The Reward We Long For

There’s going to be a Restoration of Radiance — (Vs. 1-2, 9-27)

John begins by saying here, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

This last fact alone tells us that the new heaven and new earth is different because it says here that there is no more sea.

But why the need for a new heaven and a new earth?

Because this earth as we know it has been tainted by mankind’s sin!

The earth is soiled with sin and overrun with evil and thereby ruined from it’s former glory!

Mankind has taken God’s perfect creation and turned it into a circus thereby defiling it’s beauty.

What’s done cannot be undone therefore the old must be done away with and made anew! That’s why the first heaven and the first earth shall pass away!

But praise be to God, there’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth, Amen! Restored to it’s former glory as it was before the toll of mankind’s decay, destitution and decimation!

John didn’t see the old heaven and the old earth fixed up and prettied up, no he seen a NEW HEAVEN & A NEW EARTH for the former had passed away!

The phrase “passed away” is the Greek word (aperchomai) and it means “to depart or to go way.”

The old heaven and the old earth shall be done away with and behold all things shall be made new!

Restored to it’s former radiance as in the beginning when God created it!

I read an article here a few weeks ago on Facebook talking about how the world was losing it’s shine!

Well I’ve got some news for you tonight friends, this world has been losing it’s shine ever since it hung the light of the world on a cross at Calvary's hill!

And the Bible says that things are only going to wax worse and worse until the return of our Lord!

But praise God, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ tonight and you’ve been born again, we got something better to be looking forward to, Amen!

A new heaven and a new earth!

Then look what John says next in Verse 2.

Not only did he see a new heaven and a new earth but he also got a glimpse of the new Jerusalem!

And he says here that she was prepared as a bride adorned for her husband!

What exactly does he mean by this?

I’d like to think that everyone here at some point has been to a wedding besides your own, right?

You ever paid attention to the detail that goes into a wedding?

The Bride is usually decked out in the most beautiful dress she can find! Sometimes she’ll be wearing pearls or some sort of jewelry or clothing passed down from her mother or grandmother.

The site of the wedding is usually decorated to the max! Everything has been given the most finite of detail and is as close to perfect as it can be.

The wedding has been rehearsed and everyone knows exactly what to do and on that special day, when the wedding song begins to play, everyone stands to attention to see the bride make her way down the isle!

There is so much anticipation for that moment, the moment when she is to be revealed!

That’s how John saw the new Jerusalem!

As a bride adorned for her husband! The details of which are recorded in Verses 9-27 down below.

Look at how John describes this beautiful city!

Read Vs. 9-27

Vs. 21 - How appropriate! All other precious gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is a gem formed within the oyster—the only one formed by living flesh. The humble oyster receives an irritation or a wound, and around the offending article that has penetrated and hurt it, the oyster builds a pearl. The pearl, we might say, is the answer of the oyster to that which injured it. The glory land is God's answer, in Christ, to wicked men who crucified heaven's beloved and put Him to open shame. How like God it is to make the gates of the new Jerusalem of pearl. The saints as they come and go will be forever reminded, as they pass the gates of glory, that access to God's home is only because of Calvary. Think of the size of those gates! Think of the supernatural pearls from which they are made! What gigantic suffering is symbolized by those gates of pearl! Throughout the endless ages we shall be reminded by those pearly gates of the immensity of the sufferings of Christ. Those pearls, hung eternally at the access routes to glory, will remind us forever of One who hung upon a tree and whose answer to those who injured Him was to invite them to share His home. - John Phillips

Vs. 23 - Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” and what we need to understand here tonight is the fact that not only is He the light of this world, but praise God, He’s going to be the light of the world to come also!

John 1:4 — In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Not only was He the light and life of men here but in the new Jerusalem, He shall also be the light and life of men for there is no other light or life besides Him, Amen!

The glory of God shall lighten it and the Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb that was slain for the sins of the world, shall be the light thereof!

The new heaven and the new earth along with the new Jerusalem shall be a place of sheer beauty and splendid radiance the likes of which our eyes have never beheld!

1 Corinthians 2:9 — But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Not only will there be a Restoration of Radiance but there’s also going to be a Restoration of Relationship!

There’s going to be a Restoration of Relationship — (Vs. 3)

In the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, God and man walked hand in hand.

The Bible says in Genesis 3 that God come looking for Adam and Even in the cool of the day but they fled from the presence of God!

Because of their sin they were separated from the presence of God and ever since we have longed for that relationship to be restored!

But praise God, in that day when when all shall be made new, the presence of God will once again dwell with mankind!

There will be no need to pray, there will be no more longing for the presence of God, because He will be there with us and He will be our God and we will be His people and we shall rest in the presence of the Lord forevermore!

The Relationship between God and Man, instituted from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden shall be restored and oh what a glorious day that will be!

There’s going to be a Restoration of Radiance by the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. There’s going to be a Restoration of Relationship between God and Man.

Thirdly, there’s going to be a Refreshing of the Saints!

There’s going to be a Refreshing of the Saints — (Vs. 4)

1 Cor 15:50-57 — 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. In the end, God will create a new heaven and a new earth for the former shall pass away.

In the beginning, God and man walked hand in hand and shared an unhindered relationship until abruptly interrupted by sin. In the end, that relationship will be restored for God shall make his tabernacle with men forevermore!

In the beginning, there was no death, no decay, no tears nor pain! Sin entered and things have never been the same. But in the end, in the new heaven, God will wipe away all our tears! There will be no more dying, no pain, no sorrow, no crying! We shall be made whole in our creator and sustainer forevermore!

That my friend is what we have to look forward to and I don't know about you, but it gets me all giddy inside to think about how the best is yet to come!

Even with the best of our imaginations we cannot fathom the joys unspeakable that await those who have been born again!

Which leads us to our next to last point…There’s going to be a Rest for the Believer!

There’s going to be a Rest for the Believer — (Vs. 5-7)

Titus 1:2 — “God cannot lie”

2 Peter 3:9 — The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

John 4:14 — But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Revelation 12:11 — And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Romans 10:9 — That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

But for those who are not willing to submit to the Son, then there is but one option left which leads us to our final point of the night....There’s going to be a Reckoning for the Unbeliever

There’s going to be a Reckoning for the Unbeliever — (Vs. 8)

Hebrews 9:27 — And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Romans 2:3-5 — 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

John 3:36 — He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 — For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ

Closing

For the believers here tonight, Jesus said in John Chapter 14...

John 14:1-4 — 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

We ought to be encouraged by those words and what we’ve learned tonight about the city He is preparing for those who have believed upon Him!

To say it is going to be a glorious place would be an understatement!

But that promise of the Reward We Long For should be the driving force behind our each and every day!

It should encourage us to keep on keeping on in the face of trials and tribulations.

It should encourage us to tell as many as we possibly can about this place called heaven while still here on this side of eternity!

And it should encourage us to give God every ounce of our being for we know that He has spared no expense or detail in the creation of our eternal home!

For anyone here tonight who may be lost and undone, what you need to know is that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun and the choice is up to you as to where you will spend eternity.

Tonight’s message was focused on the reward for the believer but for the lost there is no reward.

As beautiful as heaven shall be, hell will be as much the opposite!

We have very few details about this dreadful place but what we do know is that it is going to be extremely hot, it’s going to be dark, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and if that weren’t enough, the presence of God will be completely removed from this place.

You can cry out for all eternity but God will not hear.

Your shot at salvation is here and now not there and later. You don’t get a test run to see how bad it’s going to be. I assure you tonight on the authority of the word of God, it’s not a place that you will enjoy being in.

Take it from the Rich Man in Luke 16 who begged Abraham to send someone back to earth to warn his family, it’s not a pleasurable place!

Why don’t you change where you’ll spend eternity here tonight?

If God has spoke to your heart during this message, as we give the invitation here in just a moment, won’t you come and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall be saved!

Behold now is the accepted time and today is the day of salvation!