1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. Well, 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: this morning, we're going to continue our look at the 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: book of Revelation. We're in Revelation twenty one, and we're 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: going to be looking at the first eight verses of 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: Revelation twenty one. We're going to be talking about the 7 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: new Heaven and the New Earth as the reference here 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: in this portion of God's word. So as you take 9 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: your Bibles and turn there with me, Revelation twenty one, 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: starting with verse one, and. 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 2: This is what it says. 12 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away, 14 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: and the sea was no more. And I saw the 15 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: Holy City New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, 16 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, behold, the 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: dwelling place. 19 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: Of God is with men. 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,199 Speaker 1: He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, 21 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: and God himself will be with them as their God. 22 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, 24 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have 25 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: passed away. And he who is seated on the throne said, behold, 26 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,199 Speaker 1: I am making all things new. Also, he said, write 27 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. And 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: he said to me it is done. I am the 29 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end to 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: the thirsty. I will give from the spring of the 31 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: water of life without payment. The one who conquers will 32 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: have this heritage, and I will be his God, and 33 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, 34 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolatrs, 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: and all liars, their portion will be in the lake 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: that burns with fire and sulfur, which. 37 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 2: Is the second death. Let's pray. Father. 38 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: We thank you so much for the privilege to be 39 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: able to look. 40 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: At your word together today. 41 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: And we're just grateful, Father for the study that you've 42 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: allowed us to have over the past series of months 43 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: as we've been working our way through the Book of Revelation, 44 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: and we recognize that we're very quickly coming upon the 45 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: last sections here in the book. And Lord, in these 46 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: sections you allow us to see how you resolve all things. 47 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: And so, Father, we're grateful to you for the words 48 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: that we just read, the words that we're about to study. 49 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: Were grateful for the ways in which you've revealed what 50 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: you have in store for your people. So Lord, we 51 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: pray that you'd speak to our hearts. Now we pray 52 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: that we would walk with you faithfully. We pray that 53 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: we would take great joy and great encouragement from your 54 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: word as we spend some time studying it together. Today 55 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,839 Speaker 1: we pray this all in Jesus' name. 56 00:02:58,919 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: Amen. 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: So it's interesting if you've read through the scriptures, if 58 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: you've gone from. 59 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: The beginning to the end, knowing that the Book. 60 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: Of Genesis, where we begin, the Book of Revelation, where 61 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: we end the Bible begins in a garden, and it 62 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: ends in a city. Begins in a garden, and and 63 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: it ends in a city. And between those two settings, 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: between the garden and the city, you have the entire 65 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: story of humanity unfolding. When you go back to the 66 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: Book of Genesis, we see things like this. We see 67 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: sin entering the world, and then as a result of that, 68 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: relationships fracture, creation, groans, Scripture says, death spreads and people 69 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: spend their lives longing for something better. All human beings 70 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: from all eras longing for something better. Every single one 71 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: of us knows instinctively that things are not the way 72 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: that they're supposed to be. Well, and it's kind of 73 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: interesting because that's one of those truths that's true, whether 74 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: you know the whether you know the Lord or not, 75 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: we all tend to know that things are not the 76 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: way they're supposed to be. We're longing for something better. 77 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: That's been in human hearts from the earliest days when 78 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: we first rebelled against God. And when you get to 79 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: Revelation chapter twenty one, and this is one of those 80 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: chapters twenty one and twenty two, this is this. 81 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: Is like your reward. 82 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: This is like your payoff for staying with us throughout 83 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: the course of this series, because you get you've walked 84 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: through some very challenging things. You walked through some very 85 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: difficult things as we've studied them in the Book of Revelation. 86 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: But now here in chapter twenty one, we're given a 87 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: glimpse of the day when God will make everything right. 88 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: We get to see him make everything right now Revelation 89 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: twenty one, just to put it in a timetable in 90 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: our minds. It follows the events of Christ's one thousand 91 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: year reign that's described in Revelation chapter twenty. So at 92 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: this point now, as we read these words in Revelation 93 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: twenty one, Satan has been defeated permanently, the Great White 94 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: Throne judgment has all already occurred. The present heaven and 95 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: the present Earth have passed away, and here we're at 96 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: this eternal state where we're told that God creates a 97 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: new heaven and a new Earth and then dwells forever 98 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: with his people. So that's the spot that we're at 99 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: here at Revelation chapter twenty one. And this isn't symbolic talk, 100 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: this isn't wishful thinking. This is our actual future. It's 101 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: the destiny that Jesus has purchased for every single person 102 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: who trusts in him and by his grace. 103 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 2: And this always amazes me about God. 104 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: He didn't have to reveal any of this to us, 105 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: and yet he reveals it all to us. 106 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 2: He lets us see this ahead of time. 107 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: And I think one of the things that he's doing 108 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: with that is that he's encouraging your heart and my 109 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: heart in the midst of all seasons of life. He's 110 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: allowing us to look forward to things, even in the 111 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: midst of our darkest days. We could look at this 112 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,919 Speaker 1: and say, all right, I do know how this works out. 113 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: I do know how this resolves. I have to tell you, 114 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: as a young person, and as a new Christian growing 115 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: up primarily you know, born in the seventies, growing up 116 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: primarily in the eighties and part of the nineties, some 117 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: of the big news stories that we would hear all 118 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: the time was just this threat of war that the 119 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: United States and the Soviet Union. 120 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: Were going to you know, you'd always hear. 121 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: Mutually assured destruction, that we were just going to blow 122 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: each other up, and that's how the world was going 123 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: to end. And I remember as a young person when 124 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: I first started reading the scriptures, and I would come 125 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: to things like this, and I started to realize the 126 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: things that everybody's afraid of it is wasted fear. That's 127 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: not how this actually goes. The Lord's revealed to us 128 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 1: what comes next. And I remember just as as basically 129 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: you know, a child, just taking great comfort in that. 130 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: And I think of that when I look at a 131 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: portion of Scripture like this, it's meant to be comforting. 132 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: God's actually giving us something to comfort us while we 133 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: wait for him to restore and fix the things that 134 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: you and I have broken because of our sinfulness. He's 135 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: going to fix it up all and this portion of 136 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: scripture reveals this, and so let's take it a piece 137 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: at a time. 138 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 2: In verse one, John says this. 139 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: He says, then I saw a new heaven and a 140 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth. 141 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: Had passed away. 142 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: Now John is making this state when he's saying, all right, 143 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: I see you new heaven, see a new earth, the 144 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: first earth, the first heaven, those things have passed away, 145 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: and I see something new. By the way, the Book 146 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: of Revelation is not the only place in scripture that 147 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: speaks of this very thing. There are other places in 148 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: scripture that reveal this as well. 149 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: I'll give you a couple. 150 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: In the Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty five, verse seventeen, 151 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: it says, for behold, I create new heavens and a 152 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: new Earth, and the former things shall not be remembered 153 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: or come to mind. 154 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: And when you look at. 155 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: Second Peter three, Peter said this, But according to his promise, 156 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth 157 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: in which righteousness dwells. 158 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 2: Now. 159 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: The word new here, you notice that it comes up 160 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: multiple times, the word new here. It's emphasizing something fresh 161 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: in quality. God isn't just renovating a broken world. He's 162 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: bringing a perfected creation into existence, something fit for eternal righteousness. 163 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: And he illustrates that for us in Scripture. So think 164 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: of all the things that are wrong with our present world. 165 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: You have natural disasters, you have disease, you have corruption, 166 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: you have violence, you have broken relationships, you have death, 167 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: you have regret. Basically every headline reminds us that creation 168 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: is bearing the scars of humanity's rebellion against God. I 169 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: even think of some of the headlines that I saw 170 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: this morning. I don't know if you saw some of 171 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: the headlines coming out of Philadelphia. I saw three police 172 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: officers were shot. Now, by God's grace, they lived. But 173 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: you know, the news story said one was shot in 174 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: this part of the body, one was shot in this 175 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: part of the body, and one was shot in the face. 176 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: And I thought, wow, and by God's grace they lived. 177 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: But isn't that one of those things that you hear 178 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: and as sad as it is, it doesn't shock us. 179 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: It doesn't surprise us. Why because we've grown to a 180 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: degree used to these things. 181 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: We've grown used to this. 182 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: This is something that over the course of time we 183 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: look at we say, this is just what life on 184 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: this planet happens to be like. And then you look 185 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: at Revelation twenty one and it reveals to us that 186 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: Jesus is not going to lead these things this way forever. 187 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: So the same Savior. Think about what Jesus did during 188 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: the course of his earthly ministry. He was illustrating what 189 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: he has in store for us. Ultimately, the same Savior 190 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: who healed diseases is going to end disease. The same 191 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: Savior who calmed storms is going to end things like 192 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: natural disasters. The same Savior who raised the dead is 193 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: going to end death. The things that we saw illustrated 194 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: during the course of his earthly ministry. He's ultimately going 195 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: to remove the effect of sin from creation itself. It's 196 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: not going to be an issue any longer. So if 197 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: you're ever discouraged about what you see going on around you, 198 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: take a look at a portion of scripture like this, 199 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: and don't lose heart. The broken version of this world 200 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: is not our final destination. If you've ever felt dissatisfied 201 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: with the world the way that it presently is, I'm 202 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: guessing that just deep down, you're admitting to yourself that 203 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: you long for the way that one day Jesus is 204 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: going to make the world. And again, Revelation twenty one 205 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: reveals to us what it looks like, gives us a 206 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: few other details as well. 207 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: Look at verse two. 208 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: It says, and I saw the Holy City New Jerusalem, 209 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: coming down out of heaven from God prepared as notice 210 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: this word, as a bride adorned for her husband. That's 211 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: imagery that you see all throughout the Old. 212 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 2: Testament and the New Testament. Over and over again. 213 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: God keeps using this idea of marriage, this imagery of marriage, 214 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: to describe his covenant relationship with his people over and 215 00:10:59,480 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: over again. 216 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 2: He uses that illustration. 217 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: Now, if you have had, if you've had the opportunity 218 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: recently to go to a wedding, you know that they 219 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: are a beautiful event. 220 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 2: They tend to be beautiful events. 221 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: During the course of the years that I've been serving 222 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 1: as a full time pastor for twenty eight years and 223 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: two years part time prior to that, so thirty years 224 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: and I look at that, and during that time, I've 225 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: had the opportunity to officiate for I don't even know 226 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: how many weddings it is at this point, but it's 227 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: a beautiful thing. And one of the things that I 228 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: always try to illustrate and make it make very clear 229 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: to the couple as they're making their covenant before the Lord, 230 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 1: is that this is something that the Lord looks at 231 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: and he says, I'm giving you a picture of my 232 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: heart through this covenant. I'm giving you a picture of 233 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: how I desire to relate to humanity through this covenant. 234 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: Over and over again. In scripture of the Lord brings 235 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: up that imagery. In the Book of Isaiah Isaiah sixty two, 236 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: verse five, it says this, as the bridegroom rejoices over 237 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Then 238 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: you go to the New Testament, you go to Ephesians 239 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: chapter five, and the churches described how were referred to 240 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: as the bride of Christ. So what it's saying is 241 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: that Jesus didn't just save his people, he redeemed us 242 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: for himself. And that's what scripture's making it clear or 243 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: making clear to us and the new Jerusalem that's represented 244 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: here in this portion of Scripture. It represents the glorious 245 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, meaning everything that was lost 246 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: through sin is going to be restored, Everything promised throughout 247 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: scripture is going to find its completion. And again that 248 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: longing for home that people experienced throughout the course of life, 249 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,319 Speaker 1: it's pointing us toward a deeper reality. We were created 250 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: for eternal fellowship with God and this side of heaven. 251 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 1: There's always a part of us that longs for that 252 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: home or that sense of home. Now, over the course 253 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: of the past few weeks, my wife and I have 254 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: decided to do something that was a bit ambitious, but 255 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: we decided, no, we're going to do it anyway. The 256 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: months for the first half of this year involved three 257 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: of our children getting married. We are at this point 258 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: empty nesters. I've joked a lot about empty nesting and 259 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: all that, and you know, there's some aspects of it 260 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: that I said to her. I was like, you know, 261 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: it's actually kind of fun because it reminds me of 262 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: the first couple years when right after we first got married, 263 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: before we had kids, and it's kind of like that again. 264 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, that's kind of fun. But we also thought, 265 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: all right, there are some home projects that we've put 266 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 1: off for a. 267 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: While while we were housing people. 268 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: But now we're not doing that anymore, and so we're like, 269 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: all the things that we've been. 270 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: Waiting to do, let's just do them all. 271 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: So we're like, all right, let's replace the railings right 272 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: in the entryway of our house. So we replaced the railings, 273 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: loved how they came out, and we were excited about that. 274 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: We're like, all right, let's replace all the flooring upstairs. 275 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: And so we replaced all the flooring upstairs. And I 276 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: got you know, when I went to the carpet place, 277 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: I said, look, you know, I don't want to ever 278 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: have to do this again. I'm getting the best carpet 279 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: and the best bad They like a customer like that 280 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: that comes in and said, like, give me the best 281 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 1: of these two things. 282 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 2: They're like, we like you a lot. 283 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: And it's like walking on pizza dough. 284 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 2: It's like it's all squishy and all that. 285 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: It's like, I feel like we we live in a 286 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: bakery that they just decided to spread everything out in 287 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: the upstairs. I walk around, I'm like it's so squishy. 288 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: I love it. 289 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: My son Jay helped me put ceiling fans in our upstairs. 290 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: We replaced all the ceiling fans so we got those 291 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: squared away. Daniel, of course did the woodwork and so 292 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: I had them put in crown molding and new base board. Upstairs. 293 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: We painted the rooms. This past week, I was painting ceilings. 294 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: Do you ever paint a ceiling? Isn't it lovely when 295 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: it drips right in your eye? I had that happen 296 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: to me on Friday. I painted two ceilings and more 297 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: than once I got some in my eye, and I'm like, 298 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: oh lovely. We went out to eat for dinner on 299 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: Friday night. My eyes were bloodshot. Why ceiling paint, you know? 300 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 2: But why do we care about this? 301 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: So there's a few other things that we're doing, and 302 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: we get all excited about it, and we like how 303 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: it looks and feels, and we're even still liking the 304 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: new carpet. 305 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 2: Smell, you know, which is a weird smell to like, 306 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: but we like it. 307 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: And I think to myself, and I was even thinking 308 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: about this in preparation for today, I'm like, why do 309 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: I even care? 310 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: Like? Why do I care? Because this all gets remade. 311 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: You know, when you look at this portion of Scripture, 312 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: it says there's a new Heaven and new Earth coming. 313 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: So everything I'm currently investing time in, everything I'm dripping 314 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: into my eyeballs. It's not it doesn't have permanent consequence, 315 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't have eternal value, and yet we still find 316 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: ourselves valuing it and caring about it. And I was 317 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: thinking about it. I thought, you know what, I know 318 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: what's going on in my heart. I'm trying to make 319 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: this wall just right, this ceiling just right, and that 320 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: floor just right, and not molding just right and not 321 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: railing just right, because it actually illustrates that I'm longing 322 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: for the perfect home that only God can provide. I'm 323 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: not going to experience at this side of heaven. It 324 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: doesn't matter what home improvement we invest our time in. 325 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: Doesn't matter if you get new carpet, it never stays new. 326 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: Doesn't matter if you paint walls, they don't stay fresh. 327 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: They're nice for a season, but this side of heaven, 328 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: everything wears out. And then you look at what scripture 329 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: tells us, and we're told, no, there's a good home 330 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: waiting for those who know Jesus Christ, that never wears out, 331 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: and it's always beautiful, and it's comfortable. 332 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 2: And I don't know, I don't know. 333 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: If the floors in heaven feel like you're walking on 334 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: pizzadal that might be my ideal flooring. 335 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 2: I'm not really sure. 336 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: I do know this that I'm longing for the perfect 337 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: home that only God can provide. I think that's what 338 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: any effort that I would ever expend in my own 339 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: home is actually illustrating about my own heart. 340 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 2: Augustine once said this. 341 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: He wrote that our hearts are restless until they find 342 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: rest in God. The human heart is restless until it 343 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: finds rest in God. And then we look at this chapter, 344 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: we look at Revelation twenty one, and what does it 345 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: show us. It shows us that that rest is coming. 346 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: It says that rest is coming. That's what it reveals. 347 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: Then you have the Apostle John. When we look at 348 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: verse three, you have John making one of the most 349 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: beautiful declarations in all of scriptures. Think about everything he 350 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: says here, let me read it for us. Revelation twenty 351 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: one three. He says, behold, the dwelling place of God 352 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: is with man. 353 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 2: He will dwell with them and they will be. 354 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: His people, and God himself. 355 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 2: Will be with them as their God. 356 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 1: By the way, that's not a theme that's just unique 357 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 1: to the Book of Revelation. That's a theme that stretches 358 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: from Genesis all the way through Revelations, all throughout the Bible, 359 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: over and over and over again. We see it in 360 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: the Garden of Eden. How did God interact with Adam 361 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: and Eve. We're told that he he walked with them. 362 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: They had fellowship together with the Lord before sin disrupted 363 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: that fellowship. But then you get you know, you move 364 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: along to the book of Exodus, and you get to 365 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: the Book of Exodus, and in the wilderness God instructed 366 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: Israel a very specific way. When you get to Exodus 367 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: twenty five, verse eight, that scripture says this, and let 368 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in 369 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: their myths. That I may dwell in their myths. That's 370 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 1: what the Lord said for the children of Israel. You 371 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: also have the prophet Ezekiel speaking on behalf of the 372 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: Lord and saying this in Ezekiel thirty seven, verse twenty seven. 373 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: Notice the similarity says, my dwelling place shall be with them, 374 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: and I will be their God. And they shall be 375 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 1: my people. Does it seem like God wants to avoid 376 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: us or dwell with us? Over and over again, he 377 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: tells us that this is what he This was his 378 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: goal for humanity, that we have that kind of fellowship 379 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: with him. Then you have Jesus, God the Son, taking 380 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: on flesh and coming into this world. 381 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 2: And in John one, p. 382 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: Fourteen it says, and the word became flesh. And what 383 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: do you know the rest of that sentence, and the 384 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word became 385 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 1: flesh and dwelt among us. By the way, you know, 386 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 1: Jesus's referenced as Emmanuel. What does Emmanuel mean? What does 387 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: that name mean? God with us? So this is a 388 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: pattern we see all throughout scripture, and so Revelation twenty 389 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: one is actually revealing the ultimate fulfillment of that promise. 390 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: And also notice we're going to see this as we 391 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: develop this a little bit further. No temple is going 392 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: to be necessary in the new Jerusalem that's about to 393 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 1: be described, because God's presence will permeate everything, no barriers 394 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 1: will remain, no separation is going to exist. 395 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 2: And that also. 396 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: Means this, That means that The greatest blessing of heaven 397 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: isn't the absence of suffering. I think sometimes when we 398 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: think of heaven, we think of the absence of suffering, 399 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: and that's a good thing to think about, but that's 400 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: not the greatest blessing of heaven. The greatest blessing of 401 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: heaven is this the presence of God. We get to 402 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 1: interact with God. That is the greatest blessing of heaven. 403 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: We have the presence of God, dwelling with God, God 404 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,199 Speaker 1: dwelling with us. Many people imagine heaven primarily in terms 405 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: of reunion with loved ones and freedom from pain, and 406 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 1: those things will happen, and those are wonderful things, but 407 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: those blessings are not the greatest joy. They're like the 408 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: bonus joy. The greatest joy is seeing Jesus face to 409 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: face and interacting with him as our day to day fellowship. 410 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: That's the greatest joy. Meaning the one who loved us 411 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: enough to die for us desires to dwell with us forever. 412 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: He didn't just do something for our benefit and then say, Okay, 413 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: you're on your own from here. He said, no, I'm 414 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: bringing you into my family. I'm referring to you as 415 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: my bride. 416 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 2: You are my. 417 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: Covenant people, and you will have fellowship with me forever. 418 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: I desire to dwell with you. Do you ever experience 419 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 1: a moment where you felt either rejected or ostracized or 420 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: not included, maybe as a child, maybe even as an adult, 421 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: new workplace, meeting new people, something along those lines. 422 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 2: And you look at that and you realize, Wow, I. 423 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: Can remember many times in my life where I felt 424 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: either rejected or not included by different people that I 425 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: interacted with. And then you look at a portion of 426 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: scripture like this, and it reveals to us that the 427 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: God of all creation desires to spend time with you. 428 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: He desires to have fellowship with you, uninterrupted, fellowship with 429 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: you for all eternity. Again, the scripture saying, what behold, 430 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,360 Speaker 1: the dwelling place of God is with man. He will 431 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: dwell with them, and they will be as people, and 432 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: God himself will be with them as their God. 433 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 2: That's his desire for us. 434 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: And then look at what it starts to say in 435 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 1: the next verse and verse four. It says he will 436 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: wipe away every tear from their eyes. Now, I'll read 437 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: the rest of that verse in a moment, but I'll 438 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: just start it off. He will wipe away every tear 439 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: from their eyes. Notice who performs that act. Notice who's 440 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 1: doing that, God himself. God himself is the one doing that. 441 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 2: You know. 442 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,919 Speaker 1: One of the My master's degree is in counseling, And 443 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: I remember when I was getting training in counseling and 444 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: one of the things they told us not to do 445 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: if somebody in a counseling session starts crying, They said, 446 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 1: don't wipe away the tears. And I said, why, why 447 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: are we not supposed to wipe away the tears, And 448 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: they said, well, it's actually good for us, especially when 449 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: holding it in, to just grieve. So just grieve and 450 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: let people grieve. And I think they're right. I think 451 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: that's true that in many cases you should just let 452 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: that happen. But I also know that there's a season 453 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: for that, there's a time for that, and it's not eternity. 454 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: It's right now. 455 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: But in eternity, what is the scripture say he will 456 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: wipe every tear from their eyes. At that point, it's done, 457 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: God himself is the one who's wiping the tears from 458 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,719 Speaker 1: our eyes. Meaning every grief we've ever experienced will one 459 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: day come to an end and there will be no 460 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 1: new griefs that get added to it. Every grief ends 461 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: and nothing new that's sad or sorrowful gets added to it. 462 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: So you think about tears that have been shed at 463 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: hospital beds or by hospital beds, tears at gravesides, tears 464 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: over prodigal children, tears because of betrayal or disappointment or 465 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: loneliness or loss. 466 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 2: What a scripture reveal to us. 467 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: God sees every one of those tears, and one day 468 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: he will personally wipe them away, and they're done. He 469 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: wipes them away, and they're finished. He will personally wipe 470 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: them away. Well, John continues from there, It says, I'll 471 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: read the whole verse again. He says he will wipe 472 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 1: away every tear from their eyes. And it says, and death. 473 00:23:58,040 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 2: Shall be no more. 474 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, 475 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: for the former things have passed away. Now, when you 476 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 1: look at the story of humanity, death has cast a 477 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: shadow over every generation of humanity, from our earliest days 478 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: right up through now. But what did Jesus come to 479 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,919 Speaker 1: this earth to do? To allow death to continue to 480 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 1: reign and have power over us, or to defeat the 481 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,360 Speaker 1: power of death. Jesus conquered the power of death. He 482 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,199 Speaker 1: died and then rose from the grave. Through his resurrection, 483 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: he defeated death, meaning death generally even as a concept 484 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 1: for you and for me, it has an expiration date. 485 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,959 Speaker 1: I love what the apostle Paul said in One Corinthians fifteen. 486 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: He says there, he says, death is swallowed up in victory. 487 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: Death is swallowed up in victory. The resurrection of Jesus 488 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: Christ guarantees the future resurrection of his people because we 489 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: are united to him as the bride of Christ. 490 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 2: Meaning because Christ lives, we will live. 491 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: Also, yes, this world that we're presently in is going 492 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,680 Speaker 1: to be redone, even Heaven is going to be redone. 493 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes people say, why does Heaven get remade? Well, let's 494 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: ask the question why does Earth get remade? 495 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 2: Why on new Earth? 496 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: We'd be like, well, there's like to think of all 497 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: the sin that's marred this planet, think of all that 498 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: we've done. 499 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, so we could see why Earth would get remade, 500 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 2: But why would heaven? Why a new Heaven? 501 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: Well, when Satan first rebelled against God, where did that 502 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: take place? Took place in heaven? That rebellion occurred in heaven. 503 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:38,199 Speaker 1: So ironically, in the present heaven, sin has occurred. Satan 504 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: sin there the first sin, the sin of pride, occurred 505 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:45,160 Speaker 1: in the present heaven. So Heaven will be remade, never 506 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: to be impacted by sin ever again, Earth will be remade, 507 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: never to be impacted by the presence of sin. 508 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 2: And they'll be united, and. 509 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: God will reign forever his presence with his people. And 510 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: he makes all things new love, he says in verse five, Behold, 511 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: I'm making all things new, making it all new. Everything's 512 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,640 Speaker 1: going to be new. Now, notice what he doesn't say. 513 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,640 Speaker 1: He doesn't say I make all new things. So I'm 514 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: making all things new. 515 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 2: You know what that means. 516 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: That means that redemption, this concept of redemption, it isn't 517 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: God's backup plan. 518 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:23,880 Speaker 2: It actually means that. 519 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 1: It's always been his intention to restore what sin has corrupted. 520 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: This is the plan from eternity past. Behold, I am 521 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: making all things new. The God who transforms sinners into 522 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 1: saints is the same God who's going to transform creation itself. 523 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: So if you are in Christ, that renewing work has 524 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: already begun. In tewod Corinthians five, Paul says this. He says, Therefore, 525 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: if anyone is in Christ, he is what a new creation. 526 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: The Lord's renewing you, He's renewing me. And I can 527 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: imagine you know, I don't know if you tend to 528 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: be your worst critic. I tend to be my own 529 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: worst critic. So maybe you're like me, and maybe you're 530 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: your own worst critic as well. And so maybe sometimes 531 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: you look at your life, or even at the end 532 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: of a day, maybe you'll do an assessment of your 533 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: day and you'll look at your life, or you'll look 534 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,719 Speaker 1: at your day and you'll maybe see your failures, or 535 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: you will see your weaknesses, or just in general, you'll 536 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:29,360 Speaker 1: look at yourself and you'll see unfinished growth. But then 537 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: you look at Revelation twenty one and all the surrounding scriptures, 538 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: and what does it tell us to do. It's basically saying, 539 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: take heart, because Jesus finishes what he starts. Behold, I 540 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: am making all things new. He finishes what he starts. 541 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: That also includes the transformation that began at your conversion 542 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: that's going to reach its completion when you stand before him. 543 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: You're going to be a brand new creation. Ultimately and 544 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: fully in a new creation for all time. 545 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:58,199 Speaker 2: But then Jesus says this. 546 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: When you get to verse six, he says, to the thirsty, 547 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:03,159 Speaker 1: I will give from the spring of the water of 548 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: life without payment. To the thirsty, I will give from 549 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 1: the spring of the water of life without without payment. 550 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: That also reminds us of Christ's words in the Gospel 551 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: of John and John chapter seven. Jesus said, if anyone thirst, 552 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: let him come to me and drink. Anyone thirst, let 553 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 1: him come to me and drink. Yesterday, I had the 554 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: opportunity to let's see, where's Grace. She was floating around 555 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 1: her somewhere. 556 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 2: There she is. 557 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: I had the opportunity, so Grace, my new daughter in law. 558 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: I get along really well. 559 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 2: With her dad. 560 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: And he said, hey, John, any chance you want to 561 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: join me for some golf on Saturday. And I was like, 562 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: let me think about it. Yes, I would like to 563 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: join you for some golf on Saturday. And so I 564 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: golfed with Grace's father yesterday. And while we were out 565 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: there yesterday, it was a little bit hot, and part 566 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: way through we realized that we didn't bring enough water 567 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: out on the course, and we were very, very thirsty. 568 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 2: And then your father stopped. 569 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: At a vending machine and noticed that the vending machine 570 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: was so it was selling sodas for like seven dollars. 571 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: He's like seven bucks, not happening, right. And then you 572 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: look at this and what does Jesus say to the thirsty? 573 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 2: I will give. 574 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: I will give from the spring of the water of 575 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: life without payment. And in John seven he says, what 576 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: if anyone thirst, let them come to me and drink. Well, 577 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: he's not just talking about the physical sustenance that we 578 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: receive from water. He's saying, the deepest longing of your soul, 579 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: I will meet, the deepest longing of your soul. The 580 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: deepest third of the thirst of the human heart can't 581 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: be satisfied by the things of this world. That can 582 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 1: only be satisfied by Jesus. Most people spend their entire 583 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: lives trying to satisfy a thirst with the wrong thing. 584 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 1: They don't realize the deepest longing of their soul can't 585 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: be satisfied by temporary things. They think that success or 586 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: possessions or relationships or achievement or fame or whatever else 587 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: they're willing to sacrifice their soul to achieve, will somehow 588 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: satisfy their soul and Jesus says, no, you got to 589 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: come to me. And if you come to me, what happens. 590 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: He satisfies the thirst of your soul, the deepest longing 591 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: of your soul, because the truth is, we were made 592 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: for Christ, We were made for Him. The good news 593 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: of the gospel is that the gift of salvation is 594 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: offered freely to anyone who desires it, anyone who wants it. 595 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: It's offered to us. If you decide to have it, 596 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: you will have it. The Lord has offered that to us. Now, 597 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: the background on that is, I believe that he's the 598 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: one shaping our thoughts in our minds, and he's the 599 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: one that would even place the desire within your heart 600 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: to even want that gift. But Jesus paid the price 601 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: for you and for me on the cross and at Calvary, 602 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: he endured the wrath of the Father against sin so 603 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: that you and I could receive grace. We know that 604 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: three days later that Jesus rose from the grave. He 605 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: demonstrated his victory over sin, satan, and death. We know 606 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: that anyone who trusts in him receives the free gift 607 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: of eternal life without payment, meaning we don't have to 608 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: pay for it. Jesus is the one who paid for it. 609 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 1: We don't have to earn it. He earned it for us. 610 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: We don't have to deserve We could never deserve it. 611 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,719 Speaker 1: He deserved it for us. That's grace. He gives that 612 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: to us as a gift, and then he promises us 613 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: this in light of that. He says, the one who 614 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God. 615 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 2: He will be my son. 616 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 1: Well, who are the conquerors that he's talking about here? 617 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: The apostle John also wrote about this in First John 618 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: chapter five. He says, who is it that overcomes the 619 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: world except the one who believes that Jesus is the 620 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: son of God. That's the key to ultimately a victorious life. 621 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: If you have faith that Jesus is who he says 622 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: he is. If you have faith that Jesus is the 623 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: Son of God, this world won't overtake you. You will 624 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: overcome this world. And true believers continue trusting in Christ. 625 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: And the perseverance that they continue to have in trusting 626 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 1: Jesus demonstrates the reality of the salvation that the Lord 627 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: gave them as a gift. The same grace that saves 628 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: is the same grace that also sustains the Lord sustains. 629 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 2: Those who call on him. 630 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: So if you belong to Jesus today, understand this, your 631 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: inheritance in His kingdom is secure. Now throughout the course 632 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: of your life. You may have seasons where you stumble. Yeah, 633 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: you may have areas in your life where you struggle. 634 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 2: But also know this. 635 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: Your salvation didn't depend on you the day that you 636 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: received it, and it doesn't depend on you once you've 637 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 1: received it. It's a matter of grace from start to finish. 638 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: This is a gift that God gives to those who 639 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: trust in him. 640 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: Christ holds his people fast. 641 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: And I say that in light of the last verse. 642 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 2: We're looking at today, because. 643 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: Revelation twenty one says something very serious. When you get 644 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: to verse eight, it says, but as for the cowardly, 645 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolatrs, 646 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: and all liars, their portion will be in the lake 647 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: that burns with fire and sulfur, which. 648 00:32:58,200 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 2: Is the second death. 649 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: And when you look at that list, which of those 650 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,719 Speaker 1: categories stands out to you? Do you look at that 651 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: and say, well, I'm glad, I'm not that I'm glad. 652 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 1: I'm not that one. I'm glad I'm not that one. 653 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: That's what most people do when they look at that list, right, 654 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: they look at this cowardly. Please, there's no cowards in 655 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:24,080 Speaker 1: our midst right. We are strong, vibrant, healthy people, no 656 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: fear among us, right, so we don't even have to 657 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 1: worry about that cowardly that's for other people, right, except 658 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:32,959 Speaker 1: for the times when we act a little cowardly. But 659 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 1: we just keep that between us and God. But it's like, oh, cowardly, 660 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: that's an interesting thing to have on the list, all right. 661 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: Maybe there's worse things, okay, faithless, terrible, right, but then 662 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: how how oftentimes do we break faith? 663 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 2: Lord? 664 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: I promise this, okay, and then we break the promise. 665 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: That sounds pretty faithless. The detestable I don't even know 666 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 1: how we want to categorize that. Maybe you've met a 667 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 1: few people that you're like, oh, that person's so detestable, right, 668 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: But then one of the murderers, we think, all right, well, 669 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: not one of those. So there that's where we get 670 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: to the real meat of the passage, the murderers. And 671 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: then you look at what Jesus said, and the Sermon 672 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: on the Mount. So if you've ever harbored anger in 673 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: your heart against somebody else, that's the seed of murder. 674 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: You've committed murder against somebody else in your heart, and 675 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 1: you're like, ooh, he's getting a little warm in here. 676 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: The sexually immoral, well, Jesus said in the Sermon on 677 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: the Mount, Yeah, some people commit forms of sexual immorality 678 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: with their body, and everybody else commits it with their mind. 679 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 2: And he cautions us. 680 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:38,120 Speaker 1: Sorcerers, we look, all right, definitely not sorcerers, okay, but 681 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: how much of our entertainment wraps around like sorcery and 682 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: all sorts of things like that. We fill our minds 683 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: with all kinds of sorcery. We just don't call it that. 684 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: We say, oh, no, it's just a movie. Sure, it's 685 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 1: just a movie. It's just a book. That's fine. I'm 686 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: sure the Lord's totally fine with it. Idolators, do you 687 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: know that anything that you or I? And I've had 688 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: to be very honest with myself about this and very 689 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: several areas of my life where I realize certain things 690 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: that I just considered important. I was like, no, they're 691 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: not important to me, they're idols. To me. When you 692 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: look at different things, you realize that's idolatry. That's something 693 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,319 Speaker 1: I'm trying to satisfy the longing of my soul with 694 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: instead of looking to Christ. It's like, Lord, remove the 695 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: idols from my life. And all liars, anyone here, raise 696 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: your hand if you've never lied. Just looking around the room, 697 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 1: see if anyone wants to lie in front of their friends. 698 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 2: Right. 699 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,399 Speaker 1: So you look at this and it's like, okay, well, 700 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:36,960 Speaker 1: what happens to people like that? Because man, I seem 701 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: to fit most of those categories? 702 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,760 Speaker 2: This is a little awkward. Well, good news. 703 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 1: Their portion will be in the lake that burns with 704 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Now you 705 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: look at that and you think that is an awkward 706 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: way for that portion of scripture to end, But understand 707 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: what it's really trying to reveal. 708 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:55,839 Speaker 2: It is trying to reveal. 709 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:59,200 Speaker 1: That that's exactly what we deserve. That's exactly what I deserve. 710 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 1: That's what I've earned. I've earned this because of this, 711 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: because of those categories being in my life, I've earned this. 712 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: But that's why I'm grateful that the scripture leads up 713 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 1: to this to help us to understand. No, if you 714 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 1: are united to Christ, you have new life in His 715 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: presence for all eternity. And it doesn't come down to 716 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: whether or not I made it through life mistake free, 717 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: because I didn't make it through life mistake free, and 718 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,799 Speaker 1: neither did you. And what faith in Jesus is really 719 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 1: teaching us to have is a full reliance on Him. 720 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: So often we try to have faith in ourselves, and 721 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: I hear people say this all the time. It's one 722 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: of the most common statements in modern day culture. Just 723 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 1: believe in yourself. Just believe in yourself. You could do anything. 724 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: Just believe in yourself. That is not what scripture is 725 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:47,720 Speaker 1: teaching us. Just don't believe in yourself, believe in Christ. 726 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: If I believe in myself, this is all I'm able 727 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:53,360 Speaker 1: to achieve. But if I trust in Jesus Christ and 728 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: fully rely on him, I can come before Him and say, Lord, 729 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: I have goofed up literally in every one of those categories, 730 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,759 Speaker 1: either in thought, word or deed. I've goofed it up 731 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,759 Speaker 1: every single one. And then what does he do? He 732 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: looks at you, and he looks at me. If we 733 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: genuinely believe in him, He's like, my grace is sufficient 734 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: for you. My grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness. 735 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: You came to me in humility, and you said, Lord, 736 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: I need you because I can't get this right. I 737 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: need your cleansing. And so when we stand before him, 738 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: what does he see? We stand before the father? What 739 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: does the father see? The Father doesn't look at these 740 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 1: things anymore. When I stand before the Father, he doesn't 741 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 1: see that. He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ that 742 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: was added to my account the moment that I trusted 743 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 1: in him. 744 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 2: That's what he sees. 745 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,840 Speaker 1: Why, because the old order of things is done away 746 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: with now. Those who persist in this, those who reject Jesus, 747 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: this is what they have to expect. If one just 748 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,879 Speaker 1: rejects Jesus, yes, that is their future. But those who 749 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: have trusted in Jesus Christ are completely cleansed of all 750 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: on righteousness in his eyes. When he suffered for us 751 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: on the cross, it was to take all of that 752 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: on himself, even though he had done none of that. 753 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 1: He took all of our mess upon himself. And he said, 754 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: and that's the whole point of this chapter two, isn't it. 755 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: It's saying the mess that we made of this world. 756 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: The Lord's fixing it, and it's gonna stay fixed forever. Behold, 757 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: I'm making all things new. He's making creation new, and 758 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: he's making you new, and it stays new now. In 759 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: my daydreams, I remember at one point looking at portions 760 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 1: of Scripture like this, and I'm like, oh, wow, that's wonderful. 761 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:39,839 Speaker 1: I'm so glad that the Lord's gonna restore it all. 762 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: He's gonna make it all new. And I thought, Oh, 763 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 1: I hope I'm not the one to goof up the 764 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: next one, though, like Adam did the first one. I'm like, 765 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: what if I goof up the next one? Do you 766 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: ever think weird things like that? I was like, what 767 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 1: if I goof up the next one? The beauty is 768 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 1: we're told that in the in the New Creation, we'll 769 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:01,719 Speaker 1: eat from the tree of life. And when you eat 770 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: from the tree of life, Scripture also reveals it locks 771 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: in the state that you. 772 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 2: And I are in. It locks it in. 773 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:09,839 Speaker 1: You're not gonna have to worry about in the New 774 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: Creation being the one that messes it up. You're not 775 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: gonna mess it up. The angels aren't going to mess 776 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: it up. It's locked in place for all time. That's 777 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,719 Speaker 1: something that we could take hope in. And this is 778 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 1: a wonderful portion of Scripture to be able to spend 779 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 1: some time looking at recognizing who Jesus is and what 780 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:28,839 Speaker 1: he's done for us. 781 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:30,959 Speaker 2: Basically, he's given us. 782 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 1: The heritage of conquerors, but it wasn't us that conquered, 783 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 1: it was Him that conquered. And then he shared the 784 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:39,440 Speaker 1: victory with us. And then he says, I'm going to 785 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: count you as one who's on my team, even though 786 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: I did. 787 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 2: All the work. 788 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: So we get credit for what Christ did. We get 789 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:49,719 Speaker 1: to live in a perfect eternity that Christ fashions, We 790 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: get to be a new creation that he makes. We 791 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,759 Speaker 1: get to bear his name for all eternity, living in 792 00:39:55,840 --> 00:40:00,399 Speaker 1: his presence. I love how these sections of the Book 793 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,879 Speaker 1: of Revelation read because it provides hope in the midst 794 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:08,320 Speaker 1: of difficult seasons, and it reminds us that no matter 795 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: what season you're presently in or will ever go through, 796 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,040 Speaker 1: the Lord has your future in his hand. If you 797 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: know Jesus Christ is your lord, you know Jesus Christ 798 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 1: is your savior. The future that he holds in his hand, 799 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 1: it's going to be a very very good one. Let's pray, Lord, 800 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 1: thank you so much for what you reveal to us 801 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 1: in your word. Lord, I'm grateful that we could look 802 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: at things like this and just genuinely. 803 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 2: Rejoice over how good you are to us. Lord. 804 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: Your word is serious, and you reveal to us that 805 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:49,800 Speaker 1: we have crossed every line you said not to cross. 806 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,880 Speaker 1: We've gone in every direction you told us not to 807 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:58,160 Speaker 1: go in. We deserve nothing but condemnation, we deserve nothing 808 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:04,360 Speaker 1: but judgment. And yet you decided to show us mercy 809 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 1: because you are the perfection of mercy. You are mercy 810 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: in its perfect original state. You've shown us grace, You've 811 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:18,240 Speaker 1: given us blessings we don't deserve. So, Father, we're grateful 812 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:20,399 Speaker 1: for these things. And we're grateful that you've allowed us 813 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,200 Speaker 1: to spend some time together thinking about our future, a 814 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 1: future in your presence, a future where we get to 815 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:34,400 Speaker 1: see what it's like to have unin, uninterrupted, unhindered fellowship 816 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: with our creator. Or the dwelling place that you occupy 817 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,440 Speaker 1: and the dwelling place that we occupy are the same place. 818 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:47,160 Speaker 2: Father, I'm just. 819 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,800 Speaker 1: So grateful that that's what you've assured us in your word. 820 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 1: I'm grateful that you assure us that you will wipe 821 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 1: every tear from our eyes, will be no more sorrow, morning, pain, death, 822 00:41:56,719 --> 00:42:00,239 Speaker 1: any of those things. It's all done away with. The 823 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:05,080 Speaker 1: worst things we experience on this earth are temporary. The 824 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 1: worst things we experience are things that you have ordained 825 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: will not damage or be smirch our eternity in any. 826 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:17,319 Speaker 2: Way, because you're making all things new. 827 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: So Father, thank you for these things, thank you for 828 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 1: these reminders from your word. I pray Father, that by 829 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: your grace, that you would bring great encouragement to our 830 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,799 Speaker 1: hearts as we meditate on these things. And we thank 831 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,520 Speaker 1: you for all of this in Jesus' name. 832 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:34,160 Speaker 2: Amen.