New Things - What will happen when Jesus returns

[0:00] Join with me in the Word of God, Isaiah 9, if you've got your Bibles, and we'll be projecting that the government will change. The government will change. Now that's number one. And Isaiah 9 verse 6, it says, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The government will change. I'm looking forward to that. Aren't you? Looking forward to, it's not going to be blue or red or green or anything in between. It's going to be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The government is going to be on his shoulder. It speaks of the Lordship of our Saviour, the Lordship of

[1:15] Christ. He will return, and he will resume his rightful rulership of planet Earth. He's going to take charge. The one who's meant to be in charge will be in charge. And he will rule with righteousness and truth. He will be the King of this kingdom. A reign with absolute peace and perfect law and order. He's going to govern with wisdom and perfection. It's going to be astonishing. It's going to be glorious. And this government is not a government that is wasteful or tyrannical. Think of the governments of our day, and you see, whether it's nationally or state-wise, often they make decisions that you could question the wisdom of them. The wisdom of this government is unchallenged. It's going to make the absolute right decision on every count.

[2:11] And this governor is just and kind. He supplies our every genuine need and cares and protects our true welfare. And he will govern with compassion and mercy. What a government it will be. Are you looking forward to that? What a government it will be. And even for the meantime, we can consider, is the government of my life on his shoulders? The government of my life. Is he the ruler of my heart? Do I know the lordship of Christ over my life? His authority deserves our loyalty, our true affection, our love. His lordship, his kingship is rightful and perfect and proper for us to find and know personally. This side of glory. Do you know him as his name declares to be the Prince of Peace? He is the Prince of your peace. He is the one who grants peace.

[3:18] He is the one who reigns in peace. He is the one who transmits peace. Not some guru on some mountain or some mantra that you mutter, but to know him, to know his name, the Prince of Peace. The name above all names. It's life for you like a journey across a restless sea. We see for the wicked it is. For the meantime, of course, we know as believers we're not immune to some disruption to life, but for the wicked it's constant. It says for the wicked, the wicked are like the troubled sea.

[3:54] When it cannot rest, his waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. They might have a false peace, they might have a counterfeit peace, an illusory kind of peace, a fake kind of peace, but deep down they're like a troubled sea. You see that the waters foaming and frothing and the muck and the mire, that's the picture of the lost, those outside of Christ. Their lives are in the opposite of peace. What's the opposite of peace? Turmoil.

[4:35] Turmoil. Exactly. The congregation helps because I need the odd, especially when I move off the script, I need to, what's that word? But usually someone's got it and helps me, so thanks brother, their lives are in turmoil, like the troubled sea. Judgment is coming. Will you bow the knee to him? One day you will. You must. You will be forced to bow the knee, in a sense, that every knee shall ultimately bow. Why not do it today? Do it today. He has made peace possible for you by the blood of his cross. And this one, this governor, who will govern in peace and perfect rule, he has made peace possible for you by the blood of his cross. He's gone to the absolute extremity of the cross to be crucified for we that trust him. He has made peace possible for you. And he is a kind, wise governor who can take rulership of your life, this side of glory. And then ultimately, his government will be established on the terra firma on planet Earth. So the government will change, number one. Number two, the environment will change. The environment will change. 2 Peter 3, we see where it tells us of the day of the Lord and his coming. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. And the elements shall melt with fervent heat. One day the heavens are going to pass away. I know someone was talking to me lately and they were saying it's going to be rolled back like a scroll. It's just you can't fathom it, can you? How the heavens are going to be changed in some astounding, astonishing fashion. So we see that the heavens are already glorious when you see a sunrise or a sunset.

[6:50] But one day the heavens as we know them shall pass away with a great noise. And the elements shall melt with fervent heat. And it goes on to say, the earth also shall be, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. For heavens and the earth. It goes on, seeing then that all these things which shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Considering that the heavens are going to be changed, the earth, for the meantime, what manner of persons ought ye to be in the present day? In all holy conversation or conduct and godliness. And what should we be doing? Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. So under this new government there will be a total transformation of the elements, of the environment. There will be a transformation. Now we know there's much talk of climate change. And whether there is such a thing or not, or how it might be caused or not, I don't think there's a definite clear clarity about that. I think there's a lot of hoo-ha, which is a lot of hot air as far as the climate change debate goes. But one thing is for sure, there will be climate change. There will be climate change. And these verses tell us of that. Some of it, you wonder whether it is real with this talk of climate change. But this climate change is real. It's promised by God. The biggest change to the climate, to the environment, will be when righteousness dwells in the earth. Because at the moment it doesn't, does it? Righteousness does not dwell on planet earth in any great measure. But one day it will. It will dwell. The earth, righteousness will dwell within this new heavens and new earth. And this is the change that we need. The absolute wonderful climate change that we need. When righteousness prevails. When righteousness indwells the earth. And we know it talks elsewhere about how the knowledge of the Lord shall be across the whole earth. The knowledge of God. And this is the change that we need. This righteousness. This revival of heart. This reformation of his church. This refreshing in the spiritual lives of men and women and children. In the communities and homes. Righteousness will dwell when this wonderful environmental change happens. And we see further it talked about in Revelation 22. Where John the Revelator says, and he showed me a pure river of water of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the midst of the street of it. And on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the river. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the river. Flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Either side these glorious trees

[10:55] bearing twelve manner of fruits. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. That's climate change isn't it? That's an environmental change that we've never seen before. That there will be no longer the problem of pollution. And more than just litter on the stream, the pollution of men's hearts. Because this will be a purified planet. And yet, even for the meantime, he can do that cleansing work within a soul, within a human heart. He can rid the human heart of sin. He can touch the sinful and make them clean within. And he will renew the earth at his coming to this pristine condition beyond compare. Can you imagine what it would have been like for Adam and Eve back in the garden when he said it was good? He said it was very good. And then it went to pieces because of sin.

[12:01] But God's perfect paradise will be renewed, restored with this pure river of the water of life, with this tree of life, with twelve mounds of fruits, with the leaves for the healing. Everything will be perfected when this environmental change happens. And there will be no more death, no more tears, no more crying, no more sorrow.

[12:26] Isaiah tells us of this time that we can prepare for, that ultimately in his coming, in his kingdom, it will be a time when everything will change. Everything will change. The environment and the animal life will change.

[12:52] We see that here in Isaiah 11 verse 6. It says, The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopards shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together.

[13:04] And a little child shall lead them, and the cow and the bear shall feed, and the young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat sure like the ox.

[13:17] That's environmental change, isn't it? That is this astonishing situation where the lion will lie down with the lamb, the wolf and the lion, and the lion, and the lion shall lie down with the lion. And the lion shall lie down with the lion.

[13:37] And they won't be eaten for breakfast. The lion's going to eat straw like an ox. That's going to be environmental change, isn't it? That's going to be environmental change, isn't it? And yet for the meantime too, consider this change, the change of government.

[13:52] It will happen ultimately, but that change of government can happen here and now, present sense. This change of environment, ultimately heaven, we can get a foretaste of that heavenly environment within our hearts.

[14:08] Heaven can come and dwell in our own hearts by faith. When we get together and gather as God's people, I kind of think sometimes we're just practising, aren't we?

[14:22] We're just practising for glory. When, you know, we won't need a musical accompaniment so much. Well, maybe we will. Maybe Julia will be playing a harp then.

[14:33] But our voices will be singing with such perfection, you know, we won't need to go and have singing lessons because we'll be perfect, brother, won't we?

[14:46] And everything will be just glorious, but we're just practising for the meantime. When we gather together on planet Earth, as we praise, as we worship, one day we'll be worshipping with the angels.

[14:58] And for the meantime, we're getting ready for glory, aren't we? And the question is, for the present time, we consider this environmental change to come.

[15:12] Has he changed the environment of our home? Has he changed the environment of our heart? Is it in a state of righteousness? When Jesus comes into our heart, we'll have that peace that passes all understanding.

[15:28] We'll have a joy unspeakable. We'll have a gladness and a rejoicing deep down within that isn't dependent on what's going on all around us. And there'll be a serenity, even in the storm.

[15:40] There'll be a security, even in the disruption of life at times. Because the environment's changed within us. As we live a life, God helping us, that pleases Him, a life in holiness and godliness, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved.

[16:01] What manner of persons ought ye to be? It should be the case that now we're making preparations. He's preparing a people for that prepared place.

[16:14] He says, I go to prepare a place for you. He's wanting us to prepare. Not that we can earn heaven or make it to heaven by our own striving.

[16:27] But because we love the Lord of heaven, we'll want to be in accord with Him. We'll want to be close with Him. We'll want to be like Him.

[16:37] And one day we will be like Him. Because He will totally transform us on that time. And it should be the case that now we consider what are we doing now to honour our Lord.

[16:50] While we've still got earthly shoes to walk in and human lungs to breathe and blood thrown through our veins for the meantime, when one day it will cease.

[17:03] Let's make the most of planet Earth while we're here. Make the most of our time here. It should be the case that now we should be honouring our Lord in this day in readiness for His coming and in readiness for our going unto Him.

[17:18] This is the ultimate climate change plan that God wants for us to create that brand new environment on planet Earth at His coming, but also eternally within each human soul.

[17:30] One soul at a time. As we see some souls transformed, God willing, this morning in the witnessing that occurred down south. The souls saved.

[17:43] Angels rejoicing at the glory of it, the wonder of it, the miracle of a new birth. A brand new environment created in human hearts. And that's eternal.

[17:54] That's an eternal work. And we know that one day His environmental plan will be fulfilled in completion. That there will be no more broken homes there.

[18:05] No more drug abuse. No more crime. No more pain. No more war. No more death. No more crying. We don't realise the full benefits of God's environmental plan yet.

[18:19] But one day we will. When there will be a new heaven and a new earth. A new environment. We're just practising for the meantime. And the environment that we can, God helping us make different from what it was, is that environment of our hearts.

[18:37] That disposition. That nature. That atmosphere. That is in us. That is in our attitudes. Our thinking. Our mindset. Our world view.

[18:49] It should be an environment that's changed within us. Within our hearts. And when we gather. There's an atmosphere of praise. A foretaste of glory to come.

[19:01] A foretaste of heaven. That's God's plan for us. That the government will change. The environment will change. And thirdly. The employment will change.

[19:12] The employment will change. Revelation 22. Verse 3. Revelation 22. Verse 3. And there shall be no more curse.

[19:23] But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And his servants shall serve him. Think of God's employment plan for man.

[19:35] For woman. There will be a day. When his servants shall serve him. There will be no one unemployed. There's going to be no one bored in heaven.

[19:47] Now some people think. Oh that's going to be so boring. Strumming that harp. Sitting on that cloud. And yeah. They just picture this. Where you just lounge around. All day. All night.

[19:58] Just idle. But no heaven. Will be a place of activity. It will be a place of engagement. A place of employment. There will be no one unemployed.

[20:08] There will be no one sick or injured. No one who's unable to work. There will be full employment. Now you could think. As our politicians like to. Aspire to that for Australia.

[20:20] There will be full employment. Well in this. Wonderful rule of our God. In this. Wonderful. Change that he will make. On planet earth. At his coming.

[20:31] And at our. Being with our Lord in heaven. In glory. There will be a full engagement. In his kingdom. We'll all have work to do. We'll all have something.

[20:41] That will occupy us. And it will all be for his glory. We'll all have something. That he will be changing us. And molding us. And using us. And transforming us.

[20:52] Have you met this master yet? He's the master. We're his servants. I like to. Recollect how. Our brother Joshua. Who's moved over.

[21:03] To the eastern side. Like to pray. Master. When he prayed. Now we can say. Lord. Lord. Some people say. A lot.

[21:14] Sound a lot like the. People that say. Lord. Lord. But we're not saying. Lord flippantly. We're saying it. Because we mean it. Because that's who he is. Amen. Amen. That is who he is.

[21:25] He is master. Wana. He is Lord. Isn't he? Master. Our Lord. Our master. And not a. A master who.

[21:37] Dominates. Us. And. And. Brow beats us. And. And pushes us down. Down. Down. And. And. And. Overwhelms us. Puts us. Heavily. Yokes us.

[21:49] His yoke is easy. His burden is light. And. We'll gladly. Carry. That yoke. Because he carries the heavy end. And you'll find an engagement in his kingdom.

[22:00] Have you met this master yet? Is the question. Because there's a change of employment. That can happen now. Even now. Before glory. Because he says to us.

[22:12] Occupy. Till I come. He says. Get. Occupied. Be. Occupied. Be. About. My kingdom's work. As.

[22:23] Our lord himself said. I must be. About my father's business. Just as a child. He said. I must be. About my father's business. Occupied.

[22:34] Till I come. He says. Get engaged. In my work. Your life can be lived. In his service. In the here. And now. And you might say.

[22:45] Oh. I'm not a full time minister. Yes you are. We all are. We all are. Aren't we? We don't wait to. Say. I'm going to join the full time ministry. We're already in it.

[22:56] This is what we should be. Occupied with. Full time. 24 by 7. In his service. In the here and now. That we count. Every new day.

[23:07] As another day. Of opportunities. To be occupied. In his kingdom. Living with eternity. In view. Serve the lord. Faithfully now. Not for human reward.

[23:19] Or praise. Or acknowledgement. Be willing to lay down your life. In service. In this new world to come. There will be full. Employment. His servants.

[23:29] Will serve him. Are you his servant? Do we have to wait to glory. To serve him? No. We're his servants now. You are his servants now.

[23:41] You that know this one. That you call lord. You're calling him master. And you say. I'm reporting for duty sir. I'm ready.

[23:51] And willing. And able. He'll make you. Able. Because. I know someone has said. It's kind of.

[24:02] Our availability. And he makes the ability. Doesn't he? We just have to be available. Say. Lord. Here am I. Show me what you want me to do. And then.

[24:13] When you've done it. Don't say. Oh. Look what I've done. Say. I've only done what was my duty to do. That's all I've done. Don't praise me. I'm just doing what my duty.

[24:24] Is to do. That's the least I can do. For this one. My master. Are you his servant? Use your gifts. We've all got gifts. Every one of us. Every one of you.

[24:35] You have a gift. Find it. And use it. And bring glory to God. With your life. The question is. Have you had this change of employment? I know.

[24:48] I'm considering a change of employment. Lately. But. We can think that secular wise. Can't we? Looking for another job. God's got a job for you to do.

[25:00] Amen. He's always got work for you to do. And you've. And the question is. Have you had a change in employment? If not. You still belong to your old master.

[25:11] Because. A man can only serve. One. Not two. Don't serve old Nick anymore. Let him go. Do you know this change of government?

[25:24] The old authority. Has to be overthrown. The old ruler. Must be deposed. Deposed. You see. Changes of government. Where they depose.

[25:36] A ruler. As a coup. And they just take over. Don't they? The old ruler just gets. He's gone. It's a bit like. Even in. The state government. He's Jay Wetherill.

[25:48] You don't see him anymore. You don't hear of him anymore. He's gone. It's like. You know. The old prime ministers. You know. Once. They're. Out of office. They're a nobody. Make the devil.

[26:00] A nobody. In your life. Amen. Let him. Be deposed. From. The authority. Of your life. And know this master. Who is truly.

[26:11] A blessed. Wonderful. Savior. Wonderful master. And it's not irksome. To serve him. Because it's our gladsome service. That he wants.

[26:22] And we look forward to these things. These changes. I know this is really. Quite elementary really. But consider the. Eternal aspects of this. Now how can we make this real.

[26:34] In our own lives. Some things are going to change. Some new things. A new government. How we need a new government.

[26:46] Whatever persuasion is in power. They're all. Fall far short. Don't they. One day there will be a new government. Over the whole earth. And it'll be righteousness. What about a government.

[26:57] Of your own heart. You know. I know some likes a picture of. Of them. When a person becomes a Christian. And they picture a heart. As it were. With self on the throne.

[27:09] The self on the throne. Of the heart. And then they see. When there's a conversion. That Christ is on the throne. Of the heart. And self gets deposed. As a new government.

[27:20] We're under new management. We're under new authority. A new government. Think of a new environment. One day. A new heaven. A new earth. For the meantime. The environment of our heart.

[27:32] Of our disposition. Do we have a heavenly disposition? That's a challenge isn't it? Do we treat people. Like our Lord would treat them?

[27:44] We must. He calls us to. Doesn't he? We should be kind. And gentle. Forgiving. And loving. And caring.

[27:55] Like our Lord would be. To all that we mean. There's a new disposition. That comes into our heart. A new atmosphere. In our home. In our heart. A change of environment.

[28:07] And thirdly. A new employment. A new employment. We've got. A mission. Every one of you. Has a mission. A commission. A gifting.

[28:18] A calling. A vocation. Government. Environment. Employment. These things will surely change. At our Lord's coming. But they can even change now.

[28:30] In our lives. Present sense. Present day. Personally. The greatest thing. That we can do. With our lives. Is. To invest.

[28:40] Our lives. In what really counts. And I was thinking. In reflection. Of. What our brother. Brothers were sharing. About soul winning. We can serve him.

[28:53] That's one job. We don't have to do. In glory. Because there'll be no lost people. To tell. Of our saviour. We can do. So that's something. We can do. To serve God now. That we won't be able.

[29:04] To do one day. And that's an important job. Then isn't it? That's an important mission. Isn't it? Serve God. To tell others now. To see others saved.

[29:15] Today. To reach. Other souls. Now. Because one day. We can't save souls anymore. We'll be in heaven. And we'll be surrounded. By saved souls.

[29:25] There won't be any loss. To reach then. So make your life. Count. Invest it now. As we wait. As we watch. As we work.

[29:37] In the light of his coming again. Because your Lord is coming. How does these. How does this happen? These changes. These new things.

[29:49] It all starts when the heart is changed. The heart is changed. Just to wrap it up really. Here in Ezekiel 36. The prophet says.

[30:02] The Lord speaks to the prophet Ezekiel. And he says. A new heart also. Will I give you. And a new spirit. Will I put within you. And I will take away. The stony heart.

[30:13] Out of your flesh. And I will give you a heart of flesh. There's a wonderful heart transplant here. God gives us a brand new heart. Amen. A new heart.

[30:25] Will I give you. Therefore if any man be in Christ. He's a new creature. Old things have passed away.

[30:36] Behold all things have become new. I encourage you to see. The. Transforming power of God. Amen. Amen. In his coming.

[30:48] That we're looking unto. We're looking for. The coming of our saviour. In the meantime. What manner of persons ought we to be. In all.

[30:59] Godliness and truth. Let him govern your life. Let him change the environment of your life. And let him. Employ you.

[31:10] To his glory. Let's pray. Lord we thank you that. We know. You are the great transformer of hearts. And. That we can have. A wonderful. Blessing.

[31:21] To know. Heaven. This side. Of eternity. This side of. Mortality. We can know.

[31:31] Heaven. We can know. Eternal life. Because your word promises that we can know. These things. We can know. For sure. And we pray that everyone here.

[31:42] Would know that. Truth. If there's any uncertain of that. That they'll get. That settled today. Right now. Before you. Engage us Lord.

[31:53] In this wonderful. Mission. Use us Lord. For your glory. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. That we might be. Empowered. That our. Environment.

[32:04] That our disposition. Would change. How we think. How we live. How we speak. How we. Interact. With others. Lord. That. We'll have a heavenly.

[32:15] Heart. And Lord. Help us to be. Such that we come. Under your. Rain. That we'll be. Truly. Under your.

[32:26] Dominion. Which is. A blessed one. It's not. Irksome. To know you. As master. It's. It's our great joy.

[32:38] And privilege. And not only. As servants. But as sons. And daughters. Of the living God. Help us Lord. To live. Worthy. Of that calling. In Jesus name.

[32:50] Amen.