Revelation 21:1–8

New as an adjective can mean “not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time, or it may have existed, but it is the first time you have seen or experienced it.

Anew is an adverb which modifies a verb, adjective, or preposition.

Anew means we “live in a new or different and typically more positive way, than we have ever experienced” “Mac dictionary). Revelation 21:1–8 Gives us 5 new experiences only found in the new God’s New Heaven and Earth.

Sermon Idea: God will one day create a new heaven and earth, make our relationships anew, make our faith in and hope for absolute truth a reality, complete our salvation, and make us one family, though diverse, live in peace.

Revelation 21:1–8 NASB95

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:1–8 details 5 experience we will enjoy Living Anew, as the Family of God.

Sermon Purpose: we should live like we are already in our new home.

We Will Experience a New Address

Illustration: Have you every moved? Have you ever noticed how when we move all our junk moves with us. We justify carrying all our stuff to our new home, so we can sort through it and get rid of the junk.

Unlike our typical relocations, the eternal home God’s has prepared for us will be junk free. No longer will our junk follow with us.

John saw a new heaven and a new Earth because the first heaven and earth had disappeared.

Isaiah 65:17 NASB95

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

Verse 1 gives to reasons John saw a new heaven and earth. First, because the first had become obsolete. And second, because chaos and calamity have ceased despair and disorder have disappeared.

John saw the sea no longer. In Hebrew thought and in the ancient near east worldview the sea was view as the source of cosmic evil, uncertainty, and place hostile to commerce. It was home of the dead, and a part of the old creation.

As John sit imprisoned and exiled on the island of Patmos, the sea was a place of separation (David Jeremiah, Escape the Coming Night, 252).

The sea we see in Revelation is a place of disorder, rebellion, and separation. The sea separates people for life, separates people form their livelihood, separates people from God, and separates people from one another.

The Bible says the sea of chaos, hostility, disorder and separation will no longer exist in the new heaven and earth. But beach lovers, I do believe as beautiful tranquil bodies of water existed in the the original creation, so will the peaceful shores of recreation in the new heavens and earth.

John saw the new heaven and earth has not just a new habitat,, but also habitation anew. John saw a holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven remade by God. the Holy City is more than logistics. The new jerusalem is Place, People, and Presence.

Second, we will experience relationships anew. We will interact and commune, with God and each other, in a new or different and typically more positive way, than we have ever experienced.

We Will Experience intimate Relationships

Illustration: Relationships are like rollercoaster rides. You struggle to get to the top, in fear of the height and unknown only to catch you breathe, before you plummet to what appears to be your death. Then you fly through the twist and turns, through the screams and laughter, and just when you start to enjoy yourself; the ride is over.

John says not anymore. In the new heaven and earth, we will experience relationship unlike anything we can image. As Mercy Me sings, “I can only image.”

A voice tells John to observe God making home upon His people—justified, sanctified, and glorified saints have become the dwelling place of God. Explain:

Our new relationships will be void of the disruption and disorder we are so accustomed in we we currently accept as normal. Death is not normal. Death was not apart God original creation, which He deemed “Very Good” (Genesis 1). Jesus will wipe aways every tear by removing all that generates grief, suffering, pain, crying, and strife.

God will forever and permanently make His home with us.

We will be His people; never to stray like sheep.

God will care for us as a compassionate parent cares for a tender child, by taking away everything that causes them to cry.

Death, heart breaks, crying over spilt milk and disappointment, pains of sickness, and pain of like are removed.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NASB95

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The reason our relationships will be intimate instead of hostile is because the old ways of life and the old things of life have become obsolete. our relationship to the things infected by sin are no more.

Application: Now I know what you all are thinking. But more importantly God knew what you would be thinking. How can this happen—how can this be true. God knew so He told John to write verse 5-6

Revelation 21:5–6 NASB95

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.

Live anew today: Live in a way that says I am obeying God’s word, because I expect for Him to Prove me right. My God, The One sitting on the Throne is the amazing and almighty God of Creation, who promises we will experience Absolute Truth Anew.

We Will Experience Absolution Truth

Isaiah 55:11 NASB95

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

2 Corinthians 1:20–22 NASB95

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Read

We Will Experience Absolution Truth

My Jesus is was at the first curtain call, He closed the show, and He will preform an encore, beyond our imagination. God the Father, Son, and Spirit is the “Once upon a time,” Christ Jesus is “The End,” and most importantly He is the “and they lived happily ever after.”

He is the beginner of beginnings, the Ender of endings, and the Happy in ever after after.

We Will Experience Full Salvation

We will become what Jesus Saved us to be. The one who thirst for life with God will receive a satisfied life without cost.

We cannot afford our citizenship in heaven. Our new address is way out of our budget. We can never work hard enough or long enough to pay the mortgage on our new home.

We were born into a fallen world, but only by the Blood of Christ and the regeneration power of His Spirit can we be reborn into GOd’s holy’s world.

One Day we will see the new world that created is created for teh new life Jesus died to give us.

One day we will fully become Children of the Most High God—we will experience the full salvation. You will become who Jesus saved you to be—Children of the most Hight God.

Illustration: Mama said to me last week, on the day after my birthday, “56 Years a ago I looked into your eyes and prayed: “Lord I dedicate my first born son to you—do as you will.” Mama then said “Tonight I looked into you eyes as you preached God’s Word and I could have never imaged what He had planned for you.”

Application: What is your prayer fro your spouse, your children, grandkids, friends, co-workers. Do you long to see what God can make them be? Prayer and discipleship—living anew in the here and now to be a witness of the transforming grace of Christ

Application: We will become Conquers or Cowards we cannot not be both.

2 Timothy 1:8–10 NASB95

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

We can be transformed into the Image of God’s Son or we can remain the with sons of disobedience.

One is living with the old junk of this world the other is Living anew, in the family of God. Lastly

We Will Experience Undisturbed Peace

Illustration: In the book Escape the Coming Night, the story is told of a mother with many children. She had become sick . . . Bring My children When You come home.