No More Tears
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Big Idea
Big Idea
You can help transform your community by living out the values of the Kingdom of God as you await the new heaven and new earth to come.
Key Verse
Key Verse
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
We
We
What do we think heaven is like?
What do we think heaven is like?
Audio: Feeling Good - Michael Bublé | 2:00
Don’t know as much about heaven as we’d like. / Will be eternity with God/more wonderful than imagine.
Life doesn’t seem like heaven
Life doesn’t seem like heaven
Violence/war/natural disasters/refugees/ethnic cleansing/nationalism/broken politics/broken relationships/poverty/human trafficking/knife crime/physical, mental health/spiritual apathy, etc. / Feel anything but good. / Good news: not going to last forever:
God
God
Revelation 21:1-8, p.1249
Revelation 21:1-8, p.1249
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Covenant Relationship Restored
The Covenant Relationship Restored
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Wonderful? / God will dwell with us. / Live with him forever. / In covenant with us forever. / Intimate, covenant relationship before Fall, restored. / Every stain/black mark/smear of old creation gone > new creation/heaven/earth/totally pure, new, pristine holy city.
The tension of “now, but not yet”
The tension of “now, but not yet”
Not there yet! / Tension. / J: KofG = come. / Freed demons/healed sick/forgave sins/said receive KofG like child/KofG belonged to poor. / But: world touched by sin/disaster/disappointment > hearts full of sorrow. / World full of pain > we long for healing. / J ushered in KofG on earth. / Wherever people = obedient to God > Kingdom = reality. / But not yet fully realised. / God’s will ≠ complete reality.
You
You
Live out the Kingdom values
Live out the Kingdom values
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
How best live in tension?/ensure we/people experience “feeling good” of KofG now, awaiting final consummation? / Being obedient to God/living out Kingdom values:
Make space in KofG for margins/excluded. / Place for them, even though messy/chaotic.
Bring change by showing love, serving with gifts/talents. / Help them reach their potential/free them from whatever is weighing them down.
Help seek justice. / Supporting work amongst most marginalised: homeless/domestic abuse/human trafficking, etc.
Show God’s love. / Live out Kingdom values by loving God, opening ourselves up to his love and letting his love flow through us.
Community transformation
Community transformation
Imagine if all lived this way, all the time. / Many fully committed to living out Kingdom values. / Egs: Showing love/care to people each week. / Best way of living with tension. / Redouble our efforts. / Imagine schools/families/workplaces/neighbourhoods/community/country/world transformed. / What difference!
Next Steps
Next Steps
No More Tears
No More Tears
Tissue/pen. / Write about something happening in your family, amongst friends, workplace, street, community, country, world that is deeply upsetting to you. / What brings to mind tension of already/not yet? / What makes you yearn for good feeling of new heaven/earth?
Audio: Behold, the tabernacle of God - 9:00
Screw up tissue/place in bin/recall words on screen.
