All Things New

Well, we've been working through the book of Revelation at night, and this morning I thought we'll pause from our series in Acts and consider Revelation chapter 21 together. Revelation chapter 21, the first eight verses. Last book of the Bible, and we've entered now these last two chapters. Revelation 21, beginning at verse 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. Also, he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. And 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 from the spring of the water of life without payment. To the one who conquers will have this heritage. And I will be his God, and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, As for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. There is the reading this morning of God's Word. Revelation has certainly helped us have a clear perspective through the struggle of life and the conflict that we are in in the world. I think that's been something that has been, at least for me, and I hope for you, immensely helpful to understand exactly what we are up against and the perspective through the heavenly reign of Christ of this victory that we have won through his life and death and resurrection. But here is, as we get close to concluding this study and moving on from this study, here's what I fear is going to happen. We are about to move on from the book of Revelation, and some new hardship, some new evil, something you haven't faced is going to hit you, and society will probably take a turn in some direction that is even more discouraging than the things that we have already seen and already faced, and it will become like a giant cloud over everything that we have learned and been considering in the book of revelation this is what happens warfare has the effect of wearing us down i've always thought this is why it's interesting to see how the lord sometimes uses younger ministers who are just have more energy i always feel myself wearing down but um young ministers like jeremiah who was a youth and what he accomplished in israel if you look at some of the older ministers as they're nearing retirement, the warfare, and I've had ministers tell me this, that the constant battle, the constant conflict, it has the effect of wearing you down and you're tired of the fight. You're tired of the battle. You feel like giving up. This doesn't just happen to pastors. It happens to you in the course of your life. This is one of the things that happens. It has the effect of drowning out the comfort and the hope that we have learned throughout the course of life and that can be some of the struggles towards the end of life. John Flavel used to say that the minister has one of the most unique and difficult tasks in the ministry because in every other vocation, at least if you're working with your hands, you stop on Friday and you get to pick up where you left off on Monday. But not so with the ministry. He said it's often the case that after the pastor does his job on a Sunday, everything has been unraveled throughout the week by the devil, and he's got to start all over again. And that's a real struggle, isn't it? That was John Flavel's description of ministry. I think that's why at times people feel like giving up, especially because in the midst of conflict, things seem like they're never going to end. I don't know how many times, and I'm so thankful you care so much about the trial our family's facing right now, and everyone comes up and asks me, how's your father doing? And I just continue to say, well, I don't know. He's just there right now. For him, it feels like it's never going to end. It's only been six months, but that's what you feel. It feels, especially at times like this, that God is farther from us through all of this. In fact, it has seemed throughout our whole lives, if we're honest that god has been absent in many ways this god has been far he's had to tell us that's not true but that's what it feels like that's what experience seems to be like so how do you pick up languishing saints how do you how do you pick up saints who are in the thick of it how do you help them get out of all of this how do you lift up their heads and there's one great way the scriptures do it this is why i love uh the book of revelation especially as we're going to end on this high note i can assure you that it is the answer to how you get through all of this i'm giving you the answer this morning it's something that peter continued to say which uh first and second peter was really written to christians who were in persecution times and in hard times and in great conflict and didn't understand all of that and had to be reminded of heaven and glory and pilgrim life. But he said something in the heart of that book that so captures what John is doing here this morning, where he said, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus. That's what you have to think that's what you have to live for setting your hope on that god has made us a people of hope that's what god has done and that hope drives us forward that hope moves us forward so that no matter what we face and that's how revelation has motivated life it's it's motivated us by looking to the future so that you see the end you know what's going to happen you know how this is going to go this is one of the great blessings the lord gave you that uh he has told his friends what he's doing the world doesn't understand this the world doesn't get this they don't even want this but you get to hear from your friend the whole story well you don't just see the end today you see the beginning of all things that's that's a beautiful way to look at revelation 21 you don't just see the end you see the beginning of all things he shows you what is soon coming he opens our eyes and he gives us a a real insight and perspective into what is soon coming and what we can look forward to and the effect the effect is that the the purpose is to inspire us to be faithful in the present to have real confidence real hope to be driven by love and not lose heart that that's that's the the goal of this don't lose heart jesus was saying that don't lose heart it's the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom remember he was saying that keep your heart set on things above where christ is all over the scripture so this morning uh we begin our consideration of the glorious revelation chapter 21 and what we have before us is a look into the new world god providing us a perspective of certainty and a promise of certainty of what is going to come to pass and then he gives you an encouragement in the end to seek it that's how we'll look at this this morning at this point we have really been through the thick of revelation we've studied the conflict the lord has in the last chapter entered into judgment we studied the great white throne judgment and here we are now as we look into chapter 21 all that is past all that's past so then we pick up in verse 1 of revelation 21 and this is what we hear then i saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more as revelation is beginning to work toward a close it describes for us the new evans and the new earth with the original creation themes that we know this is what you're going to see is that really the end of this book has a larger goal too of connecting genesis and revelation and the whole story to bring it to consummation the contrast that he is making here is that everything we have experience in the first creation that went wrong because of sin because of the fall because of satan represented by the language of the sea is all over it's done and the lord is pictured here as bringing in an entire new heaven and new earth where righteousness shall dwell there is no more darkness there is no more chaos there is no more confusion there is no more abyss all these symbols by the sea of what the people understood in the dark realm peter tells us that this present heaven and earth will be melted and burnt up with fire so that the whole thing is renovated and recreated and made brand new brand new john is standing and looking at this i saw this i love to think about that for a minute now i saw i saw this as much as he is able he's describing it for us he's describing what it's going to be like there for us here's what i want you to think about for a minute before we look at that and the glory of this is that we don't even realize in the course of life as we're going through it and maybe you do to some degree but not as much as we just get up and we go through our life and and we're we're moving and we're living and we're working and we're doing all these things we don't even realize the stress and the pressure that we are facing to the degree that we face it living under the sun because of sin and and that's why um hedonism reigns we're all on this quest to find happiness in the midst of all this we're all on this quest to overcome and find as we consider it on thanksgiving day satisfaction but but but we've never really been able to do it have we no matter how good of a life you have we're all living in a valley as we sang out in psalm 23 of the shadow of death think of the spiritual conflicts think of the real spiritual conflicts we even considered it last week how satan tempts and what satan does remember with ananias and sapphira think of the the battle we've been in just to hold on to the truth all these years think of how that's wore you down think of all the conflict we're hit on every side you lock your doors at night you just don't even think about that you just it's it's a natural way of life here you lock your doors we're constantly exposed to theft and robbery we carry around bodies that are always and always under this sentence of death you understand you you all are living with i don't care your age you're all living with the reality that any moment you could not feel well and be told you have cancer and have three months or you could go out in a car accident and die you're living with that all of you we have known nothing but conflict what's been easy about it using the words of paul often confused often perplexed often afflicted in every way struck down at times persecuted subject to all these things body problems i have um to be a little open about my own family i have an aunt she died a few years ago and we believe she was a believer she was she was schizophrenic and um i just remember every thanksgiving the episodes i remember how hard it was i remember she it broke my grandmother's heart a believer schizophrenic she was taught the gospel she believed it but i saw what it did to her mind sin she died in a in a hospital years ago it was sad hard to see hard for the family to go through nobody wants to talk about that aunt martha aunt martha didn't take the status away from her being a child of god but but all of us subject to the same stuff all of us subject to this pain pain what has fear done to you anxiety we live in a violent world truth be told our sins would have destroyed us a long time ago we have seen sin destroy people loved ones no matter how much uh we've tried to live in denial of it and all of us create the picture perfect life and by the way we're good at that we're all dying and a hundred percent of all people who've ever lived except Enoch and Elijah have died and so will you you never know when you never know when that should create some amount of humility shouldn't it what is certain in this life well the world will tell you death and taxes. Right? Now, I'm not giving you a pessimistic outlook, am I? A little bit, you're saying, come on, pastor. I got to do this to get to the good, don't I? And it's remarkable because God in all of this mess has given you quite a bit of happiness, hasn't he? It's really remarkable in all this mess how God has blessed us along the way and how God has turned our frowns to smiles often and how God has given us light in all of this so that we can live and still enjoy happiness in this life because of the gospel but you see in light of all that struggle now you can hear this you should be able to we've been through it in revelation we've looked at what the attacks are we've looked at what we're up against we've looked at the beast the false prophet the dragon we've looked at the struggle we've looked at babylon's lure we've looked at the cup that's been held out to us and now you can hear this you see and i saw a new heavens and a new earth i saw it you know what he notices everything that is sinful and corrupt is gone what um what father here this morning what father has not desperately in this life wanted to take away all the tears and pain of their children? If you could, wouldn't you love to just take your finger and be able with the tears that you see, wipe them away, meaning wipe away the sorrow? Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you do it? You could. If you have seen that and lived that, you would take it away in a moment. he can and he will did you hear me he can and he will john says it and i saw him and he wiped away every tear from his children's eyes there was no more death there was no more mourning there was no more crying no more pain all the former things were done done how do you describe this you know i was thinking this week how do you how do you preach such a glorious passage everything that is terrible is done the sinful nature is gone now i think you have to understand that this is everything we've been trying to overcome in this life this is everything we've been trying to do ourselves in this life and that has caused some of the greatest stress and anxiety overcome misery overcome the hardship everything that sin has brought on us and we live to fill our lives to make ourselves happy and we really just don't achieve it do we and we in America have everything we have every kind of and there's been no other culture and no other nation to this day who has the amount of medications that we can take and that's a blessing in many ways isn't it the world has um has tried to overcome their own sense of alienation from god from the beginning this is the quest of the world this has been the quest they are on it all rings back of genesis what's being described here i want you to think about this from the beginning that from the beginning when adam was barred from the presence of god remember that adam had sinned and god's god booted him god kicked him out of the garden and i want you to listen to the language of that for a minute that therefore the lord god said and sent him out from the garden of eden to work the ground from which he was taken remember cursed is the ground for your sake he drove out the man and at the east of the garden of eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life now keep in mind next chapter you're going to have the tree of life described and you're getting access to it again so so all these themes are back people from that moment in genesis were pictured as wanderers in the earth. Trying to find a way through all this. Trying to figure this out. How many people are trying to figure this out? All of it culminated just before the promise made to Abram in Genesis chapter 12. All of it culminated to tell you this struggle in one major event in Genesis. And you remember what it was, boys and girls? The Tower of Babel. Remember what they said? This is misery. we need to come together we're going to have a collected effort and we're going to build a tower that takes us back to god enough of this enough of this we will make our way back we will deal with this misery we're going to make a name for ourselves doing it we're going to get to the tree of life ourselves we will get there and remember what god did god god judged them and god scattered them all over the face of the earth that's the story of humanity this is the story of our struggle because of sin the heart of this passage is and i believe what's central here is that what god raises in the middle of it to remind us of what is driving this whole thing he made a promise to abraham remember i will be your god and you will be my people and thus it shows up here it shows up in this passage doesn't it in the heart of this passage i will be your god and you will be my people god said by way of problem by way of promise i'm going to solve your alienation i'm going to solve the separation i'm going to deal with it then the lord said to abram after lot had separated and chose sodom remember lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are northward and southward eastward and westward for all the land that you see i will give to you in your offspring forever new earth new earth is what abraham's hearing i will make your offspring as the dust of the earth so that if one can count the dust of the earth your offspring also can be counted arise walk through the length and the breadth of the land for i give it to you so abraham moved his tent and he came and settled by the oaks of mamre which were at hebron and there he built an altar to the lord now the marvel of all that is when you come to the book of hebrews hebrews says that he didn't receive it in this life hebrews says that he looked for something that god would give him in the future and that drove his present life abraham didn't receive the promises but he saw them afar off and he was pictured throughout this life as pitching tents pitching tents waiting for this waiting for this well here it is this is it revelation 21 is it and i saw the holy city new jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and i heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold the dwelling place the tabernacle of god he's going to tabernacle with them is with man he will dwell with them and they will be his people and god himself will be with them as their god did you hear what was just salt it's all remedy the separation from genesis is remedy this is um jacob's ladder remember jacob goes out into the wilderness and he he sleeps and in a vision he dreamed and behold there was a ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of god were ascending and descending the gap was bridged and behold the lord stood above it and said i am the lord the god of abraham your father and the god of isaac the land on which you lie i will give to you and your offspring here it is again your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread abroad to the west into the east into the north into the south and in you and your offspring shall all the families this is you of the earth be blessed behold i am with you and i will keep you wherever you go and i will bring you back to this land for i will not leave you until i have done what i have promised you well in revelation chapter 21 this separation is over it is jesus who said he was going to prepare the place for us and here it's presented the separation from earth and heaven is now now done both are brand new in other words contrary to babel god comes to us and we dwell together as it was in the garden beholding the beauty of the face of jesus i felt insufficient to preach this this morning i can hardly capture it from from this point it's it's it's hard to characterize and and pick up what this all is going to be like because the scriptures tell you that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor entered in the heart of man the things that God's prepared for those who love him but we know that from this point we enter into this glorious marriage feast of a newly resurrected earth and and heavens having direct access to enjoy life to enjoy life with Jesus behold I create a new heavens and a new earth and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever that I create with that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy and her people to be a gladness. They will build houses and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Before they call, I will answer. While they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lambs shall grace together. It's such a picture and description of complete peace, of complete harmony, of complete happiness, of absolute beauty, holiness adorning everything. Love and truth, the pillars of the city. Christ glorified in the midst. I know you can hardly fathom it, But you've been exposed your whole life to the lie of Babylon. That's why. You've been exposed your whole life to the lie of Babylon. A city and a prostitute who holds out a cup to you to try to seduce you away to everything that's impure and everything that's wrong. Don't you see it? So immense the struggle that we are in. Can't you see what it's meant and what it's trying to do to destroy you? No more. Dr. Godfrey, I think it was a year ago, a couple years ago, gave a Thanksgiving message. And the message was on hope and why this country was largely prosperous was because Americans in general were a happy people that were driven by optimism and hope. And I think that is absolutely true. That is absolutely correct. Everyone knows that to have a real motivation to live, you have to have purpose and you have to have hope. the Lord's given you all of it. He's just given you all of it. He's not done what a country can do, offer the possibility of happiness and success, and many people feel like they haven't achieved it here. The Lord, when He speaks, says it in an entirely different way, doesn't He? For this country that He gives you, because you all want a country. We all have this innate hope in us and drive for a country. That's why we struggle with what's happening here. But this is why the scripture is saying this is not your country. You have a hope for a country. And it's not that the Lord is saying, I can make it great. He's saying, it is for you. And it's done. Notice that. That's the second real emphasis here. As if the Lord says to you, don't doubt. Don't fret in your current hardships. Listen to what I'm saying is yours. And he was seated on the throne and said, listen to the way he says it now. Behold, this is verse 3, I am, is that verse 3? No, this is verse 5. Behold, I am making all things new. Also, he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, it's done. What? It's done. it's done i'm the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end it's done i want you to notice the way he said that to us his purpose in the way that he wanted to record it was to say i want you to have absolute certainty in this life any any part of christianity that says you can't have assurance is completely wrecking the bible i want you to hear what i'm saying to you i am making it all new right in fact john i want you to write this down and i want you to give it to the peoples write it down what i'm saying is absolutely trustworthy this is god speaking he swore by promise and oath absolutely trustworthy there's nothing more certain than what i'm about to say what is it what did you what do you hear one of the most heartwarming promises in all of the scripture new heavens and the new earth i'm doing it's done i'm the alpha and the omega remember god um god does not change we celebrate that attribute don't we but he's also eternal he's infinite he's speaking here as if it's good is done he can do that because he completely transcends time and with him as the theologians like to say there's only an eternal present it's done it's done in the next breath he reminds them that as the creator of all these things as the um alpha and the omega he expressed these purposes in the beginning genesis 3 15 and he's going to bring them all to completion and culmination of everything he wants you living as if it's done it's done it's as good as if it already happened what kind of certainty do you have of anything in this life like that and the most important thing he just gave it to you i want to remind you of the perspective of the entire book. Remember back in chapter 7? I wanted to read this. I wanted to read this with my reading this morning, but just if you flip back to chapter 7, we'll just read it briefly here. Look at what is said at verse 9. Listen to the language that this is capturing Revelation 21. It was so eager to tell us this. The Revelation of John was so eager to tell us it's been telling us this the whole way look at verse 9 after this i looked and behold a great multitude no one could number from every nation from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice salvation belongs to our god who sits on the throne into the lamb and all the angels were standing around the throne and all the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped god saying amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our god forever and ever amen then one of the elders addressed me i love this part saying who are these clothed in white robes and from where have they come i said to him sir you know he said to me these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation they've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore they are before the throne of god and serve him day and night in his temple and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence they shall hunger no more neither thirst anymore the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat for the lamb is in the midst in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of living water and god will wipe every tear from their eyes see it i looked here they all are one of the elders comes to john and he says who is this you know yeah i'll tell you who it is it's you john it's you he saw you he saw the future he saw you standing there i mean that that is just that's the perspective of the book and the most beautiful scene john sees all of us glorified around the throne serving day and night the lord and what must have dawned on john is every single one of the sealed are there not one was lost through the tribulation not one was missing their picture day and night never again verse 16 will they feel alone how many how many widows and widowers do they feel alone how many he who sits on the throne dwells with them shepherds them no more famine no more pain sun doesn't scourge the lamb's with them he shepherds them the fountains of living waters forever you will always have life and subsustenance and fellowship and communion face to faith with face to face with christ and every bit of the sorrows that you face and the memory of them here on earth god will take his gracious hand and he will wipe away every tear and every pain that you've ever known. In the midst of this back in 21, the Lord says to the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. You know what he just said? I'm giving this all to you as a free gift. It's all a gift. No payment. This is my gift to you. You've given gifts to people all your life haven't you let me summarize all this is done it's already as good as done i am bringing you to a new heaven and a brand new earth no more sin no more sorrow you're going to have brand new bodies never will you cry again never will your husbands and wives and children never will you mourn over their sorrow never again will sin touch you or hurt you i am as your father wiping it all off your faces and you will enjoy tabernacling because my son tabernacled with you you will tabernacle he will tabernacle with you forever forever write it down john write it down so that the people in the escondido urc in 2017 whom the lord knew and loved would get this and i i think as i prepare this this has got to be the greatest encouragement to live this life now because what what he essentially closes with in this first section here it's not really a closure but the way we're closing it today is that he gives a final warning that is meant to energize not to scare but to energize and remember this is yours he says something that has been a major theme in revelation to him who overcomes look at it to him who overcomes shall inherit all things and i will be as god and he shall be my son he's already said it's a free gift but what he's doing for you is motivating you he's motivating you for the present in your present struggle here on earth in this short time that you have left don't lose heart what is your tendency what is my tendency i'm done with all this he's encouraging you to the battle he's encouraging you to go forward he's encouraging you not to say that but to get up in the mornings he's encouraging you to this how so i think the best way to answer that to see how to overcome is seen in looking and contrasting those who don't overcome look at it there but for the cowardly the faithless the detestable the murderers the sexually immoral the sorcerers the idolaters and the liar they're going into the lake of fire which is the second death i don't think you can miss how that starts what are unbelievers doing well they're living in sin they don't care they practice this stuff with no care they don't care they live in it that doesn't prick their consciences they live in it unrepentantly sexually immorality idolatry lying that's their life but the first two should stand out they are cowardly and they are faithless that's everything revelation is calling you as a christian to rise up against being a coward and being faithless in the midst of this crooked generation. It's a book calling us, don't be passive with your faith. Don't be a coward with your faith. Be bold in these days. It's a book calling you, don't retreat. Well, that meant a lot in the first century. There are all kinds of groups retreating. Don't retreat. Don't give up. Don't be a coward. Consider who you are in Jesus. Consider he's your warrior and you belong to his army you're his chosen ones he's equipped you he's given you his spirit he's encouraged you on every side he's with you god himself is with us don't be a coward in this life what can man do to you it's like a runner who uh who runs and falls on a track he has a choice he's embarrassed he can run off and not finish the race he can sulk and defeat or he can get up and he can finish that race the race has already been won for you in jesus so get up run with endurance the race that is set before you be strong in the lord and don't be faithless in this life don't be faithless trust him and all this hardship trust him the just are always called to live by faith even though they don't see everything right now the reward is coming and i think it's so important to consider the motivation here because he's given us this kind of hope what a great text the christian is a christ follower tie your banner you soldiers of the cross god is our refuge and our strength the very present help in trouble we're not wimps we're not cowards through this life, but a great army of people who belong to this heavenly kingdom. Think like that. Remember that about you. For all those who refuse to refuse him and hate him and despise this message of gospel and grace, they're going to find themselves outside on that day. But the effect is to say, you're not. So get up. You have real purpose to live. You have real motivation as we close a year here soon. Believe, trust Him. He's given you everything you need. You lack nothing. So why fear? Why even fear death when this is held out for you? I know that's easy to say until you're going through it. But He wants you to have that kind of confidence. Stand firm, as Peter said, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is done. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for encouraging us with these words this morning and helping us with this perspective of the glory that awaits us. It's hard to preach because it's so magnificent. It's hard to do justice to what you're telling us. but thank you for encouraging us with such certainty assurance and help in time of need that we would not lose heart but get up love as we're called to love respond as we're called to respond to live by faith in the promises to look for the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness shall dwell to complete our tasks here realizing that you have left us here to be witnesses thank you for your gospel thank you for your faithfulness and thank you for the free gift that you've given to us through the work of jesus we pray all these things in his name amen