An Apocalypse of Hope
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Announcements
OC Youth next week
Rides (?)
Handout!
Introduction
Introduction
Believe it or not: We are in the final week in our study through Revelation
And while we might not have had all of our questions answered; I hope you have been able to see the power this book has in our daily discipleship
And this has been my heart throughout this series:
Not that we would have the code to crack this mysterious book about the future
But that we would receive its word for us today
And I’m so glad we’re at the end
Week 1: What is an Apocalypse/Revelation?
Week 2: A Revelation of Worship
Week 3: A Revelation of Judgement
Week 4: A Revelation of Babylon
Week 5: A Revelation of Witness
Week 6: A Revelation of Victory
And this week, we’ll be looking at: A Revelation of Hope
I have to say this before we begin, Revelation 21-22 are some of my favorite chapters in the Bible
This isn’t just the end of this book of the Bible
It’s the end of the Bible itself!
Like, I’ve been saying for several week: We get to see the end of the story—the story of humanity—and our story itself
No matter how many ups and downs
We can see what awaits us in eternity
Scripture Reading:
Scripture Reading:
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 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
22 I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.
17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, which are written about in this book.
20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone. Amen.
Wow
Maybe this is morbid: but have you ever considered what happens when we die?
Not just the answer you would give if I asked you
But what would your lived experience be… if you actually died?
Would everything cease to exist?
Would you be reincarnated?
Would you be instantly translated to heaven?
Have any of you thought of this?
6th grade
I did in College—and it really made me question what I believed
But it’s a question all of us will have to face
You want to know a crazy statistic?
100 out of every 100 humans die
It is a fate that no one can escape
Not the homeless person on the street
Or the billionaire living in safety
When we actually ponder death… it can be scary
11 There is no remembrance of those who came before;
and of those who will come after
there will also be no remembrance
by those who follow them.
It’s hard to imagine all of the humans that have lived full lives on this earth… that have simply been forgotten to history
According to the ‘Population Reference Bureau’ our best calculations, around 110 billion people have died in human history—for reference the world population currently is around 8 billion
So 94% of all humans have died
14 deaths in history for every 1 human alive today
Where did they all go?
Dirt in the ground?
Or is there something after death?
Last week we talked about the victory of Christ, what that means in the world, and what that means in our lives
But overwhelmingly, the greatest victory we have in Christ, is victory over death itself
That Jesus died—and rose from the grave
And He now stands with a promise and invitation to each of us to enter into this same resurrection life
And maybe you’ve grown up in the church and you’ve heard this for years—you’ve heard of the hope of heaven and the resurrection
But have you actually pondered how life-changing these truths are?
What we just read—were glimpses into what is awaiting us as followers of Jesus—Our true and lasting hope
In these final chapters of the Bible—we get one final revelation—uncovering whats behind the scenes—so that we might truly see the hope we have in Christ
Outline
The Wonder of Hope
The Freedom in Hope
The Joy of Hope
The Wonder of Hope
The Wonder of Hope
When we think of heaven—the reasonable response is absolute awe and wonder
To quote Paul in 1 Corinthians:
9 What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him.
We have to begin with the absolute incomparability of heaven—we don’t quite know what exactly it will be like
BUT this is not a discouragement to not think about it
Just because we won’t have all of our questions answered doesn’t mean that its not worth our time
I truly believe that the modern Church has a very weak and anemic understanding of Heaven—and as a result—we lack true hope
We have no clear vision of whats awaiting us—so we have no real hope in what comes next
I think for most people we have images in our minds of heaven and hell—but they aren’t neccesarily Biblical (culturally informed)
Heaven — On clouds with a harp/Endless worship service
Hell — Underground cave filled with fire and torture where Satan is ruling with two horns, a pointy tail, and a pitchfork
But we have to ask ourselves—is this what the Bible says?
I think to begin to understand the wonder of heaven, we have to understand— at its most basic level—what heaven is and what hell is
Heaven
What makes heaven ‘heaven’ is: the presence of God and fellowship with God—free from the stains of human sinfulness
I have a question for you: What are some attributes of God?
Loving
Kind
Forgiving
Compassionate
Peaceful
Joyful
So here is the thing: God doesn’t just have these attributes—He is these attributes
God isn’t just loving—He is love
All love we find in this world flows from him
Like a fountain gushing water—He is the source
So heaven is the place where all of these exist free from the stain of human sin
Hell
And what makes hell ‘hell’ is the absence of God
You can’t kick God out and keep some of his attributes
When you kick God out—you also get rid of all:
Love
Joy
Peace
Forgiveness
Patience
And hell is ‘hell’ precisely because that fountain (of everything good) is not present
Does that make sense?
And I’m not just making this up, we read it in our Scripture reading:
3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
In short, this is what heaven is:
Life with God (perfect communion)
Free from Sin (both internally and externally)
What we read in the final pages of Revelation, is that Heaven is a real place
Heaven is as real as the room we are standing in
Heaven is a physical place
The new heavens and earth
We see this throughout the epistles but Christ didn’t just die for humanity—He died to redeem the whole world
We will be made new—but the whole world will also be made new
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
All of creation is longing for this day when all things will be made right
Curse of the ground
It isn’t only human sin—but the world is broken
And Heaven isn’t going to be some boring place
It is going to be the MOST fulfilling and purposeful life we have and ever will experience
We are going to have jobs, relationships, hobbies
All without workplace tensions, relationship drama, and the feeling you’re running out of time
There is a whole world to explore and cultivate
A whole universe!
We will live as God originally intended us to live—ruling and reigning with Jesus
Stewarding his creation
We each have a deep and natural longing for this
We know as we live this life, that things aren’t as they should be
And Heaven is the place we are longing for
Think of everything good in your life right now
(James 1—Every good and perfect gift)
Friends
Laughter
Beauty
Nature
Art
Music
Food
All of the good things we enjoy are just a shadow of what they will really be in heaven
And think of all of the bad things in your life now:
Our own sin
The sin of others
Relationship problems
Family
Friends
Sickness and disease
Tiredness
Anxiety and fear
None of this will be found in heaven
We have to use our imagination
For those going to hell—This is as best as it gets
For those going to heaven—This is the worst it gets
For all of eternity
There is a wonder, a mystery that we can’t completely fathom or wrap our minds around
“Present earthly experience is entirely insufficient to forecast divine heavenly realities: we can no more imagine heavenly existence than an infant in utero can imagine a Beethoven piano concerto or the Grand Canyon at Sunset” — James R. Edwards
And guys this is the hope that Revelation leaves us with
Keep this vision in the center of our minds
We know the end of the story
We know our destiny
So now that we’ve talked about the wonder of our hope
I want to end tonight on a more practical note:
What does this actually mean for us today?
The Freedom of Hope
The Freedom of Hope
Without this view of the wonder of heaven—when we begin to think heaven is boring—it saps us of our hope
Most Christians live along these lines:
I know I’m going to die
I’d rather go to heaven than hell when I die
(Hell doesn’t sound like a nice place to spend eternity)
But I really don’t want to go to heaven quite yet
(Because it’s kinda boring to think about)
So, this is the life I have to live up
I have to make the most of my life—because this is where all the enjoyment is going to be
And heaven is just a better eternal alternative than hell
So then these Christians seek to live it up in this life—but end up reflecting the world in almost every way
But listen to the words of Paul in Philippians 1
21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith
Paul’s vision for his life—his deepest desire is to depart this world and be with Christ
And this isn’t depressing or suicidal—it is a genuine hope he has in death
And this is the freedom that comes with hope
This isn’t the life to live up
You don’t have to maximize your life here—because you will have eternity to live your life as it was meant to be
Video Games: It’s like wanting to stay in the tutorial
But as followers of Jesus, we have an unremarkable freedom from the tyranny of time and death
Look: if this was the only life we had—the clock is ticking and we are slaves to it
But because of our hope—we don’t have to be rushed
Look I love reading and learning
But I’ll have eternity to read everything I could possibly want to read—so I don’t have to fret
I love traveling
But I don’t need to have this pressure to see all the world offers—because I’ll have an eternity to travel the universe
I love playing
Playing video games, sports, having fun with others
But life now doesn’t have to be about playing as much as I can—I’ll have an eternity to pray
You see, because of the resurrection—we are no longer bound to the clock
But this isn’t just freedom for freedoms sake
We are now bound to Christ
Expound
That this life—the hardest and most difficult life will ever be—is to be lived for Jesus
And if we join him in this life—we will join him in the next
But this hope doesn’t just give us freedom—It give us a deep and lasting joy
The Joy of Hope
The Joy of Hope
Again, I want us to remember the original audience of this letter
The early, persecuted church, being tortured and murdered for following Jesus
And they are given this glimpse into what is to come
And it fills them with joy
It reminds me of the story of Stephen in Acts:
54 When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.
This is an unspeakable joy and peace in the midst of suffering
And although we might not be in the same situation, we are in deep need of this vision of heaven
Not only where we are going—but what this means for us
One day we will live and rule and reign with Jesus without the burden and cancer of sin
Not only is there a new and redeemed world out there—but we ourselves will be new and redeemed
“God does not hide his eyes. Your eyes are hidden in time, hidden from your eternal destiny and identity. You see only the present crude sketch of yourself. He sees the completed masterpiece, for he sees from eternity… He sees your whole life, but not as you do, piecemeal. He sees you whole, as you see a finished painting. And the judgment he pronounces on you is ‘perfect’” — Peter Kreeft
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
This joy should create a longing in our hearts—a longing for the resurrection
And this was Johns aim as he finished the Book of Revelation
An anticipation for this future joy to be realized
The final words of the Bible end with a longing for all of this to finally take place
20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone. Amen.
In hope and in joy we join this cry — ‘Come Lord Jesus’
We long for his coming judgement, redemption, victory, and resurrection
“And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle
We need this vision of heaven—and I am so thankful God has given us it in the final chapters of the Bible
And as we wrap up the entire series on Revelation
I hope this has been impactful to you
That you can begin to see the world the way John has been trying to help us to see it
To see behind the scenes of what our physical eyes can see
To see God on the throne—receiving all worship
To see the futile and destructive ways of Babylon—that it is not worth it
To see our lives at a witness to Jesus in our words, works, and willingness to suffer
To see God reigning in Victory over sin, satan, and death itself
And to see our eternal destiny
That these ideas would transcend simple words in a book— but that they would become your living hope
Your encouragement in difficult times
The vision for your life
Your joy and your comfort
Let’s pray
Small Group Questions
Small Group Questions
Icebreaker:
If you had an extra 4 hours everyday, how would you spend that time?
How have you understood heaven in the past?
Is it something you have genuinely longed for?
What are some aspects of heaven you are looking forward to?
How does a vision of what awaits us after death, change how we live today?
What keeps us from living in/remembering this truth?
