The New Heaven and New Earth

The Grand Story of Redemption

Introduction: The Grand Story of Redemption

World Records & Dominoes

Largest Domino Chain – The longest domino chain ever recorded had 4,491,863 dominoes, set by a team in Germany in 2009. One small push started a chain reaction affecting millions.

Spiritual Parallel: A single act of faith or obedience can create a ripple effect beyond what we can see (Matthew 17:20).

Fastest Domino Topple – The fastest chain reaction in a domino setup moved at nearly 21 mph (34 km/h)!

Spiritual Parallel: When God moves, things can happen quickly—revival, transformation, or answered prayer can come suddenly (Acts 2:2-4).

Tallest Domino Structure – The tallest domino tower was over 50 feet high, built with patience and precision.

Spiritual Parallel: Faith takes time to build, but when rooted in Christ, it stands strong (Matthew 7:24-25).

Smallest Domino Setup – The smallest recorded domino was just 0.2 mm in size, yet it still triggered a reaction.

Spiritual Parallel: Even a small step of faith or kindness can set off a powerful chain reaction (James 3:5 - "the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts").

Domino Effect – Scientists have shown that one domino can knock down another 1.5 times its size, meaning a small domino can eventually topple something enormous.

Revelation 21: The Undoing of the Fall

If Genesis 3 started the fall, Revelation 21 represents God’s final act of restoration.

Instead of a world cursed by sin, God makes all things new (Revelation 21:1-5).

Every effect of the fall is undone: No more pain, no more death, no more separation from God.

The Bible is one continuous story, from Genesis to Revelation—from creation to new creation. I was once told the Bible was the story of God chasing in love His good creation. Francis Thompson recounts God’s efforts in history describing God as the proverbial “Hound of heaven”.

John Wesley’s View: Wesley saw all of history as God’s progressive work of grace, redeeming fallen humanity and restoring holiness. It is God taking back what was lost.

Thesis: What was lost in Eden due to sin is fully restored in the New Creation, where God's sanctifying grace completes the transformation of both people and the world. Let’s talk about what was lost.

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture presents Eden as God’s first temple—where He dwelt with humanity, where Adam served as a priest, and where God’s throne-room presence was real. The imagery of Eden continues throughout Scripture, culminating in Christ as the true Temple and the New Jerusalem as the restored Eden.

I. The Curse Introduced: Separation from God (Genesis 3:8-10)

It began with the whispers in the garden. When the perfect sinner planted doubt of God’s character into humanity’s concept of reality. From doubt came the act of rebellion. The infamous reaching out for knowledge of Good and Evil and taking it for themselves instead of waiting on God to provide. They rushed the goal and the timeline. Then what was good was transformed and marred, like an opaque glass. The dominoes of consequence were in motion.

The Problem: Adam and Eve hid from God due to sin, introducing spiritual alienation. Their act of hiding was the willful separation they acted upon from God. God calls out to his creature to come out from hiding, to come out from rebellion, to come out from shame, and reveal themselves. Asking the question “Who are you going to be?” But unrighteousness cannot be in the presence of righteous God, the rebellious cannot be in the presence of the ultimate authority. Doubt cannot be in the presence of certainty. God’s perfect presence revealed humanity’s now present “imperfection”.

The Consequence: Humanity was expelled from God's presence, expelled from the “high-place” context of Eden. Humanity along with the lead rebel, were cast out of God’s blessing into a chaotic and fallen world. Where creation itself would fight against God’s good creature. Disharmony revealed the withdraw of God’s blessing leading to sin’s dominion over the world. God no longer would walk beside humanity in perfect relationship but the realms were to be separated until their reconciliation. The dominoes had to be reset. Sin, brokenness, decay, and death were present and God set in motion the plan of Salvation. Evil needed defeated, sin needed atoning, an offering needed to be made. God in Christ Jesus reset the dominoes.

The New Creation’s Response (Revelation 21:3): "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man."Instead of separation, we have eternal communion with God. Revelation 21 is the answer to Genesis 3.

John Wesley’s View: Wesley emphasized that it is sin that disrupts holiness, but through God’s grace. God’s prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace, believers are reconciled to God. In the New Creation, God's presence is fully restored, the realms no longer separated, and humanity is perfected in and through God’s love.

II. The Curse on Creation: Pain and Suffering (Genesis 3:16-19)

The Problem: Suffering, toil, and death became part of human existence. It so often comes with the unexpected, when the world seems out to get you. Neil Tyson famously penned in his book Astro Physics for People In A Hurry, “People say earth is so good for life. It is just right for us. No, it’s not! I drop you butt naked over three quarters of this planet and your dead from exposure in 24 hours or something eats you. 99% of life that ever lived on earth is extinct. That is not the hallmark of a planet that is in love with life.” The harshness of nature in conflict with itself and humanity causes great grief.

The New Creation’s Response (Revelation 21:4):"He will wipe away every tear... death shall be no more."

No more suffering, pain, or sorrow—God fully restores what was broken. Disease, suffering, frailty , and disaster will no longer be something that is experienced let alone remembered. Gone will be the days when lives are lost to tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, or any act of nature. Gone is hunger due to famine, and drought. Gone are the diseases and viruses that take our lives. Creation is set in harmony with humanity again.

John Wesley’s View:

Wesley saw creation itself as longing for redemption (Romans 8:19-22). He believed that God's grace not only redeems people but restores the whole world.

The New Heavens and New Earth do not mean destruction but rather renewal—just as sanctification renews the believer’s heart so too does God’s blessing and power restore the intended order of creation.

III. The Defeat of the Serpent: Sin’s Final Judgment (Genesis 3:1-6)

The Problem: What of cosmic power that is against God in the world? The serpent deceived and humanity fell into sin. The enemy of God taught humanity how to sin and those who fell with him excelled in sin.

The Consequence: Sin entered the world, leading to ongoing rebellion against God. The Devil seeks to destroy God’s created. The only way Satan can harm God is through God’s love for humanity. The Destroyer lays in wait to entice us to our brokenness and urges us to give ourselves over completely to sin. 1 Peter 5:8 “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” In Revelation there is no longer any sea. Remember the dragon on the seashore who called out of the waters the chaos and trouble to afflict the saints. The sea was believed to be ruled by Satan, check the parallel language.

The New Creation’s Response (Revelation 21:8, 27):The enemy, along with sin and evil, is permanently judged.

God’s people will live in holiness and righteousness forever. God deals with the those who oppose him. They cannot be avoided. God’s kingdom is his sovereign rule and authority, nothing that opposes it will be allowed. 1 John 3:8 “Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

John Wesley’s View:

Wesley preached victory over sin, believing that grace enables Christians to overcome sin even in this life.

The final eradication of sin in the New Creation is the fulfillment of Christian perfection—where love reigns without corruption. Sin has no power over the faithful. The Saints are set free from slavery to sin. There is no “The Devil made me do it” understanding. Satan has no power or sway over our lives. We live in the fullness of the reign of God in us!

Jesus: The Domino That Reversed the Fall

When Christ came, He didn’t just get caught in the chain—He stood in the gap to stop the fall.

At the cross, Jesus absorbed the impact of sin, breaking the cycle and setting a new sequence into motion (Colossians 2:13-15).

IV. The Tree of Life Restored: Eternal Life (Genesis 3:22-24)

The Problem: Humanity was barred from the Tree of Life.

If sin brought death and separation, then what of the life that was lost? In Eden, humanity had access to the Tree of Life—yet sin barred the way. But the story of redemption does not end in loss; it moves toward restoration. Just as God has dealt with sin, suffering, and the enemy, He now restores what was once denied—eternal life in His presence.

The Consequence: Death became inevitable, and access to God’s eternal life was lost.

The New Creation’s Response (Revelation 22:2):The Tree of Life returns, bringing healing and restoration.

Through Christ, believers will live forever in the presence of God. John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John Wesley’s View:

Wesley saw eternal life not merely as an existence in heaven but as a life fully restored to righteousness and holiness.

The New Creation is the completion of God’s work of sanctification, where believers experience entire renewal in love and obedience. The return of the Tree of Life is the fulfillment of sanctification— we no longer are barred but fully restored to holiness and righteousness.

But the restoration of eternal life is not just about individual renewal—it extends to our relationships. Sin fractured not only our relationship with God but also our relationships with one another. Brokenness, division, and conflict have plagued humanity since the fall. Yet, just as the Tree of Life returns, so too does harmony among God’s people.

V. The Redemption of Relationships (Genesis 3:16)

The Problem: Sin introduced broken relationships, conflict, and division. James 4:1 “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?”

The Consequence: Strife in marriages, families, and communities became the norm.

The New Creation’s Response (Revelation 21:2):The New Jerusalem is described as a bride prepared for Christ—symbolizing perfect unity between God and His people. When a man and woman enter into the Covenant of Marriage they sacrifice themselves to become one. Imagine a community that perfectly reflects the community of God. The Dance of the Trinity. It is a relationship, a community, it is a flow of love and oneness creating a dynamic and joyful relationship. It is the model and the reality of who God is what God’s desire is for humanity “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

Harmony is fully restored in relationships under God’s reign. The Kingdom of God is now. The church is to bear witness to the Kingdom of God in our world. John 17:21–23 “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

John Wesley’s View:

Wesley preached social holiness, meaning that holiness is not just personal but relational.

In the New Creation, the restoration of love will be complete—selfishness replaced with perfect love.

The Kingdom of God is now! What this means is that because of the work of Jesus Christ and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit the Kingdom is witnessed through the community of the church. It is the physical presence of God in the world. She is a holy people that does holy things, the bride in covenantal relationship with Jesus. Our hymnody describes the beautiful harmony of the work the church brings into the world, “Where charity and love prevail there, God is ever found; brought here together by Christ’s love, by love are we thus abound.”[1] The Isa. text brings to light the understanding of holiness, not necessarily of virtue (though this is encapsulated by the term) but as set apart to be a blessing to others. The church, is God’s anointed community called out by God, to be a light to the world, through living God’s values by the Holy Spirit. The church is a sacred community that has been called out into the world in a way that enriches the lives of the people it surrounds through acts of generosity, mercy, and justice. Christ’s church exemplifies these in how it: feeds the hungry, brings healing and comfort to the sick, homeless, and in prison; by tearing down walls of division and forces of oppression, fighting racism, and seeking to bring education and rights for all people through its prophetic voice. The church is in the world and it works to change the world.

She seeks out those who are in darkness, broken, separated, and suffering to uplift them and show what Christ’s love can do in the hopes that all may be changed. The church ushers those who profess faith in Jesus Christ toward a pathway of spiritual maturity resulting in discipleship communities. Maturity is reached through communal engagement in worship, study, prayer, and service in the local church and beyond. The church is a context for building relationships to strengthen and resource its members. Spiritual Parallel: Small acts of obedience, prayer, or faith can bring down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Conclusion: The Invitation to Enter the New Creation

The story of God’s love for His creature began in the garden where relationships were being cultivated and grown, in lush provision and security in the presence of the Father and ends in a city filled with the presence of God, security, and community, where relationships are sanctified.

Because of the work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God is not just a future hope but a present reality.

The church is to be the witness of the Kingdom, reflecting the renewal that is to come.

As we wait for the final restoration, we live as a people shaped by grace, demonstrating God’s love in the world.

Just as Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden due to sin, those who reject Christ remain outside of the New Creation.

John Wesley’s View: Salvation is freely offered to all through God’s grace—but requires a response of faith and holiness.

Call to Action:respond to Christ’s invitation—salvation is the path to experiencing this restored future.

Closing Thought: The story of Scripture begins in a garden and ends in a city—both filled with God’s presence. The question is: Will you be part of this New Creation?

Sermon Application

For Believers: Live in hope and holiness, knowing that the suffering of this world will be undone.

For Seekers: Come to Christ now—don’t remain under the curse when God offers full redemption.

For the Church: Live out Wesley’s vision of holiness of heart and life, anticipating the full realization of God’s Kingdom.

🡺 Application: Until that day, we pursue entire sanctification—a life wholly devoted to God.

🡺 Application: Until that day, we are called to cooperate with God’s grace, striving for holiness while trusting in future glory.

🡺 Application: We are called to live now as citizens of the New Creation, rejecting sin and embracing holy love.

🡺 Application: We prepare for this future by allowing God’s grace to transform us now.

🡺 Application: We are called to live in love and unity now, anticipating our future in the restored creation.