probably the most known passage regarding our future home. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more.
1:12:08 Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who is seated on the throne said, behold I am making all things new. Also he said, write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. What can you and I expect in that world to come? Number four, it will be a painless world.
1:12:31 It will be a painless world. Now as I said, this is probably the most famous fact, often quoted, often shared to bring comfort even in places and times like funerals, but have you ever stopped and just slowed down and actually meditated on what this really means for our day to day life. What this will actually mean for our our calendars, for our experiences between one another. What kind of environment is that gonna be? What kind of what kind of space is God engineering for us?
1:13:10 These things will no longer exist. We're going to a world that will have no hospitals. No piercing ambulance sirens. No gut wrenching phone calls from a loved one who is fighting to hold back tears because they received precious brother or sister in Christ sitting across a table and them weeping because of the consequences of a foolish sin that they have committed. No more fatal car accidents.
1:13:48 No more news stations with horrific and fearful headlines. These realities along with countless other heartbreaking ones will cease to be. And it's all we've ever known. Since the beginning, it's all we've ever known. What does that look like?
1:14:11 What does that feel like? And yet the Lord promises the permanent eviction of anything that would cause you pain. Anything that would create despair or sorrow will be non existent. And as remarkable as this is, as detailed as this is, you may be surprised to know that Isaiah the prophet even takes it deeper. He gives us even greater understanding of the things that will be erased in eternity.
1:14:42 And you need to see this verse with me in Isaiah 35 verse 10. I'll wait for you to get there. It's amazing to see how much John borrows from Isaiah, how much he alludes to Isaiah, how much he builds upon Isaiah, and here's one of them I'm sure. Isaiah 35 verse 10. This chapter primarily describes the golden age of the millennium, but many of its characteristics will carry over into the new heaven and the new earth, including this one.
1:15:14 Read it with me now. And the ransom of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. It's that last part that moves me so much.
1:15:34 Sighing shall flee away. What does it mean to sigh? It's an expression of grief that you exhale when you're visited by some kind of unfortunate circumstance or painful one. And what the Lord is saying here is that in the world that he is preparing for his children, you will have zero reason to groan. And not only that, you won't even hear the faintest sigh of sorrow in that place.
1:16:19 Instead, what you will be constantly confronted with, constantly surrounded by is what Isaiah calls everlasting joy. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. The imagery there is like you will wear it like a crown, which means that this joy, in other words, that will be uninterrupted, this joy will be visible. It'll be upon their heads. You're gonna see it.
1:16:47 No more Christians walking through that door with droopy eyes because they had a rough week. No more people after the service who can barely hold it together because their life seems to be falling apart and you have to put your arm around them, that will be no more everlasting joy upon their heads. Every person you look at, every room you enter, every place you visit, joy. And now add on top of that being being illuminated by the lamp of the lamb. I mean, no wonder we need new bodies.
1:17:24 We would combust if we went there like this. You wouldn't be able to contain it. And it gets better because we come to the final fact, Not entirely but in this passage about the new heaven and the new earth that makes us so glorious. And it is this, we will reflect the likeness of Jesus Christ. Read with me verses six through eight of Revelation 21 now.
1:18:02 And he said to me, it is done. And the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, to the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Notice how personal these words are. He will wipe away every tear. He will give the water of life without payment.
1:18:21 Verse seven. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second death. There's so much that can be explained and so much that can be explored in these verses, but I prayerfully chose one truth for for you to hopefully hold on to whenever you think about my home to come. And it is this, you and I are going to reflect the likeness of Christ.
1:19:00 Where do I get that from? Verse seven. Read it carefully again with me. The one who conquers will have this heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son. You need to underline the last part.
1:19:15 He will be my son. Why is that a detail worth underscoring? Here's what's amazing. When John speaks about the relationship we have with God as born again believers, in his writings, I'm including the gospel of John and his epistles. He's very intentional about how he speaks about us.
1:19:46 And what you will discover consistently in the gospel of John and in his short epistles is that when he refers to us in our standing with God, he will use the word children or the term the children of God. We know these verses. Verses like John one verse 12. But to all who did receive it, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become what? Children of God.
1:20:16 Verses like first John three one, where he says, see what kind of love the father has given to us that we should be called what? The children of God and so we are. So he uses this terminology all the time when he speaks about us and our relationship with the Father. Here's where it gets more interesting. He uses the word son or the term son of God exclusively for Jesus Christ.
1:20:52 You will never see John using the term sons of God. This is just John, that doesn't mean that you don't find it in the detestment. I'm talking about John. John will never use the term sons of God to describe our relationship with the Father. He uses that terminology and he reserves it for Jesus to emphasize his unique relationship with the Father.
1:21:17 But to our shock, we come to John's last book, and we come near the end of it. And he's been given a vision of the new heaven and the new earth, and he's writing it all down. And he's finally led to this wonderful promise that God makes for those who conquer with their faith in Jesus Christ, and the Lord declares what? I will be his God and he will be my son. The only place in all of John's writings where we are referred to as son in relation to the father.
1:22:00 There's gotta be a meaning behind this. And I believe there is. Why now? Why here? Well, I think that the context makes it clear.
1:22:16 I believe it has to do with what we will become in eternity. The fact that the term son is used for us in this passage suggests that in the new world, we will share in the likeness of Christ in a way that we have never experienced. That is not to say that we will become divine like some cults teach, nor does it mean that we will be become objects of worship. Not at all. Absolutely not.
1:22:48 However, it points to our complete conformity to Christ in his moral flawlessness, in his glorious character, in his spotless nature. In that world to come, the perfection that we share with Jesus will go far beyond our legal standing before God. It will be more than just positional, it will become experiential and eternal. In fact, I believe John taught this elsewhere beyond Revelation. Let me read this to you from first John three verse two.
1:23:38 Beloved, we are God's children now. There it is again. And what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is. So that's a linguistic hint.
1:24:06 I believe in Revelation 21. I will be his God, and he will be my child, we will be his children, he will be my son. There is gonna be such a transformation of you dear believer, where you and I will look like the siblings of Christ. Again, not in his divinity, not to be worshiped, but to be perfectly holy. Never to sin again.
1:24:45 Never to succumb to any impulse. Never to react in the flesh. Never to have a single passing thought of lust. Never to have your heart struggle with envy as you see another brother or sister being exalted. We will be like him.
1:25:09 I don't know about you, that sounds really good. I don't know about your fight with the flesh, but I look forward to the day when this body of mine will be like his. This mind of mine will be like his. These motives of mine will be like his. And this answers many things.
1:25:34 You know, you have some people out of curiosity will say or ask things like, will we be able to sin in heaven? Well, it sounds like a lot of people have asked that question, perhaps. And then they have all these different arguments with it. Well, if we can't send then maybe we don't have free will. So we don't have free will in heaven because if you have free will, you should be able to sin.
1:25:56 It's not a matter of a violation of the will. You've forgotten to factor in what your nature will be like. To answer that question if we can stay there, can we sin? Let me ask you, can Christ ever sin? The obvious answer is no.
1:26:18 John tells me we will be like him. So it's not a matter of if I can. It's a matter of what you will become, how you will think, what you will desire, how you will live day in and day out. Imagine a life where we are free from the presence of sin. Where there isn't even a scent of temptation in our midst.
1:26:48 Where there's nothing even within you that you have to suppress or overcome because we will be like him. There's a time coming when you and I will retire from this battle for eternity, And that is heavenly to the true born again believer because if you're truly saved, you don't want to sin. Sometimes people come weeping, broken, struggling, brother I'm dealing with this sin. I don't know how to overcome. I'm trying and I'm trying.
1:27:24 I don't know if I'm saved. And one of my go to questions is, if you could with the snap of a finger overcome this sin never to be visited by again, never to give into it again, would you desire that? Oh, yes. I would. An unsaved person doesn't talk like that.
1:27:45 Paul affirms it's a war. The Scriptures tells us it's a raging battle within and there's a time coming where we'll be clothed with righteousness not just positionally, but internally and eternally. It gives us even more reason to long for our eternal home, doesn't it? We will be alike and... Do you know you're going there though?
1:28:15 If you were unmoved by these truths, that's one thing. But if you are moved by them and you're there like, that sounds wonderful, but you're not sure if that is your destination, Listen to this again. The Lord tells us, to the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. People say, anybody can go to heaven. That's not true.
1:28:53 You know who goes to heaven? Thirsty people go to heaven. Is eternal life available to all? Yes. It is.
1:29:03 But with some qualification and conditions, you have to be thirsty. God's not gonna take the water of life and force it down your throat. He extends the cup, and he asks you, are you thirsty? And some people they reach into their pocket and say, how much? Without payment, I paid for it.
1:29:29 It's free. You just have to thirst for it. I can't make you thirsty. I can help you see why you're thirsty. I can help you realize you actually are thirsty that's why you keep going to that pornography.
1:29:44 You're thirsty. You're thirsty for satisfaction. I can tell you why that's why you love money so much because you're thirsty. You're thirsty for control. You're thirsty for safety.
1:29:58 You're thirsty for luxury and pleasure. You're thirsty. I can help you realize you are thirst... Your soul is thirsting. You're just running after the wrong thing.
1:30:09 There's a satisfaction that you can know now, and one that will be far greater than whatever we can know now in Christ that will last forever. And the Bible warns, for the cowardly, the faithless, detestable, murderers, sexual immoral, sorcerers, adulterers, liars. What we described about the new heaven and new earth is not your portion. If you hold on to these sins and don't repent of them and surrender to the Lord and say, I'm sick and tired of this Lord. I realize that I'm a rebel.
1:30:46 I realize that I have grieved you. I have violated your law, that I am an enemy of God, that I am a sinner. But, oh, is it true, Lord, that you're willing to wash this all away? It is true. So you have to understand how good this is, That you are guaranteed a place in this city.
1:31:09 But you can't get there unless you know the King. And He is King now, and he has commissioned his church to have meetings like this, and from time to time to look out to the people who have come to a service like what we have now, and to extend the invitation. Do you want this life? Do you want this to be an absolute certainty concerning your life after this life? It's yours today if you thirst for it.
1:31:42 If If you're not a Christian in this place, if you don't follow Jesus Christ, if you've not ever sought him for forgiveness, if you've not given your heart to him, I make that plea with you today. Don't leave this place wondering if you are accepted. You can be. You can be today. And as you're sitting there you can actually talk to him.
1:32:01 You can cry out to him saying, Lord I heard about this place called the new heaven and the new earth. I heard about eternal life, and I also heard that I could have it freely. I give you my life for this life, and this God who will create this world at the end of all things. If your repentance is genuine, if your faith is real, we're also creating you a new heart. And yes, there's a day coming when we with actual bodies resurrected will live with him forever, but between now and then if you are truly in Christ, he will live in you.
1:32:43 He'll give you the strength and the encouragement and the power to deal with this flesh and to to be faithful to him from the place of forgiveness. So not so that you can have a better chance of receiving this wonderful gift. No, you have it freely, but oh then you desire to love him and worship him and you struggle, yes, here and there and and the Lord will patiently bring this work to perfection. This is the good news of Jesus Christ. And it's yours today.
1:33:12 It's for you today if you've never heard it or you've never responded to it. Believer, here's my exhortation for you. We're coming to a close here in the book of Revelation. So my desire for us is to be a heavenly minded church. You'd be amazed to know how empowering it is.
1:33:35 To look at the brokenness within, the brokenness around, the brokenness of physical things even, and bring to mind there is a new heaven and a new earth coming. That's my destination. I'm living in a tent right now. The tent of this body, the tent of my home address, the tent of this stubborn car, it's all going to collapse one day. And I have something infinitely greater purchased for me because of Jesus Christ.
1:34:12 Lord, we thank you for these amazing facts about the new heaven and the new earth. And we believe Lord that we can be so heavenly minded that we are of great earthly good. Lord, you know our weaknesses, you know how easily distracted we are. How quickly we can think that what is happening around us will impact us forever. Oh Lord, deliver us from such simple thinking, wrong thinking.
1:35:01 May our meditations be on what we just read. A brand new world, one of community and activity. One that will be permeated by the presence of your love. One that will be painless. And one that will not just be an external change, but an internal change.
1:35:19 We will be like your son Jesus Christ. Until then Lord help us be bold and courageous to invite people to this world and how you are the bridge to it. We love you Lord. And for the person who doesn't know you, may they cross that bridge today. May they acknowledge that you are the way, the truth, and the life.
1:35:41 May they leave here transformed because of it. We ask these things in Jesus name, amen and amen. If you wanna remain seated and just bask in these truths as these songs are gonna be sung over us, you can do that. But if you are there saying, Preacher, I was waiting for you to just end it all because I'm ready to sing. I'm ready to sing about these promises and these truths then stand, stand with us and let's sing to the Lord who has promised us this world.
1:40:16 I bow before thee. King of glory, holy are you Lord. Undecided. You know, so much so much could be said about heaven. You know, so much could be said about heaven and, one service can't contain it all surely.
1:48:09 You know, one thought that was coming to mind as I was preparing last night especially was, Lord, I know, I know that when I preach this, there will be some, if not many, who will be hearing this wondering, what about my believing loved ones now? I hear that you are describing a place to come at the end of God's program for human history, a new heaven and a new earth. But what about now? Where are they now? Well, I believe there is strong evidence that the city that we were looking at this morning is currently a city that our loved ones are enjoying now.
1:48:43 How? Well, think about it. The city came down from heaven, meaning it was there. Didn't Jesus say that he would go to prepare a place for us? So I want you to think about this.
1:48:59 That is where your sister is. That is where your brother is. That is where your mom is. That is where your dad is. That is where your child is in that city.
1:49:09 As we're here in this city, very different. They're in that city. I want you to also know this. Should the Lord delay and you and I pass on into eternity, before the tribulation, before the millennium, before the new heaven and new earth, you can be absolutely assured that the last breath you give is one of great peace and the next one that you breathe in will be that atmosphere of love in that holy city. Think about that.
1:49:43 Instantaneous. This city seems so far, doesn't it? It seems so beyond us. It seems so unrealistic and yet in many ways we can be transported there like that. One heartbeat, one heartbeat.
1:49:59 This is what Christ purchased for us. This is our hope, and nobody can snatch it out. Nobody can delete it. Nobody can convince God otherwise if you are in Christ. So father, we thank you for that promise.
1:50:13 I do pray with all my heart that for those who are so discouraged, despondent, heavy laden, weary, that that what we heard about our future home would would give grace and give energy and and give hope again. And we pray, Lord, that as as we go to our own homes and we go to our own workplaces and we continue in this week what we usually do on a weekly basis, that we would have heaven in mind. Oh, that we would be heavenly minded, that we would even carry the fragrance of heaven so that people can ask more about us and what we are about and who lives in us. Make it so, Lord. We thank you for these things in Jesus' name.
1:50:50 Amen and amen. God be with you this week. Please join us for fellowship. We'd love to see you. If not, we'll see you next Sunday if the Lord tarries.
1:50:59 Have a wonderful day in the Lord. Take care now.
