1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:12,889 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. Today is 3 00:00:12,970 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: the last Sunday in the series that we've been going 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: through called Glorifying God and Enjoying Him Forever. We've been 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,820 Speaker 1: talking about the main purpose that God has created us for. 6 00:00:22,860 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: I think many people spend the bulk of their lives 7 00:00:26,020 --> 00:00:27,820 Speaker 1: trying to figure out what their purpose is, and some 8 00:00:27,860 --> 00:00:29,820 Speaker 1: people actually get to a spot where they say, all right, 9 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,100 Speaker 1: I think my purpose is this, and they'll tie either... 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,260 Speaker 1: to a talent or their vocation or something that doesn't 11 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,779 Speaker 1: have eternal consequence. And then when you look at what 12 00:00:38,820 --> 00:00:41,470 Speaker 1: scripture teaches us, over and over and over again, this 13 00:00:41,510 --> 00:00:45,030 Speaker 1: gets taught directly and illustrated in other ways that God 14 00:00:45,070 --> 00:00:49,230 Speaker 1: has truly designed us to glorify him and enjoy him forever. 15 00:00:49,330 --> 00:00:51,490 Speaker 1: So when you and I think about, Lord, why did 16 00:00:51,530 --> 00:00:54,550 Speaker 1: you create me? That's why he created us. That's why 17 00:00:54,590 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: he created humanity, to glorify him and enjoy him forever. 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,450 Speaker 1: And today we're going to kind of look at that 19 00:01:01,570 --> 00:01:03,910 Speaker 1: forever part. We're going to talk about this idea of 20 00:01:03,930 --> 00:01:06,449 Speaker 1: what does it mean to be forever with the Lord. 21 00:01:06,910 --> 00:01:08,710 Speaker 1: And I want to take us to two portions of 22 00:01:08,790 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: scripture from the book of Revelation. I'm going to start 23 00:01:11,950 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: with Revelation 21, and then we're going to jump right 24 00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: over to Revelation 22 as we think about that forever 25 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,220 Speaker 1: aspect of this relationship. So join with me, Revelation 21. 26 00:01:24,220 --> 00:01:26,270 Speaker 1: I'm going to read verses 1 through 7, and then 27 00:01:26,290 --> 00:01:27,850 Speaker 1: when I get to verse 7, I'm going to jump 28 00:01:27,990 --> 00:01:31,900 Speaker 1: over to verses 1 through 5 in Revelation 22. This 29 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: is what it states. The Apostle John said, Then I 30 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 31 00:01:39,260 --> 00:01:41,459 Speaker 1: first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and 32 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,940 Speaker 1: the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, 33 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,980 Speaker 1: New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared 34 00:01:49,030 --> 00:01:51,770 Speaker 1: as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard 35 00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:54,970 Speaker 1: a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling 36 00:01:55,030 --> 00:01:58,190 Speaker 1: place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, 37 00:01:58,210 --> 00:02:00,350 Speaker 1: and they will be his people, and God himself will 38 00:02:00,390 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: be with them as their God. He will wipe away 39 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,500 Speaker 1: every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. 40 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, 41 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: for the former things have passed away. And he who 42 00:02:15,380 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making 43 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:21,990 Speaker 1: all things new. Also he said, Write this down, for 44 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,989 Speaker 1: these words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, 45 00:02:25,110 --> 00:02:27,850 Speaker 1: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, 46 00:02:27,970 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will 47 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,780 Speaker 1: give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 48 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I 49 00:02:36,820 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: will be his God, and he will be my son. 50 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:43,750 Speaker 1: Then jumping over to chapter 22, verse 1, it says this, 51 00:02:43,790 --> 00:02:46,710 Speaker 1: Then the angel showed me the river of the water 52 00:02:46,750 --> 00:02:51,250 Speaker 1: of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of 53 00:02:51,330 --> 00:02:54,030 Speaker 1: God and of the Lamb, through the middle of the 54 00:02:54,090 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: street of the city, Also on either side of the river, 55 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,220 Speaker 1: the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, 56 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree 57 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,590 Speaker 1: were for the healing of the nations. No longer will 58 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,870 Speaker 1: there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and 59 00:03:08,889 --> 00:03:11,570 Speaker 1: of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants 60 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:15,050 Speaker 1: will worship Him. They will see His face, and His 61 00:03:15,150 --> 00:03:18,070 Speaker 1: name will be on their foreheads, and night will be 62 00:03:18,130 --> 00:03:21,940 Speaker 1: no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, 63 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,510 Speaker 1: for the Lord God will be their light. and they 64 00:03:24,530 --> 00:03:30,180 Speaker 1: will reign forever and ever. Let's pray. Father, thank you 65 00:03:30,220 --> 00:03:33,380 Speaker 1: so much for blessing us with access to your word, 66 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,260 Speaker 1: and thank you for the privilege that it is to 67 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:37,740 Speaker 1: be able to look at these things together today as 68 00:03:37,780 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: we just contemplate what it really means to glorify you 69 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,780 Speaker 1: and enjoy you forever. And as we really dial in 70 00:03:44,940 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: on that forever peace, we pray, Lord, that you would 71 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,060 Speaker 1: speak to us through your word. We know that your 72 00:03:50,180 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: spirit illuminates your word to our minds and our hearts, 73 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:57,330 Speaker 1: and He helps us understand what we're reading together. And so, Father, 74 00:03:57,390 --> 00:04:01,870 Speaker 1: I pray that that would be indeed what happens within 75 00:04:01,990 --> 00:04:04,630 Speaker 1: us as we look at these passages today. Thank you 76 00:04:04,650 --> 00:04:07,070 Speaker 1: so much, Father, for your presence with us. Thank you 77 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: for ultimately, Lord, giving us hope beyond our present circumstances. 78 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: We're truly grateful. We commit this time to you now, 79 00:04:15,500 --> 00:04:20,690 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen. So 80 00:04:20,890 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: every believer is living with a little bit of a tension, 81 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: and the tension that I'm referencing is this tension between 82 00:04:26,380 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: what is and what will be. So we're in the 83 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: midst of the things that we see right now, but 84 00:04:30,020 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: we're also looking forward to the things that the Lord 85 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,020 Speaker 1: has in store. We know that Christ has saved us, 86 00:04:35,100 --> 00:04:36,660 Speaker 1: and yet we still live in a world that's marked 87 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: by things like sin or grief or sickness or conflict 88 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,239 Speaker 1: or disappointment or death. We see all of those things 89 00:04:44,660 --> 00:04:47,820 Speaker 1: all of the time. It's all around us constantly. We 90 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:52,020 Speaker 1: experience God's presence, which is a wonderful thing. And yet 91 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: we don't yet see him face to face. And so 92 00:04:54,260 --> 00:04:56,020 Speaker 1: when we look at a portion of scripture like this, 93 00:04:56,339 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: it's pointing us toward this idea of the fact that 94 00:04:58,260 --> 00:05:00,100 Speaker 1: there will be a day when we see him face 95 00:05:00,140 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: to face. But right now we find ourselves enjoying his 96 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,100 Speaker 1: blessings and then also feeling the limitations of what it 97 00:05:06,140 --> 00:05:08,110 Speaker 1: means to live in a fallen world. So that's what 98 00:05:08,140 --> 00:05:09,930 Speaker 1: I mean when I say that this idea that every 99 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,190 Speaker 1: believer lives with this tension of what is and what 100 00:05:13,230 --> 00:05:16,310 Speaker 1: will be. That's the tension that we're presently in. And 101 00:05:16,330 --> 00:05:18,810 Speaker 1: then you look at Revelation 21 and 22, and I 102 00:05:18,830 --> 00:05:21,500 Speaker 1: just took a portion of each of those today for 103 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: us to look at. And basically, those two chapters take 104 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: us to the end of that tension. They show us 105 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,340 Speaker 1: when that tension ends, that tension between what is now 106 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: and what will be. They show us where the story 107 00:05:34,580 --> 00:05:38,789 Speaker 1: of redemption is going. Now, several months ago, we finished 108 00:05:38,830 --> 00:05:42,870 Speaker 1: a lengthy study of the book of Revelation and And 109 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:45,550 Speaker 1: I wanted to bring us back to the book one 110 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:48,930 Speaker 1: more time as we conclude this series on glorifying God 111 00:05:48,970 --> 00:05:51,789 Speaker 1: and enjoying Him forever, because there's a lesson here in 112 00:05:51,870 --> 00:05:54,370 Speaker 1: Revelation that I want us to see that we didn't 113 00:05:55,750 --> 00:05:59,150 Speaker 1: explicitly highlight the last time we looked at it because 114 00:05:59,210 --> 00:06:02,290 Speaker 1: I was saving it for today. And what you see 115 00:06:02,330 --> 00:06:06,030 Speaker 1: in this context here is that God isn't rescuing individuals, 116 00:06:06,130 --> 00:06:09,890 Speaker 1: or He isn't just rescuing individuals from judgment when you 117 00:06:09,910 --> 00:06:11,810 Speaker 1: look at this portion of Scripture. You can see that 118 00:06:11,820 --> 00:06:16,310 Speaker 1: he's bringing his entire redemptive plan to completion. The whole 119 00:06:16,370 --> 00:06:18,690 Speaker 1: thing from start to finish, you can see it completing here. 120 00:06:19,190 --> 00:06:21,409 Speaker 1: The scripture tells us, and I'm summarizing it here, we'll 121 00:06:21,430 --> 00:06:23,390 Speaker 1: look at the details, but it tells us that he 122 00:06:23,430 --> 00:06:26,930 Speaker 1: will renew creation, that he will dwell with his people, 123 00:06:27,290 --> 00:06:30,250 Speaker 1: that he's going to remove every trace of the curse 124 00:06:30,310 --> 00:06:33,150 Speaker 1: that we see referenced in the book of Genesis, that 125 00:06:33,170 --> 00:06:36,340 Speaker 1: he's going to allow those who belong to Christ to 126 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:41,990 Speaker 1: enjoy his presence forever. Forever. And this is actually where 127 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:46,180 Speaker 1: this idea of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever reaches 128 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: its fullest expression. That's why I wanted to save that 129 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: for today in particular. We were created to live in 130 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,740 Speaker 1: fellowship with God. That's why He created you. That's why 131 00:06:54,779 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: He created me. And one day, that fellowship is going 132 00:06:58,339 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: to be unhindered by all the things that try to 133 00:07:01,060 --> 00:07:03,370 Speaker 1: hinder it right now. It's going to be unhindered by sin. 134 00:07:03,380 --> 00:07:07,430 Speaker 1: It's going to be unhindered by sorrow or distance or 135 00:07:07,490 --> 00:07:09,130 Speaker 1: death or any of the things that tend to get 136 00:07:09,170 --> 00:07:11,700 Speaker 1: in the way. of us experiencing the kind of fellowship 137 00:07:11,740 --> 00:07:14,510 Speaker 1: that God desires that we have with Him. So with 138 00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:17,070 Speaker 1: that in mind, take a look with me back in 139 00:07:17,130 --> 00:07:20,010 Speaker 1: chapter 21. So in chapter 21, verse 1, it starts 140 00:07:20,070 --> 00:07:22,870 Speaker 1: off like this. John says, Then I saw a new 141 00:07:22,930 --> 00:07:24,890 Speaker 1: heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and 142 00:07:24,910 --> 00:07:28,620 Speaker 1: the first earth had passed away, and the sea was 143 00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: no more. Now, when you go back to the beginning 144 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:33,740 Speaker 1: of Scripture, when you go back to Genesis, the Bible 145 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: begins with creation. But it's interesting, when you go to 146 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,100 Speaker 1: the end of the Scriptures, when you go to the 147 00:07:38,550 --> 00:07:41,410 Speaker 1: The book of Revelation, you see the last couple chapters here. 148 00:07:42,390 --> 00:07:45,070 Speaker 1: The Bible began with creation, but it ends with new creation. 149 00:07:45,650 --> 00:07:48,170 Speaker 1: So it's ending and beginning in a very similar fashion. 150 00:07:48,210 --> 00:07:50,310 Speaker 1: And it's kind of fun when you make that comparison 151 00:07:50,350 --> 00:07:52,940 Speaker 1: between what you see in Genesis and what you see 152 00:07:53,060 --> 00:07:57,180 Speaker 1: in Revelation. Because Genesis shows God creating the heavens, creating 153 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,940 Speaker 1: the earth, and declaring that His work was good. Look now, 154 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: He said, this is good. But then Scripture also tells 155 00:08:03,860 --> 00:08:07,810 Speaker 1: us that sin entered the world through human rebellion. And 156 00:08:07,820 --> 00:08:10,870 Speaker 1: when it entered the world, it brought death, it brought disorder, 157 00:08:11,110 --> 00:08:15,210 Speaker 1: it brought alienation, it brought suffering, all the unpleasant things, 158 00:08:15,390 --> 00:08:18,150 Speaker 1: all the things that we dislike. And then you look 159 00:08:18,190 --> 00:08:20,410 Speaker 1: at the book of Revelation, and it shows God bringing 160 00:08:20,490 --> 00:08:26,010 Speaker 1: history to its appointed conclusion through renewal and restoration. See 161 00:08:26,190 --> 00:08:29,270 Speaker 1: aspects of both of those things in these passages. So 162 00:08:29,290 --> 00:08:32,829 Speaker 1: that means our hope as Christians isn't just about escaping creation. 163 00:08:33,590 --> 00:08:36,250 Speaker 1: You ever think about that? Your hope and my hope 164 00:08:36,350 --> 00:08:39,929 Speaker 1: isn't just about escaping creation. It's about God making all 165 00:08:39,990 --> 00:08:43,290 Speaker 1: things new. We are created beings meant to live in 166 00:08:43,350 --> 00:08:47,220 Speaker 1: his creation. So it's not about escaping creation. It's about 167 00:08:47,290 --> 00:08:49,860 Speaker 1: living in what he renews. It's living in what he 168 00:08:49,900 --> 00:08:53,179 Speaker 1: makes new. And I think that that distinction is kind 169 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,699 Speaker 1: of important because I think many people tend to think 170 00:08:56,740 --> 00:09:00,609 Speaker 1: of eternity, and you could admit if this is something 171 00:09:00,630 --> 00:09:02,230 Speaker 1: that you've ever wrestled with, but I think a lot 172 00:09:02,250 --> 00:09:04,500 Speaker 1: of people tend to think of eternity as as maybe 173 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:10,140 Speaker 1: this endless existence in some sort of vague spiritual realm. 174 00:09:10,620 --> 00:09:14,300 Speaker 1: And I've noticed anecdotally, just in conversations with some people, 175 00:09:14,860 --> 00:09:17,589 Speaker 1: that I think some people are actually worried that eternity 176 00:09:17,610 --> 00:09:21,510 Speaker 1: is going to be monotonous and boring. You ever wondered that? Like, 177 00:09:21,530 --> 00:09:23,130 Speaker 1: are we just going to do like the same thing 178 00:09:23,770 --> 00:09:25,710 Speaker 1: every day? We're not given a whole lot of details 179 00:09:25,730 --> 00:09:27,110 Speaker 1: about what we're going to do. Is it just going 180 00:09:27,130 --> 00:09:28,929 Speaker 1: to be the same thing every day? And it just 181 00:09:28,970 --> 00:09:32,070 Speaker 1: goes on and on and on and nothing ever ends? 182 00:09:32,770 --> 00:09:34,850 Speaker 1: Nothing ever ends? By the way, this is the first 183 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,650 Speaker 1: week of teaching classes over at Cairn University. I love 184 00:09:38,690 --> 00:09:41,990 Speaker 1: teaching classes. Several of my students are present here, and 185 00:09:42,030 --> 00:09:45,130 Speaker 1: this is what I observe as a professor, especially when 186 00:09:45,150 --> 00:09:48,450 Speaker 1: I teach a three-hour class. Toward the end of that 187 00:09:48,470 --> 00:09:51,370 Speaker 1: three-hour class, I watch sometimes people, and they're very polite 188 00:09:51,429 --> 00:09:53,250 Speaker 1: about it and sort of sneaky about it, but I'll 189 00:09:53,270 --> 00:09:56,630 Speaker 1: see them kind of do this. And what they're doing 190 00:09:56,690 --> 00:09:59,530 Speaker 1: is they're trying to gracefully look at the clock in 191 00:09:59,570 --> 00:10:02,140 Speaker 1: the back of the room. Or if they have a 192 00:10:02,170 --> 00:10:05,459 Speaker 1: watch on, which some people might, I'll see them do this. 193 00:10:08,660 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: Something like that. And in my mind, I'm thinking, are 194 00:10:11,260 --> 00:10:13,500 Speaker 1: they just thinking, is this going to go on and 195 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: on and on? And then when I saw several of 196 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:18,100 Speaker 1: you come in this morning, I thought some of you 197 00:10:18,140 --> 00:10:20,750 Speaker 1: just had a three-hour class with me on Friday morning. 198 00:10:21,150 --> 00:10:23,530 Speaker 1: I'm like, you're ready for more punishment? Is that why 199 00:10:23,550 --> 00:10:26,850 Speaker 1: you're here today? But I actually think sometimes people think 200 00:10:26,870 --> 00:10:29,310 Speaker 1: that that's what eternity would be like, that it would 201 00:10:29,330 --> 00:10:31,410 Speaker 1: just go on and on and on, and that we 202 00:10:31,429 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: would get bored and not exactly know what to do. 203 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: But here's the thing, when you look at what Scripture 204 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: reveals to us, when we get to Revelation 21 and 22, 205 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,979 Speaker 1: and other Scriptures that complement this, God's plan includes a 206 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,569 Speaker 1: renewed creation where His people live in His presence forever 207 00:10:48,590 --> 00:10:52,729 Speaker 1: and under the reign of Christ, in ways that will 208 00:10:52,750 --> 00:10:57,099 Speaker 1: be enjoyable in categories that we haven't fully experienced yet. 209 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,100 Speaker 1: Ways that it's hard for you and me to wrap 210 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,500 Speaker 1: our minds around because we're used to things right now. 211 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: But when we see a renewed creation, we're going to 212 00:11:06,140 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: be amazed that we ever even thought it was possible 213 00:11:08,740 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: that it would be monotonous or possible that it could 214 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,900 Speaker 1: be boring. I think we'll look at it and we'll think, 215 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: why didn't I think about that the whole time I 216 00:11:15,740 --> 00:11:18,710 Speaker 1: was in this before it was renewed? But then you 217 00:11:18,750 --> 00:11:21,109 Speaker 1: look at what Scripture tells us in verse 2 of 218 00:11:21,170 --> 00:11:24,270 Speaker 1: Revelation 21. The Apostle John says, And I saw the 219 00:11:24,309 --> 00:11:28,010 Speaker 1: holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 220 00:11:28,870 --> 00:11:33,900 Speaker 1: prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Now I'm 221 00:11:33,940 --> 00:11:37,300 Speaker 1: highlighting that this morning because there's imagery that we're given 222 00:11:37,380 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: here that is useful to notice about how God relates 223 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,020 Speaker 1: to people. Specifically the way that the Scripture describes what's 224 00:11:44,059 --> 00:11:50,110 Speaker 1: going on here is with very relational imagery. Intentionally relational imagery. 225 00:11:50,130 --> 00:11:53,540 Speaker 1: So you have the city described as a bride, a 226 00:11:53,580 --> 00:11:56,460 Speaker 1: bride who is prepared for her husband because the eternal 227 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:02,020 Speaker 1: future of God's people centers on what? Communion with Christ. 228 00:12:04,220 --> 00:12:06,750 Speaker 1: And so there's a relational aspect to this. The greatest 229 00:12:06,809 --> 00:12:10,490 Speaker 1: promise of heaven isn't things like gold streets, even though 230 00:12:10,550 --> 00:12:14,290 Speaker 1: that's something scripture tells us about. It isn't beautiful surroundings, 231 00:12:14,350 --> 00:12:17,569 Speaker 1: even though there's going to be very beautiful surroundings. It 232 00:12:17,630 --> 00:12:19,910 Speaker 1: isn't even freedom from discomfort that we would say is 233 00:12:19,950 --> 00:12:22,270 Speaker 1: the greatest promise of heaven, even though there will be 234 00:12:22,390 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: freedom from discomfort. The greatest thing is the fact that 235 00:12:26,630 --> 00:12:30,900 Speaker 1: we will have eternal, unhindered communion with Jesus Christ. That 236 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,940 Speaker 1: is the greatest thing, greater than our surroundings, greater than 237 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:39,550 Speaker 1: our comforts, just Christ himself. And throughout scripture, the church 238 00:12:39,730 --> 00:12:43,710 Speaker 1: is referred to as the bride of Christ. Specifically throughout 239 00:12:43,750 --> 00:12:45,730 Speaker 1: the New Testament, we see a lot of details related 240 00:12:45,770 --> 00:12:49,110 Speaker 1: to that. And so marriage is given to us basically 241 00:12:49,150 --> 00:12:51,790 Speaker 1: as a picture of the covenant relationship between Jesus and 242 00:12:51,809 --> 00:12:55,950 Speaker 1: his people, between Jesus and you, his church. Scripture tells 243 00:12:56,010 --> 00:12:58,429 Speaker 1: us that Christ loved the church and gave himself up 244 00:12:58,510 --> 00:13:01,150 Speaker 1: for her. And as he does so, he cleanses and 245 00:13:01,190 --> 00:13:05,069 Speaker 1: he sanctifies and he prepares his people for eternal fellowship 246 00:13:05,130 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: with him. He's making you ready for that kind of 247 00:13:07,410 --> 00:13:11,940 Speaker 1: eternal fellowship with him. And so Revelation is giving us 248 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,900 Speaker 1: a glimpse of that relationship, what it's going to look like. 249 00:13:15,230 --> 00:13:17,390 Speaker 1: And then you get to verse three. It says, behold, 250 00:13:17,429 --> 00:13:19,819 Speaker 1: the dwelling place of God is with man. He will 251 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,460 Speaker 1: dwell with them and they will be his people. And 252 00:13:22,510 --> 00:13:27,660 Speaker 1: God himself will be with them as their God. And 253 00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:29,900 Speaker 1: in essence, when you look at that verse, and again, 254 00:13:29,940 --> 00:13:32,220 Speaker 1: keep in mind that Revelation is tying all the loose 255 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: ends together, all the things that we've been seeing gradually 256 00:13:35,580 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: move in a direction throughout the study of scripture. It's 257 00:13:38,179 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: tying it all together. And you have that verse basically 258 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: capturing the heart of the entire Bible, God with his people. 259 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,300 Speaker 1: God with his people. That's what's being described here. That 260 00:13:48,350 --> 00:13:51,910 Speaker 1: was God's intent in Eden, in the Garden of Eden. 261 00:13:52,010 --> 00:13:55,090 Speaker 1: Adam and Eve, they lived in God's presence before sin 262 00:13:55,130 --> 00:13:58,010 Speaker 1: broke that fellowship. And instead of running toward the Lord, 263 00:13:58,050 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: what do we see happening when sin broke that fellowship? 264 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,179 Speaker 1: They're hiding from him. Have you ever gone through a 265 00:14:03,220 --> 00:14:05,079 Speaker 1: season of your life where you try and hide from God? 266 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: Did it work? Would you call it a high season 267 00:14:09,620 --> 00:14:11,370 Speaker 1: of your life or a low season of your life? 268 00:14:12,250 --> 00:14:14,300 Speaker 1: But this is what we've struggled as human beings. We 269 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,820 Speaker 1: struggled with this ever since Adam and Eve broke that fellowship. 270 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: We do the same thing. But God has always desired 271 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,870 Speaker 1: to have fellowship, nearness, dwelling with his people. You see 272 00:14:24,910 --> 00:14:27,290 Speaker 1: that also illustrated in other ways in the Old Testament. 273 00:14:27,670 --> 00:14:30,270 Speaker 1: When the children of Israel, they're going around and they 274 00:14:30,290 --> 00:14:34,330 Speaker 1: have the tabernacle. What's the tabernacle illustrating? God's presence with 275 00:14:34,370 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: his people. And then when the tabernacle era ends and 276 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:40,979 Speaker 1: the temple is built, what's the temple illustrating? God's presence 277 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,460 Speaker 1: right there with his people, God choosing to dwell with 278 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,340 Speaker 1: the people of Israel. And then in the New Testament, 279 00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:51,490 Speaker 1: we're told that there's a fuller revelation of this, meaning 280 00:14:51,530 --> 00:14:55,210 Speaker 1: that God came even closer to us, specifically in the 281 00:14:55,250 --> 00:14:58,190 Speaker 1: second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. And when you 282 00:14:58,210 --> 00:15:00,500 Speaker 1: look at John 1, verse 14, it says, and the 283 00:15:00,530 --> 00:15:05,140 Speaker 1: word became flesh and dwelt among us. And that word, dwelt, 284 00:15:05,300 --> 00:15:09,390 Speaker 1: can literally be translated tabernacle. that he came and he 285 00:15:09,510 --> 00:15:13,550 Speaker 1: tabernacled among us. So you see the tabernacle, you see 286 00:15:13,570 --> 00:15:16,170 Speaker 1: the temple, you see all those things illustrating God desiring 287 00:15:16,190 --> 00:15:19,910 Speaker 1: to have close proximity, close presence with his people. But 288 00:15:19,950 --> 00:15:23,750 Speaker 1: then that's illustrated even more in John 1.14, where the 289 00:15:23,790 --> 00:15:28,490 Speaker 1: word Jesus became flesh and tabernacled. He dwelt among us. 290 00:15:28,590 --> 00:15:32,690 Speaker 1: Jesus is also referred to in scripture as Emmanuel, God 291 00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:36,550 Speaker 1: with us. But in him, God entered our world. God 292 00:15:36,710 --> 00:15:41,580 Speaker 1: took on human flesh. He walked among sinners, revealed himself 293 00:15:41,660 --> 00:15:45,130 Speaker 1: more fully to us. And then scripture also reveals to us, 294 00:15:45,180 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: and I'm summarizing several key things here, but it's worth 295 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: keeping in mind. After Jesus ascended, scripture reveals to us 296 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,260 Speaker 1: that the Holy Spirit came to dwell within believers. Under 297 00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:58,100 Speaker 1: the new covenant here, this is a blessing that you 298 00:15:58,140 --> 00:16:00,540 Speaker 1: and I have that's different from what it was like 299 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,860 Speaker 1: living under the old covenant. God's presence now lives within 300 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:08,710 Speaker 1: his people individually, but also corporately. in the sense that 301 00:16:08,750 --> 00:16:12,850 Speaker 1: the Lord is dwelling among us as a group. And 302 00:16:12,870 --> 00:16:15,550 Speaker 1: then Revelation 21 shows us the final fulfillment of how 303 00:16:15,570 --> 00:16:18,390 Speaker 1: that's all going to work out. God himself will dwell 304 00:16:18,430 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: with his redeemed people forever. That that's the future that 305 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: he has in store, us spending time with him. And 306 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: I love that because I look at this and you 307 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,470 Speaker 1: realize that means between, so if you know Jesus Christ, 308 00:16:31,510 --> 00:16:33,350 Speaker 1: if you know the Lord, that means that your future 309 00:16:33,390 --> 00:16:35,330 Speaker 1: is going to look like this. There will be no 310 00:16:35,410 --> 00:16:39,850 Speaker 1: distance between No separation, no wondering, no spiritual dryness. You're 311 00:16:39,870 --> 00:16:42,410 Speaker 1: going to be right there in the presence of God forever. 312 00:16:42,450 --> 00:16:46,790 Speaker 1: There's going to be no moments when God feels distant 313 00:16:46,930 --> 00:16:50,109 Speaker 1: and your faith feels weak. Do you ever go through 314 00:16:50,150 --> 00:16:52,980 Speaker 1: seasons like that, where God just feels distant from you 315 00:16:53,890 --> 00:16:56,660 Speaker 1: and your faith feels weak? Now, you look at Scripture, 316 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,700 Speaker 1: and Scripture reveals He's never been distant from you. We 317 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:01,860 Speaker 1: as human beings tend to chase Him away, or like 318 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: we try to. We don't succeed at doing that. but 319 00:17:05,580 --> 00:17:08,700 Speaker 1: we try to. But the future he has in store 320 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: for us is a future where there are going to 321 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: be no more moments where your faith feels weak and 322 00:17:12,340 --> 00:17:15,379 Speaker 1: God feels distant. That's over. So if you're feeling something 323 00:17:15,420 --> 00:17:18,570 Speaker 1: like that right now, understand it's a temporary condition. And 324 00:17:18,609 --> 00:17:21,010 Speaker 1: I hope for the sake of your delight here on 325 00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:23,450 Speaker 1: this earth, that if you're going through a season like that, 326 00:17:23,490 --> 00:17:25,950 Speaker 1: it doesn't last long. I hope that on the other 327 00:17:26,010 --> 00:17:28,210 Speaker 1: end of that season, however long it lasts for you, 328 00:17:29,190 --> 00:17:31,109 Speaker 1: that the Lord makes it very clear to you that 329 00:17:31,150 --> 00:17:33,949 Speaker 1: he's present with you right now. Now, I won't go 330 00:17:33,990 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: into specific details, But there's somebody that I know and 331 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,810 Speaker 1: care about deeply and someone that our whole family cares 332 00:17:39,850 --> 00:17:43,090 Speaker 1: about deeply that we have watched go through a season 333 00:17:43,130 --> 00:17:46,190 Speaker 1: like this. It's kind of like a prolonged season where 334 00:17:46,630 --> 00:17:50,169 Speaker 1: you can tell that they're feeling like, you know, I 335 00:17:50,210 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: just feel spiritually weak. I feel spiritually dry. I feel 336 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,860 Speaker 1: like God is distant from me. And so I often think, 337 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:57,820 Speaker 1: all right, Lord, when I go through seasons like that, 338 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,500 Speaker 1: how do you want me to be praying for myself? 339 00:17:59,540 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: But when people I love go through seasons like that, 340 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: how do you want me to be praying for them? 341 00:18:04,410 --> 00:18:06,090 Speaker 1: And one of the cool things that you get to 342 00:18:06,130 --> 00:18:08,370 Speaker 1: witness as you lift up that prayer before the Lord 343 00:18:08,770 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: is that that's a prayer He delights to say yes to. 344 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 1: And you get to watch Him answer that prayer. And 345 00:18:14,940 --> 00:18:18,540 Speaker 1: gradually over time, I've been watching Him incrementally answer that prayer. 346 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: And I love that, and I'm very happy about that. 347 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:23,790 Speaker 1: And then Scripture also tells us what it's going to 348 00:18:23,830 --> 00:18:26,169 Speaker 1: be like to dwell in the presence of God by 349 00:18:26,210 --> 00:18:28,389 Speaker 1: giving us this imagery when you get to verse 4 350 00:18:28,390 --> 00:18:31,570 Speaker 1: of Revelation 21. It says, He will wipe every tear 351 00:18:31,630 --> 00:18:35,580 Speaker 1: from their eyes. and death shall be no more. He'll 352 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:37,739 Speaker 1: wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be 353 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,780 Speaker 1: no more. Now, think about how much human suffering is 354 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,980 Speaker 1: contained in just that brief sentence. It's a sentence I've 355 00:18:44,030 --> 00:18:46,610 Speaker 1: quoted many, many times throughout the course of my life, 356 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,130 Speaker 1: but even my role as a pastor, I find myself 357 00:18:49,190 --> 00:18:52,669 Speaker 1: in situations with people where they're grieving heavy things, and 358 00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:54,649 Speaker 1: it's something I think is useful for us as believers 359 00:18:54,690 --> 00:18:57,570 Speaker 1: to remind ourselves of. He will wipe every tear from 360 00:18:57,609 --> 00:19:02,420 Speaker 1: their eyes, and death shall be no more. Every tear. 361 00:19:02,460 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: Think about what tears represent. I don't know if you're 362 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,700 Speaker 1: someone that, like, do you cry easily? All right, show 363 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,180 Speaker 1: of hands. Ready? Are you someone who cries easily? Raise 364 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,389 Speaker 1: your hand. All right. And are you someone, all right, 365 00:19:14,410 --> 00:19:16,850 Speaker 1: now raise your hand if you're someone who tries to 366 00:19:16,950 --> 00:19:20,590 Speaker 1: hide the tears. All right. All right. Some of the 367 00:19:20,630 --> 00:19:23,210 Speaker 1: same people raise their hands. So I say, I cry easily, 368 00:19:23,250 --> 00:19:25,970 Speaker 1: but I try and hide it. Years ago, I thought 369 00:19:25,990 --> 00:19:28,340 Speaker 1: it was like a virtue to try and hide the tears. 370 00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:30,860 Speaker 1: And somewhere along the way, I'm like, what is the point? 371 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,700 Speaker 1: It just comes out somewhere, somehow, in a way you're 372 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: not going to want it to come out, right? So 373 00:19:35,660 --> 00:19:37,510 Speaker 1: it's like, eh, if the tears are going to come, 374 00:19:37,980 --> 00:19:40,790 Speaker 1: just let it come. And basically what I'm saying is 375 00:19:40,830 --> 00:19:43,409 Speaker 1: I've grown very secure in myself, okay? Like I'm a 376 00:19:43,450 --> 00:19:47,210 Speaker 1: very emotionally secure individual at this point. But I do 377 00:19:47,250 --> 00:19:49,390 Speaker 1: love this because we know, you know as you've gone 378 00:19:49,470 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: through this, your life, that every tear, it represents something, right? 379 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,140 Speaker 1: It represents either some form of pain that you've gone through, 380 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:01,350 Speaker 1: either presently or something that you're being reminded of. And 381 00:20:01,380 --> 00:20:05,230 Speaker 1: then a tear comes. Or it represents some form of grief, 382 00:20:05,270 --> 00:20:07,290 Speaker 1: maybe something that's weighing on your heart or weighing on 383 00:20:07,310 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: your family's heart or Just collectively something weighing even on 384 00:20:10,700 --> 00:20:14,660 Speaker 1: a church's heart. Some form of grief. Sometimes we cry 385 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: just because we're disappointed. It's not always as heavy as grief, 386 00:20:17,540 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: but sometimes it's just disappointment. And in disappointment, maybe about 387 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,860 Speaker 1: expectations that weren't met or something that you thought would 388 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,590 Speaker 1: be that isn't the case, tears come. Sometimes the tears 389 00:20:27,650 --> 00:20:30,350 Speaker 1: come because of loneliness. You ever gone through seasons like 390 00:20:30,390 --> 00:20:32,230 Speaker 1: that where you just feel, you're like, if I'm just 391 00:20:32,290 --> 00:20:34,550 Speaker 1: straight up honest, I feel lonely right now. I feel 392 00:20:34,770 --> 00:20:38,890 Speaker 1: on my own right now. Then there's betrayal. There's sickness, 393 00:20:39,450 --> 00:20:43,409 Speaker 1: there's fear, there's regret. All of those things, they're painful things. 394 00:20:44,230 --> 00:20:47,990 Speaker 1: Sometimes we shed our tears publicly, and some people don't 395 00:20:48,030 --> 00:20:52,409 Speaker 1: hesitate to do that. Other times we shed tears privately, 396 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: and I bet probably many of you have wept in 397 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 1: your car. Isn't that the safest place to, if you've 398 00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:02,619 Speaker 1: got something going on, you're like, make sure there's no 399 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:07,129 Speaker 1: traffic around, and you're like, I'm a wrecked. And scripture 400 00:21:07,150 --> 00:21:09,950 Speaker 1: says God will wipe it all away. He's going to 401 00:21:10,010 --> 00:21:13,129 Speaker 1: wipe it all away. All of it, right? And it's 402 00:21:13,170 --> 00:21:16,130 Speaker 1: not just poetic language. It's a promise that causes sorrow 403 00:21:16,590 --> 00:21:19,710 Speaker 1: to be permanently removed. He's done with it. It's not 404 00:21:19,950 --> 00:21:22,010 Speaker 1: what your future will look like. It's not what my 405 00:21:22,070 --> 00:21:24,889 Speaker 1: future is going to look like. And he gives us 406 00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:27,310 Speaker 1: additional details in the rest of verse 4. It says this, 407 00:21:27,690 --> 00:21:32,930 Speaker 1: neither shall there be mourning. It's done. Nor crying, nor 408 00:21:33,050 --> 00:21:38,949 Speaker 1: pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. So 409 00:21:38,990 --> 00:21:44,030 Speaker 1: no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain anymore. Now, 410 00:21:44,050 --> 00:21:46,830 Speaker 1: it's interesting because I think we become so accustomed to 411 00:21:46,869 --> 00:21:49,470 Speaker 1: suffering that it's difficult to imagine a world without it. 412 00:21:50,910 --> 00:21:54,710 Speaker 1: And suffering's in all kinds of categories. There's relational suffering, 413 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:57,830 Speaker 1: emotional suffering, even physical suffering. I've sprained this right ankle 414 00:21:57,910 --> 00:22:00,710 Speaker 1: severely multiple times, and this week it was hurting me, 415 00:22:01,090 --> 00:22:02,409 Speaker 1: and I didn't do anything to it, and it was 416 00:22:02,450 --> 00:22:04,859 Speaker 1: hurting me. As I was walking down a hallway, I 417 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,730 Speaker 1: think it was on Wednesday, I noticed myself limping a 418 00:22:07,890 --> 00:22:10,770 Speaker 1: little bit. And I'm like, oh, you're limping. It's like, 419 00:22:10,790 --> 00:22:12,429 Speaker 1: why are you doing this? I'm like, yeah, but my 420 00:22:12,590 --> 00:22:14,709 Speaker 1: ankle's killing me. And I'm thinking, why is it killing me? 421 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:18,139 Speaker 1: It's like, well, because decades ago you severely sprained it 422 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,300 Speaker 1: and your body is choosing not to heal. And then 423 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,180 Speaker 1: you look at a portion of scripture like this. It says, 424 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:27,139 Speaker 1: there'll be no more pain. The new ankle I get 425 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,139 Speaker 1: in the new Jerusalem, no more pain. No limping in 426 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,619 Speaker 1: the new Jerusalem. Revelation is basically reminding us that suffering 427 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:39,300 Speaker 1: is not eternal. That also means death isn't something that's 428 00:22:39,460 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: eternal for us, right? Your physical body is going to 429 00:22:42,260 --> 00:22:44,820 Speaker 1: wear out, but death is not an eternal part of 430 00:22:44,859 --> 00:22:51,310 Speaker 1: your eternity, right? Grief isn't eternal. Cancer isn't eternal. Conflict 431 00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:59,130 Speaker 1: isn't eternal. Sin isn't eternal. Christ is eternal. His kingdom 432 00:22:59,650 --> 00:23:02,590 Speaker 1: is eternal. And his people will live forever. And this 433 00:23:02,650 --> 00:23:04,490 Speaker 1: is what scripture is trying to pound into our hearts 434 00:23:04,530 --> 00:23:06,810 Speaker 1: right now, because the Lord knows that you're going to 435 00:23:06,850 --> 00:23:09,290 Speaker 1: go through difficult seasons right here and now. But he's 436 00:23:09,330 --> 00:23:11,310 Speaker 1: trying to help you and me to see beyond it. 437 00:23:11,790 --> 00:23:13,990 Speaker 1: He wants us to see beyond whatever we're going through 438 00:23:14,369 --> 00:23:17,129 Speaker 1: right now. Also keep in mind, when Christ walked out 439 00:23:17,170 --> 00:23:18,710 Speaker 1: of the tomb, let's think about the purpose of the 440 00:23:18,750 --> 00:23:21,820 Speaker 1: resurrection in light of this. He wasn't just doing that 441 00:23:21,859 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 1: to prove that he was alive. Now, in part, that 442 00:23:24,260 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: is what he was doing, but there was more to 443 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: it than that. He wasn't just proving that he was alive. 444 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,260 Speaker 1: His resurrection became the beginning of the new creation that 445 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,270 Speaker 1: we're speaking about here. Meaning death has now been defeated. 446 00:23:37,330 --> 00:23:41,810 Speaker 1: You see the defeat of death that Christ secured. And 447 00:23:41,850 --> 00:23:43,929 Speaker 1: the future that's described here in the book of Revelation, 448 00:23:45,030 --> 00:23:46,830 Speaker 1: it was shown to be certain. We were given a 449 00:23:46,930 --> 00:23:49,449 Speaker 1: foretaste of it in that moment. In fact, I love 450 00:23:49,490 --> 00:23:52,540 Speaker 1: what 1 Corinthians 15.20 says. It says, but in fact, 451 00:23:53,020 --> 00:23:56,540 Speaker 1: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits. of 452 00:23:56,580 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: those who have fallen asleep, meaning the first fruits of 453 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: that new kind of resurrection. Because it's a resurrection into 454 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,100 Speaker 1: a brand new body. It's different than the kind of 455 00:24:05,140 --> 00:24:08,260 Speaker 1: resurrection that someone like Lazarus experienced. Because some people look 456 00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:09,619 Speaker 1: at that and they're like, the first fruits of the 457 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,140 Speaker 1: resurrection are like, wait, Lazarus? And, you know, didn't Elijah 458 00:24:13,180 --> 00:24:16,300 Speaker 1: raise a kid, you know? And like, and Paul raised 459 00:24:16,420 --> 00:24:18,510 Speaker 1: somebody after they fell out of a window? And like, 460 00:24:18,530 --> 00:24:22,110 Speaker 1: there's other resurrections in scripture. And 1 Corinthians 15 is saying, no, 461 00:24:22,150 --> 00:24:26,990 Speaker 1: the resurrection Jesus demonstrated is a different kind The other 462 00:24:27,030 --> 00:24:30,490 Speaker 1: resurrections were back into their same body that eventually died again. 463 00:24:31,290 --> 00:24:35,470 Speaker 1: This is a new body, a resurrection, the first fruits 464 00:24:35,510 --> 00:24:37,730 Speaker 1: of a new resurrection, meaning the kind of resurrection he 465 00:24:37,750 --> 00:24:40,030 Speaker 1: has in store for you and me is into a 466 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: body that can never experience death ever again. And the 467 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:46,780 Speaker 1: promise that he gives to us is that those who 468 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,220 Speaker 1: belong to him will be raised with that kind of resurrection. 469 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,619 Speaker 1: And that hope isn't wishful thinking. It's hope that was 470 00:24:54,660 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: demonstrated to us in the fact that the tomb was empty. 471 00:24:57,460 --> 00:24:59,380 Speaker 1: He showed us that it can be done. He showed 472 00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: us that it will be done. We're just waiting for 473 00:25:01,780 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 1: the day when it comes. Coming back to Revelation 21, 474 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: look at verse 5. It says, and he who is 475 00:25:06,740 --> 00:25:09,740 Speaker 1: seated on the throne said, behold, I'm making all things new. 476 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: I'm making it all new. All new. Now notice that 477 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: God says he's making all things new. He isn't abandoning 478 00:25:19,180 --> 00:25:23,649 Speaker 1: his creation. He's restoring it. Everything sin has damaged is 479 00:25:23,710 --> 00:25:27,250 Speaker 1: ultimately going to come under the renewing power of God. Everything. 480 00:25:27,550 --> 00:25:29,930 Speaker 1: Just think about how much damage sin has done throughout 481 00:25:29,970 --> 00:25:33,830 Speaker 1: the course of this world, its history. It's all going 482 00:25:33,850 --> 00:25:36,710 Speaker 1: to be renewed. So that does include creation itself, and 483 00:25:36,730 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: like we said, it also includes our bodies, but it 484 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,220 Speaker 1: also includes things like human relationships. When you think about 485 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: how sin damages relationships, it also includes justice. There'll be 486 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:50,060 Speaker 1: perfect justice. It also includes worship. It also includes our 487 00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: ability to enjoy God without the distraction of sin. And 488 00:25:54,540 --> 00:25:57,859 Speaker 1: I think sometimes we become discouraged because transformation feels slow. 489 00:25:58,560 --> 00:25:59,830 Speaker 1: I look at this stuff and I think, I want 490 00:25:59,850 --> 00:26:04,570 Speaker 1: it now. I want all the restoration now. The Lord 491 00:26:04,590 --> 00:26:06,290 Speaker 1: looks at me, he's like, just be patient. It's like, 492 00:26:06,310 --> 00:26:08,990 Speaker 1: you've known me a long time, Lord. Have I ever 493 00:26:09,030 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: been good at that? He's like, just be patient. I'm 494 00:26:11,820 --> 00:26:13,540 Speaker 1: going to teach you to be patient. We want it now. 495 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,260 Speaker 1: I want it now. But you know what? This is 496 00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:18,300 Speaker 1: what I like. I like the fact that even though 497 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,899 Speaker 1: sometimes transformation can feel slow, we can look around at 498 00:26:21,940 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: this world and we can see all kinds of brokenness. 499 00:26:23,859 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: We look at ourselves and we see areas that we 500 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: still struggle. I love the fact that I can look 501 00:26:28,220 --> 00:26:29,460 Speaker 1: at this and you can look at this and it 502 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:32,360 Speaker 1: reminds us that God has not finished his work. There's 503 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,780 Speaker 1: still something he has left to do and that the 504 00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:37,659 Speaker 1: one who began redemption is going to complete it. And 505 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:39,570 Speaker 1: he's telling us this ahead of time. He didn't have 506 00:26:39,609 --> 00:26:42,270 Speaker 1: to tell you and me about this at all. He 507 00:26:42,290 --> 00:26:44,010 Speaker 1: could have just done it and kept it to himself. 508 00:26:44,410 --> 00:26:46,609 Speaker 1: The reason he tells us about it is so that 509 00:26:46,630 --> 00:26:48,890 Speaker 1: we stay hopeful in the midst of whatever difficult thing 510 00:26:48,930 --> 00:26:51,620 Speaker 1: we go through right now. He's trying to tell you, 511 00:26:51,780 --> 00:26:54,419 Speaker 1: you can enjoy him now as you look forward to 512 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: the ways you'll enjoy him in the future. And I 513 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: love how he says in the second part of verse five, 514 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,179 Speaker 1: he says to John, he's like, write this down. For 515 00:27:04,220 --> 00:27:06,620 Speaker 1: these words are trustworthy and true. Write this down because 516 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,630 Speaker 1: I want people couple thousand years from now in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, 517 00:27:10,670 --> 00:27:12,910 Speaker 1: to be thinking about it all day on that Sunday. 518 00:27:13,630 --> 00:27:15,330 Speaker 1: I want them to be thinking about it. Write it 519 00:27:15,390 --> 00:27:17,689 Speaker 1: down so that they read it. Write it down so 520 00:27:17,730 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: that they think about it. God knows we need assurance. 521 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,060 Speaker 1: So he tells John, write it down. And he's revealing 522 00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:28,379 Speaker 1: these aren't just speculative thoughts, right? These are trustworthy thoughts 523 00:27:28,420 --> 00:27:31,129 Speaker 1: because the one who makes them is trustworthy. And the 524 00:27:31,150 --> 00:27:32,950 Speaker 1: way he phrases it, when you go into verse six, 525 00:27:32,970 --> 00:27:35,790 Speaker 1: he's like, look, it is done. It's done. And we're like, wait, 526 00:27:35,869 --> 00:27:37,869 Speaker 1: it isn't done yet. It hasn't happened yet. It's like, no, 527 00:27:38,170 --> 00:27:41,609 Speaker 1: the second God declares it, it's as good as done. 528 00:27:43,170 --> 00:27:45,889 Speaker 1: You can bank on it. When scripture talks about the 529 00:27:45,930 --> 00:27:48,290 Speaker 1: hope that we have, it's saying like a certainty in God, 530 00:27:49,130 --> 00:27:51,669 Speaker 1: it's done. He says, look, I'm the alpha and the omega, 531 00:27:51,690 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: the one who starts and ends, right? The beginning and 532 00:27:54,780 --> 00:27:58,500 Speaker 1: the end. And if I say it's done, it's done. 533 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,460 Speaker 1: It is a guarantee he's saying this will happen. Meaning 534 00:28:02,510 --> 00:28:06,590 Speaker 1: history belongs to God from beginning to end. Nothing escapes 535 00:28:06,630 --> 00:28:10,629 Speaker 1: his sovereign purposes. No human ruler, no empire, no tragedy, 536 00:28:11,510 --> 00:28:14,890 Speaker 1: no grave. None of those things will have the final word. 537 00:28:15,170 --> 00:28:18,719 Speaker 1: Jesus will have the final word. Meaning the same Christ 538 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 1: who said from the cross, let's correlate these things. The 539 00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: same Christ who said from the cross, what did Jesus 540 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:28,610 Speaker 1: say when he's on the cross? He said, it is finished. 541 00:28:31,220 --> 00:28:32,889 Speaker 1: The same one who said it is finished on the 542 00:28:32,930 --> 00:28:35,250 Speaker 1: cross is going to bring the entire work of redemption 543 00:28:35,290 --> 00:28:40,330 Speaker 1: to completion. At Calvary, Jesus finished the work that was 544 00:28:40,390 --> 00:28:44,750 Speaker 1: necessary to save sinners. In Revelation, as we're looking at 545 00:28:44,790 --> 00:28:48,730 Speaker 1: these things, he finishes the work of renewing creation. So 546 00:28:48,790 --> 00:28:51,750 Speaker 1: the cross and the new creation, you can't separate those things. 547 00:28:52,210 --> 00:28:54,450 Speaker 1: They all go hand in hand. It's all part of 548 00:28:54,490 --> 00:28:57,900 Speaker 1: the plan. And then in verse 6 of Revelation 21, 549 00:28:57,900 --> 00:28:59,620 Speaker 1: the second part, it says, to the thirsty I will 550 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: give from the spring of the water of life without payment. Again, 551 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 1: that promise brings us directly to the gospel, meaning eternal 552 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: life is given without payment because Christ already paid the price. Now, 553 00:29:10,850 --> 00:29:12,330 Speaker 1: I'll tell you, there are many people in this world 554 00:29:12,350 --> 00:29:16,130 Speaker 1: who right now are presently driving themselves crazy because they 555 00:29:16,150 --> 00:29:18,270 Speaker 1: think the nature of their relationship with God is that 556 00:29:18,350 --> 00:29:20,990 Speaker 1: somehow they have to earn his favor. I want you 557 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: to think back for a moment, even if it's unpleasant 558 00:29:23,140 --> 00:29:26,170 Speaker 1: to do so, to your worst day in recent memory. 559 00:29:26,570 --> 00:29:28,610 Speaker 1: Maybe a day when your faith felt weak. Maybe a 560 00:29:28,650 --> 00:29:30,820 Speaker 1: day when you were going through something that you're like, 561 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: you know what, I didn't submit that over to the Lord. 562 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: I went the world's way in this area or this area. 563 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,790 Speaker 1: I brought something into my life that didn't belong there. 564 00:29:37,890 --> 00:29:40,900 Speaker 1: I acted in a way that was inappropriate. Whatever it 565 00:29:40,940 --> 00:29:45,300 Speaker 1: may be, whatever you would consider your most recent worst day, 566 00:29:46,420 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: understand this. God loves you the same on your worst 567 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,290 Speaker 1: day as he loves you on your best day. He 568 00:29:53,330 --> 00:29:56,870 Speaker 1: loves you the same on that day as he does 569 00:29:56,950 --> 00:29:59,310 Speaker 1: on your best day, if you felt like you kept 570 00:29:59,390 --> 00:30:02,650 Speaker 1: every directive and walked with him in an ideal fashion. 571 00:30:03,150 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 1: He loves you the same on both days. Why? Because 572 00:30:07,100 --> 00:30:10,700 Speaker 1: the work of redemption wasn't yours to do. He looks 573 00:30:10,740 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 1: at you and he says, it is finished. Jesus says, 574 00:30:13,060 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 1: it is finished, meaning he did the work. You don't 575 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: have to save yourself. He knows you're going to mess 576 00:30:18,260 --> 00:30:20,650 Speaker 1: stuff up. It's not an invitation to mess more up. 577 00:30:21,350 --> 00:30:24,110 Speaker 1: He invites us to repent and walk away from unhealthy things. 578 00:30:24,550 --> 00:30:26,650 Speaker 1: But he also knows you and I do not have 579 00:30:26,690 --> 00:30:29,450 Speaker 1: the capacity to rescue ourselves. You and I do not 580 00:30:29,490 --> 00:30:32,270 Speaker 1: have the capacity to redeem ourselves. You and I do 581 00:30:32,330 --> 00:30:35,020 Speaker 1: not have the ability to make it through life mistake-free. 582 00:30:35,630 --> 00:30:37,780 Speaker 1: But we do have the ability to trust in the 583 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:43,620 Speaker 1: one who did go through life mistake-free, error-free, sin-free. Jesus 584 00:30:43,660 --> 00:30:45,910 Speaker 1: did it on our behalf because we couldn't do it. 585 00:30:46,460 --> 00:30:48,180 Speaker 1: And then he looks at us, he says, it is finished. 586 00:30:48,620 --> 00:30:51,740 Speaker 1: The work necessary to pay... for your sin and mine, 587 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: he did it for you so you can trust in 588 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:58,370 Speaker 1: him and then his righteousness is applied to you. And again, 589 00:30:58,430 --> 00:31:02,370 Speaker 1: we tend to look at this stuff sometimes and we think, Lord, 590 00:31:02,510 --> 00:31:05,670 Speaker 1: I am a slow work in progress. And we get 591 00:31:05,710 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: very impatient with what's going on around us and sometimes 592 00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:11,479 Speaker 1: even what's going on within us. But here, what does 593 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: Christ say to the thirsty? I'll give from the spring 594 00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:17,230 Speaker 1: of water. to the spring of the water of life 595 00:31:17,310 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: without payment, meaning he paid for it for you because 596 00:31:19,860 --> 00:31:22,740 Speaker 1: you couldn't afford it. He paid for it for you 597 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,860 Speaker 1: because you couldn't pay it. Here's how we come to Christ. 598 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,380 Speaker 1: We don't come to Christ able to show off anything. 599 00:31:28,820 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: We come to him thirsty. We come to him needy. 600 00:31:33,190 --> 00:31:35,450 Speaker 1: And we come to him empty-handed. And he looks at 601 00:31:35,490 --> 00:31:36,690 Speaker 1: you and he looks at me and he says, I'm 602 00:31:36,710 --> 00:31:39,290 Speaker 1: going to fill that hand. And I'm going to satisfy 603 00:31:39,330 --> 00:31:42,620 Speaker 1: that thirst. I love how Jesus says it in John 7. 604 00:31:42,620 --> 00:31:46,590 Speaker 1: In John 7, 37, he says, if anyone thirsts, let 605 00:31:46,630 --> 00:31:50,810 Speaker 1: him come to me and drink. Anyone thirsts, let him 606 00:31:50,990 --> 00:31:55,270 Speaker 1: come to me and drink. Now, I am sure that 607 00:31:55,580 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 1: at some point over the course of this summer, that 608 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: you have experienced physical thirst. Yesterday, I was mowing the lawn. 609 00:32:05,380 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: It's actually one of my favorite activities to do. And 610 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:08,740 Speaker 1: I feel bad that over the course of the summer, 611 00:32:09,130 --> 00:32:12,540 Speaker 1: I haven't talked about it enough with you. Because normally 612 00:32:12,620 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: I do. But I love it. My wife will look 613 00:32:15,420 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: out the window and she'll see me out there with 614 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,180 Speaker 1: the mower and listening to a podcast. And I'm just, 615 00:32:21,370 --> 00:32:24,230 Speaker 1: maybe sometimes I'm singing. I don't know. Stop by the neighborhood. 616 00:32:24,250 --> 00:32:28,130 Speaker 1: You'll see what show you get that day. And yesterday 617 00:32:28,150 --> 00:32:30,230 Speaker 1: I was mowing the lawn in the afternoon. And I 618 00:32:30,270 --> 00:32:31,810 Speaker 1: should have mowed it early in the morning. But we 619 00:32:31,830 --> 00:32:34,469 Speaker 1: had breakfast together in the morning. And I didn't want 620 00:32:34,490 --> 00:32:36,230 Speaker 1: to mow it then. So I picked the hottest time 621 00:32:36,270 --> 00:32:37,930 Speaker 1: of the day to mow it. And so I'm out 622 00:32:37,970 --> 00:32:40,970 Speaker 1: there mowing it. And she's looking at me through the window, 623 00:32:41,030 --> 00:32:42,910 Speaker 1: and she's like, he's been out there for a couple hours. 624 00:32:42,950 --> 00:32:45,730 Speaker 1: He's got to be thirsty. He's got to be thirsty. 625 00:32:46,390 --> 00:32:48,350 Speaker 1: And she's like, hey, do you want something? She opens 626 00:32:48,410 --> 00:32:50,290 Speaker 1: up the door, and she's like, do you want something? 627 00:32:50,610 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: And the truth is, I was thirsty, but I didn't 628 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,460 Speaker 1: want to interrupt the flow I was in. It's like 629 00:32:56,500 --> 00:33:03,620 Speaker 1: this flow, this mow flow, right? This mowing, flowing thing. 630 00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: I got to think about how I want to phrase that. 631 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,100 Speaker 1: Right now, she's looking at me. She's like, what are 632 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,010 Speaker 1: you doing right now? I will stop. But she looked 633 00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:11,610 Speaker 1: at me and she's like, he's got to be thirsty. 634 00:33:12,070 --> 00:33:13,650 Speaker 1: He's got to be thirsty. And I was thirsty. And 635 00:33:13,670 --> 00:33:15,470 Speaker 1: when I came in the house later, I had a 636 00:33:15,530 --> 00:33:19,860 Speaker 1: lot to then replenish all the fluids that I had 637 00:33:19,950 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: sweat and evaporated away during that time. But, you know, 638 00:33:25,340 --> 00:33:27,060 Speaker 1: so obviously there are moments like that that we could 639 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: look at our lives and we could say, I feel 640 00:33:29,980 --> 00:33:33,380 Speaker 1: physically thirsty. But then you look at how scripture oftentimes 641 00:33:33,500 --> 00:33:36,290 Speaker 1: uses the word thirst. And quite often when it references 642 00:33:36,330 --> 00:33:38,550 Speaker 1: this idea of thirst, it's talking about that deepest longing 643 00:33:38,590 --> 00:33:41,930 Speaker 1: of your soul. That thing that you look around and 644 00:33:41,970 --> 00:33:45,420 Speaker 1: you try and fulfill with all sorts of worldly things. 645 00:33:45,740 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: There may be some people, I'm going to intentionally step 646 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,620 Speaker 1: on toes, not hard, but I'm going to step on 647 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,740 Speaker 1: them a little lightly here. There are some of you 648 00:33:52,780 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 1: that think that that thirst of your soul is going 649 00:33:54,500 --> 00:33:57,370 Speaker 1: to be satisfied through your career. And right now you 650 00:33:57,390 --> 00:33:59,850 Speaker 1: feel discontent and you're complaining about it because you think 651 00:33:59,890 --> 00:34:02,690 Speaker 1: that thirst could be satisfied by your career. And it can't. 652 00:34:03,450 --> 00:34:05,670 Speaker 1: So stop lying to yourself. Don't preach a false gospel 653 00:34:05,690 --> 00:34:07,740 Speaker 1: to your heart. Some of you think, that the thirst 654 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 1: of your soul will be satisfied by the perfect human relationship. 655 00:34:11,460 --> 00:34:14,430 Speaker 1: Maybe you're upset that you're not dating somebody, or maybe 656 00:34:14,450 --> 00:34:17,029 Speaker 1: you're upset that you thought you'd be married at this 657 00:34:17,050 --> 00:34:19,830 Speaker 1: season of life, or maybe you're upset for other reasons. 658 00:34:19,870 --> 00:34:22,029 Speaker 1: Maybe things aren't looking exactly the way that you thought 659 00:34:22,070 --> 00:34:24,830 Speaker 1: that they would look, and you're upset, and you feel discontent, 660 00:34:25,250 --> 00:34:27,959 Speaker 1: and you think that if you had the perfect human relationships, 661 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: that the thirst of your soul would be satisfied, and 662 00:34:31,500 --> 00:34:34,060 Speaker 1: it can't be satisfied by that. Some of you recently 663 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: took a look at your bank account, and you were like, oh, 664 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: That's lower than I want it to be, and now 665 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:39,620 Speaker 1: I feel stressed about the bills, and I think I'd 666 00:34:39,660 --> 00:34:42,580 Speaker 1: just be satisfied if my bank account was fluffed up 667 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:44,930 Speaker 1: just a little bit more. And the truth is, even 668 00:34:44,950 --> 00:34:46,650 Speaker 1: if it was fluffed up to that number, when you 669 00:34:46,670 --> 00:34:50,209 Speaker 1: hit that number, you'd be like, now a little bit more, 670 00:34:50,910 --> 00:34:52,469 Speaker 1: and now a little bit more. And the truth is, 671 00:34:52,530 --> 00:34:54,930 Speaker 1: the things of this world try to convince you and 672 00:34:54,969 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: me that they will satisfy the longing of our soul, 673 00:34:57,590 --> 00:35:00,060 Speaker 1: and they can't. And then you look at what Jesus said, 674 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,569 Speaker 1: and he said, if anyone thirsts, If you notice that 675 00:35:02,660 --> 00:35:05,280 Speaker 1: deep longing, he's not just, he's not talking about like water. 676 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,180 Speaker 1: He's talking about himself. He says, if you notice that 677 00:35:08,219 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 1: deep longing, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me 678 00:35:11,980 --> 00:35:15,100 Speaker 1: and drink. You will be discontent with your entire life 679 00:35:15,140 --> 00:35:17,420 Speaker 1: until you realize that what Jesus said in that statement 680 00:35:17,460 --> 00:35:19,919 Speaker 1: is true. You're going to find stuff to complain about 681 00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:23,700 Speaker 1: and be dissatisfied with your entire life until you realize 682 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,830 Speaker 1: that the satisfaction you long for in your soul can 683 00:35:27,090 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: only be satisfied by him. There's nothing else that can 684 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:37,610 Speaker 1: satisfy that longing of your soul. Only Jesus. Goes on 685 00:35:37,620 --> 00:35:41,049 Speaker 1: to tell us additional things in Revelation 21. Says the 686 00:35:41,170 --> 00:35:43,250 Speaker 1: one who conquers will have this heritage and I will 687 00:35:43,290 --> 00:35:45,310 Speaker 1: be his God and he will be my son. Then 688 00:35:45,330 --> 00:35:47,650 Speaker 1: when you get to chapter 22, it starts off and 689 00:35:47,690 --> 00:35:49,850 Speaker 1: says this. Then the angel showed me the river of 690 00:35:49,890 --> 00:35:54,350 Speaker 1: the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the 691 00:35:54,410 --> 00:35:58,210 Speaker 1: throne of God and of the Lamb. That river of 692 00:35:58,250 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: life flows from the throne. meaning life comes from whom? 693 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:05,620 Speaker 1: God himself, the river of life. Life comes from God. 694 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,800 Speaker 1: And again, this is connecting Revelation back to the Garden 695 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:10,850 Speaker 1: of Eden, if you think about it, because there it 696 00:36:10,890 --> 00:36:13,870 Speaker 1: tells us that a river flowed through the garden. And 697 00:36:13,890 --> 00:36:15,950 Speaker 1: so here you see the connection between Garden of Eden 698 00:36:16,190 --> 00:36:18,250 Speaker 1: and the things promised us in the book of Revelation, 699 00:36:18,590 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: meaning what humanity lost through sin is being restored through Christ. 700 00:36:23,140 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: Then when you get to verse 2, it says this. 701 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: It says, also on either side of the river, the 702 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,550 Speaker 1: tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit, yielding 703 00:36:29,750 --> 00:36:33,230 Speaker 1: its fruit each month. Now again, the tree of life, 704 00:36:33,250 --> 00:36:37,410 Speaker 1: where did it first appear from our perspective? Genesis. It's 705 00:36:37,450 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: in the book of Genesis. But after Adam and Eve sinned, 706 00:36:40,060 --> 00:36:45,500 Speaker 1: they were banned from access to it. Angelic beings were 707 00:36:45,540 --> 00:36:48,340 Speaker 1: put in charge of banning them from access to it. 708 00:36:48,620 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: But then you get to the end of scripture here 709 00:36:50,180 --> 00:36:52,900 Speaker 1: and the tree of life appears again and access has 710 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: been restored. Through whom? Through Christ himself. Jesus became the 711 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:02,910 Speaker 1: curse bearer. He became the one who bore the curse 712 00:37:03,090 --> 00:37:06,090 Speaker 1: for us. Galatians 3.13 tells us that he redeemed us 713 00:37:06,150 --> 00:37:08,370 Speaker 1: from the curse of the law by becoming a curse 714 00:37:08,430 --> 00:37:10,910 Speaker 1: for us, meaning he bore judgment on the cross so 715 00:37:10,950 --> 00:37:14,650 Speaker 1: that you and I could receive life. And then you 716 00:37:14,670 --> 00:37:16,109 Speaker 1: look at what it says in verse 3, and it says, 717 00:37:16,190 --> 00:37:20,279 Speaker 1: no longer will there be anything accursed. Nothing will be accursed. 718 00:37:20,590 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: The curse is gone. Genesis 3 introduced the curse. Revelation 719 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:29,930 Speaker 1: 22 announces its removal. It's done. It's finished. And then 720 00:37:30,010 --> 00:37:32,820 Speaker 1: chapter 22, verse 4, when we get to that, it 721 00:37:32,860 --> 00:37:36,660 Speaker 1: tells us that ultimately we'll see God's face. And so 722 00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: it's painting this picture for us of a life in 723 00:37:40,180 --> 00:37:43,339 Speaker 1: God's presence, a life where there's a fullness of joy. 724 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,870 Speaker 1: I've referenced this scripture from time to time, but I 725 00:37:45,910 --> 00:37:47,969 Speaker 1: want to reference it today at least once more, and 726 00:37:48,010 --> 00:37:50,270 Speaker 1: then I'll bring it up many, many more times. I 727 00:37:50,290 --> 00:37:52,790 Speaker 1: have this hanging in our house, but Psalm 1611 says, 728 00:37:52,850 --> 00:37:55,430 Speaker 1: in your presence there is fullness of joy. So let 729 00:37:55,450 --> 00:38:01,089 Speaker 1: me say this as we finish up. God has designed us. 730 00:38:02,150 --> 00:38:04,830 Speaker 1: 731 00:38:04,890 --> 00:38:07,610 Speaker 1: 732 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,260 Speaker 1: 733 00:38:10,340 --> 00:38:12,700 Speaker 1: 734 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,020 Speaker 1: 735 00:38:15,060 --> 00:38:17,800 Speaker 1: 736 00:38:17,860 --> 00:38:20,739 Speaker 1: 737 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,450 Speaker 1: If you trust in Jesus Christ, your 738 00:38:23,489 --> 00:38:27,070 Speaker 1: sin is completely forgiven. Your worst day is completely forgiven. 739 00:38:27,110 --> 00:38:29,819 Speaker 1: Your worst moment, your worst actions, your worst thoughts, your 740 00:38:29,860 --> 00:38:33,859 Speaker 1: worst words, it's all completely forgiven. And you're ushered into 741 00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:36,100 Speaker 1: the presence of God for all eternity where there will 742 00:38:36,140 --> 00:38:39,020 Speaker 1: be no more sorrow, mourning, pain. All that stuff will 743 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: be done away with. No more tears any longer. The 744 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,390 Speaker 1: river of life you see flowing there in the Lord's 745 00:38:46,450 --> 00:38:50,410 Speaker 1: new creation. Life being given to you, life being secured 746 00:38:50,510 --> 00:38:54,940 Speaker 1: for you. You live in his presence forever. It's not boring. 747 00:38:54,980 --> 00:38:58,100 Speaker 1: It's filled with joy. And again, the psalmist in Psalm 16, 748 00:38:58,100 --> 00:39:00,940 Speaker 1: you have David saying, look, Lord, in your presence there 749 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: is fullness of joy. Here's the temptation you're going to 750 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:07,020 Speaker 1: wrestle with. It's the same temptation every human being before 751 00:39:07,060 --> 00:39:09,419 Speaker 1: you and at the same time as you and after 752 00:39:09,460 --> 00:39:13,820 Speaker 1: you has wrestled with and will wrestle with. We become 753 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,180 Speaker 1: so convinced that there are things in this world that 754 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:20,299 Speaker 1: will bring us joy more so than God himself. And 755 00:39:20,340 --> 00:39:22,600 Speaker 1: because of that, we run from Him instead of running 756 00:39:22,660 --> 00:39:25,750 Speaker 1: toward Him. But the psalmist says, in your presence there 757 00:39:25,790 --> 00:39:27,430 Speaker 1: is fullness of joy. And then you look at what 758 00:39:27,469 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: it's like when humanity dwells with our God. creator, when 759 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:34,720 Speaker 1: we see him face to face. And it's joy upon 760 00:39:34,820 --> 00:39:37,219 Speaker 1: joy upon joy. The things that we don't get to 761 00:39:37,260 --> 00:39:40,460 Speaker 1: experience because of the curse of sin, they're all removed. 762 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:43,580 Speaker 1: And then for all eternity, we get to experience the 763 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,300 Speaker 1: things that were taken away the moment Adam and Eve rebelled. 764 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:49,299 Speaker 1: That's the future that the Lord has in store for us. 765 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:52,299 Speaker 1: where we truly, and I wanted to save this for 766 00:39:52,340 --> 00:39:55,710 Speaker 1: today as we finish up our time looking at this concept. 767 00:39:56,350 --> 00:39:58,170 Speaker 1: If you want to understand this idea of what it 768 00:39:58,210 --> 00:40:03,250 Speaker 1: means to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, include this 769 00:40:03,330 --> 00:40:06,770 Speaker 1: portion of Scripture, these portions of Scripture, in your thoughts 770 00:40:06,810 --> 00:40:10,330 Speaker 1: about these things. Because in His presence, there is fullness 771 00:40:10,370 --> 00:40:12,020 Speaker 1: of joy, and that's what He has in store for you. 772 00:40:12,350 --> 00:40:15,509 Speaker 1: It's not just a present season of joy. It's a 773 00:40:15,610 --> 00:40:18,350 Speaker 1: future season of joy, and the future season of joy... 774 00:40:18,910 --> 00:40:20,890 Speaker 1: involves all sorts of aspects that you and I have 775 00:40:20,989 --> 00:40:25,739 Speaker 1: never experienced. We've been given a foretaste of it, but 776 00:40:25,780 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 1: the fullness of it is something we get to experience 777 00:40:28,739 --> 00:40:33,060 Speaker 1: in eternity. And that's yours. The Lord says it is done, 778 00:40:34,020 --> 00:40:38,060 Speaker 1: meaning it's a guarantee for anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ. 779 00:40:38,100 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 1: If you've been going through your life trusting in your circumstances, yourself, 780 00:40:41,980 --> 00:40:46,240 Speaker 1: your good works, your abilities, whatever, Anything other than Jesus, 781 00:40:46,300 --> 00:40:48,469 Speaker 1: if you've been trusting that to satisfy the longing in 782 00:40:48,510 --> 00:40:51,810 Speaker 1: your soul, I just want to encourage you today, stop 783 00:40:51,850 --> 00:40:54,550 Speaker 1: doing that. Give that over to the Lord and trust 784 00:40:54,610 --> 00:40:58,390 Speaker 1: in Christ himself. He will cleanse you completely and he 785 00:40:58,430 --> 00:41:01,390 Speaker 1: will usher you into his presence where there is this 786 00:41:01,969 --> 00:41:07,319 Speaker 1: fullness of joy. He wants for you to experience the 787 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,779 Speaker 1: fullness of joy, not a hint of joy, not just 788 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 1: a small taste or foretaste of joy, the fullness of joy. 789 00:41:15,150 --> 00:41:17,630 Speaker 1: that you and I will only experience in his presence. 790 00:41:17,710 --> 00:41:20,700 Speaker 1: And that's something promised to all those who know Jesus 791 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:26,700 Speaker 1: Christ by faith. Let's pray together. Father, thank you so 792 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: much for the privilege that it is to be able 793 00:41:28,500 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 1: to look at a portion of scripture like we just 794 00:41:31,780 --> 00:41:35,799 Speaker 1: looked at, these portions from Revelation 21 and 22 and 795 00:41:35,860 --> 00:41:38,819 Speaker 1: all the things that go along with them. Lord, we're 796 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,640 Speaker 1: just so grateful that you've given us access to your word. 797 00:41:41,989 --> 00:41:43,989 Speaker 1: We're so grateful that you've revealed these things to us 798 00:41:44,030 --> 00:41:47,160 Speaker 1: ahead of time. We know, Lord, that naturally speaking, these 799 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,879 Speaker 1: are things we would not have figured out. It would 800 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,459 Speaker 1: be very easy for us to just be consumed with 801 00:41:52,500 --> 00:41:56,060 Speaker 1: the things of this world. Our minds would just be 802 00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:58,930 Speaker 1: all wrapped up in things that are unhealthy and unwise 803 00:41:58,989 --> 00:42:03,190 Speaker 1: and things that really can't satisfy the desires, the longings 804 00:42:03,330 --> 00:42:05,830 Speaker 1: of our souls. It just can't satisfy us because we 805 00:42:05,870 --> 00:42:10,910 Speaker 1: were designed to know you, to worship you, to live 806 00:42:10,950 --> 00:42:14,299 Speaker 1: in your presence. So Father, help us to remember these 807 00:42:14,380 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: things as we think about the purpose for which you've 808 00:42:16,739 --> 00:42:19,879 Speaker 1: created us. To glorify you, we pray that we would 809 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:21,980 Speaker 1: glorify you. And everything that we say and do, we 810 00:42:22,020 --> 00:42:24,359 Speaker 1: pray that we glorify you as we rely on your 811 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,950 Speaker 1: strength to facilitate that. But Father, we also know that 812 00:42:27,989 --> 00:42:33,370 Speaker 1: you have designed us to enjoy you forever. As we 813 00:42:33,430 --> 00:42:35,670 Speaker 1: look at how scripture concludes, as we look at the 814 00:42:36,190 --> 00:42:39,510 Speaker 1: finality that we see in the final chapters of your word, 815 00:42:41,620 --> 00:42:43,509 Speaker 1: We're grateful that these are things that you hold out 816 00:42:43,570 --> 00:42:46,450 Speaker 1: for us, that these are things you've secured for us. 817 00:42:46,489 --> 00:42:48,009 Speaker 1: And you tell us this is what our future is 818 00:42:48,050 --> 00:42:50,169 Speaker 1: going to be like. So hard for us to wrap 819 00:42:50,230 --> 00:42:52,610 Speaker 1: our minds around these things because we're used to the 820 00:42:52,650 --> 00:42:55,660 Speaker 1: way things are right now. We see suffering. We, again, 821 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:58,299 Speaker 1: live in that tension of what is and what we 822 00:42:59,140 --> 00:43:01,680 Speaker 1: believe by faith will be. We see it in your word. 823 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 1: We do believe it. But at the same time, we're 824 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:07,009 Speaker 1: in that in-between season. So, Father, while we're in this 825 00:43:07,050 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 1: in-between season, we pray that we would Ultimately, just rejoice 826 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,540 Speaker 1: in the fact that when you say something, it's a guarantee, 827 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,710 Speaker 1: and you've given us much to look forward to. Father, 828 00:43:17,750 --> 00:43:19,110 Speaker 1: I pray that you'd help us to be men and 829 00:43:19,150 --> 00:43:22,950 Speaker 1: women who glorify you and enjoy you forever. We know 830 00:43:22,969 --> 00:43:25,250 Speaker 1: that that's only possible through the work that your Son, 831 00:43:25,290 --> 00:43:28,649 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, accomplished on our behalf. So, Father, we pray 832 00:43:28,690 --> 00:43:31,410 Speaker 1: that we would trust in your Son, and as a result, 833 00:43:31,430 --> 00:43:33,709 Speaker 1: that our sin would be cleansed, that we'd be given 834 00:43:33,770 --> 00:43:36,610 Speaker 1: new life, that we'd be made a new creation, and 835 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 1: that we would be made fit for an eternity directly 836 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 1: in your presence. Thank you again for telling us about 837 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,069 Speaker 1: these things ahead of time. We're sincerely grateful, and we 838 00:43:47,110 --> 00:43:50,820 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.