THINGS NOT PRESENT

August 27, 2023

FBC Baxley

am service

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Welcome radio and online guests…

*It’s ok if you’re broken, unfaithful, lost, we are too and we are here seeking God’s will and way and plan.

We are all prodigals here…

Some rescued….Some Not..

All Loved…

*Acts 4:12 (repeat)

*John 3:16

Sermon Title: Heaven Part 2 “Things Not Present”

Scripture Passage: Revelation 21:22-27

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.

PRAY

Three Points:

1. No Temple

2. No Night

3. No Evil

Introduction:

Sometimes it helps us get a grasp or gain clearer understanding when we view things from a different angle.

That is why we are looking at heaven this morning through the lens of what will not be there.

We spoke last week of things that will be in heaven. We read the whole chapter which shows the ornate things that will be in heaven.

It’s a definite place, It is a designed place, and It is a designated place for those in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Adrian Rogers; “Heaven is the presence of all that is good and the absence of all that is bad.”

1. No Temple verses 22-23

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.”

*So what do we know about the OT temple?

In the Old Testament, the temple was the physical place to pursue God, to make sacrifices to God, and to connect with God.

Illus.

I Kings 6:1-6

2 The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.

3 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house.

4 And he made for the house windows with recessed frames.

5 He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around.

6 The lowest story was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

**Stone… Cedar…Olive wood, Gold, carvings of cherubim, palm trees and flowers…

38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it.

In the OT the temple was as it was in I Kings 6.

What had been the center of worship for Israel will now be centered on God as He and the Lamb (Jesus) are the temple of heaven.

In the NT our bodies are the temple; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

J. Vernon McGee; “The nations of the world will enter the Holy City as the priests entered the Holy Place in the tabernacle for the purpose of worship.

The nations of the earth, as well as Israel, will come to the New Jerusalem as the high priest of old entered the Holy of Holies. Instead of the blood being brought, the Lamb is there in person.

What a picture we have here!”

Those that are blood bought….. Are walking with the one who shed His blood for them!

Three times: at the Passover (the feast of unleavened bread), at the feast of the weeks (Pentecost), and at the feast of tabernacles; Deut. 16:16.

**Oh but in heaven… It’s temple is the Lord God Almighty & the Lamb.

2. No Night verses 23-25

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.

**What do we know about darkness and light?

Genesis 1:1-5 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Hebrew: choshek (pronounced kho-shek') Strong’s 2822; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness:--dark(-ness), night, obscurity.

We relate darkness with depression, evil, confusion, hindering, blindness, death, hurt, suffering, etc.

Illus. Fumbling around in the dark… stumbling…stump toes, can’t find our way, etc.

Vs. 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.”

Vs. 24-25, “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.

John 8:12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

3. No Evil verse 27

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.”

Sam Storms does an excellent job of describing things that will not be found in heaven. He says there will be “nothing that is abrasive, irritating, agitating, or hurtful. Nothing harmful, hateful, upsetting or unkind. Nothing, sad, bad, or mad. Nothing harsh, impatient, ungrateful or unworthy. Nothing weak, or sick, or broken or foolish. Nothing deformed, degenerate, depraved or disgusting.

Nothing polluted, pathetic, poor or putrid. Nothing dark, dismal, dismaying or degrading. Nothing blameworthy, blemished, blasphemous or blighted. Nothing faulty, faithless, frail or fading. Nothing grotesque or grievous, hideous or insidious. Nothing illicit or illegal, lascivious or lustful. Nothing marred or mutilated, misaligned or misinformed. Nothing nasty or naughty, offensive or odious. Nothing rancid or rude, soiled or spoiled. Nothing tawdry or tainted, tasteless or tempting. Nothing vile or vicious, wasteful or wanton!”

ONLY THE REDEEMED ARE GOING TO HEAVEN (John 3:3)

You must be Heaven-born to be Heaven-bound.

John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

(1) You must be born again.

(2) You’ve had an earthly birth, and you need a heavenly birth. Adrian Rogers

Revelation 7:14, “I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

**Those in Heaven are those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb.

(1) No church denomination ever got anyone to Heaven.

(2) No one ever went to Heaven because they were a church member.

(3) No one ever went to Heaven for being a good person.

***“Have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” means that they have received Christ and His atoning blood for their sin.

Revelation 21:27, “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.”

Being a moral person does not get you into Heaven.

Being a humanitarian does not get you into Heaven.

Doing good deeds does not get you into Heaven.

Being a religious person does not get you into Heaven.

E. Matthew 7:23, “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Only those who have been born again by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and His

sacrifice on the cross of Calvary will enter into Heaven.

CONCLUSION

Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Today, tell the Lord Jesus, “Lord, I’m not trusting my honesty, my good works, my family’s reputation or my religion.

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me. I trust you.”

Ask Jesus to save you.

Call upon Jesus today. Repent (turn) from your sins, and turn to Jesus. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and acknowledge Him as Lord of your life.

Romans 3:23

Romans 6:23

Romans 5:8

Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:13

John 3:16

PRAY

Invitation

“Are you born again?”

Is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life?

“Have you surrendered/repented to Jesus?