All Things New (Part 2)

Lord’s Supper

Ask the men to come and have a seat at the front.

Reminder: when the men bring the plate around, if you wish to participate, you’ll need to take from the plate.

Pray and thank the Lord for giving His body and shedding His blood for us.

Serve the bread

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-24

Partake

Serve the grape juice

Read 1 Corinthians 11:25

Partake

Read 1 Corinthians 11:26

Pray

Review

Turn to Revelation 2:17

In the past, at the moment of salvation, we experienced…

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New birth - 1 Peter 1:3, 23

New birth! When you trusted Christ, you were immediately given the gift of brand-new eternal life! You were given a relationship with God made possible through Jesus Christ!

Not only this, we became…

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New creature - 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15

God did the internal work to make new life possible. He made me a new creature in Jesus Christ. I am right now a completely different person in the spiritual part of me.

Because we became a new creature, thirdly, we are a…

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New man - Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:9-10

Paul’s argument was simple. Because you are a new creature, you are commanded and you are able by the power of Christ to live like it!

As a new man, we are to walk in…

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Newness of life - Romans 6:4

A new man must live a new life. Your life since salvation is all about Jesus and living His life before the world. Walk in this new life that you have been given!

And so we saw four things that became new and are new in every Christian.

Introduction

There are many lessons that a young person will learn as they mature out of childhood and into adulthood. Some are easier than others. Some are vividly learned through life experiences, but others are gradually learned through the growing self-awareness of the individual. Here’s what I mean:

I can still remember from my childhood years the thrill and excitement I felt whenever I was given a Christmas gift that I really wanted. When I got that one gift that I had asked for over and over again, or when my parents surprised me with something special and unexpected, it was like at that moment, that was the only possession that really mattered to you. That gift, that toy, that book, whatever it was, it was new, it was yours, and it was the best thing you had ever been given. I’ve seen that same excitement in my kids.

But you know what slowly dawned on me as I grew older? It was a rather sad realization. Here’s what I learned: new things someday won’t be new anymore. They wear out. They break. Or, maybe even worse, you just get used to those new things and they aren’t as special to you as they were the day you got them.

I am thankful that my salvation and all the new things that come with it don’t wear out, don’t break, they never lose their shine, and I don’t ever have to get used to them. Besides, there are more new things awaiting me just over in glory!

In the future, we see that we will be given…

Read Revelation 2:17

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New name - Revelation 2:17

Revelation 2:17 is settled squarely in our Savior’s words of warning and encouragement to some of the early New Testament churches. Besides warning of false doctrine and error, Jesus delivered a message of hope and a challenge to be steadfast.

In ancient times, judges would pass around a bowl after a trial and in it they would place a white stone if they voted to acquit, or a black stone if they voted to condemn. - Witness to Christ, page 363

“Be faithful to me” Jesus cries here! “Be faithful to my teaching! Whoever overcomes false doctrine will be judged worthy and will be given a new name.”

Read Revelation 3:12

Both of these verses have some figurative language in them, but that in no way discounts the fact that both verses also mention a new name for the faithful. It seems that a new name indicates acceptance with God. It seems that a new name emphasizes the close identity we will have with Christ. After standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ, God will welcome you into eternity with Him. You will be accepted of God.

Application: I don’t pretend to fully understand everything that Jesus says in these verses, but I know what He emphasizes here: and that is to be faithful. It is to overcome. It is to be always preparing for the Judgment Seat of Christ. If you do, you will have a new name.

This much is certain: eternity will include no baggage from this present life. The past will be past. You will not be remembered for your failures. Not a single occupant of Heaven will ever look at the apostle Paul and say, “he was a murderer before he got saved.” No one will ever look at that Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well and say, “hmm, you were pretty much a prostitute most of your life before you got saved.”

No, Christian, you will have a new name with no baggage, no regrets, no sorrows. Your identity will be in Jesus Christ!

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New heavens and new earth - 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1, 5

Read 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1, 5

This present universe, filled with galaxies, stars, and our own planet earth, will be discarded like we discard old, worn out clothing. It will all be consumed in fire, and along with it, the sin curse under which it all groans and struggles. God will make an entirely new creation! It will be beautiful! It will be as perfect as everything was before Adam sinned! But Peter describes the best part of all when he says,

“we… look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

That’s the best part of all! It will be a perfect creation, perfect in its beauty, yes, but much more, it will be perfect in its righteousness! No more curse of sin! No more stain upon God’s handiwork! It will radiantly shine in all of His glory! He will make all things new! And He will remake it to enjoy it with us!

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New Jerusalem - Revelation 3:12, 21:2

Read Revelation 3:12, 21:2

To top it all off, we will have a new home. We will dwell with our God in all of His glory!

So Christian, refuse to be static. That’s not who you are. That’s not who God saved you to be. He saved you to be new. Your life began fresh and new at the moment of salvation. You are to be a new person during the remainder of your life here in earth. You have a new home awaiting you. Your future is bright indeed! It shines as bright as the glory of the new Jerusalem. You will have a new name! Your old name and your old identity will be forgotten because you will be fully identified with Christ.

I hope you now see, Christian, how that God made us new spiritually at the moment of salvation, He calls us to live a new life after salvation, and He promises us a perfect, new creation in eternity to come. Truly, for us, He makes All Things New.