Upstate - "New Heaven + New Earth"

“New Heaven + New Earth”

August 21, 2017

A total solar eclipse passed through the

Principles:

1. No human action could stop someone from this event happening.

2. An event like that really puts things in perspective. humility

3.

Revelation 21 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Sermon illustration about a fresh breath, or a sigh of relief.

What are the results of the Second Coming?

1. He Will Dwell With Us

Revelation 21:3 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

a. It’s A Prepared Place

Revelation 21:2 ESV

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The city is identified with God’s people; she is looked upon as a bride.

Chapter 17 - Babylonian system was pictured as a harlot.

Think about how beautiful this must have been!

b. It’s a Permanent Place

Revelation 21:3 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

“the dwelling place...”

God dwelled with His people in the tabernacle in the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, people expressed worship by offering sacrifices in the Temple to God.

In the New Testament, we can worship because Jesus BECAME the sacrifice to God.

In the Old Testament, worship was associated with a place

In the New Testament, worship is associated with a Person

In the end, worship is perfected.

“He will dwell with them...”

This shows that God desires FELLOWSHIP with you!

This is the ultimate display of God’s desire. This succinctly states essence of God’s desire and man’s purpose. Simply, God’s desire is to live in close fellowship with man, and man’s purpose is to be a people unto God.

c. It’s a Promised Place

You can take this to the bank!

The promise of our eternal destination should drastically impact our everyday decisions.

2. He Will Make All Things New

He will make all things new. This involves

a. The Comfort!

look at this.

Revelation 21:4 KJV 1900

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

but look at the result of being in His presence:

Now, I’ve heard people use this verse in a way that can cause grief to us saints. However... The emphasis here is on the comfort of God, not on the remorse of the saints.

This is more about the comfort from God than it is about us!

ears of sympathy and mercy, such as Jeremiah and Jesus wept over the sins and the calamities of Jerusalem; — tears of persecuted innocence, tears of contrition and penitence for faults and crimes against the goodness and majesty of heaven; — tears of disappointment and neglect; — tears of yearning for what cannot now be ours; — these, and whatever others ever course the cheeks of mortals, shall then be dried forever

b. The Claim

Revelation 21:5 ESV

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

“I will make all things new… it is done.”

c. His Capabilities/ His Credentials.

Revelation 21:6 ESV

6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Some sort of illustration of him backing it up.

Maybe the picture of the guy that looked like Clay from Golden State.

Dawson Gurley… Klay Thompson look alike.

Spent $10,000 in tickets and 10 minutes in the pregame shoot around.

who is making this claim to make all things new?

The One on the throne.

The Alpha - beginning

Colossians 1.

The Omega - the ending

3. He Will Complete Our Salvation

glorification.

Revelation 21:7–8 KJV 1900

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

If you have trusted Jesus, you have been saved from the (1) penalty of sin, you are being saved (2) from the power of sin, and (3) you will be saved from the presence of sin.

a. No more thirst

b. Inherit all the things of God

c. Dwell with God

In a place where the glory of God casts the light and the Lamb is the lamp.

I opened with the story of the solar eclipse.

Now, think about this for a minute.

That moment was so incredible… the moon passed in front of the sun. the Sun was blocked.