The End of Time
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Introduction:
Years ago there was a popular show named Extreme Home Makeover. The show documents heart-warming stories of selfless, but struggling and helpless families who need a home. The community, under the direction of the show’s producers, rallies to build new homes for these needy families. The show will still your heart and stir you to tears. Everything builds to the moment when someone shouts,
“Move that bus!”
We see the overwhelming joy of people as they see and enter into a new home tailor-made for just them.
This is a similar picture of the Book of Revelation - but instead of eternity being tailor-made for believers, believers are tailor-made for eternity.
We finish The Story with this message.
Turn with me please to the book of Revelation 1 - Page number ___
Throughout this year, we have been on a journey together through the Bible. Learning how the old and new testaments fit together to formulate all that God wants us to know about Him and His purposes for now and eternity.
Throughout this series we have learned that God orchestrates through the upper story (life from His perspective) and the lower story (life from our perspective) and that He is involved in our individual stories. You are not an accident - a result of cosmic matter or a conglomerate of past human choices - you are Created by God.
This Creator God made you and has set the parameters of your life. Simply put - you and I are not in charge, He is.
For all of us, we have rebelled against His parameters and at times believe we are in charge. We have broken God’s law and according to His Word, we are guilty of sin and deserve eternal separation from Him.
But, God loved us so much that He provided a way to be restored from our brokenness through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
For those who repent (have a change of mind) and believe (rely on Christ alone by faith) are given eternal life.
Those with eternal life experience two realities: THE ALREADY AND THE NOT YET - We are already delivered from the penalty and the power of sin, but we have not yet been delivered from the presence of sin.
We see it in our community and we experience it in our own lives.
At times it seems like sin and sinful men are going to prevail, but:
I. The Book of Revelation presents to us the triumphant Christ.
A. If you read the Story chapter this week, you already know that in the Bible We are assured that in the end God wins.
B. It appears that Rome rules the world as John the Apostle is an exile on the Island of Patmos, but things are not what they seem. Revelation 1:8
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
C. The triumphant Christ stays with his church. Revelation 1:12-13
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
1. The Book of Revelation is a book of sounds, images and numbers.
2. The lampstands are the churches—that’s how Revelation works.
3. John is an artist with a pallet of metaphors and Revelation is more a book of imagination than explanation, more a symphony than a sermon, more theater than classroom lecture.
But here we find Christ in the midst of the lampstands - in the midst of the church.
D. The number 7 is used 54 times in Revelation, being the number of completion.
1. With Jesus visiting 7 of his churches means that he visits all of his churches. Revelation 2-3.
Not only does revelation present to us the triumphant Christ, but also:
II. The Book of Revelation presents to us the very center of the universe.
1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
A. The center of the universe is heaven, and the center of heaven is a throne, and there is Someone, our triumphant God, sitting on the throne.
Application: At the time of John’s writing, Rome was not in control of the world; God was. Today, Washington, D.C., does not run our world. God does.
God is up to something, and that something is the revelation of his glory.
B. The center of the universe is full of the worship of God. Revelation 4:6-11
6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
C. The Christ prevails and the church prevails against Satan and all adversaries. Revelation 5-9
D. God creates a new heavens and a new earth for his redeemed people.
(stand and read Revelation 21:1-6)
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
2 Then I, John, 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 heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
This is the picture in Revelation 21-22. - God provides for the needs of His own.
He rejuvenates the old and shows His glory throughout the new.
Possibly similar to the old, the new earth and heavens will be drastically different in one way - it will all be without the presence of sin!
III. The Book of Revelation and the whole Bible present the truth that God will make all things right.
A. Genesis presents the creation of the heavens and earth;
Revelation presents the new heavens and earth.
B. Genesis tells of the creation of the sun, moon and stars;
Revelation tells that there is no need of the sun because God will be the light.
C. Genesis tells of paradise lost; Revelation presents paradise regained.
D. Genesis tells us that Satan was in the first garden;
Revelation tells us Satan is banished forever from the new garden.
Application:
Revelation promises a new heavens and earth and a new Jerusalem.
The question that remains is: Will you be there? Imagine an angel shouting, “Move that bus!” Will you enter into the home prepared for you? On that day, everything we will have ever experienced will have been worth it all.
The question only you can answer is: Will you be there?
We want you to be.
This 31 week series has been all about God wanting to be with you. Do you want to be with God?
We have finished reading The Story, but we must go on living The Story.
Take what you’ve learned and live it out.
God is at work in you and wants to work through you for His glory.
There are many questions we have about the end of time and the reality of eternity. Many questions, and very few answers. However, there is one thing we are assured of:
I read this story and found it helpful:
There was an old country doctor who would take his dog along with him when visiting patients. The dog would remain outside while the doctor went in for the house call.
On one occasion, the physician went to the home of a man with a terminal disease who didn’t seem to have much time to live. The man confessed to the doctor his fears about death and said, “What’s it like when you die?”
The doctor thought for a moment, then got up and opened the front door. His loyal canine friend, who had been waiting patiently on the porch, gleefully bounded in to join his master.
The doctor turned to the dying man and said, “Do you see this dog? He didn’t have any idea what was on this side of that door. All he knew was that his master was there, and he wanted to be with him.”
“That’s how I feel about death,” the physician continued. “I don’t really know all the whats and hows about dying. I’m not totally sure what’s on the other side of that door. But I know who is there, and that’s enough for me. I’m looking forward to being with my Master.”
There are many claims and debates.
2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.
We don’t have all the answers, but what we do know is that we will be like Him, and we will be with Him.