Restore: making all things new

Second Wind

Revelation 21:1–5 NKJV

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.”

Theme:

Restore: making all things new

Let us Pray

Background:

The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. John received this revelation and, by written letter, provided it to churches--initially, seven churches on the western end of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).

Purpose:

Jesus reveals "visions to John so that God's church will be aware of what is happening now and in the future."

Jesus reveals and so confirms that, as one scholar put it, "Although evil appears to triumph, God remains on the throne."

Jesus reveals these visions to "John" and many of the early church understood this to be Apostle John. The original disciple who walked with Jesus.

Flashback:

You might recall that before Jesus’ ascension to heaven, the disciples/Apostles ask Jesus, "Will you at this time restore...."

…as the disciples may have expected a political fulfillment of God’s kingdom.

Acts 1:6–7 NKJV

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

PROBLEM

The Apostles in that moment had two challenges that are all too familiar for me today:

for divine restoration, their scope was

too small and

their timeline too narrow.

God’s vision:

It included but was bigger than the Israelite people.

It included but was longer than their specific lifetime.

TODAY’S CONNECTION

And I know for myself and for some of you, life today can be trying.

Over the course of living (in a fallen world--a world ravished by sin/rebounding from a sinful act in the Garden) we experience (and even sometimes cause)

set backs,

disappointments,

hurts,

loss,

defeats,

pains,

physical ailments,

missed-opportunities.

And when we live for Christ we can suffer persecution.

Today, I encourage you (in order to pace yourself, to gain your second wind in your race of faith:

Expand your vision. Expand your timeline.

What an important revelation this was and is—

to the Apostle John, in particular, for when he receives this revelation John is on an island, Patmos, in exile for his faith;

and important to me personally today, and perhaps you today…for times when life is trying and we are tempted to loose hope.

When I know what the end shall be I then

live differently,

mourn and grieve differently,

plan differently,

decide more strategically.

When I know that at the end their begins eternal life anew with Christ Jesus:

I become more courageous in my hope, bolder in my faith.

I further resolve that this current lifetime that I am living today is not the end of the story.

Eternity waits for me.

I believe Apostle John in

1 John 3:2 NKJV

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

And the words of Apostle Paul are held as true for our reunion with Christ:

1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Referencing a day when Jesus comes and all will be complete.

1 Corinthians 13:9–10 NKJV

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

There is a time of eternity, after Jesus' return--Jesus' second coming--where God will make all things new.

From our opening text, we see that creation is restored, God and His people are united, and the consequences of sin are no more, death has been defeated.

Revelation 21:1–5 NKJV

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.”

And this is good news.

This revelation of eternity and restoration--all things being made new--

gives substance for faith.

Helps us run the race of faith with endurance.

Because we don't just run and live.

We run and live in light of eternity.

We understand through Jesus Christ that all things will be made new.

How can this be? Because....

God's love is unfailing

Lamentations 3:22 NKJV

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

And God demonstrates this love in that Jesus Christ died for us, compensating God for sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

God restores Jesus to Jesus' position of glory, making restitution to Jesus Christ

Philippians 2:8–9 NKJV

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

God does not remember our sin

Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

(And as we live unto God, unashamedly calling on the name of Jesus, and furthering Christ' mission and so bringing glory to Christ' name)

God repays/makes good (compensates us) on our sacrifices for the Gospel

Matthew 19:29 NKJV

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

As we live in the fallen world, what helps us to run with endurance the race set before us?

What helps us is our faith. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It says of our fore parents/elders in the faith:

Hebrews 11:13 NKJV

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

To get your second wind, to run the race with endurance, keep an eternal perspective by faith.

To close, I read the note of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Corinth. We remind ourselves:

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NKJV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 NKJV

1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.